IF…
1 John 1: 6-10
Three negative conditionals and two positive ones used to have confidence in relationship with God.
The conditionals are presented because there is a choice to be made. Things could go one way or another.
Believers can say one thing and do another. This is the dichotomy of the conditions in 1 John.
THE SEPARATION OF SIN IS NOT PRACTICED
Verse 6: "If we SAY we have fellowship with Him, and WALK in darkness WE LIE and do not practice truth."
There is no possibility of having fellowship with God if we are doing something in the darkness. We can SAY we do have fellowship, but it isn’t possible, so we are lying. The sin (darkness) separates us from the light. Physically, it is impossible for both darkness and light to be happening at the same time. One or the other. That’s it.
THE STROKE OF SIN IS NOT PERCEIVED
Verse 8:"If we SAY we have no sin, we DECEIVE ourselves and the Truth is not in us."
Sounds like John is refuting some doctrinal error. We do get a sin nature, inherited from father Adam. ALL of us have this sin nature.
Romans 5:12 "Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned…."
That one man referred to in Rom 5:12 is Adam. 1 Corinthians 5:22 says: "As in Adam all die, so in Christ we shall all be made alive."
So, the deception comes in not believing the Truth about ourselves. Deception means to ”lead into error, cause to believe what is false or disbelieve what is true.” (Webster’s 1826 Dictionary) Hence, sin isn’t even perceived because of the deception.
THE STING OF SIN IS NOT POSSESSED
Verse 10: "If we say we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us."
God says we have sinned. If we don’t believe it, disagree with it, we are calling Him a liar. How arrogant!
Pastor Mike said, “Just because you don’t know or even believe you are a sinner, doesn’t mean it isn’t true.” That arrogance certainly can belie some ignorance, can’t it!
So now, if we go back to the two verses in which the conditionals are positive we see what the choice to believe and walk in the truth yields.
AN UNWAVERING CLEANSING STEP
Verse 7: "But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin."
The choice here has been made to walk in the light, where there is no darkness or deception. There is agreement with God that we as sinners need Him. This yields: fellowship with other believers, which pleases God (Heb 13:16), and fellowship with God. The Holy Spirit, who was convicting of sin, now comforts us in fellowship with God. What a relief!
AN UNFADING SOLUTION
Verse 9: "If we confess our sin, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. "
This verse permits us to make the approach to God, agree with Him about sin, and claim assurance by virtue of HIS faithfulness and justice, for our forgiveness. This is the long term condition of one relying on God, agreeing with God, walking in fellowship with God.
NOW, in the application of all this, two questions are asked:
1) Am I saying what I am actually living?
2) Am I cleansed in fellowship with God?
Each minute of my life I am choosing, whether consciously or unconsciously, to have a good attitude toward my life. I am one of the ones produced by our culture that is always looking for relief from my present situation, looking to be made happier by stuff or situations.
I love getting my nails done and having make-up on. These things are not inherently wrong HOWEVER, if I am relying on them to make me secure and happy, I AM WAY OFF BASE.
I struggle with looking for a way out of my everyday situations…all the time…not wanting to face the trials. You guys might wonder what kind of trials I have. I mean to confess to you that my struggles are for the very most part, internal and emotional. My baggage comes in footlockers, not little bags. Sometimes an entire crate looms over my heart. Rejecting the God-shapen life I have been given is having my foot in the darkness. Rejecting the people, relationships, living conditions, jobs; all by God’s hand, is sin. And when I insist that they change or I cannot be happy in them, I’m sinning. You guys, it is a huge deal to keep telling God He made a mistake allowing a particular place, person or thing into my life. I must accept them from His Hand as His tools to fashion me into the woman He wants me to be. It is that sovereignty issue again!
What a relief to know and believe 1John 1:9. I think the constant struggle is exactly why this truth is so precious. God understands my frame and remembers I am dust. Even in my wildest resistance, as a believer, He restores my fellowship when I agree with Him about it.
So, yes, to both these questions of application. I am living what I am saying because I choose to believe, agree with, and act on the truth of God’s faithfulness and justice to forgive me through Jesus.
Lisa, How often I have started to post and stopped. Transparency is difficult. I think I should be myself and what others think is not my concern, however, the most critical word or stony silence come from those whom I share the love of God in Christ Jesus. So, here goes.
ReplyDelete1. I find fellowship with the body extremely difficult. I think, "Oh, she loves Christ, I cannot wait to talk with her or know her and share my love and life in Christ." I find that in most instances, the response to my invitation of a relationship is not regarded through the eyes of Christ. My enthusiasm is taken as too religious. Wrong as it may be, I have developed a skepticism of fellowship with the Body. Our common ground, Christ, isn't a ground we stand on commonly.
As difficulties have surfaced I struggle most with the question, "How could they believe that of me. Why haven't they bothered to find out the truth?" I do not believe that many people want to involved, walk along side the sufferer without criticism so they walk away.
2. If am not in fellowship with believers, am I in fellowship with God? It feels a vicious circle. I retreat to the shell of, "Just me and you, God." While this might sound good, look good; it is extremely lonely. I crave a relationship with others, but "know" they will not be genuine. This is, of course, not true. My skepticism has boxed me into wrong thinking..."retreat" to God, crave relationship with others, won't happen, retreat to God...you see? Wrong thinking, vicious circle.
3. Am I cleansed in fellowship with God?
Hmmm...don't think so. Fellowship with God is cleansing...but am I in fellowship?
4. Last week you asked us to think about what we believe of God. I have been thinking hard on this. I have been reading through Job. My heart breaks every time I read this book. It is difficult for me to read of his suffering, hear the anguish in his voice, and listen to his friends rebuke him a sinner KNOWING that God kept silent throughout all of this. Was it days, months, years of suffering? And God knew. Please don't think me irreverent. God is working this out with me daily. I believe, if God had told Job what he was doing, what good would that be. How would the Almighty have proven Job's faithfulness to Satan?
What I have realized today is that God was rooting for Job. He was bragging about his precious child, Job. The suffering was unbearable. Job expressed that God was pouring out his wrath. Still Job could express, "Oh that my words were now written! oh that they were printed in a book!
24 That they were graven with an iron pen and lead in the rock for ever!
25 For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:
26 And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God:
I am by no means comparing myself with Job. Just the incomprehensibly pain. Job did nothing to bring the suffering. I on the other hand made choices that brought the pain. I am not of Job's caliber. I am only speaking to the severity of the pain and loss.
I have turned my face from God in pain rather than defending him as Almighty, knowing what he is doing. I have allowed unbearable suffering to break me.
I have felt so destroyed by God. (My sin destroyed me.) I believed him to have abandoned me. But no! He is cheering for me. Satan says, "See, she curses you. She will deny you and you will lose!" God says, "Never, she's stronger than that!" Amazing.
My heart hurts to think that He has never left me. How often I have wanted to quit. Sometimes anger, slander, wrath, and abusive speech has been so thick a blanket in my life that I wished death would come swiftly.
To BELIEVE God is rooting for me, cheering me on, encouraging me; that is where I want to be every moment of every day.
Searching still for wisdom and understanding, Margaret
Margaret,
ReplyDeleteIt is a hard work but good work to grapple with the fact that God doesn't leave or forsake us...even when He is silent, even when we are frightened, even when we are running, even when we are angry. He NEVER moves from His throne and Jesus is always by His side interceding for us. Pastor Mike was reminding us of that again last week. God's always good and perfect.
Now, when it comes to us, His children, we do have problems here now don't we? We are inconsistent, selfish and demanding. Our understanding is limited and we don't want to step out of our comfort zones. We are big on self preservation and short on self sacrifice. Letting others down is consistent with our sinful nature. Oh, what wretched people we are. Yet, the Holy Spirit would not want us to wallow here in this mire. We are daughters of the King of the Universe and He gives us everything we need for life and godliness, all spiritual blessings, a place to run to when where we find protection and comfort. Those are the only sure places.
Walking in forgiveness and seeking restoration between believers is critical. It is fine to question looking for resolution. May we not be presumptuous to demand understanding the mind and purpose of God. Why do we suffer? God only knows. We can and should trust His Goodness and Sovereignty rule over all.
By the way, Margaret, thanks for being honest and for taking the risk of expressing your heart.
ReplyDeleteMargaret - thank you for what you wrote. Although my words don't seem to come to me right now, I certainly don't want you to only have a response from Lisa on this one. You are too precious not to have fellowship with others. Unfortunately so many of us are so broken that we become consumed by our own brokenness and cannot fathom the brokenness of others and their need for us to simply break what can appear to be a stony silence.
ReplyDeleteYour posting makes me aware that even believers within our families have the same tendencies to walk away for fear of touching on something too personal or because they may think they already know... - when we most desire the honesty of a bond of openness and love that does come with fellowship in the Body. I encourage you to continue to allow your fellowship with God to lead you to the fellowship with other believers - it is powerful!