God Still Forgives Sin
Introduction
Richard Hoefler’s book, “Will Daylight Come?”, includes a homey illustration of how sin enslaves and forgiveness frees. A little boy visiting his grandparents as given his first slingshot. He practiced in the woods, but he could never hit his target. As he came back to Grandma’s back yard, he spied her pet duck. On an impulse he took aim and let fly. The stone hit, and the duck fell dead.
The boy panicked. Desperately he hid the dead duck in the woodpile, only to look up and see his sister watching. Sally had seen it all, but she said nothing. After lunch that day, Grandma said, “Sally, let’s wash the dishes.” But Sally said, “Johnny told me he wanted to help in the kitchen today. Didn’t you, Johnny?” And she whispered to him, “Remember the duck! So Johnny did the dishes.
Later Grandpa asked if the children wanted to go fishing. Grandma said, “I’m sorry, but I need Sally to help make supper.” Sally smiled and said, “That’s all taken care of. Johnny wants to do it.” Again she whispered, “Remember the duck.” Johnny stayed while Sally went fishing. After several days of Johnny doing both his chores and Sally’s, finally he couldn’t stand it. He confessed to Grandma that he’d killed the duck. “I know, Johnny,” she said, giving him a hug. “I was standing at the window and saw the whole thing. Because I love you, I forgave you. I wondered how long you would let Sally make a slave of you. (Steven Cole – http://www.sermonillustrations.com/a-z/f/forgiveness.htm)
A Sunday School teacher had just concluded her lesson and wanted to make sure she had made her point. She said, “Can anyone tell me what you must do before you can obtain forgiveness of sin?” There was a short pause and then, from the back of the room, a small boy spoke up. “Sin,” he said. (Bits & Pieces, May, 1991 – http://www.sermonillustrations.com/a-z/f/forgiveness.htm)
In Romans 3:23, Paul said that “all have sinned.” It is the common denominator of all human beings. We are all sinners. In our text, the apostle John is writing to believers, but he still addresses the sin problem. Look at the verses that flank our text…
(1 John 1:8) If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
(1 John 1:10) If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
John doesn’t write these things to encourage sin in our lives. Instead, he is writing to discourage sin. But he makes in very plain in these verses that the old adage is true: “To err (or sin) is human; to forgive is divine.”
(1 John 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:
In a Peanuts cartoon, Lucy approaches Charlie Brown with a paper and pen: “Here, sign this. It absolves me of all blame.” Then she goes to Schroeder: “Here, sign this. It absolves me of all blame.” Finally she comes to Linus: “Here, sign this. It absolves me of all blame.” As she walks away, Linus comments: “Wow that must be a nice document to have.”
In essence, John has given us such a document in this verse; a word of assurance and the means of expunging guilt and sin from our lives. We cannot do it ourselves, but God can.
It’s on my heart this evening to speak to you about the forgiveness that God extends to believers who commit sins.
As we consider this verse, notice that…
I. John Mentions Our Corruption
(1 John 1:9) If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Adam Clarke said…
Sin exists in the soul after two modes or forms:
(1) In guilt, which requires forgiveness or pardon.
(2) In pollution, which requires cleansing,
In the verse, our corruption is expressed through two terms: “sins” and “unrighteousness.”
A. There Is Disobedience Towards God – “Sins”
The Thayer’s Greek Lexicon says that the word “sins” (NT:266 – hamartias) used twice in this verse means…
A failing to hit the mark; an error of the understanding; a bad action; an evil deed. It is sinning whether it occurs by omission or commission, in thought and feeling or in speech and action
Marvin Vincent in his Word Studies in the New Testament said…
Sin is defined by John as anomia, “lawlessness,” or as the King James Version says, “transgression of the law” (1 John 3:4). It may be regarded either as condition or as act; either with reference to the normal, divine ideal of manhood, or to an external law imposed upon man by God. Any departure from the normal ideal of man as created in God’s image puts man out of true relation and harmony with his true self, and therefore with God and with his fellow-man. He thus comes into false, abnormal relation with right, love, truth, and light. He walks in darkness and forfeits fellowship with God. Lawlessness is darkness, lovelessness, selfishness. This false principle takes shape in act.
We violate God’s law. We overstep His boundaries. We disobey.
B. There Is Disagreement With God – “Unrighteousness”
(1 John 1:9) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Vincent’s Word Studies says that “unrighteousness” (NT:93 – adikias) is used…
With reference to dikaios “righteous,” (or as it is rendered in this verse, “just”). The righteous One who calls us into fellowship with Himself, purges away the unrighteousness which is contrary to His nature, and which renders fellowship impossible. The word occurs in John’s writings only at John 7:18; 1 John 5:17.
(1 John 5:17) All unrighteousness is sin…
Our “unrighteousness” stands in contrast, contradiction, and disagreement with the “just” (righteous) character of God.
just – Greek 1342. dikaios, dik'-ah-yos; from G1349; equitable (in character or act); by impl. innocent, holy (absol. or rel.):--just, meet, right (-eous).
II. John Mentions Our Confession
(1 John 1:9) If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
A. Let’s Think About The Possibility Of Our Confession
(1 John 1:9) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
If – Greek 1437. ean, eh-an'; from G1487 and G302; a conditional particle; in case that, provided, etc.; often used in connection with other particles to denote indefiniteness or uncertainty:--before, but, except, (and) if, (if) so, (what-, whither-) soever, though, when (-soever), whether (or), to whom, [who-] so (-ever).
This is a word that offers a possibility, condition, or stipulation. This word make our confession the condition of our cleansing. In order to obtain the answer to our sin pollution, the stipulation is “if we confess.” It is a decision that we must make.
B. Let’s Think About The Particulars Of Our Confession
Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament explained…
Confess homologoomen. From homos, “one and the same,” and legoo, “to say.” Hence, primarily, “to say the same thing as another,” and, therefore, “to admit the truth of an accusation.”
Kenneth Wuest wrote…
Confession of sin on the part of the saint means therefore to say the same thing that God does about that sin, to agree with God as to all the implication of that sin as it relates to the Christian who commits it and to a holy God against whom it is committed. That includes the saint’s hatred of that sin, his sense of guilt because of it, his contrition because of it, the determination to put it out of his life and never to do that thing again. This is what confession of sin means here. The English word “confess” means “to admit the truth of an accusation, to own up to the fact that one is guilty of having committed the sin.” But the Greek word means far more than that, as was shown above. The verb is present subjunctive, speaking of continuous action. This teaches that the constant attitude of the saint toward sin should be one of a contrite heart, ever eager to have any sin in the life discovered for him by the Holy Spirit, and ever eager to confess it and put it out of the life by the power of that same Holy Spirit.
III. John Mentions Our Cleansing
(1 John 1:9) If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
A. Consider The Magnificence Of This Cleansing
(1 John 1:9) If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
faithful – Greek 4103. pistos, pis-tos'; from G3982; obj. trustworthy; subj. trustful;--believe (-ing, -r), faithful (-ly), sure, true.
just – Greek 1342. dikaios, dik'-ah-yos; from G1349; equitable (in character or act); by impl. innocent, holy (absol. or rel.):--just, meet, right (-eous).
Albert Barnes wrote…
[He is faithful] To his promises. He will do what he has assured us he will do in remitting them.
[And just to forgive us our sins] ** The word “just” here cannot be used in a strict and proper sense, since the forgiveness of sins is never an act of justice, but is an act of mercy. If it were an act of justice it could be demanded or enforced, and that is the same as to say that it is not forgiveness, for in that case there could have been no sin to be pardoned. But the word “just” is often used in a larger sense, as denoting upright, equitable, acting properly in the circumstances of the case.
In other words, God is going to do the right thing. He will…
Forgive. And according to the Thayer’s Greek Lexicon, the word “forgive” (NT:863 – afee) means…
To send away; to bid go away or depart. To let go of or give up as in a debt. To remit or forgive.
Wuest says…
“To forgive” is hina aphei, “in order that He may forgive.” Aphei is second aorist subjunctive, speaking, not of a process, but of a single act here. In 1:7 we have durative action, “keeps on continually cleansing,” referring to the constant cleansing of the saint from the defilement of sins of ignorance by the blood of Jesus. These are habitual in the life of the believer. But sins we confess, as in 1:9, are not habitual. No child of God knowingly sins habitually. These sins for which confession is required are infrequent, isolated instances in the well-ordered life of a believer. Therefore, the aorist tense is used here, speaking of a single act of forgiveness. The word is the second aorist subjunctive form of aphiemi, “to send away, dismiss,” hence of sins, “to remit” as a debt, “to put away.”
And He will…
Cleanse.
cleanse – Greek 2511. katharizo, kath-ar-id'-zo; from G2513; to cleanse (lit. or fig.):--(make) clean (-se), purge, purify.
This is the source of our word cathartic, meaning something that has a purging quality. It is similar in source and meaning to catheter.
The Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary says…
Cleanse (means) purify from filthiness.
B. Consider The Means Of This Cleansing
What is the cleansing agent? How is this cleansing achieved? John has already told us…
(1 John 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.
Albert Barnes said…
When it is said that his blood cleanses us from all sin, the expression must mean one of two things-either that it is through that blood that all past sin is forgiven, or that that blood will ultimately purify us from all transgression, and make us perfectly holy. The general meaning is plain, that in regard to any and every sin of which we may be conscious, there is efficacy in that blood to remove it, and to make us wholly pure. There is no stain made by sin so deep that the blood of Christ cannot take it entirely away from the soul.
Conclusion
In a dream, Martin Luther found himself being attacked by Satan. The devil unrolled a long scroll containing a list of Luther’s sins, and held it before him. On reaching the end of the scroll Luther asked the devil, “Is that all?” “No,” came the reply, and a second scroll was thrust in front of him. Then, after a second came a third. But now the devil had no more. “You’ve forgotten something,” Luther exclaimed triumphantly. “Quickly write on each of them, ‘The blood of Jesus Christ God’s son cleanses us from all sins.’”
K. Koch, Occult Bondage and Deliverance, p. 10.
(http://www.sermonillustrations.com/a-z/f/forgiveness.htm)
And Andre Crouch wrote these words…
Verse 1
The blood that Jesus shed for me
Way back on Calvary,
The blood that gives me strength from day to day
It will never lose its power
Verse 2
It soothes my doubt and calms my fears,
And it dries all my tears;
The Blood that gives me strength from day to day
It will never lose its power.
Chorus
It reaches to the highest mountain
It flows to the lowest valley
The blood that gives me strength from day to day
It will never lose its power