I'm going to come and read those now, thanks.
The first reading is in John chapter 8, which is on page 1074 of the Church Bibles.
So John chapter 8, starting in verse 42.
Jesus said to them,
If God were your father, you would love me, for I came from God and now I'm here.
I have not come on my own, but he sent me.
Why is my language not clear to you?
Because you are unable to hear what I say.
You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire.
He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him.
When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
Yet because I tell you the truth, you do not believe me.
Can any of you prove me guilty of sin?
If I am telling the truth, why don't you believe me?
He who belongs to God hears what God says.
The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.
The next reading is in 1 John chapter 3, which is on 1, 2, 2, 6 of the church Bibles there.
1 John chapter 3, starting in verse 4.
Everyone who sins breaks the law.
In fact, sin is lawlessness.
But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins.
And in him is no sin.
No one who lives in him keeps on sinning.
No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.
Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray.
He who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous.
He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning.
The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work.
No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him.
He cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God.
This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are.
Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God, nor is anyone who does not love his brother.
Thanks very much, Kirsty.
So please keep your Bibles open there in 1 John as we continue in our studies of this letter.
And as you are doing that, also there are pens, pencils and notes as well.
If you would like to take notes, just put up your hand and you can grab a pencil and some notes there as well.
Let me hear in 1 John.
Hello?
Yes.
Thanks very much, Noreen.
Well, let's pray and let's ask for God's help as we look at this.
Father, we recognize there are many, many voices that speak into our lives.
But ultimately, we want to hear your voice.
We want to hear your words spoken to us.
So as we look at your word together, your word which is written here before us,
preserved for us so that we may know you and understand you,
we pray that you would speak by your spirit into our lives
to help us grow in our fellowship with you.
Teach us the right attitude and the right approach that we should have
as we seek to walk with you.
Father, help us to hear you.
And may your words change us.
We pray this for a closer walk with you, we pray.
In Jesus' name. Amen.
Amen.
Well, I want to start this morning by giving you some very helpful advice.
Don't worry about declaring your full income to the taxman.
Nobody does that.
Go and celebrate with your mates.
Have a few drinks.
Getting drunk once in a while can't be harmful.
Leave work early on Fridays.
It's not a big problem.
Even your boss does that.
No need to be completely honest.
A little white lie can't hurt anyone.
Have a look at that X-rated video.
It's just natural.
Everybody does.
Forget the speed limit.
If you don't, you're just going to be late.
Join in the gossip about your work colleague.
They only say the same things about you.
You see, I think we all just need to relax a little bit.
Don't take our behaviour so seriously.
It's really not such a big deal.
What harm is there in a few little sins?
After all, none of us are perfect, are we?
Have a look at verse 7.
Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray.
You see, there are those who do try to undermine the seriousness of sin.
We met the same warning back in chapter 2.
Do you remember what it says?
Chapter 2, verse 26.
He says the same thing.
I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray.
In chapter 2, people were saying,
it doesn't matter what you believe.
You can believe what you like about Jesus.
It really doesn't matter.
Now in chapter 3, they are saying,
it doesn't matter how you behave.
What harm is there in a few little sins?
After all, nobody is perfect.
But the point is, sin is serious.
Look at chapter 3, verse 4.
Everyone who sins breaks the law.
In fact, if you are somebody here this morning,
and you claim to have fellowship with God,
there's actually no room for any sin in our life.
Look at verse 6.
No one who lives in him keeps on sinning.
Or look at verse 9.
No one who is born of God will continue to sin.
Is that you?
You see, sin is serious.
It breaks and damages our fellowship with God.
It robs us of that deep relational joy
that we have with the Father and with the Son.
And that's why he is so clear in saying, verse 7,
Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray.
Don't let anyone say to you,
behaviour doesn't matter.
In fact, if we are to grow in our fellowship with God,
we've got to have two things in place.
We have to have a right attitude to sin,
and we are to have a right approach to sin.
So let's have a look at these together.
The first is, we've got to have a right attitude to sin.
Now under this, we've got three small headings.
Here's the first one.
What sin is.
Verse 4.
Everyone who sins breaks the law.
In fact, sin is lawlessness.
So sin is not just about breaking the law of the land.
It's not just about breaking the speed limit.
It's not just about breaking the law of God.
He says it's lawlessness.
That means it's not so much an action we do,
but it's an attitude that we have.
It's not so much an action we do,
but an attitude we have.
Lawlessness means open rebellion
and opposition to God and his ways.
In other words, it's an attitude of our hearts.
Maybe you've seen them for real,
or maybe it's just been on the television.
But when you see an iceberg floating in the sea,
you only get to see about one third of the actual iceberg.
The other two thirds are lurking, unseen, below the water.
And that's a little bit like our sin.
So the wrong things we do and say and think
are just what we see on the surface.
They're just the tip of the iceberg.
But they reflect something much bigger and greater
that lies beneath.
Sin is an attitude deep down in our hearts
that is opposed to God.
So instead of God making the rules,
I become the rule maker.
Instead of listening to what God wants,
I in turn decide what God wants.
Sin is an attitude of the heart.
And if sin is in opposition to God,
then we can't at the same time enjoy fellowship with God.
If we're flirting with sin and messing with sin,
then enjoying God at the same time is incompatible.
You can't have both.
You can't have a life of sin
and at the same time enjoy God.
That's what sin is.
And that's why it's serious.
But thankfully God has done something about it
so that we can enjoy him.
Number two, what Jesus has done.
Look at verse five.
But you know that he, that Jesus appeared,
so that he might take away our sins.
So here's the primary reason
why Jesus came as the God-man.
He didn't come to make people well.
He didn't come to make people better.
That's not the primary reason.
And the primary reason Jesus came
was to deal with the problem of our sin.
Look at verse five.
He came to take away our sins.
Literally, that means he removes the consequences
of our sin from us.
He pays the penalty for us.
And to help us understand that,
we've got a good little picture of it
in chapter two, verse two.
Just have a look back there at chapter two, verse two.
This helps us to understand what it means
that he takes away our sins.
Verse two of chapter two.
He, that is Jesus,
is the atoning sacrifice for our sins.
And not only for ours,
but also for the sins of the whole world.
Now we're going to get very technical here.
Okay?
You've probably got a little letter
beside one of the words there
at the end of chapter two.
And if you look at the bottom of the page,
you'll see a little note
where it's got two.
So you're following me
at the bottom of the page of your Bible.
You've got another little note
beside verse two.
And here's what it says.
So here's a different way of reading that verse.
And it says this.
He, that's Jesus,
is the one who turns aside God's wrath,
taking away our sins.
So do you see what's happening
when Jesus dies?
The wrath of God is turned away from us,
and it is turned towards Jesus.
The judgment that was placed on us
has now been removed
and it has been taken away by Jesus
and it falls on Jesus.
But how can Jesus take away my sin and your sin?
What qualifies him to do that?
Well, go back to chapter three, verse five.
It tells us,
you know that he appeared
so that he might take away our sins
and in him is no sin.
Jesus was perfectly pure.
He was faultless in his words and deeds.
Morally, he did not fail.
He never got things wrong.
And being sinless,
he did something spectacular for us.
He takes my sin from me
and he puts it on himself.
And he puts himself where we deserve to be
and he is treated as we deserve to be.
So Jesus pays the penalty
for our lawlessness.
And he did this so that we could be
in right fellowship with God.
The sin has been taken away
so that we can live in right relationship with God.
That's to have a right attitude towards sin.
Sin is an attitude of the heart.
It's deep down.
It needs to be dealt with.
And Jesus has dealt with it.
Now, I know we know these things.
But they serve as a foundation
for what follows next.
How we should live.
Because if we understand what sin is
and if we understand what Jesus has done,
then it shapes my attitude towards sin.
Have a look at verse 6.
No one who lives in him
keeps on sinning.
Now, I don't know about you,
but that is one of the most troubling verses
in the Bible.
Because I read that and I go,
yes, I'm a Christian,
but then it says,
no one who lives in him keeps on sinning.
And my problem is I keep on sinning.
Or am I the only one?
So what is it?
It seems a bit of a contradiction
to what was read earlier a few weeks ago.
Have a look at chapter 1, verse 8.
Chapter 1, verse 8.
As a reminder of what we read,
chapter 1, verse 8 says,
If we claim to be without sin,
we deceive ourselves
and the truth is not in us.
Or look at verse 10.
If we claim we have not sinned,
we make him out to be a liar
and his word has no place in our lives.
So, you know, we're only fooling ourselves
if we say we never sin.
We're living a lie.
So what does it mean
when it says in chapter 3, verse 6,
no one who lives in him
keeps on sinning?
What is it?
Do we keep sinning?
Or are we not meant to sin?
Well, here's what I think it is.
I think it means
we now have a new attitude to sin.
Rather than tolerate sin,
we hate sin.
If Jesus has paid the penalty of my sin,
then I too am going to take sin seriously.
It means
if sin is in opposition to God,
then I will deal quickly
with the sin in my life
so that I enjoy my fellowship with God.
So rather than living in opposition to God,
I am now longing and aching
and have a desire for communion with God.
It doesn't mean I'm never going to sin again.
However, it does mean
I will not keep sinning
with a carefree,
it doesn't matter kind of attitude.
So instead of making excuses
and pretending we don't sin
or pretending that sin isn't serious
and that my behaviour doesn't matter,
I will take that seriously
and I will long to see
change and transformation
in my life.
That's what's at the heart of verse 6.
No one who lives in him
keeps on sinning.
We have a desire to change
and be transformed.
Now,
if you're someone here this morning
who says,
oh yeah,
I have fellowship with God,
I'm a child of God,
but
you keep on sinning
with this carefree attitude of,
well what does it matter
if I do something wrong?
It really doesn't matter.
If that's the way you think,
look at the rest of verse 6.
No one who continues to sin
has either seen him
or know him.
In other words,
it's a false claim.
You can't tolerate sin
and at the same time
enjoy fellowship with God.
It means you've never seen him
or known him.
In other words,
you can't be a child of God.
You can't be trying to live
the Christian life
and at the same time
messing about
and flirting with sin
as if it doesn't matter.
So,
let me ask us the question,
what is our attitude
to sin?
Which brings us
to the next big heading,
the right approach to sin.
And here we see
the same kind of pattern
repeated.
We've got the same three headings
in this section.
But they all tell us
something different.
First,
what sin is.
Look at verse 8.
He who does
what is sinful
is of the devil.
Now that's really strong language,
isn't it?
Is that really true?
Does that really mean
that when I sin,
I'm of the devil?
Well,
in the Gospel of John,
we have the same idea.
And I think it helps
explain it to us
a little bit better.
Have a look back.
We read it
at the beginning.
John chapter 8
verse 44.
John chapter 8
verse 44.
And here Jesus
has been talking
to the religious leaders
who are all
in opposition
to Jesus
and they're wanting
to kill Jesus.
They want to get rid of him.
They're opposed to him.
And look how Jesus
describes them.
Look at the language
he uses.
Verse 44
of John chapter 8.
Look what he says.
You belong
to your father,
the devil.
And you want
to carry out
your father's desire.
He was a murderer
from the beginning,
not holding
to the truth,
for there is no truth
in him.
When he lies,
he speaks
his native language,
for he is a liar
and the father
of lies.
Strong language,
but true.
You see,
again,
it's telling us
that sin isn't just
an action
or a thought.
It's so much
deeper than
just getting
a few things wrong.
Sin reflects
our true identity
and it says
when we're living
a sinful life,
we belong
to our father,
the devil.
Go back to
1 John chapter 3,
verse 8.
That's why he says,
1 John 3,
verse 8,
he who does
what is sinful
is of the devil.
Because the devil
has been sinning
from the beginning.
Just as sin
is at the very nature
of the devil,
so sin is
our true nature.
So can we begin
to see how
tolerating sin
is completely
incompatible
with enjoying
God.
Sin is not just
a misdemeanor,
it is actually
a reflection
of our true
identity.
It is of the devil.
Now how are we
going to deal
with that?
Because I don't
like reading that
about myself.
Well thankfully
God has done
something
about this
sin problem.
Look what
Jesus has done.
Look at the rest
of verse 8.
We'll read
verse 8 again.
He who does
what is sinful
is of the devil
because the devil
has been sinning
from the beginning.
The reason
the Son of God,
that's Jesus,
appeared
was to destroy
the devil's work.
So again
we've got this
primary reason
that Jesus
came into the
world
was to destroy,
to break
the power
and the hold
the devil has
over us.
Because the devil's
work is to
seduce us
so that we are
people who oppose
God and rebel
against God.
That's what he's
been doing from
the beginning.
That's what he did
in the Garden of Eden.
He is convincing
us that living
in the kingdom
of darkness
is a much better
place to live
than walking
in the light.
So Jesus came
to destroy
his work.
He came to
break the power
of sin
and its hold
over us.
So through his
death on the cross
he has rescued us
from the way
in which we walk
in darkness.
He takes us
from that kingdom
and brings us
into a kingdom
of light.
God.
And because of
what Jesus
has done
that means
we are no
longer children
of the devil
we are children
of God.
So have a look
at chapter 3
verse 1
what we looked
at last week.
Because of what
Jesus has done
how great
is the love
the Father
has lavished
on us
that we should
be called
children
of God.
And if that
hasn't sunk in
and we don't
believe it
look at the rest
of it.
And that is
what we are.
Because Jesus
has destroyed
the work of the
devil.
Because of our
faith in him
we are no
longer belonging
to our father
the devil.
We now have
God as our
father.
We've been
released from
one family
and we've been
transferred into
the family of
God.
Jesus came
to break
the power
of sin.
He's destroyed
the work
of the devil
so that we
can enjoy
fellowship
with God.
This is what
he has done
for us.
Now again
I know
you know
this.
And in some
ways this is
foundational
and we're
rehearsing
so much
of what we
know to be
true.
But unless
we've got
this foundation
right
we're not
going to have
the right
approach
to our
sin.
Because this
all affects
how we
should live.
Look at
verse 9.
Verse 9
No one
who is born
of God
will continue
to sin.
Again it's
almost the
same as what
we have in
verse 6.
It sounds
like that
contradiction.
but we
already know
have a look
at chapter
1 verse 9
that God
has provided
a way for
us to be
restored when
we do
sin.
So when we
do mess up
and we do
fail
look at
chapter 1
verse 9
if we
confess our
sins
he is
faithful and
just and
he will
forgive us
our sins
and purify
us from
all unrighteousness.
So it
can't be
saying that
you're meant
to be
perfect and
never get
anything wrong
again.
So what
does it
mean when
it says
in verse 9
no one
who is
born of
God will
continue to
sin?
Well again
I think it's
that we now
have a new
approach to
sin.
Rather than
tolerate sin
we hate
sin.
If Jesus
has destroyed
the work
of the devil
then that
means I
will take
sin
seriously.
it means
I will
no longer
put up
with the
behaviours
in my
life
that
destroy
and
damage
my
relationship
with
God.
I will
no longer
put up
with the
behaviours
in my
life
that
damage
and
destroy
my
relationship
with
God.
Instead
I will
fight
the sin
that seeks
to wreak
havoc.
And how
are we
going to
fight it?
Well let's
read verse
9 again.
No one
who is
born of
God
will
continue
to
sin
and
here's
the
reason
because
God's
seed
remains
in
him.
Now let's
explain what
that means.
When a
child is
born
they
carry
with
them
something
of the
DNA
of their
father.
They
carry
something
of the
father's
seed.
That
can't
be
changed.
It
can't
be
tampered
with.
So as
the
child
grows
day
by
day
they
begin
to
look
like
physically
and
sound
like
their
biological
father.
They
inherit
something
of their
father's
seed.
Now
that's
the
same
idea
that we
have
here
in this
verse.
God
as it
were
has
implanted
his
seed
in
us
so
that
we
become
more
like
him
and
we
live
like
him.
As
his
children
we
now
have
something
of the
very
nature
of
God
within
us
so
that
we
now
view
sin
the
same
way
as
he
do.
We
hate
sin
and
we
fight
against
sin.
And
the
reason
why
we
can
fight
it
is
because
we
have
his
seed.
He
has
given
us
the
power
of
his
Holy
Spirit
within
us
so
that
we
can
live
the
life
that
he
has
called
us
to.
Just
as
Jesus
broke
the
power
of
sin
in
our
lives
so
the
spirit
in
us
is
that
ongoing
power
to
fight
sin.
So
the
reason
we
do
not
continue
with
this
carefree
it
doesn't
matter
approach
is
because
we
have
something
of
the
very
nature
of
God
we
are
his
children
and
so
we
begin
to
grow
like
him.
Now
let
me
ask
this
if
we
have
this
it
doesn't
matter
approach
to
sin
if
you're
looking
at
some
of
your
behaviours
and
I
look
at
some
of
my
behaviours
the
things
I
do
and
I
go
you
know
what
it
really
doesn't
matter
and
brush it
under
the
carpet
and
let's
not
deal
with
it
it's
okay
if
that
is
our
approach
then
you
can't
be
in
fellowship
with
God
look
look at
the
rest
of
verse
9
well
we'll
read
all
of
verse
9
no
one
who
is
born
of
God
will
continue
to
sin
because
God's
seed
remains
in
him
he
cannot
go
on
sinning
because
he
has
been
born
of
God
if
you
are
a
child
of
God
you
will
have
a
hatred
for
sin
and
you'll
want
to
deal
with
it
so
what
is
our
approach
to
sin
you
see
sin
is
serious
it
damages
and
destroys
our
fellowship
with
God
so
we
must
have
a
right
attitude
and
we
must
have
a
right
approach
towards
sin
in
fact
look
at
verse
10
this
is
how
we
know
who
the
children
of
God
are
and
who
the
children
of
the
devil
are
anyone
who
does
not
do
what
is
right
is
not
a
child
of
God
nor
is
anyone
who
does
not
love
his
brother
our
behaviour
matters
there is
no such
thing
as a
little
sin
there is
no such
thing
as a
white
lie
how we
live
what we
say
and what
we do
is of
great
importance
because
it
tells
us
what
kind
of
child
I
am
now
if my
attitude
to sin
is
I
want
to
resist
it
if
my
approach
to
sin
is
I
want
to
fight
it
then
you're
a
child
of
God
we
can
have
great
confidence
that we
are
growing
in our
fellowship
with
God
but
if you
tolerate
sin
if
you
are
indifferent
to
sin
then
you
are
not
a
child
of
God
you
are
still
walking
in
darkness
this
is
not
a
call
to
say
you
are
perfect
or
somehow
to
be
perfect
it
is
saying
have
a
right
attitude
to
sin
have
a
right
approach
to
sin
because
those
who
are
children
of
God
will
continue
to
grow
in
their
fellowship
with
him
let's
take
a
moment
in
the
quietness
to
reflect
on
what
we've
just
heard
got
that we so often fail and fall.
We do get things wrong.
We say things we should not say.
And we think things
that we dare not want anybody else to know.
So, Father, we come afresh.
We confess our sins,
knowing that you are just and faithful
and will forgive us
and purify us from all unrighteousness.
Thank you that Jesus has come
to take away our sin.
Thank you that he has come
to destroy the work of the devil
so that we can live in right relationship with you.
Please help us
to have a right attitude
to our ongoing sin problem.
Help us to have a right approach
to the sin that we see in our lives.
And may you, by the power of your Holy Spirit,
help us to fight it every day
and to run quickly to Jesus
in whom we enjoy
our deep relationship with you.
we thank you for all that you have done for us.
In Jesus' name we pray.
Amen.
We're going to sing together
a great song
which says,
and this is the song
that we can sing
if we are in right relationship
with God.
I once was lost
in darkest nights
thought I knew the way
the sin that promised joy in life
had led me
to the grave.
And then it goes on
to say
that's