Security & Sanctification, p.2

All right grab your Bible's wherever you are out there as the scattered church and let's look at first John again tonight looking at first John on Sunday nights and were in chapter 2 actually got started on this last time and were going to finish it up tonight were talking about security and sanctification that in Christ we have wondrous security and through that security we walk out sanctification was looking to get the first John chapter 2 beginning this one verse one rather and going down through verse six, my little children. John writes I'm writing these things to you so that you may not see, 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 those of the whole world. By this we know that we come to know him. If we keep his commandments, one who says what I've come to know and and does not keep his commandments is a liar and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps his word, in him the love God has truly been perfected by this we know that we are in him one who says he abides in him ought himself to walk in the same manner as he walked.

This is the apostle John whose writing this is an aged man with a lot of tenderness and grandfatherly compassion in his writing is writing to the church and the church is facing.

As always, heretical and false teaching type of teaching false teaching that is called Gnosticism has come into the church and day. It's it's a group that puffs themselves up as elitist and they have the key insights on what it really means to know God and you have to go through them to find out quote the truth."

One of the things the Gnostics became known for was immoral living just violating the clear teachings and commandments of the Scripture.

Yet they would say they knew the Lord saw think that context, I don't think I know that context is essential to understanding these birches that we've already talked about I our security in verses one into and there's two figures I want to pull out that speak of our security in Jesus Christ. We talked about. First of all, Jesus is our lawyer. He says here in verse one my little children are writing these things so that you may not see, and if anyone sins, I think that's all of us. We have an advocate with the father, Jesus Christ the righteous. The point being is a chart of God, you got a heart change your new heart. Good news to you desires to honor the Lord desires to please the Lord desires to keep his commandments, but were still packed are packaged rather in this unredeemed humanity were not glorified yet in the old desires of the old me are still there is a sometimes we do sin, but he says if you do if your child of God. If you believed on Christ.

You have an advocate alone you're with the father, Jesus Christ the righteous. We talked about this a lot, but just suffice it to say, we talked about what a law. Your EE is he is what I've sometimes called our adequate advocate. He's adequate to take care of our standing before the father. Jesus knows the law, he wrote the law.

He knows the case, he became one of us. He was tempted like us. He understands our weakness, our difficulties, but he never sinned and then he went to the cross and died Farsi and the Bible says he became sin. The father looked upon Jesus on the cross as if he had committed all of our sins. My point is he knows the K he knows our situation. He knows the law, he wrote it. He knows the case and thirdly I said last time. He knows the judge he knows them quite well now you could say one since the judge is his heavenly father. But the Bible also this all judgments been given over to the son. So on one since Jesus stands as our advocate and our lawyer for us before the judge that he turns right around and he sits in the judge's chair to judge the case, here's my point. Security we stand secure in Jesus Christ. He is our lawyer to the second part were getting to that now and its Christ is our liberator that he's our lawyer to represent us before the condemnation of the law.

He's our liberator from the condemnation of the law is look at that in verse two. If you would. The Bible says and he himself of the emphatic emphasis is. It's all wrapped up in Jesus.

He himself is the propitiation for our sins not only ours but also for those of the whole world.

Scholars have debated for ages. What that means is the propitiation for our sins and those of the whole world.

Well, no one knows absolutely for sure. I think it means that there is a sufficiency of Christ atonement for all who will come to him anywhere, anytime blitz invokes no one is more informed in their theology and wealth. Some could be a guest but I'm very reformed in my theology because I believe Jesus is a Calvinist. If you know what I mean. I should figure speech, but my point is there is a sufficiency in the atonement for all who repent and believe… To meet anyone anywhere anytime you will confess their center and calling Christ. They will be saved sufficient for all, but it's only efficient for the elect.

It's only going to say vaguely change those who are the elect of God, that is, those who do repent and believe on Jesus Christ. Now let's set that aside because I don't think that's the main thrust of where John's going with this. He wants us to talk about Jesus, he himself the first line there. Verse two being the propitiation for our sins were propitiation literally means the satisfaction I preach this so many times to yes he has satisfied the demand of holy law that was against us, as lawbreakers, they satisfied and he went in our place. He himself, he himself these both priest listen and sacrifice. Jesus is not a priest like the Old Testament priest that brought a third-party sacrifice.

Jesus is the priest who himself became our work sacrifice how securing is that he's all of that. So he liberates us from being in a stand being guilty before God's holy law matter fact just to give you the weight of the law that was over us before Christ liberated for us from this look at Romans chapter 7 would you do that Romans chapter 7 we don't have time just unpack all of this, but just running through it will pull out some things. Romans chapter 7.

Beginning in verse seven, Paul is writing about our experience and he talks about how we naturally face CNN deal with sin, he said, what shall we say then this is Romans seven.

Seven. What shall we say then, is the law of sin. May it never be on the contrary, I would not have come to know sin except through the law. From what I have known about coveting of the law had not said, you shall not covet.

He said there something about the loss stating it and pointing it out. That makes me vividly aware I'm accountable. And from that point on I am fully condemned because I know the truth about myself and about my lawlessness. Verse eight, but CNEs talking about this.

See, in principle that's in the old unredeemed humanity on packaged in the CNN taking opportunity through the commandment, produced in me coveting of every kind for part of the lawsuit is dead is not just talking about coveting intrusion, coveting just as an example, he said it's it's funny when the law says something just sin or something about my old fallen nature that rises up, started up the sin more.

That's how fallen we are. That's how guilty we are. That's how accountable to God's law. We are verse nine. I was once alive apart from the law figure speech, but when the commandment came, sin became alive and I died. I because I recognize and understood my standing as a condemned lawless lawbreaking transgressor before this tribunal. Holy God, so I'm dead.

The Bible speaks of dead in transgressions and sins.

The largest convinced me in every way. Verse 10 of this commandment, which was to result in life would result in death for me. Now, if you're writing from the perspective car your pure understanding this from the perspective of being one of God's elect here got your one of God's elect in God has chosen you to be with him from the foundation of the world, yet you look at God's perfect and holy law to throw the law, by the way where the problem look at God's perfect and holy, Lord.

It's actually the law that condemns me. I know all that keeps me from being one of God's it should have been life to me.

Nothing wrong with the law of God medevac talking about our country mobile going through this coronavirus, I think, among other things. It's a it's a shot across the bow, it's God saying you better wake up you but realize you're not in charge you but realize your week but realize there's what you want to kneel before moral absolutes of this holy God that he's given us in his word are good for 80 people any land in any nation and will not repent as a people can return to the word of God and the moral absolutes. God's given us in his holy word is nothing wrong with the wall but in our condition God's holy law condemns us we die and are standing before God, and we therefore are the status of condemnation under the law. Verse 12 so than the laws holding the commandment is holy and righteous and good. We talked about that verse 13 therefore do that which is good. Become a cause of death for me never made never really when the loss felt rather it was sin, middle part, verse 13 in order that he might be shown to be seen by the affecting my death through that which is good.

The law was good but the my scene calls the law to be my problem so that through the commandment sin would become utterly sinful. So Paul says were just about directors, I may we just stand in a pitiful condition completely and righteously condemned by this law. But Jesus Jesus becomes our priest and our sacrifice and liberates us from that status of being condemned by God's holy law now. Hebrews 912 tells us that it was not through the blood of goats and cash that's with the under the Old Testament economy. That's the kind of sacrifice I priest would bring continuing but through his own blood he entered the holy place at the holy place in heaven once for all, having obtained past tense.

Aris finished in past time with continue result. Having contained for us eternal redemption.

What a security cross was her lawyer never talk about Christ is our liberator. Now let's remind ourselves that God cannot just forget our sin. God cannot just forgive it's okay. I'm just going to forgive no. People have used liberal sometimes used argument will if a loving parent can forgive a child surely a loving God will forgive us. Here's what you don't understand there's no parent.

That's holy like God's holy there's no parent who is just an holiness like God is just and holiness. Therefore, God can't just forget it.

God cannot just forgive it some things God can do, because he is so holy and he can't just forget or forgive sin. But Jesus Jesus accomplishing our propitiation that is Jesus in himself, giving himself off on the cross accomplishes what we could never accomplish. He accomplishes it for us therefore causes us now to stand before God with the lawless demands the loss condemnation against us. Having been satisfied. I like to picture a roaring voracious lion and he's very very hungry. I sometimes like to watch these up wildlife shows a no show those lions in Africa chasing down. I mean they are actually every fiber of their biggest driving them to conquering keel that and local whatever it is and then they'll devour that's where God's law was before us. God's law was after us and had every just reason to be at rest to devour us in condemnation, but instead, God put Jesus before that roaring lion and that lion devoured him on the cross in our place, and yet he took it all and lived again and now you picture that lion is being holy stuffed with everything he can possibly eat totally satisfied. Any sound asleep and purring like a kitten no longer after us with a vengeance. He himself is our propitiation now. Jesus did that and when Jesus dies on the cross for us and becomes our priest and sacrificed.

He does not ask God to forget RCN God hasn't forgotten your sin others. A figure of speech, but if he's truly omniscient he's never forgotten anything, but in fact he never did know anything. He's already not always, always, he has always known it, and he's never forgotten anything. Jesus is not in effect, asking God to forget anything.

He's just now asking God to look upon us in a new way facing God the father based on my propitiation for the children based on me being there priest and their sacrifice on the cross. Now it is right even sin fitting with your holy standard of righteousness to look on the children. Now as righteous that's just good news right there. I look we don't stand up before him in our righteousness. Some you gotta get off of the software so that you struggle with the security of your salvation you keep thinking your stand before God in your righteousness something you can perform something you can merit something you can achieve, you don't stand before God then you're right. Just as you stand before God in Christ righteousness that is security. That's where John's going security because he's a lawyer security because he is our liberator. He liberates us from having that standing with condemnation before his holy law of Jalisco to the practical side of this and again I think this is the backdrop of the Gnostic heresy that teaches you to be a Christian and live sinfully you be a Christian and not keep the commandment and this wasn't an accepted philosophy of life you would like they were trying to honor the commitments and failed so know the Gnostics would say just give into your lust. They would say the material body is hopelessly evil can't do anything with it. Just give into it and John is saying here when you say that teaching music that concept that's not Christianity. When you say that that someone who does not know God, that someone who has not been forgiven by Jesus Christ. Let's talk about our sanctification. We talked about security versus wanted to back our text in first John chapter 2 let's talk about our sanctification and quickly this talk about.

First, the inner motive for sanctification, which is the love we have now for God say that again our motive for syncopation is not to gain heaven that's been gained now again certification being set apart to honor and serve God with your life. My life is now set apart for Christ service not set apart for sinful and Doug Dalton's but set apart Christ.

What motivates me to want to live this way. It's the love for God that now lives in my heart as his child. Verse five.

Whoever keeps his word. I think you could amplify that to say whoever has the new heart that desires to keep his word and has the purpose and pattern of his like to keep his word, in him the love of God has been truly perfected by this we know we are in him now perfected here means matured. I think the idea here is our love for God has come to that completed spot not perfected spot but mature spot, but to replace when it is the pre-determinant purpose of our lives to keep God's word and obey his commandments. Then the love of God is having its way in us like it often. For example, if if you had a very wealthy uncle and he had no no relatives at all, but you and you are fairly young, and he said if you'll come live with me and care for me.

I know I'm older I don't have that long, you come live with me in your care for me when I pass on you get all of my wealth is your inheritance well. It will initially question what do you think would encourage that uncle Sgt. you going to come live with him just so you can begrudgingly get through taking care of him and hello I have all of his wealth.

$20. Are you going to come live with him and you're gonna love him, and out of a love for him.

You want to please him and take care of.

That's where John is getting love some mature women from our hearts were grasping. We love our God.

We want to please him and we want to keep his commandment not to gain something.

It's all been gained through Christ because we love him. That's the motivation for living in sanctification that is living for God, keeping his commandment, the true Christian is known by this pattern of continuously keeping Christ's commandments and not like the Gnostics and the false teachers this day who had a lot of loud talk a lot of loose living in their lives.

But remember, noticed member.

The context while were striving to keep his commandments. When we fail, we have an advocate and we have a liberator. Jesus Christ Ellis talk of something about the perpetual practice of sanctification. The inner motive is the love of God. Now how is the practice.

Look at verse three he says and by this we know that we come to know him. If we keep his commands literally as it is present tense.

It means if we keep on keeping his commandment so words wouldn't take a shot at it and then throw in the towel in our living lot. We love the world, the flesh and the devil. It's like a new pattern of life for us. I don't know how long the child of God can go that way, but he can't go law. I just can't go long, and God will not allow that of the child of this hill apprehend him and bring them back but he says here a child of God is perpetual practice is that he keeps on keeping your practice vindicates your profession. Again, the contrast is the Gnostic teaching of the day that came into the church where they would say you don't even have to try to keep the commandments of God, you don't have to honor the Lord God use given your fleshly desires know.

He says the true child of God may stumble and fail, but his heart is not.

I will keep on keeping the commandments of God. If I fail and will get up and keep on keeping the commitments got if I blow it I'll get up and keep on keeping the commandments. Gotta get back on track.

That's my new heart.

That's a perpetual practice of my life. Look at verse four. He says something real strong here and again I'm totally convinced the emphasis here is not on the true Christians who are reading this and you're striving to live this way. The emphasis here is against the false teacher who indulges in wickedness, yet calls himself an elite Christian mind verse for the one who says I've come to know him and does not keep his commandments is a liar and the truth is not in amplify that out to where think John's not the one who says Christian. I know God I'm a follower of Jesus Christ but as a kid and intentional philosophy of my life and pattern my life I indulge in sin because your lower your lower you go around promoting look in our land. Today we have people who who who celebrate in the streets promoting wickedness things that God's is absolutely wrong against his commandments. You can't live that life and embrace that philosophy and say I am a Christian. John says, know your lower than that you reminds me of our presidents on TV that he just make you want to scratch. Sometimes things he says he's pretty tough and I wish Edac I thought we should handle himself different at times like the one thing he's Kellogg Johnson times what, that's just a lie.

That's the salon I know what these writer time. I don't know I'm just making a point, sometimes even God's godliness me and get real brash get real firm and get pretty tough.

John says if you've embraced indulging in wickedness and by letting God's command and claim to be a child of God you are a liar stuff stuff straightforward. Thank you, grandpa John, we need some of the straight talk. Sometimes in the kingdom of God. Well, we talked about their inner motive for sanctification is a new love for God that's in our hearts. The perpetual practice is we want to keep on keeping his commandments. We don't just go at it on the towel some where along the way.

And now the perfect pattern of sanctification.

There is about the way you will never be the perfect pattern of sanctification will never be a perfect pattern the same dictation, but there is one who was I guess you could say still is the perfect pattern of setting his heart and life apart to honor God and keep his commandments.

Verse six the one who says he abides in him all he himself to walk in the same manner as he Jesus wall again. The Gnostic heresies and heretics would say we know the truth about Jesus, we know the real wisdom of Jesus where the real followers of Jesus, but they had a predetermined purpose and last audit violated the commands of God, but should about like these guys want to say they follow Jesus. These guys want to say they're the true teachers of Christianity.

These guys want to say we have elite knowledge with the Gnostics would say this day, so follow us and yet they buy predetermined purpose and lifestyle.

Practice this honor the commandments of God. How can that be a follower of Jesus when Jesus whole life. His whole purpose. Every molecule of his being. When he was in the physical form was to obey the father's will. Sortie saying is that's what you want to be like like Jesus and him going to John's earlier strong rebuke there lying when they say their followers of Jesus because Jesus will defile the father's will. Jesus want to keep the commandments of God. How did Jesus walk written down for things here and just just for thoughts, just to get our minds if you think about what would capture Jesus heart monitor work. Where was the passion of Jesus heart and mind.

Number one he loved his father what he said. He said you know the love that I love the father because I keep his commandments again. John would say to us in the contrast that with these false teachers telling you. Contrast that to the concept of Christianity means once saved always saved and that that you just indulge in the world you're okay. Jesus didn't do that while he started with a love for his father, secondly, how did Jesus live. He loved the father's law and you love the father's will. He loved so did anybody that would teach different than that is contrary to following Jesus that I've been acting like a Christian at all.

Not only did he love his father holy from his heart heart mind soul everything he love the father's law. He loved the father's will. And thirdly, he live the father's will. He kept the commands Jesus said, every prophecy, every word of God's law. He fulfilled every jot and every tittle of it every tiny piece of God's commandments. He perfectly will field and fourthly he did it to this death, he said, his face like flint walked into Jerusalem, gave himself as the sacrifice for the sins of the children on the cross because he was that wholly committed to the father's will.

Again, thank of the glaringly obvious contrast between that devotion to God's will and commandments and the Gnostic heretics who were saying all just indulge in sin.

That's the way live Christian so radical that folks there may not be any pure Gnosticism in the world today, but there are they're not hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions of confessing or professing evangelical are ecumenical striped Christians who live in this very philosophy they indulge they explain away. They excuse and they all think that either Mary or the priest or the sacrament or because I prayed a prayer wall done and how in some evangelical church that they sorta stamp their ticket in their free thing.

What John says to you, if you're living in the world and your loving the world you don't even honor God's church, five, six, eight times a year. Perhaps in your just indulging in the things you enjoy in this world you're not striving to keep God's commandments.

Something is not right and you John would save you think your Christian your lower your lower that's not what a Christian is just look at Jesus and notice how he was devoted to please the father and walk in the father's will. We are to imitate him that were not to imitate him. Like I pointed out some time ago when a soft fella going down the road had about 12 or 15 foot cross on the shoulder and had a wheel on the back of the cross. He was marching that cross up across our country to try to get people to look to Jesus and I'm not saying the deer man's motives were impure or wrong, but his approach is wrong. The cross is then been carried.

Sacrifice is Artie been made are part approach now is to preach the gospel so were not to imitate Jesus by going to across her suffering, some way like that.

That's been done were to imitate Jesus like a little boy imitates his deity little boy imitates is that imitates her mama. She says I want to be like her own be like him and they begin to learn what does he love. What does he enjoy you and what does she love, what to see joy and then how does she do that that's the way we want to be imitating Jesus first Peter tech chapter 2 verse 21 people even here on to. We were called, because Christ also suffered for us.

An example that we should follow in his step true child of God. John six is a new heart. It's heart that loves God and out of the heart that loves God he wants to you the perpetual pattern of his life to be one of keeping God's will and honoring God's commandments. He may fail and he might wonder what he recanted gets back up and he keeps on keeping on wanting to honor God's will and honor God's command and he remembers that he looks to Jesus and realizes I'll never be perfect like, but I still want to be like him. I will love what he loved. I will have heart motives that he had only embrace God's law like he did and live it out. The old songwriter said when we walk with the Lord in the light of this word, what a glory he sheds on our way. While we do his good wheel he abides with the steel and with all who will trust and obey trust and obey, for there's no other way to be happy in Jesus, these folks here drifted into embracing some of these quote elitist Gnostic teachers that I will be happy in Jesus. Doug will be heartbroken and frustrated. The only way to be happy in Jesus is to trust and obey.

Why because were under some woeful begrudgingly Thorson bird know I gotta do it because I'm afraid no no no parts contrary I'm learning to walk, to honor him.

I want to be pleasing him. I want to do just security that leads to walking and sanctification