Question on Sin, Confession, & Sainthood?

Here's a question emailed to me by a friend well acquainted with the grace life we have in Christ, followed by my response. 'Always a blessing for me to get to participate in what God is doing in the life and ministry of those God is working in and through!

Send your questions to mike@StoneLife.org, or connect via twitter, facebook, or skype video below.

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Mike,

This morning, my wife and I read 1 John 1:8-2:2. After reading this passage, she was left with questions. As I read the passage, I must admit that I am a little confused. I see the potential for a legalistic sermon dripping from this text. Because I know John understands grace, I am trying to read these verses with a grace perspective, but I am getting tripped up on the word, "sin." Is John saying that we still have flesh; therefore, we have the potential for sin, and if we try to hide our potential for sin, we are deceiving ourselves? Also, I see the confessing of our "sins" as a confession that we have flesh and that it is only through Christ that flesh can be overcome (sanctification). In 1 John 2:1, John states that he wrote this epistle so that we will not sin, but I am of the belief that we cannot, in our own strength, keep from sinning. So, praise God that He chose to die for the atoning of our sin(s), which is grace (1 John 2:1b-2)

Am I on the right path or did I miss the boat. I would appreciate your thoughts.

Thanks,

-Saint-not-a-Sinner?

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Dear Sainted -

'Absolutely on the right path - actually very exciting to see your commentary/questions, Brother!

Let's define a couple of terms:

Sin is our nature BEFORE Christ or our behavior now when acting AS IF still our nature, though it isn't - many believers don't know our sinful nature was crucified with Christ (aka. "the flesh" still resident in the believer, but not our ID / independence from God).

Confession is our agreement with God about our behavior or - more specifically - about our TRUE nature (ala "that sinfulness is NOT who I truly am by grace!").

If we walk in the Truth of who we are in Christ - that is, LET by faith Him LIVE by grace through me - I will not sin... Paul states several times that when we walk by the Spirit we won't gratify the desires of the flesh.

Keep in mind John is not Paul, John's paradigm IS still accurate, but it's representative in part of a pre-crucified experience with Christ. So, John has a greater emphasis on sinful behavior and intimacy than Paul, whose emphasis is on new identity and finished work. Both are accurate and they are in agreement, but with slightly different perspectives.

Hope that helps! Very proud of God's work in you, Bro!

ridiculously graced...

-mike.

p.s.

Had one final thought on this, though not directly in response to your question. It's also important to realize in reading "if we confess... He forgives," and "if we say we don't sin... we're saying God's a liar," that John is setting up two contradictory conditions of mankind: either you know you've sinned, or you say you don't sin - the self-righteous or the grace dependent. Those of us who rely on grace are forgiven. Those who are self-righteous are at odds with God who has offered us grace. In other words, if we say we don't need grace then we nullify the work of Christ - in our opinion He died for nothing. John is not speaking of a believer stumbling, but describing the choice of dependence on Him for righteousness (thus, "He is faithful... to cleanse us from all unrighteousness), versus those who claim they need no such grace and are deliberately choosing to operate in faith in our own justification instead of His for us.

Still make sense? :)

ridiculously graced...

-mike.

mike@StoneLife.org

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