ADULT

Lesson CommentaryFall Quarter, 2019

CONTENTSAbout the Writers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3Lesson 1 Cleansing from Sin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 1 John 1:1-10

Lesson 2 Spiritual Growth and Assurance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 1 John 2:1-14

Lesson 3 An Understanding of Apostasy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 1 John 2:15-29

Lesson 4 Knowledge of Spiritual Reality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 1 John 3:1-10

Lesson 5 Assurance of Our Salvation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 1 John 3:11-24

Lesson 6 Identification of False Spirits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 1 John 4:1-6

Lesson 7 Love in Word and Deed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 1 John 4:7-21

Lesson 8 Victory over the World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 1 John 5:1-12

Lesson 9 Confidence in Prayer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 1 John 5:13-21

Lesson 10 A Life Lived in the Truth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .101 2 John 1-13

Lesson 11 A Good Testimony . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112 3 John 1-14

Lesson 12 Stability in Our Faith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .123 Jude 1-16

Lesson 13 Preparation for the Last Times . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .134 Jude 17-25

Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .144

Vol. 20, No. 2, Fall Quarter, 2019. Editor in Chief: Kyle W. Elkins, kyle.elkins@bogardstore.org Business Manager: Dean Grigsby, dean.grigsby@bogardstore.org © 2019, Bogard Press, 4605 N. State Line Ave., Texarkana, TX 75503-2928 www.bogardpress.org; 1-800-264-2482

American Baptist AssociationThrough-the-Bible Series Sunday School Lessons

2019 John 13—21

Ezra; NehemiahHabakkuk; HaggaiMalachi; Esther

1 Peter2 Peter

1, 2, 3 JohnJude

2020

EzekielDaniel

ZechariahRevelation 1—11 Revelation 12—22

Genesis 1—11Job

2021 Genesis 12—50 Matthew 1—13 Matthew 14—28 Exodus

2022 Romans

LeviticusNumbers

DeuteronomyHebrews

JoshuaJudgesRuth

2023 Acts 1—14 Acts 15—28

1 Samuel2 Samuel 1—4

1 Chronicles 1 —10Mark 1—8

2024 Mark 9—16

2 Samuel 5—241 Chronicles 11—29

1 Kings 1; 2

James1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians

Psalms 1—72

2025 Psalms 73—150 Galatians

1 Kings 3—222 Chronicles 1—24

2 Kings 1—13Joel; Obadiah

1 Corinthians

2028 Ephesians

1 Timothy2 Timothy

Titus

JeremiahLamentations2 Kings 24; 25

2 Chronicles 36

John 1—12

Winter Spring Summer Fall

2026

ProverbsEcclesiastes

Song of SolomonLuke 1—13:21 Luke 13:22—24

Hosea; Amos;Micah; Jonah;

2 Kings 14—162 Chronicles 25—28

2027 2 Corinthians

Isaiah 1—392 Chronicles 29—32

2 Kings 17—20Nahum

Isaiah 40—662 Kings 21—23

2 Chronicles 33—35Zephaniah

PhilemonPhilippiansColossians

About the WritersRecognized for their knowledge, wisdom and understanding of the Holy

Scriptures, the writers of the Adult Lesson Commentary are faithful pastors, teachers and spiritual leaders among the Lord’s churches. The following are a few biographical notes about these men.

Dr. David Harris was born in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, in 1953. He was saved at age nine and baptized by the authority of Harmony Missionary Baptist Church where he surrendered to preach at age sixteen and was later licensed and ordained. He graduated from Glendale High School in 1972 and entered the Missionary Baptist Seminary in Little Rock the same year. He received his Bachelor, Master and Doctorate Degrees in Bible Languages from the Little Rock school.

He has pastored the Pine Grove MBC near Holly Grove, Arkansas; Hickory Ridge MBC of Hickory Ridge, Arkansas; Westlawn MBC of Texarkana, Texas; Calvary MBC of Van Buren, Arkansas; First Immanuel MBC of Pine Bluff, Arkansas; and presently serves the Temple MBC of Benton, Arkansas. He is a current member of the faculty of the Missionary Baptist Seminary in Little Rock where he has taught for twelve years and where he serves as assistant editor of the Searchlight published by the Seminary. Before he began to write the Adult Lesson Commentary for New Testament Studies, he had twenty years experience writing for Bogard Press and the Baptist Sunday School Committee. He has previously written Jr. High Sunday School, Jr. High BTC and the Adult Quarterly. He may be contacted at drdavidharris@hotmail.com.

Roger W. Stewart was born and raised in Fort Smith, Arkansas, where he attended Central Baptist Church throughout his entire childhood. He was saved and baptized at age nine. At age seventeen, he announced his call to preach before graduating from Northside High School in 1984. He soon found himself a student at the Missionary Baptist Seminary where he earned a Bachelor of Theology degree in 1991. Meanwhile, Brother Stewart married Gena Ashlock in 1986 and was ordained to the gospel ministry by

Victory Missionary Baptist Church in Sherwood, Arkansas, later that same year. God blessed the Stewart’s with two boys—Brett in 1989 and Hayden in 1991. After pastoring in Michigan for nine years, Brother Stewart returned to Southeast Arkansas where he was afforded the opportunity to complete his Master of Theology (2006) and Doctor of Theology (2008) degrees at the Missionary Baptist Seminary. He is pastor of Olive Branch Missionary Baptist Church in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. He has served ABA churches in Holly Grove, DeWitt and Star City, Arkansas as well as in Coloma, Michigan. He is currently a member of the Standing Missionary Committee where he serves as Clerk. Brother Stewart is Vice President of the Alumni Association for the Missionary Baptist Seminary. He may be contacted at drrwstewart@sbcglobal.net.

Michael McCoy grew up attending Bethlehem Mis-sionary Baptist Church near Ola, Arkansas. He was saved at the age of 13 and surrendered to the ministry in 1995 at the age of 19. Brother McCoy has pastored Little Elm Missionary Baptist Church in Farmington, Arkansas, since 1997. A graduate of the Missionary Baptist Seminary in Little Rock, he also holds a BA in History and Classical Studies from the University of Arkansas as well as an MA and PhD in Ancient Medi-terranean History from the University of Arkansas. He and his wife, Amy, married in 1998 and have two daughters, Ava and Allison.

He may be contacted at mtmccoy@gmail.com.

Sin separates men from God. God is perfect, righteous and altogether holy. He is offended by sin and cannot indulge it. God will never condone sin. He can-not. If He did, He would not be God. Sin must, therefore, be dealt with in order for man to have fellowship with God. The way God has chosen to deal with sin is through the sacrifice of His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. The letter we call 1 John was written, in part, to combat very early forms of gnosticism. This word is not found in the Bible, but is based on the Greek word for knowledge. Gnosticism taught that matter was evil and spirit was good. The gnostics denied that God could have created the world since all matter is evil. They also viewed the human body as evil since it too was made of mat-ter. Thus, they denied the creation by God and the incarnation of Jesus. Some said Jesus did not have a real body, but that it only seemed so. This was an attempt to preserve their warped view of His deity, but in doing so they denied His humanity. Others said that the divine came upon the human Jesus at His baptism and left Him before His crucifixion. Thus, they denied His true deity. For the gnostics, salvation was escape from the body. However, they did not believe this deliverance was accomplished through Christ, but by their own special knowledge. They claimed to have knowledge which they elevated above the authority of Scripture. The gnostics had two extreme views with respect to the body. One was to restrain the body through harsh physical treatment. This was asceticism. The other extreme was to give in to the body, to let go of all moral restraints. Since the spirit and the body were two different things, they concluded it did not matter what one did in the body. This resulted in licentiousness.

John’s Eyewitness Testimony (1 John 1:1, 2)

It is critical to have a right understanding concerning the person and work of Jesus Christ. John the Baptist identified Him a few weeks after His bap-tism, saying with a loud voice, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). Paul spoke of Him as “our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement” (Romans 5:11). Reconciliation between God and men is made possible only by the offering of a perfect sacri-

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Lesson 1 September 1, 2019

Cleansing from Sin

1 John 1:1-10

fice. That sacrifice was made by the eternal Lamb, the Son of God, Jesus Christ. If, however, Jesus was not who He said He was, or if He did not do what the Bible says He did, then all hope of salvation is lost. John, therefore, wrote this letter to assure his readers that their salvation was secure because Jesus was who He said He was. John explained, saying, “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God” (1 John 5:13). John began his letter with his personal eyewitness testimony of Jesus. He Was from the Beginning (verse 1). “That which was from the begin­ning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life.” The first verse in the Bible begins with the phrase, “In the beginning God” (Genesis 1:1). The Gospel of John, which was also written by the author of this letter, begins, “In the beginning was the Word” (John 1:1). The difference between the Gospel of John and the book of 1 John is that the gospel emphasized Jesus’ absolute deity while the epistle emphasized Jesus’ perfect humanity. The pronoun “which” (1 John 1:1) occurs four times in this verse. It is neu-ter in gender, rather than masculine. It refers both to the proclamation of the gospel message as well as to the person of Jesus Christ. The phrase “from the beginning” refers to the beginning of the gospel message and to the time when the Second Person of the Godhead entered into humanity. The Second Person of the Godhead is eternal. He has no beginning or ending. Yet, the promise and message of His coming was first made to Adam and Eve, and then reiterated by the prophets. When the time was right, the Christ, the Messiah, came into the world by means of the virgin birth (Galatians 4:4). John combated false teachers who made an undue distinction between the human body of Jesus and the Christ who came from Heaven. In fact, Jesus was both divine and human; He was God in the flesh. Jesus had more than what seemed to be a body; He had a real body. He had a perfect body that was not contaminated with the sin nature. Jesus was not a ghost. He was a real man; he was the perfect man. If Christ was not the perfect man, then we have no Kinsman-Redeemer (1 Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 2:16, 17), and all hope is lost. John said four things about Him. “Which we have heard” (1 John 1:1). John and the other disciples had the blessed privilege of hearing Jesus teach, preach and pray with their own ears. They heard the Sermon on the Mount, they heard the parables of the kingdom, they heard the denunciation of the Pharisees. For some three years, they heard the wonderful words of life. “Which we have seen with our eyes.” One of the requirements of the Old Testament Law was that two or three witnesses were required to establish the validity of a charge or a statement. John was a witness, but he was not the only witness. All of the apostles were eyewitnesses of the works, wonders and words of Jesus “Which we have looked upon.” This statement indicates more than just a passing glance. It involves close, constant observation. It is the same as the word “beheld” in John 1:14 where he wrote, “And the Word was made flesh,

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and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” We get the word theater from the word “beheld,” suggesting the close observation of individuals. “And our hands have handled, of the Word of life” (1 John 1:1). They knew He was real because they touched Him and felt the substance of His body. There may have been those who taught that Jesus did not have a real human body, but that He assumed the appearance of a man; however, John and the other apostles knew better. They were there on the evening of the resurrection when Jesus “shewed unto them his hands and his side” (John 20:20), and a week later when He invited doubting Thomas to “reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side” (John 20:27). Jesus is “the Word of life” (1 John 1:1). He is the eternal Word who was in the beginning with God, who was God, and who was “made flesh, and dwelt among us” (John 1:1, 2, 14). He is life and the source of life. Likewise, the gos-pel message brings life to those who hear and believe. The apostle Peter spoke of being born again “by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever” (1 Peter 1:23). He Was Manifested to Us (verse 2). “For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us.” To be “manifested” is to be made visible. The One who was “the life,” was “with the Father,” and was “that eternal life.” John spoke of none other than Jesus of Naza-reth who was born of the virgin Mary. John was fighting a heresy regarding the person of Christ. There were false teachers who denied the incarnation of Christ and therefore denied the deity and perfect humanity of Jesus. This was a serious issue because if Jesus was not the Son of God, He could not have offered a perfect sacrifice for our sins. John said, “We have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you.” To “shew” is to announce or inform. John proclaimed Jesus Christ by preaching, teaching and by writing.

John’s Purpose in Writing (1 John 1:3, 4)

John wrote to defend the person of Jesus Christ and to give assurance to those who had believed on Him. John wanted his readers to know fellowship and joy. For Fellowship (verse 3). “That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.” This was the third time, in as

Manifested Word Study #5319

1 John 1:2. A verb meaning to make something visible. Both John and Paul employed this word to refer to God’s revelation of Himself and His Word to man .

Witness Word Study #3140

1 John 1:2. This present tense verb is related to our English word martyr . Someone witnesses when he provides information about someone or something of which he has firsthand knowledge .

many verses, that John affirmed the fact that he and the other apostles had seen and heard Jesus. Moreover, what John had seen and heard, he declared to others. This is what a witness does—he tells what he has seen and heard. John declared the good news about Jesus in order that others might have fellowship (1) “with us”; (2) “with the Father”; (3) “with his Son Jesus Christ.” First, the gospel message is what brings us together as God’s people. We have fellowship one with another because we share the same eternal life. We have been born again and made a part of God’s family. We are brothers and sisters in Christ. Wherever we go in the world, we find fellowship with others who share the life and love of God in Christ. The more we participate together in the proclamation of the gospel, the more our fellowship will deepen. This sweet fel-lowship is one of the many reasons why we belong to a New Testament church and serve together with other believers. Second, our fellowship in the gospel is with the Father. Indeed, the only way we can have fellowship with the Father is through His Son, Jesus Christ. Natural, sinful man is at enmity with God; he has no fellowship or association with God. It is only through repentance and faith in the redeeming work of Christ that we can have a relationship with and fellowship with the Father. To deny the Son is to deny yourself of any fellowship with the Father. Later in this letter, John will say, “Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: [but] he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also” (1 John 2:23). Third, our fellowship is with His Son Jesus Christ. The gospel is the good news concerning Jesus, and it is the only means of having fellowship with Jesus. The message of the gospel must be personally and individually accepted by faith. Near the closing of this letter, John will say, “Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him” (1 John 5:1). Having fellowship with Him is contingent upon believing on Him. For Joy (verse 4). “And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.” Jesus made a similar statement when He said, “These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full” (John 15:11). Joy is gladness of heart which remains within the believer regardless of circumstances. Happiness may depend on what is happening, but joy remains. The word “full” (1 John 1:4) means complete, filled to the brim. There is fullness of joy in fellowship with the Father, the Son and with other believers. The false teachers robbed the people of their joy by questioning the deity and humanity of Jesus, thereby robbing believers of their assurance. John wrote to affirm the person of Jesus Christ and thereby affirm the assur-ance they had in Him.

John’s Message (1 John 1:5)

The message which John and the other apostles preached was from the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. They did not preach fables, myths or fabricated prophecies. As affirmed in the verses above, they preached what they had heard and seen as faithful witnesses. Shortly before He went to the cross, Jesus

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specifically promised the apostles, saying, “But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which pro-ceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me: and ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning” (John 15:26, 27). Jesus also said, “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth” (John 16:13). John’s message was Spirit approved and Spirit anointed. He spoke the truth. John wrote, “This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5). The word “message” is related to the word “declare.” The message is the content of the announcement. John received his message from Jesus when he heard Him preach and teach. Moreover, this was the same message which John communicated through his own preaching and teach-ing, as well as in the letters he wrote. “God Is Light” (verse 5). As to His character, nature and essence, God is light. The glory of God, the truth of God and the holiness of God are all bound up in the word “light.” God’s glory is unsur-passed. It was seen in the Old Testa-ment in the cloud which led the children of Israel during their flight from Egypt and throughout their wilderness experi-ence, and in the bright light which illu-minated the Holy of Holies. Paul spoke of “the light which no man can approach unto” (1 Timothy 6:16). Light speaks to the glory of God. Light speaks to the truth of God. God’s truth is illuminating; it contains no inconsistencies or inaccuracies. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). The Holy Spirit is called “the Spirit of truth” (John 14:17). The Lord God is altogether true. He can-not lie (Hebrews 6:18). The false teach-ers were liars. They were motivated by Satan, the one in whom there is no light. Light speaks to the holiness of God. God is as pure as the light. He is totally void of anything that is sinful. There is

Message Word Study #31

1 John 1:5. A noun akin to our word angel . It means a message or announce-ment . It is important to note that the word emphasizes the content of what is announced .

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God Is Light (1 John 1:5): Eight characteristics with reference to light demanded attention to the tangible as well as the spiritual. Each spoke to the fellowship between God and man. They are: the nearer one stood to the source of the light the brighter the light appeared. The brighter the light, the more revealing it was. Light has always reflected more clearly from a clean and clear surface. While light revealed uncleanness it could not be distorted. Light meant nothing to the blind, he who has never seen it thus could not possibly appreciate its qualities. One who walked toward the light walked in the source of the light thus his path was illuminated and all darkness was behind him. One who walked away from the light walked in his own shadow, hence, in darkness. Light could not dwell with darkness and darkness has never coexisted with light; they have always been polar opposites of one another.

no fault or imperfection in God. He is morally flawless. There is not one speck or blemish on God’s holy character. As human beings, we cannot scarcely begin to fathom just how holy God really is. “In Him Is No Darkness at All” (verse 5). Just as light is associated with purity, darkness is associated with impurity. In God, there is no impurity; there is no sin. The way of the wicked, however, is said to be darkness (Prov-erbs 4:19). Jesus told Nicodemus that “men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil” (John 3:19). Jesus also said, “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life” (John 8:12). Paul described sinful behavior as “works of darkness” (Romans 13:12), and described Satan’s agents as “rulers of the darkness of this world” (Ephesians 6:12). There is no darkness in God. He is altogether Light.

John’s Conditions for Fellowship (1 John 1:6, 7)

True fellowship with God can only be enjoyed by those who share the nature of God (2 Peter 1:4). The nature of animals, such as dogs, cats, birds and fish is evidenced by their actions. It is the nature of a fish to swim. It is the nature of a bird to fly. It is easy to tell the difference between them because of the way they act and look. Likewise, the true nature of those who claim to have fellowship with God is evidenced by their behavior. Stated Negatively (verse 6). “If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth.” In this verse, John began to address the problem of those who claimed to have fellowship with the Lord, but who lived a wayward life. John was dealing with the heresy that a person can live in constant sin and have fellowship with God. The gnostics affirmed it. John denied it. John dealt with the issue lovingly, but firmly. He included himself in any such possible scenario, saying, “If we say.” Thus, everyone is included. If any-one were to say this, no matter who he might be, then John’s conclusion would apply. To claim to “have fellowship with him” is to claim to have a relationship with Him, to have things in common with Him, to share the same interests as Him. Such a person claims to know the Lord. Yet, he walks persistently in darkness. The word “walk” is a metaphor for the way a person lives his life. The verb is in the present tense indicating habitual action, or a way of life. Thus, this person is walking or living in “darkness.” He is practicing sin as a way of life. It is not that he sins occasionally, or inadvertently, but that he orders his life in the sphere of sin. If we do this, John said, “We lie, and do not the truth” (verse 6). These verbs are also present tenses. We constantly lie, and we habitually fail to do the truth. Anyone who claims to know the Lord, yet who lives in habitual sin, is lying. This does not mean that saved people do not sin. All saved people sin; however, the saved do not live a life of sin. We sin from time to time, but not all the time. Study Hebrews 12 to see what happens to the believer who sins. To “do not the truth” (1 John 1:6) is to not live by the truth, or not practice the truth.

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Stated Positively (verse 7). “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.” To walk in the light is to live in a way that reflects the character and nature of God who is light. It is to live a life of godliness, faithfulness and obedience. When we do, “we have fellowship one with another.” Fellowship between believers is enhanced when each one is living according to the teachings of the Word, but fellowship is hindered when one or the other is living in disobedience. The last part of the verse does not sug-gest that we are cleansed from our sins by walking in the light, or that we are saved by our works. Rather, walking in the light is evidence that we have been spiritually cleansed. The phrase “and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin” suggests both the justify-ing and sanctifying effect of His blood. The blood of an incalculable number of animal sacrifices was shed in Old Testament times under the direction of the Law of Moses; however, not one sin was forgiven or one soul saved because of the blood of bulls and goats. Hebrews 10:4, “For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.” A few verses later, the inspired writer said, “We are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (verse 10). The apostle Paul spoke of Christ and said, “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace” (Ephesians 1:7). The apostle Peter said we were redeemed “with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Peter 1:19). In the opening verses of the book of Revelation, John said that Jesus “loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood” (Revelation 1:5). Later, John described a scene of the raptured saints in Heaven who “have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb” (Revela-tion 7:14). We are redeemed by the blood. Moreover, we are sanctified by the cleansing power of the blood. The same blood that justifies also sanctifies. No sin can be laid to the believer’s charge which would alter his justified state before God because all of his sins, past, present and future have been paid for. Paul asked the rhetorical question, “Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth” (Romans 8:33). Justification is a judicial decree made by the Almighty Judge that the one who believes on Jesus is declared just. There can be no appeal to a higher court, nor can the decision of the Almighty be reversed. No future sin on the part of the believer will undermine his status as one who has been declared just. Now as to the matter of personal sanctification. The same blood which jus-tifies also sanctifies. Being sanctified is having victory over sin every day of our lives. Since sin still resides in the members of the body, we struggle with a con-stant downward pull into sin and disobedience. It is a battle between the flesh and the spirit (Galatians 5:17). Nevertheless, sin is not to have victory over us

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Cleanseth Word Study #2511

1 John 1:7. To make clean, purify . It can also refer to removing something in order to permit purification.

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because we have the new divine nature implanted in us and the presence of the Holy Spirit living within us. Paul said, “Our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed [lose its right to control], that henceforth we should not serve sin” (Romans 6:6). Paul also said, “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield your-selves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace” (verses 12-14). Nothing can take away the believers standing with God. He has justified us and He is in the process of sanctifying us. Ultimately, He will glorify us and bring us into the presence of Christ (Romans 8:30).

John’s Promise of Cleansing (1 John 1:8-10)

Sin is the biggest problem in the world today. Sin, and the sin nature, is at the root of every problem we face in society. Violence in the streets, crime in the community, corruption in the government and war in the world are all evidence of man’s bent toward sin. The first step in fixing the problem is admitting the problem. Yet, this is where we often fail. Few are willing to admit their sin, or admit their nature to sin.

If We Say We Have No Sin (verse 8). “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” The false teachers denied the existence of the sin nature, and any individual acts of sin. The Bible teaches that all men have a fallen nature and that all men commit acts of sin. Solomon wrote, “For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not” (Eccle-siastes 7:20). Paul said, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). He also said that we are “by nature the children of wrath, even as others” (Ephesians 2:3). Adam, in the Garden of Eden, plunged all of humanity into deprav-ity when he deliberately disobeyed God in the matter of eating the for-bidden fruit (Romans 5:12). We are then sinners by nature, sinners by choice and sinners by practice. If we deny the presence of sin in our lives, John said that “we deceive

Manna

Deceiving Ourselves (1 John 1:8): A modern-day colloquialism states, in various forms, “I cannot hear what you are saying because your actions speak so loudly.” Indeed, since the genesis of the human race actions have spoken louder than words. John revealed the principle of self-deception in verse 8 and subsequently noted the practice of said fault only two verses later. Some of the gnostics held that if there was no personal guilt then there was apparently no principle of sin. The gnostics believed that all matter was affected to some degree by evil and still the soul of man was uncontaminated; thus, no harm, no foul. This thin line of delusion in the human species remains even until today as the lack of admission of sin results in an inability to be saved. A man must admit he is a sinner before he can be saved from the consequences of said sin.

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ourselves” (1 John 1:8). Self-deception is one of the worst forms of deception. Other people can readily see sin in us, but when we cannot see it in ourselves, we are most certainly deceived. The phrase “the truth is not in us” further shows that the One who is Truth is not in us when we deny either the sin nature or individual acts of sin. Before a person can be saved, he must admit his sinfulness to himself and to God. This is the essence of repentance; a Spirit-wrought conviction, and godly sorrow for sin. “For godly sorrow worketh repen-tance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death” (2 Corin thians 7:10). The difference is life and death. Those who admit their sin and place their faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ are saved by the merits of His shed blood. Those who deny their sin, also deny God and His Word which plainly sets forth the sinful condition of man. Moreover, they are now in a state of spiritual death and will experience eternal death in hell if they do not repent. If We Confess Our Sins (verse 9). “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” This is one of the most encouraging verses in the book of 1 John, and even in the Bible itself. It ought to be memorized and applied by every Christian. Rather than deny our sin, which has disastrous conse-quences (Proverbs 28:13), the thing to do is confess our sin. To “confess” (1 John 1:9) literally means to agree with. The idea is that upon being convicted by the Holy Spirit of our sin, we agree with God about it. We admit it. We confess it. We ask forgiveness for it and turn from it. When we confess, “he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins” (verse 9). God is “faithful”; He keeps His Word. God is “just”; He is righteous. And He will “forgive” our sins. He does not excuse our sin, or overlook our sin; rather, He forgives our sin. To “forgive” is to release us from the judgment we rightly deserve. The reason God for-gives is because He accepts the pay-ment which His Son has made for our sins on Calvary. He does not forgive us because we are special, or because we deserve it, but because of what His Son has done (Romans 3:25, 26).

Faithful and Just Word Studies #4103, 1342

1 John 1:9. Here, John uses two adjec-tives to describe God. Faithful connotes God’s trustworthiness and reliability . Just describes God’s righteous character .

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He Is Faithful and Just (1 John 1:9): This clause expressed the way in which God manifested His faithful-ness and justice. When the sinner demonstrated his unrighteousness (in other words, he agreed with God [confessed] regarding the status of his own sin) God demonstrated His righ-teousness by forgiving the sinner and releasing him of the consequence of noted sin. In being faithful to the sin-ner, God proved fidelity to Himself. Being dikaios [just] meant that one conform his actions to His character. The rules were self-imposed thus meaning that God was required, by His own character and nature, to be faithful to forgive and cleanse.

There are some today who teach that the believer does not need to confess his sins and ask forgiveness because he has already been forgiven. This error fails to see the difference between justification and sanctifica-tion. As far as our justification is con-cerned, we are indeed forgiven of all sin: past, present and future. Nothing can change our status as having been justified. Sanctification, however, is ongoing and is dependent upon our staying in fellowship with Him by confessing our sins and turning from them. The teaching that says believers do not need to ask forgiveness for their sins today, leads to a low view of sin and to the acceptance of sin. This was the same error of antinomianism John was fighting in the letter of 1 John. If We Say We Have Not Sinned (verse 10). “If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” It is doubtful any-one would admit it, but those who say they have not sinned, call God a liar. I

have never heard anyone call God a liar, but that is what we do when we deny the presence of sin in our lives. Furthermore, “his word is not in us.” When we deny the sin nature or the presence of sin in our lives, we deny the authority and validity of the Word of God, the Holy Scriptures. When a saved person sins, the indwelling Holy Spirit is offended by it because it is contrary to the nature of God and to the new nature of the believer. The Spirit then begins to bring conviction upon the sinning believer as a means of leading him to confess the sin he has committed, to ask forgive-ness for it, and to turn from it. This may go on for sometime, but if the sinning believer does not soon respond to the Spirit’s conviction, the Lord will bring chastisement upon him in order to correct him. This is taught in Hebrews 12:4-11, which you are encouraged to read. If a person claims to be saved, and yet continues to live in sin without ever being chastised, it can only mean one thing. The inspired writer of the letter to the Hebrews explained it when he said, “But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons” (Hebrews 12:8).

14 / 1 John 1:1-10

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Denying the Presence of Sin (1 John 1:10): What was merely a principle just two sentences earlier now became a practice. What was once a matter of deceiving themselves now was an instance of having made God a liar though Scripture assures us it is impossible (Hebrews 6:18). This, then, presented John with an entirely new set of circumstances. It was one thing to be so diluted by self-deception that one lied about his status as a sinner but it was an entirely different thing to accuse the Almighty of deception. Such slander and blasphemy suggested Satan and the Savior were equals. To the contrary, John previously noted that the devil was the father of lies (John 8:44). Was there a time when the gnostics of the late first century were ever more like the devil than when they lied about their sin status and tried to make the Lord a liar as well?