Originally Posted by Bro. Parrish
Can they? YOU BET. A Christian can get into as much practical trouble as the unsaved man, and most certainly choose to have fellowship with unfruitful works of darkness. My question remains, If God's children cannot walk in darkness, then why in the world would the Bible instruct us to walk as children of light? If we cannot have fellowship with darkness then why the exhortation NOT to do it? That's why Paul told the fornicating Corinthian believers this...
Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid. What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh. I Cor. 6:15-16
"Neither let US commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. Neither let US tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.... wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed LEST HE FALL." 1 Cor. 10:8-12
And that's where we disagree I suppose.
I think our JOY and FELLOWSHIP is based on our daily choices, and that is exactly what I think 1 John 1:7-9 is all about.
But again, to me that has nothing to do with our eternal security and our RELATIONSHIP. So we are not in total disagreement, and I respect your views.
I have heard that view before, but I honestly feel that to take that view creates an unecessary situation where you are forced to chop up 1 John 1 into a confusing passage of "now he is addressing the lost, and now he is addressing the saved and now he is addressing the lost again" (as you have suggested).
To me that just destroys the continuity of the passage and how it flows right into chapter 2 and the rest of the book.
I can see how one could reach that conclusion, but I don't think it's necessary, because I think it's done in order to avoid a problem that doesn't really exist in 1 John.
That's why I think 1 John fits so well with Eph. 5.
See I don't think God can have fellowship with sin, even if that sin is in the heart of the BELIEVER who just lied to his wife or stole something from his boss. Choosing to walk in the darkness of unconfessed sin is serious business, with serious consequences. I don't think God will give up on a believer like that, (see my illustration on the mud in the house), and I don't think that impacts our eternal RELATIONSHIP, but I think our FELLOWSHIP and our JOY is damaged. To me the passage is very clear; he is talking about WE, US, and OUR WALK, and OUR FELLOWSHIP...
"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."
Forrest, the fact that Jesus' blood cleans our DAILY SIN, as much as our POSITIONAL SIN, doesn't really pose a problem for me, and it never has. His precious blood not only CLEANSED sins of the past, it STILL CLEANSETH today. His blood didn't lose its power after we were saved, it has the power to CLEANSE us of every sin we ever commit—yesterday, today AND tomorrow. It is the blood of the ETERNAL covenant (Heb. 13:20).
As I said brother Forrest, I think there are good men on both sides of this, for example I know for a fact that John MacArthur teaches your view quite beautifully, and I think Matthew Henry's Commentary sees it the way I do, as shown here...
"The apostle then instructs the believer in the way to the continued pardon of his sin. Here we have, 1. His duty in order thereto: If we confess our sins, v. 9. Penitent confession and acknowledgment of sin are the believer's business, and the means of his deliverance from his guilt. And, 2. His encouragement thereto, and assurance of the happy issue. This is the veracity, righteousness, and clemency of God, to whom he makes such confession: He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness, v. 9. God is faithful to his covenant and word, wherein he has promised forgiveness to penitent believing confessors. He is just to himself and his glory who has provided such a sacrifice, by which his righteousness is declared in the justification of sinners. He is just to his Son who has not only sent him for such service, but promised to him that those who come through him shall be forgiven on his account. By his knowledge (by the believing apprehension of him) shall my righteous servant justify many, Isa. liii. 11. He is clement and gracious also, and so will forgive, to the contrite confessor, all his sins, cleanse him from the guilt of all unrighteousness, and in due time deliver him from the power and practice of it."
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