1 John 1:9
(KJV)
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
The Apostle John was facing some big challenges when he returned to Ephesus island of Patmos
With no apostolic supervision the church got into error. There was a deadly doctrine being circulated that Jesus was not really a man but just a spirit. John addressed this in his epistles that Jesus was both man and God.
1 John 1:1-4
(KJV)
1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;
2 (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)
3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.
4 And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.
In these opening verses John is saying that he and the boys would roughhouse with Jesus along the shore of Lake Galilee . Can you imagine? Hugging the Creator of the universe!
But to get to the key text of verse nine I had to give the context of the verses in this study. I’ve heard it said that a text without a context is no text. Many a doctrinal error has been based on verses of the Bible taken entirely out of context; and these false teachers use their “proof texts” (verses out of context) to “prove” their doctrines. Most of the time these verses have been misquoted and the average person doesn’t study the Bible enough to know the difference.
Every verse in the Bible is true and accurately recorded, but not everything spoken is true.
For example: “Money is the root of all evil.”
1 Timothy 6:10
(KJV)
For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
Money isn’t evil, it’s the “love” of money that’s evil; making money our god. But as believers we are to love God with our whole heart and soul. So back to our text,
He is able and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
This study is going to blow our natural thinking away and rock the boat of those “out of context” beliefs we have that tell us we need to be afraid of God and always walk in shame because we are sinners.
When Jesus died on the cross, He took the punishment for our sins that His Father intended for us upon Himself. He was faithful in His assignment and fulfilled the legal and just requirements to pay for that punishment.
And because Jesus rose from the dead He now has the legal right to forgive anyone of their sins. He is now able to create in us a new heart with the same resurrection nature that He has. We are not regular human beings anymore, we are new creations! (See 2 Cor 5:17 )
Our earth suit (our bodies) might look the same as it did before salvation but we have been changed on the inside. We might look like other humans but we aren’t human anymore; we are aliens from another planet, Heaven!
The original human heart created for Adam in the garden was perfect; but it was never intended to be broken with sin. Once sin entered it could never be fixed. It could never be whole again.
God had to create brand new hearts that can be fixed whenever we sin. The way they are fixed is by admitting to the Father that we have sinned against Him and Him only! Jesus then accepts that confession and as our Heavenly lawyer stands before the Judge, His Father, and pleads our case.
Based solely on the blood that Jesus shed for our sins, He presents our confession and immediately we are not only forgiven but because we have that new fixable heart we are rejuvenated and cleansed from all unrighteousness! We are immediately in right standing with God the Father!
Romans 5:1
(KJV)
Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Immediately we become justified (justified—just as if we have never been sinners) before our Heavenly Father, the Judge; and technically—every sin we will ever commit has already been forgiven at the cross, so this process can be repeated over and over!
So in closing, we have learned that can walk in absolute faith knowing that nobody can point an accusing finger at those of us in Christ Jesus who pleads on our behalf before the court of heaven.
Romans 8:31-39
(MSG)
So, what do you think? With God on our side like this, how can we lose? If God didn't hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing himself to the worst by sending his own Son, is there anything else he wouldn't gladly and freely do for us? And who would dare tangle with God by messing with one of God's chosen? Who would dare even to point a finger? The One who died for us—who was raised to life for us!—is in the presence of God at this very moment sticking up for us. Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ's love for us? There is no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the worst sins listed in Scripture:
They kill us in cold blood because they hate you.
We're sitting ducks; they pick us off one by one.
None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. I'm absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God's love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us.
Romans 8:31-33
(CPV)
31 How, then, shall we respond to all this? If God is rootin’ for us, who can win over us? If he didn’t hold back his own Son, but put him in the game for us all, won’t he even more gladly, in addition to his Son, equip us with all we need to win the game?
33 Who shall reject us when God has elected us? God accepts us into fellowship; who banishes us? Does Christ Jesus, the Killed One, or rather, the Risen One, who is God’s "right-hand man" and speaks out for us? What shall drive a wedge between us and the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or drought or poverty or danger or war?
(NLT)
31 What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? 32 Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? 33 Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. 34 Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.
References:
Translations marked with ** are retrieved from http://www.biblegateway.com/ BibleGateway.com © Copyright 1995-2010 Gospel Communications International
**New Living Translation, Second Edition. (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, —Copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust.
**King James Version (KJV)—Public Domain/ 1604, King James I of England
**The Message Bible (MSG)—Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995 by Eugene H. Peterson
Cotton Patch Version (CPV)—Copyright © 1968 by Clarence Jordan Cotton Patch Version (CPV)—Copyright © 1968 by Clarence Jordan—Retrieved from http://rockhay.tripod.com/cottonpatch/index.htm
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