The Deception of Sin and The Truth of Redemption

Photo: "Antelope Canyon, Arizona", by Lucas Loffler (PD)

What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have observed and have touched with our hands, concerning the Word of life— that life was revealed, and we have seen it and we testify and declare to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us— what we have seen and heard we also declare to you, so that you may have fellowship along with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.

We are writing these things (to you) so that our (your) joy may be complete.

Now this is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is light, and there is absolutely no darkness in Him. 

If we say, “We have fellowship with Him,” yet we walk in darkness, we are lying and are not practicing (not living according to) the truth. 

But if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. 

If we say, “We have no sin,” we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 

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

If we say, “We don’t have any sin,” we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

My little children, I am writing you these things so that you may not sin. 

But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ the Righteous One.  

He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not only for ours, but also for those of the whole world.

-1 John 1:1-2:2 (HCSB)

The message that John opens his letter with, is that Jesus Christ came, for real.

He really came and he really lived out his life in full humanity.

John saw him, heard him, and touched him.  It was all real.  He really came to earth and he really can deal with everything in our lives on earth.  He really invites us into fellowship, which is communion, joint participation, sharing, and intimacy(1).


Here is a break-down of what John writes; in his very dense, first sentence, of his open letter:

What was from the beginning,

• what we have heard, 
• what we have seen with our eyes, 
• what we have observed  
• And have touched with our hands, 

Concerning the Word of life— That life was revealed,

• And we have seen it and we testify and declare to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us— 

What we have seen and heard: We also declare to you,

• So that you may have fellowship along with us; 
• And indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. 

-1 John 1:1-3

It is incorrect to say that Jesus Christ's humanity was not real.  His humanity was completely real.

Those who believe that his humanity was not real, carry that thought forward, to believe that our humanity does not matter.

And so, they do not believe that Jesus redeemed our humanity.

It takes faith to believe that Jesus is Lord and Christ.  Philosophy or religion that tries to explain and commandeer Christianity has no place for Jesus' full diety and full humanity.

The virgin birth and Christ's preexistence make no sense to the human mind.

If he was fully God and fully man, he can fully redeem mankind, so that we can live godly lives today, on earth, before we get to heaven.

And this is the introduction or backdrop to John's first epistle: The diety and humanity of Christ, who brings redemption to humankind.  And what does he redeem us from?  He redeems us from sin.

Jesus Christ the Righteous One.
He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not only for ours, but also for those of the whole world. -1 John 2:1f-2

To say that "Sin does not matter", or, "I have no sin", or, "There is no sin", is to deny why Christ came or what he is powerful to do  And that denial is deception.

You are deceived, if you say these things.

Sin has been an issue since the very beginning.

And the Devil's work, and those on his team, has always been to get people to sin and get wrapped up in the bondage of sin, until a people's lives are garbage heaps of sins.  These are habitations of demons, who find a places in our lives, to hang onto: infecting and dis-easing.

The snake wants people to not believe in sin or to re-frame sin as something other than sin, so that their lives, the lives of sinners, are delusional, deceived, and as far from God as possible.

If sin is real, but you don't want to deal with it's reality or it's absolvement, you must come up with some rationales.  That is what people do.

Oddly enough, people deny sin, even in the church.  There are Christians who walk in and encourage one another in a life-style of sin-denial.

The idea of sin as, "so passe", was prevalent in early times and still is now.  I got the idea that John gives three antithesis' and corrects each one, from FF Bruce's book on John's Epistles:


Antitheses (deception):

1. If we say, “We have fellowship with Him,” yet we walk in darkness, we are lying and are not practicing (not living according to) the truth. 
2. If we say, “We have no sin,” we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 
3. If we say, “We don’t have any sin,” we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

Thesis (truth):

1. But if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. 
2. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 
3. My little children, I am writing you these things so that you may not sin.  But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ the Righteous One.  He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not only for ours, but also for those of the whole world.

Application:

1. Walking with Christ and together with those in Christ is walking in the light of truth and a cross-walk.  His light exposes sin and his blood cleanses it.  If you say you are a Christian, but walk in darkness, you are simply lying. Get past your self-deception and come into the light and be cleansed. You can not walk in darkness, but claim to be walking in the light. Sin has been dealt with, but we continue to process it, being sanctified, as we walk on. To walk with Christ (to be a Christian) is to walk in the light, have fellowship (experience gracious relational love) and to be saaaaaaaaaved - salvation is an experience and a process called sanctification.
   It's not a "two-parter", but called being a disciple, where Jesus trains us to be like him.
2. We don't want to be "in denial" about our sin.  Becoming Christlike is a life-long process.  We may stumble and fall forward, but we persevere, having our lives restored, that were crashed and wrecked by sin.  Confession is not something just for the Catholics or in fictional stories.  Even priests need confession.  We can confess our sin, if and when we sin, no matter how big or small the sin is.  It is humbling to confess, but God gives grace to the humbled.  What you don't confess, does not get redeemed, healed, and forgiven.  To not confess, if you sin, opens the door to pride and deception.  The core of pride is the deception that you are better than others and don't need God.  Don't be deceived, but walk with Jesus in truth.
3. We don't want to be in denial or deception about sin and the need to take it to Christ.  We also don't want to say, "Go ahead and sin, because there is always forgiveness".  Sin is destructive, self-destructive and hurtful to all those around us.  Sin grieves God (Eph. 4:30).  But, if we do sin, Jesus is our intercessor and has our sin covered.  He, our Lord, is the Righteous One, Messiah.  He is Lord and Savior.  He is King and the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29).  He is the Redeemer (Job 19:25, Matt. 1:21, Lk. 1:68, Rom. 3:23-4, 1 Cor. 1:30).  The core of Christianity is walking with the Redeemer.  I have been redeemed, am being redeemed, and talk about his redemption.  His revelation is that He is the King who redeems and makes us into his missionaries, who are his children and ambassadors.

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1. Koinonia, from Wikipedia