Sin, a new look at.

[Barry]

Commentary on the usage of the term "sin" as used in 1 John:
Part 1

1Jo 1:4 And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.
1Jo 1:5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

The darkness that John is addressing is a darkness that was about to pass away. They are in the transition of the ages.

1Jo 1:6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
This would then be "sin". It is the way they used to walk and should then walk no more. Under the law they walked in their sins, as transgressors of the law and walked in sin conscience.

1Jo 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. {That is attached to the present evil age.}

1Jo 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
What he is saying here is "If we as lovers of this world say that we have no sin, then we still walk in darkness and cannot see, and the truth is not in us."
He is not talking about Christians admitting that they sin everyday and are sinners everyday. He is addressing the appropriate transition of the Christians from darkness to light. And so then not hanging on to the old world of darkness which was passing away.

One important elements of letting go of the old to be one who would transform in preparation of the fullness of the new, was to confess ones sins as one was part and parcel of the old.
So then:

1Jo 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1Jo 1:10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

The reason why one would claim that they have not sinned is to hang onto the old. This would make Christ out to be a liar.

John is not saying anything here contextually that he has not already said in the Gospel of John. 1 John 7-10 was written to be interpreted though John's writings in the Gospel of John.

Jhn 8:31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, [then] are ye my disciples indeed;
Jhn 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
Jhn 8:33 They answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?
Jhn 8:34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.
Jhn 8:35 And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: the Son abideth ever.
Jhn 8:36 If the Son therefore shall make you [B]free, ye shall be free indeed.
It is very clear here that "free" means free from sin. In essence then in the writtings of John in 1 John he is asking them to be "fully converted" over and over again.
A fully converted person could not commit sin as sin is the transgression of the law. Contextually then, sin would happen insofar-as one walked in the still standing darkness.
The important part here is that these people who loved the old world could not admit their own standing in that world. They very much in many ways denied that they were sinners. To accept this would be to loose all hope of righteousness through a confidence in the flesh.

Jhn 9:39 And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.
Jhn 9:40 And [some] of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also?
Jhn 9:41 Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.

The person of the old world that loved that world could not accept the futility of self-righteousness. In the above context they saw the blind man as one who had been born blind because of sin. They saw themselves in a different light.
John the baptist came with a baptism of repentance where they were confessing their sins. This was attached to their conversion.

John's "If we confess our sins" speaks strongly of being converted, not of an ongoing confession that they made so that they as Christians could be forgiven as Christians.
Barry

[Amie]

Barry,

I just want to say "Oh my gosh! What an amazing and right on way to frame that! I'm going to have to think on this some more.. don't know whether I'll have a thing to add, but wow!"

:D Amie

[Laren]

Hi Barry, great post. Made me think of a flashlight in a dark room.

When the light shines in one can see the clutter, where to walk safely. The light exposes the "dead" works.

1Jo 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

Those who don't see their sin, are liars; stuck in self righteousness. They deny Christ come in the flesh; don't need Christ, after all; they have the law. They are blinded to the fact that they are blind, thinking they actually see.

and because they have no truth in them, they are liars. And we know what happens to liars.

Rev 21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

Thought of these verses as I read your post;

Mat 9:13 But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, (self righteous, stuck in old cov. world) but sinners (those with eyes to see and ears to hear they need a savior) to repentance.

Mat 9:12 But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole (those stuck in dead works, stuck in Old Cov. world) need not a physician, but they that are sick.

Rom 10:3 For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.

Rom 9:32 Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone;

Mat 13:15 For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

[Barry]

Hi Amie and Laren,
IMHO John is very much misunderstood (in our day and time) in his 1 John writings.

Laren, intriguing, and eye opening, followup! :)
Barry

[Barry]

Part 2
1Jo 2:1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
John is still dealing with believers who are not fully matured.

1Jo 4:17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
1Jo 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

John is dealing with some Christians who's confidence in Christ is not as mature as what could have been. He is writing in regard to that conscience.

1Jo 3:20 For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.
1Jo 3:21 Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, [then] have we confidence toward God.

But what John is really focusing on is the Judaizer and his teaching. He is writing these things so that they may not sin.

1Jo 4:1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
1Jo 4:2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
1Jo 4:3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that [spirit] of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
1Jo 4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

In this context then:
1Jo 5:16 If any man see his brother sin a sin [which is] not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it.
1Jo 5:17 All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death.
1Jo 5:18 We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.

This would be the point [sin unto death] which parallels Paul's delivering the Judaizer over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh.
It parallels the "mark of the beast" in Revelation.
The mark of the beast is circumcision for righteousness.
In this way we can easily merge together the teachings of Galatians, Philippians, James, 1 John and Revelation as well and 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus and much more.

Matthew 7:15-23 prophesised the Judaizer.

This is the point that John is making here:

1Jo 3:4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
1Jo 3:5 And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.
1Jo 3:6 Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.
1Jo 3:7 Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.

1Ti 1:4 Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: [so do].
1Ti 1:5 Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and [of] a good conscience, and [of] faith unfeigned:
1Ti 1:6 From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling;
1Ti 1:7 Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm.

Tts 1:14 Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth.
Tts 1:15 Unto the pure all things [are] pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.
Tts 1:16 They profess that they know God; but in works they deny [him], being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.

And similarly:

Jam 2:8 If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:
Jam 2:9 But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.
Jam 2:10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one [point], he is guilty of all.
Jam 2:11 For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.
Jam 2:12 So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.

So then in this time during the transition of the ages it very much came down to love. It was only though the law that "respecter of persons" was possible. Without the law there is no way to discern any variation of worth between people. However this judgment of persons also led directly to the transgression of the law. Once under law, one was under sin. And so there came a point where Christ is essentially denied.

This is John's point when dealing with the term "righteousness".
1Jo 3:5 And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.
1Jo 3:6 Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.
1Jo 3:7 Little children, let no man deceive you: he that [I]doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.

We will pick this back up again when John speaks of "murder".

1Jo 2:2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for [the sins of] the whole world.

John's "the whole world" is inclusive of all.

1Jo 5:18 We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.
1Jo 5:19 [And] we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.
However we classify or interpret the meaning of "the whole world" it is clear that Christ was the propitiation of even that which is then classified as lieing in wickedness.

"Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin {this is a Noun} of the world."

This is the transition of the ages. And in the end all sin is taken away.

1Jo 2:5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.
1Jo 2:6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.
1Jo 2:7 Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning.
1Jo 2:8 Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past {is passing is correct here}, and the true light now shineth.
1Jo 2:9 He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.
1Jo 2:10 He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.
1Jo 2:11 But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.
1Jo 2:12 I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake.
1Jo 2:13 I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him [that is] from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father.
1Jo 2:14 I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him [that is] from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.
1Jo 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things [that are] in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
1Jo 2:16 For all that [is] in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
1Jo 2:17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
1Jo 2:18 Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.

The Antichrist is the Judaizer of the first century.

Let me know what you think.
More to come.
Barry