Scripture Reading 1 John 1:1-2:2

Stated Aim of the Epistle  To Declare the “Word of Life”  This “life” was with the Father  It was manifested in Christ Jesus  That we might have fellowship with God  That we might have “fulness of joy”  That you might not sin Fellowship With God

Gospel & Epistles of John Gospel Jn 10:10 20:30-31 Faith in Christ Life in ChristEpistles Life is in God Life manifested in Christ You may have fellowship with God Your joy may be full

THE WORD OF LIFE That which was from the beginning  John 1:1  Gen 1:1f “and God said…” “was manifest” Jn 1:14 the word became flesh  Heard  Seen with our eyes, looked upon  Handled

Why So Emphatic? Philosophers denied humanity of Jesus Gnosticism: “all flesh is wicked”  Therefore Jesus could not have been real Philosophy of sin based on fallacy  All flesh is wicked  Man “must” sin, is not accountable for it  Can fellowship God while committing sin

Basis of True Fellowship Certainly not while living in sin 1 Pet  1 Jn 1:6 – not walking in darkness  Col 3:5-9 – not in the “old man” of sin  “walk in darkness” is a life of sin v 7  “aim and purpose of one’s life”  Continual and repeated sinfulness Why? “God is light”

Fellowship Based on God’s Character God’s character is holy 1 Pet 1:15  “Fellowship” – “sharing in common”  But “in him is no darkness at all”  Thus, no sin in God’s fellowship  Note difference “walking in darkness”  Gal 6:1 “being overtaken” – an aberration “Sin not unto death” 1 Jn 5:16-18

Unity in Diversity is New Gnosticism Gnosticism: We can sin while in fellowship with God! Unity in Diversity: We can sin while in fellowship with God: “ The present frontier is the frontier of a grace-based fellowship with all our brothers and sisters in Christ. A truth began to dawn on us in the 1960’s and 70’s and increasingly through the 1980’s. That truth is that God’s grace extends not only to our moral imperfections but also to our doctrinal short- comings” (Gary Person, Image Magazine, Sept/Oct, 1993, p. 32)

Can We Tolerate Sin? Unity in Diversity “…tolerates contradictory teachings and practices on important moral and doctrinal questions.” (Ed Harrell, “The Bounds of Christian Unity,” May 1990, 134) “In Rome, the fellow who thought it was a sin to eat any kind of meat would have thought you sinned if you ate a piece of meat. And yet Paul taught them that they should accept one another” Bob Owen, “We Differ, Can We Fellowship?” Concord, NC, Feb 19, 1995)

Can We Tolerate Sin? Eph 5:11 “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose (reprove) them.” Rom 6:1 “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? God forbid (Certainly not). How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?” 6:15 “What then? Shall we sin because we are under grace? God forbid (Certainly not).”

To Have Fellowship With God “Walk in the light” What does this mean? 2:3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14 If so, the blood cleanses us v. 7 Unconditional cleansing? No! Conditioned upon confession of our sins v 9 Christians are not in fellowship with God because of perfection, but because of forgiveness through the redemption of Christ’s blood.