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Spiritual Reality…

Spiritual Reality…. 1 John 1:8-2:2. Key Word. Sin Last week we looked at the certainty of Christ’s incarnation Today we’ll look at how the confession of sin is evidence of Salvation. Authentic Christianity. A Pastor is to be a Shepherd That job would entail warning the flock of danger

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Spiritual Reality…

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  1. Spiritual Reality… 1 John 1:8-2:2

  2. Key Word • Sin • Last week we looked at the certainty of Christ’s incarnation • Today we’ll look at how the confession of sin is evidence of Salvation

  3. Authentic Christianity • A Pastor is to be a Shepherd • That job would entail warning the flock of danger • 1 Timothy 6:20-21 • John is protecting the flock throughout this letter • 2 John 1-4

  4. A Good Pastor Is… • Passionate for the truth • Knows sound doctrine • Teaches sound doctrine • Provides tests so that the flock can distinguish truth from false teachers

  5. The Church Today Is…

  6. Utterly Unprotected • Scandalized by its tolerances • By its inclusiveness • Embracing anybody and everybody • All in the name of love and openness

  7. The Result… • The Church loses the will to discern between truth and false teaching • John wants the Churches he writes to understand that deceivers must be identified

  8. And Towards That Goal… • False teachers must be identified • Anti-Christ's must be identified • Pretenders in the flock must be identified • To do that you need to know what an authentic believer looks like

  9. John’s Tests… • The Doctrine Test • The Morality Test • The Love Test • John will circle around these basic themes throughout the Epistle

  10. The Benefit Of These Tests • It helps us spot the wolves in sheep’s clothing that mingle among us • We can discern between truth and deception in what we are taught • We can spot an anti-christ • We will have assurance of our Salvation

  11. The Authentic • Last week we saw that an authentic believer passed the test of of the correct doctrine of Christ • Today we’ll look at the test of one’s perspective on sin

  12. Before anyone becomes a believer they must have an accurate view of their sinful condition • You can’t understand freedom from condemnation… • Until you understand - condemnation

  13. Regenerated people confess their sins regularly • Unregenerate people tend to conceal their sin

  14. If I don’t know or acknowledge the fact that I have sinned against a Holy God and deserve the full force of His righteous judgment and wrath… • Why would I need a savior

  15. Biblical Confessors

  16. Judah Pharaoh Achen Saul David Isaiah Daniel Tax collector Peter Prodigal Son Paul

  17. Now the world would look at these confessions as damaging to the psyche, promoting a lack of self esteem. But these confessions are a healthy, wholesome way to cleanse ourselves and reach out to a Holy God

  18. Men Deny Sin… • We tend to do everything we can to escape God’s indictment • If we can deny sin exists, we think we can avoid judgment • What did we learn in Malichi…

  19. Today people think God is unjust when we tell them He is going to send people to an eternal hell. They think that’s unfair. They think that because they don’t recognize sin. Man is defined not in moral terms, but in psychological terms. Not defined as a sinner – but sick. And it’s treated by therapy…

  20. Or quite often these days with drugs. In the secular world the diagnosis is consistently wrong. Mark 7:21 – Everything that’s wrong comes from within. Sin coming from within is offensive even to some in the Church. It’s due to external forces. The World wants to sin and continue to sin without consequences…

  21. “Homolegeo” • The Greek word translated as confess • “Homo” means same • “Legeo” means to say • When we confess we are saying the same thing as God says about our sin • This is critical to Salvation

  22. The Sin Test… • Adam and Eve sinned against God • They had two choices… • Confess • Cover up

  23. The Sin Test • They chose to cover up • They made clothes to hide their shame • They tried to physically hide from God in the Garden • This is the pattern of the Human race • We cannot prosper Spiritually before God unless we come clean

  24. Romans 2:14-16 • God has built into Man a device called the conscience • The conscience makes you feel bad about your sin • It is actually a great Gift from God • It slows down our sinful pace • It slows down our personal destruction

  25. Luke 12 2-3 • Nothing is hidden from God • Our secrets are open before God • No one can hide from the Righteous Judge

  26. Psalm 51:3-4 • When he sinned David broke 4 of the last five commandments • He coveted • He stole • He committed adultery • He murdered

  27. Psalm 51:3-4 • David sinned against Bathsheba • He sinned against Israel • He sinned against Uriah • Yet David cries out in the Psalm, “Against You and You only I have sinned and done what is evil in Your sight…”

  28. True confession is not just admitting you violated someone • Ultimately we confess to a Holy and Righteous God that we have violated His Laws • Only then can we experience soul prosperity

  29. So This Is The Test… • Believers are confessors • Non-believers cover-up • We have the “If we Sayers…” • In contrast with the “If we Doers…” • James 1:22

  30. If We Sayers… • Verse 8 – The self deceived… • People who think the physical is separated from the spiritual • Therefore even though they sin on the physical level – it doesn’t affect their spiritual life (The beginnings of Gnostic thought)

  31. If We Sayers… • Verse 10 – The defamers • One who admits there is evil in the world, but has no part in it. • They just don’t think they sin • They defame God by making Him out to be a liar….Romans 3:23

  32. If We Sayers… • Their situation is hopeless • Can we all agree that we need to know the truth about our sin before we will even consider Salvation • Romans 3:10-18 – No one escapes

  33. If We Sayers… • So far in 1 John the “If we Sayers” have demonstrated two forms of blasphemy • They deny Christ is the Savior • They deny sin and its effect on them

  34. If We Doers… • Key word…Cleansed • As we saw in verse 7 if we are walking in the light on a daily basis and giving evidence of that light… • We have fellowship with each other and fellowship with the Savior • And we are being cleansed by the Blood of Christ

  35. John 13…

  36. 1 John 1:9 • A famous verse • How many of you have memorized this verse • Is this a condition???

  37. What if…

  38. 1 John 1:9 • Written in the arist tense • Which speaks more of a single act than a continuing process • Lets go back to the foot washing

  39. We Are Forgiven Because… • That’s what God Promised us • Our sins have been justly paid for • Because Jesus promises to wash our dirty feet • It is consistent with the character of Jesus Christ

  40. Other Views… • Unconfessed sin remains unforgiven • Confession is a meritorious act and after doing some kind of penance we earn forgiveness • Confession is cathartic and helps us to feel forgiven • These beliefs diminish the work of Christ

  41. 1 John 1:9 • The ones being forgiven are characterized as confessors • Forgiveness is not because of the confession • We confess because we are forgiven • Believers don’t forget what they’ve been saved from and confess as part of their new nature

  42. Part Of Our Character

  43. 2 Corinthians 7:9-10 • Sorrow that produces repentance that leads to Salvation • We have hope

  44. Ok…Chapter 2 • Jesus is our Advocate • Our divine Defense Attorney • Surely there are lawyers in Heaven • But only one is practicing • The sinner comes before the Bar of God • Jesus is the Defender of those in the Kingdom

  45. Ok…Chapter 2 • Salvation is a matter of Divine Justice • As well as a matter Divine Mercy • The fact that Jesus is our Advocate come with a great sense of relief in the context of this letter • John speaks in terms of right and wrong • Black and white…rigid standards

  46. We Are Expected To… • Have the right view of Christ • Not have a sinful lifestyle • Love our brothers and sisters • Test the spirits • Hate the world • Avoid false teachers • Identify the anti-christs

  47. We Are Expected To… • One could read through 1 John and be overwhelmed with the pressure of satisfying all these tests • But – We have relief - we have Jesus standing up for us as we struggle through these tests

  48. The Indictment • All believers sin • We stand before the Judge • We know we’re guilty • The Judge knows we’re guilty • Our Defense Attorney knows we’re guilty • And we have a Prosecutor…

  49. The Indictment • It’s not mentioned in the text but… • Who is this prosecutor? • Who is our accuser?

  50. No…Not Gloria!!!

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