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1 John: Walking The Walk

In his first epistle, the Apostle John writes to combat false teachings and give believers absolute assurance of their salvation. He attacks the illusion that we can simply "talk the talk" without our daily lives reflecting our faith. This study explores John's uncompromising command to "Walk the Walk" by living exactly as Jesus lived, stepping into the light, abandoning a lifestyle of intentional sin, and actively loving our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Reader's Version

  • 1 John: Walking The Walk

  • Sermon by Gene Simco

  • Reader’s Version


  • I want to begin today by thanking Nicole and Job for their testimonies, and the entire body of Christ who makes everything happen here on Sunday. This includes the worship service, and of course, our fellowship and breaking bread in our cafe.

  • I heard a story about a young man who was lied to about the identity of his father by his father's friend and mentor. He told the young man that his father had been murdered by his enemy. In reality, his father was the enemy. Later, when the young man discovered this, he confronted the friend of his father, and this man employed an interesting tactic …

  • Luke: Why didn't you tell me? You told me Vader betrayed and murdered my father.

  • Obi-Wan: Your father was seduced by the dark side of the force. He ceased to be Anakin Skywalker and became Darth Vader. When that happened, the good man who was your father was destroyed. So, what I told you was true, from a certain point of view.

  • Luke: A certain point of view?

  • Obi-Wan: Luke, you're going to find that many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view.

  • Indeed, many of the things we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view. But what really matters is God's point of view, and we find that in His Word. Today, we will explore a popular half-truth or two, and ask ourselves a question: Now that we know the full truth, what will we do?


  • Review: How We Got Here

  • Let us take a step back and review how we got here in our Alpha and Omega series. When we entered into the New Testament, we looked at the four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. These are just four different perspectives on the life and ministry of Jesus.

  • We then entered into Acts, a historical account of the birth of the church and Paul's missional journeys, which then focused heavily on Paul. After that was the corpus of Paul's writings, Romans through Philemon. These are all letters to the churches or people operating in churches. Next came Hebrews. Some argue it was written by Paul, but that does not matter; it was ultimately written by the Holy Spirit, regardless of who penned it. Then we got writings from others: James, the brother of Jesus, and First and Second Peter, letters from the lead apostle, Peter.

  • Now we arrive at John, the disciple whom Jesus loved. He is also the author of the Gospel of John.


  • The Theme: Walking the Walk

  • We are going to see a major carryover theme here. We saw it in Peter's second letter:

  • 2 Peter 1:10 (NLT) So, dear brothers and sisters, work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. Do these things, and you will never fall away.

  • Well, in First John, we are going to see this exact same expectation:

  • 1 John 2:6 (NLT) Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.


  • Greek Insight: Walk the Walk The literal translation of this verse commands us to "walk as the One who walked." The Greek word for walk is peripateō, meaning to conduct your entire life and walk around in absolute reality and truth.

  • You see, the word Christian literally means little Christ or baby Christ. You can call yourself that, but if you are not living like Jesus, you simply do not fit the definition. This will be our theme today.

  • Let us go back and look at who John is...


  • Who Is John?

  • So, who is John? As I mentioned earlier, he is the Apostle John, the son of Zebedee, and the disciple whom Jesus loved. He is an absolute eyewitness to the ministry, the cross, and the empty tomb. In fact, he is one of the only disciples explicitly placed right there at the foot of the cross. He is writing this letter later in life as an elder statesman of the church.


  • Why Is He Writing?

  • He is writing because a new threat had entered the church: early Gnosticism.

  • Historical Insight: Early Gnosticism Gnostics were false teachers who claimed to possess elite, "secret knowledge." One of their primary, destructive heresies was entirely separating the physical flesh from the spirit, actively denying that Jesus actually came in a physical body. Because they taught that what you did with your physical body did not matter to your spirit, people in the church were talking the talk, but absolutely not walking the walk.

  • John writes to aggressively combat these lies and to give true believers absolute assurance of their salvation. We find a kind of mission statement for his entire letter in Chapter 5:

  • 1 John 5:13 (NLT) I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life.


  • Walking in the Truth

  • Our theme here is walking the walk. John demands that we live exactly like Jesus lived. We are commanded to walk in the truth.


  • Greek Insight: Walk in the Truth The Greek phrase used here is peripateō en alētheia. This is not just a mental agreement; it is a behavioral command to conduct your entire life and physically walk around in absolute reality and truth.

  • It is not enough to just say you believe with your words. If we say we belong to Him, our daily lives must actively prove it.


  • Stepping Into The Light

  • Let us hop right in.

  • 1 John 1:1-4 (NLT) We proclaim to you the one who existed from the beginning, whom we have heard and seen. We saw him with our own eyes and touched him with our own hands. He is the Word of life. This one who is life itself was revealed to us, and we have seen him. And now we testify and proclaim to you that he is the one who is eternal life. He was with the Father, and then he was revealed to us. We proclaim to you what we ourselves have actually seen and heard so that you may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We are writing these things so that you may fully share our joy.

  • So here is the number one reason John is writing: to witness to Jesus and to share in this joy. Now we pivot to the second reason.

  • 1 John 1:5-10 (NLT) This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all. So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth. But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin. If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts.

  • Let us break this down. Again, John is a witness to Jesus. Jesus is pure; He is light without darkness. But notice something: we too should be living in the light and practicing the truth. That sets up this next part and gives these very popular verses their proper context.

  • Reviewing verses 8 through 10, without the context that we just read—that we should be living in the light and practicing truth—it may seem as if John is saying that it is okay to sin, or that we live in some kind of perpetual state of sin. But remember what we read about intentionally sinning in places like Hebrews 6 and 10. And what did John just say? He just said we should live in truth and in light. That is the context! Notice the grammar here as well.


  • The Setup: The Reality of Our Flesh

  • Before John tells us how to walk, he has to destroy a dangerous lie from the false teachers who claimed they were spiritually perfect.

  • 1 John 1:8 (NLT) If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth.


  • Greek Insight: "Have No Sin" In the Greek, this refers to the Sin Nature. It describes the indwelling principle or state of sin. It is something we have, not something we are actively doing. John is saying we cannot claim that our fleshly nature is suddenly eradicated and we no longer have the internal capacity or pull to sin on our own.

  • 1 John 1:10 (NLT) If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts.


  • Greek Insight: "Have Not Sinned" In the Greek, this verb (hēmartēkamen) is in the Perfect Tense. This refers to an action completed in the past with ongoing results. John is targeting the actual acts of sin here. If we claim that our past record is clean and we have never actively committed sins, we are calling God a liar!

  • This is very important. It is past tense grammar. This is not ongoing sin. Otherwise, Hebrews 10 would give us a direct contradiction.


  • The Ultimate Goal: Do Not Sin

  • Now, aside from the context and the grammar, we also learned that we need to keep reading. If we keep reading, we get clarification, just in case you were going to run with the idea that perpetual sin is acceptable.

  • 1 John 2:1-6 (NLT) My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world. And we can be sure that we know him if we obey his commandments. If someone claims, “I know God,” but doesn’t obey God’s commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth. But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him. Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.

  • Here we get some critically important qualifying points. He is writing so that we do not sin. Yes, we make mistakes, but if someone really knows God, they obey. Who is the liar? The liar is the one who says he knows God but continues to live in sin. We are commanded to live our lives exactly as Jesus did, and Jesus did not sin. We will get more affirmation on that point shortly, but let us continue in First John.


  • Do Not Love This World

  • John next talks about living in the light and loving other believers, and then we arrive at a theme we previously saw in both James and Second Peter: do not love this world.

  • 1 John 2:15-17 (NLT) Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.

  • Not loving the world is a highly popular theme in the New Testament, even if it is not popular in the modern church. This is connected directly to the sin that John just addressed. These cravings and earthly desires are not from the Father. We have to remember what we discussed earlier in this series about who the ruler of this world is. Satan is the ruler of this world. We get that affirmed in places like Second Corinthians 4:4 and the Gospel of John. If we look back at the temptations of Jesus in the wilderness, we must remember that the devil was fully able to offer Jesus worldly kingdoms and blessings. Never forget that the devil can bless you with worldly things too.

  • Furthermore, Second Peter already warned us that this current world is going to end.


  • The Arrival of Antichrists

  • Next, we are going to take a brief peek forward into what we will eventually discuss in Revelation. We will not spend a lot of time here today, but look at what John says next.

  • 1 John 2:18 (NLT) Dear children, the last hour is here. You have heard that the Antichrist is coming, and already many such antichrists have appeared. From this we know that the last hour has come.

  • Wait a minute. Many antichrists have already come? That is certainly not what most modern churches teach, because quite frankly, they are wrong.


  • History & Theology Insight: The Antichrist The modern concept of a singular, apocalyptic "Antichrist" figure has been shaped heavily by later historical interpretations. During the Reformation period, it became common practice to identify specific political or religious figures, such as the Pope, as "The Antichrist." However, when we read the text carefully, a remarkable detail emerges: the specific word "antichrist" is only found in First and Second John. It never appears in the Book of Revelation, which is where most modern assumptions about the figure are drawn from! In John's letters, "antichrist" is not just a singular future politician, but a present spirit of deception. As he explicitly notes, many such antichrists had already appeared in the first century.

  • We will get back to that concept when we study Revelation, even though the specific word is not actually in the Revelation text.


  • False Baptisms and True Evidence

  • Then John makes an important point that directly ties into what we discussed back in Hebrews 6.

  • 1 John 2:19 (NLT) These people left our churches, but they never really belonged with us; otherwise they would have stayed with us. When they left, it proved that they did not belong with us.

  • This is the biblical answer to the debate about losing your salvation. We brought this up when we studied Hebrews 6 and discussed the danger of false, fine-print baptisms. These are uninformed baptisms where people are not warned about the cost of following Christ. Jesus always warned people. He told them that foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to rest his head. He commanded them to deny themselves, pick up their cross, and follow Him. He asked what king goes to war with ten thousand troops against twenty thousand without first consulting his advisors to see if he can win.

  • Jesus never said following Him would be easy. Yet many modern churches make salvation a carefree, fun affair, promising people they will simply be eternally blessed here on earth. That is not the case. When someone is given a fine-print baptism and is not fully informed of the cost, they will likely fall away into sinful behavior.

  • John continues by addressing the true believers:

  • 1 John 2:20-22 (NLT) But you are not like that, for the Holy One has given you his Spirit, and all of you know the truth. So I am writing to you not because you don’t know the truth but because you know the difference between truth and lies. And who is a liar? Anyone who says that Jesus is not the Christ. Anyone who denies the Father and the Son is an antichrist.

  • As we learned in our study of Titus, false believers deny Jesus by the way they live. That is exactly John's point here.

  • 1 John 2:29 (NLT) Since we know that Christ is righteous, we also know that all who do what is right are God’s children.

  • There is that antichrist theme again. Anyone who denies Christ—not just with their words, but by refusing to do what is right and live as He lived—proves they do not truly belong to Him.


  • The Practice of Sinning

  • As we turn the page into what we now call Chapter 3, John talks about people who belong to this world. We see that theme again, and then we go right back to his primary reason for writing this letter.

  • 1 John 3:4-10 (NLT) Everyone who sins is breaking God’s law, for all sin is contrary to the law of God. And you know that Jesus came to take away our sins, and there is no sin in him. Anyone who continues to live in him will not sin. But anyone who keeps on sinning does not know him or understand who he is.

  • Dear children, don’t let anyone deceive you about this: When people do what is right, it shows that they are righteous, even as Christ is righteous. But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil. Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God. So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil. Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers does not belong to God.

  • This is a major nail in the coffin to those who say that we can go on sinning and sinning intentionally. This is a severe warning to those who completely stopped reading First John at Chapter 1.

  • Again, we make mistakes, but those who intentionally keep on sinning simply do not belong to God. John uses some incredibly strong language here. He explicitly says that anyone who continues to live in Him will not sin, and that they cannot make a practice of sinning. If they keep on sinning, it shows they belong to the devil.

  • Then, John seamlessly moves on to the ultimate proof of our faith: loving other believers and giving our lives for them.


  • Chapter 4: Testing the Spirits and Perfect Love

  • In Chapter 4, John discusses testing the spirits and perfect love. The world is full of voices claiming to speak for God. John gives us a strict command: test them.

  • 1 John 4:1-3 (NLT) Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world. This is how we know if they have the Spirit of God: If a person claiming to be a prophet acknowledges that Jesus Christ came in a real body, that person has the Spirit of God.

  • There are many false prophets in the world today, just as there were then. Do they confess that Christ actually came in the flesh? Here, John is completely destroying the Gnostic lie. But the victory belongs to God.

  • 1 John 4:4 (NLT) But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.


  • Walking the Walk Means Loving One Another

  • Walking the walk means actively loving each other. John pivots from truth to love, showing that you cannot separate them.

  • 1 John 4:7-8 (NLT) Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

  • Love is not just a feeling; it is the fundamental nature of God. The ultimate proof here is that God did not just say He loved us. He showed it by sending His Son as a perfect sacrifice for our sins. God walked the walk.


  • Perfect Love Casts Out Fear

  • When we truly understand God's love and live it out, it destroys our anxiety about the final judgment.

  • 1 John 4:17-18 (NLT) And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.


  • Theology Insight: The "Fear Not" Misconception This passage is frequently taken out of context to promote the false teaching that believers should never experience fear. It is often repeated that the Bible says "fear not" 365 times, or that believers are commanded to only fear God. This is simply not biblical. As we have seen in past studies, the Bible actually teaches that intelligent fear is a form of wisdom. Proverbs 14:16 states that the wise fear; it does not merely say the wise are "cautious," a translation often altered to bow to modern cultural sensibilities. Furthermore, the Apostle Paul and Timothy openly admitted they had "fears within" (2 Corinthians 7:5), and Paul commended the Corinthian church for receiving Titus with "fear and trembling" (2 Corinthians 7:15). Paul frequently discussed his anxieties over external circumstances and other people. When John says that "perfect love expels all fear," the specific context is the fear of final judgment. Because of Christ, we will not be condemned with the rest of the world. It is not a blanket statement demanding we ignore all earthly danger or intelligent fear.


  • Read More On What The Bible Really Says About Fear:

  • https://www.biblebelievingchristian.org/post/_fear


  • The Final Reality Check: Liars and Hypocrites

  • We love each other because He first loved us. Then comes the final reality check regarding liars and hypocrites. John drops the hammer at the very end of the chapter.

  • 1 John 4:20 (NLT) If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a fellow believer, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see?

  • You cannot claim to have a perfect vertical relationship with God while your horizontal relationships are a toxic mess. The bottom line is this: if you are truly walking the walk, your life will be marked by tangible, sacrificial love for your brothers and sisters in Christ.


  • Chapter 5: Witnesses, Belief, and God's Will

  • As John concludes the letter in Chapter 5, he circles back to the witnesses and the critical importance of belief.

  • He also addresses a concept that has become a highly misused verse in the modern church: the idea that God will give us whatever we ask for.


  • Theology Insight: Asking According to God's Will There is a frequently misused promise where Jesus says He will give us whatever we ask for. In the Gospel of John, Jesus says, "Ask for anything in my name, and I will do it" (John 14:14). John often uses sweeping generalizations and hyperboles that must be cleared up by reading the full context of God's Word. When we look at the parallel teaching in Luke 11:13, Jesus clarifies exactly what the Father is eager to give: "How much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him." The promise is always subject to God's will. Furthermore, tying this back to Chapter 2, if we ask to fulfill worldly cravings or sinful desires, those things are not from the Father, but from the world. God is not a genie granting worldly wishes.

  • Then, John gives us a great concluding summary of the entire letter.

  • 1 John 5:18-21 (NLT) We know that God’s children do not make a practice of sinning, for God’s Son holds them securely, and the evil one cannot touch them. We know that we are children of God and that the world around us is under the control of the evil one. And we know that the Son of God has come, and he has given us understanding so that we can know the true God. And now we live in fellowship with the true God because we live in fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ. He is the only true God, and he is eternal life. Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts.

  • This section acts as a brilliant conclusion. God's children do not make a practice of sinning, and because of that, the evil one cannot touch them.


  • Theology Insight: The Deliverance Ministry Error John explicitly states that the evil one cannot touch a child of God. This is a critically important note because modern movements, such as the deliverance ministry, often teach that Christians can be demon-possessed. This is biblically untrue. The evil one cannot touch you if you have the Holy Spirit dwelling inside of you. Second Corinthians 6:14-15 asks, "What fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and the devil?" Demons cannot have fellowship with the Holy Spirit. Therefore, Christians cannot be demon-possessed, and the devil did not make you do it. We have understanding, we live in fellowship with the true God, and thus we have eternal life.

  • Because we have this absolute security, we must keep away from the idols of this world.


  • Read More About The Modern “Deliverance Ministry” Error:

  • https://www.biblebelievingchristian.org/post/deliverance-ministry


  • Conclusion: Walking the Walk

  • First John is all about walking the walk. We are children of God living in a world currently controlled by the evil one. Because of that reality, we cannot afford to play games with our faith.

  • It is not enough to just claim you know God. If you truly belong to Jesus, your daily life must actually prove it. God's children do not make a practice of sinning, and they tangibly love their brothers and sisters in Christ.

  • The ultimate assurance is this: when you walk in the light and intentionally keep away from the idols of this world, you have an absolute promise. The evil one cannot touch you.

  • The challenge before us is clear. Do not love this fading world. Step completely out of the darkness, walk in the truth, and go live exactly like Jesus did. Walk the walk.


  • Alpha and Omega Fulfillments

  • Let us look at some Alpha and Omega fulfillments now to see how the Old Testament promises directly connect to John's New Testament commands.

  • Alpha & Omega Insight: A New Heart

  • Ezekiel 36:26-27 (NLT) And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations.

  • 1 John 3:9 (NLT) Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God.

  • You cannot walk the walk on your own human strength. Ezekiel prophesied that God would physically replace our stubborn flesh with His own Spirit so we could actually obey the law. John confirms that because we are born again and have God's life inside us, our fundamental nature is completely changed. This new heart is what makes a lifestyle of persistent, unrepentant sin impossible for a true believer.

  • Alpha & Omega Insight: Walking in the Light

  • Isaiah 2:5 (NLT) Come, descendants of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the Lord!

  • 1 John 1:7 (NLT) But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.

  • Isaiah issued a prophetic call for God's people to stop stumbling in the darkness of the world and step directly into God's light. John takes that ancient invitation and makes it the ultimate litmus test for the modern Christian. Walking in the light is not just a polite suggestion; it is the absolute, non-negotiable requirement for having true fellowship with the church and receiving the continual cleansing blood of Jesus Christ.


  • Identifying Sin

  • Let us take a step back and identify sin. First of all, let us make a clear disclaimer here. We all make mistakes, right? So there is intentional sin, and then there are mistakes. When we are walking in the light and those mistakes are brought to light, they will convict us. The Holy Spirit working inside of us will prompt us to change when they are brought to our attention. We all make mistakes, but what I am talking about, and what the Bible is talking about, is this concept of ongoing, unrepentant sin.


  • Theology Insight: The Romans 7 Misconception and Prosopopoeia Many will point to Romans 7 to argue that Paul personally struggled with ongoing, habitual sin, and therefore we will too. This is a massive failure to read the full context of God's Word. Remember, there were no chapter breaks in the original text. If you read the preceding chapter, Paul declares, "Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it?" (Romans 6:1-2, NLT) and "Sin is no longer your master" (Romans 6:14, NLT). If you keep reading into the next chapter, he confirms, "And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death" (Romans 8:2, NLT). If Paul was describing his present Christian struggle in Romans 7, he would be completely contradicting his own absolute statements in chapters 6 and 8.

  • So, what is going on? Paul is utilizing a classical literary device called prosopopoeia, which in Greek literally means "to make a face" or put on a mask. The broader context of Romans began in chapter 5 with the contrast between Adam and Christ. In Romans 7, Paul is putting on the mask of Adam (representing unredeemed, fleshly humanity under the law) and speaking in his voice as a sort of mockery. Jumping from First John 1 to Romans 7 to find a proof text to excuse continual sin is massively out of context.


  • The Biblical Standard of Sin

  • Let us just look at sin itself now and the biblical standard. The basic definition of sin at its absolute core is anything that you know you should not be doing. When you belong to God, the Holy Spirit lives inside of you, and He will actively convict you of the truth. If you feel that conviction and do it anyway, it is sin. If you should feel the conviction and you are not feeling it, it may be time to completely surrender to the power of the Holy Spirit.

  • The terrifying reality is that you might be guilty of far more sin than you actually think. People often define sin only by their outward physical actions. But Jesus completely raises the bar. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus established the heart standard. He said unjustified anger is equal to murder, and that lust is equal to adultery. Sin does not start with your hands; it begins in your mind and your heart.


  • The Problem with Sin Categories

  • The next thing we run into are sin categories. Throughout church history, religious traditions have tried to categorize sins, creating concepts like mortal sins (the big ones that supposedly destroy your salvation) and venial sins (the small, minor ones that are easily excused).

  • There is absolutely no such thing in the Bible. Romans 6:23 (NLT) says, "For the wages of sin is death..." It does not say the wages of major sin. All sin brings death. You should not be continually and intentionally sinning. This is an unbiblical concept designed by humans to make us feel comfortable about our small sins.


  • Sins We Readily Dismiss

  • Because we have these false categories, we dismiss behaviors that are highly detrimental to our faith. We excuse things like foul language, gossip, or a quick temper as just minor flaws or personality traits. But look at how the Word of God groups these exact behaviors together in the New Testament.

  • Galatians 5:19-21 (NLT) When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

  • Ephesians 5:3-5 (NLT) Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people. Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes—these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God. You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God.

  • Colossians 3:5-8 (NLT) So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. Because of these sins, the anger of God is coming. You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world. But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language.


  • The Master List: A Reality Check

  • Look at what God puts on the exact same list. He places major, destructive sins like sexual immorality, sorcery, and idolatry right alongside hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, obscene stories, coarse jokes, slander, and dirty language.

  • You cannot dismiss these as minor flaws. The text explicitly warns that people who practice these things will not inherit the Kingdom of God, and that the anger of God is coming because of them.

  • This completely destroys the idea of sin categories. A small sin of dirty language or an outburst of anger separates you from God just as much as idolatry and sexual immorality. Sin is sin, and John is writing this letter to command us to stop making a practice of it!


  • Application: What Will We Do With The Truth?

  • The question from the beginning—we started today with the story about a man who was finally given the full truth. The question was: now, what will you do with that truth?

  • Will you try to bend it with your own point of view, or will you hold it to the standard of God's Word? You know that Jesus is light. You know He came in the flesh. You know we are commanded to live exactly as He lived. So, what changes tomorrow?


  • Practical Step 1: Walk the Walk

  • Let us look at some practical steps, starting with walking the walk and living in the truth and the light. Truth is not just a theological concept we agree with on a Sunday morning; it is a reality we must walk in every single day.

  • So, audit your daily routines. Does your private life match your public profession? Stop simply talking the talk. If you call yourself a Christian—that is, a baby Christ—you must actively conduct your life the way Jesus did. That is the command. Step completely into the light where there is no darkness. This is what the body of Christ is for. Find an accountability partner to help you walk that walk. As James 5 says, confess your sins to one another.


  • Practical Step 2: Stop Sinning

  • Next is the reality check: stop sinning. John wrote this letter for one glaringly obvious reason: so that you will not sin. We must stop using God's grace as a cheap cover for a lifestyle of intentional, unrepentant sin. Stop using false teachers as an excuse—which we are going to look at more next week—and stop blaming.

  • No, the devil did not make you do it. If we have the Holy Spirit, and because we have a new heart and the life of God in us, we do not make a practice of sinning. Identify the specific areas of your flesh that keep pulling you into the darkness, confess them, and bring them into the light so God can actively cleanse you.


  • Practical Step 3: Be a True Witness

  • Be a true witness and love your brother. You cannot claim to have a perfect vertical relationship with God while your horizontal relationships are a toxic mess. The ultimate witness to this world, and the proof that you belong to God, is how you love other believers.

  • Fix your broken relationships. Be the first to apologize this week. You cannot be a witness of God's light if you are harboring hatred or unforgiveness toward a brother or sister in the church. And remember, it starts right there. If you cannot love a brother or sister inside the church, how can you possibly love people outside the church? Remember, this is the way we witness to the world.


  • Practical Step 4: Guard Against Idols

  • Finally, we must guard against idols. John's final command is to keep away from anything that might take God's place in your heart. This world is fading away, and the evil one currently controls it. So, do not fall in love with its physical pleasures or its pride. Walk in the absolute assurance that because you are born of God, the evil one cannot touch you. This really brings the entire letter full circle. We are to actively guard against the sin that the devil is tempting us with.


  • Encouragement & Final Charge

  • The world around us is loud, seductive, and controlled by the enemy. But do not fall for the illusion. Its pride and physical pleasures are fading away, but anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.

  • Remember that the enemy cannot touch you. Because you are born of God, and because you are choosing to walk in the light, the evil one cannot touch you. You have the absolute, unshakeable assurance of eternal life.

  • And you have the power. God has not just commanded you to stop sinning; He has given you His Holy Spirit and a brand new heart to actually do it. You are fully equipped to walk the walk.

  • Do not settle for a superficial faith. Do not settle for just talking the talk. Let us be a church that loves each other fiercely and sacrificially. Let us live completely in the light, without a single shadow of darkness.

  • Step out of these doors today and go live like Jesus did!



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  • ©️Copyright 2026 Gene Simco Most Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. Scriptures in brackets reflect the original Biblical languages.
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