The Reality of Sin

1 John 1:5-2:2

By Pastor Stewart McCarter, January 18, 2026

The reality of sin proves God is real.

  1. God is Light (1 John 1:5-7)
  1. What does the contrast of light and darkness mean.
  2. Darkness (6)
  3. Out walk and talk must be the same
  4. The Point:
  1. Sin is Real (1 John 1:8-10)
  1. Self denial to say you have no sin.
  2. This is the claim of the “gnostics”. They claimed what is required to have fellowship with God was sinlessness. Therefore, they claimed they had no sin.
  3. In so doing, they reject God’s claim in verse 10. God’s Word is not in them (the truth or Jesus)
  4. The condition for fellowship is confession of our sin and trust in the cleansing of our sin by the blood shed by Jesus.
  5. The ultimate blasphemy is to say we have not sinned. We call God a liar because He has condemned all men under sin. This no is the Absolute negative
  6. This is a rejection of God’s spoken word in the garden and the depravity of man, that we are incapable of seeking after God (10; Romans 3:11,23; Psalm14:1-3; Ephesians 2:1,4)
  7. The presence of sin proves the reality of God because only He can have an answer since all sin is committed against Him as the author truth. Psalm 51:4)
  1. Christ our Advocate(1 John 2:1-2)
  1. Note the tender address
  2. If we do sin
  3. Not only for our sins but thesis of the. Whole world.

Applications:

  1. Stop the self-deception.Confess your sin honestly. Agreeing with God about your sin is the doorway to experiencing His reality in your life.
  2. Embrace the Advocate. Jesus isn't a mystical concept—He's your living defense attorney before the Father right now. Bank on His righteousness, not your own.
    1. Walk in the light. Live transparently before this real God. Let His holiness shape your daily conduct. True spirituality isn't mystical speculation—it's moral transformation through fellowship with the God who is light. The bottom line: Those who deny sin are liars. Those who confess sin discover that God is real—real enough to forgive, real enough to cleanse, real enough to provide an advocate. And that changes everything.