Clean Feed | 10/19/2025

Today’s passage from 1 John 1-2 calls us to a deep, honest, and transformative relationship with God—one that goes far beyond mere knowledge or religious routine. In a world that often mirrors the confusion and spiritual apathy of John’s day, we are reminded that what we believe about Jesus matters profoundly. The early church faced the challenge of Gnosticism, a belief system that separated the spiritual from the physical and denied the reality of Christ’s incarnation and resurrection. Much like today, there was a temptation to downplay theology and settle for a shallow, cultural Christianity.

We are confronted with the reality that it is possible to claim fellowship with God while actually walking in darkness. The call is not just to be saved, but to walk daily in communion with Christ, allowing His truth to shape our lives. This means recognizing our own hypocrisy, admitting that we often rationalize or minimize our sin rather than confessing it honestly. True fellowship with God is marked by obedience, not just knowledge about Him, but a life transformed by His presence.

Grace is at the heart of our identity. We are products of the blood of Jesus, cleansed not by our feelings or religious efforts, but by His sacrifice. This cleansing is present and ongoing, not just a future hope. We are reminded that we did not deserve this grace; it is a gift that should humble us and move us to gratitude and awe.

Yet, we are easily deceived—prone to excuse our sin or compare ourselves to others rather than to God’s standard. The call is to honest confession, to agree with God about our sin, and to continually bring it before Him. Confession is not a one-time event but a lifestyle, a daily returning to the mercy of God.

We are forgiven, not so that we can continue in sin, but so that we might walk in holiness. Jesus is our advocate, our propitiation, the one who stands before the Father and declares, “This one belongs to me.” This reality calls us to be agents of God’s love, to walk as Jesus walked, and to let our lives bear the fruit of genuine transformation. Our faith is not “fire insurance,” but a living relationship that changes how we see ourselves, our sin, and our purpose in the world.

Key Takeaways

• 1. The Danger of Superficial Faith: It is possible to claim fellowship with God while actually walking in darkness. True relationship with God is not about outward claims or religious activity, but about daily communion and obedience. We must continually examine whether our lives reflect the truth we profess, refusing to settle for a faith that is only skin-deep. [54:01]
• 2. Grace Is Present and Transforming: The cleansing power of Jesus’ blood is not just a future hope but a present reality. We are not made right with God by our emotions, experiences, or religious achievements, but solely by Christ’s sacrifice. This grace should humble us, fill us with gratitude, and motivate us to live differently every day. [60:25]
• 3. Honest Confession Over Rationalization: We are easily deceived into minimizing or excusing our sin, but God calls us to honest, specific confession. True confession means agreeing with God about the seriousness of our sin and continually bringing it before Him. Only in this posture do we experience the freedom and cleansing He promises. [65:00]
• 4. Holiness as the Fruit of Forgiveness: Forgiveness is not a license to continue in sin, but a call to holiness. Our relationship with sin changes when we truly know Christ—we no longer love, plan, or boast about sin as we once did. Holiness is not perfection, but a new direction, marked by obedience and a growing love for God. [67:27]
• 5. Intimacy and Assurance in Christ: The word “know” in Scripture speaks of deep, intimate relationship, not just intellectual knowledge. Assurance of salvation comes not from what we have done, but from the ongoing evidence of God’s love and transformation in our lives. Jesus, our advocate, stands before the Father and claims us as His own—this is our hope and our security. [01:12:22]
  ** [72:22]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [48:53] - Introduction to 1 John and Gnosticism
• [49:44] - Parallels Between Gnosticism and Today’s Culture
• [50:29] - “If I Were the Devil” and Cultural Deception
• [53:24] - The Importance of Right Belief and the Gospel
• [54:01] - Conditional Fellowship: Are We Walking in the Light?
• [55:28] - Recognizing Our Hypocrisy
• [56:39] - The Difference Between Salvation and Fellowship
• [58:59] - Products of Grace: The Cleansing Blood of Jesus
• [61:04] - The Cost and Gift of Christ’s Sacrifice
• [62:29] - The Danger of Self-Deception
• [64:15] - The Call to Honest Confession
• [67:27] - Called to Holiness and Obedience
• [68:15] - Jesus as Our Advocate and Propitiation
• [71:35] - Agents of God’s Love: Walking as Jesus Walked
• [72:22] - Intimacy with God: What It Means to “Know” Him
• [74:21] - The Fruit of True Relationship with Christ
• [76:18] - Invitation to Respond and Walk in Fellowship
• [85:49] - Real Life, Real Faith: A Personal Story
• [87:39] - Closing Prayer and Benediction

Bible Reading

1 John 1:5–2:6 (ESV) —
> 5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

> 1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. 3 And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. 4 Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, 5 but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: 6 whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

Observation Questions

1. According to 1 John 1:6-7, what is the difference between claiming fellowship with God and actually walking in the light?
2. What does John say happens when we confess our sins to God? (1 John 1:9)
3. In 1 John 2:1-2, what roles does Jesus fulfill for us when we sin?
4. The sermon mentioned that it’s possible to claim fellowship with God while actually walking in darkness. What are some ways people might do this today? [[54:01]]

Interpretation Questions

1. Why does John emphasize that “if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves”? What does this reveal about our natural tendency toward self-deception? [[01:02:29]]
2. The sermon described confession as “agreeing with God about our sin” and making it a lifestyle, not a one-time event. Why is ongoing confession important for a believer’s relationship with God? [[01:05:00]]
3. How does understanding Jesus as our advocate and propitiation (1 John 2:1-2) change the way we view our failures and God’s forgiveness? [[01:10:00]]
4. The sermon said, “Holiness is not perfection, but a new direction, marked by obedience and a growing love for God.” What does it look like practically to walk in this “new direction”? [[01:07:27]]

Application Questions

1. The sermon warned about the danger of a superficial faith—claiming to know God but not living in daily communion and obedience. Are there areas in your life where your actions don’t match what you say you believe? What would it look like to bring those areas into the light this week? [[54:01]]
2. The cleansing power of Jesus’ blood is described as a present reality, not just a future hope. How does this truth affect the way you deal with guilt or shame from past sins? Is there a specific area where you need to embrace God’s ongoing grace? [[01:00:25]]
3. The sermon challenged us to practice honest, specific confession rather than rationalizing or minimizing our sin. Is there a sin or struggle you tend to excuse or downplay? What would it look like to confess it honestly to God (and maybe to a trusted friend) this week? [[01:05:00]]
4. John says that knowing God is shown by keeping His commands and walking as Jesus walked. What is one command of Jesus you find difficult to obey? What is one step you can take this week to grow in obedience in that area? [[01:12:22]]
5. The sermon described how our relationship with sin changes when we truly know Christ—we no longer love, plan, or boast about sin as we once did. Can you identify a way your attitude toward sin has changed (or needs to change) since following Jesus? [[01:13:07]]
6. Assurance of salvation comes from seeing God’s love and transformation in our lives, not just from a past decision. What evidence of God’s transforming work do you see in your life right now? Where do you want to see more? [[01:12:22]]
7. The sermon ended with a call to gratitude and awe for God’s grace. What is one practical way you can express gratitude to God this week for what Jesus has done for you? [[01:15:48]]