This Year 2011, we will make things right. We have many failures to God in the past days, past months, years, but starting today, we will change our lives and do what is right before God.
God is expecting us to perform for Him. God has called us to work for Him. God has chosen us to work in and for his Holy kingdom and for Him as our Holy God. But just imagine a person full of dirt working in a kingdom that is full of gold and diamonds. Imagine a dirty person working in a very high class restaurant. What will be your reaction? (Illustrations, like a food business did not pass the sanitary inspection)
What will be your reaction if a person full of dirt because of sin works in the kingdom of God and works for the Holy God? God will not tolerate it. But that’s the condition of man because of his sin. That is the same condition where we came from. In spite of that, still, God wants us to be with Him to be included in His family; and God wants us to be an instrument to tell the all people that He wants us all to be included in His family lists.
The Value of the Light and the Cross
Text: 1 John 1:5-10
5 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.
The Light and the Cross, how important are they?
1. The Light Exposed our Condition
a. Romans 3:10 "There is no one righteous, not even one;
b. Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
2. The Light Showed us Revelation
a. Romans 5:12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned
b. Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
c. Romans 5:8, 17-21 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
d. Romans 5:17-21 For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous. The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
3. The Light Brought Us to Confession
a. Romans 10:9-10 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.
b. Romans 4:4-5 Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness
4. The Cross Rescued us from the Imprisonment of Sin
a. Ephesians 2:1-5 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions — it is by grace you have been saved.
5. The Cross Cleansed us from the Dirt of Sin
a. Old Testament practice Hebrews 9:22 In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness
b. Jesus as the Sacrificial Offering Hebrews 10:1 Heb 10:1-2 The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming — not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship.
c. Hebrews 10:8-10 (Jesus speaking to the Father)First he said, "Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them" (although the law required them to be made). Then he (Jesus) said, "Here I am, I have come to do your will." He sets aside the first to establish the second. 10 And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
6. The Cross Changed us to a Brand New One
a. 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
7. The Cross Gave us a New Relation
a. John 1:12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God
b. Gal 4:6-7 Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "Abba, Father." So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.
The 1 John 1:5-10 is a message for us as Christians. This was a letter of John to many churches in the New Testament times to expose and rebut the doctrinal and ethical errors of the false teachers and to exhort the church to pursue a life of holy fellowship with God in truth and righteousness, in the full joy and assurance of eternal life, through an obedient faith in Christ Jesus by the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit.
V5-6 “This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth.” We claim to be Christians, but do we really walk in the light? We made failures in the past. And today we will admit to God that at some point, we lied to him. And we will pray to Him forgive us and make this day a starting point of a changed and new life of holiness and righteousness.
V6 If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. Why do we need to live in the light and in righteousness: because God wants us to be holy in His sight when we are working for Him. This is our preparation before we perform something for God.
V7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. The real fellowship of Christians as brothers and sisters is when every one of us walks in the light. This means to believe in the truth as revealed in His Word and to make a sincere and sustained effort to follow Him in word and in works. Then the blood of Jesus will continue to purify us from all our sins and will continue to sanctify us or consecrate us to be holy.
V8-9 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. CONFESS - homologeo, literally mean "to speak the same thing" (homos, "same," lego, "to speak") or “to agree with the same thing”. It means “to speak the same thing God has spoken” or “to agree with the same thing God has spoken”. If God says that lying is sin, then lying is sin and no more explanation and no more excuses. If God says that worshipping, bowing, or kneeling to any image is idolatry and idolatry is sin, then it is sin. No more explanation, no more excuses. If God says that adultery is sin, then it is sin. If God says that fornication or sex before marriage is sin, then it is sin. If God says that if you love other things more than Him is sin, then it is sin. What God has said about sin, we must speak the same thing or we agree with Him about that sin. That is the real meaning of confession.
Examples in the Bible:
• David confessed when he committed adultery with Bathsheba (2 Sam. 12:13) “I have sinned against the Lord”
• David confess when he realized committed a sin in counting his fighting men (2 Sam. 24:10) “I have sinned greatly in what I have done”
• Saul thought he did right but in God’s sight it is wrong when he offer the burnt offering which supposedly done by Samuel. (1 Sam. 13:12) “I thought, ‘Now the Philistines will come at Gilgal and I have not sought the Lord’s favor.’ So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering.” (Saul Said)
• Saul thought it was right to offer to God the best cattle and sheep even disobeying His commands that Israelite should wipe out everything. “To obey is better than to sacrifice” (1 Sam. 13:22)
If God says, “My child, you commit idolatry because you love your money more than me,” then confession is this, “Lord, I commit idolatry because I love my money more than you Lord. Forgive me Jesus.” If God says, “My child, you love your celphone more than me because you have much of your time to your celphone but you have no time for me.” Then confession is, “Lord, I love my celphone more than you because I have much time to my celphone and I have no time for you. Forgive me Lord.” That is confession.
Without real confession, there is no forgiveness. Without forgiveness, there is no purification, therefore no holiness. The first thing we will do starting from this moment is to confess our sins to God. Remember, this message of Paul is not directly addressed to the unbelievers but to the believers. Even we believed in God and we believed in His word , without real confession, we live in a lie…
V10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives. But if we confess our sins and ask forgiveness, He will forgive us because he is faithful and just. And he will purify us from our unrighteousness.
Confession is our first step in preparation to perform for God. Then we can start right to work for Him.
By Roli S. Arangote
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