Particularly when we read in the word of God such things as:
"If we claim to be without sin we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
If we claim we have not sinned, we make God out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives."(1 John 1:8-10)
Well, here is the problem with not understanding that some verses in the New Testament, are an Apostle talking to unbelievers.
See, the NT is written for the body of Christ and unbelievers, so in the verses, you have Preachers, preaching, as well as teachers teaching.
Now notice something carefully.....
First, all our sin is dealt with by Christ on the Cross, as Christ "became our sin".
If you have sin, you are not born again. If all your sin has been dealt with by Jesus, then you have been "made righteous".
You can't be righteous and have sin.
There is no sin, in Christ, and all the born again, are "IN Christ".
Understanding this, is to learn how to get out of the natural mind, and into the right mind, the renewed mind, so that a believer can walk in the Spirit.
So, when we read a verse that says we, the born again, are a sinner, then we have to understand the context, and we have to realize that Apostles, didn't always talk to the Believers in the NT verses.
For example.... in ACTs 28, you have Paul for the 2nd time, shown talking to unsaved Hebrews (Jews) about Christ, and Salvation. He did this same thing in Hebrews 10, and told them that "willfully sinning" (the sin of Christ rejection), is to "crucify Christ afresh", and there is no more forgiveness for this sin of CHRIST REJECTION.
So, if a believer reads those verses, or yours that you posted, they have to be careful not to appoint those verses as their own situation. . If you do that, then you are putting yourself in the unsaved position, needing to be born again.
That cant happen.
Now, look at something carefully, that John said.
He said..>"if
WE say, we have no sin"....
See that ???
So, John does not have sin, Clare73.
Jesus has his sin, all of it.
John is not standing there preaching the Cross, as a sinner, with sin.
He is an apostle, who is washed in the blood of Jesus.
He has no sin. He is "In Christ", and Jesus has dealt with all his Sin.
So, the "
WE" is preacher speak.
He is using this to talk to people who are denying his message, or misunderstand it.
Let me show you this, more clearly, Clare73
Say, the members of the forum get together in a room, and each bring a guest who is not saved, to hear me preach.
Well...I know that some are not born again, as this is all the "guests".
So, i preach about the Cross, and sin, and forgiveness.
Well, 2 in the room, stand up, and say...>"we dont believe in SIN". "there is no such thing as sin".
"all truth is relative".. "there is no absolute truth". "you can't PROVE we have sin".
And I say.....>"Listen, if we say we have no sin, then we DECEIVE ourselves".
See that Clare73?
I just said "
WE", and i mean THEM.
See it?
I dont have the sin. They have the SIN.
But im preaching to THEM< and a preacher will say.."WE" to the room, but he or she is not talking about themselves, when they talk about having SIN.
Do you go to church Clare73?
Do you actually believe your pastor, bishop, minister, has SIN, when he steps into that pulpit to talk to his members?
So does John the Apostle
???????????
Think about that, in light of John's verse, and in light of what im showing you.
So, .....That is what John is doing.
He is telling them, that they have sin, and that there is no truth in them, and they are making God a liar by denying their sin., yet he says "WE"< because that is how a preacher preaches.
Its how your's does, if you have a Pastor.
Its what we do,, Clare73
See that?
So, what is happening to John, is the same thing that is happening to me, when im talking to those people who say that there is no such thing as sin, and that that dont have any.
