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- Preaching the Living WORD through
the Written WORD - 2 Tim 4;:2 - |
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“CONDITIONS
OF FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD” (1
John 1:5-10) Grace
Bible Church, Gillette, Wyoming Pastor Daryl
Hilbert B. Conditions of
Fellowship with God (1:5-10) 1. Understand
that God is Light: (5) a) John
states his major premise in regard to having fellowship with God. b) It revolves around the message that he
heard (perf ind - akouō,
indicates its lasting effects) from Christ. c) Now John is announcing this message to
his readers. The message is, “God is Light.” (1) Not
only is “light” (phṓs, Eng. “photo” etc.) a theme of his epistle
(6 times -1:5, 7; 2:8, 9, 10) but also of his gospel (23 times - 1:4f, 7ff;
3:19ff; 5:35; 8:12; 9:5; 11:9f; 12:35f, 46). Light is a universal symbol for
spiritual, intellectual, and moral purity and enlightenment. (2) In reference to God as Light, it denotes
that God is infinite in His holiness (Psa 99:9; Isa 6:3 cp. Rev 4:8; 1Pe
1:16) and perfect in His righteousness (Deu 32:4; Psa 11:7; Psa 119:142). (3) In God’s infinite holiness, there is “no
darkness at all.” There is no sin in God nor can there be (Psa 5:4; Hab 1:13;
Jam 1:13). (4) Note that God is not “a” light among other
lights, but He is “the” light. He is the only source of holiness, purity,
righteousness, and illumination, and those who fellowship with Him must walk
in His light. 2. Habitually
Walk in God’s Light (6-7) a) In
1:6, John begins with first of many conditional clauses. The word “if”
indicates a condition. It is the Greek word eàn and shows that
it is a third class condition. It is used some 22 times (1 John 1:6, 7, 8, 9,
10; 2:1, 3, 15, 24, 28; 3:2, 20, 21, 22, ; 4:12, 15, 20; 5:14, 15, 16) in
this epistle. b) At this point, the epistle becomes an
interpretative challenge. How strong are these conditions and to whom are
they written? (1) Sometimes
a third class condition shows a more probable future, a hypothetical, or a
present general condition (If p, then q, p\q, a
modus ponens logical connection). It is the latter that is likely the context of 1 John. That
being the case, the conditions are to be taken literally with full force. If
someone claims to have fellowship with God but is walking in darkness, they
are lying (fr pseudomai to
lie or be false) about
actually having fellowship with God (1:6). Since John’s concept of
“fellowship” (koinonía) includes the assumption of having a
relationship with the Father through the Son, cp. 1:1-3), such a person’s
relationship with God is in question. (2) The “we” is difficult because it usually
encompasses believers (1Jo 2:1, 12, 28; 1Jo 3:1). However, according to Dan
Wallace in Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics, The
subjunctive [mood] is thus used because of the implicit uncertainty as to who
is included in the we. (3) At
one point, false teachers were in the midst of the church to which John was writing
(cp. 1Jo 2:19). The “we” carries the idea and is synonymous with the phrase,
“the one who…” (1 John 2:4, 6, 9ff, 17, 22f; 3:7f, 10, 24; 4:8, 16, 18, 20f;
5:5f, 10). The “we” is broad enough to include these false teachers and any
who would have followed their teaching. In spite
of their claims to enlightenment and although the false teachers may have
claimed fellowship with Christ, their walking in darkness refuted such
claims, and consequently, demonstrated their lack of genuine salvation. The
reference to “lie” in v. 6b refers to the claim of fellowship in v. 6a. (MacArthur, “MacArthur Study Bible”) (4) Church
history tells of Ebionites, Pre-Gnostics, and false teachers like Cerinthus.
They claimed to have a high degree of knowledge and an intimate communion
with God yet disregarded God’s truth. The Gnostics, against
whose errors it is supposed this epistle was written, were great pretenders
to knowledge, to the highest degrees of the Divine illumination, and the
nearest communion with the fountain of holiness, while their manners were
excessively corrupt. (Clarke, Clarke’s
Commentary The New Testament, Vol 8 in loc.) (5) John
uses the present tense for “walking” indicating a continual and habitual
lifestyle. John would not be speaking about the true believer who attempts to
walk in the light but from time to time has to confess sin. However, someone
who continually and habitually walks in darkness does not truly have a
relationship or fellowship with the Father. (6) One who claims to have fellowship but walks
in darkness is not only telling a lie, but is continually not practicing (pres
tense) the truth (alętheia -
Classical - true state of affairs, Koine - God’s ways and precepts). c) 1:7
is the contrast to walking in darkness (1:6). The conditions for walking in
the light are to walk in the light of God’s Light (His holy character and
righteous truth). (1) This
does not suggest that a genuine believer is sinless, but that he confesses
his sin when exposed to God’s holiness. (2) Such a one has true fellowship with the
Father and the Son. 3. Confess
Sin When Exposed to God’s Light (8-10) a) In
1:8 John uses another present general condition in regard to those claiming
that man does not have a sin nature (lit. “sin we do not have”). (1) The
first assertion is that such a person is obviously lying and is not
truthfully looking at himself. (2) The second assertion is that obviously the
truth is not in such a person. The Scriptures teach that man has a sinful
nature and is totally depraved (Rom 3:10-18; Gal 5:19-21). (3) The final implication is that if someone
says they do not have a sin nature, then there is no need of a Savior (Mar
2:17 cp. Rom 5:8). b) On
the other hand, when a genuine believer has a fellowship with God, sin will
be exposed by God’s light. When sin is exposed, the genuine believer
confesses it to God (1:9). (1) To
“confess” (homologéō,
homo - same, legō - to speak or say) our sin is to say the same thing and agree with God
concerning our sin. It is the opposite of saying we do not have sin. (2) The believer can rely on God’s faithfulness
for the assurance of forgiveness and cleansing. c) Apparently,
the false teachers were also claiming that they were sinless and have not
sinned (1:10). (1) John’s
logical conclusion is that the false teachers were in essence calling God a
liar. (2) Cerinthus maintained that Jesus was a mere
man conceived by Joseph and Mary and that the spirit of Christ descended upon
him at his baptism, but departed prior to his death. Therefore, a mere man died
on the cross because there was no need for the atonement of sin. (3) God claims in His Word that the whole world
is under sin (Rom 3:9, 19; Gal 3:22). Therefore, the Word was not in these
individuals and it is obvious that they were not genuine believers. 4. Applications a) Do
not presume that everyone who professes to be a believer is a genuine
believer (Mat 13:24-30; Rom 11:22; Col 1:23). b) There is a biblical implication, which expects
a genuine believer to practice the truth. Such practice is proof of a genuine
salvation. c) The biblical mentality of a genuine
believer is not one who is perfect and sinless, but one who walks in the
light and confesses their sin when exposed to the light. d) 1Jo 1:8-10 also refutes Perfectionism,
which holds that a believer can live without sin (other references - 1Jo 2:1,
Phil 3:12; Rom 7:15-25). |
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