Meditations on Sin
by Rev. Kirby Williams
Following John's formula for maintaining a strong fellowship with God by proactively and logically addressing sin in our lives.
Text: 1John 2:1-2
Date: 02/15/2026, the Evening service.
Series: "Evenfall; Sunday Evening Worship" Part 43
Description:
Having rebuked the false teachers and exposed their errors concerning worldly living, John turns to positive instructions concerning the problem every Christian faces-- the presence of sin in their lives. The instruction comes in two parts: an exhortation not to sin, followed by what to do when the inevitable sin occurs. In this meditation, we will concentrate on just the first sentence where John bluntly tells his readers his objective is "that you may not sin". We will analyze this from a logical perspective, focusing on why Christians should strive diligently to isolate and remove sin from their lives. After establishing the importance John is placing on maintaining fellowship with God, we will discuss the nature of sin and explore logical reasons why it is better for Christians to diligently strive to avoid sinning. Ultimately, we will identify sin as the great impediment to our fellowship with God, thereby keeping us from "walking with Him in His Light" and gaining the spiritual strength that a right-relationship with God affords.
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I. Introduction, Mark 15:34.
II. Exposition of the text, 1John 2:1-2.
A. Context, 1John 1:3-7.
B. A reasoned approach of why not to sin.
1. John's formula for avoiding sin, vs. 1a.
a. Addressing "little children".
b. Looking at the words.
i. Noticing the personal address.
ii. Explaining "These things".
iii. The core instruction, 1Cor. 11:17.
2. Where spiritual strength resides.
a. Examples from Scripture, Psa. 22:19, 51:10-12.
b. Understanding the relevance.
3. What is sin?
a. Sins against God's commands.
b. Sins against conscience, Jer. 31:33; Acts 24:16; 1Th. 5:21,22.
c. Sins against the glory of God, Matt. 22:37-38.
4. Seeking a positive solution, 1John 1:7.
5. Logical reasons not to sin.
a. Sin is abhorrent to God, Psa. 5:4-6; 1John 1:5; Hab. 1:13.
b. The utter sinfulness of sin, Matt. 15:19; 2Cor. 6:14, Phil. 4:8.
c. Sin nailed our Lord to the Cross.
d. Sin has consequences.
III. Conclusion, John 1:12-13.
