Jesus-Centric Theology

Jesus-Centric Theology

1 John 1:5-2:2

-For the Christian, the single most important focus is Jesus Christ!

-The Apostle John: “Believers, be sure you are keeping the main thing the main thing!”

-Wayward issues in the 7 churches John was likely writing to::

1. False Teachers: leaders within the church were seeking to lead these churches/individual believers in directions that were not God’s intention
2. Inactive Faith: the Gospel was claimed to have been being believed/followed, but the life behind those claims did not back up those claims
3. Overwhelming Nature of Persecution – from outside and even from within the church—John seeks to give these believers HOPE under this overwhelming persecution

-Today: John expands his introductory remarks to include how a person’s theology affects the way they take each next step forward. –“Theology” = what one believes to be true about God

-If one’s theology is Jesus-Centric, they’ll move forward and live life God’s way.

-If a person’s beliefs about God are not Jesus-Centric, that means their theology is not a Bible-based theology and the alternative is ultimate and eternal devastation!

-A Jesus-Centric Theology gives us a…

I. Mission with a Message (1 John1:5)

-This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

-One of the primary priorities for all those who have been reconciled to God through faith in Jesus Christ is taking that same message of reconciliation to those God has placed around us.

-Man’s universal need: to be in right relationship with God, his Creator, and that reconciliation process can happen only through the message of Jesus of Jesus Christ.

-The incredible thing: God has left you and me as believers to take that amazing message to this world that so desperately needs it.

-This mission is accomplished with a continual…

1. Intentional Effort – the message which we…declare unto you

-“declare” = to announce / make known

-John knew that the ultimate need of those around him was to be reconciled to God, spiritually and he made it his intentional mission to get that message of hope to them.

-What you and I need today is a “soul-consciousness” that opens our eyes to the sobering real need for those around us to accept Christ personally for themselves.

-This is not to be a burden that consumes us unhealthily, but it is a mission we have been given to steward faithfully and that stewardship of our relationships comes only out of a very intentional effort to make known the message of the Gospel.

-Col. 4:5, Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time (make the most of every opportunity). (see Making the Most of Every Opportunity bookmark)

*Until we are intentional in our relationship building, gospel declaration rarely, if ever, really happens!

-This is a mission that comes with very…

2. Specific Content–that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all

-the specific content of the message: God is light and in Him is no darkness at all

-God is perfect…there is no sin (darkness) in Him at all!

-This presents a problem for us…we are sinners and cannot approach God because to do so would touch Him with sin and then He’d cease to be perfect!

The message of our mission always starts with God and THEN proceeds to one’s relationship to Him.

–God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.

II. Honesty is the Only Policy (1 John 1:6-10)

-When it comes to getting our Theology correct, honesty is not merely the best policy, it’s the ONLY policy if we hope to have God-designed, Jesus-Centric Theology.

-John understands our tendency to justify ourselves and points out a few thought patterns that would lead us down the wrong theological paths by using 3 if we say statements that reveal dishonest theology:

–If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

–Lie #1 (6): I am in fellowship with God, but can do whatever I want.

– If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:

-Truth (7): True fellowship with God produces God-glorifying living.

-But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

-Lie #2 (8): I don’t need a Savior because I have no sin problem.

–If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

-Truth (9): Sin is absolutely real, and is absolutely forgiven through faith in Christ.

–If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

-(D. Akin) If we are characterized as those who are continually agreeing with God about our sin, both its nature and its acts, God is both faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to purify us from all our wickedness. (on my whiteboard!)

–Lie #3: (10a): Despite God’s assessment of me, I have no sin.

–If we say that we have not sinned

-This line of thinking absolutely proves a devastatingly wrong theology!

-Truth (10b): God’s Word highlights and condemns my sin.

–we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

*The only way to have Jesus-Centric Theology is to be honest with ourselves and before God about the terrible state of our sin problem.

III. Jesus is the Sufficient and Only Solution for Our Sin (1 John 2:1-2)

-My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

-Honesty about our sin problem opens the door to accept Jesus as our:

A. Advocate (1) 

-The only legitimate Advocate for our sin is “Jesus Christ the righteous”

*In Jesus Christ, we have One Who legitimately pleads our case before the Judge of our sin and at the same time that same One who actively helps us by remedying our sin problem by taking it on Himself.

B. Appeasement (2) – propitiation = an appeasing or atonement

-Jesus satisfied the justified wrath of God for our sin by dying on the cross in our place and rising the 3^rd day from death – proving victorious once and for all over sin and death.

-1 Cor. 5:21, For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

*Jesus satisfied God’s wrath for our sin and stands continually as our advocate with the Father.

-A Jesus-Centric Theology leads to a life that:

1. Is active in the mission of Christ, making known the message of Christ, which is a message that must be accepted with…

2. Honesty about the terrible position we’re in because of our sin, but is a message that realizes and embraces that…

3. Jesus is the sufficient and only solution for this problem we all have with sin.