1 John 1
In Christ we have that which is perfect from God's own hand and heart; and what can we need more? and this is now in us by the Holy Ghost.
The poor thief on the cross, when taught of God, knew all about Christ as if he had witnessed Christ's whole life. It was what his heart needed, and what God revealed.
In the first verse of this chapter, we see the closest intimacy, but not leading to familiarity; for it shows us Christ's glory, and that produces adoration. The Holy Ghost is always ready to teach us about Christ; but it is astonishing what barrenness we bring into our hearts by admitting things which are not of God, and so grieving the Spirit, and hindering His teaching, and therefore our own joy, by having Christ manifested to us. They may not be sinful things that we admit into our hearts, but things all around us; things which are not our proper occupation. The proper occupations of life are no hindrances to our joy, nor any bar to our devotedness. Was not Christ a carpenter? Did not the apostle Paul show his devotedness in laboring night and day at his tent-making? Christ is for our joy in communion, as He is also our manna for daily strength; and we should learn in the common things of life His power and care, as Israel, by going through the wilderness, learned that God cared for their raiment, and their feet not swelling. But we should seek to walk unspotted, so that when there is a moment for joy alone with Him, we may be ready at once, and not have to retrace our steps and regain lost ground.
Fellowship is first presented, that our joy may be full. Then the nature of Him with whom we have fellowship. Relationship first, and then the nature made known. There may be attraction to Christ, but there can be no fellowship until full forgiveness is known-known on the ground of Christ's having done such a work that God cannot impute sin to a believer. In Heb. 9:2727And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: (Hebrews 9:27), we see the common lot of all that "it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment." But death and judgment are over in Christ for me. If one spot of sin is left on me, there can be no communion. If I think, on going into His presence, the first thing He will see is a spot-and if there is a spot, the perfect light must show it-I shall be afraid to go in. No spot can be allowed now; for God is not now behind a vail, which was the reason why Moses, because of the hardness of their hearts, could allow what cannot be allowed now.
Three things are true of our condition: we are in His presence without a vail; we have fellowship, and we are clean, Or there could be no communion. Where God has seen the blood He can never see sin, unless the blood could lose its value. But if I sin I am darkness, (for I am what my thoughts are,) and there can be no communion until my heart sees the sin where God sees it-on the cross.
If for one moment I do not watch the flesh, it will get into mischief, for Satan watches his opportunity. I have always an enemy to watch, but I need not get a bad conscience, for God is always able to keep me from falling. Having the Spirit of God to dwell in me, it is worth while not to grieve Him. Worldly thoughts show the state of the soul, that it is not filled with the Spirit, or there would be no room for them. We may be occupied with our daily work, and do our very best in it, in communion. If Christ were here, and you had to black his shoes, your heart would be full of Him while doing it; and I need not say that you would do your very best to give them a polish. Do everything for the saints in this spirit, as doing it for Him; for communion, whether with Him or with each other, can only be in the power of the Holy Ghost. Therefore there is no communion when you grieve Him.
" Fellowship one with another," in verse 7, is the communion of saints. To say that " we have no sin," in our nature (verse 8) would prove us to be no Christians at all, as much as if we said " we have not sinned." But we ought not to sin. It is inexcusable failure, for He has promised that we shall not be tempted above our power; and this is true of the weakest as well as the strongest. So that there is no excuse for any, even if ever so weak; for He always provides a way of escape.
People plead sudden temptation-and it may be true that the temptation is sudden-but the unmortified heart, that causes the temptation to have power, is not sudden.
We must look to the cause. Rain may come in at the roof of the house, but show itself lower down, and we must look to how it came in. Christ dealt with the root of Peter's sin. He did not reproach him with his denial, but with' his boasting self-confidence. The constitution of the ashes of the "red heifer " (in Num. 19) shows God's holy jealousy about sin. The man who touched but a dead bone could not be restored to communion till he (in type) had a sense of the heinousness of that sin, in the judgment poured upon Christ for it. Christ has been consumed by the wrath of God for my sin, even if that sin were but the result of carelessness. Still the very "ashes" prove that the sin is put away -that it is all burnt up-that it no longer exists. The sin was put upon the victim, "made sin for us," so that even the ashes made him that touched them unclean.