The Confessing Community Overcomes Darkness

Sermon on 1 John 1:5-2:2

Readings:
1. Gary M. Burge, The NIV Application Commentary: The Letters of John (Zondervan, 1996).
2. Marianne Meye Thompson, The IVP New Testament Commentary Series: 1-3 John (IVP, 1992).
3. Tom Wright, Evil and the Justice of God (IVP: 2006)

Since inception, the Church is by nature confessing. To confess is to affirm and proclaim one’s beliefs. To confess is also to acknowledge one’s shortcomings, admit one’s errors.

The Church has been entrusted with God’s Truth. On one hand the church must continually affirm and proclaim God’s work – what God has accomplished in human history and what He continues to accomplish in our present lives. On the other hand, as church we continually acknowledge the reality of our state – that without God we completely lost and hopeless, living in deception and futility.

The man who wrote First John was one of Jesus’ closest disciples. John was firsthand eye-witness to all that Jesus taught and did. He passionately testified his experience to others so that they too might know God and God’s salvation. By the time John wrote this letter, he was an old man. Through his evangelism effort, he had established a number of Christian communities in some major towns. What prompted John to write this letter now? His churches were facing internal problems that threaten to split the church. The problem resulted due to a wrong understanding of sin and evil – how God deals with it and expects us to deal with it. The erroneous beliefs have serious repercussions for personal and community life. What about you? Do you take sin seriously?

God is Light

John begins by affirming the community’s claim: God is light. This is not innovative or exclusive to Christianity. You talk to adherents of other religions ancient and present and no one would dispute the declaration that “God is light”. But what “God is light” might mean and imply can vary a great deal amongst different groups.

The deviators from John’s churches affirmed “God is light” but derived way-off theological conclusions and life applications from what John preached. Are we not more or less the same today? Many people and communities today also declare “Jesus is Lord”, but manifest totally different life practices and convictions.

1. We have no sin

First, these opponents that they are without sin (v8, v10). In contemporary language, they are saying, “We’re ok, we’ve no problem. Sin is no big deal.”

Evidently, like us, John’s communities were challenged by the prevailing cultures they lived in. live in. There was a certain cult group known as Gnosticism that has been around before Christianity. Gnostics mean those who know. These proponents claim that matters pertaining to God are secret knowledge – “highly confidential”. Only selective people are elected by God to possess and comprehend such profound divine revelation. These so-called spiritual elites receive special enlightenment. They are in the light while everyone else is ignorant and still in darkness.

How did this line of thought influence Christians of that time? When the people embraced the Gospel, they also received the Holy Spirit. Believers began to manifest differing spiritual experiences. They spoke in tongues, prophesized powerfully; others had miraculous gifts such as healing. This is indeed a wonderful thing for the community. Unfortunately, some believers – being ungrounded God’s truth – confused and mixed-up their spiritual experiences with Gnosticism. They assert that they have special union (fellowship) with God that other believers don’t share. Through such special union with God, they become like God. They have attained a state of perfect righteousness won’t sin anymore. Their validate such atrocious claims by their unique mystical experiences.

Such theology sounds quite similar to Christianity, doesn’t it? It also talks about election of believers, union with God, cleansing of sin etc. However, in reality these are twisted claims and deceptively dangerous. In the first place it denies the need and significance of Jesus’ work. If, through unique mystical experiences alone we can gain access to God and become holy, why else does the world still need Jesus? Italso denies our need for God’s continual mercy; it denies the necessity of confession and repentance on our part.

2. Spiritual Elitism

A second derivative of erroneous theology: these people feel they are superior – spiritually, intellectually and morally. They are always right, infallible, while others are wrong. They are more spiritually gifted and should have the final say in everything. They practice elitism; form little enclosed discussion groups that ostracized those who don’t share their viewpoints. Indeed, even amongst churches today, there are people who don’t believe they might need to learn from others’ experiences. The reality is pride leads only to blindness. It also destroys genuine Christian fellowship.

3. Complacency about Sin

Third, these deviators compartmentalize belief and practice. They become complacent about sin. They are unconcerned about ethics and live life carelessly. Again we sense socio-cultural influence behind this. Ancient Greek philosophy is dualistic. The world is divided into two mutually exclusive realities – spirit and matter. These two don’t overlap or influence each other. God belongs to the spiritual dimension and is totally detached from our physical world. To pursue God, just focus on the human soul. What we do with our physical bodies, our day-to-day choices and conduct, doesn’t matter.

Christians taken in by such propositions would be happy to focus only on “salvation of the soul” and neglect responsibilities for one’s behavior. Some even claim: since we are already saved and our souls secured in eternity, let’s just eat, drink and be merry. Live without restraint. As if our conduct won’t jeopardize our relationship with God. As if our actions won’t have any lasting impact and significance.

Today, some of us think that as long as we have recited the Christian creeds and are baptized, we are ok. We attend Sunday service and partake Holy Communion every week. But we make no adjustments to our daily lives accordingly. We are still unmerciful, unfaithful, quarrelsome. We hate, we lie. We cling on to anger, bitterness, jealously; put the interests of self above others.

John refutes all the above claims as untrue. They are not God’s truths.

1. Truth as both belief and practice

Contrary to Greek dualism, the Bible reveals that no such division between spirit and matter exists. The ancient Hebrews have no such problems. All along they held fast to the biblical view of man as total whole – not composition of unrelated body and soul. Far from being detached, God cares passionately about the world He has created; as evidenced by how deeply he involves himself in our affairs.

John emphasizes that Truth is both belief and practice. Right theology and correct living go hand in hand. Truth is not merely something that takes place in the mind only. It must result in changed living. What is preached is validated by what is lived. The Old Testament’s way of putting it is “walk”. To walk and live the Truth.

A useful image is a circle of light formed by a spotlight. At once the darkness around it becomes prominent! The circle of light creates a boundary that includes and excludes. By the illumination of Holy Spirit, we know what actions and behaviors belong to God and what don’t. How we choose to move on is our choice and personal responsibility.

John says, if we stubbornly ignore God’s promptings, if we continue to rationalize and excuse our dark ways, we are living a lie. Not only do we delude others and ourselves, we make God a liar by mis-representing his truths. Throughout the New Testament we’re constantly warned that the choices we make in this life, especially the choices about what sort of persons we might become, are real and have lasting consequences which God himself will honor.

2. Sin and Confession

The Bible reveals to us another reality of human nature: inherent sinfulness. Rebellion against God has been the universal human experience since Creation. We can’t deny or ignore this.

Some time ago a brother came to me, greatly bothered. Pastor, I’ve accepted Jesus as my Savior; I am baptized. How come unworthy and blasphemous thoughts still appear in my mind? Is Jesus’ cleansing not effective or not enough? How then to face the unrelenting struggle against sin and evil?

Friends, becoming a Christian doesn’t mean we won’t sin anymore. As long as we are in the world, we will be subjected to sin and its dark powers. Regardless whether we are Christians, new believers or mature religious leaders are. Sin is comprehensive; evil is a present reality. God wants us to take this seriously.

You see, there will always be forces that oppose God and hinder us from drawing close to God. Whenever we move toward God, there will simultaneously be an inherent compulsion to move away from God and disobey Him. John calls this darkness or evil. It is a reality that not only resides within us, but also external to and beyond us. Almost as if there are two opposing forces each making their claims upon us – God/Light verses anti-God/Darkness.

Before being enlightened, we may not have awareness of God or realize the possibility of a different kind of lifestyle that leads to God. With illumination, everything becomes clearer. This may imply easier decisions since we now know what God requires of us. It may also imply greater difficulty because we are reluctant to forego the ways of darkness that we have gotten used to. For people in prolonged darkness, initial exposure to light is glaringly uncomfortable. No one instinctively welcomes light.

“God is light.” Sometimes people doubt and ask: does God really exist? I can’t see Him. Well, can you see the look directly into the sun at bright noonday and see the sun? We don’t. But the fact that we can see the surroundings is evidence of sunlight and its presence.

Confession

As we draw nearer to God, what we inevitably see is our glaring imperfections, greatly in need of God’s mercy and transformation. We soon realize the only recourse on our part is confession and repentance. No wonder a pastor once remarked that “confession is the Christian’s reflex.”

Unfortunately, there are people who become excessively burdened by guilt. They are unable to forgive themselves. Each time they stumble they become more increasingly discouraged, until they give up on themselves and their situation.

John show us a way God has given us. When God warns us to take sin seriously, He also gives us the gift of confession. V9: If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

God offers us forgiveness. But forgiveness is not the same as tolerance or indifference. To deal seriously with sin, evil must be named and confronted. When we confess, we identify our evil deeds for what they are. We shame it. Without this there is nothing to forgive.

John doesn’t elaborate what happens when individuals and communities don’t practice confession. We are left to wonder, would we in some way hinder Christ’s atonement work when we stubbornly reject our need of God? v10 says we make God a liar and God’s word/promise is not actualized in us. We forfeit a God-given opportunity to experience God’s grace and mercy.

Christians throughout centuries have practiced confession. In our Sunday worship liturgy, time is set aside for confession. We deliberately set aside time and space to allow the Holy Spirit to search our hearts, to reveal in what ways we’ve done sinful, hurtful and damaging things to other people, to ourselves and to God the past week. You need to recognize and accept the person that you are. Only then can you move on to forgive yourself even as God has forgiven you.

Why do I dare to confess to God? Am I not afraid of God’s righteous wrath and punishment? Our confidence and assurance lies in Christ. 2:1-2 says that Jesus – the only righteous one without sin – is our advocate. He has paid the penalty of sin on behalf of all humanity. With such conviction, I dare to approach God in faith to seek forgiveness.

Confession should not merely be a once-a-week Sunday practice. It should be a spiritual discipline that we do regularly and naturally. Confession is on-going because our struggle with sin is on-going.

I know of Christian believers who make private confessions several times a week. Some believers confess to their priests or pastors. In the name of Christ, these ministers of the sacred office offer absolution. For us, we believe that even lay people can minister as priests for one another. Christ being our one and only great high priest. We can therefore confess to fellow members within God’s family.

For myself, I have spiritual partners. These are people who hold me accountable for my conduct. I tell them about my weakness. Whenever I am about to face situations that will severely test my love and holiness, I let them know. Whenever I stumble, I confess to them. Together we discuss how to make practical amends for my wrongs. Friends, we are a community for one another, not merely a social club. We uphold and spur each other to walk the ways of God. I pray that you find suitable spiritual partners in your family, cell groups or mentors. Together as a community of believers, we face our personal struggles and be victorious over sin.

3. Community Life

Finally, John talks about community life. He show us that our spiritual integrity is interconnected with the quality of communities that we create. V6 -7: those who have fellowship with God,.. have genuine fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus will cleanse us from every sin.

The Christian community is predicated in God’s forgiveness. The Bible reveals that God’s way of dealing with evil is through forgiveness and restorative justice. A person who receives unwarranted mercy learns to extend mercy to others. A forgiven community must seek to offer forgiveness and acceptance to others. The Bible reveals a further fact about human nature: the capacity that we have for receiving forgiveness and the capacity we have for granting forgiveness are one and the same thing. When we open one avenue, we open the other. If we slam the door to one, we slam to the door to the other. If you’re the sort of person who keeps scores against a neighbor over every small thing, who keeps others in you anger until you’ve savored every revenge, then you are the sort of person who will be incapable of opening your heart to receive God’s generous forgiveness.

What should characterize Christian communities? Compassion, forbearance, service, humility and unity. Not arrogance, not elite groups that fractures the community. The promise of God is that when we practice such community living, we will experience his mercy, healing and restoration.

Let me conclude.

Surely today’s Christian communities are no better or worse than the early churches two thousand years ago. We are humans. We all share the inherent nature of sinfulness. We still struggle with dark evil forces that oppose God in every way. Today’s churches still face problems of internal fights, the challenge of integrating old and new religious philosophical propositions, and interpreting mystical experiences. All these require critical thinking and demand us to make sound theological assessments. Are we well equipped in God’s Truth? Only then will we be God’s true witnesses, personally and corporately.

May God help and bless us. Amen.