This is a sermon that was given on May 24, 2020. It is the second sermon in a series of messages through the New Testament book of First John. This message is based on 1 Jn. 1:5-10 and focuses on a statement about God (God is light), as well as the additional implications of that fact.
Written Excerpts:
1 John 1:5 (NKJV) This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.
Introduction:
(Today's Best Illustrations – Volumes 1-4) I believe in Christianity as I believe the Sun has risen, not only
because I see it but because by it I see everything else. — C.S. Lewis in The Weight of Glory.
Christianity Today, Vol. 34, no. 13.
(moreillustrations.com) …
a conceited young fellow … turned to an old minister and, as if challenging [him],
said, "I am told you believe in the inspiration of the whole Bible."
The good man replied quietly, "Oh, yes, my friend, what do you believe
in?" [The young man responded with] A little laugh… [then] he continued,
"But you certainly know what the great scholars say about it?" … again
the [old minister answered] him, "Somewhat; but what do they say about
your soul?" Now the inquirer grew [restless]. "They say you are
leading men along with a [small candle] in your lantern." To this the aged
preacher [replied], "Do they say men would see any better if we would let
them put the [candle] out?" —
Sabbath Reading.
I. A
Statement of Fact – God is Light.
The Apostle John is declaring a statement of
fact based on the revelation of God in the OT.
Genesis 1:3 (NKJV) Then God said,
"Let there be light"; and there was light.
Psalm 104:2 (NIV) The LORD wraps
himself in light as with a garment; he stretches out the heavens like a tent
Before the creation of light, the only light
that existed was God. God is the source of light in this world.
1 Timothy 6:16 (NKJV) who alone has
immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see,
to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen.
The fact of light suggests a few other
truths about God.
A. God is self-revealing.
It suggests God’s nature of
self-disclosure/revelation vs. secrecy.
It is God’s nature to reveal Himself and
disclose His will to the creatures He created.
Numbers 12:6 (NKJV) Then He said,
"Hear now My words: "If there is a prophet among you, I, the
LORD, make Myself known to him in a vision; I speak to him in a dream.
Psalm 19:1-4 (NKJV) The
heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, And night unto night reveals knowledge.
There is no speech nor language Where their
voice is not heard. Their line has gone out through all the
earth, And their words to the end of the world. In them He has set a tabernacle
for the sun,
It is God’s nature to make himself known. He
doesn’t force us or require us to grope in the dark hoping against hope that we
can somehow discover who He is and what He wants in our lives. It is also His nature to expose error and
evil; to bring it all out to the light. It may not all take place in this life,
but it will happen someday.
Ephesians 5:13 (NKJV) But all things
that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is
light.
Luke 8:17 (NKJV) For nothing is secret
that will not be revealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known
and come to light.
1 Corinthians 4:5 (NKJV) Therefore
judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to
light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts….
B. God is truth.
It suggests God’s nature of truth/knowledge
vs. error/ ignorance.
Psalm 119:105 (NKJV) Your word is
a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.
Proverbs 6:23 (NKJV) For the
commandment is a lamp, And the law a light; Reproofs of instruction are
the way of life,
These verses indicate the purpose of the
commandment and the law is to give light (knowledge) of the truth. This
knowledge will produce righteous living.
C. God is holy.
It suggests God’s nature of holiness vs.
defilement.
The term “light” carries a moral
connotation.
John 3:19-21 (NKJV) 19 And
this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved
darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. (20 For
everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest
his deeds should be exposed. 21 But he who does the truth
comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been
done in God.")
Isaiah 5:20 (NKJV) Woe to those who
call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for
darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
These verses provide an example that the
Bible compares light with righteousness and holiness while darkness is likened
to evil and unrighteousness. It does so to remind us that God, who
“dwells in unapproachable light” is a God who is absolutely holy.
II. Shining
the Light on Three Common Errors
Because God is light, John wishes to apply
that truth to the current problems that are developing in the church and
“shine” the “light” of truth on the errors to expose them and correct them.
A. Error #1: Sin does not affect fellowship.
“If we say” – Used three times (vv. 6, 8,
& 10). Possibly quoting direct arguments of the false teachers.
“walk” – metaphor for living one’s life; our
conduct/behavior in contrast with what we say.
(Reasoner) Since Gnosticism affirmed the supremacy of knowledge and the impurity
of matter, it led to either asceticism [denying pleasure to self] or
antinomianism [freedom from law]. … if knowledge is everything and the body is
worthless, the antinomian Gnostic held that the body could indulge in shameful
and impure experience without the soul being polluted.
(John R.W. Stott, TNTC) – They thought of the body as a mere envelope
covering the human spirit, which, they further maintained, was [uncorruptible];
it could not be contaminated by the deeds of the body….
This reasoning is not far away from the
arguments of some professing Christians today – i.e., it doesn’t really matter
if I sin in my conduct as long as I have prayed the sinner’s prayer, believe in
my heart that I am born again and all of my past, present and future sins are
already forgiven.
John boldly declares anyone making such a
claim while living such a life is lying and not practicing truth, which is
further evidence that they “walk in darkness,” i.e. practice evil.
Paul makes it very clear to the Corinthian
church:
2 Corinthians 6:14 (NKJV) Do not be
unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has
righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?
Paul reminds them of a basic principle of
life / of the universe – righteousness and lawlessness do not have any
fellowship / communion; neither does light with darkness.
Remedy for this error? – v. 7
1 John 1:7 (NKJV) 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.
“If we walk” – present tense = continuous
action.
“in the light” – the revelation of God’s
will in Scripture. We already mentioned passages like
Psalm 119:105 (NKJV) Your word is
a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.
Proverbs 6:23 (NKJV) For the
commandment is a lamp, And the law a light; Reproofs of instruction are
the way of life,
“blood… cleanses…” - (Reasoner) As we keep
walking in light, which means we continue to obey the truth, the blood of
Christ keeps on washing.”
“all sin” – singular; some say it’s
referring to the “defilement of our fallen nature.” Or, from any sin that mars
our fellowship with God. (Stott)
So, the ongoing washing provides the basis
for ongoing fellowship.
B. Error #2: Enlightened people are not
sinners.
1 John 1:8 (NKJV) If we say that we
have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
(John R.W. Stott, TNTC) The second claim of the heretics was one
stage worse than the first, namely, to be without sin, ‘to be sinless’, (NEB).
The first heretical claim at least appeared to concede the existence of sin,
while denying that it had the effect of estranging the sinner from God. Now the
very fact of sin is denied. These people cannot benefit from the cleansing
effects of the blood of Jesus because they claim to be without sin.
(Reasoner) In
the fifth century, Pelagius, a British monk, argued that Adam had set a bad example
but that his descendants did not inherit his nature. Modern liberalism teaches
that we are all born as a blank slate… The social sciences believe that mankind
is basically good.
The error
apparently hinged upon the same theme we’ve already mentioned – the Gnostics
believed that the mind and spirit were unpolluted from the deeds of the evil
material body and so the spirit never was a part of sin. John says that
anyone making this claim is deceived and the truth is not in them.
Since God’s
Word is truth (Jn. 17:17), then he is saying that what is revealed in the Word
about our condition is not a part of their thinking and understanding.
cf. (Jeremiah
17:9 (NKJV) "The heart is deceitful above all things,
And desperately wicked; Who can know it?)
Ecclesiastes
9:3 (NKJV) …. Truly the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil;
madness is in their hearts while they live, and after that they go
to the dead.
Mark 7:21
(NKJV) For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts,
adulteries, fornications, murders,
The Remedy
for this error? – v. 9
1 John 1:9
(NKJV) If we confess (pres. tense) our sins, He is faithful
and just to forgive (aor. tense) us our sins and to cleanse
(aor. tense) us from all unrighteousness. (Timing of aorist verbs is
determined by tense of main verb – “confess”).
There probably is
a distinction between the grace of forgiveness and the grace of cleansing.
“ALL
unrighteousness” – God’s remedy for sin is as extensive as the problem of sin.
C. Error #3: Actions of enlightened people cannot
be sinful.
1 John 1:10 (NKJV) If we say that we
have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.
According to Vic Reasoner, “have no sin” (v.
8) refers to the “sinful state” (inherited sin), while “have not sinned” (v.10)
refers to the actual commission of particular acts of sin.
(John R.W. Stott, TNTC) The heretics maintained that their superior
enlightenment rendered them incapable of sinning.
All sorts of ideas have prevailed through
the years to eliminate the idea of sinful conduct or behavior.
(John R.W. Stott, TNTC) To say that we have not sinned is neither
just to tell a deliberate lie (v. 6), nor to be deluded (v. 8), but actually to
accuse God of lying, to make him out to be a liar and to reveal clearly that
his word has no place in our lives.
Psalm 14:3 (NKJV) They have all turned
aside, They have together become corrupt; There is none who does good,
No, not one.
Ecclesiastes 7:20 (NKJV) For there
is not a just man on earth who does good And does not sin.
Conclusion:
John is reminding his readers and all of us
that God’s very nature is light – authentic, revealing, and holy,
He has revealed to us again the nature of
our problem – sinful nature and sinful deeds; as well as, the nature of the
remedy – forgiveness, cleansing and fellowship.
It is our own choice whether we will ignore
sin, excuse sin or seek His remedy for sin.
Closing song: Stepping in the Light
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