There are two pages of notes and two practice sets in this chapter. In order to absorb these instructions on how to deal with narrative, I want to cover this chapter over the span of a few days in order to give plenty of time to work on these skills and contemplate the results. So, focus on the quality of your work today and not the quantity. You'll get a full day's pay either way.
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This is a review of The Joy of Discovery with plenty of exercises along the way. Feel free to study along and improve your study skills. Be sure to leave any questions or comments in the comments section below to enrich our learning. To go to the start of this series click here.
Assignment: Read 1-3 and do the Practice A on page 3.
Because of the superficial way we approach the stories, we are _________ in the way we interpret and apply them.
Click on the "The Joy of Discovery" tag below to see all the posts in this series. To go to the start of this series click here. To access some online study tools like Dictionaries, Concordances, and Commentaries try www.studylight.org
This section will help us understand what makes confession work. It's based upon a few critical truths we must think right about.
As seen at blogs.blueletterbible.org
This is a review of John MacArthur’s book Keys To Spiritual Growth with comments and study questions along the way. Feel free to study along and answer the questions or ask your own in the comments section below to enrich our learning. To go to the start of this series click here.
Previously…
6 CONFESSION – Unlocking The Chamber Of Horrors
The Consequences Of Covering Sin
A Right View Of Sin
A Right View Of God
A Right View Of Self
Is Confession Required for Forgiveness?
Clean! Clean!
The Condition for Our Cleansing
Confession Is Good for the Soul
And now…
Can a Christian Be Out of Fellowship With God?
Some people say that confession is important because it restores fellowship with God, which they believe is broken by sin. We sin, fellowship is broken; we confess, fellowship is restored. But that is not what Scripture teaches. Our fellowship with God never changes, regardless of how we fail. Genuine fellowship cannot be broken by sin and therefore cannot be restored by confession. We have been led astray by the usual understanding of the word fellowship. We use it to mean “friendship, intimacy, relationship between people.” But the Greek word is koinonia, meaning “partnership.”[1] Our partnership with God can never be broken by sin, Satan, or anything else in the universe (Romans 8:32-39). Something does happen when we sin, but it is not broken fellowship. It is forfeiture of joy. “These things write we unto you, that your joy may be full” (1 John 1:4 KJV). Although our fellowship cannot be broken, we can foul up our lives so that we lose our joy. Many, many Christians have done that very thing.
I don’t deny that, in sinning, a believer loses a certain intimacy, a warmhearted experience, a sense of nearness to God. Something does go away, but Scripture speaks of it as lost joy rather than lost fellowship.
What is the fastest way to regain the joy of your salvation? Do what David did—confess. He prayed, “Restore to me the joy of Thy salvation…” (Psalm 51:12). God returns to you His joy.
Winning the Battles
So far we have seen that cleansing and confession characterize the Christian life. A third quality common to every believer is conquering. God liberates the Christian. That is, for the first time He gives the believer an ability to do what is right. That is something we never could do before we were saved. We were dead in our trespasses and sins, slaves to sin. We had no choice but to sin. Now we have strength to prevail over sin.
Who needs it? a Christian may say to himself—or even aloud. Since I’m going to be a sinner for the rest of my life and I have to keep confessing, there’s no need to strive for holiness—especially since I’m cleansed anyway. I’ll just five as I please.
John responds to that philosophy, “My little children [he was ninety years old when he wrote this, so he could use that expression], I am writing these things to you that you may not sin…” (1 John 2:1). I like that! You will never hear a simpler exhortation than that: “Don’t sin!”
Perhaps you’re wondering, Why did john say that? If I’m always going to be confessing and always going to be cleansed, isn’t it ridiculous to say, “Don’t sin?”
No, it isn’t ridiculous, because we do not have to sin. That sounds like a contradiction, but it isn’t. Within every believer lies the power for victory over sin.[2] That is why I use the word conquering. We can conquer sin. “Sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law, but under grace” (Romans 6:14). Sin has no more power over those of us who are in Christ. Romans 8:13 says we can mortify sin, or put it to death. Unbelievers cannot win over sin, but Christians certainly can.
One undisputable mark of spiritual maturity is the decreasing frequency of sin. Why would God tell us not to sin, if we didn’t have a choice in the matter? Paul said the same thing, “Become sober-minded as you ought, and stop sinning…” (1 Corinthians 15:34). “Be angry, and yet do not sin…” (Ephesians 4:26). “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age” (Titus 2:11, 12). In other words, we are not to sin. I once preached a sermon entitled “Four Things the Holy Spirit Does for You, Whether You Like It or Not.” Among those sovereign works of the Spirit is subduing the flesh. You cannot conquer in your flesh, but the Holy Spirit working in you can.
Jesus, Our Advocate
John concludes this section on sin and confession with a brief summary: “…If anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world” (1 John 2:1, 2). John says, in effect, if we do sin, we have Someone to cover for us. Again, he is not speaking of a habitual disobedience or sin as a course of life, but of individual sinful acts that interrupt our walk of faith. When we do commit such an act, it is cleansed.
What is an advocate? It is the same word translated “Helper” in John 15:26. It means a lawyer for the defense-—someone called alongside to help. Whenever we sin, do you think God accuses us? No, but Satan does. “Look at him, God. That child of Yours sinned.” The devil is like a prosecuting attorney.
But our Advocate, the Lord Jesus, rises and says, “It is taken care of, Father. I bore it in My body. I paid the penalty.” The Righteous One who has saved us from all unrighteousness, the One who is holy and has made the perfect sacrifice—He personally defends us. So Satan is foiled. “Who will bring a charge against God’s elect?” asks Romans 8:33.
There you have it. As those redeemed by our Lord Jesus Christ, we are cleansed. As cleansed ones, we confess our sins. And as those who confess, we conquer. No matter how deep your guilt, no matter how frequent your failure, come to God in contrite confession and let Him do His work in your life.
One of the most thrilling scenes in English literature comes at the conclusion of Mutiny on the Bounty. Some seamen are being court-martialed before the royal navy. These men are on trial for mutiny, facing the possibility of death by hanging. Roger Byam, a young sailor, is one of those on trial. Because he is a person of loyalty and integrity, Byam is granted a pardon by the king. Though judged guilty, he is acquitted and restored to rank, and the record of his crime is forever expunged.
That is what David asked for—and received. And that is what every believer receives in Christ. We believe God is a forgiving God, and in response and thanks, we confess our sin to Him, turning from it, lest we stamp on His grace.
Questions & Notes
We have been led astray by the usual understanding of the word fellowship. We use it to mean “friendship, intimacy, relationship between people.” But the Greek word is koinonia, meaning _________ . ↑
Within every _________ lies the power for victory over sin. ↑
Click on the "Keys To Spiritual Growth" tag below to see all the posts in this series. To go to the start of this series click here. For a great way to move through the Bible in short devotionals add the Grace to You App to your phone and find them under the "Read" tab of the app.
