Well, as you know, we have paused from our study in the book of Hebrews, and over the summer we'll be looking at a few different passages, and this morning I invite you to turn to the book of 1 John, 1 John, page 1210 in the Bibles that are in front of you. I know Dr. Godfrey had a very helpful sermon on repentance last week, and hopefully this will complement that as we look at what i've titled the message a look at a true christian and we'll be looking at first john 1 beginning at verse 5 and through 2 2 this is the word of the lord let's give our attention to it this is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you that god is light and in him is no darkness at all if we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness we lie and do not practice the truth but if we walk in the light as he is in the light we have fellowship with one another in the blood of jesus his son cleanses us from all sin if we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us if we confess our sins he's faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar and his word is not in us. My little children, I'm writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, not only for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. And there we'll end the reading of God's Word. What I want to do with you this morning is look carefully at the character of a true Christian with the goal of encouraging you to enjoy what it means to walk in the light. And I want to emphasize enjoy because this is a good path that is held out for us here that is meant to encourage us and to help us. It's a big concept in the Scriptures that is intended to help us when it makes this contrast of white and darkness to help us with what it means to be a Christian in this world. What is a true Christian? That's a very important question in our day. I wrote this sermon far before what happened this week with the Supreme Court ruling. But I see, as I look at the providence of this, I see how important it is for this moment because it would be really easy in light of the big sins of the culture and to look at the sins of the culture and not turn to us. That would be a grave mistake, to not turn to us and to consider how the Scriptures are speaking to us as the covenant people of God about this great issue of sin. No one in this life is without sin. And sin is a big problem. It's the great question, though, of whether you see that. Whether you see that. And the scriptures are very clear that some men's sins perceive themselves are openly evident. They're revealed in this life. You see God uncovering sin all the time. And then some men's sins are going to be revealed on the last day in judgment. So there's nobody escaping the problem of sin. As the scriptures say, be sure your sin will find you out. The question is really big in light of 1 John that John has on his mind and that John is thinking about is, are we hiding sin? What are we doing with sin? Are we playing games with sin? It's a big concern for him in this book. So that's what this first section here of 1 John is intended to accomplish. It's really providing a kind of anatomy of two very different kinds of, and notice this, we're not really looking out into the world right now. It's providing a sort of anatomy of two very different kinds of professing people who say that they're Christians, who say that they walk with God. But he's going to unpack and explain the very different paths that one can take in that profession. And in this diagnosis that John is giving, he wants to ensure, and there's a good goal in this, he wants to ensure that all of those to whom he is writing would not be maintaining a false profession. That's his great goal here, that Christians would take sin seriously themselves and embrace the remedy that God has made. You'll see that's interwoven throughout this whole section numerous times, to embrace the remedy that God has made and given. So what John is doing in this first section is providing a great contrast between light and darkness, the concepts of light and darkness, showing us what it means to walk in the light and what it means to walk in the darkness. With a great question that is really embedded in this little pericopean section of the scriptures, what path am I on? Am I walking in the light or am I walking in the darkness? And again, this comes with the great goal that we would be children of God who appreciate the light, who love the light, who walk in the light, and who enjoy the light. It's a happy way. It's a good way. It's the right way. And that's what we're exploring a little bit this morning. The great question, what does it mean to walk in the light? What does that look like? Why is this such a big theme and to have it be somewhat evaluative of where we are? John is answering the question by outlining two very different paths. So we're evaluating this this morning, if you're taking notes, by looking at what the light is and how we walk in that light and with the great end goal of helping those to be assured that they're in the light. John was writing to a specific group of early believers. we know that all kinds of concerns are in this book about apostasy and about wrong doctrines of Jesus. We know that there were some teaching that Jesus only appeared to be a human and there was no incarnation. It seems that he's dealing with serious sin in the life of the church that had led to serious doctrinal error. And that's where he begins with this overarching concern that christians would would would take the problem of sin seriously so what he first does is is really kind of move to one of the great attributes and and the nature of god the essence and to describe who god is and you'll notice that in verse five this is the message we have heard from him and declare to you that God is light and that in him is no darkness at all it's a profound statement it's a jolting statement he's working with something that Jesus was said of Jesus in John's gospel all these themes John is somewhat resurrecting from the gospel of John and you remember what was said of Jesus in him was life and the life was the light of men speaking of Jesus himself the light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it the true light this is the true light which gives light to everyone was coming into the world now immediately what he's doing is having us think a lot about god and his glory and his attributes and his purity and his radiance and his holiness his ethical quality too of that he is light and that in him there is no darkness it absolutely cannot come into his presence this is why paul would would say he is the one who dwells in unapproachable light and you'll remember in Isaiah 6 when Isaiah just had a little bit of glimmerings of that light in the temple the first thing he did was fall and cover himself that light was breaking him up it was consuming him it was radiation and that's what was happening to Isaiah in Isaiah chapter 6 So John sets before us this great truth that in him there is no darkness, as if to say darkness can't be in his presence. It cannot happen. And God, who is not only light, but is in his very essence is light. Anything that is darkness that cannot stand before him. That's a big problem for humanity. That's a big problem for humanity. This is the very truth that those to whom John was writing were not taking seriously. And you see how this would just apply to today, how casually we take God and treat God as if he doesn't take sin seriously at all. I mean, the mantra of our whole society is God just wants me to be happy and God wants me to do whatever I want to do and God doesn't judge. That's a deadly, eternal mistake. But John is saying there's a provision for this. It's a huge point he's making that this is the only true light that has come into this world. Jesus is the only light. He is the only light that walked on this earth. The whole world lives in complete darkness. Their minds and their hearts are blinded by the light. I think that's even a song. I think that's why it came into my head right now. And I think what John is impressing upon us is that this light continues to shine in the world right now. This light continues to shine. The darkness cannot take it away. But it's a world that does everything it can to exclude and put out this light. That is the course of this world. That is the agenda of the world against the light. everything about the light is hated in the world and the world does everything it can to stay away from this light to put out this light to fight against this light and to drag you into its darkness now remember Jesus said this in John and this is the condemnation that light has come into the world and men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil for everyone practicing evil hates the light, and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen that they have been done in God. And right there, there's the division of humanity. There's a great problem. Notice what he said. There's a division. All of humanity in general loves darkness. And that is why Jesus said people by and large refuse to come to the light because what does light do in someone's life it exposes it exposes what they're doing in life it exposes what they're hiding and they don't want that that's why the churches by and large are empty in the country this very reason it's because no one wants to be pressed with the light and come into the light and this is the big issue that john is addressing the present state of the world jesus is the only light that god has sent and jesus says something fascinating that those who are of the truth though now let notice the division come to the light for what great reason that their deeds may be clearly seen in him what is that what are the deeds he's talking about what is he what is he describing here so so that so far we have two pathways he's outlined one is to stay as far away from the light as possible and and and stay away from having any exposure in their life that's why coming to church brings that exposure and i always think the great evidence of this was simply the woman at the well when jesus was the light who walked and found her what happened the minute jesus came into contact with the woman at the well great exposure remember what he said go call your husband i don't have a husband you ever dealt with anyone like that i'm not doing anything wrong well you say right you've had no husband you've had five husbands and the one you now have is not your husband i know what you're doing she was mind blown and she went around and said come meet a man who told me everything i've ever done. It was the light. That light exposed. And Jesus sees everything we've ever done. Jesus knows what we're doing right now. That overwhelmed her. Well, this is where John is. John is concerned here because there's professing Christians to whom he's writing who are running away from the exposure. And at this point, what John does is describe for them those who are truly coming to the light? What does that look like? And how do we know? A false profession in God's eyes easily can be seen and determined, and it's not that hard to figure out. It all has to do with how you are responding to exposure of sin in your life. That is the issue. And this applies just as much to me. I just want you all to know, I always say the pastor has to preach these things to himself first that's why ministers are trained that way that's that's what makes for a good sermon because we all know how weak we are saying one one is a christian means little the devils believe in god and shudder they've got some kind of profession it all matters until you can answer the question as to how you are responding to the claim of the one who came into this world who is the only true light so john helps us with that i mean that's why i love this passage it's it's really an immensely helpful passage to determine and answer this very crucial question that has been wrestled with throughout history look carefully at verse six if we say we have fellowship with him and while with him while we walk in darkness we lie and do not practice the truth now this is important there's three if we say's here so you know we're looking at the community we're looking at professions and he's saying if we say this and then we do this we're not practicing the truth The crucial point here is that this word for walk in the darkness means a habitual action. A present active. So what that means is it's a consistent pattern of sin that somebody has decided to live in against what God has revealed in his word, in his law. Not everyone has sin in their lives. There's nobody's perfect here. We're not perfectionists. I mean, that's not where this sermon's going. don't worry. But notice the emphasis. There are people who say they know God, but in their lives there's a consistent living in sin, is what he's describing. I had a family member years ago who asked me to do their wedding, and they wanted a Christian wedding. And they were living together for years. And every week they went to church. Now, that puts me in a little bit of a dilemma, doesn't it? So, can I stamp it as Christian that way? Marriage is a good thing. Or could they go to the justice of the peace and just get married? But they had convinced themselves that this was okay. Now, this is exactly what John's talking about. John's talking about don't be deceived, neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. He's talking about the consistent living in sin. Saying, God's okay with this. God's got me. And that's what we hear. Don't judge me. God wants me to be happy. With God, this is not unclear. It's very straightforward. He says those who live like that, notice what he says, lie. And they don't practice the truth. What does that mean? They are not being truthful with God or His Word. And they're not being truthful about their lives. With a family member, I wrote the letter. I told them I love them. I'm a sinner. But I couldn't do the wedding unless they separated and repented. And I thought that would be the last time I'd ever hear from them. And guess what they did? They repented. And they separated. And I could do the wedding. And they joined a church, a good church. this is what i appreciate about john here he's so pastoral in this he's not he's not diagnosing and leaving people under the judgment what is he doing here notice he provides immediately the the remedy to this but if we walk in the light as he is in the light we have fellowship with one another and the blood of jesus christ cleanses us from all sin it's a really fascinating twist here that i've always found quite amazing what happens when people are walking in darkness we've seen it the greatest fruit of people walking in darkness is they separate out from the fellowship they want nothing to do with the church that's the first evidence of it that's what he says here he says what you'll see is when people are walking in the darkness where there is great exposure in the church they're out they separate they're on their own they want to be individuals they don't want to be held accountable but i want you to notice here and that's it's an important sign thing to think about it's a bad sign when the fellowship is completely absent in somebody's life but notice what he says the key fruit here it's a fruit of walking in the life is a and having a conscience clean a conscience clean is that what it does is return you to the body and you enjoy fellowship with one another. These are evidences. It's really helpful. That's always the state of a healthy Christian. Enjoying the fellowship of the body. Enjoying the brothers and sisters. Enjoying those for whom God died. Sin separates. It's what it does. And I think it's helpful to ask, Am I walking in some sin to which I'm unrepentant and is the fruit of that? I really want to be separate from the body of Christ. Notice the reassurance he gives. To those who walk in the light, he says, the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sins. He wants you to know, and we're going to look at what exactly look coming to the light, walking in the light here in a second is, you receive the actual cleansing isn't that wonderful you actually are cleansed from the pollution of sin in your life christ constantly comes to us and he helps us and he washes us and then we get to live in the enjoyment of a clear conscience which is what's that worth today a clear conscience that our sins are continually washed away so that's the first if we say if someone who claims to know god but lives in unrepentant sin but notice the progression here this is what's important about john he's progressing in this it's important to say let's say someone refuses to listen he refuses to listen to the diagnosis and he goes further now in verse 8 if we say that we have no sin we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. That's a progression. One, walking in darkness, what's the first thing that happens when they're confronted with a pattern of darkness? Well, what's the first thing a parent does when they see their kid, if their parent is doing their job and they see sin in the life of their children and they come to the child and they say, listen, you're doing something wrong and we're really concerned for you, we love you. That's what a good parent should do. The bad response would be anger, denial, resentment with the perennial statement, don't judge me. Okay, that's a path. That's a path somebody's on. I'm not doing that. That's what he's talking about now. So the first, if we say, it's just living in sin and we're lying to God. Somebody comes to us and says this. The second path is, I'm not sinning right now. Don't tell me that. That's what he's saying here. That's how the verb's being used. A rolling of the eyes. There you go again. And we feel the pressure to just not say anything because you're afraid you're going to lose the relationship. At some point it's lost, so go ahead. Grandmother tells her son or grandson they should be in church. They haven't been attending for years. They get angry. I can be a Christian and not go to church. You've broken the fellowship. You can't tell me you love Jesus and not his church. Father tells his daughter she shouldn't be dating a young man because he's showing the fruits of not being a Christian. Light has no fellowship with darkness. leave me alone. I'm not sinning. I could go on and on. I'd go on and on. In the first case, you have flat-out verbal desire, denial of sin. In the second, it's a denial that I'm in sin right now. Stop it. I'm not doing what you're saying, and even though the actions demonstrate very clearly. Now, the first consequence was a lying to God, right? and the church, but now the consequence is far more serious. The person is actually now, he says, deceiving themselves. He says here, the original says, they're leading themselves astray. So if you refuse to see the sin and stop walking in it and recognize it in repentance, that means, and you refuse to do that, that means what's happening to the heart is that it's becoming hard in sin. It's becoming recalcitrant in sin. And what's sad about it is, this is what the devil does to the world. He leads multitudes astray in sin and deceives them. But what's sad about this is, somebody who knows the truth, how much worse when we lead ourselves astray. You see? I think it's one of the real blessings of reading the law of God every week, by the way. You read these ten words, and I know it's easy to let it go right over the head, But if you take it to heart and you say, Thou shall not steal. Well, really, have I been stealing from God my time, my life? Thou shall not commit adultery. Here's what strikes me about that. David could commit adultery and murder. And theft. Three big commandments. Idolatry, really. And he didn't even see it. Until Nathan came. And God sent a preacher. And the preacher told a little parable. And that parable actually got into the hard heart. And can you picture David's response? I have sinned. instead of the other choice, leave me alone. I think it was George Whitefield who said, it's a poor sermon that doesn't make the hearer either displeased with himself or with the preacher. Sometimes you're just not going to like me. And my goal is always to lead you to Jesus and to help you, but sometimes people don't like you because this is what you have to do as a preacher. You're trying to show people sin, and that's a battle. You know this as parents. It's a battle. But all we're called to do is to speak the truth. The human heart is so hard, God has to soften it. Maybe there's some here today whose heart's so hard, you can't even hear this. How often are you falling on your knees during the week and repenting when God brings to your minds a conviction of sin. Again, notice the remedy. This is so good. Notice the remedy. John has already said the blood of Jesus will cleanse you, constantly come and cleanse you and purify your consciences. And the Lord is so gracious to us. It's not like he's diagnosing again and leaving us, even in this kind of state, leaving us alone. He's pleading with us. And in verse 9, this is one of our favorite verses in the scripture. If we confess our sins, he is what? Faithful. Which means he wouldn't be faithful if he's not going to do what he's about to say. He's faithful and he's just to forgive all your sins and to cleanse you. You need a cleansing from all unrighteousness in your life. i mean it's essentially saying stop playing games with me be honest be real what god is after is not just an admittance that we're sinners most would agree with that generally but to fall on our knees and to confess our our sins to him being honest about our faults that's what god is after the sincerity of it and the beautiful remedy here is you say lord I agree this has been going on and I have sinned against you and I lay it before you and I confess it with my mouth to you and I turn and I'm not hiding this anymore I agree with you your law is good and that you're just and that this shouldn't be going on in life and so I turn with my heart to you and I ask you to cleanse me and God says I'm faithful every time he doesn't tell you to forgive 70 times 7 right which is indefinite doesn't tell you to do that because he doesn't do it that's what he does for you all the time come now let's reason together though your sins be like scarlet they shall be white as snow no matter the depth of them no matter the degree notice a way of cleansing i i know some of you especially young people today we've just got to address it they feel guilty and defiled because of the the sexual struggles in sin listen to what god's saying to you some of you right now need this confess your sins to him and he promises to pull you out of the muck you're swimming in and he'll lift you up out of the pollution of your minds and he'll clear your minds and he'll wash it away because sin has a polluting effect on you and he'll lift you up and encourage you and give you help that's not a tyrannical god so wonderful but now we come to the final the last one verse 10 if we say we've not sinned we make him a liar notice the progression And his word is not in us. That's the worst state to be. That's saying this. I've never sinned. I'm not a sinner. Don't bug me about it. I think you see it with the abortion issue. Just to apply it. Everyone wants us to believe that these are political issues today. And that's what's happened. This ultimately is not a political issue. The issue is God has said thou shall not murder. His word has said that. He is the author and giver of life. His act of giving life in the womb. What are people saying? A woman's right triumphs over the law of God? Don't be deceived on this. The response is, what we see is, that's not sin. And the really important thing to notice here, beloved, is the hardening path of sin. That's why sin, Hebrews says, is so deceitful. Heart becomes so recalcitrant at some point. This is what James describes. When sin fully grown brings forth death. It grows. It grows. That's why you don't play with it. It grows. And I think this is what John is saying later in 1 John 5. If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask and God will give him life. To those who commit sins that do not lead to death, there is a sin that leads to death. If one progresses to the point of saying, I'm not living in sin. I'm not sinning right now. I've never sinned. Leave me alone. That resembles the hardest of hearts and comes perilously close to the place of no return. That's what Romans is talking about being given over. We don't even want to go there. That's evidence, Jesus says, that the word is, Jesus kept saying this in the Gospels, my word is either in you or it's not. So in the previous two, there were remedies, right? Seven, nine were remedies. Christ has held out for the sinner, for giving. With this charge, it seems that there's this final one that doesn't seem to give it. He'll give a summary here in a minute, but that's the end of the path. And we don't want to go there. So John is helping us. And what is the goal of all this today to close? He's being realistic for us. And he's not saying here, notice, that he is light and therefore now we will no longer sin. That's not what he's saying, okay? That's really important for today. The power of the text is, the point of the text is, the way to walk in the light is to be honest and confess your sins to him. That's how you walk in the light. Because there you'll find the remedy. There you'll find something awesome. You know what it is? It's 1 John 2.1. My little children, I'm writing these things to you so that you may not sin. I don't want you to sin in your lives. But if anyone does sin, it's going to happen. We have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not only for ours, but also for the whole world. He has been made known as the answer to the whole wide world for the problem of sin. That's what the Holy Spirit's work is, to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. He has satisfied the wrath of God. His blood is sufficient. And I close with just this. Isn't walking in the light wonderful? I mean, really. Walking in darkness is ruinous to you. And we all try it. Walking in the light is wonderful because He's inviting you to come to Him. And He's inviting you, think of the little children being brought to Him who were sinners and He was handling them and forgiving and helping them. How much more will the blood of Jesus Christ through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God purify your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? That's the happy way in this world. Listen to me, that's the happy way. God does want our happiness. And this is the way. Outside of this is misery and darkness. And that's why people love it. So may we be children of the light in these days. And may we walk in the light, just as he is in the light. And enjoy our fellowship with one another. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, thank you for helping us with the problem of sin, to take it seriously. We all confess that we have been casual and played with sin and run into temptation ourselves by pursuing our own desires and wants. And every single time, it has not made good on its promise to bring happiness. It's brought guilt, defilement, pollution, and then even the hardening of the heart. The whole story of the prodigal son is all about. So, Lord, forgive us for our sins. We confess them together today. Confess, Lord, the great problem of not loving you with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and our neighbor as we should. Would you wash us and cleanse us and help us and take away the dimness and darkness of our hearts? Soften them. Give us a true heart in the inward part since you like truth in the inward man. May we be a people who love the light and walk in the light and enjoy our fellowship with our fellow believers. In Jesus' name, amen.