WEBVTT 00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:02.399 So, our passage, 1 John 2. 00:00:02.479 --> 00:00:04.559 It's kind of a difficult passage, actually. 00:00:04.879 --> 00:00:11.039 I really dug into it this week and I'm excited about it, but we have some work to do to get to understand it. 00:00:11.199 --> 00:00:14.480 So back in April, I received a speeding ticket. 00:00:14.640 --> 00:00:15.839 I think I talked about it. 00:00:16.160 --> 00:00:18.879 I talked about it, this ticket I got in South Georgia. 00:00:19.039 --> 00:00:19.679 Here's the deal. 00:00:19.839 --> 00:00:21.359 I got back, I paid it online. 00:00:21.519 --> 00:00:23.120 It was$170. 00:00:23.600 --> 00:00:24.960 So I stomached it, right? 00:00:25.039 --> 00:00:26.719 I cried a little bit, but I stomached it. 00:00:26.879 --> 00:00:28.320 It's like, okay, you know, it's over with. 00:00:28.399 --> 00:00:31.359 You know, kind of paid the toll of speeding for the past few years. 00:00:31.519 --> 00:00:32.880 And I think it's over. 00:00:33.119 --> 00:00:34.159 I thought it was over. 00:00:34.399 --> 00:00:41.359 And then in July, I receive a letter that my license is going to be suspended for not paying the ticket. 00:00:41.520 --> 00:00:44.240 Well, I go straight into like lawyer mode, right? 00:00:44.399 --> 00:00:56.640 Like, and I'm I'm complaining to Christy and I'm making copies of my ticket and receipt and the online printout and the credit card statement, and I write a letter and I get it all folded up in the envelope and I mail it off because I am right. 00:00:56.799 --> 00:00:57.840 I'm the one that's right. 00:00:57.920 --> 00:01:12.159 And so I mail this all off, and two weeks later I received back a letter explaining to me that I did pay that ticket, and now I had a super speeder ticket. 00:01:12.319 --> 00:01:15.760 Has anybody won the super speeder ticket award? 00:01:16.000 --> 00:01:16.799 Sounds like an award. 00:01:16.879 --> 00:01:18.079 It is not an award. 00:01:18.319 --> 00:01:21.760 It is not, and it's not a good thing, mind you, at all. 00:01:23.280 --> 00:01:25.280 So I get to pay another$200. 00:01:25.599 --> 00:01:29.120 I'm$370 into this thing. 00:01:29.200 --> 00:01:30.480 And let me tell you something. 00:01:30.640 --> 00:01:31.840 I'm watching my speed. 00:01:31.920 --> 00:01:32.719 I'll just be honest. 00:01:32.799 --> 00:01:34.319 Like, like it is working. 00:01:34.480 --> 00:01:37.040 Like it is clearly working in my life. 00:01:37.200 --> 00:01:38.480 And I paid it all. 00:01:38.719 --> 00:01:39.840 I paid it all. 00:01:40.560 --> 00:01:45.519 So having paid all of that and it working in my life, I would agree it worked in my life. 00:01:45.680 --> 00:02:06.640 But even still, there's this part of me that just wishes, I do just wish this officer had looked at me and my pitiful little face there on the side of the road and saw those three little cute girls in the back and realized I had three weddings to pay for at some point in my life, and just had just poured out, you know, just poured out this, you know, just gracious mercy upon me. 00:02:06.719 --> 00:02:10.240 And he would have said, Oh, I can see that you'll you're gonna watch your speed. 00:02:10.319 --> 00:02:12.080 I can so clearly see this in your face. 00:02:12.159 --> 00:02:14.159 You just seem like you've learned your lesson here. 00:02:14.319 --> 00:02:17.199 And him, what if he had just said, hey, here's the deal. 00:02:17.360 --> 00:02:18.639 I know the judge. 00:02:18.879 --> 00:02:20.719 I know the judge in the county. 00:02:20.960 --> 00:02:23.280 And here's the deal, I'm gonna go talk to him. 00:02:23.439 --> 00:02:26.000 You got the ticket, by the way, because you you did earn that. 00:02:26.159 --> 00:02:27.919 So you're getting the ticket, but here's the deal. 00:02:28.080 --> 00:02:31.599 I'm gonna go and I'm gonna talk to the judge for you. 00:02:31.759 --> 00:02:39.039 And if the judge says you have to pay, like that's the right thing, but I'll I'll pay it for you. 00:02:39.520 --> 00:02:39.919 Right? 00:02:40.000 --> 00:02:46.960 He would be saying, in that instance, in that dream, dream scenario, he would be saying, I'll be your advocate. 00:02:47.199 --> 00:02:49.280 Now let's read the quote that we read last week. 00:02:50.319 --> 00:02:51.840 I'm setting you up for verses one and two. 00:02:51.919 --> 00:02:53.360 Here's the quote we read last week. 00:02:53.599 --> 00:02:55.840 This is from theologian Charles Hodge. 00:02:56.000 --> 00:03:02.639 The relationship of Christ to his people is that of a legal advocate to a client. 00:03:03.280 --> 00:03:07.759 The former impersonates the latter, the lawyer stands in the client's place. 00:03:07.919 --> 00:03:11.520 It is, while it lasts, the most intimate of relationships. 00:03:11.680 --> 00:03:13.919 You may not even have to appear in court. 00:03:14.080 --> 00:03:22.639 You are not heard, you are not regarded, you are lost in your advocate, who for the time being is your representative. 00:03:22.800 --> 00:03:30.479 The advocate, not you as seen, the advocate, not you as heard, the advocate, not you is regarded. 00:03:31.280 --> 00:03:34.479 Okay, so I set you up for 1 John 2, 1 and 2. 00:03:34.560 --> 00:03:35.759 Let me reread those verses. 00:03:36.000 --> 00:03:40.960 My little children, I'm writing these scenes to you so that you may not sin. 00:03:41.039 --> 00:03:45.360 But if anyone does sin, so a little bit of reality for John here for us. 00:03:45.919 --> 00:03:50.000 We have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 00:03:50.319 --> 00:03:58.479 He is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. 00:03:58.639 --> 00:04:00.719 And so last week we talked about this word advocate. 00:04:00.800 --> 00:04:01.360 Here's the word. 00:04:01.439 --> 00:04:03.439 This word advocate comes from the word paraclete. 00:04:03.520 --> 00:04:06.240 It means to represent in a legal matter. 00:04:06.319 --> 00:04:09.520 It's an official, binding relationship. 00:04:09.680 --> 00:04:13.840 So whatever they achieve, whatever the advocate achieves, you achieve it. 00:04:14.000 --> 00:04:15.039 Isn't that amazing? 00:04:15.199 --> 00:04:16.879 If they win, you win. 00:04:18.319 --> 00:04:22.800 And so we have that as our base as we go into verse 3. 00:04:22.879 --> 00:04:30.160 We can't just start in verse ⁇ if we start in verse 3, we could end up in all sorts of performancism or moralism or legalism, all sorts of stuff. 00:04:30.240 --> 00:04:35.600 But if we start with verses 1 and 2 as our base, which is what John's doing, he's carrying us through this text. 00:04:35.759 --> 00:04:43.040 Verse 3 says this, and by this we know that we have come to know him if we keep his commandments. 00:04:43.360 --> 00:04:46.879 See, verse 3, without verses 1 and 2, we could end up all over the place. 00:04:47.120 --> 00:04:50.720 But with verses 1 and 2, we get point number one. 00:04:51.279 --> 00:04:58.639 Godliness in our lives is in response and empowerment by the gospel, not for the gospel. 00:04:59.839 --> 00:05:04.959 Now, the word commandment, it usually makes us think about rules. 00:05:05.360 --> 00:05:08.000 Rightfully so, it's kind of what a commandment is. 00:05:08.240 --> 00:05:15.279 But this same word here in this passage, it could be translated instruction or way of life. 00:05:15.519 --> 00:05:17.680 And this word obey, that's a great word. 00:05:17.759 --> 00:05:19.120 That's a biblical word. 00:05:19.279 --> 00:05:23.040 But it could also be translated here in this passage as embrace. 00:05:23.360 --> 00:05:28.959 So we have this sentence, at least in the ESV, and here's the sentence that's in our passage that I read. 00:05:29.120 --> 00:05:34.160 And by this we know that we have come to know him if we keep his commandments. 00:05:34.319 --> 00:05:35.600 That's true. 00:05:36.000 --> 00:05:38.959 But we could also word it this way, just as rightfully. 00:05:39.120 --> 00:05:42.079 And by this we know that we have come to know him. 00:05:42.720 --> 00:05:50.240 If we embrace his way of life, if we embrace his way of life. 00:05:50.480 --> 00:06:04.240 So my point is this by seeing the fullness of this text, not that the first translation is wrong, but by seeing the fullness of this text, we see this is about a relationship with Christ. 00:06:04.480 --> 00:06:10.959 Faith is about a relationship with Christ and a following of Christ, not a system of rules. 00:06:12.720 --> 00:06:34.079 That's what verses one through three altogether give us, that godliness is coming out of this reality, that we are so loved in the grace of God that He provided absolution for us and our full righteousness, that we are already beloved, even before we begin in on any godly life. 00:06:34.480 --> 00:06:36.319 Verses four through six. 00:06:37.519 --> 00:06:42.240 Whoever says, I know him, but does not keep his commandments is a liar. 00:06:42.399 --> 00:06:48.720 And the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word in him truly the love of God is perfected. 00:06:49.279 --> 00:06:52.240 By this we may know that we are in him. 00:06:52.560 --> 00:06:57.600 Whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walks. 00:06:57.759 --> 00:06:59.680 Now the end of verse five is a little perplexing. 00:06:59.759 --> 00:07:01.360 In him truly the love of God is perfected. 00:07:01.439 --> 00:07:09.600 And some different commentaries have said that might be more like our love for him is perfected, which that changes everything if that's true. 00:07:09.759 --> 00:07:11.360 So a little bit of a mystery there. 00:07:11.519 --> 00:07:12.800 And then we get this word no. 00:07:12.879 --> 00:07:15.360 It's in verse 3, it's in verse 4, it's in verse 5. 00:07:15.519 --> 00:07:18.560 So there's something here that John is doing that this is very important. 00:07:18.720 --> 00:07:24.639 This word no comes from the word genosko, which means perceive and understand. 00:07:25.920 --> 00:07:32.000 But the thing about this word is it's even richer because it comes from the Jewish phrase for sex. 00:07:32.560 --> 00:07:38.879 So this is like like you, like really no, like you you knew her, right? 00:07:38.959 --> 00:07:52.480 Like I know my wife, you know your wife, you know your husband, like in a way nobody else does, in the most intimate relational knowing possible, is what John is saying. 00:07:52.720 --> 00:07:58.240 So it's not a subscribing to an observance of rules and to-do lists. 00:07:58.319 --> 00:08:03.839 This is this is what faith is, a relational knowing in the core of our beings. 00:08:04.079 --> 00:08:05.600 And there's a warning here. 00:08:05.680 --> 00:08:07.519 Like we can't miss that. 00:08:07.839 --> 00:08:17.839 And John's warning is like to say that you know him in this way, like that you know him in the core of your being, and there's no godliness in your heart and coming out of your life. 00:08:17.920 --> 00:08:19.600 Well, that just doesn't make sense. 00:08:19.680 --> 00:08:21.360 That just it can't be. 00:08:22.079 --> 00:08:23.920 Just not the way it works. 00:08:26.639 --> 00:08:29.360 He says, knowing Christ should have some effect in your life. 00:08:29.439 --> 00:08:32.480 And we're not talking about performancism or perfectionism. 00:08:32.559 --> 00:08:35.200 It's not a fear walk or a shame walk. 00:08:35.279 --> 00:08:40.639 This is a grace walk, growing in the grace of God that we know coming out of verses 1 and 2. 00:08:41.600 --> 00:08:42.879 This is point number two. 00:08:43.039 --> 00:08:49.039 Knowing Christ is an imperfect relational walk toward love and obedience. 00:08:49.519 --> 00:08:52.960 Knowing Christ is an imperfect relational walk toward love and obedience. 00:08:53.039 --> 00:08:53.759 And it's all those things. 00:08:53.840 --> 00:08:56.159 That's why I used all those words in that point. 00:08:56.639 --> 00:09:01.360 There's a story in Mark 12, verses 29 through 31, and these teachers of the law, they come up to Jesus. 00:09:01.519 --> 00:09:12.480 Maybe you remember this story, because they're hearing Jesus talk about loving people, and it's not the observance of the law, but it's about having a relationship with Him, and they're hearing all this like, hold on, you know. 00:09:12.639 --> 00:09:17.759 They're people of the law, they're people who want to obey enough rules in order to be loved and accepted by God. 00:09:17.919 --> 00:09:24.000 So they come to Jesus, sort of set them up, and they say, Hey, what's the most important commandment? 00:09:24.159 --> 00:09:29.360 And in their minds, there is a right answer, by the way, because that would be Deuteronomy 6, 4 and 5. 00:09:29.440 --> 00:09:47.440 And so they have an idea in their mind, and Jesus answers that exact verse when he quotes, Jesus answered, the most important is this, hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one, and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. 00:09:47.759 --> 00:09:59.440 And then Jesus does this odd thing that nobody had done before, because that was seen as the Shema, the great principle in their faith and religion, and he says, No, no, no, no, this is new. 00:09:59.600 --> 00:10:02.080 What I'm doing is the fulfillment of the law. 00:10:02.320 --> 00:10:18.159 And he adds Leviticus 19, 18 to it, and he says this, and the second is this, and they didn't ask for two, mind you, but Jesus gives them two, and it's as if he's saying, like, I can't disconnect these two things, like to love God, and then the second is this, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. 00:10:18.320 --> 00:10:20.720 There is no other commandment greater than these. 00:10:21.039 --> 00:10:39.279 This is why John, coming out of verses 1 and 2 about Jesus, the grace of God for you, and he is your advocate and you're fully forgiven and fully righteous, and he moves strategically through these verses, and by the end in 8, 9, 10, and 11, he's saying, Hey, if you don't love your brother and sister, like you're just lying. 00:10:39.440 --> 00:10:40.559 Like you don't really love God. 00:10:40.639 --> 00:10:47.679 Like loving God translates into loving your brother and sister, it translates into loving your neighbor. 00:10:47.840 --> 00:10:54.080 So here's how this works: the Holy Spirit is convincing you more and more of your belovedness in Christ, verses 1 and 2. 00:10:54.240 --> 00:10:56.559 The Holy Spirit is doing that in your life. 00:10:56.639 --> 00:11:08.639 And so the Holy Spirit's revealing fears that you have, heart issues, stuff going on in your heart, and in your secure belovedness, which you have in verses 1 and 2. 00:11:08.720 --> 00:11:15.120 Don't start in verse 3, which you have in verses 1 and 2, in that security, you don't have any fear to repent. 00:11:16.399 --> 00:11:18.799 You don't have any shame to confess. 00:11:20.480 --> 00:11:33.120 You can come in the grace of God without fear and without shame in his presence because you are already fully loved before you're anything of some measure of obedience or godliness. 00:11:34.159 --> 00:11:42.399 And that is what frees us from escaping into darkness or self-righteousness, which is darkness also. 00:11:43.600 --> 00:11:49.600 And it frees us into this imperfect walk with Christ toward love and obedience. 00:11:50.559 --> 00:11:54.240 And of course, it's all done imperfectly, so along the way you'll fail, and I'll fail. 00:11:54.399 --> 00:11:54.639 Right? 00:11:54.720 --> 00:11:56.960 That's why John says, but if you sin, right? 00:11:57.120 --> 00:11:58.399 Because he knows. 00:11:59.840 --> 00:12:08.720 We get to humble ourselves over and over again in confession and in astonishment that we've been loved the whole time, righteous the whole entire time. 00:12:10.480 --> 00:12:12.639 I've lived in nine houses in my life. 00:12:12.720 --> 00:12:18.720 I think I counted, it was nine houses, and then if I counted college also, I think it jumped up to 12 or 13. 00:12:18.879 --> 00:12:22.720 Here's a picture of the first house I might spent my childhood in. 00:12:22.799 --> 00:12:29.039 It had seen better days, mind you, and that is a boat and a wheelchair in the front yard, uh, which I'm not sure about. 00:12:29.120 --> 00:12:31.120 That was odd when I saw that on Google. 00:12:31.200 --> 00:12:32.320 It was interesting. 00:12:32.559 --> 00:12:34.639 Here's a picture of it in the finer days. 00:12:34.720 --> 00:12:41.120 That's yes, that's me with a tight roll on top of bass, some bass leather shoes there in the 80s. 00:12:41.360 --> 00:12:42.480 That was going on. 00:12:42.639 --> 00:12:45.519 Here's one more picture for your enjoyment. 00:12:45.679 --> 00:12:48.000 That was my intimidation pose. 00:12:48.879 --> 00:12:52.960 I also still wear those shorts at night sometimes, get Christy excited. 00:12:53.279 --> 00:12:57.360 Just kind of I strut around the house. 00:12:58.559 --> 00:13:01.679 Here's what here's what happens over time. 00:13:01.840 --> 00:13:07.279 That house, here's what happens over time, by residing in a home. 00:13:07.440 --> 00:13:09.279 By residing in that home. 00:13:09.840 --> 00:13:12.399 Some of the values of that home just get inside of me. 00:13:12.559 --> 00:13:16.559 Some of the values of your childhood home just got inside of you. 00:13:16.720 --> 00:13:19.759 Just by you abiding there, they did. 00:13:20.559 --> 00:13:29.039 My mom was a librarian, she read to us when we were little, she bought me Larry Bird biographies when I was that age on that bite. 00:13:29.440 --> 00:13:31.600 Books were just in our house. 00:13:32.639 --> 00:13:34.320 So sure enough, books are in our house. 00:13:34.879 --> 00:13:38.639 The inn table next to my chair in the den, there's eight books there. 00:13:38.799 --> 00:13:43.360 There's eight books on my nightstand, there's books on the floorboard of my car. 00:13:43.840 --> 00:13:45.759 There's just my children have books. 00:13:45.919 --> 00:13:47.919 Like, it's just it's just in me. 00:13:48.559 --> 00:13:49.840 It got in me. 00:13:51.600 --> 00:13:55.039 When you abide somewhere, some things begin to birth inside of you. 00:13:55.120 --> 00:13:56.879 It's just what happens. 00:13:58.799 --> 00:14:00.960 And John loves this word abide. 00:14:01.679 --> 00:14:03.039 He uses it over and over again. 00:14:03.120 --> 00:14:06.000 He uses it 40 times in his gospel, John. 00:14:06.080 --> 00:14:10.320 He uses it 27 times in his letters, first, second, and third, John. 00:14:10.480 --> 00:14:11.519 He loves this word. 00:14:11.679 --> 00:14:21.039 This word comes from the word minnow, and it means to be held, to remain, to be present somewhere. 00:14:22.159 --> 00:14:23.519 And here's point number three. 00:14:23.679 --> 00:14:28.960 In the grace of God, we get to be at home in the heart of God. 00:14:31.440 --> 00:14:33.279 Godliness will work itself out. 00:14:34.000 --> 00:14:40.080 In imperfection, but a walk toward love and obedience will work itself out if we get this. 00:14:41.200 --> 00:14:44.960 In the grace of God, you get to be at home in the heart of God. 00:14:45.120 --> 00:14:58.799 John is saying, as you grow in the awareness of how at home your soul is in God, some of the values of the kingdom start to birth inside of you. 00:14:59.519 --> 00:15:00.799 They begin coming out of you. 00:15:00.879 --> 00:15:04.320 And so this isn't shame on you or fear on you. 00:15:05.519 --> 00:15:08.960 This is know Christ, your advocate. 00:15:09.360 --> 00:15:13.360 Grow in the awareness of the home that you have in him. 00:15:13.600 --> 00:15:33.840 And one closing thought in my lack of love, in your lack of love for any given person, for your brother or your sister, and in my lack of obedience to godliness, do I realize how fully loved and forgiven and righteous and free I am in the Advocate? 00:15:35.679 --> 00:15:39.919 It's the only thing, it's the only way of change for us. 00:15:41.200 --> 00:15:50.559 My brothers and sisters, you are free in Christ Jesus to be fully loved, to fail often, and to keep loving and live lives that honor Him. 00:15:50.720 --> 00:15:51.519 Let's pray together. 00:15:51.840 --> 00:16:02.399 God, thank you for this great passage that teaches us that in the grace of God you call us toward godliness in full reality that you know that we are imperfect. 00:16:02.639 --> 00:16:13.679 And that we get to grow in the grace of God that you have given to us of our absolution in your advocacy for us. 00:16:14.720 --> 00:16:20.480 That you are not angry with us, you do not shame us, you do not put fear upon us. 00:16:22.559 --> 00:16:31.200 Would you woo our hearts to reside more and more in your heart and not to run from you? 00:16:33.919 --> 00:16:41.200 Help us to see how much you love us and fully accept us in Christ, that we would stop running from you. 00:16:41.600 --> 00:16:47.440 And let you expose all of our fears and all of the ways we withhold love from each other. 00:16:50.000 --> 00:16:55.039 So that we might be free in our belovedness to love and honor you. 00:16:55.519 --> 00:16:57.279 In Jesus' name, we pray. 00:16:57.519 --> 00:16:58.080 Amen.