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welcome to everyone for our call to worship this evening you can turn in your Bibles to Psalm 62 Psalm 62 Psalm 62 beginning in verse 1 to the chief musician to jettison a psalm of David truly my soul silently waits for God from him comes my salvation he only is my rock and my salvation he is my defense i shall not be greatly moved how long will you attack a man you shall be slain all of you like a leaning wall and a tottering fence they only consult to cast him down from his high position they delight and lies they bless with their mouths but they curse inwardly say law my soul waits silently for God alone for my expectation is from him he only is my rock and my salvation he is my defense i shall not be moved in god is my salvation and my glory the rock of my strength and my refuge is in god trust in him at all times you people pour out your heart before him god is a refuge for us say law surely men of low degree are a vapor man of high degree are alive if they are weighed on the scales they are altogether lighter than vapor do not trust an oppression or vainly hope and robbery if riches increase do not set your heart on them God has spoken once twice I have heard this that power belongs to God also to you O Lord belongs mercy where you render to each one according to his work Amen well please turn in your Trinity hymnal to him number 87 hymn number 87 will stand as we sing together [Music] let us pray God Most High it is a blessed privilege for us to gather in your presence again we acknowledge Father Son and Holy Spirit one glorious God Blessed Trinity the God who is worthy of praise and adoration and glory and honor a God who has visited us with so much grace in terms of the gospel a God who has redeemed us unto himself and in all of these things as we rehearse these truths may it draw our hearts out in worship and praise and adoration the psalmist said power belongs to our God you are indeed infinite eternal and unchangeable and you're being wisdom power holiness justice goodness and truth you are the God who made this world and all things in it and certainly the created order displays your your glory in your handiwork you are the God who governs all this creatures and all their actions and sovereign Providence we know that nothing happens outside of your will apart from your decree and that you are causing all things to work together for good to those who love you to those who are the called according to your purpose we thank you for creation for Providence we rejoice and redemption and for so great a salvation that we have in our Lord Jesus Christ we thank you that you sent your son into this world to live in obedience to the law to die is a substitute and it sacrificed to bear the penalty of divine justice upon the cross to be raised on the third day to see now or sit now at the right hand of God the Father and Lord we looked forward to that day when he comes again in glory to judge the living and the dead we thank you for the Ministry of the Holy Spirit we would pray that tonight he would be in our midst that as we sing and as we pray and as we look to Holy Scripture we would know the presence and the power of the Holy Spirit that our worship would indeed be pleasing to you that it would be in spirit and in truth we confess our sins to you now God we ask for forgiveness through the blood of the Lord Christ we thank you from the promises of Scripture that that set forth forgiveness and even now Lord God we do confess and we know that you are faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness we would ask our Father in Heaven that as we consider your graciousness and your mercy and your goodness we consider your holy laws we consider that glorious gospel that it would indeed cause us and move us to to pursue those things that are pleasing in your sight do forgive us that we fall short and do forgive us for our remaining corruption forgive us the good that we wish to do we don't always do and the evil that we don't want to do we find ourselves doing we ask that you would fill us and help us by your grace to be a godly people to be zealous for good works and to honor you in the way that we live our lives in this community we ask that you would bless those who come in among us that are unsaved we don't appeal to them and their free will but we know God that will get no man anywhere but we pray to you a God of sovereign grace the God who is willing to make men or make men willing in the day of his power we would ask that you'd open hearts and cause sinners to receive the truth and to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ we pray our Father for our children and our young people we know that we live in a debauched and wicked age we know that there are so many temptations not unlike it has been in the past certainly we are concerned for them and we pray that they would remember their Creator in their youth you'd get a hold of their hearts as little ones that there would never be a time in their lives where they had not feared the Lord God Most High be gracious unto them and bless them richly and cause them to rise up and to serve you in this world we pray for those in our midst who have ongoing illnesses and we just commit them to you and to the word of your grace and pray that you would undertake on their behalf that you would encourage them and that though the outer our the the outer man does decay day by day may the inner man be renewed may they be further conformed unto the the Lord Jesus Christ even through trial and affliction and difficulty we also pray our God for other churches in our community we thank you that we are not alone here and we pray for your people we ask God that you would bless the Churches of Christ that preach the truth of Christ may you uphold them and may you strengthen them and may you use them to reach sinners in this community we pray for this entire nation that you would revive your churches that you would revive your people she would cause us to think your thoughts after you cause us to shine as lights in a crooked and perverse generation cause us to be a prayerful people and as well our Father we pray that you would awaken those who are dead in their trespasses and sins we live in a day and age what look looks very much like the days of Isaiah the prophet when men call good evil and evil good we don't look to politics or to human virtue to correct such things but we pray to a prayer hearing God a sovereign God so we pray that you would bless the gospel may it run swiftly and be glorified and may many many people come to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior we ask that you would be merciful to those in other countries that suffer for the cause of Christ God we hear on a weekly basis of the atrocities committed against our brothers and sisters for their faith in the Lord Jesus and we pray that you would be their portion and their lot she would encourage them and strengthen them and help them to persevere in the midst of such suffering and may you indeed cause your gospel to go forth in these lands and may it be the case that you would turn a multitude from their useless idols to the true and to the Living God send forth your glorious gospel and may Christ indeed have dominion from sea to sea and may God indeed be all in all in these places continue with us now Lord God bless our brother Mike as he preaches the word tonight fill him with the holy spirit give him grace to first and foremost be accurate with the Word of God and may it indeed find its place in our hearts and may you conform us more and more under the image of your beloved son and we pray through Jesus Christ our Lord amen well you can turn with in the Trinity Salter to Psalm 43 Psalm 43 we'll use a familiar tune please stand as we sing together Psalm 43 [Music] we can turn in your Bibles to the Prophet Hosea will read Hosea chapters 2 & 3 this evening Hosea the first of the twelve minor prophets as I mentioned last week he prophesied in the northern kingdom in the eighth century BC and he also was asked to marry a woman that in many respects mirrored or imaged God's marriage to Israel an unfaithful woman and certainly Hosea's prophecy is born out of that experience that he himself knew so I'll begin reading in chapter 2 at verse 1 say to your brethren my people and to your sisters mercy is shown bring charges against your mother bring charges for she is not my wife nor am i her husband let her put away her harlotries from her sight and her adulteries from between her breasts lest i strip her naked and exposed her as in the day she was born and make her like a wilderness and set her like a dry land and slay her with thirst I will not have mercy on her children for they are the children of harlotry for their mother has played the harlot she who conceived them has behaved shamefully or she said I will go after my lover who give me my bread and my water my wool in my linen my oil in my drink therefore behold I will hedge up your way with thorns and wall her in Sochi so that she cannot find her paths she will chase her lovers but not overtake them yes she will seek them but not find them then she will say I will go and return to my first husband for then it was better for me than now which she did not know that I gave her grain new wine and oil and multiplied her silver and gold which they prepared for bail therefore I will return and take away my grain in its time and my new wine in its season and will take back my wool in my linen given to cover her nakedness now I will uncover her lewdness in the sight of her lovers and no one shall deliver her from my hand I will cause all her birth to seize her feast days her new moons or Sabbath's all her appointed feasts and I will destroy her vines in her fig trees of which she has said these are my wages that my lovers have given me so I will make them a forest and the beasts of the field shall eat them I will punish her for the days of the bales to which she burned incense she decked herself with her earrings and jewelry and she went or and went after her lovers but me she forgot says the Lord therefore behold I will lure her will bring her into the wilderness and speak comfort to her I will give her vineyards from there and the valley of Achor as a door of hope she shall sing there as in the days of her youth as in the day when she came up from the land of Egypt and it shall be in that day says the Lord that you will call me my husband and no longer call me my master for I will take from her mouth the names of the bales and they shall be remembered by their name no more in that day I will make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field with the birds of the air and with the creeping things of the ground bow and sword of battle I will shatter from the earth to make them lie down safely I will betroth you to me forever yes I will betroth you to me in righteousness and justice and loving kindness and mercy I will betroth you to me and faithfulness and you shall know the Lord it shall come to pass in that day that I will answer says the Lord I will answer the heavens and they shall answer the earth the earth shall answer with grain with new wine and with oil they shall answer Jezreel then I will sew her for myself in the earth and I will have mercy on her who had not obtained mercy then I will say to those who were not my people you are my people and they shall say you are my god and the Lord said to me go again love a woman who is loved by a lover and is committing adultery just like the love of the Lord for the children of Israel who look to other gods and loved the raisin cakes of the Hagen's so I bought her for myself for 15 chuckles of silver and 1 and 1/2 homers of barley and I said to her you shall stay with me many days you shall not play the harlot nor shall you have a man so too will i be toward you for the children of israel shall abide many days without king or friends without sacrifice or sacred pillar without a fold or Tara Fein afterward the children of Israel shall return and seek the Lord their God and David their King they shall fear the Lord and His goodness in the latter days amen will let us pray our Father in Heaven we praise you and we thank you for the message of this book we praise you and thank you for the way in which Hosea the Prophet redeems is why God how we praise you for the reality that that that typifies pointing forward to the new covenant when the Lord Jesus Christ redeems us from our sins in a most violent way in a most a screw excruciating way God certainly you made him who knew no sin to be sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in him how we thank you for so great a salvation how we thank you for blood atonement how we thank you for the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world now we thank you that he is our Redeemer or Lord our Savior and our friend and as we continue in our time of singing as we look to the scriptures may it be the case that our hearts would be filled with love and affection and adoration and worship to you the triune God and we ask in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ amen well for our final him before the preaching of God's word you can turn to number 677 677 will stand as we sing together [Music] well good evening everybody you can turn with me in your Bibles to first John chapter one we are gonna every time I preach we're gonna go through the book of first John so first John chapter 1 last week we looked at verses 1 through 4 this week we're gonna look at verses 5 through 10 we're gonna read verses 1 5 2 2 2 to set the context for us the next week we'll look at 2 verses 1 & 2 first John chapter 1 verses 5 through 2 - this is the message which we have heard from him and declare to you that God is light and in him is no darkness at all if we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness we lie and do not practice the truth but if we walk in the light as he is in the light we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus his Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin now if we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us if we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness now if we say that we have not sinned we make him a liar and his word is not in us my little children these things I write to you so that you may not sin and if anyone sins we have an advocate with the father Jesus Christ the righteous and he himself is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours only but also for the whole world amen will let us pray Lord God Almighty we thank you that you are you are the god of light and that you are light you are the one who is absolutely glorious and excellent in the divine nature we thank you O God that you know all things you are omniscient we thank you O God that you are holy and just absolutely moral morally pure we thank you O God that how can man dwell with you how can the darkness dwell with the light o God except through the light of the world may we consider these things may we ponder these things may we think of Jesus Christ but we pray that you would help us O God to give us assurance help us to know that we have eternal life help us to know that we have the truth we thank you God for the truth we thank you that your truth helps us and aids us and strengthens us O God we pray O God that because you have saved us and because we the truth we would seek to live in a manner consistent with the gospel we would seek to walk in the light Oh God and we thank you God that even in our lives even in our Christian walk we know that we still sin yet we can come to you knowing that we have forgiveness of sins knowing that we can when we confess our sins to you are faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us of all unrighteousness we pray that today O God for those that do not know Christ we pray that you would call them out of darkness into marvelous light to believe on the light to believe on Jesus Christ that they may know they have eternal life as well and father God we pray that you would bless the preaching this day we pray that your spirit would help us and aid us concerning what your word says we pray that you would help us and strengthen us convictive so God but assure us of the hope of Christ we thank you for these things we thank you for your truth and we pray that you would be glorified this day in the name of Christ amen well just a brief reminder if you remember I said last time that the theme of first John comes from first John chapter 5 verse 13 he writes to them though the hope that they may know that they had they have eternal life in a lot of ways first John is really the Epistle of assurance reminding people assuring people that they have eternal life that they have hope that they know that they have eternal life and he uses that idea of knowing quite often throughout the Epistle because we talked a bit about last time and as we'll talk about this time there were some who sought to corrupt the gospel they taught a Salvation through secret knowledge that only they got that gave them the secrets of the universe but what we teach as we teach salvation comes through revealed knowledge through the truth of the gospel through Jesus Christ the righteous so he's combating these things he's combating those who teach a false message with the true message and on top of the true message teaching how though Christians may have assurance in the truth in a lot of ways last time verses one through four was the introduction to the sermon the true message against the false one and now we begin to move into perhaps point one of John's sermon living in the light now there's a major problem there are hypocrites there are those that go out from the church there are those who deny that they ever sinned both in the past present and future but they still thought that they had fellowship with God so there's this problem people think they have assurance but in reality they don't because they deny the truth for one and they do not believe according to the truth for another and so perhaps we can ask ourselves this question how does one have fellowship with God and even to couple with that what is the assurance of fellowship how does one have fellowship with God and what is the assurance that we have fellowship with God and so we will look at this theme under three headings this evening we will look first of all at the message of light in verse five secondly we will look at the path of darkness in verses six eight and ten and then lastly we will look at the path of light in verses seven and nine so the message of light in verse five the path of darkness in verses six eight and 10 and the path of light in verses seven and nine and the reason for splitting up the verses will become apparent in a moment but let's first look at the message of light in verse five notice what he says this is the message which we have heard from him and declare to you notice the source of his message where did he get it where does it come from did he get it from some special knowledge that he heard God speak to him how did he know how God would speak to him what he would sound like but did he get the secrets of the universe from some special knowledge notice it says the message which we have heard from him see whenever someone preaches the truth who are speaking or seeking to preach the truth as it has been handed down and John himself has received the truth from Jesus Christ and he's then passing that on to his disciples to his to his hearers that they might know the truth this what the focus is on what Jesus has handed down which is what we saw in verses 1 through 4 that which was from the beginning which we have heard which we have seen with our eyes which we have looked upon and hand and our hands have handled concerning the word of life in verse 3 that which we have seen and heard we declare to you the message that has been handed down there now passing that message on he receives the message he receives knowledge from the revealer of the father himself Jesus Christ and so we see the source of his message it is from Jesus Christ the righteous notice this message we have heard from him we declare it to you as well and then notice in verse 5 as well the essence of the message that God is light now you see this is the basis and the theme for the for the following verses that's the way it's structured verse 5 is the overarching theme and verses 6 to 10 then unpack that theme for us they have the true message they have the truth true profession of faith in that God is light and then verses 6 through 10 gives some negative implications and positive implications 6 8 and 10 given that give deceptive professions of faith and in verses 7 and 9 give positive professions of faith but nonetheless we see what the basis is God is light now this highlights for us through its using the language of the manner of men to describe something concerning God I think it does have a broad reference in the Old Testament and I think it does refer to has a broad meaning but I think it is narrowed in this context but nonetheless matthew henry says this report asserts the excellency of the divine nature he is all beauty and perfection that can be represented to us by light he is a self active uncompounded spirituality purity wisdom holiness and glory there is no defect or imperfection no mixture of anything alien or contrary to absolute excellency no mutability nor capacity of any decay in him he is absolute glory he is absolute moral purity perhaps we can ask the question how can darkness dwell with the lights how can those that are covered in sin dwell with this true and living God how can those that have sinned and are covered in in in fecal matter according to Zechariah 3 how can we dwell with this one who is light the messages God is light and notice and in him there is no darkness at all and so I think the context here well it has a broad reference when it comes to speaking of God is light it's referring to God as absolute moral purity it's referring to God as utterly holy that's why we sang holy holy holy though the darkness hide thee though the eye of sinful man thy glory may not see I can't remember the actual words forgive me for that but nonetheless how can sinful man dwell at this one look upon this one who is light and accessible the focus is on his holiness perhaps we see the the essence of it or what's going on in Isaiah 6 and I say a 6 when when Isaiah is is before that the throne of God in verse 3 and who one who cried to another and the the Seraphim and cherubim are seeing holy holy holy is the Lord of hosts the whole earth is full of his glory and notice Isaiah's response in 5 woe is me for I am undone because I have a man of unclean lips and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips for my eyes have seen the king the Lord of hosts who can dwell with this one who can't well with this God who is light and there was even the the emphasis there is no darkness at all he's absolute purity absolutely holy he is the one who is far above any other creature he's completely other absolutely pure I love the way I mean we just read a excellency of the divine nature there is no imperfection there is no defect in him what so ever so this is the basis the thrust it's the truth that grounds the rest of the section in a lot of ways for us we our pastors have referenced this many times but right teaching leads to right practice orthodoxy leads to orthopraxy that's why we have a prop we we seek to understand the truth as it's set forth that we might have a proper practice as well because you see these men these Gnostics these false teachers had a false theology had a false theory and that led to a false practice you see last time I talked about how these men talked about how the matter was bad and spirit is good matter bad spirit good and so they have this and not only that they have this false gospel that Christ didn't actually come in the flesh so their theology their anthropology eventually as we'll see soon leads to a false practice they have a false assurance if you will false Gospels lead to false practice which leads to a false assurance I think that's what the writers say in our confession chapter 18 although temporary believers and other unregenerate men may vainly deceive themselves with false hopes and carnal presuppositions of being in the favor of God and state of salvation which hope of theirs shall perish you see our practice is grounded in the truth that God is light and how can sinful man dwell with this one so certainly there's been negative aspect but there's also that positive aspect as well we preach and teach the truth we emphasize the truth with the hope that there will be light practice our rights practice as well hopefully we walk in the light because we have been saved so that's the message of light that's the basis for the following sections let us look secondly at the path of darkness in verses 6 8 & 10 notice in verse 6 if we say that we have fellowship with him that is if we have fellowship with God and we walk in darkness we lie and do not practice the truth but notice 6 if we say we have fellowship you see these false teachers were professing believers they were professing to be part of the people of God they were professing to have communion with God and what does John say in John first John 2 verses 18 and following he talks about the antichrists even now many antichrists have come by which we know that it is the last hour notice in 19 they went out from us but they were not of us for if they had been of us they would have continued with us but they went out that they might be made manifest that none of them were with us they taught that they thought they were Christian they profess to be believers but they deviated the gospel so much that they can never be Christians salvation for them was not a salvation from sin but it was from ignorance from not knowing the secrets of the universe that was their focus that was their thrust but they even had no proper doctrine of total depravity which we talked about this morning and as I've said already these 6 8 and 10 talk about deceptive professions of faith they deny the seriousness of sin as one writer says these be please false teachers believe that the spirit cannot affect be affected by bodily acts and thus they permit licentiousness as a consequence what they're saying is the moral law does not apply the moral lie the moral law does not matter you see any and this is governed by their view of of the world of creation spirit good matter bad it's kind of an interesting doctrine they kind of in a lot of ways they're very prideful I'm great I got this secret knowledge I heard it on my own but then they time they talk about having fellowship with God but then it leads to abuse in my sensuousness they really do have their cake and eat it too or eat their cake and have it too don't they they have communion with God but they say that this the matter will not ever affect the spirit because it doesn't mean anything so therefore I can live any way I want to live that's what they're saying that's what they're doing and again the connection with God as the basis is the foundation how can men dwell with this God if we say we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness we lie we lie and do not practice the truth but notice we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness you see you see the focus here is on the reality of walking in darkness you see it's really highlighting those who are unregenerate those who are not saved those who are in a state of sin and ignorance as one writer says darkness is typically used in in John's Gospel as a category that includes everything that is at enmity with God it's describing those who hate God it's describing those who don't walk with God even again walking implies the reality of Perpetua of of the idea of there's no end in sight their life is made up of saying their life is one that evidence is that they are unregenerate and that will become very clear as we go along but notice the consequences they we say we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness we lie and do not practice the see John has a lot of contrasts light and darkness truth and lying he also will talk about sin and righteousness but nonetheless we see he'd leave lie and do not practice the truth again what's the grounding what's the focus right doctrine leads to right practice it's grounded in the truth of the gospel and the truth of who God actually is and as one writer says truth is used 20 times in John's Gospel and it usually refers to the revelation of who God is but not only that his salvation found in Jesus Christ you see we need a right understanding of sin and a right understanding of salvation it's not a secret knowledge but the revealed knowledge of what sin is and what the remedy for sin is found in Christ and in Christ alone so they say we walk in darkness but we can walk any way we want but we lie and do not practice the truth notice in verse 8 as they continue on if we say we have no sin must be nice to say we have no sin and I think here he's highlighting the nature of sin these teachers plain that they have never sinned that they did they don't sin that they don't practice sin that they are perfect as one as if John Gill says they denied human sinfulness and he says it is a plain case that the truth of grace is not in such persons for if there was a real work of God upon their souls they would know and discern the plague of their own hearts the impurity of their nature and the imperfection of their implicit of their disobedience or the imperfection of their obedience you see these ones taught they could never sin but they didn't have any sin and then we see the consequences for that in verse 8 if we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves and again the truth is not in us he's repeating it notice we deceive our selves that's a terrifying reality isn't it that's you last time we talked about how perhaps other religions they actually do have hope than the truth these ones are professing believers professing the truth even though they don't hold to the truth the reality is that they're talking about being believers in Christ if they're blatantly denying the truth of the gospel how terrifying is that they think they have the truth they think they're going to have and they think they have communion with God but they don't believe the truth they do not live according in a manner consistent with the truth thinking that they are gonna die and go to heaven it's terrifying and even notice deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us again he repeats that I think the way he's writing six eight and 10 are highlighting again the negative aspects but 7 and 9 are inserted in between those to highlight the positive aspects you see the way the writer is writing it's actually meant to be heard isn't it and I don't have you ever done this as your own exercise but if you ever listen to scripture you might hear different things because it's meant to be read out loud and that's the way he's writing and that's the way I've sought to structure the sermon is because he's highlighting these negative things with the positive things inserted if we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves and again he repeats the truth is not in us verse 6 we do not practice the truth verse 10 and his word is not in us the truth is not in us the truth again is the focus and emphasis we say we have no so they say that they have no sin and then notice in verse 10 if we say that we have not sinned we make him a liar and his word is not in us so if we say that we have not sinned in 10 I think the difference between 10 and 8 is if we say that we have no sin in verse 8 they're highlighting the nature that we are not sinful in verse 10 he's saying we have never sinned we have never committed any acts of sin we've never in we've never broken the ten come whatsoever as Matthew Henry says he says now there may be those who pretend to great attainments and enjoyments in religion they profess communion with God yet their lives may be irreligious immoral and impure to such the pot the Apostle would not fear to give the lie see there's a fine balance isn't there when preaching a text like this you know there are those who struggle with assurance aren't there and the whole text is the whole purpose of John as I've said in this epistle is to give people assurance of salvation if you've been convicted of sin be assured of the work of Christ if you walk in some degree by God's grace seeking to live His commandments praise God Almighty that you can have assurance what the hope of assurance is grounded upon is the cross of Jesus Christ and we'll talk about that again in a moment but nonetheless we see that it's found on Jesus Christ who came in the flesh who actually was human contrary to what these men were teaching so you see there's the fine line between those who struggle with assurance and those who have false assurance and are living blatant blatant rejection to the truth I think that's the focus of John in 6 8 and 10 these men are living in blatant rejection to the gospel a sin whatever don't need to worry about that I've never even engaged in such sins I walk in light they walk in darkness that's the focus we deceive ourselves or or intent we if we say we have not sinned notice we make him a liar and his word is not in us now it's not as though God is lying but it makes as if it makes it appear as if God is because what does he say in his word he says all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God he says all are wicked and estranged from the womb he says that there is no one righteous no not one you see how a proper understanding of total depravity helps us with a proper understanding of the gospel you see we need to understand the wickedness the sinfulness how wretched we are how dark we are that we might look by God's grace to the light Jesus Christ we have to have a right or robust understanding of the whole counsel of God so we make God to be a liar and the word is not in us now don't many kind of say to reform people formed people those who practice reformed theology that we're not very practical they say oh you guys just worry about the product of the true side of things you worry about the doctrine you don't worry about the practical side of things isn't this immensely practical knowing right doctrine that leads to right practice I mean that's why we emphasize right truth right doctors that we might practice the scripture are right we are we do hold to not only truth we don't only hold to the indicative that is the truth but we hold to the imperatives the commands that are based on those truths in Scripture and so I think we see here in this path of darkness the serious reality of false professions of faith don't we deceptive professions of faith the unreality unreal the other reality of these people profess to be believers yet they are far from the truth and sadly I think that is the case today perhaps it's not in the same way as these false teachers props is not in a similar fashion but nonetheless many profess to be believers yet there's no evidence of it in their lives they say there's no need for the law I can live any sort of way I want to we are seen in such a way that we do not have to practice that the truth that's not the case at all there certainly as justification brothers and sisters we are right in God's sight but there's sanctification that is the work of God by which he conforms us more and more to the image of Christ it's a serious reality of the profit of false professions of faith but one thing I really appreciate I think about John here throughout these verses he says if we say if we say we have fellowship with him if we say we have no sin if we say that we have not sinned while he's talking to those who are false professors of faith nonetheless brothers and sisters and we profess the truth we must examine ourselves we must think through these things we must beware because what I appreciate about John is one commentator highlighted as he's highlighting that there is the reality we are still sinful you see we're not ever going to be perfect on this side of heaven if we say that we have in a lot of ways their hypothetical he's not as though you know it's not as though he's lacking assurance but there's there's a possibility because of the deceptive nature of sin the pervasive nature of sin there may be some here today that profess to be believers in Jesus Christ that may not be believers that do not hold fast to the truth that do not walk in the light according to the word by the grace of God so in a lot of ways he's causing us to examine ourselves in some way but show us the seriousness of sin but again the focus is on those who blatantly deny the truth but nonetheless we must remember the seriousness of sin so that's the path of darkness let us look at the path of light verses 7 and 9 notice what he says but if we walk in the light as he is in the light we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin you see as darkness is meant described those who are emiti with God light here really does refer to those who are redeemed and are filled with Christian truth and again it's walking in the light as we'll see in verse verse 9 it's not as though we are perfect it's not as though we are saying less but nonetheless it's a pattern of living walking in the truth you see we commune with this God who where there is no darkness we can walk in the light as is in the light because of Christ you see if you claim to know God you will seek a living according to live according to the truth as Calvin says he now says that the proof of our union with God is certain if we are conformable to him not that the purity of life conciliate s' us to God as the prior cause that is anything within us but the Apostle means that our union with God is evident by the effect that is when his purity shines forth in us we walk in the light as he is in the light those who redeemed those who are called out of darkness into marvelous light walk in the light as he is in the light and notice some of the results of that we have fellowship with one another that's what he talked about already in verses 1 through 4 he talked about how though as they declare the message the purpose is that they made that that his hears might have fellowship with the Apostles and their Fellowship is with the father and with his son Jesus Christ how then do we have fellowship if we have fellowship with him we do not walk in darkness but we walk in the light as he is in the light we have fellowship with one another notice we have fellowship but not only that the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin this is the basis for our communion this is the basis for our ability to fellowship with the God of heaven and earth again how can dark man how can sinful man dwell with this God who is utterly and morally pure it is through the lights of the world is through Jesus Christ and when it talks about his cleansing us from all sin verse refers back to the Old Testament in a lot of ways John does refer alludes to the Old Testament quite often this alludes back to Leviticus 16 that day of atonement that they might atone sins to cleanse them from their sins and so the the bond for our union the basis for you is Christ who is the light of the world you know he John 8:12 he says I am the light of the world John 12:30 sexes 36 he says you must believe in the lights and perhaps one of my favorites it was referred to this morning John 1:1 verses 4 and 5 could the Gospel of John verse 1 chapter 1 verses 4 and 5 in him was life and the life was the light of men and the light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not comprehend it or perhaps better the darkness did not overtake it Christ is morally pure Christ is perfect Christ is the light that we might dwell with God who is light Christ is the one who is absolutely perfect dying for dark sin stain sinners that we might be cleansed of that darkness cleanse of that filth in Christ and in Christ alone he is the one who reveals to us the truth the light is found in him we must believe on the light believe on the truth and we shall dwell and we do dwell with this God who is light walk in the light as he is in the light we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin then notice verse 9 perhaps this is one we go to quite often and we quote quite often if we confess our sins what's the implication we still sin he's not teaching there's gonna be sinless perfection if we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and again to cleanse us from all unrighteousness again the reality is there's going to be a continual confession in the Christian of life in the Christian life don't we pray in Matthew 6 Lord forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us and ask Matthew Henry says he says the Christian religion is the religion of sinners of such as have sinned and in whom sin in some measure still dwells the Christian life is a life of continued repentance humiliation for and mortification of sin of continual faith thankfulness for and love to the Redeemer and hopeful joy a hopeful joyful expectation of a day of glorious Redemption in which the believer shall be fully and finally acquitted and sin abolished forever the Christian religion is the religion of sinners but notice we go to our God we confess our sins to our God and notice the result that flows from his character he is faithful and just to forgive us what is the psalm writers say in psalm 32 verses 1 through 5 blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven whose sin is covered blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity and then hid in whose spirit there is no deceit when I kept silent my bones grew old through my groaning all the day long for a day night your hand was heavy upon me my vitality was turned into the drought of summer but I acknowledged my sin to you and my iniquity I have not hidden I said I will confess my transgression to the Lord and you forgave the iniquity of my sin the joy of forgiveness that is found in our Lord and as Gill says this is not the act which is done at once and includes all sin past present and future but an application of pardoning grace to a poor sensible sinner humbled under a sense of sin and confessing it before the Lord if you believed on Christ your sins are forgiven your sins are covered your sins are clan's go to the Father and receive receive that cleansing because of Christ to forgive and also to cleanse us of all unrighteousness the basis for this is found in verse 7 its Christ who cleanses us from all sin but even looking ahead which we'll look at next time in verses 2 1 through 2 I mean that's to 1 through 2 is all about the priestly work of Christ we see how my little children these things I write to you so that you may not sin and if anyone sins we have an advocate with the father Jesus Christ the righteous and he himself is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours only but also for the whole world but it is Jesus Christ the righteous we can have assurance of hope we can have assurance because of the sure reality of the cleansing work of Jesus Christ if you struggle with assurance know that your assurance is found on the work of Jesus Christ but it's also found in the inward work of the Holy Spirit in your lives there is a helpful helpful a way of speaking that when we think of this when we think of assurance and it goes like this the scriptures say that children of God bear some evidence of fruits I must confess that I in some degree bear some fruit therefore I am a child of God it is not as though you're perfect it is not as though you're sent your you there's no sinfulness still but nonetheless by God's grace we grow in grace by God's grace we grow in holiness hope hope in sanctification is hopefully like this with a few blips along the radar but nonetheless we can still go to our God confess our sins again the focus here on verses 6 8 and 10 is on those who blatantly deny the truth 7 and 9 is to give people of believers assurance in the truth I love what one writer says he says in other words when the believer acknowledges his sin to God his Heavenly Father is both reliable and righteous in extending remission and though a Christian immediately after confession sometimes may not feel forgiven he must not rely on feelings but on fact God can be counted on John affirms to grant the forgiveness that we need you know what's interesting chapter 18 all four paragraphs have verses that come from first John it's all about this assurance it's all about this hope knowing that we have eternal life and we can know that we have eternal life because Christ has cleansed us from all sin we know that we have eternal life that by His grace we walk in the light and have fellowship with one another so how then brothers and sisters do we have fellowship with God how then do we know that we have assurance we know that we have assurance because by God's grace we walk in the light as God is light because we believe on the light now if you profess to be a believer again if there's evidence in your life be assured conviction of sin walking in the light the truth of the gospel believing and knowing that truth be assured brothers and sisters that God is with you be assured that you have everlasting life be assured that you have the truth now if you do not know the truth if there are if there is no conviction in your life if you live in blatant by sancious rebellion to the gospel believe on the gospel believe on the truth come to this Christ come to this one where there's a fountain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel's veins that you might be cleansed that you might have forgiveness of sins and that you might have assurance you see if a true message leads to true practice which leads to true assurance how do we know that we have assurance it's because God is light because Christ is the light of the world amen go let us pray do your Heavenly Father we thank you for this day we again thank you for your word we thank you that by that you've revealed us to you in your word and you've revealed yourself to us in Christ we thank you O God that he came live died and rose again that we as sin stained sinners might dwell with you O God we thank you O God that you have granted us justification that gift we are consider righteous in your sight we thank you for sanctification as well of God we thank you that you work in us by the Holy Spirit to conform us more and more to the image of Christ and we thank you O God that there that our assurance is founded on the blood of Jesus Christ and we thank you that an assurance is found on what Christ has done for those that struggle it with assurance this day give them comfort give them hope assure them of the faith and the truth and the eternal life that they have O God for those that do not know Christ O God we pray that you would call them out of darkness into marvelous light to believe the truth that they may have everlasting life as well and we pray that you would be glorified in all things in the name of Christ amen well we'll close with a brief time of meditation then you're dismissed you