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831. Things Seldom Heard in Church: We Don’t Love God Because Law Commands Us

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Continuing from last week’s thread … in John’s first epistle, he explains the love of God from the perspective of the New Covenant. This also connects with our love for Him and for others. Jesus was asked what the greatest commandments were under the law (from the first covenant given to Israel). Jesus answered with this from Matthew 12: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Nobody has ever achieved being able to follow those commandments which had the entire law wrapped up in them. This is quite different from what John stated, where the truth revealed that it wasn’t that we loved God, but He loved us. As we begin to receive and understand the fullness of this perfect love, it allows us to freely love God apart from the commandment—because we want to do so—and that love which abides in us also enables us to love others in the same way God loves us. Perfect love casts out fear and provides us with confidence in the day of judgement. It’s better than depending on your own inconsistent strength and abilities which always leave people falling short.



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830. Things Seldom Heard in Church: Keeping Commandments – New Covenant Style

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This week, we look at a couple of verses—from 1 John chapter 2—that the legalistic mindset will focus upon outside the context of the New Covenant. It’s a perspective based upon a mixture of law and grace which comes from sources who believe “maintaining” salvation involves the working of our own efforts instead of the work of Christ alone. They’ll pitch salvation as a gift apart from works, but then try to sell you an extended warranty, suggesting you can forfeit so great a salvation based upon your actions. It’s nothing but complicated double-speak.

John writes about keeping commandments, but he isn’t very specific in listing them out. Covenant clashers would try to have us believe he is referring to the Ten Commandments and may selectively throw in a few extras for good measure. If John was encouraging believers in Christ to embrace a stone tablet ministry of commandments, then he not only contradicted the Apostle Paul, but also would have contradicted himself in this very same letter. Peter and Paul stated the commandments which came through Moses were burdensome and unbearable. Jesus said the same thing. But John said the commandments he was referring to are not burdensome. Either John disagreed with them … or (and let’s go with this) he is referring to something different as it relates to the New Covenant.



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680. 1 John 1:9 (Part 4) No Longer Asking for What Has Already Been Given (Forgiveness)

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This week we reflect on a relatively small number of scriptural passages which confirm our forgiveness in Jesus Christ. It’s “forever forgiveness” that occurred through one righteous act at the cross of Jesus Christ. His blood not only brought a permanent forgiveness of all sins (past, present and future), but cleansed us from all unrighteousness. The work of Jesus has already brought us the gift of justification, righteousness and sanctification. In him we are new, alive, clean, holy, perfected and so much more. In addition to our previous programs in this series, part of our goal is to help believers understand that the context of 1 John 1:9 was not meant for us to keep trying to remember all of our sins, mistakes and shortcomings in order to try confessing all of them be forgiven again. The church has failed to realize this keeps people in a sin consciousness which Jesus came to free people from. It only brings a temporary emotional release from guilt, leaving people with a false identity by thinking they are just sinners who can’t seem to overcome. A better way to living in victory is placing faith in what Jesus did, and that it was more than enough.



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679. 1 John 1:9 (Part 3) One Confession of the Lord Jesus Christ

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As we continue past the first chapter of the book of 1 John, we find several instances where John made references to things he mentioned from that opening chapter which was written to unbelieving people. He reminds the believers in chapters 2 and 4 about a confession of the son (Jesus) and to avoid those in error who do not confess Jesus Christ has come in the flesh. In the first chapter of 1 John (including verse 9), John summarized what he was talking about with these statements: “By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God” (1 John 4:2-3; 15 NASB). Also see 1 John 2:23.

In the tenth chapter of Romans, the Apostle Paul also spoke of this confession of the Lord Jesus Christ, resulting in salvation and righteousness… or as John said, cleansed from all unrighteousness. This is when we experience new life and receive the forgiveness that God has offered back at the cross of Christ. Clearly, the target audience in the first chapter of 1 John was aimed at unbelieving people who denied they have sinned… they needed to realize they had fallen short, confess it and be transferred into the light of Christ. The “verse” of 1 John 1:9 is not an admonition for believers in Christ to admit to God they have committed yet another sin while seeking a new forgiveness. After all, forgiveness is not offered without the shedding of blood, and Jesus offer Himself once, for all.

We have a better confession inside of a new and better covenant where Jesus is our guarantee: “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful” (Hebrews 10:23 NASB).



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678. 1 John 1:9 (Part 2) Contrasting Chapter 1 (Unbelievers) with Chapter 2 (Believers)

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Understanding the context leading up to 1 John 1:9 will help us from falling into doctrinal traps which contradict other Scriptures on the subject of God’s completed work of forgiveness. Many passages and verses explain how we’ve already been forgiven by God through the blood of the cross. But regardless of how many good news verses are submitted, misguided teaching has caused believers to trip over this one, single verse:

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (NASB).

Compare the language between Chapter One vs. Chapter Two. John’s conversation in the first chapter is attempting to convince unbelievers that Jesus was manifested and came in the flesh. He is speaking to people with whom he doesn’t have fellowship or a joy that is complete regarding them. These were people who denied they had a sin problem and walked in darkness. They were liars who made God out to be a liar. Using John’s own words, they did not have the truth nor God’s word in them. Remember, believers in Christ are declared to be in the light, and have God’s word and truth in them (these identify Christ in us).

Other NT epistles address believers at the beginning. John made an exception and didn’t do that with this letter in chapter 1, but he does in chapter 2. Here we begin to see where he identifies his audience for the rest of the letter (believers). Notice the differences in language from his opening chapter… these were people who have been forgiven, who know God and have overcome, they had the word of God abiding in them, they knew the truth and had an anointing from the holy one which abided in them. John warned them of the deceivers - those who denied God by not confessing the Son. This is referring back to what he wrote in 1 John 1:9 and reveals the true purpose of his statement… not a confession of every individual sin but a confession of Jesus Christ as Lord. When one confesses the sin problem, they confess need for the Savior. It results in receiving salvation and forgiveness.



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677. 1 John 1:9 (Part 1) Was John Addressing Believers or Unbelievers?

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Regardless of your Christian background, there is a good chance the Bible verse that you've heard quoted or used more than any other is 1 John 1:9. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (NASB). Generally, “the Christian religion” has put a spotlight on this verse by jumping to the conclusion that believers in Christ should continue to apologize to God by confessing every sinful thought or action in order to remain in God’s perfect way of forgiveness. As they see it, failing to do so will result in having unforgiven sin in your life and put a strain on your fellowship with God. It’s as though God’s grace and the finished work of the cross are set aside on the shelf, as you are burdened with trying to confess what God declared He remembers no more and is not counting against us in this New Covenant.

Here’s the crux of the problem: Legalistic religion has made the false assumption John was writing to believers in his first chapter of this letter, thereby leaving Christians to try and come up with ways to make this passage relevant to the Christian life. This week, we’ll begin to address why this entire first chapter was a rare exception within the epistles of the New Testament - where the writer was addressing unbelievers instead of believers.*

*This will be a multi-part series that will unfold more clearly over several weeks.



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