1 John 1:5-10
"5 This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; 7 but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.[1]” (1 John 1:5–10, NASB 95)
God is Light. Light and darkness are biblical metaphors contrasting moral purity or holiness with sin and evil. The Old Testament is a masterclass in the holiness of God. This history of man is a masterclass in sin and rebellion. John declares the character of God by making a positive declaration of God's moral purity. He then emphasizes that there is not even a hint of sin, evil, or corruption in God. In other words, God must be taken seriously. And if God must be taken seriously, then sin must be taken seriously.
Discussion Questions
1. Russell discussed the "Sindex" from People magazine and the survey's conclusion: "Overall, readers said they commit about 4.64 sins a month." What is your response to that number? Why?
2. There are several ways we can justify a number like 4.64. Which of the ways below do you slip into regarding your sin?
-We ignore our sins. Out of sight, out of mind. Since we have turned a blind eye to sin, we must not be doing it.
-We deny our sin. We either justify our actions as not sinful or deny that we sinned at all.
-We deceive ourselves. This is probably a combination of the first two as we listen to our inner lawyer argue away our sin on technicalities.
3. The Apostle John provides two ways for us to approach our sins.
Read 1 John 1:5-10 and identify those two ways. John tells us to approach sin by walking in the Light and Confessing. Walking in the light means being open, honest, and vulnerable. It means walking with God as Adam and Eve did before sin, "naked and unashamed." The word confess means to say the same thing about sin that God says about it. Confession is keeping short accounts and talking about your sin like God would. It's about being brutally honest with yourself and with God.
Are these hard to do? Why? What keeps us from being open and transparent about our sins?
What keeps us from true confession, as defined above?
God is Light. Light and darkness are biblical metaphors contrasting moral purity or holiness with sin and evil. The Old Testament is a masterclass in the holiness of God. This history of man is a masterclass in sin and rebellion. John declares the character of God by making a positive declaration of God's moral purity. He then emphasizes that there is not even a hint of sin, evil, or corruption in God. In other words, God must be taken seriously. And if God must be taken seriously, then sin must be taken seriously.
Discussion Questions
1. Russell discussed the "Sindex" from People magazine and the survey's conclusion: "Overall, readers said they commit about 4.64 sins a month." What is your response to that number? Why?
2. There are several ways we can justify a number like 4.64. Which of the ways below do you slip into regarding your sin?
-We ignore our sins. Out of sight, out of mind. Since we have turned a blind eye to sin, we must not be doing it.
-We deny our sin. We either justify our actions as not sinful or deny that we sinned at all.
-We deceive ourselves. This is probably a combination of the first two as we listen to our inner lawyer argue away our sin on technicalities.
3. The Apostle John provides two ways for us to approach our sins.
Read 1 John 1:5-10 and identify those two ways. John tells us to approach sin by walking in the Light and Confessing. Walking in the light means being open, honest, and vulnerable. It means walking with God as Adam and Eve did before sin, "naked and unashamed." The word confess means to say the same thing about sin that God says about it. Confession is keeping short accounts and talking about your sin like God would. It's about being brutally honest with yourself and with God.
Are these hard to do? Why? What keeps us from being open and transparent about our sins?
What keeps us from true confession, as defined above?
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