Walk in the Light

River Valley Church • Pastor Rob Ketterling •

Summary

Pastor Rob Ketterling begins a multi-week journey through the epistles of 1 John, 2 John, and 3 John. He introduces John the Elder, believed to be John the beloved, who is writing to house churches in Ephesus. John is calling a timeout on the early church, bringing them back to the basics of faith in response to Gnostic teachings that were attacking the church. The Gnostics claimed spiritual enlightenment without submission to Jesus, saying they were above sin, which was destroying fellowship in the church. The message focuses primarily on 1 John 1:9: "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." Pastor Rob explains that this verse should make believers run to God, not away from Him. He emphasizes the importance of walking in the light, which means living in alignment with God's nature and rejecting darkness that represents sin, falsehood, and moral distortion. Walking with God is not just following rules but building a relationship, similar to how disciples would mimic their rabbi in ancient Jewish culture. The sermon addresses three false teachings: that you can have fellowship with God while walking in darkness, that you have no sin, and that you have not sinned. Pastor Rob breaks down 1 John 1:9 word by word, explaining that confession means acknowledging and agreeing with God about our sin, not just admitting guilt. God is faithful to His word and will forgive, and He is just because Jesus paid the price for our sins. Most importantly, God not only forgives but cleanses us from all unrighteousness, removing the guilt, stain, influence, and power of sin, and putting us on a new path with power to live righteously.

Key Takeaways

  • If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness
  • When you step into the light, you don't get condemned - you get cleaned
  • Walking in the light means living in alignment with God's nature and rejecting darkness
  • God delights in forgiving His children
  • Confession means agreeing with God about our sin, not just admitting we're caught
  • God removes the guilt, stain, influence, and power of sin
  • Don't make excuses for sin - make your way to the altar of forgiveness
  • Leave the altar on a different trajectory with power to overcome
  • Many want forgiveness without cleansing - but Jesus offers both

Outline

Introduction to 1 John and Context

  • Multi-week series through 1 John, 2 John, and 3 John
  • Writer is John the Elder, likely John the beloved
  • Context of house churches in Ephesus (large mansion spaces, not small groups)
  • John calling timeout to return to basics of faith

The Challenge: Gnostic Teachings

  • Gnostics claiming spiritual enlightenment without Jesus
  • Teaching that they were above sin with special knowledge
  • Destroying fellowship in the church with arrogance
  • Church becoming habit-driven and half-hearted in worship

Walking in the Light (1 John 1:1-8)

  • John's eyewitness testimony of Jesus having a physical body
  • Fellowship with God, Jesus, and one another (koinonia - active participation)
  • Joy comes from active relationship with God and the body of Christ
  • God is light with no darkness in Him
  • Walking in the light means living in alignment with God's nature
  • Ancient Jewish concept of mimicking your rabbi (helica - the walk)

Three False Teachings Addressed

  • Verse 6: Claiming fellowship with God while walking in darkness
  • Verse 8: Claiming to have no sin and need no cleansing
  • Verse 10: Claiming to have not sinned at all

Understanding 1 John 1:9 - The Key Verse

  • Sin: Missing the mark, failing to live up to God's ideal
  • Confess: Acknowledging and agreeing with God, not just admitting guilt
  • Faithful: God delights in forgiving His children
  • Just: Jesus paid the price for forgiveness
  • Cleanse: God removes guilt, stain, influence, and power of sin
  • New path: Empowered to live righteously after forgiveness

Altar Moments and Practical Application

  • Don't let concerns about others' perceptions keep you from the altar
  • Come to God for forgiveness, not away from Him
  • God doesn't condemn but cleanses and restores
  • Leave the altar different than you came - on a new trajectory

Five C's of 1 John 1:9

  • Conviction leads to Confession
  • Confession leads to Cleansing
  • Cleansing leads to Change
  • Change leads to Closeness with God

Scripture References

1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 1:1-4
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make our joy complete.
1 John 1:5
This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.
1 John 1:6
If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth.
1 John 1:7
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
1 John 1:8
If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
1 John 1:10
If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.
John 8:10-11
Jesus straightened up and asked her, 'Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?' 'No one, sir,' she said. 'Then neither do I condemn you,' Jesus declared. 'Go now and leave your life of sin.'