Are We Possessed By The Truth?
Written by Administrator Monday, 23 July 2007 02:44
The New Testament letter known as 1 John addresses a church that has gone through some troubling times. Some within that body of believers were claiming to “know” God better than anyone else … to have a grip on the truth more accurately than anyone else … and to walk with God closer than anyone else. It was evidenced in a spiritual snobbery … an elitist attitude … that disappointed the man (John) who had served as a spiritual father and pastor to these people for so many years.
As he writes to his beloved “children” in the church, he confronts the attitudes that have driven a wedge between members of the body of Christ and offers correction for the false views that are prevalent. Having laid the groundwork for his appeal in 1 John 1:5 by reminding them that “God is light, and in him is no darkness at all,” he quickly cuts to the chase. Notice the series of “if” statements as he argues his position. He will present their claims (“if we say”) and then offer his own rebuttal.
CLAIM ONE: “If we say we have fellowship …” (v. 6)
CLAIM TWO: “If we say we have no sin …” (v. 8)
CLAIM THREE: “If we say we have not sinned …” (v. 10)
John’s rebuttal to the first is that they are not in fellowship with God evidenced by the fact that they are not “in fellowship” with other believers. Therefore he appeals to them: “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 cleanses us from all sin” (v. 7).
The mention of sin introduces the second claim. The presence of sin in their lives is denied. The second claim is answered by John in this way: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (v. 9).
John can “hear” them protesting and claiming that they have not sinned. He answers this in the opening verses of chapter two by stating that God’s desire is that we not sin … but in fact we still do. But there is an answer to this problem of sin. “If anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (2:1).
The questions for us are these, “Are we walking in the light?” “Have we confessed our sins?” “Are we living out the truth?” (cf. v. 6). “Are we possessed by the truth” (v. 8).
-- Sparky