1 John 1:5-10

1 John 1:5-10

The message of the Gospel is good news, but only for those who understand the seriousness of sin. Those who don't understand the urgency of sin will see the gospel as banal, dull, and just an old story. The Gnostics did not take sin seriously. John begins this passage by asserting the absolute holiness and perfection of God. Emphatically, John describes both God's purity and the absence of sin or evil; there is no darkness at all.

John expresses 3 false teachings about evil that sinful and wicked religious leaders will trot out from time to time. He does this with the phrase “if we say”... in verses 6, 8, and 10. The false teachers were advocating that a person could: 

1. Have a right relationship with God while actively living sinful lives (verse 6). 

2. Have a state of personal sinlessness because their nature was above and uncorrupted by the sinful things they did (verse 8). 

3. Have not committed individual acts of sin (verse 10). 

In each case, John points out the delusion that is a result of and is inherent in such false statements. 

In response to the first, we are self-deceived. We lie and have told ourselves the lie so long that it is believed. We have become a deceiver. But the grammar indicates we begin with self-deception. This is clearly stated in response to the second condition: we are so fully self-deceived that the truth is absent. In this case, truth is more than objective fact. He who is the truth is not in us. The third condition is the worst; we have become an accuser of God. We, by denying our sin, call God a liar. For those who do not take sin seriously, God offers no help or hope.

Those who understand and take seriously the egregious nature of sin can find in the gospel hope and comfort. Contrasting with what is said by the false teacher, John describes the behavior of disciples in verses 7 and 9. Two points need to be made about the life of a disciple from these verses. First is that of ongoing conduct. In verse 7, John says if we walk and live in holiness, we have fellowship and are forgiven. We don't earn forgiveness by merit or good deeds. But in pursuit of God, His forgiveness is active over us at all times. When we are running to Christ, He is forgiving even when we are unaware of the need. Second, our dependence on God. In verse 9, confession is not just for individual sins but also a confession that we are dependent upon Him for forgiveness. So long as we depend on Him as our only hope, He is constantly cleaning us up.

“Lord, help me live with a keen awareness of my need for Your forgiveness. AMEN”