now, if walking in the light as he exists light, having fellowship together with each other also the blood of Jesus, the one his son cleanses us from all sin.*
John begins this passage proclaiming that which they heard from the beginning. In John the first chapter, the One in the beginning was the Word, who was with God and was God, in Him all things were created. Jesus exists the first fruit of a new creation, in him we participate in Life and we exist Light as He is Light. If God said let there be Light and Jesus is Light, then Jesus existed in the beginning and when the Word became flesh he dwelt among men, h exists as light. Some did not enter into the Light as their being, their work was of darkness, but to those who received him, he gave them the right to become children of God. He was a Light unto the world and now he exists Light to those who are in darkness.
If saying we have no sin, deceiving ourselves and the truth exists not in us.*
Existing of truth is like existing of Light, if you are "in Christ" then Christ is in you and if He exists Light, the Light exists in you, and since he is also truth, the truth exists in you. In Christ you are truth, you are righteousness, you are a child of God, his Spirit is in you. Is it also true as Paul writes that sin still exists in our body, in the flesh? Yes, we will not have a glorified body until Jesus returns or we die and are resurrected in body. Since Jesus exists Life, and he exists in us, and sin is in the flesh, life is given to our mortal body through the Spirit. And though we are free from the law of sin and death, our body is corrupt, dying, and we will die in body, though we will be resurrected in Life. In our body it is true that we exist in sin and the wage of sin is still death of this body, but if Christ is in us, the Spirit of Life exists in us and the gift of God is eternal life. So I am a sinner if I obey the desires of my flesh and I am a saint, if Christ exists in me, truly, the latter is my true identity.
If confessing that our sin, he exists faithful and just, forgiving us our sins and cleansing us from all unrighteousness.*
Peter writes Christ suffered once on account of sin, so that he might lead us to God.* We also participate in his death, the body crucified to sin and made alive in the Spirit. Often we hear taught in Christianity the need to die, but what we need is true understanding in the teachings of Baptism. We participate in His death, so someone died with him, but who? the old man died, and if I am in Christ I am not the old man but the new man, my true identity. The old man enslaved to sin is dead and I am of his divine nature. We participated in his death, crucified with him is the old man, and the new man, who I am really am, is alive in Him. He died for sin and was crucified once and for all. The fact is I can't die to sin but I can have testimony of water as I have testimony of blood, that I am cleansed from all sin. I am righteous, just, in right standing with God, having peace before him. To be in Christ and then to say I need to die to sin, is this to not recognize that the old man is dead? and is it not to know my true identity, that of the new man? Jesus died for my sin and he no longer needs to die again if I sin. But what we do find is the need of a clean conscious and fellowship. So we see the concept of walking in the Light.
Paul writes that Jesus became our great High Priest. His precious blood became a payment for sin. When John writes of sin he speaks of it as "missing the mark" of God's righteousness. As Paul states there were none righteous, no not one, and that Christ died once and for all.* What does John mean when he writes, "if confessing that our sin, he exists faithful and just, forgiving us our sins and cleansing us from all unrighteousness."* If Christ died once and for all then forgiveness and confession would be once and for all. John also writes that truth exists in us. I believe truth gives us the realization that something is not quite right, we delight inwardly in God's laws but still struggle with sin. Paul came to this important truth, it is not I but sin in my body.* It is important to speak the whole truth in regards to scripture. My true nature is of God's divine nature, not that of sinful nature. When John says, if we say we do not sin we do not have truth in us, it is a matter of sin in our body and of identity in that our true nature is not of sin, but righteousness which I am indebted to. It is a matter of our realization in regards to the issue of sin and to our ruling over sin, that we have come to know and believe that we are in need of a Savior.
We know that Christ, raised from the dead, will never die again, death no longer rules over him, for who died, died to sin once and for all, yea, who lives, lives to God.*
Forgiveness is once and for all, as Paul writes in Hebrews, there is no longer a need of another sacrifice for sin. This would say His blood was no better than that of animals. If I have been forgiven and then I ask God again for forgiveness, would it mean I do understand justification? And would it not seem to say the blood of Jesus was not effective in cleansing sin, once and for all? More so would it not say the Lamb was not acceptable to God as a payment for sin? And does not such speak of the mercy of God? not being wrathful toward sin, and how the scriptures say under the Old they were vessels of His wrath, and that God patiently endured evil? Does it not also speak of how in the new his mercy triumphs his judgement and if He was not merciful and loving and Jesus did not appease sin then He would be wrathful, and we would not be vessels of his mercy but of wrath. Would this not also speak to the matter of the blood of Jesus cleansing us from all sin? in that the blood of Jesus was not good enough a payment for sin? I would think so. The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin when we believed but can it also continue to cleanse in regard to the conscious? So we come to the concept of walking in the Light and fellowship.
whom seen and heard, proclaiming also to you, so that you too have fellowship...
We see the message is to both an audience of unbelievers and believers, it is matter of cleansing and fellowship for both. So to those who question what John is writing about here, we see that it can apply to both, John is proclaiming Light and Word of Life to the unbeliever and the believer so they do not sin, one in regards to justification and one in regards to sanctification, whose conscious has been defiled by sin. To these John writes these things so that they might not sin, and if they do sin they have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ. John writes about is the concept of walking in the Light. And to this regards we can shed light on darkness, on teachings of repentance that attempt to purge or act as some atonement for the conscious defiled by sin. These teach if one doesn't have a regret for their sin then they do not mean it, they have not truly repented, but these neglect Christ as advocate and have no understanding of the concept of walking in the Light. Paul writes repentance is of the will of God, a godly sorrow for sin, but it is without regret. Why without regret? for the one justified has been accepted, adopted, redeemed, forgiven, cleansed from all sin having peace before God. Where is regret? it is cast into the sea along with sin. For the one in need of a clean conscious he too enters out of darkness into the Light, into fellowship and rest. The consciousness which is defiled by sin is cleansed through fellowship with God or walking in the Light, out of darkness.
Also not partaking of the fruit of the work of darkness, now, to a greater extent also exposing.*
In context of this verse in Ephesians, which is right before putting on the armor of God, is the concept of "fruit of darkness," in which we are to shine the Light on. In fact we also see the concept of the "fruit of Light," as John writes, "for once you existed darkness, now, light in the Lord. Walk as children of the Light, for the fruit of light in all; goodness and righteousness and truth."* The fruit of light comes from walking in the Light. So we do not go around exposing other people's sin and at the same time not recognizing our own, such is hypocrisy. And if we walk in the Light, we will have fruit, we will walk in agape love, and as God endured sin patiently we too would endure our brother, in fact if we do not love our brother, we do not walk in the Light. Thus the solution for sin is to walk in the Light, and the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses from all sin. Of course Jesus does not have to die again for sin, but that which is exposed to the Light is no longer darkness. Like direct sunlight which is known to sanitize and to even kill bacteria and viruses, the infection of sin exposed to Light is sanitizing. Shine the light on the matter, it has a cleansing effect.
Come boldly before the throne of grace, and receive grace and mercy as needed. Do not walk around in a worldly sorrow because of a defiled conscious, beating your self up, thinking you must feel sorry for sin as if this will help you not sin again. This makes no sense, a form of self-abasement of the flesh, an attempt to punish yourself in order to rule over sin. This is like wallowing in the pig slop longer as if punishment for sin will deter the desire to sin. Paul writes such elemental principles have little value in overcoming sin in the flesh. The solution to the defiled conscious is simple; walk in the Light. Sure repent, throw away that cigarette, that beer, delete that porn you have been collecting, yes, having such a change of the mind is helpful, and even if you have done it a hundred times, Jesus says, repent and ask for forgiveness seventy times seven. But what good is it if you do not cleanse the conscious of sin? what good is it if you do not have fellowship with God and enter his rest? Come to the Light and remain in the Light, abide in the Word, the truth that sanctifies, a cleansing of the body, the washing of the word.* Have fellowship and the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses from all sin. Walk to, walk in, walk boldly, even if it is for the first time, walk in the Light, and be cleansed from all sin.
Great Is Thy Faithfulness
John begins this passage proclaiming that which they heard from the beginning. In John the first chapter, the One in the beginning was the Word, who was with God and was God, in Him all things were created. Jesus exists the first fruit of a new creation, in him we participate in Life and we exist Light as He is Light. If God said let there be Light and Jesus is Light, then Jesus existed in the beginning and when the Word became flesh he dwelt among men, h exists as light. Some did not enter into the Light as their being, their work was of darkness, but to those who received him, he gave them the right to become children of God. He was a Light unto the world and now he exists Light to those who are in darkness.
If saying we have no sin, deceiving ourselves and the truth exists not in us.*
Existing of truth is like existing of Light, if you are "in Christ" then Christ is in you and if He exists Light, the Light exists in you, and since he is also truth, the truth exists in you. In Christ you are truth, you are righteousness, you are a child of God, his Spirit is in you. Is it also true as Paul writes that sin still exists in our body, in the flesh? Yes, we will not have a glorified body until Jesus returns or we die and are resurrected in body. Since Jesus exists Life, and he exists in us, and sin is in the flesh, life is given to our mortal body through the Spirit. And though we are free from the law of sin and death, our body is corrupt, dying, and we will die in body, though we will be resurrected in Life. In our body it is true that we exist in sin and the wage of sin is still death of this body, but if Christ is in us, the Spirit of Life exists in us and the gift of God is eternal life. So I am a sinner if I obey the desires of my flesh and I am a saint, if Christ exists in me, truly, the latter is my true identity.
If confessing that our sin, he exists faithful and just, forgiving us our sins and cleansing us from all unrighteousness.*
Peter writes Christ suffered once on account of sin, so that he might lead us to God.* We also participate in his death, the body crucified to sin and made alive in the Spirit. Often we hear taught in Christianity the need to die, but what we need is true understanding in the teachings of Baptism. We participate in His death, so someone died with him, but who? the old man died, and if I am in Christ I am not the old man but the new man, my true identity. The old man enslaved to sin is dead and I am of his divine nature. We participated in his death, crucified with him is the old man, and the new man, who I am really am, is alive in Him. He died for sin and was crucified once and for all. The fact is I can't die to sin but I can have testimony of water as I have testimony of blood, that I am cleansed from all sin. I am righteous, just, in right standing with God, having peace before him. To be in Christ and then to say I need to die to sin, is this to not recognize that the old man is dead? and is it not to know my true identity, that of the new man? Jesus died for my sin and he no longer needs to die again if I sin. But what we do find is the need of a clean conscious and fellowship. So we see the concept of walking in the Light.
Paul writes that Jesus became our great High Priest. His precious blood became a payment for sin. When John writes of sin he speaks of it as "missing the mark" of God's righteousness. As Paul states there were none righteous, no not one, and that Christ died once and for all.* What does John mean when he writes, "if confessing that our sin, he exists faithful and just, forgiving us our sins and cleansing us from all unrighteousness."* If Christ died once and for all then forgiveness and confession would be once and for all. John also writes that truth exists in us. I believe truth gives us the realization that something is not quite right, we delight inwardly in God's laws but still struggle with sin. Paul came to this important truth, it is not I but sin in my body.* It is important to speak the whole truth in regards to scripture. My true nature is of God's divine nature, not that of sinful nature. When John says, if we say we do not sin we do not have truth in us, it is a matter of sin in our body and of identity in that our true nature is not of sin, but righteousness which I am indebted to. It is a matter of our realization in regards to the issue of sin and to our ruling over sin, that we have come to know and believe that we are in need of a Savior.
We know that Christ, raised from the dead, will never die again, death no longer rules over him, for who died, died to sin once and for all, yea, who lives, lives to God.*
Forgiveness is once and for all, as Paul writes in Hebrews, there is no longer a need of another sacrifice for sin. This would say His blood was no better than that of animals. If I have been forgiven and then I ask God again for forgiveness, would it mean I do understand justification? And would it not seem to say the blood of Jesus was not effective in cleansing sin, once and for all? More so would it not say the Lamb was not acceptable to God as a payment for sin? And does not such speak of the mercy of God? not being wrathful toward sin, and how the scriptures say under the Old they were vessels of His wrath, and that God patiently endured evil? Does it not also speak of how in the new his mercy triumphs his judgement and if He was not merciful and loving and Jesus did not appease sin then He would be wrathful, and we would not be vessels of his mercy but of wrath. Would this not also speak to the matter of the blood of Jesus cleansing us from all sin? in that the blood of Jesus was not good enough a payment for sin? I would think so. The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin when we believed but can it also continue to cleanse in regard to the conscious? So we come to the concept of walking in the Light and fellowship.
whom seen and heard, proclaiming also to you, so that you too have fellowship...
We see the message is to both an audience of unbelievers and believers, it is matter of cleansing and fellowship for both. So to those who question what John is writing about here, we see that it can apply to both, John is proclaiming Light and Word of Life to the unbeliever and the believer so they do not sin, one in regards to justification and one in regards to sanctification, whose conscious has been defiled by sin. To these John writes these things so that they might not sin, and if they do sin they have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ. John writes about is the concept of walking in the Light. And to this regards we can shed light on darkness, on teachings of repentance that attempt to purge or act as some atonement for the conscious defiled by sin. These teach if one doesn't have a regret for their sin then they do not mean it, they have not truly repented, but these neglect Christ as advocate and have no understanding of the concept of walking in the Light. Paul writes repentance is of the will of God, a godly sorrow for sin, but it is without regret. Why without regret? for the one justified has been accepted, adopted, redeemed, forgiven, cleansed from all sin having peace before God. Where is regret? it is cast into the sea along with sin. For the one in need of a clean conscious he too enters out of darkness into the Light, into fellowship and rest. The consciousness which is defiled by sin is cleansed through fellowship with God or walking in the Light, out of darkness.
Also not partaking of the fruit of the work of darkness, now, to a greater extent also exposing.*
In context of this verse in Ephesians, which is right before putting on the armor of God, is the concept of "fruit of darkness," in which we are to shine the Light on. In fact we also see the concept of the "fruit of Light," as John writes, "for once you existed darkness, now, light in the Lord. Walk as children of the Light, for the fruit of light in all; goodness and righteousness and truth."* The fruit of light comes from walking in the Light. So we do not go around exposing other people's sin and at the same time not recognizing our own, such is hypocrisy. And if we walk in the Light, we will have fruit, we will walk in agape love, and as God endured sin patiently we too would endure our brother, in fact if we do not love our brother, we do not walk in the Light. Thus the solution for sin is to walk in the Light, and the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses from all sin. Of course Jesus does not have to die again for sin, but that which is exposed to the Light is no longer darkness. Like direct sunlight which is known to sanitize and to even kill bacteria and viruses, the infection of sin exposed to Light is sanitizing. Shine the light on the matter, it has a cleansing effect.
Come boldly before the throne of grace, and receive grace and mercy as needed. Do not walk around in a worldly sorrow because of a defiled conscious, beating your self up, thinking you must feel sorry for sin as if this will help you not sin again. This makes no sense, a form of self-abasement of the flesh, an attempt to punish yourself in order to rule over sin. This is like wallowing in the pig slop longer as if punishment for sin will deter the desire to sin. Paul writes such elemental principles have little value in overcoming sin in the flesh. The solution to the defiled conscious is simple; walk in the Light. Sure repent, throw away that cigarette, that beer, delete that porn you have been collecting, yes, having such a change of the mind is helpful, and even if you have done it a hundred times, Jesus says, repent and ask for forgiveness seventy times seven. But what good is it if you do not cleanse the conscious of sin? what good is it if you do not have fellowship with God and enter his rest? Come to the Light and remain in the Light, abide in the Word, the truth that sanctifies, a cleansing of the body, the washing of the word.* Have fellowship and the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses from all sin. Walk to, walk in, walk boldly, even if it is for the first time, walk in the Light, and be cleansed from all sin.
Great Is Thy Faithfulness