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Scripture Reading: 1 John 1:5-7
In the foregoing messages we have considered two mysteries — the mystery of the divine life and the mystery of the divine fellowship. Although we have not covered these matters thoroughly, I believe that they have been somewhat opened to us and that we have at least received hints concerning how to delve into them further. In this message we shall begin to consider the conditions of the divine fellowship, that is, the terms that must be fulfilled in order to enjoy this fellowship.
If we would be in the divine fellowship, we need to fulfill certain conditions, terms, or obligations. Only then can we enjoy the divine fellowship. This matter of the conditions of the divine fellowship is revealed in the second half of chapter one and in the first half of chapter two (1 John 1:5-10; 2:1-11). Only two verses speak of the divine life (1 John 1:1-2) and another two verses of the divine fellowship (1 John 1:3-4), whereas seventeen verses are related to the conditions of the divine fellowship. This indicates that, as far as we are concerned, the conditions of the fellowship are a very important matter.
The divine life and the divine fellowship are both on God’s side. However, the conditions, the terms, the obligations, by which we can enjoy the divine fellowship are on our side. It is simple to receive the divine life and to be brought into the fellowship of the divine life. But it is not a simple matter to maintain this fellowship and remain in it. For this reason, the apostle John does not pass over the conditions that must be fulfilled if we are to remain in the divine fellowship. As we shall see, there are two main conditions covered in 1:5—2:11: the confessing of sins (1:5—2:2) and the loving of God and the brothers (2:3-11).
The first condition of the divine fellowship involves both sin and sins. Sin and sins are a serious problem concerning our enjoyment of the divine fellowship, for they cause our fellowship with the Triune God to be frustrated and broken. Therefore, the apostle John devotes a number of verses to confessing our sins. Before we consider these verses, I would like to bring to our attention some matters that will help us to understand John’s writing concerning sin and sins.
According to the Bible, sin dwells within us, in our flesh. Romans 7:20 says, “But if what I do not will, this I do, it is no longer I that do it but sin that dwells in me.” The word “dwell” here indicates that sin is something living. Anything that is not living, such as a chair, cannot dwell anywhere. For example, you would not say that a chair dwells in your home. In order for a certain thing to dwell in a particular place, that thing must be living and organic. Hence, the fact that sin dwells within us indicates that sin is a living entity.
The sin described in Romans 7 is personified. The activities of sin are those of a person. Sin takes occasion through the commandment and works coveting in us (v. 8). Furthermore, sin may deceive us and kill us (v. 11). According to Paul’s word in verse 17, sin dwells in us and does certain things in us: “So now it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells in me.” Moreover, Paul says that sin enters (Rom. 5:12), reigns (Rom. 5:21), lords it over people (Rom. 6:14), works death in us (Rom. 7:13), and is something that is quite alive (Rom. 7:9). Therefore, sin is not a lifeless element or substance. On the contrary, sin is a living thing that can dwell in us and do things against our will. This was the reason Paul could say that it was not he who did certain things, but sin that dwelt in him.
Some oppose us for teaching that sin dwells in our flesh and that this sin dwelling in us is something personified. However, this teaching concerning indwelling sin and its activities is altogether according to the Scriptures. We cannot deny what Paul says in Romans 7 regarding sin.
Of course, the Bible speaks both of sin and sins. Sins refer to trespasses, transgressions, and wrongdoings. For example, lying and stealing are sins. These sins are different from the sin that dwells in our flesh. Sins are deeds and activities, but sin is an evil element that dwells in our flesh.
The New Testament deals with the problem of sin by using both the word sin in the singular and the word sins in the plural. “Sin” refers to the indwelling sin, which came through Adam into mankind from Satan (Rom. 5:12). Sin is dealt with in the second section of Romans, 5:12 to 8:13 (with the exception of 7:5, where “sins” are mentioned). “Sins” refer to the sinful deeds, the fruits of the indwelling sin, which are dealt with in the first section of Romans, 1:18 to 5:11. However, the singular sin in 1 John 1:7 with the adjective “all” does not denote the indwelling sin, but denotes every single sin we have committed (v. 10), after we have been regenerated. Such sin defiles our purged conscience and needs to be cleansed away by the blood of the Lord in our fellowship with God.
Our sin, the indwelling sin in our nature (Rom. 7:17), has been taken care of by Christ as our sin offering (Lev. 4; Isa. 53:10; Rom. 8:3; 2 Cor. 5:21; Heb. 9:26). Our sins, our trespasses, have been taken care of by Christ as our trespass offering (Lev. 5; Isa. 53:11; 1 Cor. 15:3; 1 Pet. 2:24; Heb. 9:28). After our regeneration we still need to take Christ as our sin offering, as indicated in 1 John 1:8, and as our trespass offering, as indicated in 1 John 1:9.
The Bible reveals that when the Lord Jesus was on the cross, He was made sin for us. Regarding this, 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, “Him who did not know sin He made sin on our behalf, that we might become God’s righteousness in Him.” Because the Lord was made sin for us, He condemned sin through His death on the cross. Romans 8:3 says, “God sending His own Son in the likeness of the flesh of sin and concerning sin, condemned sin in the flesh.” Here we see that through the crucifixion of Christ, sin was condemned. For this reason, John 1:29 speaks of Him as the Lamb of God who took away the sin of the world, and Hebrews 9:26 says that Christ “has been manifested for the putting away of sin by His sacrifice.” This means that Christ offered Himself for sin. As we consider these four verses, we realize that the Lord Jesus died on the cross to deal with sin, the very sin that dwells within us. He became sin, He condemned sin, He took away sin, and He was an offering for sin. Christ as the offering for sin is typified by the sin offering in chapter four of Leviticus.
As we have pointed out, we have not only the problem of sin in our flesh, but also the problem of the many sins we have committed. We have done many wrong things. For example, instead of honoring our parents, we may have despised them. This is sinful. We all have committed many trespasses, transgressions, offenses, and wrongdoings. All these are sins. When the Lord Jesus died on the cross to deal with our sin, He also bore our sins. First Peter 2:24 says, “Who Himself carried up our sins in His body onto the tree.” This verse clearly indicates that Christ bore our sins. In 1 Corinthians 15:3 Paul declares, “Christ died for our sins.” Moreover, in Hebrews 9:28 we are told that Christ was “once offered to bear the sins of many.” By these verses we see that when the Lord was on the cross, He not only dealt with our sin, but also bore our sins. Therefore, He is both the sin offering and the trespass offering.
When we believed in the Lord Jesus, we received Him as our Redeemer. This implies that we received Him as our sin offering and trespass offering. Receiving the Lord Jesus as our Redeemer includes receiving Him as both the sin offering and the trespass offering. Often we say that the blood of Jesus cleanses us. This blood is the blood of the sin offering and of the trespass offering. In 1:7 John speaks of the blood of Jesus that cleanses us from all sin. This is the blood of the Lord Jesus as both the sin offering and the trespass offering. Now that we have believed in Christ, we have Him as the Redeemer, the One who is our sin offering and trespass offering. Therefore, both sin and sins have been dealt with. We have been forgiven by God, and we have been washed, cleansed, by the Lord’s blood. As we have pointed out, the blood of Jesus is the blood of the sin offering and the trespass offering. We all have believed in Christ and accepted Him as our sin offering and trespass offering.
Now that we have been regenerated, do we still have sin dwelling in us? Regarding this, there has been much debate among Bible teachers. Years ago, there was a strong teaching that claimed that sin has been eradicated from believers. This is the teaching concerning the so-called eradication of sin. Those who teach this use certain verses in 1 John 3 and 1 John 5 as their basis: “Everyone who has been begotten of God does not practice sin...and he cannot sin” (3:9), and, “Everyone who has been begotten of God does not sin” (5:18). Those who follow the teaching of eradication say that these verses prove that sin has been rooted out of our being.
In 1933 I was told an interesting story by a brother who once belonged to a group which taught the eradication of sin. The leader of that group, a learned man, was very strong in teaching the eradication of sin. One day this leader took four young brothers to a park. Instead of buying five tickets, the leader bought only two. Two brothers entered the park using the two tickets. Then one brother came out with the tickets and then entered the park again with another brother. This was repeated until all five brothers had entered the park using the same two tickets. The younger brothers were bothered by the fact that one who taught the eradication of sin could behave in such a way. They said to him, “What is this? Isn’t this cheating? Isn’t this sin?” The leader replied, “This is not sin; it is merely a weakness.” The brother who related this incident to me could not accept that explanation. He knew there was something wrong. Eventually, he came to the church meetings and was made clear about the mistaken teaching concerning the eradication of sin.
The Bible does not teach that sin has been eradicated from our being. In 1:8 John says, “If we say that we do not have sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” To say that we do not have sin is to say that we do not have indwelling sin within our nature. This is something taught by the Gnostic heresy. The apostle is inoculating the believers against this false teaching. This section, 1:7—2:2, deals with the believers’ sinning after regeneration. This sinning interrupts their fellowship with God. If after regeneration the believers do not have sin in their nature, how could they sin in their conduct? Even though they sin only occasionally, not habitually, their sinning is an adequate proof that they still have sin working within them. Otherwise, there would be no interruption of their fellowship with God. The apostle’s teaching here condemns today’s teaching of perfectionism, the teaching that a state of freedom from sin is attainable or has been attained in earthly life. The apostle’s teaching also annuls the erroneous teaching of the eradication of the sinful nature, which, by misinterpreting the word in 3:9 and 5:18, says that regenerated persons cannot sin because their sinful nature has been totally eradicated.
John says that those who say that they do not have sin are deceiving themselves, are leading themselves astray. To say that, because we have been regenerated, we do not have sin is self-deceiving. It denies the actual fact of our own experience and thus causes us to lead ourselves astray. We should not say that we no longer have sin. Sin remains in our flesh, in our sinful nature.
We have considered the question of whether or not as believers we still have sin in our nature. We have seen that we definitely have sin dwelling in us after regeneration. Now we need to consider a second question: Can we still commit sin after we are regenerated? Yes, a believer can still sin after he has been regenerated. In 2:1 John says, “My little children, these things I write to you that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous.” John’s words “if anyone sins” indicate strongly that we can still sin after we are saved.
Let us use as an illustration the matter of losing our temper. I do not believe that there is even one person who has never lost his temper after he was saved. Can you say that, during the time you have been a Christian, you have never lost your temper? Even if you have not lost your temper outwardly, what about inwardly? Even the single illustration of losing our temper is sufficient to make us clear concerning the fact that, even though we are believers, we can still sin and occasionally we do sin. Even though we have been saved and regenerated and are under the transformation of the Holy Spirit, it is still possible for us to sin. Since we can still sin after we are saved, we need to confess our sins (1:9). The confession of sins is the first condition of the divine fellowship.
In 1:6 John says, “If we say that we have fellowship with Him and walk in the darkness, we lie and are not practicing the truth.” To have fellowship with God is to have an intimate and living contact with Him in the flow of the divine life according to the Spirit’s anointing in our spirit (2:27). This keeps us in the participation and enjoyment of the divine light and divine love.
According to the context, “with Him” in verse 6 is with God. This is equal to “with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ” (v. 3). Once again, this implies the Divine Trinity.
It is very important for us to realize that the believers’ relationship in life with God is unbreakable. However, their fellowship with Him is breakable. The former is unconditional; the latter is conditional. Once we have been regenerated, we are children of God, and we have a relationship in life with our Father. This life relationship is unbreakable. However, our fellowship with God is breakable.
We should not confuse our life relationship with God and our fellowship with God. Our relationship with God is based on life and has been settled once for all. But our fellowship with God is based upon the fulfillment of conditions and may fluctuate like the weather. Therefore, the life relationship with God has no conditions and is unbreakable. But our fellowship with God has certain conditions, it is breakable, and it may fluctuate. I hope that we all shall be clear concerning the difference between our relationship with God in life and our fellowship with Him.
