1

1 John 1:5-10 5-22-99

Walk the Walk, Talk the Talk!
1. Intro:
1.1. These verses are not evangelical they are a challenge to Christians to
be in Fellowship w/God. (It is something highly practical)
1.2. One o !atan"s greatest tools against Christianity is to #se $Christian
%osers&'
1.2.1. Those who profess to be Christians but are anything but.
1.2.2. Jeff T. just back from Albania(will share next Thurs. night giving us an update
on the Refugee Crisis) Told me off the !uslims" that are telling the stories of the
#erbs before slaughtering their !uslim friends" tell them the$ are doing it in the
name of Christianit$%
1.2.3. Last week we talked about the nostics ! their ba"aar beliefs. #ell
$ohn will combat 3 more %alse Claims that were going around by
&Christians 'osers(.
1.(. )ost o the *ible writers tell #s +hat God does& , -ohn tells #s +hat
God really is&
1.3.1. $ohn does in 3 great definitions) God is Spirit*$n.+)2+,- God is
Light*1 $n.1).,- God is Love*1 $n.+)/,.
2. GOD IS LIGHT! (5)
2.1. $.ere we have one o the broadest / 0ost co0prehensive deinition
o God that can probably be desired in h#0an lang#age.' (&oice)
2.1.1. 0ere we &imagery( at its finest1
2.1.2. This image of od being &Light( wasn2t new to $ohn2s readers.
'.(.'.(. Ps.27:1 The )*R+ is m$ light and m$ salvation, -hom shall . fear/ The
)*R+ is the strength of m$ life, *f whom shall . be afraid/0
'.(.'.'. Ps.36:9 1or with 2ou is the fountain of life, .n 2our light we see light.
'.(.'.3. Ps.104:1,2 &less the )*R+" * m$ soul% * )*R+ m$ 4od" 2ou are ver$
great5 2ou are clothed with honor and majest$" -ho cover 2ourself with
light as with a garment" -ho stretch out the heavens like a curtain.0
2
2.2. 1 .e is light then .e can"t be dar2ness. , .ence3 i God is Good then
.e is not bad& !ince .e is .oly3 then .e cannot be sin#l.
2.2.1. 3any Eastern Religions mi4 the 2 (all things good 6 bad unite in one).
2.2.2. The 5ible re6ects that notion. 7 4od is opposed to all that is sinful 6 false.
2.(. *y being 4ight3 .e can"t be dar2ness&
'.3.(. Light/Dar 8 +arkness is not something" it is the absence of something. 2ou can
have low light" normal light" bright light" flashing light" but if $ou have no light
constantl$" $ou have nothing" and it9s called darkness. That9s the meaning we use
to define the word. .n realit$" darkness isn9t. .f it were" $ou would be able to make
darkness darker and give it to me in a jar. &ut $ou can9t give me a jar of darker
darkness.0
'.3.'. J!st lie, "eat # $%l& 8 :2ou can have lots of heat" even more heat" super8heat"
mega8heat" white heat" a little heat" or no heat" but we don9t have an$thing called
9cold9. -e can hit ;<= degrees below >ero" which is no heat" but we can9t go an$
further than that. There is no such thing as cold" otherwise we would be able to go
colder than negative ;<= 8 $ou see" cold is onl$ a word we use to describe the
absence of heat. -e cannot measure cold. ?eat we can measure in thermal units
because heat is energ$. Cold is not the opposite of heat" it9s just the absence of it.:
'.3.'.(. #o" the phrase '%& is Light0 tells us there is an absen(e %f Darness%
2.(.(. .t follows then man must be holy if we are to have fellowship w@?im%
2.5. 67 .ow does the character o God aect o#r ellowship w/hi08
2.+.1. If we know 0is character*'ure Light,7 then we2ll know our aim.
8therwise we2ll ne9er aim for the bull2s eye ! always be satisfied
with 3ediocre.
2.+.2. Thus the teaching that follows1
2.9. :ote the str#ct#re that ollows7
( Clai0s(Aa" =a" (Ba); ( Conse<#ences(Ab" =b" (Bb); ( Contrasts(C"D" '5("').
2...1. :ee ; &If we say<claim*3 42s,(
2.9.2. &If( ; . conditional clauses,
3. FALSE CLAIM #1 (6,7)
(.1. T! C"#$% (=a) $1 can wal2 both in light / dar2ness at the sa0e
ti0e&'
3.1.1. This speaks of a person that thinks they can ha9e %ellowship
w<od at the same time that his life is characteri"ed by unright.
3
3.1.2. &#alk in darkness( = *pres. Tense7 a continual practice,>not a1 time
blow it,.
3.1.3. Like a &dimmer switch(7 we can slowly start dimming ! not think
it2s so bad because7 &I didn2t turn it all the way off(1
3.(.3.(. Enow that an)0 dimmed light is alread$ letting darkness in.
(.2. T! Con&!'(!n)! (=b) $4iar&' (come on Fohn tell us how $ou feel&)
3.2.1. #e2d be telling ! living a lie1
3.2.2. ?) 0ow many &%ake fellowship(@
3.2.3. ?) 0ow many Christians pretend to ha9e %ellowship w<od@
3.2.+. &Aon2t tell me your walking in %ellowship w<od ! sinning at the
same time1(
3.'.;.(. Gicture walking down a dust$ street of an old western town" w@wooden
buildings down each side. 8 The left side has an awning in front providing
shade for those walking down that side of the street. The sun light striking
the other side. 7 To get from one end to the other $ou must chose to walk
down the street in the light or in the shade% 7 2ou cannot do both at the
same time%(although weHve all seen a drunk tr$%)
3.'.;.'. I5 Jre $ou laboring to walk on both sides of the street morall$/
3.'.;.3. #ta$ awa$ from the shad$ side of sin" 6 sta$ on the sunn$ side of
#anctification%0
3.2... %lee %ake %ellowship1
(.(. T! Contr#&t (>)
3.3.1. If were walking &in fellowship w<0im(7 others will see the results1
(.(.2. #alking in fellowship w<0im is like stepping into a room w<all lights
blaring.
(.(.2.1. .tHs like claiming $ou went to the beach" 6 coming back as pale0 as when
$ou left. , .f $ou laid out in the sun all da$" it will show on $ou%
3.3.'.'. Eell$ 6 . ditched school once
3.3.3. &#alk( = to walk about7 to conduct one2s life.
3.3.+. &#alk in the Light( is dealing honestly w<sin.
3.3.;.(. Kver$one is familiar with the organi>ation Jlcoholics Jnon$mous. .t has
inspired similar organi>ations like 4amblers Jnon$mous" *vereaters
Jnon$mous" and #exaholics Jnon$mous.
3.3.;.(.(. There is even an Jnon$mous for people who don9t want
an$one to know what their problems are L Jnon$mous
Jnon$mous/0M
*
(.(.5.1.2. No" we must walk in the light" we must shine a flood light
on our sin?-alk in the sin8hating ?oliness of 4od0%M
3.3... They say7 &Salvation is a matter of life ! death7 but Fellowship is a
matter of light ! darkness1(
3.3.<.(. -e donHt fall from the *a+il)" we f%rfeit *ell%,shi-%0
3.3.B. &$esus 5lood cleansing( ; The blood of Christ has a 2Cfold ministry)
3.3.A.(. Kternal Redemption 6 Conscience Gurification?eb.D5('8(;
(.(.=.2. Read L!ther 7 in #purg.pg.3A3 O''A;
*. FALSE CLAIM #2 (+,,)
5.1. T! C"#$% (@a) $1 don"t sin any0ore&' (sin was eradicated)
5.2. T! Con&!'(!n)! (@b) !el deception&
5.(. T! Contr#&t (A)
+.3.1. &:ins(what keeps attracting us@
;.3.'. D%nal& .%bert Perr) /ar0!is wrote a poem based on an imaginar$ conversation
between a rat and a +%th. The rat asked some hard Puestions. -h$ did moths fl$
into candles and other bright lights and risk getting themselves fried to death/
(The answer" written in the poet9s unpunctuated st$le" is ver$ instructive)5 we get
bored with routine 8 and crave beaut$ 8 and excitement 8 fire is beautiful 8 and we
know that if we get 8 too close it will kill us 8 and what does that matter 8 it is better
to be happ$ 8 for a moment 8 and be burned up with beaut$ 8 than to live a long
time 8 and be bored all the while0
;.3.3. 1in 8 1or thirt$ $ears !rs. +oreen &urle$ of Rawstenstall" Kngland" polished her
strange and lovel$ ornament. #he let her grandchildren pla$ with it" alwa$s
returning it to its prominent place on the mantel. .n !arch of (D== she learned
something about her ornament. .t was a live bomb%
+.3.+. Faithful ; &If od promised7 then 0e must forgi9e1(8therwise
0e2d be &unfaithful(1
;.3.;.(. Jer.31:34 :No more shall ever$ man teach his neighbor" and ever$ man
his brother" sa$ing" 9Enow the )*R+"9 for the$ all shall know !e" from the
least of them to the greatest of them" sa$s the )*R+. 1or . will forgive
their iniPuit$" and their sin . will remember no more.:
;.3.;.'. 2s.1:13 :Come now" and let us reason together": #a$s the )*R+"
:Though $our sins are like scarlet" The$ shall be as white as snow,
Though the$ are red like crimson" The$ shall be as wool.0
5
;.3.;.3. 1aithful Q reliable. Jlso means R(S ?e doesnHt abandon us" nor R'S hold our
sins against us.
+.3... Just ; 0e is both Just ! the Justifier1 *see Dom.3)23C2B,
5. FALSE CLAIM #3 (1-)
9.1. T! C"#$% (1Ba) $1"ve never sinned&'
..1.1. This is the most serious. 0e2s not only saying that he2s not sinning
but that he &Ee9er( sinned1
9.2. T! Con&!'(!n)! (1Bb)
..2.1. They make od out to be a liar1
..2.2. They also cut themsel9es off from what he has to say to them1
(0is word is not in them(.
..2.3. od has declared &all men( are sinners ! in need of 0is race1
<.'.3.(. Ps.14:2,3 The )*R+ looks down from heaven upon the children of men"
To see if there are an$ who understand" who seek 4od. The$ have all
turned aside" The$ have together become corrupt, There is none who
does good" No" not one.0
<.'.3.'. Now whoHs right/ (man or 4od/)
<.'.3.3. let 4od be true but ever$ man a liar.0 .%+.3:4
9.(. T! Contr#&t (27132) +e"ll loo2 at neCt wee2.
6. Con)"(&$on:
=.1. Do# can"t E#st $clai0' or $say' yo#r in the light3 yo# 0#st be a child
o the light3 yo# 0#st wal2 in the light&
B.1.1. If od2s Light is really shining on you7 you will say as did)
A.(.(.(. 2saiah 6:4 :-oe is me" for . am undone% &ecause . am a man of unclean
lips" Jnd . dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips, 1or m$ e$es have
seen the Eing" The )*R+ of hosts.:
A.(.(.'. Peter 5L.4:36 :+epart from me" for . am a sinful man" * )ord%:
A.(.(.3. Pa!l 51 Ti+.1:146 This is a faithful sa$ing and worth$ of all acceptance"
that Christ Fesus came into the world to save sinners" of whom . am chief.
B.1.2. The brighter 0is light on your life the more dirt is 9isible.
B.1.3. &F godly character does not7 can not7 ! will not7 de9elop in the
darkness1(