Light And Darkness

THE DAILY WORD
By Jim Seekamp

Wednesday July 22, 2009

1 John 1:7 (NIV)
7. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from ALL sin.

Here the Bible tells us that if we walk in the light, the blood of Jesus purifies us from ALL sin! So we need to know how to be "in the light".

2 Corinthians 6:14,15 (NIV)
14. Do not be yoked together with UNBELIEVERS. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can LIGHT have with DARKNESS? 15. What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?

Here the Bible tells us that "believers" are in light and "unbelievers" are darkness. There is no distinction of "believers who have sinned" or "believers who have not sinned". Paul associates all believers with light and all unbelievers with darkness!

Ephesians 5:8 (NIV)
For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.

Here, Paul, writing to the church, tells them that they are light! He makes that statement without knowing what the people may have done right or wrong! He made a blanket statement!

1 Thessalonians 5:4,5 (NIV)
4. But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. 5. You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness.

Here Paul writes to the church in Thessalonica and tells them they are all sons of light! Paul stated this without knowing what these believers may have done right or wrong. He made a blanket statement to all the believers there!

Now with that in mind, lets move on to the next verse in 1st John:

1 John 1:8 (NIV)
8. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.

A person who believes he is without sin basically believes he has no need for God's salvation! God's salvation requires that we believe that Jesus took away our sins, bearing them in his own body on the cross:

1 Peter 2:24a (NIV)
He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness

The whole reason we come to the Lord and put our trust in Jesus is that we realize we are in darkness, and we need a Savior! We are therefore admitting we have sinned, which the Bible tells us ALL have done:

Romans 3:23 (NIV)
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God

So far all of 1 John 1:7,8 has been talking about salvation! So on to verse 9:

1 John 1:9,10
9. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.

I've heard all kinds of Bible teachings about how these verses are talking about believers who sin. After all, James tells believers exactly HOW they CAN sin:

James 4:17 (NIV)
Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins.

The only problem comes in when we start believing that a BELIEVER'S sins are not forgiven, and we are not cleansed from all unrighteousness unless we CONFESS our sins. To make that statement about a believer is simply and undeniably unBiblical! The Bible tells us over and over that God HAS ALREADY forgiven ALL our sins!

1 John 1:7 (NIV)
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from ALL SIN.

We saw above that ALL BELIEVERS are LIGHT! NOT based on their actions, but based on having Christ's righteousness because of His shed blood! As pointed out yesterday, in Christ, there IS NO DARKNESS AT ALL!

Colossians 2:13,14 (NIV)
13. When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us ALL our sins, 14. having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross.

According to the Bible, when God cancelled the law, nailing it to the cross with Christ, He did away with sin, because where there is no law there is no sin:

Romans 4:14,15 (NIV)
14. For if those who live by law are heirs, faith has no value and the promise is worthless, 15. because law brings wrath. And where there is no law there is no transgression.

The Bible tells us that the law was cancelled, and that where there is no law, there is no transgression (sin)! That means in God's sight, we are sinless, even though we don't always act the way we should!

Romans 4:5-8 (NIV)
5. However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness. 6. David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: 7. "Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. 8. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will NEVER count against him."

Our righteousness, as New Testament believers, comes entirely apart from the law and works:

Romans 3:21-24 (NIV)
21. But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, 23. for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
24. and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

Everyone on planet earth is in the same boat: ALL have sinned; and there's no way you can even KNOW all the sins you've committed in thought, word, and deed. That's why God had to cancel the law; otherwise we would have to figure out every sin we've done and confess it to God in order to be forgiven!

Jesus not only forgave us ALL our sins (past, present, and future) but He also made the atoning sacrifice for the sins of the WHOLE WORLD!

1 John 2:2 (NIV)
He (Jesus) is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.

The only sin that God is holding against ANYONE is the sin of not believing in His Son Jesus:

John 16:8,9 (NIV) (Jesus speaking)
8. When he (Holy Spirit) comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: 9. in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me

The ONLY SIN that the Holy Spirit is convicting the world of is "not believing in [Jesus]"!

That means 1 John 1:9,10 are definitely talking about salvation, and not to believers!

1 John 1:9
9. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

That confession of sin occurs when a person receives salvation; because that is the ONLY TIME that the Bible tells us that we are purified from ALL unrighteousness!

PRAYER
Thank You Father for sending Your Son Jesus to set me free from the kingdom of darkness and sin. Help me understand Your Word so I can let You govern my life more completely.
In Jesus Name, Amen.

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