On April 30, 2006 we celebrate the 3rd Sunday of Easter with the three readings from Acts 4:8-12 (Salvation only in Jesus); I John 1:-2:2 (He is faithful to forgive sins) and Luke 24:36-49 (Jesus appears to His disciples). For this Sunday I John 1:6 will be the sermon text whcih reads, “If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.”
This is another passage that can frighten even believers. For whom among us are able to keep from walking in darkness if that means we have to stop from sinning? We know that sin separates us from God so how can we be in fellowship with God Who according to verse 5 “is light and in Him is not darkness at all”? Since we sin and appear to practice darkness, how is it possible to be in fellowship with God?
Once more the distinctions between Law and Gospel are most helpful. For those who imagine that to sin means to walk in darkness, obviously they have not read the rest of the chapter. John’s point is that those who oppose the truth are not those who sin but those who say they do not sin! What a reversal of thinking. Unlike every other religion in the world in which the followers are to cease from sin and disobedience, Christians are told that walking in the light means to confess that we are sinners!
The Gospel of the Christian faith is NOT that God gives us power to stop from sinning; no, the Good News is that God declares us sinners as forgiven. To walk in the light is to be humbled by confessing that we have nothing to offer God to offset our sins. We are lost and condemned creatures and even the best Example cannot save us. Rather than an example, we need a Savior Who takes upon Himself the punishment we deserved. That is what Jesus did.
Therefore to walk in the light is to be bold about our sinful condition relying totally and wholly on the blood of Christ to wash away our sin. As Acts 4:12 reminds us, “There is salvation in no other name under heaven among men” except in Jesus Christ. That’s why Luke 24:47 reveals that the Christian message is not one of improvement and ceasing from sin but rather one of repentance and the remission of sins.
In this sermon I would begin by giving the commonsense view of walking in darkness as being a sinner so that the hearers would also become frightened of their chances of being saved by their own works. Then when the Law has accomplished its work, I would follow up with the Gospel understanding of what it means to walk in the Light of Jesus Christ, our Savior.
Name:Tom Baker
Another excellent shining of light! I recall 1 John being a most terrorizing Epistle to me. Half seem to read as Gospel & half seem to, again, throw cold water on it. And forget what many preachers today seem to interpret it as. It’s like some would read it and say, “Yes grace is free & unconditional.” And about the time you’d begin to rest in it & be assured…then would come the “fine print” in their rendering of such verses as verse 6.
Today the Gospel is not so much overthrown in Christian circles by a gross explicit statement of required works. For as “good” protestants we are not like those “Roman Catholics” who preach salvation by works. We “good protestants say, “saved by grace/faith alone”. No, the battle in protestant circles is at sanctification, that is where the Gospel tends to get overthrown, and 1 John 1:6 is a favored “proof text”.
Back during Christmas I read Bo Giertz’s “The Hammer of God” and I read one statement that has stuck in my mind from the book which is one of those epiphany statements. I believe it was chapter 2 in which they were dealing with some revivalist over the issue of baptism & children. In the character’s thoughts he is recalling one of his mentor/profs warning him about the theological danger and travesty of ‘proof texting’ versus viewing the scripture through the lens of the Gospel. When the former is done all kinds of error & disconnected theology arise.
This is true for when many ‘proof text’ for ‘sanctification’ what often happens is a ‘sanctification’ or a post conversion Christian life that is wrong & a complete forgetting of justification by grace/faith alone. I think this in part comes from forgetting just what real sin acts from us are; vice & virtue. And second, without sin acts we are STILL condemned by virtue of being IN Adam. And third, a complete disconnect with simultaneously just & sinner – POST conversion, the OMLY way to be simultaneously just & sinner. The false view of ‘conversion comes from the idea of a dramatic conversion experience as the only ‘real’ conversion. To wit; if you didn’t have one, a life altering distinct experience, an “I use to do x, y & z sins & the Lord then took that away from me”, then the heavy implication if not explicitly stated is, “you are not a converted Christian”. Juxtaposition that with 100% saint & 100% sinner ALWAYS in this life. Juxtaposition that with Paul who as he aged said “I’m the least of the Apostles, wretched man that I am, and I am the chief of sinners.” NOT, “I use to do…& the Lord took that away from me.” Which bears witness to the Gospel? Paul whom I can read & see & realize, “Yes there is certain hope because of Christ even for me, being the chief of sinners myself”. Or, “Why does not the ‘Lord take my sins away from me like the testimony of this very outwardly pretty & clean person”.
A religion boils down to this; what are you saved from your sins OR the wrath of God? If the former, then ANY of man’s fallen religions can give a pseudo testimony, even those who read Oprah Winfrey’s books. Only the later requires Jesus Christ AS CHRIST, not another christ which is no Christ at all.
The one in darkness is both the gross rebel who cares nothing about how he sins AND the false saint for both have this in common, they justify themselves as not that sinful. The one walking in the light IS the sinner who knows he is a sinner & knows he doesn’t even really plume the depths of his sin by what little knowledge he’s been given. Thus, he quits working and boldly rests in Christ alone!
Blessings,
Larry Hughes
KY
I believe your insight Larry that the battle in protestant circles is over sanctification is righ on. Moreover, what still divides even Lutheranism and Roman Catholicism is that the Roman church simply disagree that a Christian is simultaneously sinner and saint. Once you teach that sainthood is something that you become over time, you have not only confused Law and Gospel but made your sanctification a part of your work to get to heaven. Thanks again for your well crafted comment that needs further reading and thought.
i’m so glad i stumbled on your blog. these posts are so great. i remember, 1 John always scared me (especially 1 jn. 5:16 at the end), but this helped me see the proper distinction between law and gospel.
For those of you, like random person, who is interested in further distinctions between Law and Gospel you can listen to my radio program Monday through Friday at kfuo.org beginning each evening at 6:05 pm CST. Simply click on the Law and Gospel logo and you can either hear me live or download previous programs and listen at your leisure.
And make sure you check out our web page at lawgospel.com to obtain the best journal on Biblical theology entitled, “Good News”. There is information on the page as to how to order a copy. In fact, if you would like a free copy, email me and I’ll be glad to send one to you. Blessings.
Good News magazine is the best. I ordered a subscription and about 15 back issues that I mine frequently.
LDH
KY