Will you turn with me to 1 John,
the first epistle of John. It begins very much like John's
gospel, in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with
God, and the Word was God. Verse 1 of 1 John 1, that which
was from the beginning which we have heard, which we have
seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands
have handled, of the word of life, speaking of course of Jesus
Christ. John said it's not our imagination. It wasn't a delusion. It wasn't
an aberration. We saw him. We saw him. We touched him. We heard him.
Verse 2, for the life was manifested. John again in chapter 1 of his
gospel said, no man has seen God at any time. The only begotten
Son who is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him. The Word was made flesh and dwelt
among us. That's how we saw Him. That's
how we heard Him. For the life was manifested and
we have seen it. And bear witness and show unto
you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested
unto us. that which we have seen and heard
declare we unto you that ye also may have fellowship with us and
truly our fellowship is with the father and with his son Jesus
Christ and these things write we unto you that your joy may
be full this then is the message which we have heard of him and
declare unto you that God is light and in him is no darkness
at all if we say we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness
we lie and do not the truth but if we walk in the light as he
is in the light we have fellowship one with another and the blood
of Jesus Christ his son cleanses us from all sin if we say that
we have no sin we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us if
we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins
and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness If we say that we have not sinned,
we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. My little children,
these things write out unto you that you sin not. And if any
man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ
the righteous, and he is the propitiation for our sins, and
not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. My text shall be verse 7 primarily. And the title of my message is
Blessed Fellowship. Blessed Fellowship. But I would
like for us to consider, as an introduction, what John says
in verse 6. In these two verses, there is
a stark contrast. Verse 6 and verse 7. John speaks
of those in verse 6 who profess to know God. And in verse 7 he
speaks of those who really do know God. In verse 6 you have
the professor. They claim they know God. As
someone once said, and I couldn't agree more, Anybody can make
a profession of faith. Anybody can do that. It doesn't
require regeneration. It doesn't require grace. It
doesn't require God at all. It's happening right now at this
very hour in churches all around us from shore to shore, from
sea to shining sea. Multitudes, sad to say, will
make professions of faith. Will you believe in Jesus? Yeah,
yeah. Be slapped on the back and be
told, well, you're a believer now. You have everlasting life.
And now don't you doubt it. Don't you doubt it. John describes
those as only professors of faith. Just about everybody has made
a profession of faith. Hasn't, haven't they? I mean,
it's tough. It's tough to find somebody that
hasn't made a profession of faith. And as I said, in these verses,
John draws a very clear line and judges with absolute honesty. And of course, he's writing under
divine inspiration of God's Holy Spirit. And John, the beloved
disciple, is not at all inclined to that so-called charity that
is so prevalent in our day that allows that men may be true Christians
no matter how they live. No matter what they believe or
how they live, they're told that they're true Christians. Well,
Larry, shouldn't you do that when folks come? I mean, you
don't want to make anybody feel uncomfortable, do you? If you're
here this morning and you don't know God, you better believe
I want to make you feel uncomfortable. I pray that God will make you
uncomfortable, that if you only profess to know him and really
in your heart of hearts, you've never experienced that grace. Grace is not something to comprehend
intellectually. Grace is something that God bestows
upon a sinner by which they embrace the Son of God. He gives them
eyes to see Him who loved them and gave Himself for them. Anyone
who professes That he has faith in Christ. Now that's exactly
what John says in verse 6, does he not? This is not me saying
this, this is John himself said this. Anyone who professes that
he has faith in Christ and fellowship with God God who is light and
yet that man or woman walks in darkness. John says he's a liar. Oh man, John, ouch, ouch, that's
pretty tough. John says that's so. I mean there's
no question about it. When John uses the word walk
He's not talking about our physical, literal walk. He's talking about
how we live our entire lives. And John says if we profess to
know God and our life is one contrary to God, we lie and do
not the truth. Those who remain in darkness,
being ignorant of the plague of their own hearts, they've
never been lost. Brothers and sisters, If we've
never been lost, we've never been saved. If God's never stripped
us, if he's never made us aware. Our Lord said in John 6, wasn't
it? Everyone that's taught of God,
everyone that has learned of the Father, comes to me. Everyone that God teaches effectually,
what they really are. He convinces them. He does what
I can't do. I mentioned earlier my older
brother. I can't convince him he's lost. Oh, I know when I
would be button-holed as when I was younger, before God was
pleased to save me, some religious zealot would button-hold me and,
uh, you're lost, you're a sinner, yeah, yeah I am, now get out
here and leave me alone. Just give lip service to it.
Oh, but when God got me lost, when God stripped me, I knew
I was lost. I knew I needed Christ. I knew
I needed grace. Those who remain in darkness,
ignorant of their own Lostness, ignorant as who Jesus Christ
is, ignorant as to what salvation is. Those who are born of God
don't do that. They don't live in darkness.
Now, there's a lot of things I don't understand. John mentioned
this morning. about a certain subject, he said,
I'm really not sure. And I thought to myself, has
John said that? Me either, John. I'm really not sure. But believers
do not walk in darkness. They know the truth and they
walk in it. Turn, if you will, to Ephesians
chapter 2. This is exactly what Paul says
here. He says it just as John does,
very emphatically. In Ephesians chapter 2, look
at verse 1. And you had he quickened, made
alive, because you were dead in trespasses and sins. So God
must quicken you. He must give you life, spiritual
life, everlasting life. Wherein in times past, this is
how you used to live, how you used to walk. In times past you
walked according to the course of this world, according to the
prince of the power of the air. the spirit that now worketh in
the children of disobedience, among whom also we all had our
conversation in times past in the lust of our flesh, fulfilling
the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature
children of wrath even as others. And we would still be there.
We would still be there, except for this, verse 4, but God, but
God did something for us. God, who commanded the light
to shine out of darkness, has shined it to our hearts to give
us the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah,
My Father in Heaven's done something for you. You've not arrived at
this on your own. God Almighty has given you faith
to know who the Son of God is. Be a happy man, Simon. But God,
who is rich in mercy for his great love worth, he loved us
even when we were dead in sins, right in the grip of spiritual
death, hath quickened us together, just like he did at the tomb
of Lazarus, when he said, Lazarus, come forth. What happened? Lazarus come forward. So we were
dead in trespasses and sins, but even while so, he had quickened
us together with Christ and raised us up together and made us set
together in heavenly places in Christ. Now it's true, God's
saints sometimes are in darkness, but not the darkness that John
speaks of here. Not this darkness. The darkness
we experience is the darkness of one who sees no light in himself. In Isaiah chapter 50 verse 10,
listen to this. Who is among you that feareth
the Lord? Sounds like a believer. That
obeyeth the voice of his servant? Sounds like a believer. That
walketh in darkness and hath no light? That's a believer. Oh yes. But let him, the prophet
said, let him trust in the name of the Lord and stay, lean upon,
just stay upon his God. Don't move, don't move. Oh yes, when the storms of life
are raging, don't move. Don't move. When the billows
are rolling over your head, believer, don't move. When you're crying
out from a wretched heart of depravity and a sinful nature,
O wretched man that I am, don't move. Stay upon your God. Blessed be His name. He'll never
leave you nor forsake you. Oh, but this darkness that John
speaks of in verse 6, those who walk in it don't know God. The
wicked walk in the sparkles of their own light. You remember
what John saw in Revelation 17? That image of false religion,
that picture of man-made religion. Man, she was decked out. She
was something to behold. Even John momentarily was captivated
by her beauty. And the angel said, John, why
do you marvel at her? Why do you marvel? She's false. So the wicked may walk in the
sparkle of their own religious deception, and it may make them
marvel, and it may speak a false peace to their heart, but it'll
never give true peace. It'll never allow them to lie
down with the blessed sweet assurance that it is well with their soul. The only peace they'll experience
is a false peace. It will never give them the true
peace with God. Isaiah 50 verse 11 says this. This is a description of those
that John describes in verse 6 as walking in darkness. Behold
all ye that kindle a fire that can pass yourselves about with
sparks. Walk in the light of your fire
and in the sparks that you have kindled. This shall ye have at
my hand. Ye shall lie down in sorrow. the modern idea of carnal Christians. You notice John doesn't give
a loophole for that, does he? I mean, he just lays it right
to the line. Those who know God and those
who only pretend to know God. Those who profess to know God
and those who really possess the true grace of God that's
in Christ Jesus. The idea of the carnal Christian
is opposed to every principle of the gospel of God's grace.
And it's a necessary consequence of that modern day teaching that
a man can know God can have Christ as his Savior and never bow to
him as Lord. You know why that's taught? because
churches, preachers, soul winners have produced a bunch of rebels,
have pronounced them saved because they said the sinner's prayer
or they made a decision for Jesus and yet they go out and there's
no change whatsoever in their life. What are we going to do
with that multitude, that ever-growing multitude of professors? What
are we going to do with them? Well, we'll either have to admit
We've been telling lies on God, or we're going to have to say
they must be carnal. That's what's wrong. They're
carnal. They've accepted Jesus as their Savior, but they've
never bowed to Him as Lord. Ask the rich young ruler how
that worked out. He wouldn't bow to the Lord Jesus
Christ and Christ didn't say, you're a carnal, you're saved,
but carnal. He sent him away sorrowful because he would not
bow to the Son of God and anyone who's never bowed to the Son
of God is a rebel and they're lost. They're walking in darkness
no matter what they may profess. The grace of God changes the
hearts of his people. Isn't that what grace does? Louie,
isn't grace effectual? I mean, surely grace is just
not an offer to save. We read in Ephesians 2 that the
grace of God saves his people from their sins. Paul wrote in
2 Corinthians 5, 17, Therefore if any man be in Christ, He's
a new creature. Old things are passed away. He's
not what he used to be. He's not like he used to be.
He's a new creation. There's something in him now
that was never there before. He's born of God, and the seed
of God remains in him. Behold, old things are passed
away. All things become new. The grace
of God sanctifies his people. In 1 Corinthians 6, Paul said,
such were some of you, but you're washed, but you're sanctified,
but you're justified. The grace of God that brings
salvation, Titus chapter 2, Paul wrote, the grace of God that
brings salvation teaches us to deny ungodliness and worldly
lust and to live soberly and righteously and godly in this
present world. Now look at verse 7. Look at
verse 7. Oh, I want to turn from verse
6 to what John speaks up here in verse 7. The possessor. of grace, the possessor of salvation,
those who know. But if we walk in the light as
he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, one with another. And the blood of Jesus Christ
his Son cleanseth us from all sin. The verse begins with but. Contrary to those spoken of in
verse 6, John says, but, thank God, there are exceptions to
those in verse 6, walking in darkness. There are exceptions
and God Almighty has made the exception. But God. Don't you like those words? Don't
you like those words? But God. You wouldn't be a believer,
but God. You wouldn't know Christ except
but God. You wouldn't be saved except
but God. We would still be walking as
those in verse 6 even professing to be saved and yet not know
God except but God. What sweet words of grace. In
chapter 5 here in 1 John, turn there if you will. 1 John chapter
5, look what he says here in verse 13. But these things have I written
unto you that believe, that really believe on the name of the Son
of God, that you may know. I want you to know that you have
eternal life and that you may believe on the name of the Son
of God. If you believe you have eternal life, just keep believing.
Look on down at verse 19. And we know that we are of God,
and the whole world lieth in wickedness. And we know that
the Son of God is come, and has given us an understanding, that
we may know Him, that we may know Him that is true, and we
are in Him that is true, even in His Son, Jesus Christ. This
is true God and eternal life. This is life eternal, he prayed
the Lord Jesus Christ, that they might know thee the only true
God and Jesus Christ whom thou didst send. Although it's amazing,
It's amazing. It's a marvel. Sinners in this
world can know the true and living God through the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul said, we're bound to give
thanks. Why? But God. But God has chosen
you to salvation. But when the fullness of the
time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made
under the law to redeem. to redeem them that were under
the law. But when it pleased God, who
separated me from my mother's womb and called me by His grace,
everything's due to God's grace. God does it all. Salvation's
of the Lord. Everything about salvation is
of the Lord. You don't contribute nothing.
And thank God a helpless sinner, a sinner who has been made aware
of their helplessness, Those who have been stripped, they're
glad to hear that salvation's of the Lord. They're thankful
to know that it's not up to them to take the first step, but it's
up to God who showeth mercy. Oh, but Larry, Larry, doesn't
God give everybody a chance? I don't know how many times I've
been asked that question, and I'm sure you have too. But doesn't
God give everyone a chance to be saved? Well, first of all,
Salvation is not by chance. Salvation is not by chance. Salvation
is deliberate. Salvation is on purpose. Salvation
is not by chance, but it's by grace. And secondly, salvation
is of the Lord. It is not My soul could words
be plainer. It is not of him that willeth
or of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy. I don't
come into this pulpit this morning hoping that somebody will make
themselves willing to be saved. That's never going to happen.
It's never going to happen. My prayer and my hope is that
God Almighty will make His people willing in the day of His power. That's my hope. My hope doesn't
lie in dead Lazarus taking the first step. My hope lies in He
who is the resurrection and the life going to the tomb of dead
sinners' hearts and saying, live, live! And they'll get up and
live and we'll all say, well, glory to God. Glory to God! He
has saved us and not we ourselves. How I thank God that there is
a remnant, as Paul said in Romans 11, according to the election
of grace. And Paul said if it's an election
of grace, then it can't be worse. It can't be worse. Therefore,
that grace, the true grace of God, makes salvation certain. It doesn't depend on you, but
God. Because God is able to do what
he pleases. Really? Really? So there are people who want
to argue that. If God can't do what he pleases,
he's not God. He's not God. And let me ask
you this, who stops God from doing as he pleases? Who's going
to stop God? Psalm 115 verse 3, David says
to the scoffers of his day, David, where's your God, they ask. You're
being persecuted. You're being chased. You're being
tormented. You're going through all these
trials. Your own son wants to kill you. Where's your God now? And David said, He's where He's
always been. Our God is in the heavens and
He's done whatsoever He is. Please, the free will preacher.
My brother Henry Pastor was pastoring the church in Ashland years ago.
Heard about the death of Henry's son. His son killed in Vietnam
and he called Henry and said, Where's your God now, Henry?
Can you imagine? And Henry said, my God's in the
heavens and he's done whatsoever he hath pleased. Turn if you
will to Isaiah. Isaiah chapter 43 Isaiah chapter
43 verse 11 Isaiah 43 and 11 God speaking and he says, I even
I am the Lord and beside me there is no Savior. I have declared
and have saved and I have showed when there was no strange God
among you therefore ye are my witnesses saith the Lord that
I am God. Yea before the day was I am he
and there is none that can deliver out of my hand. I will work and
who shall let it? Who shall hinder it? Who shall
stop me? Turn over a few pages here in
Isaiah chapter 46 Isaiah chapter 46 verse 9 remember remember
the former things of old for I am God and there is none else
I am God and there is none like me declaring the end from the
beginning and from the ancient times the things that are not
yet done saying my counsel shall stand and I will do all my pleasure. Now does that sound like a God
that can't have his way? Does that sound like a God that
needs my help? The salvation of sinners is certain
because Christ did not die for nothing. Did the angel lie to
Joseph when Joseph tossed up on his bed when he found out
that Mary was pregnant? wondering what he should do,
considering putting her away privately. And the angel said,
Joseph, don't do that. That which is born in Mary, or
rather is conceived in the womb of Mary, is of the Holy Ghost.
And Joseph, when he's born, called his name Jesus. For he shall,
he shall save his people from their sins. Was he telling a
lie or did Jesus Christ save his people from their sins? Did
he guarantee the salvation of all his elect when he died upon
the cross? When Christ said, except a corn
of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone. But
if it die, it'll bring forth much fruit, a multitude that
none can number. Was he telling the truth then?
Absolutely. Did all the prophets lie when
they said concerning the Son of God? Jehovah's righteous servant,
he shall not fail. Were they lying? Absolutely not. Were they lying when they said
he shall see a travail of his soul and be satisfied? Absolutely
not. And neither is John here when
he says if we walk in the light we have fellowship one with another. You're not in darkness, Peter
wrote. God has called us out of darkness
into his marvelous light. And we have fellowship. Remember
what our Lord told his disciples that night before he went to
the garden and was betrayed? He said, if a man loves me, keeps
my commandments, my Father and I will come to him. We will manifest ourself to him. And the disciples said, how are
you going to do that? How are you going to manifest yourself
to us and not the world? And our Lord said, we will come
into them, manifest ourselves to them, and have sweet communion. The union we have with Jesus
Christ gives us this blessed communion, this fellowship. How often have you come to this
place? I have. Where God's saints meet,
we gather to worship. And sometimes come in here feeling
so low, so down, so depressed that you could sit on a penny
and swing your legs. That's pretty low. That's pretty
down. But you leave here rejoicing
because as Christ promised, there am I in the midst of them. and
He's given you a blessed manifestation to your soul of His presence
and the sweet result of that is you've been lifted up and
you leave with a song of praise on your lips and joy in your
heart saying, it is well, it is well with my soul. Yes, blessed be God, we have
fellowship one with another. Again, I'm reminded of the blessed
sweet service we had last Sunday after John's class and the Lord's
Supper. And at lunch, I kind of sat by
myself for a few minutes, observing you as you enjoyed each other's
company over lunch. And I lifted up my heart to God
in thankful praise, and I asked him, Lord, keep this blessed
fellowship we enjoy, and don't allow anything. Don't allow anything
to disrupt it because it's precious. It's precious. Remember what
we read of in Psalm 133. Turn there if you will for a
moment. Psalm 133. It speaks of the blessed fellowship
of believers. Compares it to the anointing
oil that was poured up on the head of Aaron the high priest. Behold, verse 1, Psalm 133, behold
how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together
in unity. It is like the precious ointment
upon the head that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard,
that went down to the skirts of his garments. How blessed
it is for brethren to dwell in unity, not to quarrel, not to
quarrel, though this fragrant oil which was strongly perfumed
and diffused with sweet odors to the great delight of all those
who stood by. When it is poured upon the head
of the high priest Aaron, being poured on his head, the oil flowed
down and dropped upon his garments till the utmost hymn was anointed
with it. And even so does brotherly love
extend its power and bless all who are beneath its influence.
Brotherly love flows down from our head the Lord Jesus Christ,
it falls to the feet, it goes down where we read, it ran down. More than that, this is a picture
of Christ and his church. Ephesians 5, even as Christ is
the head of the church and he is the savior of the body, for
we are members of his body, of his flesh and of his bones, Christ
also loved the church and gave himself for it, that he might
sanctify it and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having
spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and
without blemish. Grace alone keeps us in union
with each other and our Lord. Grace gives us a sweet communion
with each other and our Lord. Now look at the promise here
at verse 7. It's twofold and will be brief.
If we walk in the light as he is in the light we have fellowship
one with another and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses
us from all sin. The fellowship of one with another
is not speaking of the fellowship of believers among themselves,
but their fellowship with God. The one, all believers, with
another is the Lord Jesus Christ, our great God and Savior. That's
what John is talking about here. But if we walk in the light as
he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another. All who walk
in the light Christ gives by His Spirit in the revelation
of the gospel, living by faith in Christ, are united in fellowship
with one another. We are brethren. And he says
the blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanseth us perpetually
from all sin. It will never lose its power.
Nothing but the precious blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, can
put away sin. Nothing else can do it. Nothing
but the blood of the one who is himself God is of infinite
value to put away our sins. The precious blood of Jesus Christ
God's Son cleanses us from all sin. Past sin, present sin, future
sin, original sin. I've heard people say, oh my
soul, oh my soul. If I believed that, I'd be afraid
to preach that to people. They'll go out and live any way
they want to. That's giving them a license to sin. Yeah, right. License to sin, oh no. John says,
he that hath this hope in him purifies himself. In chapter
3, even as he is pure. Even the iniquity of our holy
things is purged by the precious blood of Jesus Christ perpetually. It cleanses us from all sin by
the infinite dignity dignity of the person who offered it,
the Lord Jesus Christ. All the glory of this perfect,
full, and finished salvation. It speaks peace to the conscience. It atones for sin. And neither
the powers of hell or my yet own indwelling sin can do anything
to reverse its efficacy in the souls of everyone who has experienced
it. Bobby sang a moment ago, but,
but, there was a fountain opened, and the blood of God's own Son
purifies the soul and reaches deeper than the stain has gone. Another hymn says there's pardon
for transgression past, it matters not how black they're cast, and
oh my soul with wonder view, for sins to come there's pardon
too. And the blood of Jesus Christ
cleanses us from all sin, meaning the atonement for sin, and I
think it also means the experience of that atonement, the application
of that blood, part and pronounce in the conscience and to our
hearts when the Son of God bears witness with our spirit that
our sins are all forgiven. Oh my. The blood of Christ has
the same efficacy now as when he first shed it upon the cross. It shall never lose its power. Look at verse 4 here in chapter
1 and we'll bring this to a close. John tells us the reason that
he writes these things. And these things write we unto
you that your joy may be full. Doesn't that sound familiar?
Christ told his disciples that same night of his arrest and
betrayal. He said, the world shall rejoice
and ye shall lament, but I'll see you again, and your sorrow
shall be turned into joy. In the world you shall have tribulation,
but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. The gospel
of God is the message of joy. The very night of his birth,
the angels told the shepherds, Behold, we bring you glad tidings
of great joy. Child of God, rejoice. Your sins
are all taken away. Blessed is the man, the word
is happy. Happy is the man whose sin is
forgiven, the psalmist said. Happy is that man to whom the
Lord will not impute iniquity. He charged all my sins upon Christ. He'll not turn around and charge
me with those same sins. The joy of knowing Christ, not
what but who. Remember the joy that yet awaits
us. Christ is in that day. The Father
shall say, enter into the joy prepared for you from the foundation
of the world. Paul wrote in Romans 8, I reckon,
I reckon that we cannot, there's nothing to compare to the joy
that shall be revealed in us. The joy of tears being wiped
away. The joy of all pain being abolished. The joy of no more death. Christ
said to Martha at the tomb of her dead brother, he that believeth
in me shall never die. Death will be impossible there.
In the presence of that one who sits upon the throne, it will
be obsolete. One believer said, you'll soon
read in the newspapers that I passed away, that I've died. He said,
don't you believe it. I will have never been more alive. and the joy of being forever
with the Lord. Oh, the inexpressible joy of
beholding the King in his beauty. I fell asleep last night thinking
about that. My soul, what a day that'll be
when my Jesus I shall see. If we walk in the light, as He
is in the light, we have fellowship one with another. And the blood
of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. God bless you.