John at Ephesus Part Two

Radical Treatment for Sin

Verse 8:  how is it that the more we walk in the light the more we become aware of our sinful nature, what lies at the base of some groups teachings that we can live without sin?

 ⁸If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.

 

Central to the teachings of Christ Redeemer is the concept that we have something for which redemption is required.  Looking around us every day how can we doubt the nature and importance of sin as a motivator of action within the Human Community.  This verse which is so simple it argues rightly that to deny our sinful nature is to deny our relationship with god, who has sacrificed his only son so that we might be freed from the punishment our sinful natures warrant. 

 

It is important to note that this claim to a sinless nature is fundamentally different to the claim of freedom from sin that is evoked in Romans 6.  Romans 6 seeks to point out that we should no longer be slaves to sin and that we should instead see ourselves as slaves to righteousness.  Importantly this verse does not claim that we do not have a sinful nature but rather seeks to exalt us in seeking to follow the path of Christ in not allowing sin to rule our lives.  The difference is one of degrees however at its core one argues we must master a part of our inherent natures with the help of god and one argues that the nature itself does not exist.

As previously noted our relationship with god as a source of light ensures that our lives are illuminated by God, like any bright light more detail will become visible to us as we walk in his light.  We also clearly gain the advantage of his insights as we grow into maturity with him.  Note the Verse at Hebrews 4:13 for he can see all things and nothing is hidden from him ( please note this is a paraphrasing of the verse).  This seems to be the source of the most holy of us being constantly reminded of their own sinful natures. 

 

Those groups within the christian movement which seek to step away from the recognition of our own sinful natures seem to exaggerate the release from sin argued for in Romans 6,  they also seem to be suggesting that as Christ was free from sin we must be able to achieve a similar level of freedom thanks to his sacrifice on the cross.  It is clear that this is a misunderstanding of the verses in question.

Verse 10 what are some of the ways we might deny we have sinned?

If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.

 

Human history has been replete with attempts to redefine the meaning and nature of sin.  The bible shows us that even in Israel under God it was easy for people to be misled in allowing sin to flourish under the cover of new words to describe old sins.  In the modern word we are surrounded by attempts to use relativistic forms of morality including models based on utilitarian ethics and attempts to use evolutionary psychology to redefine the nature of wrong and right.  We live in a world where personal choice has frequently been allowed to drive the agenda on these issues in a sense allowing selfish activities to become more that OK, they have become morally defensible in the modern context.  This flies counter to the nature of god as the immutable lord and generator of a moral code which is both true (in a philosophical sense) and unchanging.  Christ fought with those who had taken the cloak of righteousness and covered their selfish ways (Luke 11: 37-53), how can we do any less.

 

If we do not accept the sinful actions we take and recognise them for what they are then what does that say about Christ's words to us in the new testament, specifically how do we
address the words relating to sin used through out the bible (Romans 3:9-23).  Without Sin the world would be a paradise as described in the genesis verses, the fall which follows the rebellion of Adam and Eve is a depiction of the results of sin (Genesis 3).  Clearly the world is more like the world described in Genesis 3 than that described in the earlier verses of Genesis.  We just need to look at the terrible loss of life experienced under Stalin, Mao and Hitler to understand that a rejection of god and the moral principles he espouses are tantamount to a rejection of any reliable form of moral code.

Verse 9 Holds out the remedy for Sin what is the importance of John's use of the word confess?

⁹If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
 

It is clear that based on the writing of John the solution to the challenge raised in both verse 8 and 10 is to recognise our sinful nature and confess the sins we commit to god.  In doing so we open ourselves up to his light which seeks out darkness in all of its forms.  We are also in a sense rejecting the temptations on offer to both ignore our sinful nature and the impact of the actions we take when we surrender to that nature.  I cannot see a more clear link to the nature of believers discussed under verse 1:8 which discusses the relationship to be a stronger believer and having a greater conviction of Sin.

 

As long as we approach god with an open and honest heart with an intent for true repentance it is clear that he will forgive us of our sins (Jer 31:34).  God is faithful and just always keeping his promises as he has done with relation to the atoning sacrifice of Christ on the cross, which frees us from the impact of our sinful natures.  His forgiveness is already a given for those who repent of their sins and approach him as the followers of Christ (Romans 3:22-26).   With this in mind how is that we can for a second follow the suggestions made under above under verses 8 & 10?  how is it with forgiveness freely given we can fall for such a clear lie?  The only answer that can be given is that we as humans seek the complex answers to the simplest questions, it is also clear that in rejecting the formula given for repentance we avoid the need to examine our own actions in the light of god.  Repentance is a difficult thing as the true impact of your sins become visible to you and you can not avoid a recognition of the impacts of our actions.