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When John first talks about sin, he connects it to fellowship and walking in the light. He does not say, "If we walk in the light, the blood of Jesus cleanses us, and as a result we have fellowship with one another." He says, "If we walk in the light, we have fellowship with one another; and as we walk in fellowship, the blood of Jesus cleanses us." The sequence is not walk – cleansing – fellowship; it's walk – fellowship – cleansing.
Does that mean that we need to walk in fellowship with one another to have our sins forgiven? Does that mean if we hate one another, or refuse to forgive one another, God won't forgive us? That's exactly what it means, and John wasn't the first one to say it.
Jesus said it first. After teaching the Twelve the Lord’s Prayer, he adds, "If you forgive men for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive me, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions" (Matthew 6:13-14).
The master of the unforgiving steward "handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that they owed him," and Jesus adds: "So shall My heavenly Father also do to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart" (Matthew 18:35).
The message of John is the message of Jesus: Forgive, and you shall be forgiven.
So, the obvious question is, Have you? Have you forgiven your wife or husband, your co-worker or fellow student, your brother or sister, your rival for that scholarship or for the new job? If you haven't, are you ready to be here, in the presence of God? Leave your sacrifice at the altar; first be reconciled, and then offer your sacrifice.
posted by Peter J. Leithart on Sunday, October 01, 2006 at 07:48 AM
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