Commentary on 1 John, Commentary · Chapter 1 · Verse 10
1 JOHN 1.10.
If we ſay that we have not ſinned, we make him a lyar, and his Word is not in us.
THeſe words are a repetition of the former, v. 8. but with ſome addition, he aggravates this ſin; they doe not onelyonly make themſelves lyars, but they make God a Lyar, which is not onelyonly Blaſphemous, but Heretical, it extirpates all the truth of the Word.
Doct. Opinion and Profeſſion of perfect righteouſneſſe even in thoſe that are cleanſed by the bloud of Chriſt, is not onelyonly an Errour, but a blasphemous and heretical Errour, it is Sacrilegious and Heretical.
For having told us before, that if we confeſs our ſins, God is faithful and juſt to forgive us our ſins, and that the bloud of Chriſt cleanſeth us from all unrighteouſneſſe, yet if after this we ſay we have no ſin, we doe not onelyonly make our ſelves lyars, but God a lyar, for if he be not a true God he is no God, and his word is not in us; that is, no part of the Word is in ſuch a man.
Q. But why doth St. John repeat this thing, had he not ſaid enough before, that he repeats it?
Anſ. 1. Before it might be thought that he ſpake of Carnal men, therefore to make it manifeſt, that even thoſe that had confeſſed their ſins, and were cleanſed from unrighteouſneſſe, yet even thoſe if they ſhould ſay they had no ſin ſhould make not onelyonly themſelves lyars, but God a Lyar; therefore he repeats it.
2. He ſaw that men were ready to cleanſe themſelves from ſin ſinfully; if we can by any pretence, we will be ready to free our ſelves from ſuch opinion of ſinfulneſſe, therefore he preſſes it, that indeed we are ſo foul that if we ſay the contrary we have no ſpark of Religion in us, not one ſpark of the Word dwells in us.
3. Becauſe it is a point of great neceſſity to believe the contrary truth, therefore he takes up this concluſion again;
To ſay, is either In Heart,
In Word,
In Carriage:
Well, to ſay thus, is to make God a Lyar, and ſo no God, for if he be not a God of Truth, he is no God; for, Verum & bonum convertuntur.
Q. Why doth he make God a Lyar?
A. 1. Becauſe God hath given his Son Chriſt to cleanſe us from all ſin, and to what end ſhould he ſend Chriſt to cleanſe ſin, if we had no ſin; he that ſaith he hath no ſin, overthrows the coming of Chriſt, and the cleanſing virtue his bloud.
2. God hath often ſaid, all men are Sinners, in his Word, Rom. 3.23. Gal. 3, 22. Job 15.14. What is man that he ſhould be clean? Job 7.20. David an holy man, yet profeſſeth, Pſal. 130.3. Pſal. 143.2. the perfecteſt of Gods Servants have teſtified of themſelves, that they are Sinners, therefore if we ſay we have not ſinned, we make God a Lyar.
Q. What is meant, when he ſaith, the Word is not in him?
A. 1. It is not in his judgement, when he is not perſwaded of it.
2. It is not in his heart, when he truſts not in it, and receives it not in love, and the ſaving efficacy of it; he that ſaith he hath no ſin receives not the word; he ſpeaks of the Word here, as Verbum ſalutiferum, Acts 20.32. 1 Theſ. 2.13. 2 Tim. 3.15. Now the Word is ſaid not to be in a man when there is not ſo much Word as will ſave; a man may be ignorant of ſome Divine truths, and yet the Word of God may be in him, but if he want the Knowledge and Faith of ſuch Points, without which he cannot be ſaved, the Word dwells not in him; now he that denies ſin to be in him, there is not onelyonly a denial of that truth, but he is empty of all other ſaving truths.
All the Saving Truths of God are comprehended;
1 In Repentance for Sin.
2 Some lead on to Faith for pardon.
3 Some lead to Mortification of Sin.
4 Some tend to Sanctification from Sin, to be accompliſhed in due time; now if a man be without ſin, to what purpoſe are all ſuch exhortations to Repentance? To what purpoſe are all Scriptures tending to faith in Chriſt? To what purpoſe are ſuch as tend to Mortification, or Sanctification; ſo that he that denies ſin to be in him, he not onelyonly ſins againſt God, and makes him a Lyar, but he doth alſo Heretically erre in overthrowing all ſaving Truth; the Doctrine of Repentance, of Mortification, of Faith, of Sanctification, all theſe are over-thrown.
If a man apprehend or profeſſe perfection in himſelfe, it is impoſſible a man ſhould have any truth of Grace, believing he hath no need of Repentance, or Faith in Chriſt, or Mortification, or Sanctification, this is a terrible point; St. John may well be called Boanerges, a ſon of Thunder, for theſe are thundering ſpeeches; he that ſaith he hath no ſin is a Lyar, againſt himſelfe, againſt God, a Blaſphemer, an Heretick.
Ʋſe 1. To confute perfect obedience to the Law, as the Papiſts hold, that Juſtification is by Works, were there no other Errours but this, it is Blaſphemous, Atheiſticall, and Hereticall, and overturns the foundation of Religion, for what is the foundation of Religion but the Doctrine of Repentance, and Faith? and if any be juſtified by Works, he hath neither need of Repentance, or Faith, if righteouſneſſe be by the Law, then Chriſt dyed in vain, and his bloud is of no effect, Gal. 5.14. therefore that opinion is vain, that Popiſh Religion and ours may be reconciled, let St. John put in his judgement, he tells you, that he that ſaith he hath no ſin, that he hath fulfilled the Law, and is juſtified by Works, there is no truth, no ſaving truth in that Religion that teacheth ſo, therefore it is impoſſible he ſhould have any ſaving Religion in him, that holds Juſtification by Works, that holds Merits, he makes God a Lyar, and his Word is not in him; For,
1 God then ſhould ſend his Son in vain, Gal. 2.19, 20.
2 Chriſt himſelfe ſhould be in vain, and ſhould lye, for he teacheth us to pray, Forgive us our debts; now if we have none, Chriſt lyes in ſaying ſo.
3 The Holy Ghoſt ſhould be a Lyar, when he was ſent to convince us of ſin, and there is none in us, he ſhould lye unto us.
2 It ſhews the wickedneſſe of their Opinion, who ſay, the Virgin Mary had no ſin; if ſhe had ſaid ſo her ſelfe, ſhe had been a Lyar, and no truth had been in her.
3 It reproves the Cathariſts of old.
Ʋſe 2. It ſhews us a neceſſity of taking up daily ſuch a perſwaſion as this, that this day we ſin, this day we have need of Chriſt, and need of Faith; we muſt daily take up this perſwaſion, or elſe we have no ſaving truth in our hearts, and if every day we be poſſeſt with a perſwaſion that we are ſubject to ſin, not onelyonly Venial but Mortall; that we have need of Chriſt, of Repentance, of Faith, and that we can never ſay, This is the day wherein I have not ſinned, if we be thus poſſeſt, it will lead us on to all that ſaving Knowledge of God, and of the Word, as may keep our hearts alwayes in an holy frame, ſuch a man will be ready to think I have need to renew my Repentance to day, I have need to lay hold upon Chriſt, I have need of Mortification, therefore the Apoſtle would have us take up a daily continuall perſwaſion of this, that we are ſinners; therefore we are daily to conſider with our ſelves wherein we have failed, and to renew our Repentance, and to look up to God for pardon of ſuch and ſuch ſins, and for ſanctification, otherwiſe we ſhall weaken our grace; and Divine truth daily; if we daily take not up ſuch a perſwaſion, we ſhall begin to ſit looſe from the ſaving truths of Gods Word, and the power of it in our hearts: not but that many Chriſtians may ſit looſe from this truth, yet ſo far as we neglect this, ſo far we diſhonour God, and weaken our grace.
Ʋſe 3. It will ſerve to teach us, that whoſoever walks in the ſence of his own ſinfulneſſe, is poſſeſt of it, and conſcious of it, ſuch glorifie Gods Truth, and magnifie the power of his Word in their hearts, God hath ſaid it, and we witneſſe it in our hearts, we bear witneſſe that Chriſt was not ſent in vain, that the Holy Goſt was not ſent in vain, Mat. 21.31. Publicans and Harlots enter into the Kingdome of God before you; Why? becauſe Publicans and Harlots were ſenſible of their ſinfulneſs, and ſo would ſoon be convinced of their ſinfull eſtate, and ſo acknowledge their need of Repentance, of Faith, of Mortification, and Sanctification, whereas the Phariſees that thought themſelves juſt, they were not ſenſible of their ſinfull eſtate, and ſo ſaw not the need of Repentance, &c.
Ʋſe 4. And becauſe St. John writes this Epiſtle, that their joy might be full, that the joy of a Chriſtian may be always like the Moon in the Full, never in the Wain and Eclipſe, as any Chriſtian therefore deſires ſuch fulneſſe of joy, let him be daily ſenſible of his ſin, what is the reaſon that many Chriſtians faile in thir confidence, and fall into doubts concerning their eſtate? I would ask you, whether you have walked in a ſence of your ſinfulneſſe daily? If not, no wonder though your joy be over clouded and Eclipſed; Saint John would have us ſtrongly perſwaded of this, If we ſay we have no ſin, we make God a Lyar, &c. therefore if any Chriſtian can go all the day without any ſence or remorſe for ſin, his heart ſtartles him not, if it be thus, no wonder though his joy be eclipſed; On the contrary, if you go on continually in a ſenſible apprehenſion of your ſinfulneſſe, and ſo renew your Repentance, and Faith, and Mortification, this will make you ſtill to cleanſe your ſelves daily, and ſo you would keep your joy renewed daily. We never had cauſe to complain of our eſtate, but it was by reaſon of hardneſſe of heart, and how come our hearts to be hardned, ſin gets within us, and we perceive it not, and ſo we are hardned by it, and then our joy is overclouded, Heb. 12.13, 14. Heb. 3.13. therefore if we would keep our hearts from hardneſſe, let us labour to ſpy out our ſins, and be humbled for them daily, and ſo you will keep a ſoft heart, and a ſoft heart is commonly peaceable.