Are We Under the Law Or Not?

In this regular feature Dave and Tom respond to questions from listeners and readers of The Berean Call.  Here is this week’s question: Dear Mr. Hunt, I became a born-again Christian a couple of years ago and I’ve been working my way through the Bible.However, I’ve been reading John’s first epistle and I’m rather confused.There are verses that say that the blood of Jesus cleanses from all sin and yet he will forgive us our sins and that he is our advocate.I thought our sins are already forgiven because of the cross.Then it seems to be saying we must keep his commandments.This seems to imply works salvation which doesn’t make sense.How should I understand these things.

Tom:

Now Dave I’d go ahead and give the answer right away, but this is to you, it says Mr. Hunt.

Dave:

Alright.Well, we have to look at the scriptures.We have to see what it says.

Tom:

Well I can do that part, how about if I read—how about if I start with 1 John and I’ll start with verse 6 and we’ll see how far I get.(1 John:1:6-10 [6] If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: [7] 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 cleanseth us from all sin. [8] If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. [9] If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. [10] If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
See All...) “If we say that 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 cleanseth 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.”Now let’s just deal with those.At the cross Christ paid the full penalty, it is finished.

Dave:

Yes, that is true.Let’s go on and read just a little bit more here.

Tom:

Okay.

Dave:

1 John:2:1-6 [1] My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: [2] And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. [3] And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. [4] He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. [5] But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. [6] He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.
See All..., “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not.” (That’s the aim.But we don’t teach sinless perfection.He already said if you say you haven’t sinned you deceive yourself.)Then it says, “And if (not when, but if) any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation (that is the basis of cleansing, of forgiveness) for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.”Now Tom, it’s talking really—it’s not talking about salvation.That’s not the question.You get saved by confessing your sins, or believing, but it’s talking about fellowship with the Lord and living the Christian life.

Tom:

Dave, can I throw this in?One of the things I love about 1 John, John’s epistles, is it’s very clear this is a family affair.He keeps saying “my little children”.These are those who know Christ who are in the family of God. By being born-again, not by natural birth, but by spiritual birth.

Dave:

So when it says in 1 John:1:7But 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 cleanseth us from all sin.
See All..., well let’s read verse 6 first, “If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:…” in other words, if I am “walking in darkness” is out of fellowship by very definition with God who is light.God is light—

Tom:

It doesn’t mean unsaved.

Dave:

No, “in him there is no darkness at all.”So how can I say that I am in fellowship with him if I am doing those things that are not pleasing to him?Those things that I would want covered up, I wouldn’t want everyone to know about them and so forth.

Tom:

Dave, we’ve been talking about prayer.We said God is going to answer prayer for those who are walking in fellowship with him or walking in obedience.You sin has separated you from your God.Not eternally, but in terms of fellowship.

Dave:

Yes.So verse 7 then when it says, “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another….”In other words, I’m not following the hidden things of darkness, I don’t have some thing going on the side that I don’t want people to know, and if it came out it would be horrible, destroy the ministry or whatever.It could reflect badly on my Savior.So you get over to the end of 1 John:2:28And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.
See All... says, “And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.”It doesn’t mean we would be lost, but we would be ashamed of how we had conducted ourselves.We’re not walking in the light.He didn’t say, “But if you walk in the light, then the blood of Jesus cleanses you.”No, if you walked in the light there wouldn’t be any sin to be cleansed from.He’s saying look, the blood of Jesus has cleansed us and now we want to walk in the light, but even when we walk in the light, we’re not perfect.And so we can’t say we have no sin.Probably many sins that I have, I don’t even recognize them as sin.Pride is one of the worst sins, a lack of love, lack of sympathy and concern for others.

Tom:

Missing the mark in so many things.

Dave:

Yes, but he says, Look if you say you abide in him—it’s not a question of salvation—in other words, I’m walking in fellowship with him, I am consistent.We are arm in arm in full fellowship going down this path that he has made together, then I ought to live like Christ lived.And you can’t excuse me by—this is one of the excuses again, I don’t want to hammer on this, but some of what John Calvin did in Geneva was horrible.And yet he’s excused.Well that’s what everybody did.The Pope was torturing the—they were killing people and so forth.No!If you are a real Christian, it doesn’t matter what age you live in, what culture, you will live as Christ lived because he is living through you.

Tom:

Dave, the last part of the question—1 John:2:3And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.
See All..., “And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.”Now we’re not talking about the law of Moses here, we’re talking about everything that Jesus taught, God’s Word.We are to walk in obedience to what pleases him.

Dave:

If I really love my Lord, I’m in touch with him, I want to do what he wants me to do, no question about it.

Tom:

Not for salvation.

Dave:

No.

Tom:

But because he loves us we love him.

Dave:

Right, amen.