WEBVTT 00:00:01.229 --> 00:00:04.950 If we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves 00:00:04.950 --> 00:00:08.810 and the truth is not in us. If we confess our 00:00:08.810 --> 00:00:11.609 sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our 00:00:11.609 --> 00:00:15.109 sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 00:00:15.570 --> 00:00:18.949 If we say we have not sinned we make him a liar 00:00:18.949 --> 00:00:26.390 and his word is not in us. Good morning everyone. 00:00:27.469 --> 00:00:30.269 It's great to have you with us. If you're visiting 00:00:30.269 --> 00:00:32.990 with us for the first time, my name is Michael. 00:00:33.429 --> 00:00:36.710 I'm one of the pastors here at Grace. And as 00:00:36.710 --> 00:00:41.229 Eric said just before, we would love to meet 00:00:41.229 --> 00:00:44.049 you straight after the service, so please don't 00:00:44.049 --> 00:00:47.130 feel like you need to run off. I think the urn 00:00:47.130 --> 00:00:51.030 is working, so we'll have warm tea and coffee, 00:00:52.170 --> 00:00:55.509 warm conversation. and hopefully a warm handshake 00:00:55.509 --> 00:00:58.109 as well. Before we get into the passage that 00:00:58.109 --> 00:01:00.250 we have before us this morning, why don't we 00:01:00.250 --> 00:01:03.009 come to our Lord in prayer and ask him to help 00:01:03.009 --> 00:01:05.510 us understand these words. Would you please pray 00:01:05.510 --> 00:01:10.989 with me? Father God, we're so thankful that we're 00:01:10.989 --> 00:01:14.329 able to be together this morning, to be around 00:01:14.329 --> 00:01:17.730 your word, your holy word, words from you to 00:01:17.730 --> 00:01:21.810 us. We ask this morning that as we explore, as 00:01:21.810 --> 00:01:25.950 we peer into these wonderful words that you would 00:01:25.950 --> 00:01:29.430 please by your spirit, build us up, edify us, 00:01:29.670 --> 00:01:33.010 correct us, strengthen us for the sake of Christ. 00:01:33.349 --> 00:01:37.969 And we ask for this in His name. Amen. Imagine 00:01:37.969 --> 00:01:41.150 for a moment, if you will, if you went to a doctor 00:01:41.150 --> 00:01:44.670 and you went and got some tests and then were 00:01:44.670 --> 00:01:49.530 called back in to hear the results. Imagine if 00:01:49.530 --> 00:01:53.930 the news wasn't good. But not to worry, you were 00:01:53.930 --> 00:01:58.950 then told there is a cure. Now, imagine after 00:01:58.950 --> 00:02:02.209 hearing such great news that you said to the 00:02:02.209 --> 00:02:05.769 doctor, I don't believe you. I've heard that 00:02:05.769 --> 00:02:08.550 there's actually no such thing as the thing that 00:02:08.550 --> 00:02:11.569 you're diagnosing me with and I don't need your 00:02:11.569 --> 00:02:15.409 solutions and then just walked out of the office. 00:02:16.210 --> 00:02:20.469 What do you think would happen? What do you think? 00:02:20.620 --> 00:02:26.199 the results of that decision would be. Now I've 00:02:26.199 --> 00:02:29.860 asked you to engage your imaginations for just 00:02:29.860 --> 00:02:33.659 a moment because that was the sort of situation 00:02:33.659 --> 00:02:38.039 that our author was writing into to avoid with 00:02:38.039 --> 00:02:43.069 the church there in first century Ephesus. As 00:02:43.069 --> 00:02:45.550 we've seen there were false teachers that had 00:02:45.550 --> 00:02:49.289 come into the church and they were marrying the 00:02:49.289 --> 00:02:53.129 mission of Jesus to Greek philosophy and thus 00:02:53.129 --> 00:02:56.729 tainting the Apostles doctrine about the work 00:02:56.729 --> 00:03:01.009 of Jesus and what he had come to do. And it was 00:03:01.009 --> 00:03:05.490 leading the church into the darkness about their 00:03:05.490 --> 00:03:10.729 own spiritual condition and health. For example, 00:03:11.150 --> 00:03:15.610 as you read through the book of 1 John, it seems 00:03:15.610 --> 00:03:19.789 that these teachers had taken a knife to what 00:03:19.789 --> 00:03:25.289 it is to be human, cutting the flesh from the 00:03:25.289 --> 00:03:28.539 soul sort of thing. And thus teaching that when 00:03:28.539 --> 00:03:31.919 you became a Christian, then it didn't really 00:03:31.919 --> 00:03:35.219 matter what you did with your body because your 00:03:35.219 --> 00:03:39.879 soul had escaped its clutches, it had been set 00:03:39.879 --> 00:03:43.639 free from its prison so to speak. So go and do 00:03:43.639 --> 00:03:46.439 what you want because the soul was forgiven and 00:03:46.439 --> 00:03:49.919 the body, well it didn't matter what you did 00:03:49.919 --> 00:03:53.750 with it anymore. That was the sort of context 00:03:53.750 --> 00:03:57.689 that our author was writing into there at the 00:03:57.689 --> 00:04:00.509 Church of Ephesus. He was concerned with the 00:04:00.509 --> 00:04:03.330 sort of rhetoric that he was hearing repeated 00:04:03.330 --> 00:04:07.750 in the Church. People were saying, I have fellowship 00:04:07.750 --> 00:04:11.009 with God, yet they were leading these sinful 00:04:11.009 --> 00:04:15.210 lives. And he could see, as he says there in 00:04:15.210 --> 00:04:18.449 verse 6, that they were walking in darkness. 00:04:19.399 --> 00:04:23.519 And it was all because these false teachers who 00:04:23.519 --> 00:04:26.319 were building with the wrong building blocks 00:04:26.319 --> 00:04:30.220 as Mark shared with us last week. They were playing 00:04:30.220 --> 00:04:33.139 up the status of the soul and they were playing 00:04:33.139 --> 00:04:37.540 down the seriousness of sin that continues to 00:04:37.540 --> 00:04:41.660 threaten to hinder the Christian walk on this 00:04:41.660 --> 00:04:45.689 side of Kingdom Come. And so continuing on with 00:04:45.689 --> 00:04:48.329 what Mark shared with us from verses five to 00:04:48.329 --> 00:04:52.449 seven last week, our apostle is going to diagnose 00:04:52.449 --> 00:04:55.089 the disease that riddles every single one of 00:04:55.089 --> 00:04:58.370 us in this room this morning while also giving 00:04:58.370 --> 00:05:02.730 to us good news about how to apply the cure. 00:05:03.509 --> 00:05:06.370 And I hope to show you just three things from 00:05:06.370 --> 00:05:12.009 our text this morning. First, sin matters and 00:05:12.009 --> 00:05:16.959 shouldn't be ignored. Second, confession matters 00:05:16.959 --> 00:05:20.560 and also shouldn't be ignored. And third, though 00:05:20.560 --> 00:05:24.620 we might not be perfect just yet, there is good 00:05:24.620 --> 00:05:28.519 news in the gospel. So the first thing that I 00:05:28.519 --> 00:05:31.220 want to draw your attention to has to do with 00:05:31.220 --> 00:05:34.860 the way that we as Christians are to view sin 00:05:34.860 --> 00:05:39.079 in our lives. There's a right way and there's 00:05:39.079 --> 00:05:42.930 a wrong way. And so let's look at how John deals 00:05:42.930 --> 00:05:46.310 with those who were saying in the church that 00:05:46.310 --> 00:05:51.629 I have no sin. Let's have a look at verse 8 together. 00:05:52.230 --> 00:05:57.649 He says if we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves 00:05:57.649 --> 00:06:03.189 and the truth is not in us. I want to draw your 00:06:03.189 --> 00:06:06.829 attention to just the first few words there of 00:06:06.829 --> 00:06:11.129 our text this morning. First notice how our apostle 00:06:11.129 --> 00:06:17.629 says if we say we have no sin. I think what he's 00:06:17.629 --> 00:06:20.949 doing there is he's summing up what people were 00:06:20.949 --> 00:06:23.930 repeating from these false teachers. They were 00:06:23.930 --> 00:06:28.290 going around and saying we have no sin. Now they 00:06:28.290 --> 00:06:31.439 may have been saying that there was No such thing 00:06:31.439 --> 00:06:34.819 as a sin nature in the first place or maybe they 00:06:34.819 --> 00:06:37.680 were saying that once they started to follow 00:06:37.680 --> 00:06:41.959 Jesus that they had nothing to worry about in 00:06:41.959 --> 00:06:45.300 regards to sinning because the soul as we heard 00:06:45.300 --> 00:06:48.740 before has been made pure and thus sin was nothing 00:06:48.740 --> 00:06:52.980 really to worry about anymore. Whatever the case 00:06:52.980 --> 00:06:55.959 may be John is saying to us through the church 00:06:55.959 --> 00:07:00.660 from the get -go that for someone to think that 00:07:00.660 --> 00:07:04.879 sin on this side of our Lord's return is no longer 00:07:04.879 --> 00:07:08.000 an issue, or not to be thought about anymore 00:07:08.000 --> 00:07:12.480 by the Christian, well they're completely deluded. 00:07:13.339 --> 00:07:16.819 They're deceived, as he says here in verse 8. 00:07:17.560 --> 00:07:21.339 No, to say that we have no sin at all, well that's 00:07:21.339 --> 00:07:26.620 to walk in the darkness and not in the light. 00:07:27.399 --> 00:07:30.220 And that's not good because second, the Christian 00:07:30.220 --> 00:07:34.540 is called to live in the truth. I'll say that 00:07:34.540 --> 00:07:38.660 again, the Christian, our call is to live in 00:07:38.660 --> 00:07:41.959 the truth. And I want you to see that because 00:07:41.959 --> 00:07:45.439 to say that we don't have any sin or that we 00:07:45.439 --> 00:07:48.759 don't struggle with it in any which way just 00:07:48.759 --> 00:07:51.699 because we're now following Jesus, well that's 00:07:51.699 --> 00:07:56.879 to show that we've pushed reality away. that 00:07:56.879 --> 00:08:00.980 we're now living a lie. Let me say that another 00:08:00.980 --> 00:08:05.300 way church. Every Christian on the face of the 00:08:05.300 --> 00:08:08.779 planet knows that when we give our lives to Christ, 00:08:10.120 --> 00:08:13.839 that as we start to walk in the light of our 00:08:13.839 --> 00:08:18.660 new life with Him, we see that sin is still there 00:08:18.660 --> 00:08:22.730 hindering our new lives. It's not like we give 00:08:22.730 --> 00:08:25.750 our lives to Jesus and then all of a sudden we 00:08:25.750 --> 00:08:30.629 have like this perfect walk, not at all. In fact, 00:08:30.629 --> 00:08:34.350 it's as we start to walk with Jesus that we see 00:08:34.350 --> 00:08:41.509 just how deeply rooted sin really is. And John 00:08:41.509 --> 00:08:45.149 is saying to us, to the church, to deny that 00:08:45.149 --> 00:08:49.309 reality, to deny that truth of the matter, to 00:08:49.309 --> 00:08:54.539 do that. Well that's to show that the truth isn't 00:08:54.539 --> 00:08:58.419 in us. And so the Christian must be aware of 00:08:58.419 --> 00:09:00.919 false teaching that says that once you become 00:09:00.919 --> 00:09:03.759 a Christian that you're now sinless and have 00:09:03.759 --> 00:09:06.320 nothing to worry about because if we're truthful 00:09:06.320 --> 00:09:11.519 with ourselves we know that we still have sin 00:09:11.519 --> 00:09:15.639 knocking on the door and more than that, more 00:09:15.639 --> 00:09:19.480 than that sometimes we answer the door to our 00:09:19.480 --> 00:09:23.539 own shame. And so our apostle says do not deal 00:09:23.539 --> 00:09:28.100 with that reality by living in denial and pushing 00:09:28.100 --> 00:09:32.080 away the truth. No, to deal with sin by self 00:09:32.080 --> 00:09:36.779 -deception is absolutely ridiculous for those 00:09:36.779 --> 00:09:39.980 who live in the light. It's like saying to a 00:09:39.980 --> 00:09:42.559 doctor you don't know what you're talking about 00:09:42.559 --> 00:09:46.200 and then just walking away. No, there is a way 00:09:46.200 --> 00:09:50.139 for Christians to deal with sin and it's not 00:09:50.320 --> 00:09:56.480 denial, it's not with delusion and it's not with 00:09:56.480 --> 00:10:01.740 walking in darkness. So if we're not to live 00:10:01.740 --> 00:10:04.879 in denial and face up to the fact that as Christians 00:10:04.879 --> 00:10:09.539 we still do struggle with sin, then what are 00:10:09.539 --> 00:10:13.899 we to do? Well this is where our Apostle brings 00:10:13.899 --> 00:10:18.009 in the antidote to this particular problem. The 00:10:18.009 --> 00:10:20.809 Christian isn't to deny that we struggle with 00:10:20.809 --> 00:10:25.149 sin, it's in fact the opposite. It's to come 00:10:25.149 --> 00:10:29.370 to terms with the truth and then do something 00:10:29.370 --> 00:10:33.149 about it. If you have your Bibles with you, look 00:10:33.149 --> 00:10:37.409 with me at verse 9 there. Our Apostle says if 00:10:37.409 --> 00:10:41.690 we confess our sins, he's faithful and just to 00:10:41.690 --> 00:10:46.759 forgive us our sins and to cleanse us. from all 00:10:46.759 --> 00:10:52.620 unrighteousness. Notice that. Notice what our 00:10:52.620 --> 00:10:56.500 apostle said. He gives the answer to this situation 00:10:56.500 --> 00:11:00.059 that we find ourselves in. The proper response 00:11:00.059 --> 00:11:04.120 for the Christian when we see sin in our lives 00:11:04.120 --> 00:11:10.980 isn't to live a life of denial, but a life of 00:11:10.980 --> 00:11:15.710 confession. Now confession, it's a really interesting 00:11:15.710 --> 00:11:19.889 word here in the Greek. It actually means to 00:11:19.889 --> 00:11:24.289 acknowledge or to admit offence. That's what 00:11:24.289 --> 00:11:27.889 confession means. It means to acknowledge or 00:11:27.889 --> 00:11:33.870 to admit offence. And so in very much the opposite 00:11:33.870 --> 00:11:38.629 way of denial, John says when you see it, when 00:11:38.629 --> 00:11:43.009 you see your offence, Don't run away from the 00:11:43.009 --> 00:11:47.389 truth or lie to yourself. No, acknowledge it 00:11:47.389 --> 00:11:54.389 to God and admit where you've gone wrong. That 00:11:54.389 --> 00:12:00.769 is to live in the truth and in the light. Brothers 00:12:00.769 --> 00:12:02.669 and sisters, this tells us a couple of things 00:12:02.669 --> 00:12:05.809 about the Christian life. First, John wants us 00:12:05.809 --> 00:12:09.429 to know that confession is a normal, ongoing 00:12:09.429 --> 00:12:12.809 aspect of following Jesus on this side of eternity. 00:12:13.029 --> 00:12:16.649 In other words, confession of sin to our Heavenly 00:12:16.649 --> 00:12:20.710 Father isn't the exception to the rule. No, it's 00:12:20.710 --> 00:12:25.009 part of the ongoing life of being a disciple 00:12:25.009 --> 00:12:29.590 of Jesus Christ. Why don't you cast your minds 00:12:29.590 --> 00:12:33.970 back with me? to the first few pages of the Bible 00:12:33.970 --> 00:12:37.970 in Genesis. We see our first parents there. They 00:12:37.970 --> 00:12:41.590 have relationship with God, but when they had 00:12:41.590 --> 00:12:44.710 committed sin against the Lord, when that relationship 00:12:44.710 --> 00:12:49.210 was broken, they run behind a bush, right? And 00:12:49.210 --> 00:12:53.090 then what do we see? Adam blames Eve and then 00:12:53.090 --> 00:12:57.590 Eve, she blames the snake. No one in that scene 00:12:57.590 --> 00:13:02.799 acknowledged or admitted the offence that they 00:13:02.799 --> 00:13:06.580 had committed. No, they were in denial and shifted 00:13:06.580 --> 00:13:10.940 blame every step of the way. That's what people 00:13:10.940 --> 00:13:14.460 in the dark do. And so our apostle tells us, 00:13:14.840 --> 00:13:18.620 don't be like that. Don't be deluded and deny 00:13:18.620 --> 00:13:21.799 when you've blown it. That's not how this works. 00:13:22.539 --> 00:13:26.019 No, the proper attitude of the Christian is when 00:13:26.019 --> 00:13:30.220 you see sin. Not to deny that you have a sin 00:13:30.220 --> 00:13:34.580 problem or blame shift or run behind the so -called 00:13:34.580 --> 00:13:38.779 bush No, it's to realize the ongoing reality 00:13:38.779 --> 00:13:43.179 of sin and then go to your Heavenly Father with 00:13:43.179 --> 00:13:48.759 it Far from being perfect church Part of our 00:13:48.759 --> 00:13:52.159 prayer life should include the words Lord, I 00:13:52.159 --> 00:13:56.740 recognize my struggle with this and that Lord, 00:13:57.019 --> 00:14:01.340 I admit to you that I've done wrong. I confess 00:14:01.340 --> 00:14:05.700 to you that I've again fallen short. Do you see 00:14:05.700 --> 00:14:09.399 what our apostle is lovingly showing us here, 00:14:09.419 --> 00:14:12.620 Church? Repentance and confession isn't something 00:14:12.620 --> 00:14:15.779 that we do just at the very beginning of the 00:14:15.779 --> 00:14:19.120 Christian life. No, it's something that we practice 00:14:19.120 --> 00:14:22.200 right throughout the Christian life on this side 00:14:22.200 --> 00:14:25.700 of Kingdom Come. And we do this because confession 00:14:25.700 --> 00:14:29.840 to our Lord, confessing to Him where we know 00:14:29.840 --> 00:14:33.500 we've fallen short and broken His law and quenched 00:14:33.500 --> 00:14:37.460 and grieved His Spirit, it's integral to our 00:14:37.460 --> 00:14:40.879 relationship with Him. That's the first thing 00:14:40.879 --> 00:14:44.120 that John wants us to see here. He wants us to 00:14:44.120 --> 00:14:48.000 see that the proper attitude of one who is walking 00:14:48.000 --> 00:14:51.259 in the light One who confesses Christ, one who 00:14:51.259 --> 00:14:54.279 is a Christian when it comes to sin, isn't to 00:14:54.279 --> 00:14:58.220 say that we have no sin problem and that we are 00:14:58.220 --> 00:15:02.379 perfect and then ignore and deny when you do 00:15:02.379 --> 00:15:06.279 stuff up, but to confess and admit to our God 00:15:06.279 --> 00:15:10.720 our struggles and failures. There's a second 00:15:10.720 --> 00:15:13.139 thing that our apostle wants us to see here and 00:15:13.139 --> 00:15:17.220 it's absolutely incredible. It's absolutely amazing 00:15:17.220 --> 00:15:20.950 what he says. He says that when we go to God 00:15:20.950 --> 00:15:24.190 in this way, when we go to him in confession, 00:15:24.649 --> 00:15:30.509 we can know that we will be restored to him in 00:15:30.509 --> 00:15:33.970 perfect relationship because as it says here 00:15:33.970 --> 00:15:39.490 in verse nine, he is faithful and just to forgive 00:15:39.490 --> 00:15:44.090 us of our sins. Now there's something very interesting 00:15:44.090 --> 00:15:47.529 here that I want you to notice. You see, mercy 00:15:47.600 --> 00:15:52.240 love and righteousness define our God's character 00:15:52.240 --> 00:15:56.860 all throughout the Bible. And in a way you might 00:15:56.860 --> 00:16:00.399 expect John that when he speaks about confession 00:16:00.399 --> 00:16:03.120 and we go to God that he would say something 00:16:03.120 --> 00:16:06.919 like because he loves us so much he'll show mercy 00:16:06.919 --> 00:16:10.639 to us and that's certainly not being denied here. 00:16:11.019 --> 00:16:14.500 But it's interesting that our Apostle brings 00:16:14.500 --> 00:16:18.340 in covenantal language into this whole picture. 00:16:19.679 --> 00:16:23.740 That's what John is doing here when he says he 00:16:23.740 --> 00:16:31.360 is faithful. He is faithful. What John's saying 00:16:31.360 --> 00:16:35.340 in no uncertain terms that God has revealed something 00:16:35.340 --> 00:16:39.899 in his Word and that's that he will forgive anybody 00:16:40.029 --> 00:16:44.149 from anywhere who's done anything who calls upon 00:16:44.149 --> 00:16:47.490 the name of the Lord and who puts their trust 00:16:47.490 --> 00:16:51.809 in Christ alone because God said that he would 00:16:51.809 --> 00:16:56.269 forgive in his word and because he's a covenantal 00:16:56.269 --> 00:17:01.029 making and keeping God he can be trusted because 00:17:01.029 --> 00:17:06.769 his word is his bond. All that to say anybody 00:17:06.769 --> 00:17:10.380 who comes to the Lord confesses their sins can 00:17:10.380 --> 00:17:13.940 know that they will be forgiven continually because 00:17:13.940 --> 00:17:19.880 God said that they will be forgiven. He's faithful 00:17:19.880 --> 00:17:23.140 but there's more. John points out something else 00:17:23.140 --> 00:17:28.440 to us. He's just to forgive us our sins. Now 00:17:28.440 --> 00:17:32.680 John's drawing on courtroom language here which 00:17:32.680 --> 00:17:37.279 is to say that God is a judge and justice must 00:17:37.279 --> 00:17:42.339 be served when it comes to sin. And this makes 00:17:42.339 --> 00:17:46.019 sense of what we see here, excuse me, in verse 00:17:46.019 --> 00:17:49.880 seven, where John tells us the blood of Jesus, 00:17:50.480 --> 00:17:55.990 God's son, cleanses us from all sin. And I say 00:17:55.990 --> 00:17:58.710 this makes sense of verse 7 because it shows 00:17:58.710 --> 00:18:02.349 us that God isn't a judge that just sweeps things 00:18:02.349 --> 00:18:05.910 under the carpet and forgets about injustice, 00:18:06.950 --> 00:18:11.089 but is a just judge that really dishes out the 00:18:11.089 --> 00:18:17.750 full penalty of what our sin deserves. But, but 00:18:17.750 --> 00:18:23.380 by meeting it on the Lord Jesus Christ. who shed 00:18:23.380 --> 00:18:27.980 his blood on our behalf on the cross at Calvary. 00:18:29.359 --> 00:18:31.599 And so putting this all together brothers and 00:18:31.599 --> 00:18:35.079 sisters, if Christ has shed his blood and the 00:18:35.079 --> 00:18:39.079 full penalty of our sin has been met on him, 00:18:39.420 --> 00:18:43.420 how would it be just of God to then meet it again 00:18:43.420 --> 00:18:48.799 on those that come to him in confession? Do you 00:18:48.799 --> 00:18:52.799 see the tremendous news that John gives to us 00:18:52.799 --> 00:18:57.279 here? Because of God's Word, because of His character, 00:18:57.420 --> 00:19:00.839 because of the work of His Son, Jesus Christ 00:19:00.839 --> 00:19:04.480 on the cross, it would be absolutely illogical 00:19:04.480 --> 00:19:07.779 for him to say one thing and then turn around 00:19:07.779 --> 00:19:11.500 and punish his trusting and confessing people 00:19:11.500 --> 00:19:16.920 for sin that's already been paid for. In no way 00:19:17.420 --> 00:19:21.220 Has our sin just been swept under the carpet? 00:19:22.099 --> 00:19:25.839 No, our sin has really been dealt with, but it's 00:19:25.839 --> 00:19:29.700 been dealt with by being met on the Lord Jesus 00:19:29.700 --> 00:19:33.480 Christ. And so when we go to God in confession, 00:19:33.559 --> 00:19:37.339 because He has promised to forgive those who 00:19:37.339 --> 00:19:42.180 trust in Christ, we can know that His forgiveness 00:19:42.180 --> 00:19:49.619 is a real and present reality. Maybe this is 00:19:49.619 --> 00:19:53.220 a real problem for you. Maybe just maybe you're 00:19:53.220 --> 00:19:57.000 here this morning and you're so ashamed of the 00:19:57.000 --> 00:20:00.240 things that you've done that you can't bear the 00:20:00.240 --> 00:20:04.000 thought of going to God because you think that 00:20:04.000 --> 00:20:06.839 he's going to be disgusted with you and cast 00:20:06.839 --> 00:20:11.220 you away from his sight for all eternity. Maybe 00:20:11.220 --> 00:20:14.740 you're here and even thinking about the sin that 00:20:14.740 --> 00:20:17.960 you've committed makes you sick. to the stomach, 00:20:18.019 --> 00:20:21.440 to such a point that you've tried every which 00:20:21.440 --> 00:20:26.319 way to deal with it in your own strength. Maybe 00:20:26.319 --> 00:20:28.480 you're here this morning and you've made all 00:20:28.480 --> 00:20:32.559 sorts of excuses for the sin that you've done. 00:20:32.619 --> 00:20:35.779 Maybe you're at the point that you've not done 00:20:35.779 --> 00:20:39.299 anything wrong at all. You've denied sin there 00:20:39.299 --> 00:20:45.319 altogether. Dear one, hear the news, the good 00:20:45.319 --> 00:20:48.430 news. That's being held out to you this morning. 00:20:49.910 --> 00:20:55.069 The living God has bound his reputation. He's 00:20:55.069 --> 00:20:58.289 bound his reputation to the promise to forgive 00:20:58.289 --> 00:21:02.329 anyone who comes to him who confesses their sin. 00:21:02.430 --> 00:21:06.210 Notice that it doesn't say he'll forgive some 00:21:06.210 --> 00:21:11.849 sin. No, it says he forgives all sin. All sin. 00:21:12.069 --> 00:21:15.769 Everything. Don't be like our first parents and 00:21:15.769 --> 00:21:19.150 try and hide and put the blame on something else. 00:21:19.269 --> 00:21:23.970 God holds out the wonderful healing balm of the 00:21:23.970 --> 00:21:28.910 blood of Jesus. And anything, anything can be 00:21:28.910 --> 00:21:32.730 dealt with by the blood of Jesus. John tells 00:21:32.730 --> 00:21:35.650 us in no uncertain terms, in just these couple 00:21:35.650 --> 00:21:39.269 of verses, the Christian realistically looks 00:21:39.269 --> 00:21:43.019 at sin in our lives and we deal with it. not 00:21:43.019 --> 00:21:48.279 by running, not by hiding, not by denying, but 00:21:48.279 --> 00:21:55.140 by admitting and confessing to our God. Maybe 00:21:55.140 --> 00:21:57.359 you're here this morning and this is all quite 00:21:57.359 --> 00:22:00.660 confusing for you and you would say to yourself, 00:22:00.880 --> 00:22:03.960 but I've confessed my sin to God in the past, 00:22:04.000 --> 00:22:07.380 why do I need to keep going to Him and telling 00:22:07.380 --> 00:22:11.569 Him about my continual faults and failures? Surely 00:22:11.569 --> 00:22:16.490 he's sick of it by now. Just so there's no confusion 00:22:16.490 --> 00:22:20.069 among us this morning, and even from week to 00:22:20.069 --> 00:22:23.390 week when we gather as a church to do corporate 00:22:23.390 --> 00:22:27.190 confession, I want to put forward to you four 00:22:27.190 --> 00:22:31.369 biblical reasons as to why we Christians must 00:22:31.369 --> 00:22:35.750 keep going to God in this way. First, when we 00:22:35.750 --> 00:22:39.970 go to Him in confession, we experience a fresh 00:22:40.460 --> 00:22:44.420 our Heavenly Father's loving kindness and tender 00:22:44.420 --> 00:22:49.339 mercy. I think of Psalm 32 here when King David 00:22:49.339 --> 00:22:53.519 knew that he had completely blown it. He had 00:22:53.519 --> 00:22:57.180 done wicked, wicked actions in the sight of God 00:22:57.180 --> 00:23:00.200 and it was like the weight of the world was on 00:23:00.200 --> 00:23:04.720 him crushing his bones as he puts it. But as 00:23:04.720 --> 00:23:08.480 he goes to God and as he confesses his sin and 00:23:08.480 --> 00:23:12.200 as he was restored to right relationship, the 00:23:12.200 --> 00:23:16.960 whole psalm crescendos with our author rejoicing 00:23:16.960 --> 00:23:21.880 and experiencing afresh God's love for his people. 00:23:23.200 --> 00:23:26.079 And it's something that David wants for us to 00:23:26.079 --> 00:23:30.539 experience as well. I mean, we get a taste of 00:23:30.539 --> 00:23:33.519 this, don't we? Even in our human relationships. 00:23:34.009 --> 00:23:38.450 Maybe with a spouse or a parent or a friend, 00:23:38.529 --> 00:23:41.569 when we've hurt someone that we really love, 00:23:41.730 --> 00:23:45.289 we feel the weight of it. And we feel sick and 00:23:45.289 --> 00:23:47.829 we feel foolish about the things that we've done. 00:23:48.309 --> 00:23:51.789 But how wonderful is it that when we go to that 00:23:51.789 --> 00:23:55.750 person and admit where we've done wrong and they 00:23:55.750 --> 00:23:59.009 forgive us, it's like the weight of the world. 00:23:59.369 --> 00:24:03.009 taken off our shoulders and we feel even closer 00:24:03.009 --> 00:24:07.450 to that person than ever before. Confession of 00:24:07.450 --> 00:24:11.009 sin is a wonderful way to deal with our burdens 00:24:11.009 --> 00:24:16.490 and unresolved guilt. Confession, it brings healing 00:24:16.490 --> 00:24:21.450 and reconciliation to broken relationships and 00:24:21.450 --> 00:24:25.900 relief to the weary soul. Second, because we 00:24:25.900 --> 00:24:28.500 still slip and give into things that so easily 00:24:28.500 --> 00:24:31.660 hinder us, even after coming to the knowledge 00:24:31.660 --> 00:24:34.920 of the truth, we need to keep going to God because 00:24:34.920 --> 00:24:41.720 sin, it still threatens us. Now, it's absolutely 00:24:41.720 --> 00:24:45.079 true that the Christian is united to Christ. 00:24:45.519 --> 00:24:49.180 It's absolutely true that our debt has been paid 00:24:49.180 --> 00:24:53.440 and that our stain has been removed. But as we've 00:24:53.440 --> 00:24:57.460 noticed before, noted before, because we still 00:24:57.460 --> 00:25:01.940 live in the body, sin still comes knocking on 00:25:01.940 --> 00:25:07.740 the door and its desire is to enslave you, even 00:25:07.740 --> 00:25:11.859 as a Christian. That's why Paul warned the Romans 00:25:11.859 --> 00:25:15.680 in the sixth chapter of his book, don't let sin 00:25:15.680 --> 00:25:19.640 be a master over you. He wouldn't have said that 00:25:19.640 --> 00:25:22.400 unless he knew that those in the church would 00:25:22.400 --> 00:25:26.180 still wrestle against their old slave master. 00:25:26.960 --> 00:25:29.759 It's as J .C. Ryle put it all those years ago, 00:25:30.339 --> 00:25:34.319 the Christian life is a soldier's life. We battle, 00:25:34.500 --> 00:25:38.900 we fight, we wrestle against sin. Yes, we've 00:25:38.900 --> 00:25:43.900 been set free, but beware of those old ways that 00:25:43.900 --> 00:25:51.039 come to tempt and to taunt. Confession. Confession. 00:25:51.240 --> 00:25:55.059 It's not to make excuse of our sin. It's not 00:25:55.059 --> 00:25:59.559 to make light of the blood of Jesus. Just the 00:25:59.559 --> 00:26:03.759 opposite. It's to acknowledge that we still need 00:26:03.759 --> 00:26:08.940 God as we struggle and strive to follow Him on 00:26:08.940 --> 00:26:12.619 this side of eternity. Third, when we go to God 00:26:12.619 --> 00:26:15.900 in confession, it's keeping a humble attitude 00:26:15.900 --> 00:26:19.859 in admitting that we're not perfect just yet. 00:26:20.559 --> 00:26:22.779 I don't know about you church but I find that 00:26:22.779 --> 00:26:26.680 times of confession it gives me a deeper appreciation 00:26:26.680 --> 00:26:31.200 and love for what Jesus has achieved on my behalf. 00:26:31.579 --> 00:26:36.160 You see, Jesus, He never once broke the law in 00:26:36.160 --> 00:26:40.900 thought, in word or deed. Not once. He is perfect 00:26:40.900 --> 00:26:44.619 in every which way, yet He went to the cross 00:26:44.619 --> 00:26:49.059 on my behalf and took all that I deserve upon 00:26:49.059 --> 00:26:53.880 Himself. And I can't even for a day live the 00:26:53.880 --> 00:26:58.730 life that He lived. So when I go to God in confession 00:26:58.730 --> 00:27:02.269 and reflect on my day in light of my Lord's perfect 00:27:02.269 --> 00:27:06.869 life, it gives me a greater appreciation of what 00:27:06.869 --> 00:27:10.930 Jesus has achieved for you and me. But there's 00:27:10.930 --> 00:27:16.609 more. It also gives us great hope because Jesus 00:27:16.609 --> 00:27:20.150 didn't stay in the grave dead. No, he was raised 00:27:20.150 --> 00:27:24.009 victorious. And so you and I can know that there's 00:27:24.009 --> 00:27:26.930 going to come a day that because of the work 00:27:26.930 --> 00:27:30.930 of Jesus on our behalf, we too will raise from 00:27:30.930 --> 00:27:34.710 the grave and sin will be fully removed from 00:27:34.710 --> 00:27:39.289 us. We won't wrestle anymore in that sense and 00:27:39.289 --> 00:27:43.130 we'll be with our Father for all eternity. Confession, 00:27:43.130 --> 00:27:46.829 it reminds us of who Jesus is and what our Heavenly 00:27:46.829 --> 00:27:51.490 Father is conforming us into as we humbly come 00:27:51.490 --> 00:27:55.589 to him in full dependence. Fourth and finally 00:27:55.589 --> 00:27:58.789 and in somewhat connection with that last point, 00:27:59.589 --> 00:28:02.470 confession isn't just about being rescued from 00:28:02.470 --> 00:28:06.150 hell and then that's that. Now admitting when 00:28:06.150 --> 00:28:08.670 you've failed, when you've stuffed up, when you've 00:28:08.670 --> 00:28:10.950 done wickedly, when you've broken God's law, 00:28:11.029 --> 00:28:13.829 when you've quenched his Holy Spirit, when you've 00:28:13.849 --> 00:28:18.029 fallen short and forgotten Christ's amazing sacrifice 00:28:18.029 --> 00:28:22.430 yet again, that's coming to terms with how holy 00:28:22.430 --> 00:28:27.470 God is and how far we really fall short. But 00:28:27.470 --> 00:28:30.529 far from being dismayed, far from being trodden 00:28:30.529 --> 00:28:35.210 down, we should be strengthened. Church, when 00:28:35.210 --> 00:28:39.430 the Holy Spirit comes to live in us, when He's 00:28:39.430 --> 00:28:43.099 conforming us to the image of Jesus, And the 00:28:43.099 --> 00:28:46.359 promise is that He will never leave nor forsake 00:28:46.359 --> 00:28:50.059 us. Paul says it plainly, what He has begun, 00:28:50.140 --> 00:28:54.700 He will finish. And so when we go to God in confession, 00:28:55.380 --> 00:28:58.940 when we reflect on our weakness and His holiness, 00:28:59.200 --> 00:29:03.220 might we be encouraged to remember that we're 00:29:03.220 --> 00:29:06.599 not in the fight alone. He is the one doing the 00:29:06.599 --> 00:29:11.900 work, transforming us from the inside out. Yes. 00:29:12.279 --> 00:29:15.359 Absolutely, we have been forgiven already. Our 00:29:15.359 --> 00:29:19.740 debt has been paid in full. But ongoing confession 00:29:19.740 --> 00:29:23.619 of our struggles, our failures, our wickedness, 00:29:24.039 --> 00:29:28.500 our law breaking, it restores broken relationship 00:29:28.500 --> 00:29:33.099 with our Heavenly Father. It keeps entrapment 00:29:33.099 --> 00:29:37.339 of sin far away. It keeps us humble and it keeps 00:29:37.339 --> 00:29:41.700 us relying on God's grace day to day and it reminds 00:29:41.700 --> 00:29:46.319 us time and time again to look to Jesus as our 00:29:46.319 --> 00:29:51.299 only hope in life and death. It's just one last 00:29:51.299 --> 00:29:53.140 thing that I want to point your attention to 00:29:53.140 --> 00:29:56.339 here and it's John's final warning to those in 00:29:56.339 --> 00:29:59.609 the church. that claim to be perfect and not 00:29:59.609 --> 00:30:03.049 struggle with sin any longer. We read here in 00:30:03.049 --> 00:30:06.789 verse 10, if we say that we haven't sinned or 00:30:06.789 --> 00:30:10.410 we have not sinned, we make him a liar and his 00:30:10.410 --> 00:30:14.450 word is not in us. It's very simple what our 00:30:14.450 --> 00:30:18.609 apostle tells us here. If you say that you don't 00:30:18.609 --> 00:30:22.569 struggle with sin any longer, it's an assault 00:30:22.569 --> 00:30:27.819 on the truth of God. It's an assault on God's 00:30:27.819 --> 00:30:31.539 truthfulness because when one compares themselves 00:30:31.539 --> 00:30:35.960 to the life of Jesus Christ, the perfect man, 00:30:36.859 --> 00:30:40.319 the one who never once sinned and can walk away 00:30:40.319 --> 00:30:42.880 saying that they've lived up to that standard 00:30:42.880 --> 00:30:46.259 in every which way and have nothing to admit 00:30:46.259 --> 00:30:52.059 or repent or confess to a holy God. That's clear 00:30:52.059 --> 00:30:55.539 evidence that that person isn't living in the 00:30:55.539 --> 00:31:01.099 light. That person's not living in truth and 00:31:01.099 --> 00:31:06.039 still walking in darkness. Like we began, imagine 00:31:06.039 --> 00:31:09.240 for a moment that when God gave the law, that 00:31:09.240 --> 00:31:13.579 when it diagnosed you as a hopeless sinner, that 00:31:13.579 --> 00:31:17.099 when the gospel cure was held out to you, that 00:31:17.099 --> 00:31:21.819 you said, I don't believe you. I don't believe 00:31:21.819 --> 00:31:24.589 that there's anything that is true about what 00:31:24.589 --> 00:31:28.630 you've diagnosed me with. I don't need your solution." 00:31:28.630 --> 00:31:32.490 And then just walked away. Imagine the result. 00:31:34.930 --> 00:31:37.130 We don't actually have to imagine the result 00:31:37.130 --> 00:31:41.230 because the Bible says that it will be eternal 00:31:41.230 --> 00:31:46.730 ruin. It'll be hell. That's the very problem 00:31:46.730 --> 00:31:50.309 that John writes to the church to avoid when 00:31:50.309 --> 00:31:54.769 it comes to the Christian and sin. He urges us 00:31:54.769 --> 00:31:58.170 to live a life of confession and prayerful dependence 00:31:58.170 --> 00:32:01.569 on God, something that we are to continually 00:32:01.569 --> 00:32:08.490 do on this side of Kingdom Come. To cast John's 00:32:08.490 --> 00:32:14.150 diagnosis and antidote away would not be to walk 00:32:14.150 --> 00:32:18.549 in the light of the truth. It would be to remain 00:32:18.549 --> 00:32:23.690 in darkness. Church, I love how American theologian 00:32:23.690 --> 00:32:29.130 and pastor Paul Tripp puts it. Our sin is what 00:32:29.130 --> 00:32:33.410 separates us from God, but it's our self -righteousness 00:32:33.410 --> 00:32:36.750 that keeps us from running to Him to receive 00:32:36.750 --> 00:32:42.369 the grace that He willingly gives to anyone that 00:32:42.369 --> 00:32:45.750 would come to Him. It might be for the first 00:32:45.750 --> 00:32:48.829 time, it might be day by day, but the good news 00:32:48.829 --> 00:32:53.230 of the gospel is that because of God's Word, 00:32:53.670 --> 00:32:56.650 what He has promised in His Word, because of 00:32:56.650 --> 00:33:00.609 His character, because of the once and for all 00:33:00.609 --> 00:33:05.150 sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary, 00:33:05.390 --> 00:33:09.130 and because of the Holy Spirit's work, we can 00:33:09.130 --> 00:33:11.630 know beyond a shadow of a doubt that forgiveness 00:33:11.630 --> 00:33:16.720 is sure. Reconciliation is the result and relationship 00:33:16.720 --> 00:33:22.880 is the fruit. Perfection church, perfection that's 00:33:22.880 --> 00:33:26.599 something that we look forward to one day and 00:33:26.599 --> 00:33:29.539 we will have it on that blessed day but for the 00:33:29.539 --> 00:33:34.140 moment as we live in the flesh. as we live and 00:33:34.140 --> 00:33:37.940 strive in the body. Confession is a wonderful 00:33:37.940 --> 00:33:42.200 and beautiful gift of God given to His people 00:33:42.200 --> 00:33:46.059 so that we might get before Him continually to 00:33:46.059 --> 00:33:51.559 realize our need, His strength, His holiness 00:33:51.559 --> 00:33:56.480 and experience time and time and time and time 00:33:56.480 --> 00:33:59.920 and time. How many times can I say it again? 00:34:00.430 --> 00:34:04.049 His loving kindness and tender mercy towards 00:34:04.049 --> 00:34:08.889 His people. Let's pray. Father God we thank you 00:34:08.889 --> 00:34:12.190 for these words of eternal life and we began 00:34:12.190 --> 00:34:15.570 our time this morning asking that Jesus would 00:34:15.570 --> 00:34:18.650 be held to us that your spirit would work among 00:34:18.650 --> 00:34:21.889 us and Lord I just ask that as your people have 00:34:21.889 --> 00:34:26.090 heard your word that we would be encouraged to 00:34:26.090 --> 00:34:29.679 come to you. no matter what we've done, no matter 00:34:29.679 --> 00:34:32.000 what we've said, what we've thought, no matter 00:34:32.000 --> 00:34:34.760 what we've physically done with these bodies 00:34:34.760 --> 00:34:38.260 and know that because of the Lord Jesus Christ 00:34:38.260 --> 00:34:42.780 you are for us and not against us. Lord we thank 00:34:42.780 --> 00:34:45.300 you that this hasn't been made up in any which 00:34:45.300 --> 00:34:47.500 way but this is the truth that you've given to 00:34:47.500 --> 00:34:51.139 your church. Might we be a confessing people 00:34:51.139 --> 00:34:54.059 and might we experience your forgiveness and 00:34:54.059 --> 00:34:56.920 the overflow of that to those around us.