GOD'S RESTORATIVE FORGIVENESS-

I John 1;7-2;2--[Turn]
Verse 7-[Reads]--''If we walk''--keep on walking in The Light with God--
''If we walk in the light as he is in the light''--God is Light. [vERSE 5]-And D\dwells in Light Unapproachable-I Timothy 6;16--[Turn].

''We have fellowship one with another''--but, as we cannot have it, unless we have it with God in Christ, and to do that, we must walk in the light with Christ.

''And the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.''
This clause co-ordinates with the preceding one. Walking in the light with God makes
possible fellowship with one another, and is made possible also, by the blood of
Jesus Christ.
The blood alone, cleanses the conscience and life of God's Child.

VERSE 8--[READ]. ''If we say that we have no sin''--that is, we have no personal
guilt, no principle of Sin.
This, some of the Gnostics held, since to them, matter was evil, and the soul was
not contaminated by the sinful flesh, a thin delusion,which The Christian Scientist
cult delude themselves with, today.

''We deceive ourselves''--we lead ourselves astray. We don't deceive others, who
know us. The negative truth of the same idea-''And the truth is not in us.''

Verse 9--[READ].--If we keep on saying the same thing about our sins as God does
[homo-lo-geo].

''He is faithful.''--Jesus made confession of sin necessary to forgiveness.
It is God's Promise,and He is ''RIGHTEOUS,'' to forgive and to cleanse.

Verse 10--[Read]--If we say, we have not sinned--This is the denial of any specific
act of sin.

The claim to personal perfection--two causes;
1. The stifling of the conscience, in making God, a liar.
2. Ignorance of God's Word, which is not in us, else, we should not make the claim.

I John 2;1--[Read]--''My little children''--JJohn is now an old man, and regards
his readers as little children.

''that ye sin not''--that you may not sin.
John has no patience with professing Perfectionists [1;8-10], but has still less,
with loose lives,like some of the Gnostics, who went to all sorts of excesses,
without shame.

''If one commits sin''. We have an Advocate, The Holy Spirit is God's Advocate on
Earth,while Christ is Man's Advocate with The Father.
Being Righteous, Jesus is qualified, to plead our case, and to enter into The
Father's Presence. Hebrews 2;18--[Turn].

Verse 2-''and he''--He, Himself, in His Own PERSON. Both Priest and Sacrifice.
Hebrews 9;14-[TURN].

He is the satisfaction for our sins,and sins of the whole world of the elect--
2 Corinthians 5;19-21--[Turn].

Zechariah 3;1-10-[Turn].

God's Restorative FORGIVENESS IS MECESSARY, FOR EVERY PERSON, BORN OF THE HOLY
SPIRIT.
The Blood of The LORD JESUS CHRIST IS EFFICACIOUS TO CLEANSE God's chosen ones, FROM
ALL SIN--I JOHN 1;7

Now, I want to clearly state; CHRIST'S BLOOD IS NOT ONLY COMPETENT TO FORGIVE A
PERSON'S SIN,BUT IT CONTINUALLY CLEANSES HIM FROM ALL SIN--PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE.

You see, all the believer's sins were future, when Christ died for them, on the
cross. He atoned for them, when he became the sinner's substitute, for His blood has
CLEANSING PROPERTY...

HIS DEATH WAS OBJECTIVE--It judicially put away sin, from before The Lord.
IF His blood had been incompetent, to atone for ALL SIN, Believers could not plead
The Mercy of God.

God's Word shows that, justification and sanctification are so bound together,
that THEY CAN'T BE SEPARATED.
Justification DOES PRECEDE Sanctification, that is, the sins of the believer were
JUDICIALLY ATONED FOR, in Christ's Death.

Sanctification is God's Work in the believer, to make him suitable, for GOD'S
PRESENCE.
What Jesus Christ objectively wrought on the cross, The Holy Spirit objectively
applies,to the hearts of believers.

Hence there is an initial cleansing, and there is a continual cleansing.
The Tear Ducts of The Eye are a good example.
In the same way, The Blood of Christ is always there, continually cleansing the
redeemed sinner, from impurities that intrude.

The Prophet Zechariah taught Restorative Forgiveness;
Jesus Advocacy is portrayed in chapter 3.
The Holy Spirit's message to Israel, proceeded from cleansing to obedience to
service.
Joshua was one of the priests, among the exiles, who returned to Babylon, with
Zerubbabel--the dirty garments in which, he was clothed,SIGNIFIED ISRAEL'S DESPICABLE
STATE, at that time.

ISRAEL NEEDED RESTORATIVE FORGIVENESS. Even the priesthood had become defiled, and
unsuited,for holy service.
The Prophet Malachi described Israel's Priests, as a sad contrast, to the
original priesthood, represented by Phinehas [Numbers 25].

Joshua stood before The Lord--