Sunday
Morning Bible Study
September
16, 2012
Introduction
Do people see Jesus? Is the gospel
preached? Does it speak to the broken hearted? Does it build up the church? Milk
– Meat – Manna Preach for a decision Is the church loved?
Announce: Plead for more prayer
warriors Sunday Morning to partner with me.
This is a book
about Real Issues
What’s
real? What’s the truth? Questions like:
Who is God? What is He really like?
What is a Christian? What is a Christian really like?
1:8-2:2 Sin’s Truth
:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive
ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
:8 If we say – lego – to say, to speak; affirm
over, maintain
The word is in the “subjunctive” mood, which speaks of possibility,
something that may or may not actually happen.
:8 sin – hamartia –to miss the mark; to miss or wander from the path of
uprightness and honor, to do or go wrong
; to wander from the law of God, violate God’s law, sin; that which is
done wrong, sin, an offence, a violation of the divine law in thought or in
act; collectively, the complex or aggregate of sins committed either by a
single person or by many
It meant originally the missing of a mark. When applied to moral things
the idea is similar, it is missing the true end of life, and so it is used as a
general term for sin. It means both the act of sinning and the result, the sin
itself.
:8 we have – echo –
to have, i.e. to hold; to have i.e. own, possess
Present indicative
:8 deceive – planao –
to cause to stray, to lead astray, lead aside from the right way; to lead away
from the truth, to lead into error, to deceive
:8 truth – aletheia – truth; what is true in any matter
under consideration; in reality, in fact
The root idea
of aletheia
is to be “not covered”. The truth is not
something that’s hidden, but something uncovered, something that is exactly
what it seems to be.
There is no “truth” to the concept that we do not have sin.
Play “Red
Balloon” movie. Here’s the truth
about sin …
Lesson
We Sin
There are some verses in 1John that can be kind of confusing if you don’t
pay attention to all of what John is writing.
We saw one last week:
(1 Jn 1:6 NKJV) If we say
that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not
practice the truth.
Walking in darkness is a metaphor for sin. Next week we will read:
(1 Jn 2:3–4 NKJV) —3 Now by this
we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4 He who
says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the
truth is not in him.
Because of
these verses, some people have come up with the idea that true Christians no
longer have “sin” or commit “sins”.
People react to this false idea in several ways.
Some learn to
“redefine”
You and I might think it was wrong, but they’ve decided it
was just a “disease” that made them do it, and it wasn’t a sin.
Some “pretend”
They pretend their lives are perfect, when in reality they
are a mess.
Some go the
route of despair.
They think there is something wrong with them because they
still sin.
To make it worse, they even like to sin (just like we all
do).
John says that you are simply fooling yourself if you think that you do
have “sin”.
How do we reconcile these two ideas?
How can we “obey” Jesus, and yet still acknowledge that we have sin?
As a believer,
we have been given a new nature that wants to obey God.
We have gone from darkness into light.
Because of this, we will learn to walk more and more in
obedience.
And yet, we are
still stuck with our “old” nature.
There is still that old part of us that wants to disobey
God. Paul wrote,
(Ro 7:19 NLT) I want to
do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it
anyway.
The truth is, until we get our new, glorified bodies, we will still have to
live with our sin nature.
We won’t become “sinless”, but we will learn to “sin less”.
If my actions haven’t changed at all since I’ve become a
Christian, then something is wrong, and perhaps I’ve fooled myself.
:9 If we confess our sins,
He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from
all unrighteousness.
:9 confess – homologeo (“same” + “speak”) – to say the same
thing as another, i.e. to agree with; to concede; to declare openly
Lesson
Transparency
Forgiveness comes when we confess our sins to God.
We need to say the same thing that God says when it comes to our sins.
We need to say we were wrong. We need to say we need help.
One of the key
words in 1John is the word “truth”.
One of the concepts that define “truth” is to be
“uncovered”, or to be “transparent”.
Confessing your sins means that you admit to God what is
the truth – that you have sinned.
Josh is being
honest about his struggles. He had to
admit he had a problem. He had to come
to the point where he admitted, “I can’t do it anymore… I surrender”
Give up your
excuses. Josh had some excellent excuses
for drinking and drugs – the accident that killed his parents would be a great
excuse for anyone. But excuses only
“cover up” what is the truth – that what you are doing is wrong, and that you
NEED Jesus.
You have to give up your excuses is you want help.
:9 faithful – pistos – of persons who show themselves
faithful in the transaction of business; can be relied on
When we confess our sins, you can count on Jesus to forgive you. He will do it.
:9 just – dikaios – righteous, observing divine laws; upright,
virtuous
When Jesus forgives us our sins, He isn’t breaking any rules when He does
it.
Sin is an offense that requires that some sort of penalty be paid.
When Jesus forgives us, He doesn’t ignore the price of the penalty. He is the one that has paid our debt.
Illustration
Let’s say that one of your kids is throwing something in the parking lot, and he hits a window of
the church and breaks it. Your son comes
up to me and tells me what he did. He
says he’s sorry.
It’s one thing for me to say, “You are forgiven”, but there is still a
price to be paid to fix the window.
Since your son can’t afford to pay for the window, our landlords will be
stuck paying for a broken window unless someone else pays for it. It is not correct or “just” if I say “You
are forgiven” if I stick the landlords with the bill.
Jesus
paid the bill. He is the one who paid
for OUR sins.
He paid a debt He didn’t owe because we owed a debt we
couldn’t pay.
:9 forgive – aphiemi – to send away; to let go, give up a
debt
A great definition
of “forgiveness” is the idea of “letting it go”.
When somebody does something to hurt us, we tend to “hold on” to a grudge.
Forgiveness is learning to let it go.
If we confess our sins, God lets it go.
:9 cleanse – katharizo
– to free from defilement of sin; to free from guilt of sin
When God forgives us, we become clean in His sight.
(Is 1:18 NLT) “Come now, let’s
settle this,” says the Lord.
“Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though
they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool.
:9 unrighteousness – adikia
– injustice, of a judge; unrighteousness of heart and life; a deed
violating law and justice, act of unrighteousness
The opposite of “just” (dikaios)
Lesson
Promised Forgiveness
Whether we are aware of it or not, one of the greatest problems our society faces
today is the problem of guilt.
Illustration
Dr. Karl Menninger, in his book ‘Whatever
Became of Sin?’ begins his first chapter with an intriguing illustration. On a sunny day in
September, a stern-faced, plainly dressed man could be seen standing still on a
street corner in the busy Chicago Loop. As pedestrians hurried on their way to
lunch or business, he
would solemnly lift his arm, and pointing his finger at the person
nearest him, shout the single word ‘GUILTY!’ Notes Menninger, “Then without any
change of expression, he would resume his stiff stance for a few moments before
repeating the gesture. Then, again, he would raise his arm, point, and
solemnly pronounce the word ‘GUILTY!’ to the passerby. The effect of this
strange performance on the passing strangers was extraordinary, almost eerie.
They would stare at him, hesitate, look away, look at each other, and then at
him again: then hurriedly continue on their ways. One man, turning to another,
exclaimed: ‘But how did he know?’ No doubt many others had similar thoughts.
How did he know, indeed? “Guilty!’ Everyone guilty? Guilty of what? Guilty of over parking?
Guilty of lying? Guilty of
unfaithfulness to a faithful wife? Guilty only of evil
thoughts – or evil plans?” (Whatever Became of Sin? pg. 1,2)
The answer is “yes”.
We are all guilty.
Help
doesn’t come from hiding our guilt, it comes from confessing it.
(Lk
7:36–50 NKJV) —36 Then one
of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him. And He went to the Pharisee’s
house, and sat down to eat. 37 And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew
that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an
alabaster flask of fragrant oil, 38 and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to
wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head;
and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil. 39 Now when
the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying,
“This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this
is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner.” 40 And Jesus
answered and said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” So he said,
“Teacher, say it.” 41 “There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five
hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave
them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?” 43 Simon
answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.” And He said
to him, “You have rightly judged.” 44 Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this
woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for
My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with
the hair of her head. 45 You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet
since the time I came in. 46 You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My
feet with fragrant oil. 47 Therefore I say to
you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.” 48 Then He
said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” 49 And those who sat at the table with Him began to say to themselves,
“Who is this who even forgives sins?” 50 Then He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”
I think that some of us are a tad like the Pharisee in that we’ve lost our
passion for the Lord. The truth is, the
Pharisee had much of his own sin to be forgiven, but he holds back and
justifies it, while the woman came for forgiveness. A key to restoring your passion for the Lord
is tied to the humility that is required to confess your sins and find
forgiveness.
Illustration
Ernest
Hemingway wrote a story about a father and his teenage son. In the story, the
relationship had become somewhat strained, and the teenage son ran away from home. His father
began a journey in search of that rebellious son.
Finally, in Madrid, Spain, in a last desperate attempt
to find the boy, the father put an ad in the local newspaper. The ad read: “Dear Paco, Meet me in front of the newspaper office at noon. All is forgiven. I love you. Your father.” The next day, in front of the newspaper office, eight hundred Pacos showed up. They were all seeking forgiveness. They
were all seeking the love of their father.
We all need forgiveness. If we
confess our sins, the Father WILL forgive us.
He is faithful – you can count on Him to forgive you.
:10 If we say
that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.
:10 If we say – lego
– to say, to speak; affirm over, maintain
The word is in the “subjunctive” mood, which speaks of possibility,
something that may or may not actually happen.
This is the third and final time that John uses these words, “If we
say”. Circle these verses:
(1 Jn 1:6 NKJV) If we say that we
have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the
truth.
(1 Jn 1:8 NKJV) If we say that we
have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
(1 Jn 1:10 NKJV) If we say that we
have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.
Next week we will see another new phrase that John will use, “He who
says”
(1 Jn 2:4 NKJV) He who says, “I know
Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in
him.
(1 Jn 2:6 NKJV) He who says he abides
in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.
(1 Jn 2:9 NKJV) He who says he is in
the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now.
This is all about John bringing us back to reality – what is a “real”
Christian?
:10 sinned
– hamartano – to miss the mark; to do or go wrong; to
wander from the law of God
Perfect tense – sin committed in the past and its effects continue on
to the present.
The word “sin”
in English can be both
a noun (a thing) or a verb
(an action).
In verse 8, the
word “sin” is the noun, accompanied with the verb “to have”.
This might be referring to a person’s “sin nature”, or their sense of “personal guilt” (the
Gnostics said that your “spirit” shouldn’t feel guilty for the actions of your
flesh)
If we say we do not have a sin nature or we are not guilty, we are deceiving
ourselves.
In verse 10,
the word “sinned” is the verb.
The emphasis is
on committing the sin.
If we say that we have not
committed sin, we are making Him a liar.
When His Word is showing us that we have indeed done something wrong, yet we
deny that our actions are wrong, we are calling God a liar.
There are some actions these days which are no longer politically correct
to label as “sin”.
I understand the “disease”
aspect of alcoholism, but being drunk is more than a disease, it’s also disobeying
God’s standards.
A boyfriend may try to talk his pregnant girlfriend into an abortion
because the world says she has a “choice”, but that’s not going to remove the guilt that she feels
after the child is killed.
It’s only in admitting the truth to God that forgiveness is found.
:10 liar – pseustes –
a liar; one who breaks faith; a false and faithless man
:10 we make – poieo
– to make; to do
Present active indicative
:10 word – logos –
word
:10 is not – eimi
– to be
Present tense
:1 My little children,
these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we
have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
:1 little children – teknion
– a little child; in the NT used as a term of kindly address by teachers to
their disciples
Diminutive of teknon, “child”
The word is used by John seven times in 1John.
Jesus used it in:
(Jn 13:33–35 NKJV) —33 Little children, I shall be with you a
little while longer. You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, ‘Where I am
going, you cannot come,’ so now I say to you. 34 A
new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you,
that you also love one another. 35 By this all will know
that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
:1 you may not sin – hamartano
– to miss the mark; to err, be mistaken; to miss or wander from the path of
uprightness and honour, to do or go wrong; to wander from the law of God,
violate God’s law, sin
Aorist subjunctive; 2nd person plural
:1 so that you may
not sin
John is writing these things to us, not to give us an excuse to sin, but
encourage us to NOT sin.
:1 if anyone sins
Yet as much as John wants to encourage us to NOT sin, there will be times
when we do sin. What do we do then?
:1 anyone sins – hamartano
– to miss the mark; to err, be mistaken; to miss or wander from the path of
uprightness and honour, to do or go wrong; to wander from the law of God,
violate God’s law, sin
Aorist subjunctive; 3rd person singular
:1 we have an Advocate
The picture
that John is painting is that of a courtroom.
Advocate
– parakletos –called to one’s side; one who pleads
another’s cause before a judge, counsel for defense
In John’s court,
we are on trial standing before God who is the judge.
The Bible tells
us that Satan is the prosecuting attorney (Rev. 12:10)
(Re 12:10 NKJV) … the accuser of our
brethren, who accused them before our God day and night…
But we don’t
stand alone before the judge as we are accused.
We have a defense attorney – Jesus.
:1 Advocate – parakletos
– summoned, called to one’s side, esp. called to one’s aid; one who pleads
another’s cause before a judge, a pleader, counsel for defense, legal
assistant, an advocate; one who pleads another’s cause with one, an
intercessor; in the widest sense, a helper, aider, assistant
This is the word used of the Holy
Spirit.
(Jn 14:16 NKJV) —16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another
Helper, that He may abide with you forever—
Jesus had been their “Helper”, and
now He would send them another “Helper” in the person of the Holy Spirit.
Yet Jesus is still our “helper” or
“Advocate”, but now doing it from heaven.
Nowadays, TV shows seem to prefer to make the prosecuting attorney out to
be the hero, while the defense attorney is a scumbag.
But when I was growing up, there was one Defense Attorney who could always
be counted on to work for the person wrongly accused of something, and to get
them declared “Not Guilty”.
Play
Perry
Mason clip.
There
is a difference though between Perry Mason and Jesus. Perry Mason defended innocent people and got them
declared “Not Guilty”. Jesus defends guilty
people, and because He has ALREADY paid the penalty for their sins, He gets
THEM declared “Not Guilty”.
:1 we have – echo –
to have, i.e. to hold; to have i.e. own, possess; to be closely joined to a
person or a thing
Present tense
:1 the righteous – dikaios
– righteous, observing divine laws; in a wide sense, upright, righteous,
virtuous, keeping the commands of God
This is the same word translated “just” in verse 1:9
:2 And He Himself
is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole
world.
:2 propitiation
– hilasmos – an appeasing
This is a word related to the
Hebrew word kaphar, often translate
“atonement”
“Atonement” was accomplished when
blood from a sacrifice was sprinkled in the Holy Place. (Lev. 16:30)
(Le 16:30 NKJV) For on that day the
priest shall make atonement for you, to cleanse you, that you may be
clean from all your sins before the Lord.
This is a word related to the Hebrew word kopher, which can mean “ransom” of “covering”. If your ox was guilty of goring your
neighbor, but you didn’t know that your ox was so mean, you escaped the death
penalty by paying a “ransom”:
(Ex 21:30 NKJV) If there is imposed on him a sum of money,
then he shall pay to redeem his life, whatever is imposed on him.
This is a “compensation for a wrong”, paying the penalty for an offense, paying for that broken
window.
Again, this is why Jesus is “just” when He forgives us, because He has paid
the price of our sins.
Jesus is not only our Defense attorney, but as He pleads our case before
the Judge, He reminds the judge that He died in the place of the one who is
accused.
:2 but also for the
whole world
When Jesus Christ died,
He didn’t just die for our sins, but for the sins of the whole world.
There are some that teach that when Jesus died, He only died for those who
would one day accept Him, or that He only died for the “elect” or the “chosen”
ones.
Yet John says pretty clearly here that Jesus didn’t just die for our sins,
but for the sins of the whole world.
When we are sharing our faith with other people, we can tell them with
confidence that Jesus died for their
sins.
We can tell them that Jesus Christ offers payment for their sins.
We can say with confidence that Jesus offers the forgiveness that comes
when your sins have been paid for.
Does this mean that everyone will be saved?
No, there is still one step missing between Jesus dying for us, and us
finding forgiveness and salvation.
We must
“believe” in Him. Jesus said,
(Jn 3:16 NKJV) For God so
loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in
Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
We sometimes think of it in terms of “receiving” Him into our heart.
(Jn 1:12 NKJV) But as many as
received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who
believe in His name:
Another way of
looking at it is to think of Him standing outside of the door of your heart,
knocking, and asking you to let Him into your life.
(Re 3:20 NKJV) Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and
opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.
Lesson
Are you ready to say “yes”?
Are you ready to ask Him into your heart today?