When we were reading chapter
1 and a part of chapter 2, did you notice how matter-of-factly
John spoke and wrote? You find that throughout the
epistle. And remember, he did so under inspiration of God's
Holy Spirit. God the Holy Spirit was guiding
John as what to write. And throughout the epistle, John
over and over says, we know. We know. We. Not everybody. He's writing to God's children.
And he says again and again, we know some things. These are not speculations or
just vague notions. These are certainties. These
are realities. And I know many people say, well,
I don't believe them. It's not a factor. So, that's
your problem. That's your problem. But it doesn't
affect the truth, the certain truth of God's Word. John says,
we know. I heard a story one time about
two men that went to hear a certain preacher. And after the message
and the service was over, they were leaving and one of the men
said to his friend, man, that was deep. That was deep. And the other one was more honest
than that. He said, no, it wasn't deep. It was just muddy. Just muddy. Didn't understand it at all.
John is not muddy, is he? He writes clear, clear as a unpolluted
mountain stream. And just as refreshing, isn't
it? Let men be unsure, be unsure
of less important things. And that would include everything
in comparison to this. Be unsure of what you may choose
as a career. Be unsure as to where you may
live. But don't be unsure of whether
or not you know God. Don't be unsure about that. Don't
be uncertain about that. Those other things, those minor
things in comparison, in comparison to this, they are minor. Important
in a sense, but minor in comparison. Be unsure of those. That won't
determine where you spend eternity. But this will. This will. We
know, John says, again at verse 1, John says, we know. as to
the person of Jesus Christ, that which was from the beginning,
which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes. Does
John sound ambiguous? Does he sound as though he's
doubtful as to the reality of Jesus Christ, who he was, is,
which we have looked upon. We saw him. and our hands have
handled." He appeared to them that morning after his resurrection
and said, handle me and see. Touch me and see. I'm not a ghost. I'm not a spirit. It is I. Then were the disciples glad,
we read, when they saw the Lord. This is no figment of John's
imagination. Jesus Christ Isn't this refreshing? Jesus Christ is everything He
claimed to be. Jesus Christ is all He claimed
to be. The Son of God and God the Son. The Son of God and God the Son. The Eternal Word. The Eternal
Word. In John's gospel, he said that
word that was in the beginning with God and was God was made
flesh and tabernacled for a while among us. The eternal word and
the word made flesh. The only begotten of the Father,
yet made like unto his brethren. No wonder Paul said, without
controversy. This is without argument. Without controversy, great is
the mystery of godliness. God Almighty. God Almighty. Not that imposter. Not that imposter. Not God that can't have his way,
that most folks are hearing about this morning. Not God that's
trying. He is not the God of this book. He's not the God as He proclaimed
Himself to be. He's God Almighty, God over all,
that has His way all the time, and it's not dependent upon the
will of His creatures. My soul, what utter nonsense! I'll repeat myself what I've
said before, but it's so. A God that needs my help, John,
if he needs my help to do anything, I'm in trouble and he's in trouble. We're both in a fix. No, this
God, the eternal God, was manifest in the flesh. Isn't that something? What a mystery! What an absolute
wonder! My soul, no wonder Simeon was
lifted up in adoration and wonder and true heartfelt worship when
he took that babe in his arms and said, I've seen your salvation! And he was looking at God in
the flesh. Another clearest crystal truth
John speaks of in verse 2. For the light was manifest and
we have seen it and bear witness. I love John's certainty, don't
you? I love his sureness. I love his dogmatism. Folks today
that say, well now you've just, you can't be like that. You can't
be bigoted. I've been called a bigot. You
can't be so narrow-minded. I mean, surely, people who bow
down to a stump, if they really think that's God, it'll be okay. They're all gonna end up in heaven
after all. No, no, no. Christ said, I'm
the way. Larry doesn't say that. Christ
said, I'm the way. No man comes to the Father. No man comes to God through mercy
and grace. No man will come to him for acceptance
in eternity except he come by me. No man ever has. Old Testament
or new, and no man ever will. Oh, John says, we know. We know. Religion says, well,
we guess so. We think so. We hope so. Maybe so. John says, we know. God was manifest in the flesh. Christ is no aberration. He is
no ghost. After he fed the multitude, he
sent them away. And he told his disciples to
get into a ship and go over to the other side. And he went into
a mountain and prayed. And while they were in that ship,
a great storm arose. and they were fearful for their
lives. And in Matthew 14 we read this,
in the fourth watch of the night, nearly the dawning of the day.
In the fourth watch of the night, Jesus went unto them, walking
on the sea. Oh, my brother and sister in
Christ, if right now, if at this very moment, You are experiencing
a storm in your soul. You're troubled. You're afraid. Your little vessel is just being
tossed, it seems like, completely out of control. Out of your control. But not his. Not his. And in the fourth watch of the
night, Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. And when
the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled,
saying, It is a spirit. It's a ghost. And they cried
out for fear. But straightway Jesus spake unto
them, saying, Be of good cheer. It is I. It is I. I told you I would never leave
you nor forsake you. Nothing can separate you from
the love of God which is in Christ Jesus. Oh, I have his blessed
promise over and over and over. And he would be the greater loser
if he did not fulfill it. That is, when the storms of life
are raging, he says, Larry Criss, I will stand by you. When this
world is tossing me like a ship upon the sea, he that rulest
wind and water has promised he'll stand by me. I'll not drown. I'll not drown. I can't go down. I cannot perish. That's impossible
unless he goes down with me. Unless he perishes too. Oh, he says, it is I. Be of good
cheer. Be not afraid. Yes, Christ is
real. It doesn't matter who says otherwise. John says, we've seen him. He
was manifested unto us. He told his disciples that night
before he went to the garden where he was arrested. If you
love me, keep my commandments. And I am the Father. will come
into you, and sup with you, and we will manifest ourself unto
you. Not unto the world. Oh, to the
world, an aberration. To the world, a delusion, a fairy
tale, a fable. Is that not so? Oh, but to you,
let them say what they will. You know. You know I'm real. I'll manifest myself unto you. And then in verse 3, John says,
our fellowship together as believers is real. Is real. Our fellowship
with one another and with the Father and with His Son, Jesus
Christ. In verse 4, so is our joy. So is our joy. It's not a worked
up religious spasm. Just about everybody before the
age of 12 or 13 have a religious spasm. Doesn't amount to a whole
lot. But what John speaks of here
is a constant, abiding, settled, rooted joy. Fellowship with the
father and with the son. It's no pretense. That's not
to say that we're not without our times of weeping. In the world, our Lord promised,
ye shall have tribulation. There's just no question about
that. There's just no getting around it. For God's people,
there are no exceptions. In the world, ye shall have tribulation. But be of good cheer. I have
overcome the world. In John chapter 16, verse 33, Our Lord said this, Behold, the
hour cometh, verse 32, and now is, that ye shall be scattered,
every man to his own, and shall leave me alone. And yet I am
not alone, because the Father is with me. These things I have
spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world
you shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer. I have overcome
the world. In verse 22, he said this, and
ye now therefore have sorrow. And ye now therefore have sorrow. Not exempt. Not exempt. And ye now therefore have sorrow. Sorrow, the sorrow of having
children. sons, daughters, our own flesh
that we love, but they don't know Him. What a burden. Oh God, ever since my daughter and two sons were
born and I brought them home and put them in that baby carriage.
I stood over them and said, Father, please, please, don't leave them
to themselves. Call them. Call them by your
omnipotent grace. Do for them what they cannot
do for themselves. They've inherited my fallen nature. Oh, but breathe on them. and
give them the very nature of Christ. And ye now therefore
have sorrow, but he didn't stop there, listen, but I will see
you again. Oh child of God, do you hear
that? Ye now therefore have sorrow.
And every one of us can say yes, that's true. of one kind of another,
but I will see you again, but I will see you again, this is
our advocate speaking, and your heart shall rejoice, and your
joy no man taketh from you." One look, brother Loyle, one
look, that first look. one look will more than compensate
for all the tears we shed now. Yes, we have nights of weeping,
but there is a morning coming, an endless morning coming that
is soon to dawn with everlasting joy. Yes, ye now therefore have
sorrow, but I will see you again. And then in verses 5 and 6 of
chapter 1 of 1 John, he speaks clearly, just as clearly, just
as certainly, concerning a false profession, concerning people who don't know
God. This then is the message which
we have heard of him, verse 5, 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 we walk in darkness, we lie. We're lying to ourselves,
we're lying to anybody else that we profess to know God to. We
lie and do not the truth. Do you see any elbow room in
there for carnal Christians? Do you see any elbow room in
there for so-called people who have accepted Jesus as their
Savior but have never bowed to Him as Lord? There is no such
person. No such thing. John says, if
we walk in darkness, we don't know God. Is that how you read it? If we
walk in darkness, When John uses the word walk, he's not referring
to a misstep or a fall, being overtaken by temptation. That
happens to God's true children. That can and does happen to believers. But the walk is the constant
tenor, the bent of our lives. The very bent of our lives, our
walk. In Ephesians 2, Paul said, you
had he quickened who were dead in sins, who before had your
walk according to the course of this world. You were like
everyone else. You walked in darkness. Be not
deceived, Paul said. Neither fornicators, or idolaters,
or adulterers, or infeminate, or abusers of themselves with
mankind have any inheritance in the kingdom of God. They shall
not inherit the kingdom of God. 1 Corinthians 6, and Paul also
wrote, and such were some of you. Such was I. But he didn't stop there, did
he? He said, but, but ye are washed. He are sanctified. He are justified. But, where
sin abounded, grace doth much more abound. Paul in Romans 6
said, Sin shall not have dominion over you. It shall not rule you. You'll not walk that way anymore. Why, Paul? Why? Because you're
not under the law, but under grace. You mean grace is just
not a word? It's not a doctrine? It's not
something we sit down and theorize about? Oh no! Grace is not like
something God offers. Grace is something that God Almighty
does in the heart of a believer. Therefore, If any man be in Christ,
he's a new creature. Was John being uncaring? Was he being unfeeling when he
wrote so matter-of-factly about those who profess God but don't
really know God? Was he unkind? No, of course
not. He was being faithful. He was
being faithful, first of all, to his God. and being faithful
to the souls of men. What so-called love would see
someone in danger and not warn them? What kind of love is that?
If I saw my little six-year-old granddaughter ready to run out
into the street and I could reach out and stop her, but I won't
because I don't want to interfere with her will. I don't want to
stifle her freedom. What kind of nonsense is that?
Oh no! Stop! Stop! Stop! Don't do that! And
I see people going to hell. Going to hell? Wrapped up in
the fig leaves of their own self-righteousness? Trusting everything and everyone
except the only just Savior between God and man? And I'm going to
say nothing about it? What kind of love is that? That's
not love. That's not love. No grace makes
a difference, does it not? We no longer walk in darkness.
Old things are passed away. This is what grace does. Totting
up here and shaking my hand won't do that. Being baptized won't
do that. Saying the sinner's prayer won't
do that. Oh, but if any man be in Christ
Jesus, behold, old things are passed away. Everything becomes
new. Is that not what the book says?
A new heart, a new life, and new desires. And look what we read in verse
7. But if we walk in the light,
not in darkness. No, that's not our life. We've
been called out of darkness. If we walk in the light, as he
is in the light, we have fellowship one with another and the blood
of Jesus Christ. In a few moments, when Brother
Louie and Brother Lonnie pass out the bread and the wine, And
we take that wine, which is a picture of His blood. It doesn't give
grace. It doesn't save. It pictures He who did. Oh, may God bring these words
to our heart. The blood of Jesus Christ, His
Son, cleanseth this sinner from all sin. Oh, how I should love
Him. How I should love Him. All sin,
not some sin, all sin. Now, perpetually, eternally,
thank God there is a fountain filled with blood drawn from
Emmanuel's veins and sinners plunged beneath that flood Lose
all. All. Underline it. Highlight
it. Put stars around it. They lose
all their guilty stains. Every sinner. John saw them when
he was on the Isle of Patmos. These are they, John was told,
that came out of great tribulation and have washed their robes in
the blood of the Lamb. Therefore, because of that alone,
are they before the throne of God." Jesus, one hymn writer,
expressed it this way. Jesus, my blood and righteousness,
my beauty are, my glorious dress, misflaming worlds in these arrayed,
with joy shall I lift up my head." Bobbie in her song mentioned
Those men that shall cry for the mountains and the rocks to
fall on them, and to hide them from the face of him that sat
upon the throne, for the great day of his wrath has come, and
who shall be able to stand?" And at the same time, men are
crying, I don't want to see him. Bury me beneath this mountain. I can't stand before Him. I don't
have an advocate. I don't have a mediator. At the same time, there stands
a sinner and God Almighty looks down on
him with absolute pleasure. with absolute satisfaction. How can that be? How can that
be? Misflaming worlds in these arrayed,
Christ's righteousness, with joy shall I lift up my head. Bold shall I stand in that great
day, for who ought to my charge shall lay, while through thy
blood absorbed I am from sin and fear and guilt and shame.
This spotless robe The same appears. When ruined nature sinks in years,
no age can change its glorious hue. The robe of Christ is ever
new. The robe of Christ is ever new. My little children, verse 1 of
chapter 2, these things write unto you that you sin not. And if any man sin, we have an
advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. All believers
confess that they're sinners right now. They confess their
sin and they seek God's grace daily, hourly. John says, I'm
writing this, that you sin not. Oh God, Forgive me that I sinned
against your everlasting love. Forgive me that I sinned against
your son's sacrifice on my behalf. God, help me to be more determined
to sin not. But even with all that, we will
sin. We will sin. And, not but, and
if we sin, what happens? What happens, Lonnie? What happens
when you sin? We still have an advocate. We
still have Jesus Christ the righteous. When you sin, you've not lost
your advocate with the Father. You are not cast out of the family
of God. You're not disowned. You are
God's children still. Christ intercedes for you still. He's your Savior still. His blood atones still. You are
forgiven still. What news that must have been
to heartbroken, grief-stricken David when his sin that he thought
he had so carefully covered found him out. And God's faithful prophet
came to him and said, David, you're the man. You've sinned
against God in the sight of Israel. David wrote, oh my God, my sin
is ever before me. Against thee, thee only have
I sinned, oh God, and done this evil in thy sight. And Nathan
said, but God, but God hath put away your sin. We may lose the sensible joy
of salvation through our sin, we do, but we'll never lose God's
great salvation. Listen to what Paul wrote, or
look at it with me in Romans chapter 4, referring to David,
this very thing. In Romans chapter 4 verse 5,
but to him that worketh not, that worketh not. You mean I
can't work my way to heaven? I can't work my way into God's
favor? No, no, no you can't. But he
that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly,
his faith is counted for righteousness. Even as David describeth the
blessedness of the man unto whom God imputeth righteousness without
words, saying, Blessed, blessed." You want to know who's blessed?
It's not some Hollywood actor. It's not the rich folks. Oh,
no, no. It's not the celebrities, the
famous. Oh, no. Blessed are they whose
iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered. Ooh, there's
the blessed man. Blessed is the man to whom the
Lord will not impute sin. There are such people. God will
not charge with sin. You know why? Because they have
an advocate. Their sins were already charged
to Him, and God won't turn around and charge them on to them again. Sin was taken away by Jesus Christ
the righteous. And upon this foundation, I stand
secure. I stand in Him. Joe, I'm accepted
in Him. Listen, that never changes. That never changes. My acceptance
before the Lord God is not based upon anything I do, good or bad. A professor only will hear that
and say, ooh, that's terrible, that's terrible. If I believe
that, I'll just go out and live just like I want to. Yeah, you
probably will. You probably will. But you know
what a true child of God does, who has a new nature? That's
what they forget. We have the nature of Christ
himself and our response to such love is this. John says, he purifies
himself in chapter 3. Every man that have this hope
of being adopted into God's family purifies himself even as he is
pure. If any man sin, does that describe
anybody here? Any man's sin? It sure describes
this one that's speaking to you. You still have an advocate. Oh, what good news this is to
helpless fallen sinners. You know who it was good news
to on those roads to the cities of refuge. There were signs pointing
to those cities that God had designated. If someone had unintentionally
killed someone and they were being followed, hunted by the
avenger, the avenger of blood, if they got to that city of refuge
they were safe. They couldn't be touched. You
know Who that was good news to? The one who was being pursued.
The one who had killed someone. When he saw that sign, City of
Refuge, oh, I've got to get in there. If I get there, I'm safe. There's no condemnation to those
who are in Christ Jesus. Are you in Him? You say, I'm
in the church here. Are you in Him? I was at the
altar. Have you ever been in Him? Are
you in Him? Once in Him, we're in Him forever. We have this advocate with the
Father. Oh, there's pardon for transgression
past. It matters not how black they're
cast. And oh my soul, with wonder of
you, for sins to come, there's pardon too. He's an able advocate. I'll wrap this up. Christ is
an able advocate. Meaning, advocate means one who
pleads the cause of another. One who pleads the cause of another. The prophet said his name shall
be wonderful. Counselor. Counselor. Advocate. He pleads for me. And he prevails with God. He before the throne of the thrice
holy God represents this sinner. Hebrews 9 and 24, Christ appeareth
in the presence of God for us. Christ John says, the righteous. This is why God is faithful and
just to forgive us of our sins. Because Jesus paid it all. And God accepted the payment. Our salvation is just as much
a matter of justice as it is of mercy and grace. God was satisfied. Our Lord says that the justice
and law of God that he kept and honored Let these go their way,
and they do. Last of all, I pray and I ask you, children
of God, to join with me in praying that he would allow us to behold
once again our dear advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ
the righteous. He doesn't plead My merit, I
don't have any, but His. Paul said, forgive one another
even as God for Christ's sake has forgiven you. Did you hear
that? For Christ's sake. What will
God Almighty not do for Christ's sake? Who will God not forgive
for Christ's sake? Looking at my glorious substitute,
Not myself, not my sin, not my unworthiness, no, but looking
at Him, seeing Him so full of grace and truth, so full of cleansing,
so full of merit, So worthy, oh then I can believe, oh yes,
I believe. Looking at Him, my advocate,
that I'm accepted for Christ's sake. That I'll be kept for Christ's
sake. That I'll be brought to glory
forever for Christ's sake. Oh, what an advocate. Arise,
my soul, arise. May God enable this to be our
response. Arise, my soul, arise. Shake
off thy guilty fears. The bleeding sacrifice in my
behalf appears. Before the throne my surety stands. My name is written on his hands.
The Father hears him pray. His dear anointed one, he cannot
turn away. the presence of His Son. May God enable us, as we observe
the Lord's Supper, to remember Him, our Advocate with the Father,
Jesus Christ the righteous, the propitiation for our sins. God bless you.