EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 9/6/2024 10:06 PM
My Worship Time Focus:
“Cleansed”
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: 1 John 1:7
Message of the verse: “but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.”
The first thing that I want to talk about this
evening is the word “walk” and how it is used throughout the New Testament,
especially in Paul’s letters, to describe the effect, not of justification, but
of sanctification. MacArthur writes “Salvation
is not only a change in one’s legal status as divine righteousness is credited
to one’s account, but a change in behavior as actual righteousness is given to
believers by the very indwelling presence of God’s Spirit.” I want to look at a list of verses that helps
us see that daily living in the Christian life is a Spirit-enabled walk. Here are the list of verses (John 8:12;
12:35; Rom. 6:4; 8:4; 1 Cor. 7:12; 2 Cor. 5:7; Gal. 5:16, 25; Eph. 2:10; 4:1;
5:8; Col. 1:10; 1 Thess. 4:1). MacArthur
adds “The verb is a present subjunctive, expressing continuous action that is
nevertheless hypothetical because it applies only to some people.”
When the Lord regenerates a person at the time of
salvation then those who walk in the Light do so because the power of God has
regenerated that person. Let us now look
at 2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if anyone is in
Christ, he is a new creature; the old
things passed away; behold, new
things have come.” Believers will
act differently when they become a new believer in Jesus Christ as the Spirit
will guide them along the way of life.
(Notice the highlighted portions of 2 Cor. 5:17). MacArthur adds “The general pattern of their
day-to-day actions and attitudes will be godlike. Such walkers will experience fellowship with
one another (1:3, 7; Acts 2:42; cf. Col. 1:12; Phil. 2:17-18), which derives from
their union with the triune God (1:6; 1 Cor. 1:9; 6:17; 12:6, 13). All true Christians live and walk in the
Light (i. e., the life of God) and the communion of the saints.”
Notice this important truth: “To all who walk in the Light, God grants His
grace so that throughout their lives the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses
them from all sin.” Now I know that
after a person is saved that they will still struggle with sin, for no one will
ever be totally free of this life from the unredeemed humanness of their
flesh. Here are some supporting verses
to look up: (Matt. 26:41; Rom. 7:18-24;
Gal. 5:17; cf. Rom. 13:14). MacArthur
goes on to write “The term blood is often used in the New Testament as a
dramatic and graphic way to represent Christ’s sacrificial death on the cross
(cf. Acts20:28; Rom. 3:25; 5:9; Eph. 1:7; Heb. 9:12; 10:19), by which he ‘released
us from our sins by His blood’ (Rev. 1:5; cf. Col. 1:20-22; 1 Tim. 2:6; Heb.
2:17; Rev. 5:9).”
Here, again is an amazing truth and
that is that the salvation cleansing that John described encompasses all the
sinner’s transgressions, past, and future, and depends on no condition but God’s
sovereign grace in response to saving faith, so if you have not taken that step
to become a believer do not wait any longer!!
MacArthur concludes this section:
John is unmistakably in agreement with the Spirit-inspired teaching of
Paul that the redeemed enjoy complete, unalterable, and unrepeatable
forgiveness (cf. 1 Cor 6:11; 2 Cor. 5:18-19; Eph. 1:7; Col. 1:14; Heb. 10:10).”
9/6/2024 10:39
PM
No comments:
Post a Comment