Intro/Recap

We are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.

1 John 1:1–4

• God is light, there is absolutely no darkness in him.
• If we say, “We have fellowship with him,” and yet walk in darkness, we are lying and are not practicing the truth.”
• If we walk in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and his blood cleanses us from all sin.
• If we say, “we have no sin”, we are deceiving ourselves.
• But if we confess our sin, he is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteous.

We should be intense about avoiding sin.

This is John’s second reason for writing: “so that you may not sin.”

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin.

1 John 2:1

This a continuation of the same things he was talking about in the previous chapter (chapters helpful, not inspired).

• Don’t sin; walk in the light.
• Don’t say you have no sin; confess your sin.
• Don’t hide your sin, admit it; you have an all-sufficient Savior.

A whole branch of “evangelical” theology has come into existence to provide assurance of salvation to lukewarm, disobedient people who call themselves Christians. And this book was written to blow that theology out of the water. John Piper

The one who commits sin is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God was revealed for this purpose: to destroy the devil’s works.

1 John 3:8

When we sin, we’re literally acting like the devil does.

In chapter 5, John’s going to talk about “sin that leads to death.” There is a point of no return.

• we just need to apply it consistently & biblically

Being serious about “do not sin” means that dealing with gossip or a squabble between believers is just as serious as dealing with two believers living together.

personal legalisms

God is after your heart, not just your actions. But your actions come from your heart.

2. We should be intent on applying the Gospel.

Notice that if. Doesn’t have to be this way.

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the righteous one. He himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sin, and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.

1 John 2:1-2

• Jesus, our atonement.
• Jesus, our advocate.

Jesus Our Atonement

This is the part we are most familiar with, and rightfully so.

Jesus Our Advocate

Christ’s intercession is the continual
application of his death to our salvation.

John Calvin

Jesus & Peter

“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you like wheat. But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen your brothers.”

Luke 22:31—32, NLT

It wasn’t actually the sin that Satan wanted to use to sift him like wheat—if that was the case, Jesus’ prayer wasn’t effective, because Peter did in fact sin, greatly, denying Jesus three times before morning.

The greatest danger to Peter was the guilt he was going to feel afterwards. What’s it say Peter did after he denied him the third time? “He went out and wept bitterly.” That was the greater danger Peter faced. That’s when Satan was going to sift him like wheat. And that’s what Jesus was praying against.

“You’re going to fall. Your guilt and your conscience is going to come at you. And you’re going to feel like Judas, maybe feel like hanging yourself. You’re going feel like, ‘How can I ever look myself in the mirror again? How can I face anyone again? How can I face God again?’”

“But I have prayed for you. So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen your brothers.”

• Not “I have prayed for you, so if you turn to me again.” There would be no hope if that’s what Jesus said. No hope for Peter, and no hope for us. It’s “I have prayed for you, so when you turn to me again…”

• Because I’m your advocate before the Father, I always get what I ask for.

But because Jesus lives forever, his priesthood lasts forever. Therefore he is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf.

Hebrews 7:24—25, NLT

Jesus is your advocate before the Father, right now.

It is possible to be either too lenient or too severe towards sin. Too great a lenience almost encourages sin in the Christian by stressing God’s provision for the sinner. An exaggerated severity, on the other hand, either denies the possibility of a Christian sinning or refuses him forgiveness and restoration if he falls. Both extreme positions are contradicted by John.

John Stott

A. This is how you deal with guilt.

B. This is how you deal with anxiety/discouragement.

• Legalistic Christian: your sinning, that’s why things aren’t going well.
• Psychological Christian: you just don’t understand that God loves you as you are.

I am discouraged and anxious because someone/something else has been standing in for me; I’ve been looking for it to be my advocate, in stead of him and him alone. I’m going to find out what that is, and put it back in its proper place in my heart—below him.

He’s praying for you.

Addy, sunrise, new every morning.

C. This is how you develop true,
gospel-centered self-discipline.

This is how we know that we know him: if we keep his commands. The one who says, “I have come to know him,” yet doesn’t keep his commands, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps his word, truly in him the love of God is made complete. This is how we know that we are in him: The one who says he remains in him should walk just as he walked.

1 John 2:3-6

• We don’t obey in fear that his love will run out.
• We obey because we know it never will.

More next week, how we know that we know.

Conclusion/Invitation

He has given His own Son to die for us, that we may die to sin!
He has given Him to live that we may live like He lives.

Charles Spurgeon

How long beneath the Law I lay
In bondage and distress;
I toiled the precept to obey,
But toiled without success.

Then, to abstain from outward sin
Was more than I could do;
Now, if I feel its power within,
I feel I hate it too.

Then all my servile works were done
A righteousness to raise;
Now, freely chosen in the Son,
I freely choose His ways.

‘What shall I do,’ was then the word,
‘That I may worthier grow?’
‘What shall I render to the Lord?’
Is my inquiry now.

To see the law by Christ fulfilled
And hear His pardoning voice,
Changes a slave into a child,
And duty into choice.