Weekly Sermon Insights: Dealing with Sin 1 John 1:5-2:6

sunsetbiblechapel
Mar 15
3 min read

Impossible in our strenth alone, but we are still commanded to strive.

March 15, 2026

Tim Bower

Message Notes

1 John 1:5 – 2:6. Straightforward, fundamental, and one of the clearest biblical treatments of sin — offering a holistic view and a practical “formula” for dealing with it.

Main Theme

How believers should deal with sin in daily life.
Core contrast: Light (truth, God, fellowship) vs. Darkness (lies, sin, isolation).
Our walk (actions, progress) must match our talk (claims about faith).
Goal: Progress in holiness → minimize sin, maximize fellowship with God and others.

Key Passage Breakdown (1 John 1:5 – 2:6)

1 John 1:5 — God is light; in Him is no darkness at all.

1 John 1:6 — Claiming fellowship with God while walking in darkness = lying and not practicing truth.

1 John 1:7 — Walking in the light → fellowship with one another + cleansing by Jesus’ blood from all sin.

1 John 1:8 — Claiming “I have no sin” = self-deception; truth is not in us.

1 John 1:9 — Confess sins → God is faithful & just to forgive and cleanse from all unrighteousness.

1 John 1:10 — Claiming “I have not sinned” = making God a liar; His word is not in us.

1 John 2:1 — Written so we may not sin; but if we do sin, we have an Advocate — Jesus Christ the righteous.

1 John 2:2 — Jesus is the propitiation for our sins and for the whole world.

1 John 2:3–5 — We know we know Him if we keep His commandments; obedience = love for God perfected.

1 John 2:6 — Whoever claims to abide in Him ought to walk as He walked.

Three Wrong / Incomplete Ways People Handle Sin

Cover it up / Lie about it
- Results:
  - Lie to others → eventually believe our own lies (self-deception, v. 8).
  - Make God a liar (contradict His word that all have sinned, v. 10).
  - Destroy fellowship with believers (light has no fellowship with darkness — 2 Cor 6:14 flipped).
- Example: David’s cover-up of Bathsheba/Uriah sin (2 Sam 11–12).
Deny it exists (“I have no sin” or “I have not sinned”)
- Self-deception → truth not in us.
- Call God a liar → His word not in us.
Try to conquer it on our own (without grace/Spirit)
- Impossible in our strength alone → but we are still commanded to strive.

The Biblical / Healthy Way to Deal with Sin (5-Step “Formula”)

Acknowledge you are a sinner (1 John 1:8, 10; Rom 3:23).
Try not to sin (1 John 2:1 — “so that you may not sin”; aim for progress).
Confess when you do sin (1 John 1:9; Prov 28:13).
Give thanks — sins are forgiven because Christ paid the penalty (propitiation — 1 John 2:2; Rom 3:24–26).
Move on — don’t wallow; repeat the process (“don’t let them beat you twice”).

Supporting Scriptures & Concepts

Light vs. Darkness
- Rom 13:11–14 — Wake up, cast off works of darkness, put on armor of light, put on Christ.
- Psalm 119:105 — God’s word = lamp to feet, light to path.
Help from the Spirit to conquer sin
- Gal 5:16–23 — Walk by the Spirit → do not gratify flesh; fruit of Spirit (love, joy, peace, self-control) vs. works of flesh.
- Rom 8:12–13 — By the Spirit put to death deeds of the body → live.
Christ’s dual role
- Advocate (lawyer standing beside us — 1 John 2:1).
- Propitiation (paid penalty in full — 1 John 2:2; Rom 3:25).
Obedience as proof & motivation
- Keeping commandments = evidence we know Him (1 John 2:3–5).
- Obedience from love (“because we want to”), not duty or fear.

Practical Applications & Takeaways

Christian life = progress (“walking” implies movement forward).
Goal: Character marked by minimal sin through Spirit-empowered obedience.
Don’t be paralyzed by fear of failure — try anyway (like learning to ride a bike without training wheels).
Avoid extremes:
- Covering/minimizing sin → leads to isolation & self-deception.
- Wallowing in guilt → lets sin “beat you twice.”
Move on after confession → rest in Christ’s finished work.

Closing Prayer Emphasis

Thanks for John’s clear teaching on sin.
Pray for strength to put sin to death, avoid lying/cover-ups, confess openly.
Praise God for loving forgiveness and Christ’s payment of the penalty.
Desire: Minimize sin’s effect → enjoy true fellowship.

Sin is serious, but God provides a clear, grace-filled path — acknowledge, strive, confess, receive forgiveness, move forward, repeat — all empowered by the Spirit and grounded in Christ’s advocacy and propitiation.