Mar 20 • General discussion
READ THIS! IT WILL HELP YOU. PLEASE
Very recently I have been teaching our local church on some basic foundational truths of the Christian faith, and during one of those teachings 1 John 1:9 came up.
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
You know the rest.
Now, my intent in that teaching was to correct what has become a very popular but often misapplied interpretation of that verse. We spent close to an hour carefully walking through the passage examining the context, looking at the language John used, and cross-referencing other scriptures to properly understand what the Apostle was actually addressing.
(If you would like to watch the full teaching, I will drop a link to the sermon in the comments.)
But as I studied deeper, something interesting began to unfold.
John was not merely writing about confession and forgiveness. He was addressing a heretical teaching that had begun to circulate within the early Christian community.
Some individuals had begun promoting the idea that through a form of spiritual enlightenment or special knowledge, a person could rise above the problem of sin altogether. This teaching was heavily influenced by what later became known as Gnosticism a belief system that taught that salvation came through hidden knowledge available only to a spiritual elite.
So certain people began claiming that they had reached a level of spiritual understanding where sin was no longer an issue for them.
John confronts that idea head-on.
Just a verse before the famous statement in 1 John 1:9, he writes:
“If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.” (1 John 1:8)
And then he follows with:
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us…”
lets examine this text closely;
The word confess here comes from the Greek word homologeo, which simply means to acknowledge or agree. In other words, John is saying that forgiveness is available to the person who agrees with what God says about the human condition that we have all sinned and are in need of His grace.
So John was re-introducing the church to the authentic message of the gospel.
But what I found even more fascinating is what John does next throughout the rest of his letter.
He does not just correct the false teaching.
He also gives believers a way to recognise authentic Christianity. And the reason he does this is very practical and i have personally come to experience this;
Wherever you have a community of people gathered around shared beliefs and convictions, there will always be the possibility of corruption creeping in. Ideas can slowly drift. Teachings can slowly distort. People can claim things that may not actually reflect the truth of the gospel.
So John leaves the church with a template.
A way to examine whether someone truly believes the faith they profess.
Three tests emerge from his teaching.
1. The Test of Doctrine
What Do You Believe About Jesus? The first test of authentic Christianity is doctrine.
Before we examine behaviour, we must first examine belief. Paul hints at this in Ephesians when he says the role of ministry gifts is to bring believers: “to the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God.” (Ephesians 4:13)
Christian maturity begins with a proper understanding of Christ and the cross.
This is why doctrine matters.
Doctrine simply refers to the body of teachings that define what we believe. Without doctrine there would be no Christian faith to preserve.
John addresses this clearly when he writes:
“Beloved, believe not every spirit, but test the spirits whether they are of God.” (1 John 4:1)
That statement carries a profound implication.
Behind every doctrine is a spirit.
If the teaching is true, it is inspired by the Holy Spirit. If it is false, it originates from another source.
So John instructs believers to test what they hear.
How?
By comparing it with the revelation of Scripture.
For example, the Bible teaches that Jesus is:
- The Son of God
- Sent by the Father
- The one who died for humanity’s sins
If someone claims to believe in the same God but denies who Jesus truly is, then both positions cannot be correct.
John summarises the matter clearly:
“Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God.” (1 John 5:1)
Christianity is not simply about sincerity. It is also about truth, And that truth begins with who Jesus is.
2. The Moral Test
How Do You Live?
After addressing belief, John moves to something equally important how that belief expresses itself in daily life.
He writes:
“We know that we have come to know Him if we keep His commands.” (1 John 2:3–4)
Notice John’s confidence.
“We know.”
The evidence that someone has genuinely come into the knowledge of Christ is that it begins to reflect in how they live.
Later he writes:
“No one who lives in Him keeps on sinning.” (1 John 3:6)
John is not saying believers never struggle. What he is saying is that a life genuinely transformed by Christ cannot remain comfortable in patterns of sin. This is why the test of doctrine is so important.
Because belief shapes behaviour. When doctrine is distorted, lifestyle often follows that same distortion.
For example, if someone is constantly taught a version of the gospel that revolves entirely around wealth and personal gain, it should not surprise us if greed and covetousness begin to appear.
But when the gospel is understood correctly, something begins to change.
A transformed heart produces a transformed life.
3. The Love Test
How Do You Treat People?
Finally, John points to what may be the most visible evidence of the life of God in someone.
Love.
He writes:
“We know that we have passed from death to life because we love one another.” (1 John 3:14)
And again:
“Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God… because God is love.” (1 John 4:7–8)
Love is not optional in Christianity. It is evidence of new life.
You cannot claim that you know God.”
And at the same time:
- hate people
- live in bitterness
- refuse forgiveness
John was confronting individuals who claimed spiritual enlightenment and deep knowledge, yet their lives lacked love.
His conclusion is simple.
That is deception.
Because if God truly lives in a person, His nature will inevitably begin to appear through that person.
And the nature of God is love.
I hope this blessed you
Yours In- Love
Skool Teecha
Gospel
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READ THIS! IT WILL HELP YOU. PLEASE
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