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Review:

• Sinners by nature and by choice.
• Rules, laws, and commands arouse the desire to sin.
• We learned that there is territory that our flesh does not want to yield.
• “What a wretched man I am. Who can rescue me from this body that so easily sins?” Romans 7:23
• Praise be to God. Jesus can!  Romans 7:24

Let’s look more deeply into our brokenness in light of the love that God has for us.

Read 1 John 1:5-2:2

Pray

Light and darkness are incapable of partnership.  (5)

• The very essence of God is light.

• The very light of God chases away darkness.
  
  
• This makes it impossible for God to make a deal or partner with darkness.

You cannot harbor darkness and walk with God. (6)

• If you take hold of God’s hand, you will enter the light.
  
  
• To harbor darkness, you are choosing to not take God’s hand.

Walking with God requires staying in the light and rejecting darkness. (7)

“The disease of self runs through my blood, it’s a cancer fatal to my soul.  Every attempt on my behalf has failed to bring this sickness under control.  Tell me, what’s going on inside of me.  I despise my own behavior, This only serves to confirm my suspicions That I’m still a man in need of a savior. I want to be in the light as you are in the light.  I wanna shine like the stars in the heavens.  Oh, Lord be my light and be my salvation, cause all I want is to be in the light…”  20^th Century Poet Charlie Peacock performed by DC Talk

• Our nature will constantly work in dark corners of our heart, avoiding the light.
  
  
• This highlights the importance of God’s Word, God’s church, and submission to God’s Spirit.

Don’t grow prideful to your need for Jesus as you grow in your freedom.  (8, 10)

• Illustration: Like a person who has effectively taken a drug to eliminate emotional/physical symptoms who foolishly determines they no longer need the meds.  Bi-polar, cholesterol, diabetes, etc…
  
  
• Similarly, we can thrive in the freedom we have found in the light and forget where the power comes from to stay there.

Declaring yourself to be sin-free reveals three things:

1. You are lying to yourself. (8)
   
   
2. You believe God to be a liar. (10)
3. You don’t trust His Word. (10)

When we fall back into dark patterns, confession is the light that we need to begin restoration. (9)

• Conditional: You confess = He forgives.
  • A confession that is repentant in spirit.
  • It is a seeking of God for the remedy, not a self-remedy.

• Non-Conditional: He is faithful and just.
  
  
• He will clean your house and you get a fresh start.

When we do sin, Jesus goes to work on our behalf. (2:1)

• He is our advocate.
  
  
• He has paid our penalty.
  
  
• He has done this for the whole world. (2:2)
  
  
• Why? He loves all those who are created in his image! 

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him, will not perish, but have eternal life.” 

There is no merit on our part that has earned His love. Romans 5:6-8

• Before any capability had been given to us walk in the light. (6)
• He goes beyond the most noble among us who might die for a good person. (7)
  • He showed his love by dying for the godless person. (6)
  • He showed his love by dying for us while we are still active sinners. (8)
  • He showed his love by dying for those who are most against Him. (10)

“This is the greatest demonstration of love ever performed.”

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9

Baptism Video testifying to confession and forgiveness.

Song: Death Was Arrested

Benediction:  Romans 5:9-11 “Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! ¹⁰ For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!¹¹ Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”