GOD’S WORD FOR JUNE 28 ~ ~1 John 1:9 ~ ~ “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive our sins, and cleanse us fro all unrighteousness.”
From: “The Pleasures of God” by John Piper
Today, on this side of the New Testament, we know that taking refuge in God’s name means taking refuge in Jesus. He came in his Father’s name (John 5:43); he died to glorify and vindicate the Father’s name (John 12:28); he manifested the Father’s name to his disciples,and kept them in the Father’s name (John 17: and 12).
Now Christ himself has been given a name above every name (Philippians 2:9), and God the Father means for his name today to be glorified through the name of his Son (John 14;14), not apart from the Son.
There is no other refuge than Jesus today. “There is no other NAME under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12)
Everyone who confesses that Jesus is Lord brings glory to God the father (Phil 2:11).
Christ welcomes desperate sinners for the glory of his father (Romans 15:7). The Father bruised the Son so that sinners could take refuge in the awesome name, and that “the nations might glorify God for his mercy.”(Romans 15:9)
If you humble yourself and seek the glory of God, if you hide your name in the name of God (spelled J E S U S ), then your heavenly Father who loves his name above all things will reward you beyond all imaginings and exult over you with loud singing.
Think of it like this: Even though we have sinned and desecrated the glory of God, Jesus has been bruised to repair the injury we have done to God’s glory. The iniquity of us all has been laid on him. This means that when we take refuge in him, we appeal for salvation not on the basis of our track record, which has fallen so far short of God’s glory, but on the basis of Jesus’ vindication of the Father’s glory. In this way, even though we are sinners who have dishonored God’s glory, the glory of God becomes the foundation of our appeal—for we are hiding in the one who lived and died and rose again to glorify the passion of God for his name and the mercy of God to save.
This is what the little word “just” means in 1 John 1;9—(verse of the day at the top) this text says God would be UNJUST, —not merely unmerciful—not to forgive us if we confess our sins. Why is that? Why is forgiveness now a matter of justice and not merely a matter of mercy? The answer is that Jesus has shed his blood (1John 1:7) to make a just recompense for all who confess their sins and take refuge in him.
Thus God would be unjust NOT to forgive them, not because they have honored Him with their sinless lives, —they haven’t—-but because they take refuge in the name of Jesus,(for this reason only, he sees them that way.)
1John 2:12—”Your sins are forgiven FOR THE SAKE OF THE NAME.”
“He will not turn away from doing good to them” ( Jeremiah 32:40) He rejoices in doing this good for them. AND—he exults over us with loud singing.! (Zeph 3:17)