1 John 1:6-10

 

1 John 1:6 (KJB)

If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:

 

Do - Do practice

 

Here John begins a series of “if” statements which are designed to make a person contemplate their spiritual condition. This verse states that if a person makes the claim that they are saved, which would be a person in the light, yet exudes the life of the unbeliever, then they are still unsaved, walking in darkness, and are, in essence, lying about their relationship to God. This situation is very prevalent among the religious community, where someone may be in a church or some cult and by following all the prescribed rituals and ceremonies, may think they are saved. When someone is following a false gospel, they may put on religious airs but they are lying about their relationship to God, for it is God who does the saving on His terms and not on ours plus He does not look upon works as a valid road to salvation because we are saved only through Christ.

 

1 John 1:7 (KJB)

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

 

All - Every or each

Cleanseth - Make clean or purify

 

Here is the contrasting part of that statement. If we are truly saved, then we are able to have true fellowship or kinship with other believers. You can tell when you are speaking to a religious person because along the way in the conversation, they will bring their church or organization into it, telling you what they do and if you plain out ask them if they are saved, they will skirt the question or if they are honest, will say no and will insist they are following their church’s or organizations plans which will result in salvation. The second half of this verse is the reason that true believers can fellowship with one another and with God is that the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin, not just a part, or not just those committed in the past but every sin we have committed and will commit has been cleansed and removed. Those who are religious unbelievers may put on a pious exterior but their sin issue has not been dealt with. No amount of physical works or ceremonies can ever cleanse the soul from sin. This is something only God can do for His Elect. Works appease the flesh but keeps the soul in bondage to sin.

 

(Psa 103:12 KJV) As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.

 

(Col 2:13-14 KJV) And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; {14} Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

 

It was mandatory that the sins be removed from the soul or else if it was just atoned for, it would mean they were only covered, and that would mean the soul would still be sin infested and not ready for Heaven. The sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ has completely removed those sins and the soul is pure and readied for Heaven. That is why when a believer dies they are able to go to be with the Lord.

 

1 John 1:8 (KJB)

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

 

This verse can take on a triple meaning. The first, is there are people who totally deny that such a thing as sin exists and therefore see no need for a Savior. The second group of people are those who believe in Christian perfection. It is otherwise known as “entire sanctification.” It teaches that a person, after salvation, can go on in sanctification to the point that they are totally sinless in both flesh and soul. The flesh being cleansed is now in spiritual harmony with the clean soul and that means there will be no more sinning. The third group are Christians who deny the fact that sin still exists in their flesh or their human nature and by rejecting the idea that sin still exists in their body, when they do sin, they feel like they were never saved to begin with, thinking that salvation is all sinless or it is not salvation.

The reality is that when a person becomes saved, we have become saved in our soul and our soul is perfectly clean from sin. The flesh, was never designed to be saved or else if it were, we would have to exist eternally in that condition in which we became saved. If a person had a disease when they became saved, then if their body was saved also, then they would have to live with that disease eternally, since the body was now saved. The soul is saved by means of being regenerated and if the body was saved, then it too would have to be regenerated at the time of salvation. However, God determined that the physical bodies of the believers would go into the ground upon death and in their soul existence, would go to be with the Lord. On the last day, when the Lord returns, He will reunite the soul with a brand new body designed to be in the presence of God and not be consumed by His glory. The apostle Paul knew that there is going to be a sin struggle for the believer. (Rom 7:17 KJV) Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. Paul knew that when he sinned, it was not the regenerated Paul who sinned but the fleshly Paul where sin resides until death. (Rom 7:24 KJV) O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? This is why when we deny the fact that Christians have a struggle with sin, so many become depressed because they attach that to the belief they have never been saved. We are literally lying to ourselves. If we acknowledge the fact that sin still resides in our flesh, we can also acknowledge the fact that all the sins we will ever commit have already been paid for and removed. Therefore, the Christian need not be hindered in their Christian walk and can go on and continue to serve the Lord.

 

1 John 1:9 (KJB)

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

 

We confess - To agree, profess, acknowledge, or admit

To cleanse - To purify and cleanse us completely

 

Unfortunately this is one of the verses which has been mishandled severely by those who believe in free will. They preach that a person becomes saved by confessing their sins and in return God will forgive them. This verse is not speaking to unbelievers, it is speaking to believers.  Notice who John is speaking to when he says "we" because he is a believer and is speaking to us. Only the regenerated Christian is able to agree with the teachings of Scripture. The unregenerate have no understanding of spiritual things because they are spiritually dead, so how can they agree with God before they are regenerated? When a Christian sins, they are acknowledging the fact that they still have the sin nature dwelling in their physical body and when they verbally confess this, God forgives them because of His faithfulness. Only those who are indwelled by the Holy Spirit will be compelled to confess when a sin has taken place. In other words, the Holy Spirit is convincing us of the sin which still lies within our physical bodies. Those in Christ, have all their sins forgiven them and will be cleansed from those sins. This does not mean that if we fail to admit a sin that we will lose our salvation. It means that God may have to chastise us to get us to acknowledge the sin so we can be cognizant of it and it will not grow into something worse. The key to sin control in the life of the believer is to cut it off at the earliest stage because like leprosy it will grow. (Isa 1:18 KJV) Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. In the early stages of Leprosy there will be red patches of skin which appear on the trunk and extremities, arms and legs. If left untreated, it can spread to the rest of the body and their will be white skin associated with it. God is warning Christians that we still have to concern ourselves with the reality that the sin nature will be with us until our home going or if the Lord returns first. If we do not check our sinful actions early, we could be like the person who has leprosy, it starts out as something small like red spots but left to its own path, it will envelop the whole body and this is what God is warning us of. This is why He wants us to agree with Him that we have possess the sin nature, even though our souls are perfectly clean.

 

1 John 1:10 (KJB)

If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

 

Those who proclaim the lie that they have not sinned is making God out to be a liar. (Titus 1:2 KJV) In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began; The whole premise of salvation is based upon the fact that a person is a sinner and in need of a Savior. If a person never sinned, then they are perfect and do not need a Savior or salvation. Those who claim they are sinless, are unsaved because every real Christian will admit the struggle with sin in their life is very real. As the verse states that those who claim they have never sinned, do not have the word of God in them which ultimately means they are unsaved.

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