In response to Canada’s recent law (1-8-2022) making Conversion Therapy illegal.  This sermon seeks to examine the church’s response to such laws and to take a look at Biblical sexual morality as well as where the church must stand in such times.

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Conversion Is The Mission
1 Timothy 1:8-15
January 16, 2021

If you were here with us last week,
We announced why this morning we are taking a break
From our study of 1 John for this week.
We received a request from our brothers in Canada

On Jan. 8, Bill C-4 in Canada was signed into law which will criminalize
“causing another person to undergo conversion therapy; promoting or advertising conversion therapy.”

• If a person in Canada is convicted of practicing conversion therapy they can be sentenced with up to 5 years in prison.
• And anyone who knowingly promotes or advertises conversion therapy can be sentenced up to 2 years.

First I should start with I suppose: “What is Conversion Therapy?”

Wikipedia defines it like this:
“Conversion therapy is the pseudoscientific practice of attempting to change an individual’s sexual orientation from homosexual or bisexual to heterosexual or their gender identity from transgender to cisgender using psychological, physical, or spiritual interventions.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conversion_therapy

WebMD defines it as:
“Conversion therapy is any emotional or physical therapy used to “cure” or “repair” a person’s attraction to the same sex, or their gender identity and expression.”
https://www.webmd.com/sex-relationships/what-is-conversion-therapy

It is a broad and wide open term that refers to any way in which
Someone tries to influence a gay person to stop being gay.

AND NOTABLE ON THE LIST
Is using “spiritual interventions” to seek to influence a person.

What does it look like if a church uses conversion therapy you ask?

Here is WebMD’s explanation of conversion therapy in a faith-based setting.
“In some religious practices, homosexuality and other forms of gender expression and identity are sometimes viewed as “evil.” Conversion therapy is sometimes performed by clergy or other spiritual advisers. It may include using anti-gay slurs and prayers. In severe cases, it could also include beating, shackling, food deprivation, and even exorcism.”
(ibid)

The main argument against conversion therapy is that it is said to
Produce lower self-esteem and even suicidal tendencies on those who have been subjected to it.

And based upon such findings the Canadian government put into effect
Last Saturday a Law against conversion therapy.

The signing of this bill into Law has caused a group of Canadian pastors
To unite today to preach on Biblical Sexual Morality
And they have asked their brothers in the United States to do the same.

SO HERE WE ARE.

I obviously have many thoughts on the issue,
But that is a dangerous way for anyone to approach any issue.

SO THIS MORNING WE ARE GOING TO APPEAL TO SCRIPTURE
And see if we can wrap our minds around this issue
And what is true and where the church should stand on such things.

We are looking at 1 Timothy 1:8-15

For a brief background you must understand the flow of the conversation.
• The apostle Paul had founded the church at Ephesus,
• But his missionary zeal to take the gospel to places that had not heard it now caused Paul to move on.
• In his stead he left Timothy at the church with this instruction.

1 Timothy 1:3-7 “As I urged you upon my departure for Macedonia, remain on at Ephesus so that you may instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrines, nor to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which give rise to mere speculation rather than furthering the administration of God which is by faith. But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. For some men, straying from these things, have turned aside to fruitless discussion, wanting to be teachers of the Law, even though they do not understand either what they are saying or the matters about which they make confident assertions.”

So there was an issue at Ephesus.
• There were men there who wanted to be teachers of God’s Law
• But they had no clue what the purpose of God’s Law actually was.

Paul says they were obsessed with non-essential things like “myths and endless genealogies”

And they did not understand “the goal of our instruction” which is “love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.”

They were bad teachers who missed the point of the Law.

Paul said “they do not understand wither what they are saying or the matters about which they make confident assertions.”

They preach it, but they don’t understand it.
THAT IS THE BACKDROP.

Starting in verse 8 is Paul’s correction.

Verse 8 gives us the direction we need.
(8) “But we know that the Law is good, if one uses it lawfully.”

THAT IS TO SAY God’s Law is a good thing,
But it has to be used the right way and for the correct purpose.

What do you mean Paul?

Well, he gives you an example of HOW TO USE IT WRONG.
(9) “realizing the fact that the law is not made for a righteous person,”

I hope you understand that.
The Law is NOT for righteous people.

If people are good and righteous and holy and obedient then they don’t need the law.
• They don’t post speed limit signs for safe drivers.
• They don’t hire police officers for lawful people.

God did not send His Law for righteous people.
Righteous people need no law.

Do you understand that?

(Incidentally, this is one of the reasons our culture has started to push for the abolishment of police officers in some places. It correlates to this naïve belief that people are basically good and don’t need it)

But God’s Law isn’t there for righteous people.

SO WHY DID GOD SEND HIS LAW?

And Paul tells you: (9b-11) “but for those who are lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers and immoral men and homosexuals and kidnappers and liars and perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound teaching, according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, with which I have been entrusted.”

So the Law isn’t for righteous men, but who is it for?
The Law is for sinners.

What do you mean sinners?
“lawless, rebellious, ungodly, unholy, profane”

Like what?
• “those who kill their fathers or mothers”
• “murderers and immoral men”
• “homosexuals”
• “kidnappers”
• “liars and perjurers”

And honestly “whatever else is contrary to sound teaching”

So God’s Law is here for the purpose of
Exposing and condemning unrighteous men.

And therefore to use the Law “lawfully” would be to apply it to sinners.

This is how God’s Law is intended to be used.

God gave His Law that it might be used to confront sinners who are “lawless, rebellious, unholy and profane.”

This is the purpose of God’s Law.
Romans 7:9-11 “I was once alive apart from the Law; but when the commandment came, sin became alive and I died; and this commandment, which was to result in life, proved to result in death for me; for sin, taking an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me.”

• Paul said I used to think I was doing good until I read the Law and it exposed my sin and condemned me.

That is what the Law does.

NOW, FOR OUR PURPOSES OF THIS MORNING
You cannot help but notice on the list
Paul includes the specific sin of HOMOSEXUALITY.

You could say:
• “Well he lists a lot of other sins on that list too.”

• “Why aren’t we having a Sunday regarding Biblical Morality against murder or lying or perjury or kidnapping or one of those other sins?”

• “Why have we felt the need to single out homosexuality?”

And that’s a fair question.
IT IS A MISTAKE
To assume that homosexuality is the only sin the world should be warned about or that the church should be concerned with.

AND IT IS A FAIR ASSESSMENT
To see that part of the problem with the culture today is that perhaps the church has been unequally concerned about some sins over others.

IT IS NOT OK
For the church to be concerned only about homosexuality and not about lying or greed or any other sin.

So why would we participate in such a Sunday to focus primarily on Biblical Sexual Morality?

I want to read you a quote from Martin Luther
which I think gives clarity here.

“If I profess with the loudest voice and clearest exposition every portion of the truth of God except precisely that little point which the world and the devil are at that moment attacking, I am not confessing Christ, however boldly I may be professing Christ. Where the battle rages, there the loyalty of the soldier is proved; and to be steady on all the battlefield besides, is more flight and disgrace if he flinches at that point.”

-Martin Luther
(sited in: MacArthur, John; The Truth War, Fighting for Certainty in an Age of Deception; [Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, TN; 2007] pg. 26)

The reason we are standing today to give clarity
Regarding Biblical Sexual Morality is because at this moment this is
“that little point which the world and the devil are at [the] moment attacking”

We didn’t pick the battlefield, it has been picked for us.
When a government makes a law that tells the church
There are some sins which cannot be addressed
The church must stand at this point.

While sins like lying or perjury or drunkenness or murder or kidnapping or gossip are certainly sins that invoke the wrath of God,
Those are not currently the sins which the culture is fighting to condone.

Today the battle ground is the issue of conversion therapy
And whether or not the church can or should
Call a person in homosexual sin to repentance and salvation.

That is THE ISSUE OF THE DAY and that is where we stand.

Paul wrote:
Ephesians 6:10-12 “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

You must understand that.
• This is a spiritual battle.
• It is being waged against the devil.
• It is a war for truth and ultimately for the souls of men.

Satan today (who is the god of this world)
Has used secular and sinful governments which he influences
To seek to trap men in their sin and ultimate condemnation.

THE CHURCH IS CALLED TO OPPOSE SUCH EFFORTS
And to STAND against the devil and his schemes.

So this morning we address the issue of Biblical Sexual Morality.
Homosexuality is not the only sin, but make not mistake, it is a sin.

Genesis 1:27 “God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”

Genesis 2:21-25 “So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place. The LORD God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man. The man said, “This is now bone of my bones, And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man.” For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.”

Leviticus 18:22 “You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination.”

In the New Testament it is addressed again:
Romans 1:26-27 “For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.”

Now some have argued that Jesus never addressed homosexuality,
BUT THAT IS NOT NECESSARILY TRUE.

In Matthew 5 and in Matthew 19 Jesus addressed marriage.

Matthew 19:4-6 “And He answered and said, “Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning MADE THEM MALE AND FEMALE, and said, ‘FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER AND BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH’? “So they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.”

Jesus clearly appealed to Scripture to indicate that
• Humanity is created “male and female”
• That “a man shall…be joined to his wife”
• And that “what God has joined together, let no man separate”

Which indicates that marriage is created by God according to His design
And humanity doesn’t get the privilege of redefining it.

We also read in the New Testament
1 Corinthians 6:9-11 “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.”

AND THAT IS WHAT WE WANT TO DISCUSS THIS MORNING.
Homosexuality is clearly a sin.
Homosexuality clearly misses the mark of God’s design and intent.

I know the argument which is to say, “But I was born this way”

And look, I get that explanation and don’t totally disagree with it.
• I was born with a temper
• I was born with a propensity for lust
• I was born with a tongue that likes to gossip

POINT? I was born fallen, in sin, thanks to my father Adam.

It’s not that God created me to be sinful,
It’s that in Adam I am fallen.

But God sent His Son Jesus into the world
So that I might be saved from my sin
And restored to the image for which I was created.

AND THIS IS TRUE FOR THOSE IN HOMOSEXUALITY TOO.

AND IT IS IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO UNDERSTAND THIS.

Some of you may have a more personal dealing with this issue than others.

And people have been confused with
What to do when they have a son or daughter or grandchild
Who begins to express these types of feelings.

WHAT DO YOU DO?

YOU DO THE SAME THING THAT YOU DO
WITH ALL SINFUL BEHAVIOR THAT YOUR CHILD WAS BORN WITH.

You confront it with the truth of God’s word
So that they are aware of their sin
And then you lead them to Jesus who alone can save them from it.

You convert them.
• Not just from gay to straight, but from sin to righteousness.
• From the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light.
• From death to life.
• From being an enemy of God to being a child of God.

That is what you do for all sin,
But today it is important to note that
HOMOSEXUALITY IS ON THAT LIST.

IT IS A SIN.
• And it is a sin in which Satan is heavily fighting today.
• It is a sin which Satan is trying to get the world to quit calling a sin.
• It is a sin which Satan would have you believe you don’t need to be saved from.

BUT IT IS A SIN
• It incurs the wrath of God.
• It incurs the judgment of God.
• It will send men and women to hell.

BUT…
IT IS A SIN FROM WHICH JESUS SAVES.

We read it in 1 Corinthians 6 where Paul listed homosexuality as a sin.

But notice what Paul said at the end of that passage.
1 Corinthians 6:11 “Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.”

IT IS A SIN FROM WHICH JESUS CAN SAVE.

So let’s go back to 1 Timothy 1 for a moment.

After Paul outlined the true purpose or use of the Law Paul continues now with his ministry.
(12-14) “I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service, even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. Yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief; and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus.”

This is fascinating.
Because Paul just outlined that God sent His Law for the purpose of confronting sinners.

And then Paul says something pretty peculiar.
He says that GOD USED HIM to proclaim that truth to the world.

Why is that strange?
Because Paul was a sinner.
“a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor”

And God used that sinful man to proclaim the truth?
Yes

HOW?
Paul says, “I was shown mercy”

SO NOW WE GET ANOTHER VERY IMPORTANT ASPECT.

God is certainly holy and righteous
And He has sent His Law to expose and condemn men in their sin.

BUT AT THE SAME TIME GOD IS MERCIFUL TO SINNERS.

In fact, Paul sums up his message like this.
(15) “It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all.”

As I prayed and pondered how to address this issue this morning,
This was the phrase that resonated in my mind.

“Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”

Certainly those in homosexuality must be taught that they are sinners.
The church cannot dodge this.

But what a blessing to know that
Jesus is the in the business of saving sinners!

LET ME FURTHER CLARIFY THEN OUR MANDATE HERE.

It has been title “Conversion Therapy”
And it is being called something terrible.

And granted we are not for beatings or hypnosis or shackling or food depravation as WebMD implied.

But can I remind you that conversion is absolutely the name of the game.

Acts 15:3 “Therefore, being sent on their way by the church, they were passing through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and were bringing great joy to all the brethren.”

Twice in Scripture we actually have a Christian referred to as “a convert”
Romans 16:5 “also greet the church that is in their house. Greet Epaenetus, my beloved, who is the first convert to Christ from Asia.”

1 Timothy 3:6 “and not a new convert, so that he will not become conceited and fall into the condemnation incurred by the devil.”

Other times Jesus Himself calls for people to be “converted”
Matthew 18:3 “and said, “Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.”

John 12:40 “HE HAS BLINDED THEIR EYES AND HE HARDENED THEIR HEART, SO THAT THEY WOULD NOT SEE WITH THEIR EYES AND PERCEIVE WITH THEIR HEART, AND BE CONVERTED AND I HEAL THEM.”

I just point that out to you as a reminder that
We are in the conversion business.

JUST BECAUSE THE WORLD HAS DECIDED
That those in sin do not need to be converted
DOES NOT MEAN THAT WE IN THE CHURCH GO ALONG.

JESUS CAME TO SAVE SINNERS
And He came to save them out of their sin.

Matthew 1:21 “She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”

Luke 9:56 “for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.” And they went on to another village.”

Luke 19:10 “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

In 1 John we read:
1 John 4:14 “We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.”

Acts 3:26 “For you first, God raised up His Servant and sent Him to bless you by turning every one of you from your wicked ways.”

Jesus came to save sinners from their sin.
He came to convert them.
He came to transfer them
From the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light.

And His mission has become our mission.
John 20:21 “So Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.”

So just to make sure we are clear on that,
This is very much A HILL ON WHICH TO DIE for the church.

Our world may move in and out of fascination with various sins.
• They may practice some…
• They may love some…
• They may approve some…
• They may enforce some…
• They may make it illegal to confront some…

But none of that is our concern.

Our concern is to be the church
Which Jesus sent out into the world
To confront sin with God’s Law
And to call men to salvation through Jesus Christ.

That is our mission and our calling.

And today there is not hotter battlefield than the issue of homosexuality.

SO AGAIN WE STATE IT PLAINLY.

Homosexuality is a sin.
• It is contrary to the Devine design.
• God created men and women; male and female.
• He ordained marriage to be between 1 man and 1 woman.

Through this union God ordained a plan to PROPAGATE the world.
For he told them to “be fruitful and multiply”

Homosexuality obviously corrupts and distorts that plan.

Marriage between 1 man and 1 woman is also meant by God to be an ILLUSTRATION through which He demonstrates Christ’s relationship with the church.

It is a testimony of salvation and submission.

Homosexuality also corrupts and distorts that testimony.

Homosexuality is also specifically addressed and forbidden in Scripture as a sin before God.
• It falls into the category of those things which miss the mark.

THEREFORE
Those who are involved in homosexuality
And those who approve it

Are required to repent of their sin and to place their faith in Jesus that they might be forgiven, cleansed, and saved for all eternity.

That is our message and that has not changed.

Today, we stand with and commend the pastors in Canada who,
Despite threat of civil punishment,
Have chosen to stand for the mission of the church.

And though our immediate consequence is not as severe as theirs, we gladly stand with them knowing that Jesus Christ is the only Savior this world will ever know.

We cannot retreat here.

And to that I would like to make ONE FINAL POINT.

We have talked a lot recently about submission to the governing authorities.
• We studied Ecclesiastes and we saw several examples of what is clearly required of us.
• We are not out to lead a revolt against the government.
• We are not out to start some civil war.

But this represents an area where we cannot comply.
• As those Hebrew boys, we refuse to bow before Nebuchadnezzar’s statue.
• As Daniel, we continue in prayer though the king forbids it.

As the apostles:
Acts 4:19-20 “But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge; for we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.”

And here again we appeal to THE EXAMPLE of our Lord.

Luke 13:31-32 “Just at that time some Pharisees approached, saying to Him, “Go away, leave here, for Herod wants to kill You.” And He said to them, “Go and tell that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I reach My goal.’”

And there we are reminded that
Our Lord had a mission
Over which the governing authorities had no say.

No man could derail His ministry.

NO, He did not start a revolt.
NO, He did not call for a war.
1 Peter 2:23 “and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously;”

Jesus DIDN’T try to overthrow anyone.

And yet, He recognized a fox when He saw one.
He knew the will of Herod to be contrary to the will of God.

And so Jesus ignored the fury of Herod
That He might fulfill His ministry and His mission.

And there we find the example for the church.

This morning I simply want to encourage you to
UNDERSTAND YOUR CALLING AND BE FAITHFUL TO IT.
• We do not hate homosexuals.
• We do not long for the condemnation of homosexuals.
• We long for homosexuals to be saved just as we do for all sinners.

Our message to them is the same as it is to all those in sin.
2 Corinthians 5:20-21 “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

• We would echo to them the words of our Lord when He told the woman caught in adultery, “I do not condemn you either, go and sin no more.”

And we will commit to preach the message of the gospel
With the hope that it will convert all sinners from darkness to light.
THIS IS OUR MISSION.

And this morning that extends to any here today who are still in sin.
You may or may not struggle with homosexuality.
It is a sin, but it is not the only sin that will send a man to hell.

If you are to be granted fellowship with the Father
You must be cleansed of all sin, and that only happens through Jesus.

This morning I appeal to you also to repent of your sin and trust in Christ.

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Thinking About Relevance
Psalms 119:97-104
January 9, 2022

Tonight I want us to think about the issue of RELEVANCE.

• Maybe more specifically, what makes you relevant?
• Or perhaps we should say, what makes the church relevant?

It is a huge issue especially among church growth strategists
And those who are particularly interested in posting growing ministries.

For years now we have heard words like:
• Relevant
• Cutting Edge
• Trending
• We could perhaps even add the word “woke” to the list now.

It all carries the same idea
And it is the idea of maintaining relevance in the culture.

What is it that makes me someone that people should listen to?
Where do I get my voice?

It used to be that relevance wasn’t as big of an issue
Because OPPORTUNITY to be heard was so LIMITED.

There were very few who had the resources
To actually make their voice heard.

• Most didn’t have a TV station where they could broadcast into people’s homes.
• Most didn’t have a radio frequency to put their message on the airways.
• Most weren’t published journalists or authors that would be read by people in
their homes.

And so relevance was limited really to those
Who even had the opportunity to get their message out.

But then the internet came along and now everyone has a voice.
In the last 25 years we have been flooded with new voices broadcast on the scene.

• Everyone can get on Youtube and publish video content of their message.
• Everyone can get on Facebook or Twitter and publish their thoughts.

• Everyone is a journalist
• Everyone is an author
• Everyone has a message

So now with anyone and everyone having the ability
To broadcast their message the question has become even greater.
What makes me someone that people should listen to?

WHAT IS MY CREDENTIAL that sets me apart
As one who has valuable input to society?

YEARS AGO IT WAS YOUR AGE.
Those who had lived a long time and had experienced life’s many issues were considered to have obtained wisdom and their input was seen as valuable and so when the aged spoke you listened.

But as our culture adopted more electronics and cyber communication
The elderly began to be seen as ignorant because they couldn’t program a VCR or because they didn’t use YouTube or don’t know what “The Cloud” is.

And their voice lost it’s clout and relevance in our culture.

FOR A WHILE YOUR LEVEL OF EDUCATION WAS SEEN AS VITALLY IMPORTANT.
If you could put letters behind your name such as PHD you were seen as an expert who should be listened to. If you could boast multiple degrees you were seen as someone worth listening to.

But in our culture of relativism has been adopted where truth is relative and your message only has value if it agrees with me.

So even in very recent years we have seen men of education stripped of their clout if they dared to disagree with the social message.

IN OUR DAY THE CURRENT TREND IS VICTIM STATUS.
It is experience in suffering that seems to be the current message that makes one relevant. If you’re not a minority or have not been poor or have not suffered some sort of social injustice then you are not qualified to speak to today’s culture.

And so people try to elevate their voice by checking off boxes of victimization.

But that won’t last either.

But it has left even the church in some sort of a confusion
Regarding what makes her relevant.

If it’s not the elderly then maybe we need a trendy youth movement…
If it’s not education then maybe we need to be gritty and crude…
If it’s victimization then maybe we need to be woke and up on social injustice…

Far too many times we’ve seen the church shift her entire identify
In order to try and find a relevant voice.

SO WHAT MAKES YOU RELEVANT?
• What if you have no experience?
• What if you have no education?
• What if you have no resume of persecution or injustice?
• What if you aren’t famous?
• What if you have no achievements?
• What if you are a nobody in this world?

WHAT IS YOUR CREDENTIAL that makes you someone
Who has a voice in our culture?

Welcome to Psalms 119:97-104
This is my favorite stanza of all of Psalms 119
Because it hits so close to home for me.

I AM NO BRAINIAC.
It is true that I am somewhat quick witted
But that really only tends to get me in trouble more than anything.

When it comes to what is generally considered to be high intellect, I am on the short end of that stick.

I graduated middle of my high school class.
• I think my GPA was somewhere around a 90, but honestly I didn’t care enough to know for sure.

I graduated college with a 2.6 GPA to be an Ag Teacher.

To this day I don’t know how I passed Chemistry or College Algebra.

I did enroll in seminary and took about 18 hours but I never finished or earned a degree there.

I grew up in church but none of my family members were ministers,
• Though my dad was a Sunday school teacher.

And yet here I am called by God
To stand before you multiple times a week and deliver a sermon.

I joke with people that I always hated having to write papers in college
And now God has seen fit for me to write two a week.

In addition to sort of the job requirements there is the Biblical mandate.

When Paul gave the qualifications of elders to Titus he wrote:
Titus 1:9-11 “holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict. For there are many rebellious men, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, who must be silenced because they are upsetting whole families, teaching things they should not teach for the sake of sordid gain.”

The calling of an elder is to be able
To exhort in truth and refute that which is error.

Paul said that in the world there are many empty talkers and deceivers
And it is the job of the pastor to be able to see through their deceptions,
Expose them, and then rightly instruct his flock in truth.

Paul told Timothy
2 Timothy 4:2 “preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.”

Timothy was called to “reprove, rebuke, exhort”.

SO
• Despite my limited intellect…
• Despite my less than impressive transcript…
• Despite my average GPA…
• Despite my limited experience…
• Despite my humble education…

I am called to stand week in and week out
And not only expose the lies of the culture
But rightly exhort men and women to walk in the truth.

If you come in my office with a family burden,
I am called to give truth to the situation.

• I have no degree in Psychology…
• I have no experience with grown children…
• I don’t know what it’s like to be in an abusive relationship…
• I don’t live in poverty…
• I’m not a minority…

But I am called to give wise counsel into such situations.

THE QUESTION I FACE IS,
• What am I going to give you?
• Why should you listen to me?

Ever feel that way as you are called to share the truth?

HERE IS MY POINT.
All I have going for me is ONE THING.

I’ve only got one thing.
I’VE GOT A BIBLE

That’s really it.
I don’t have anything else.

• There’s no great accomplishment in my life.
• There’s no great achievement or degree.
• There’s no great experience.

I don’t have anything to offer you in this game of life except one thing.
I’VE GOT A BIBLE.

And that is why I love Psalms 119:97-104
Because that’s exactly what the Psalmist says.

• I face enemies I can’t outwit.
• I face scholars I can’t outsmart.
• I face experienced men I can’t relate to.

AS A MAN I DON’T BELONG IN THE CONVERSATION.

BUT…
(98-100) “Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies, For they are ever mine. I have more insight than all my teachers, For Your testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the aged, Because I have observed Your precepts.”

• “wiser than my enemies”
• “more insight than all my teachers”
• “understand more than the aged”

And it’s not because I’m smarter or more experienced than them.

The Psalmist says I surpass them only because I have the Bible.
• Your commandments “are ever mine” – that is to say always with me.
• Your testimonies “are my meditation”
• Your precepts have been “observed” by me – that is to say I watch them.

ALL I HAVE IS YOUR WORD.
The only thing that makes me relevant in this world is Your word.

What I want to encourage you with tonight is THAT IT IS ENOUGH.

You do not have to be intimidated by this world.
• You don’t have to be educated to be relevant.
• You don’t have to have experience to be relevant.
• You don’t have to be a victim to be relevant.

If you have God’s word you have everything you need.

And I just want to show you that a little tonight.
Let’s start here:

TURN TO ACTS 4
(keep your finger in Psalms 119)

• You know that back in Acts 3 Peter and John were entering the temple.
• They saw a crippled man and healed him.
• A crowd gathered and Peter again preached the gospel
• He called men to repent of their sin and of rejecting Christ
• He called them to trust in Jesus

And in Acts 4 the really important people get involved.
(READ 1-12)

This is an intimidating scene.
• It is one thing to stand among the rabble and speak definitively but now you are standing before the scholars.
• Not only that, but these men are dangerous and have authority.

But of course you notice that it didn’t stop Peter,
He preached boldly to them.

And the interesting statement comes in verse 13.
“Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus.”

What were Peter and John’s credentials?
• No education
• No training

They only had one thing, they had been with Jesus.
These men had walked with the Incarnate Word.

• It all started for them first when John the Baptist told them Jesus was the Messiah.
• But then there was the day when Jesus called them leave their fishing business and follow Him.
• From that day they spent time hearing the very words of God.
• GOD HIMSELF TAUGHT THEM.

Do you understand that?
They didn’t have a worldly education they learned from God.

TURN TO GALATIANS 1
The youth are studying this on Wednesday nights.

Paul is defending his ministry and explaining his credentials.
• Now we know that Paul was educated under Gamaliel
• We know that Paul had training
• But you’ll notice that is not what he puts on his resume

READ 1:11-24

What do you hear Paul saying?
• I don’t have a human education, I have a divine education.
• I didn’t learn this from the world, I learned it from God.

Paul says I didn’t even try to confirm it with the world.
My only credential is that God taught me.

TURN TO: MATTHEW 16
Early on in the ministry of the disciples.

(READ 13-17)

Did you catch that regarding Peter?
“flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.”

Peter, you learned this from God.

These men had what the Psalmist spoke of.
They had an EDUCATION THAT CAME DIRECTLY FROM GOD.

NOW LOOK BACK AT Psalms 119:102
(102) “I have not turned aside from Your ordinances, For You Yourself have taught me.”

Do you understand what is happening when you read the Bible?
• You are sitting in a front row seat.
• It is a one on one tutorial lesson where you are hearing directly from the Creator of the universe.
• God who is the very epitome of wisdom is teaching you directly.

That is what the disciples had.
THAT IS WHAT YOU HAVE.
It is enough.

I WANT YOU TO THINK ABOUT THAT FOR A MOMENT.

THIS NEW TESTAMENT THAT YOU HAVE
IS NOTHING SHORT OF THE VERY WORDS OF GOD.

What the apostles recorded for us is not the words of men,
It is the word of God.

When you read your Bible, you are learning directly from God.

TURN TO: 1 THESSALONIANS 2
Paul will reminisce about when he approached them and gave them the truth.

(READ 9-13)

Did you catch how Paul categorized his message to the Thessalonians?

Paul said when we preached to you, you didn’t get the word of men,
You got “the word of God”

I mean, we’ve read this verse over and over in 1 John lately.

1 John 1:3 “what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.”

John said, we gave you what we got.

When you got the word of the apostles you were getting the word of God.

TURN TO: 2 PETER 3
• This is a fascinating statement.
• This is Peter talking about the writing of Paul.

(READ 14-16)

Did you catch what Peter had to say about Paul’s letters?

Peter said some of what Paul said is hard to understand (that should comfort you that even Peter thought some of what Paul had to say was pretty deep)

Peter also said that people distort Paul’s letters.
• And then Peter said, “as they do also the rest of the Scriptures”

Do you see that Peter considered Paul’s letters to be Scripture?

WHAT IS MY POINT?

Just like the Psalmist, when we read the Bible
It is God Himself who is teaching us.

And that is the only credential we need.
• It is God’s word which makes us “wiser than [our] enemies”
• It is God’s word that gives us “more insight than all [our] teachers”
• It is God’s word that allows us to “understand more than the aged”

BECAUSE IT IS GOD HIMSELF WHO IS TEACHING US.

YOU DON’T NEED ANY OTHER CREDENTIAL.
• You don’t have to have old age
• You don’t have to have a worldly degree
• You don’t have to have life experience
• You don’t have to have had worldly success and fame
• You don’t have to have victim status
• You don’t even have to have had some great vision

TURN TO: 2 PETER 1

(READ 16-21)

Now you see again there that Peter explains what the Scriptures are.
He says that “men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God”
It wasn’t Paul speaking
It wasn’t Peter speaking
It wasn’t John speaking

It was God speaking.
These men were moved by the Holy Spirit to produce God’s word.

But in reference to the sufficiency of it look back up at verse 16.

Peter talks there about how he saw Jesus transfigured.
• That’s a pretty remarkable experience.
• One might think that such an experience would give a person all the credentials they need.
• I mean Peter could write books and get speaking engagements and they might make a movie about his experience.
• Peter said he was an eye-witness.

But notice what he says in verse 19.
(but it is a misleading translation)

“So we have the prophetic word made more sure”

That is accurate, but it is misleading.
What Peter is saying is “We have the even more sure prophetic word”

Peter ISN’T SAYING that we trust the Bible
Because I saw the vision on the mountain.

No Peter is saying do you know what gives us more confidence Even than that experience? God’s word.

It is “the even more sure prophetic word”

And that is why Peter tells you to pay attention to it
Like you pay attention to a light in a dark place.

DO YOU SEE THE POINT AGAIN?

In this world men are constantly chasing something
To make them relevant.

EVEN THE CHURCH has far too often bought this notion
That we need a gimmick or something to make us relevant.

And maybe you’ve been negligent to share in the world
Because you don’t think that you are smart or educated or experienced.

I just want to remind you that you don’t need those things.

The apostles didn’t have those things.
All they had was time spent with Jesus.
JESUS HIMSELF TAUGHT THEM AND THAT WAS ENOUGH.

(102) “I have not turned aside from Your ordinances, For You Yourself have taught me.”

What else do you need?
What other message where you going to take to the world?

I base my whole ministry on this fact.
This is the only confidence I ever have when I walk behind this pulpit.

I don’t suppose that I have a single thing of any value to offer you at all
Except what is contained in the Bible.

It is enough.

Let me give you another great passage to this regard.
TURN TO: JEREMIAH 23
Jeremiah is struggling with all the false prophets.

And I love the passage because he is actually
Placing their credentials side by side with his credentials.

The church needs this reminder.
(READ 25-32)

What a great reminder!
• So what if you don’t have a degree in molecular biology
• So what if you’ve never managed a fortune 500 company
• So what if you’ve never had some radical life experience

What does any of that have in common with the words of God?
“what does straw have in common with grain?”

AND THIS IS MY POINT.

As the church…
As believers…
We only have ONE THING that makes us relevant.
We only have ONE THING that gives us clout.

We are entrusted with the very words of God.

1 Timothy 3:14-15 “I am writing these things to you, hoping to come to you before long; but in case I am delayed, I write so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth.”

Isaiah 55:11 “So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.”

2 Timothy 3:14-17 “You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.”

Psalms 19:7-11 “The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul; The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the LORD are true; they are righteous altogether. They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover, by them Your servant is warned; In keeping them there is great reward.”

You can’t say that about any other degree.
You can’t say that about any other experience.

God’s word is all you need.
• You see that.
• The Psalmist understood it.

HE HAD NO OTHER CREDENTIAL.

But he knew what he had and
THAT EXPLAINS HIS GREAT LOVE FOR GOD’S WORD.

(97) “O how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day.”

When you know that God’s word is all you have
And it alone makes you wiser than your enemies

THEN CERTAINLY YOU SPEND YOUR TIME FOCUSING ON IT.

And his commitment to God’s word was sincere.
(101) “I have restrained my feet from every evil way, That I may keep Your word.”

Raise your hand if you know what “hobbles” are.

For those that don’t, a set of hobbles is basically a rope or chain that you use to tie an animals front feet together so it can’t run off.

• The Psalmist says that he has hobbled his own feet.
• He has taken steps to make sure that he never strays from God’s word.

See, if he loses God’s word then he’s got nothing in this world
And nothing to offer this world.

So he takes precautions
To make sure he maintains a commitment to God’s word.

BUT THAT IS NOT A BURDEN
(103-104) “How sweet are Your words to my taste! Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth! From Your precepts I get understanding; Therefore I hate every false way.”

• It’s not a burden, it’s a blessing.
• It is truth and it is sweet.
• And it is right.

And compared to it everything else is false.

I know that this has been sort of a random and wild ride tonight,
BUT IT IS ALL JUST TO MAKE A SIMPLE POINT
And one that is very important to me.

There is only one thing that makes us relevant in this world
And it definitely makes us relevant.

• God Himself has taught us.
• God Himself has spoken to us.
• We have been with Jesus.
• We have the truth.

• It is enough to counsel the weary
• It is enough to correct the foolish
• It is enough to instruct the naïve
• It is enough to exhort the sluggish
• It is enough to face the enemy
• It is enough to debate the scholar
• It is enough to speak to kings and rulers

It is all we have, but it is all we need.
We are relevant as long as we are proclaiming the words of God.

Download Here:

Why The Church Needs Jesus
1 John 2:1-2
January 9, 2022

We certainly agree with the statement of Jesus, when He said:
Matthew 4:4 “But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.’”

We do in fact love “every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God”

We agree with Paul when he said:
2 Timothy 3:16 “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;”

We do believe that “all scripture is profitable”

So there is certainly no portion of Scripture that we would wish to neglect
Or to put on the back burner as irrelevant or unimportant.

And yet, at the same time, there are some passages
That give such clarity and truth that they become even more loved.

The first two verses of 1 John 2 reveal such a passage.
The clarity of truth found here is second to none.

As you noticed from the title, here in just two verses John reminds us: WHY THE CHURCH NEEDS JESUS.
Maybe you are well aware of such a fact,
Maybe that is a reality you have not thought a great deal about.

CERTAINLY we look around at a world that is running as fast as it can into depravity and we understand why A LOST WORLD needs Jesus.

Titus 3:3-5 “For we also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another. But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit”

Such passages remind us why a lost world needs Jesus.
• We see their disobedience, deceit and enslavement to various lusts and pleasures.
• We see their malice and envy and hatred.

The world lives like that because they are lost.
THEY NEED JESUS.

• They need to be clothed in the righteousness of Jesus.
• They need to be set free from their sin through the resurrection of Jesus.
• They need to be filled with God’s Holy Spirit.
• They need to be washed and cleansed.
• They need to be saved.

It is rather easy for us to see why the world needs Jesus.
And John certainly wouldn’t disagree with that.

BUT in the first 2 verses of 1 John 2,
John reminds us WHY THE CHURCH NEEDS JESUS.

And I am confident that by the time we finish studying these 2 verses
You will again be so thankful that you have Him!

Well I remind you that the issue of 1 John has been an issue of fellowship.

Certainly we enjoy fellowship with one another,
But the greater desire of John is that we enjoy fellowship with God.

1 John 1:3 “what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.”

And John has made this issue of fellowship with God very clear to us.

He has reminded us that
• God is Holy and He has no fellowship with the darkness.
• Jesus saves and cleanses us from sin so that we can fellowship with God.
• We must confess our sins to gain the forgiveness and cleansing that is
necessary.

That, we have said, is Christianity 101.

We have also then listened as John EXPOSED those
Who do not actually have fellowship with God.

We learned about THE FRAUD
• Who says he has fellowship with God but is lying because he lives in sin.

We learned about THE DELUSIONAL
• Who says he isn’t sinful and so he doesn’t need to be cleansed by Jesus.

We learned about THE BLASPHEMER
• Who refuses to acknowledge his sin, even when God is the One who shows it.

The ONE THING all of those people have IN COMMON is
They remain in their sin and therefore
Cannot have fellowship with God.

SIN THEN IS THE ISSUE
Sin is that great inhibitor that destroys man’s fellowship with God.

• It was sin that caused Adam to hide from God.
• It was sin that caused God to retreat behind the veil.
• It is persistent sin even today that can cause a person to be put out of the church and excluded from the fellowship of saints.

SIN IS THE ISSUE.

Paul laid it out about as clearly as one can in his second letter to the Corinthians.
2 Corinthians 6:14-18 “Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, “I WILL DWELL IN THEM AND WALK AMONG THEM; AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE. “Therefore, COME OUT FROM THEIR MIDST AND BE SEPARATE,” says the Lord. “AND DO NOT TOUCH WHAT IS UNCLEAN; And I will welcome you. “And I will be a father to you, And you shall be sons and daughters to Me,” Says the Lord Almighty.”

That passage is often applied strictly to marriage,
But that is a faulty application.

• For one, marriage is never mentioned there.
• For another, Paul is clear in 1 Corinthians that even if a believer is married to an unbeliever and the unbeliever consents to stay with them, they should not divorce them.

That passage is better applied to the church.
• The church is to be a fellowship of light.
• The church is to be a place of holiness.
• If the church desires to enjoy fellowship with God, sin must be dealt with.

We are those who desire fellowship with God
So it only stands to reason that we do everything we can
To be a people with whom He can fellowship.

SIN IS THE ISSUE.

And understanding that will help you understand John’s first point this morning.

#1 THE POINT
1 John 2:1a

Do you want to sum up everything John has just said?
Do you want him to get to the point?

Well here it is:
“My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin.”

It is comforting to hear how John refers to us as “My little children”
• There is no malice here.
• There is no frustration here.

It is just a loving apostle who cares for his flock
And wants them to enjoy fellowship with God.

And the simple point of John is this.
DO NOT SIN

And at this point in the letter
WE KNOW WHY John would make such a statement.

It is because “God is Light and in Him there is no darkness at all.”

SIN IS A FELLOWSHIP WRECKER.
So don’t sin.

WE KNOW SIN OFFENDS GOD

• Why else did God kick Adam and Eve out of the garden?
• Why else did God curse this world?
• Why else was Adam consigned to labor, Eve consigned to pain, the serpent consigned to enmity, and the whole world consigned to death?
• Why else did God flood the world?
• Why else did He rain fire on Sodom?

The word here for “sin” is the most common one used.
It is HARMATANO
It means “to miss the mark”

You have a holy God who has revealed His Law and His righteous expectation and told man to live up to it.

Sin is when man misses that mark.
IT OFFENDS GOD.

John will say later in this epistle:
1 John 3:4 “Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness.”

When you sin you offend the God
Who gave His Law for the world to follow.
IT IS HARD TO FELLOWSHIP WHEN ONE IS OFFENDED.

WE KNOW SIN BRINGS DEATH

• We saw it as part of God’s curse on Adam.
• We saw it in Genesis 5 on Adam’s descendants.
• We see it daily in our world.

Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death…”

WE KNOW THAT SIN ENSLAVES

Jesus said:
John 8:34 “Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin.”

Paul said:
Romans 6:16 “Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness?”

Sin entraps men and ensnares them.

WE KNOW THAT SIN INSULTS THE WORK OF CHRIST.

Paul told us:
Titus 2:14 “[Christ Jesus] gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.”

But when we sin we totally disregard
The very purpose for which Christ died.

WE KNOW THAT SIN GLORIFIES SATAN, MAKING HIM OUR EXAMPLE

John will say it repeatedly in his epistle.
1 John 3:8-9 “the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil. No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.”

When we sin we in effect send a message to the world
That our father and our example is Satan.

Those who claim God as their Father should imitate their Father.

WE KNOW THAT SIN EFFECTS FUTURE GENERATIONS.

Paul was angry at the Corinthians for tolerating sin because it put future generations at risk of thinking such sin was ok.

1 Corinthians 5:6 “Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough?”

The command to not sin
Is an obvious one in Scripture for a number of reasons.

But perhaps more than any other thing
John has in mind that sin ruins fellowship.

We have images in our mind of THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL
Being delivered from Egypt, only to build a golden calf and worship it.

The consequence was that God moved outside of the camp.
It was a great shame and sadness for the Israelites that they had hindered their fellowship with God.

We have images in our mind of WHAT EZEKIEL DESCRIBED
When God was so offended by the idolatry of Judah
That His presence left the mercy seat and went and stood at the threshold of the temple, then moved to the gate of the city
And then finally moved to a mountain overlooking the city.

THE GLORY OF GOD DEPARTED.

Sin destroyed the fellowship.
AND IT STILL DOES.
• Sin kills intimacy with God.
• Sin kills fellowship with God.
• Sin kills fellowship among the saints.

And so the command of John is obvious.
“I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin.”

I REALIZE THAT THAT THE APOSTATE CHURCH OF THE 21ST CENTURY
Has adopted a nonchalant view of sin as though it is no big deal,
But I can assure that is not a Biblical view.

There is no more destructive force in our world than that of sin,
And the point of John is that you and I should not do it.

Now on a THEOLOGICAL LEVEL we can all give a heart “Amen!”
The problem is when we bring it to a personal level.

IF THAT IS THE CRITERIA
• One has to wonder if anyone will ever be able to actually enjoy fellowship with God.
• One has to wonder why any congregation remains.

Could there actually be two people in this world who can live so far above sin that their fellowship with God and one another is not threatened?

I think it’s safe to say that if there was such a congregation
You or I would most likely not be welcome.

And that leads us to the second point John makes and the realization as to why the church needs Jesus.
#2 THE PROVISION
1 John 2:1b-2

“And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.”

As I told you at the beginning.
We love all of the Bible.

But it is hard to imagine there being a richer
Or more glorious statement ever uttered than this one.

Do you want to have a great week?
• Spend this next week working on these two verses.
• Meditate here a while.
• I assure you there is a depth that will blow your mind.

It starts with a statement of tremendous reassurance.
“And if anyone sins…”

We say, “Oh thank goodness!”

If John had closed his epistle halfway through verse 1
We might have been terribly depressed.

It’s NOT that we desire sin.
It’s NOT that we think sin is ok.

We are in firm agreement with Paul.
Romans 6:1-2 “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?”

We most definitively do not condone or tolerate sin.
• We see that it is evil.
• We see that it is wrong.
• We see that it kills fellowship.
• WE WANT NOTHING TO DO WITH IT.

AND YET, despite our desire we all admit that we still sin.

We even learned that back in chapter 1.
• We know we are sinful.
• We know we still sin.

• We don’t love our sin
• We don’t hide our sin
• We don’t deny our sin
• We confess it

But, the fact remains that we still do it.

And IF John is going to say that
The only way to maintain fellowship with God
Is if we are able to maintain a life without sin then we are all ruined.

THANKFULLY THERE IS A PROVISION.

And I remind you that the audience John addresses is the church.
• This is a provision for the church.
• This is a provision for Christians.
• This is a provision for Sunday school teachers.
• This is a provision for long time believers and church members.
• This is a provision for deacons.
• This is a provision for pastors.

This is for when the church sins.
“we have an Advocate with the Father”

Now let’s stop there.

John has entered a sort of judicial scene.

And “Advocate” is “one who comes beside you to help.”
In fact the word for “Advocate” is PARAKLETOS

Jesus used it several times in the Upper Room.
John 14:16 “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever;”

• There it is translated “Helper” and Jesus is referring to the Holy Spirit.

Well John is also talking about a Helper.

It is a Helper, “an Advocate with the Father”

We are in a courtroom and we are on trial.
• Behind the bench sits the righteous Judge – “the Father”

• On the other side of the courtroom sits the accuser – “Satan”

• And sitting beside us, our helper, our “Advocate” is “Jesus Christ the righteous”

He is our defense attorney even now.
And NO ONE ELSE could stand in this place as well as Him.

We desperately need someone that the righteous Judge will listen to.
We need someone that the righteous Jesus respects.

This is what makes Jesus such an effective “Advocate with the Father”
It is because He also is “the righteous”

Perhaps you remember when the writer of Hebrews spoke about the general criteria of a good High Priest.
Hebrews 5:1-4 “For every high priest taken from among men is appointed on behalf of men in things pertaining to God, in order to offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins; he can deal gently with the ignorant and misguided, since he himself also is beset with weakness; and because of it he is obligated to offer sacrifices for sins, as for the people, so also for himself. And no one takes the honor to himself, but receives it when he is called by God, even as Aaron was.”

The writer reminded us that the High Priest has one job.
• He works “on behalf of men in things pertaining to God”
• He is there to “offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins”

• His job is to go before God on behalf of his client and negotiate a settlement.
• His job is to take the payment and satisfy the requirement of the Judge.

And we see some things about him like:
A good priest can identify with those he represents.
• If he isn’t compassionate to your plight he is likely not to work that hard.

But you also notice another VERY IMPORTANT POINT.
• “no one takes the honor to himself, but receives it when he is called by
God”

In other words, if you want a good priest or a good Advocate
Then you had better have someone that God will accept.

If the Judge won’t listen to him he’s not going to do you much good.

So here we are; sinners who have offended the righteous Judge.
Our fellowship is at risk, and we deserve judgment.

But “we have an Advocate with the Father”
And it is none other than “Jesus Christ the righteous”

That “righteous” part is HUGE
Because it reminds us that Jesus is an acceptable Advocate before God.

We have in Jesus a merciful and righteous Advocate.

Hebrews 4:14-15 “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.”

So certainly it is our goal not to sin,
But when we do, we have an Advocate.
We have a Helper who comes beside us.

He is there to negotiate the terms
To allow us to remain in fellowship with God.

THIS IS HUGE.

And then we get to verse 2.
(2) “and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins;”

This is a massive statement.
This theological gold!

LET’S DISCUSS IT a little because “propitiation”
Is not a word that we throw around in our every day discussions.

I actually want to give you 3 words here that you may have heard but may not be really familiar with.
• EXPIATION
• PROPITIATION
• PLACATION

It will help you to write those down,
And we’re going to define them this morning.

EXPIATION – to remove something or take something away

From a Biblical standpoint it would have to do with “removing our guilt.”

This is what we want our Advocate to do before the righteous Judge.
We want our guilt removed.

It was pictured in the Old Testament at “The Day of Atonement”
• When Aaron would take two goats.
• One he would sacrifice and pour its blood on God’s altar.
• The other he would confess the sins of the people over and send it away.

IT WAS AN ACT OF EXPIATION.

PROPITIATION – refers to the attitude change of the offended party. It means satisfaction. It means the Judge is satisfied.

• EXPIATION is the act of removing guilt, specifically by an offering to God.
• PROPITIATION signifies that God is satisfied with what is offered.

So back to that Day of Atonement metaphor.
• When Aaron poured that blood on the altar and sent the other goat away
• In his act of expiation God was satisfied.
• God’s wrath was propitiated.
• He no longer felt anger toward Israel.

In fact, here is a unique truth.

The word in the Greek for “propitiation” is HILASMOS

In the Septuagint (which is the Greek Old Testament; The Old Testament John would have read) we see that word HILASMOS used.

Exodus 25:22 “There I will meet with you; and from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are upon the ark of the testimony, I will speak to you about all that I will give you in commandment for the sons of Israel.”

In the Old Testament HILASMOS was there rendered “mercy seat”

What occurred there was propitiation.
That seat was the place of propitiation.
When Aaron offered expiation, God was propitiated.

Then that final word:
PLACATION – also means to appease or to satisfy, but here in a total justice sense. Wrath is removed and SO IS THE PUNISHMENT.
This would be the “case dismissed” announcement by the Judge.

At this point, you are free to go and resume your life.
Placation is the result of expiation and propitiation.
https://www.ligonier.org/learn/articles/two-important-words-good-friday-expiation-and-propitiation

• Something is offered to God that our guilt might be removed (expiation).
• God’s wrath is settled or propitiated
• The punishment for that sin is abolished; it is placated.

Placation of judgment is the ultimate goal,
But it cannot occur without expiation offered to God
Which will propitiate His wrath.

Now we go back for a moment to 1 John.

Where John says:
(2) “and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins”

Pay special attention to what John says.

HE DOESN’T SAY that Jesus offered propitiation for our sins.
That would be expiation (which Jesus did on the cross)

John says that “He Himself IS the propitiation”

Jesus is not just the Advocate who negotiates on your behalf.
Jesus is also the Offering which satisfies God on your behalf.

And it is FAR MORE THAN just His ATONING DEATH.
Jesus offered also His RIGHTEOUS LIFE.

Remember how we read in Hebrews 10 that Jesus came as a High Priest, not to give goats and bulls, but to give God the obedience God demanded.

Hebrews 10:5-7 “Therefore, when He comes into the world, He says, “SACRIFICE AND OFFERING YOU HAVE NOT DESIRED, BUT A BODY YOU HAVE PREPARED FOR ME; IN WHOLE BURNT OFFERINGS AND sacrifices FOR SIN YOU HAVE TAKEN NO PLEASURE. “THEN I SAID, ‘BEHOLD, I HAVE COME (IN THE SCROLL OF THE BOOK IT IS WRITTEN OF ME) TO DO YOUR WILL, O GOD.’”

Those goats that Aaron offered only worked on a temporary basis
Because they were symbolic of the true sacrifice which was coming.

You could almost picture it like this:
• You owe someone 1 million dollars and if you don’t’ pay it they will kill you.
• So you approach them and give them 1 million Monopoly dollars and say, this is a sign of good faith that the real payment is coming.
• And your creditor accepts that temporarily.

That is sort of what happened in the Old Testament.
Romans 3:23-25 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed;”

God had graciously accepted that symbolic offering,
But the real one still had to come.

Jesus was that real one.
He offered Himself to God without blemish.

That goat never fully propitiated God’s wrath,
That’s why they had to do it over and over every year.

BUT JESUS DID PROPITIATE HIS WRATH.
Jesus did satisfy God.

“He Himself is the propitiation”

John also DIDN’T SAY “He Himself WAS the propitiation”

John says that “He Himself IS the propitiation for our sins”

Still to this day, it is Jesus who propitiates God’s wrath.
Still to this day, it is who Jesus is and what Jesus did that satisfies God.

And John also says that “He Himself is the propitiation for OUR sins.”

That is the church’s sins.
• He is still satisfying God’s wrath on our sin.
• He is still maintaining our fellowship.

It would be great if we never sinned and our fellowship with God was never strained, but unfortunately that is rarely the case.

We blow it over and over and over.

BUT WHEN THAT HAPPENS
We in the church have an “Advocate” who approaches the bench on our behalf and “He Himself is the propitiation for our sins”

IT HAPPENS LIKE THIS.
• We sin and our fellowship with God should be thrashed.
• We should be kicked out of the church.
• We should be cut off from God.

But at that moment, our Advocate who is seated next to God
Throws the evidence on the bench.

It is a picture of Himself on the cross.
He never suffers again, He doesn’t have to, that one event was enough.

And because of what He did there (expiation),
The wrath of God is satisfied (propitiation)
And we remain in fellowship with God (placation).

Hebrews 7:25 “Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.”

Romans 8:33-34 “Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.”

This is why we need Him.
This is why the church still needs Jesus every single day!

We like to sing the song:
“I will not fear Your judgment. For me, no wrath I dread.
For it was spent on Jesus; Poured out upon His head.
When Satan’s accusations Make my poor heart afraid,
I hear my King declaring, “Father, that debt is paid”

Jesus my only hope, my only plea; My righteousness, my Great High Priest
Who intercedes for me before the throne. Jesus, I trust in You alone
https://sovereigngracemusic.org/music/songs/jesus-my-only-hope/

It would be great if we never sinned. In fact we long for that.
But what a joy to know that when we sin
We have an Advocate who is always our propitiation before God.

And just to make sure we rightly understand the gospel.
See the LOVE OF GOD here as well.

• Lest you see God as the angry Tyrant whom Jesus must continually appease.
• It was God who sent His Son to be our propitiation.
• It was the righteous Judge who loved us and sent His Son to pay our penalty.

And we realize that the fellowship we enjoy was purchased by God
And is at the same time maintained by Him through Jesus Christ.

WE NEED HIM EVERY MOMENT!

But there is one more point to make here.
It is a good reminder for us here in missions month.

(2b) “and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.”

Now first let me stop you before you run off into a theological web you can’t escape.

Many people use that text as a proof verse that
What Jesus did on the cross He did for everyone in the whole world.

But listen,
• If Jesus accomplished propitiation for everyone in the whole world
• And if Jesus is in fact the Advocate for everyone in the whole world
• Then no one would go to hell because every ounce of God’s wrath would have been placated.

John is not promoting universalism.

No, what John is reminding the church of is the SUFFICIENCY, the EXCLUSIVITY, and the SCOPE of Jesus propitiation.

What Jesus did is enough to satisfy God’s wrath for every sin
It is sufficient.
What Jesus did is the only thing that will ever satisfy God’s wrath
It is exclusive.
What Jesus did is available to more than just Jews or your inner circle
Its scope is global.

John DOESN’T MEAN that Jesus saves every man without exception,
If that were true no man would go to hell
And Jesus would have never warned against it.

What John means is that Jesus saves mankind WITHOUT DISTINCTION.

He saves people from every tribe and tongue.
John 10:16 “I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd.”

Jesus is the Savior of Jew and Gentile alike.
• He is the only Savior this world will ever receive.
• And He will save any who come to Him in repentance and faith
• Whether they are Jew or Gentile.

And this is a great reminder to us in the church.
WE HAVE FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD BECAUSE
• Jesus cleansed us from sin on the cross.
• Jesus continues to cleanse us from sin.
• When we sin Jesus is our Advocate who intercedes for us before the Father.

And we are called to make this fellowship known to the world.
We are to tell the world how fellowship with God can be obtained
And how it is maintained all through Jesus Christ.

1 John 1:3 “what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.”

We do the same.

SO CHURCH THIS MORNING
• REJOICE in the fact that you have fellowship with God and that fellowship is secured through Jesus.
• AND THEN GO and do what John did and offer that fellowship to the world in Jesus’ name.

Download Here:

Thinking About Perfection
Psalms 119:89-96
January 2, 2022

Tonight you notice that we are going to think a little bit on perfection.

But I do want to sort of DIRECT THAT THOUGHT as we begin.

For in one sense if one is going to think about perfection then there can only be ONE OBJECT and that GOD.

Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.”

When we take a list like that there is really only One who fits that criteria.
We would focus on God and on the Lord Jesus Christ.

Certainly we would not say that anything is perfect outside of Him,
For He alone is perfect and only through Him are we perfected.

What we are going to do TONIGHT however is zoom in a little further
And talk about the perfection of God’s word.

Now in ONE SENSE you already know this.
Psalms 19:7a “The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul…”

The word there is TAMIM (taw-meem)
• It is a word that means “complete, or whole, or sound”
• And it is the word you see used for instance when God commands a spotless Lamb without defect for the Passover.
• It is the word used when someone is considered blameless before God.

And certainly God’s word fits that criteria.
It lacks nothing.

2 Peter 1:3-4 “seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.”

• God didn’t leave anything out of His word that is necessary for “life and godliness”.
• His word gives us everything.
• It is complete, it is without error or defect, it is blameless, it is perfect.

BUT TONIGHT we are going to think about
The perfection of God’s word in a bit of a different light.

Let me draw you back to sort of the progression of our Psalmist.

Remember he was a man acquainted with affliction.
We saw it for several stanzas in a row.
• We heard him asking for revival.
• We heard him rejoicing in God’s word.
• We even heard him at one point noting that his affliction was a good thing because it drove him back to God’s word.

However, the last stanza we studied saw our Psalmist at a LOW POINT.

We actually heard our Psalmist say,
“I have become like a wineskin in the smoke,”

Now we noted that he was full of hope,
• But it was supernatural hope, not natural hope
• It was better understood as God holding him than it was him holding God.
• And so our Psalmist certainly WAS NOT OPTIMISTIC

He didn’t think he could watch any more.
He didn’t think he could wait any more.
He thought his life to be almost over.
And he ended with one feeble request.

(88) “Revive me according to Your lovingkindness, so that I may keep the testimony of Your mouth.”

Well, HOW REFRESHING to find his statement in this next stanza.

(93) “I will never forget Your precepts, for by them You have revived me;”

And so it is obvious that our Psalmist is doing better.
He is no longer despairing…
His hope has shown through…
He has been revived.

We read it last time:
Romans 8:35-37 “Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written,
“FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG; WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED.” But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.”

We knew it was there then,
It becomes evident now.
He has been revived.

Now DON’T misunderstand.

OUR PSALMIST HAS BEEN REVIVED,
BUT HIS AFFLICTION HAS NOT BEEN REMOVED.

His affliction is still present
• (94) “I am Yours, save me;”
• (95) “The wicked wait for me to destroy me;”

We are not rejoicing that his affliction is gone.
We are rejoicing that in his affliction he has found revival.

• (92) “If Your law had not been my delight, Then I would have perished in
my affliction.”
• (93) “I will never forget Your precepts, For by them You have revived me.”

And so even though his affliction remains,
Our Psalmist has somehow found revival
And come to a place of rejoicing and hope even in the midst of it.

TONIGHT WE LEARN WHAT REVIVED HIM.
Tonight we see what he learned that totally changed his perspective.

• He always had hope.
• But now he has been revived.
• Now he has a spring in his step again.

And this stanza is a stanza of tribute
Where he will explain what it is that has so lifted his spirits.

And I’ll give it to you from the outset.
HE LEARNED OF THE PERFECTION OF GOD’S WORD.

He DIDN’T LEARN about how it was completed or without blemish,
He already knew that.

He learned how God’s word was PERFECT IN A DIFFERENT WAY.

Let me show you.
It’s actually found in that last verse of the stanza.

(96) “I have seen a limit to all perfection; Your commandment is exceedingly broad.”

Let’s camp here a second.
• This is the summation verse of the stanza.
• This is where he really explains what he has learned.
• And when you see this, then you’ll have a better grasp for the tribute he is giving in verses 89-95.

So he says, “I have seen a limit to all perfection”

Let’s start there.
“limit” there is QES (kates)

And it means “limit, or “end”” but it is usually used in reference to time.

Exodus 12:41 “And at the end of four hundred and thirty years, to the very day, all the hosts of the LORD went out from the land of Egypt.”

Deuteronomy 31:10 “Then Moses commanded them, saying, “At the end of every seven years, at the time of the year of remission of debts, at the Feast of Booths,”

So the Psalmist is talking primarily about the longevity of something.

He says I have seen “the end” or “a limit to all perfection”

“perfection” is a Hebrew word used only here.

But the root word has to do with
“something being completed or accomplished or finished.”

• As in “on the seventh day God completed all His work”
• The Septuagint uses a form of the word that Jesus uttered on the cross
“finished”

So the Psalmist has seen many wonderful things and accomplishments.
He has seen many works and completions; many perfections.

But he has noticed that they all have one thing in common.
They all have a limit. They all have an end.

We might think here of
• All the many things he thought might save him.
• The many plans in which he had set his hope for deliverance.

Eventually all of those things expired.
They were good plans, they were verifiable accomplishments,
They were certain perfections.
They may have saved other people at times.

But eventually for him they expired and were of no use any longer.

But then comes the contrast.
“Your commandment is exceedingly broad.”

“broad” is RAHAB (ro-khav)
And it means “wide or broad or spacious.”

When you read the line together the point of the Psalmist becomes clear.
While there may come a time when every other hope fails,
God’s word never does.

Other hopes may expire, God’s word is not limited by time.
God’s word never expires.

Through all his trials and afflictions he could see hope after hope after hope expire and disappoint him, but God’s word never did.

God’s word was always there.

Jeremiah said:
Lamentations 3:22-23 “The LORD’S lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.”

Isaiah 40:8 “The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever.”

Jesus said:
Matthew 5:18 “For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished.

This is what the Psalmist learned.
This is what revived him.

First we’ll see how he learned it.
Then we’ll here his tribute regarding how it revived him.

I will admit, I liked the outline I used last time so well, that I’ve decided to stick with it.

3 Things in our text
#1 THE TRUTH HE SAW
Psalms 119:89-91

Listen as the Psalmist reveals what he learned.

3 things he saw:
1) GOD’S WORD IS SETTLED (89)

“Forever, O LORD, Your word is settled in heaven.”

This is indeed a wonderful statement.
It is statement that resonates with the permanence of God’s word.

“Forever”
Not for a time

“Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled”

God’s Word is not vacillating, God’s word is not temporary.
He didn’t see God putting His word out on a trial basis
As something He might change later.

He said that God’s word is forever “settled”
Nothing can change it.
Nothing can alter it.
Nothing can undo it.
Nothing can defeat it.
AND IT NEVER EXPIRES
If God says it, it is so.

You can feel his frustration with other sources of deliverance,
But God’s word never failed him. It is here forever.

I suppose it is also important to recognize WHERE it is settled.
“Your word is settled in heaven.”

There are times when God’s word is not settled in our hearts.
God’s word is certainly not settled amidst an unbelieving generation.

This world seems to think God’s word is not reliable, or is not trustworthy.
At times we suffer and begin to doubt that God will do what He says.

But not in heaven.
In heaven, God’s word is settled.

That is why Jesus taught us to pray in “The Model Prayer”
Matthew 6:9-10 “Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. ‘Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven.”

In heaven God’s word is never questioned
And His will is never disregarded.

God’s word is settled.
It isn’t going to change, it isn’t going to fail, it isn’t going to leave.

2) GOD’S WORD IS SURE (90)

“Your faithfulness continues throughout all generations; You established the earth, and it stands.”

Here again we see a testimony to God’s word as that which is enduring;
That which accomplishes what it desires.

He recognizes that God’s “faithfulness continues through all generations;”

In short, there has yet to be a time when God wasn’t faithful.
• Furthermore there will never be a time when God isn’t faithful.
• God’s word will never expire it “continues through all generations”

BUT WHAT WAS IT THAT TAUGHT OUR PSALMIST THIS?

“You established the earth, and it stands.”

The Psalmist knows God is faithful and that His word is sure,
Because of something that continues to stand.
That something is creation.

“You established the earth, and it stands.”

Tell me, HOW DID GOD ESTABLISH THE EARTH?
Genesis 1:3 “Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.”

Genesis 1:6 “Then God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.”

Genesis 1:9 “Then God said, “Let the waters below the heavens be gathered into one place, and let the dry land appear”; and it was so.”

Genesis 1:11 “Then God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees on the earth bearing fruit after their kind with seed in them”; and it was so.”

Creation was established by the word of God.
And because God told it to stand, it will stand until God tells it otherwise.

They can talk global warming all they want…
They can talk nuclear war all they want…
They can talk holes in the ozone layer…

But this world isn’t going anywhere until God tells it to,
Because He is the One who told it stay put.

2 Peter 3:5-7 “For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water, through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water. But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.”

And the Psalmist saw that as a tremendous testimony
To the certainty of God’s Word.

• If the sun fails to rise…
• If the tide fails to ebb & flow…
• If the seasons fail to come…

Then you can question the certainty of God’s Word,
But creation proves that when God says something, it is sure.

You may remember when God gave the new covenant to Jeremiah.
Jeremiah 31:31-34 “Behold, days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them,” declares the LORD. “But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the LORD, “I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. “They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares the LORD, “for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”

Certainly that was a great promise in the midst of dark affliction.
Certainly the people would have been prone to question such a promise.

So God gave them proof that His word is certain.
Jeremiah 31:35-37 “Thus says the LORD, Who gives the sun for light by day And the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night, Who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar; The LORD of hosts is His name: “If this fixed order departs From before Me,” declares the LORD, “Then the offspring of Israel also will cease From being a nation before Me forever.” Thus says the LORD, “If the heavens above can be measured And the foundations of the earth searched out below, Then I will also cast off all the offspring of Israel For all that they have done,” declares the LORD.”

You may be prone to question My promise of a new covenant,
But before you question My word, just look at My track record.

If you see creation (which I command to function properly)
Stop functioning properly, then you can doubt My word about this too.

Point being, The Psalmist looked at creation and learned that
God’s word is sure.

God’s Word is Settled God’s Word is Sure
3) GOD’S WORD IS SOVEREIGN (91)

“They stand this day according to Your ordinances, For all things are Your servants.”

The Psalmist saw that creation did exactly what God said.
• There are no rogue molecules
• Gravity isn’t intermittent
• The sun has never decided to sleep in

We see that God’s word never fails.

Isaiah 55:11 “So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.”

NOTHING THWARTS GOD’S WORD.

God is not a God who just tells things to happen
And then hopes nothing interferes.
God’s word is so certain that nothing can interfere.

The Psalmist said, “They stand this day according to Your ordinances”

“They” = the things of earth

The earth doesn’t stand because man takes such good care of it.
The earth stands because God told it to.

And despite the desires of the enemy to undo,
What God has done, nothing can undo it.

“For all things are Your servants.”

That is to say, everything has to do what You say.
Nothing can resist Your will.

Isaiah 14:27 “For the LORD of hosts has planned, and who can frustrate it? And as for His stretched-out hand, who can turn it back?”

Isaiah 43:13 “Even from eternity I am He, And there is none who can deliver out of My hand; I act and who can reverse it?”

And the Psalmist recognizes that.
• God’s word isn’t temporary and subject to change.
• God’s word isn’t doubtful or ever prone to fail.
• God’s word isn’t so weak that anyone can change it.

His word is Settled, Sure, and Sovereign.
THIS IS WHAT CHANGED THE PSALMISTS MINDSET

Here he had been in despair
Because every other hope had expired.

AND THEN HE LOOKED AT CREATION.
And he said, wait a minute.

Creation is proof that when God tells something to happen, it happens.
HE LEARNED THAT GOD’S WORD NEVER EXPIRES

When God tells something to stay put, it does.
God’s word is settled,
God’s word is sure,
God’s word is sovereign.

And that doesn’t just include the commands of creation,
But the promises He has made in the midst of my affliction.
Promises of comfort…
Promises of deliverance…
Promises of good…
Promises of blessing…

The Psalmist knows that he can believe what God said,
Because if God said it, it is final.

And that knowledge pulled him out of his despair.
With that realization his hope came bounding out!

He recognized the perfection of God’s word.
• It never fails.
• It never expires.
• It is settled, it is sure, it is sovereign.

He learned that. Now comes the tribute part!

The Truth He Saw
#2 THE TESTIMONY HE SHARES
Psalms 119:92-93

Now that he knows God’s word is faithful,
He is encouraged when he reads it.

He is encouraged when he remembers the promises.

And notice what he says.
1) GOD’S WORD SUSTAINS (92)

“If Your law had not been my delight, Then I would have perished in my affliction.”

He is talking about an object of delight or affection.

“If I had put my hope in any other thing, then this affliction would have gotten the better of me.”

But as it is, I held on to the one thing that never failed.

Psalms 27:13 “I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD In the land of the living.”

Charles Spurgeon said:
“With that word we are charmed; it is a mine of delight to us. We take a double and treble delight in it, and derive a multiplied delight from it, and this stands us in good stead when all other delights are taken from us. We should have felt ready to lie down and die of our griefs if the spiritual comforts of God’s word had not uplifted us; but by their sustaining influence we have been borne above all the depressions and despairs which naturally grow out of severe affliction. Some of us can set our seal to this statement. Our affliction, if it had not been for divine grace, would have crushed us out of existence, so that we should have perished. In our darkest seasons nothing has kept us from desperation but the promise of the Lord: yea, at times nothing has stood between us and self-destruction save faith in the eternal word of God. When worn with pain until the brain has become dazed and the reason well-nigh extinguished, a sweet text has whispered to us its heart-cheering assurance, and our poor struggling mind has reposed upon the bosom of God. That which was our delight in prosperity has been our light in adversity; that which in the day kept us from presuming has in the night kept us from perishing.”
(Expositions of the Psalms – pg 316)

That was the mindset and testimony of the Psalmist.

He is praising God and telling the world that
• There was only 1 hope that pulled him through.
• There was only 1 thing that satisfied his soul.

It was God’s word.

I learned God’s word is sure, and now I testify that God’s word sustains.
(YOU CAN TRUST THIS!!!)

2) GOD’S WORD SUPPORTS (93)

“I will never forget Your precepts, For by them You have revived me.”

Here he reminds that God’s word will always be a part of his daily meal,
For he always finds revival there.

THINK ABOUT WHERE REVIVAL COMES FROM

It was “by them” that God revived him.
• Revival did not come through a friend…
• Revival did not come through a change of circumstances…
• Revival did not come through an emotional experience…

God’s revival came by His “precepts”
REVIVAL CAME WHEN HE STARTED TRUSTING GOD’S WORD

And this is the testimony that the Psalmist shares with us.

Psalms 19:7a “The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul;”

And that is what the Psalmist wants you to know.
• Are you hoping in some other thing for deliverance?
• Are you looking in some other direction for hope?

There is only 1 thing that satisfies and supports the soul
And that is the word of God which never expires.

And so we see the Truth He Saw We see the Testimony He Shares
#3 THE TRUST HE SHOWS
Psalms 119:94-96

Obviously this is no time to neglect God’s word now, and he doesn’t.

We notice that his AFFLICTION IS STILL PRESENT,
But also notice that he is clinging to the word of God now more than ever.

And again we see his trust exhibited in three areas.
1) GOD’S WORD SAVES (94)

“I am Yours, save me; For I have sought Your precepts.”

He’s NOT saying that God should save him because he sought His word.

He is reminding God that he has read God’s promises
That He saves those who are His.

“God, I’ve read your promises and I know you promise to save Your own, and since I now know that your word never expires, “Save Me!”

Joel 2:32 “And it will come about that whoever calls on the name of the LORD Will be delivered; For on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem There will be those who escape, As the LORD has said, Even among the survivors whom the LORD calls.”

Jesus Himself said:
Matthew 7:7-11 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. “For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. “Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone? “Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!”

The Psalmist knew that, he believed that.
He places his trust in that.

God’s Word Saves
2) GOD’S WORD STRENGTHENS (95)

“The wicked wait for me to destroy me; I shall diligently consider Your testimonies.”

Again we recognize that he is still caught in the midst of his afflictions.
• “The wicked wait for me to destroy me;”

Well what do you do?
• “I shall diligently consider Your testimonies”

He said, I am going to the word of God.
I’m going to read the testimonies of God’s faithfulness
Throughout all generations.

• More than that, I will “consider” them.
• More than that, I will “diligently consider” them

WHY?
Because he has come to find strength in the testimonies of God.

He is still hated.
He is still hunted.
But he finds strength in the word of God.

There is something encouraging when you read
What you know to be true and everlasting and eternal.

3) GOD’S WORD SATISFIES (96)

“I have seen a limit to all perfection; Your commandment is exceedingly brooad.”

No more is our Psalmist hoping in temporary comforts.
They all expired and left him wanting.
But God’s word never did, and it never has, and it never will.

The tribute of the stanza is that God’s word endures forever.
It cannot fail and it will not fail regardless of our affliction.
IT IS PERFECT LIKE THAT!

THIS IS THE BASIS OF OUR HOPE.

AND WHAT A CHANGE IN OUR PSALMIST!
• Last week he was on the brink of despair, Comparing himself to a wineskin in the smoke.

• Here, although still afflicted, he has a much more positive outlook, even saying he has been revived.

It is because of THE TRUTH HE SAW
He looked at creation and said:

God’s Word is Settled
God’s Word is Sure
God’s Word is Sovereign

This pulled him out of despair, knowing that the promises of God are trustworthy because God’s word never fails.

That led him to share a TESTIMONY

God’s Word Sustains
God’s Word Supports

And even though he is still afflicted his TRUST endures, for:

God’s Word Saves
God’s Word Strengthens
God’s Word Satisfies

So this evening, I invite you to think about the perfection of God’s word.
• Not just that it is without error…
• Not just that it is always right or true…
• But that it will never expire or fail…

God’s word has been comforting His children since the beginning
And it always will.

• How often has psychology changed its mind about what humans need to hear in their grief?
• How often have secular counselors changed their methods or their source of expertise?

All of those are expiring hopes.

God’s word is always the perfect answer.

• Use it when you are grieving.
• Use it when you wish to comfort someone who is grieving.

• Use it when you are afflicted.
• Use it when you wish to comfort the afflicted.

• Use it when you are disillusioned.
• Use it when you wish to comfort the disillusioned.

It is always true and it never fails.
It is settled in heaven forever.

It is perfect like that.

Download Here:

The Message of Jesus – Part 3
1 John 1:5-10 (8-10)
January 2, 2022

As you know, we’ve begun studying the epistle of 1 John
And John has started with the issue of fellowship.

• ON ONE HAND we are learning BASIC TRUTHS about what it means to be in the fellowship of the church.
• ON THE OTHER HAND we are learning HOW ONE ENTERS that fellowship.

THE FELLOWSHIP OF COURSE IS
The spiritual unity that is unique only to the redeemed.

John 17:20-23 “I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. “The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me.”

We are talking about that common spiritual life
Which comes only from the Father through Jesus Christ to the redeemed.

It is not primarily a social fellowship, it is a spiritual fellowship.

And John has been outlining HOW ONE ENTERS this fellowship.

1 John 1:3 “what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.”

We enter the fellowship when we hear and believe THE MESSAGE of the gospel which Jesus gave the apostles and they gave to us.

And so, as we have said for a few weeks now,
THIS MAKES CLARIFYING THE MESSAGE VERY IMPORTANT
And that is what John is reiterating for us here in the opening chapter.

He made the definitive statement in verse 5
(5) “This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you…”

It is Christianity 101
• This has been the foundational message of the church from day 1.
• This message is what one hears and believes in order to enter the fellowship.

And we’ve been studying it for the last 2 weeks.
#1 GOD IS HOLY
1 John 1:5-6

This was John’s point when he said that
“God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.”

God is perfectly holy.
God dwells in unapproachable light.
And therefore God has no fellowship with darkness at all.

What that means for us at the outset is that
Fellowship with God is NOT AUTOMATIC for humanity.

Humanity has fallen into sin.
Humanity has fallen into darkness.

And this put a division between man and God
So that there is no natural or automatic fellowship between God and man.

• We talked about the veil.
• We talked about the sin of Uzza.

THE ONLY WAY that any man can have fellowship with God
Is if he is saved from the darkness and walks in light.

THAT IS CHRISTIANITY 101

And that truth helped us grasp our FIRST SORT OF LITMUS TEST.

(6) “If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth;”

THIS IS OBVIOUS.
• If God does not fellowship with darkness then it stands to reason that those
who walk in darkness have no fellowship with God.

They can claim it, but they are lying.
They are those FRAUDS that we talked about.

The first leg of the message has always been the holiness of God
And the fact that man in his sin has no fellowship with Him.

That is a harsh, but accurate, and necessary truth.

However, there is good news.
#2 JESUS SAVES
1 John 1:7

There is a way to leave the darkness and be transferred to the Light
So that one may have fellowship with God.

How does that happen?

It occurs when “the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.”

Again, this is obvious Christianity.
• Since God is holy and man is not.
• Man must be cleansed if he is to gain access to God.
• This occurs through the sacrificial atonement of Christ.

Jesus came to this earth, lived a righteous life,
And then died upon a cross that He might save men from sin.

• He saves from THE PENALTY OF SIN – “no condemnation”
• He saves from THE POWER OF SIN – we are freed from sin’s power
• He saves from THE PRACTICE OF SIN – He sanctifies and washes us

And THE POINT we understood is that
Jesus does not save men from sin and then live them in it.

His cleansing is not a hypothetical cleansing, it is an actual one.

HE JUSTIFIES US – where we are clothed in His righteousness and granted access to the Father.

HE SANCTIFIES US – where He continually washes us and conforms us into His image.

HE WILL GLORIFY US – where His salvation will be complete and we will be holy.

Everything about the work of Jesus
Is to save us from that which has separated us from the Father.

Colossians 1:13-14 “For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

That is the good news.
• The separation from God is repaired by Jesus.
• We are reconciled, we are redeemed.

AND NOW, AS THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN REDEEMED,
AND WHO ARE BEING CLEANSED,

We are those who “walk in the Light, as He Himself is in the Light” and “we have fellowship with one another”

As the church we share the common bond of “sinners who are being cleansed of our sin” so that we have fellowship with God.

THAT IS THE MESSAGE.

BUT just as there are those who denied the first point of the message
Regarding the holiness of God,

There are also those who deny the second point of the message
Regarding our need for cleansing.

And this is THE SECOND IMPOSTER John would introduce us to.

The first one was THE FRAUD who walked in darkness but claimed fellowship with God.

Now we are dealing with THE DELUSIONAL
Who do not believe they need a Savior to cleanse them from sin.

(8) “If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.”

What does it mean to “say that we have no sin”?

This one obviously must be distinguished from verse 10
“If we say that we have not sinned…”

In verse 10 it is obviously a reference to sinful behavior.
That person says that they don’t do sinful things.

So what then does John mean here in verse 8 regarding those who “say that we have no sin”?

Here we are dealing with a person who claims to not be a sinful person.
They deny that they have a sin nature.
They deny they have a fallen flesh in need of redemption.

THEY CLAIM TO BE A GOOD PERSON.

They may not deny that they slip up from time to time,
But the belief is that “On the inside I’m good.”

You can actually hear Jesus confront the Jews with a very similar mindset.
John 8:37-47 “I know that you are Abraham’s descendants; yet you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you. “I speak the things which I have seen with My Father; therefore you also do the things which you heard from your father.” They answered and said to Him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you are Abraham’s children, do the deeds of Abraham. “But as it is, you are seeking to kill Me, a man who has told you the truth, which I heard from God; this Abraham did not do. “You are doing the deeds of your father.” They said to Him, “We were not born of fornication; we have one Father: God.” Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and have come from God, for I have not even come on My own initiative, but He sent Me. “Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot hear My word. “You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies. “But because I speak the truth, you do not believe Me. “Which one of you convicts Me of sin? If I speak truth, why do you not believe Me? “He who is of God hears the words of God; for this reason you do not hear them, because you are not of God.”

And again
John 9:39-41 “And Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, so that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind.” Those of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these things and said to Him, “We are not blind too, are we?” Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but since you say, ‘We see,’ your sin remains.”

You see that they had this belief of being intrinsically good.

Incidentally much of our CULTURAL MINDSET and even MODERN PSYCHOLOGY bases its beliefs on this faulty premise.

It is the belief that people are basically good and if they sin or mess up
It is only because they are a victim of their circumstances.

But that is NOT the Christian message.

If someone can come to the realization
That they are a basically good person,
It is an undeniable revelation that they are not walking near to God.

All throughout Scripture, THE CLOSER a man gets to God
THE MORE AWARE he is of his sinful state, not the less.

Isaiah 6:1-5 “In the year of King Uzziah’s death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple. Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called out to another and said, “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory.” And the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out, while the temple was filling with smoke. Then I said, “Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I live among a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.”

How about when Peter realized who Jesus really was.
Luke 5:4-8 “When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” Simon answered and said, “Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing, but I will do as You say and let down the nets.” When they had done this, they enclosed a great quantity of fish, and their nets began to break; so they signaled to their partners in the other boat for them to come and help them. And they came and filled both of the boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw that, he fell down at Jesus’ feet, saying, “Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man!”

How about when John saw the resurrected and glorified Christ.
Revelation 1:17a “When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man…”

The closer men get to the light
The more aware they become of their sinfulness.
Not just the sin they’ve committed, but their overall sinful nature.

To claim that “we have no sin”
Only indicates how far you actually are from God.

Furthermore, Christianity doesn’t blame sin on your circumstances
Christianity says you sin because you have a sinful heart.

Romans 7:14-24 “For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good.”

The message of Christianity…
The message of Jesus…
Is that men sin because in their heart they are sinful.

Matthew 15:19 “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders.”

We understand that man is not a sinner simply because he sins.
MAN SINS BECAUSE HE IS A SINNER.

MAN IS IN DARKNESS.
Man needs to be cleansed if they are ever to gain access to the Father.

But for a man to “say that we have no sin”
John says “we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.”

If you are of the belief
• That you do not have a fallen sinful nature
• That has corrupted your heart
• And made you incapable of holiness
• THEN YOU ARE DECEIVED.

Most specifically you have deceived yourself.

Jeremiah 17:9 “The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it?”

A man who thinks himself to be intrinsically good is not a Christian man.

• Every man is fallen.
• Every man sins because every man is sinful.
• We all inherited that from our father Adam.

• And thus we all are in need of the cleansing of Jesus.
• No one is exempt.

If someone claims otherwise, they are not a Christian.
If someone claims otherwise, they are not part of the fellowship.
This is Christianity 101
This is obvious.

Every man is need of the cleansing of Jesus.

And the third leg of the Christian message is THE MEANS through which that cleansing is RECEIVED.

God is Holy, Jesus Saves
#3 REPENTANCE IS REQUIRED
1 John 1:8-10

The issue on the table from John here is that of repentance.

(9) “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

This is the means through which the cleansing of Jesus is received.
• A man confesses his sin to God
• And God who is faithful and righteous forgives that sinner
• And cleanses them based upon the sacrificial work of Jesus.

That is also BASIC and OBVIOUS Christianity.
Sinners must repent of their sin and trust in Christ.

Now to set the appropriate backdrop I would go ahead
And introduce you to that THIRD IMPOSTER as well.

He is found in verse 10. “If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.”

• We saw the FRAUD who walks in darkness but says he is in the light.
• We saw the DELUSIONAL who thinks he is a good person not needing a Savior.
• Here we see the BLASPHEMER who refuses to admit that he sins at all.

This man has been called a sinner, but he balked at the notion.

The question is: WHO CALLED HIM A SINNER?
God did.

But when God called this man a sinner this man in turn called God a liar.
• He ignored God’s word.
• He closed his Bible.
• He blew God off and walked away.

James 1:19-20 “This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.”

What James is talking about is how a man receives the word of God.

James says you should “be quick to hear” it.
• You ought to want to hear what God has to say.

He says you should be “slow to speak” or argue.
• God knows you better than you know yourself, you ought not make excuses or give argument when God confronts your sin.

And finally James says, “and slow to anger”
• Meaning that you don’t fight against God’s conviction. Don’t get angry about it.

Why?
• Because “the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.”

That is to say, “Fighting and arguing with God’s word is not going to help you achieve the righteousness God is seeking to produce.”

Some people argue.
Some people deny their sin.
It walks hand in hand with the man who denies his sinful heart.

Might I remind you that Christianity begins with
An understanding of your sinfulness and a grief over it.

Matthew 5:3-4 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”

It’s not people who deny their sin who enter heaven,
It’s people who own up to it and grieve over it who enter.

I’ve always loved the Centurion who received praise from Jesus.
Matthew 8:5-8 “And when Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, imploring Him, and saying, “Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, fearfully tormented.” Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.” But the centurion said, “Lord, I am not worthy for You to come under my roof, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed.”

• Literally the centurion said there, “I am not enough.”
• It wasn’t just that he had sinned, but that he was a sinner.
• He was unworthy.
• He was broken.
• Jesus would praise that man and say he hadn’t found faith like that anywhere in Israel.

AND THAT IS THE POINT.
• A man who thinks he isn’t sinful is delusional.
• A man who denies that he sins at all is a blasphemer because he is calling God a liar.

If someone denies the presence of sin and their need of a Savior
You are obviously not looking at a Christian.

• Foundational Christianity understands the holiness of God.
• Foundational Christianity understands the need for the cleansing of Jesus.
• Foundational Christianity understands that repentance is the means through which we receive it.

So let’s look now a little closer at that wonderful verse 9.
This is a promise on which we hang our hats and our hope.

(9) “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

We already addressed the issue that
True Christians are aware of their sin and their sinfulness before God.

The question is, what do they do with it?
What does a Christian do with their sin and their sinfulness?

And the answer:
THEY CONFESS IT

“If we confess our sins…”

“confess” translates HOMOLOGEO

HOMO means “same”
LOGEO is the Greek word for “word”

It means “to say the same thing”
It means “to agree or to concede”

It is the very opposite of self-deceived pride or arrogant argument.
A Christian is one who agrees with God about their sinful state.

When the Bible says I am sinful, I don’t deny it, I agree with it.
When the Bible says I have sinned, I don’t argue about it, I admit it.

THIS IS BASIC CHRISTIANITY.
The Christian life is characterized by repentance.

• I’m not just saying that you repented one time and that’s how you were saved,
• I’m saying that as a Christian repentance is a common occurrence.

• A Christian longs for righteousness…
• A Christian strives to walk in the light…
• A Christian is honest about his fallen sinful nature, his continual failure
• And therefore A Christian lives in a continual repentant state before God.

THAT IS CHRISTIANITY.
Not those who deny it, but those who agree and confess it.

A MAN WHO DOESN’T SEE HIS SINFULNESS,
John says, “The truth is not in that guy.”

A MAN WHO DENIES THAT HE EVER SINS,
John says, “God’s word is not in that guy.”

BUT A MAN WHO HAS
• Heard the truth about his sinful nature
• Had his sin exposed by God’s word
• Grieved over it and owned up to it

That is a man who is being cleansed by Jesus
And who has fellowship with God.

Again, that shouldn’t be shocking to you.
There’s nothing radical about that at all.

BUT I SUPPOSE SOMEONE MIGHT ARGUE HERE…

If God is Light and does not fellowship with darkness…

Then how is it that the only way to fellowship with Him
Is if you admit your darkness?

From a human standpoint you’d think that you’d have a better shot fellowshipping with God if you were able to keep your sin concealed.

That is what humans do isn’t it?
They get caught in sin so they lie about it
So they can avoid the consequences.

But the message of Jesus is just the opposite.
The message of Jesus is that
• You should own up to your sin
• And confess it to God
• And then you get fellowship.

WHY?

Because “He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Why is it that people who confess their sin gain fellowship with God?
• Because Jesus saves and cleanses those people.
• And based upon the work of Jesus, God forgives those people.

We are talking about the REALITY OF FORGIVENESS.

I listened a sermon recently by John MacArthur on forgiveness and I really liked the way he explained it.

“Forgiveness is a promise. It is a promise from God to the repentant sinner, to the one who comes to Him with a broken and a contrite heart, affirming his own desperate need, his own sinfulness, and reaching out for the provision of Jesus Christ, it is a promise from God to that sinner.
And here’s the promise: that his sin will never be remembered, that his sin will be buried in the depths of the deepest sea, that his sin will be removed as far as the east is from the west, that his sin will never again be brought up in the mind of God; or the tribunal of heaven. It is a promise that no charge will ever successfully be laid against that sinner; that no accusation against him will ever stand; a promise that under no circumstances forever will he be condemned. That’s the promise. A magnanimous, far-reaching, startling and astounding promise; given purely and simply out of the heart of a loving and gracious God to a penitent sinner.”
https://www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/47-9/the-blessings-of-forgiveness-part-2

I think that’s a great way to look at forgiveness.
Forgiveness is a promise from God not to punish those who repent.

I think that even helps us understand
Why humans are typically so bad at forgiveness.

We make promises of forgiveness to people too,
But we often don’t keep our word.

Something comes up, maybe another offense occurs, and the first thing we do is renege on that promise we gave and we immediately bring that first sin back to the table.

But do you know why you can trust God’s promise of forgiveness?
It is because “He is faithful”

When God promises not to punish you for your sin,
He will never go back on that promise.

We see such beautiful language in Scripture:
Psalms 103:12 “As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.”

Isaiah 38:17 “Lo, for my own welfare I had great bitterness; It is You who has kept my soul from the pit of nothingness, For You have cast all my sins behind Your back.”

Micah 7:19 “He will again have compassion on us; He will tread our iniquities under foot. Yes, You will cast all their sins Into the depths of the sea.”

All of those are merely analogies to express exactly what John says here.
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful…to forgive us”

He doesn’t go back on a promise.

The Christian message rests on this.
• That God shows grace to the humble.
• That God lifts up the lowly in spirit.
• That God forgives repentant sinners.

BUT THAT’S NOT ALL.

Remember the issue is NOT JUST for God to not condemn us,
THE ISSUE IS FELLOWSHIP.

God promising not to destroy you is not the same thing as God allowing you behind the veil.

God promising not to condemn you is not the same thing as God allowing you into intimate fellowship with Him.

There is a SECOND THING God does when we repent.
Not only is there forgiveness based upon the faithfulness of God.

But there is also cleansing based upon the righteousness of God.

For John also says that “He is…righteous…to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

• It’s the second time that word “cleanse” has shown up in the text.
• In verse 7 we read about how “the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.”

And here we read again that when we confess our sins
That God will “cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

WHY?
So that we may have fellowship with Him.
• God not only forgives repentant sinners,
• But through Jesus He cleanses them.

ISN’T THAT GOOD NEWS!

At this point there should be no confusion
Regarding what you are to do with your sin.

You should know that
• The reason you sin is because you are sinful.
• Your sin separates you from a Holy God who will not fellowship with darkness.
• Jesus came to save sinners from their sin by cleansing them with His own blood.
• If you will confess that sin to Him, He will forgive you and cleanse you so that you may for the first time have fellowship with God.

THIS IS THE MESSAGE
And when that message is heard and believed
This is how a person enters the fellowship of the church.

This fellowship is not for those who love sin.
If you love sin you are a fraud.

This fellowship is not for those who deny their sinfulness.
If you deny your sinfulness you are delusional.

This fellowship is not for those who ignore or disregard their sin.
If you disregard your sin you are a blasphemer.

The true fellowship is those
• Who have confessed their sin
• And who are forgiven of their sin
• And who are being cleansed of that sin through the work of Jesus.

THAT IS THE CHURCH!

If you are a part of it, rejoice! Because you don’t deserve it.
If you are not a part of it, repent! That you may be forgiven and cleansed.
BUT DON’T BE A FRAUD OR DELUSIONAL OR A BLASPHEMER