Obstacles That Hinder Fellowship with Jesus

Obstacles That Hinder Fellowship with Jesus

1 John 1:3-10

Psychology today says that Man is not wicked; he is weak. He’s not sinful, he is sick. Therefore we never really deal with the problem, because we never get to the root.

John said in 1 John 1:5, “This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.” 

The way to deal with sin is to recognize it for what it is. Jesus did not die for “mistakes”—He died for sin! Sin is not an accident; it is high treason against God. 

How Does God Deal with Sin?

Salvation

When you repent of your sin, and receive Christ by faith, you are born again. As a result, your sin is legally dealt with forever.

In Isaiah 43:25, we read, “I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; and I will not remember your sins.” 

You are saved by grace, kept by grace, and no sin will be brought up against you.

Sanctification

When you are born into the family of God, your relationship as a child of God is established and will never change.

But what can change is your fellowship with your Heavenly Father. You always have a relationship with your father—you are always a son or daughter—but you don’t always have fellowship. Sometimes you are under discipline. (See Hebrews 12:6.)

Recognizing Sin

“If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth….we deceive ourselves….If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us” (1 John 1:6,8,10; emphasis added).

People can sit in church, nod their heads and say, “Amen,” yet things in their hearts are not right. After a while, people start believing their own lies. Then when God brings us under conviction, we say, “No God, you’re wrong. It was a mistake.” But when we call God a liar, we are the ones who are lying.

When we do that, fellowship with God is gone.

How does God bring us back? The Holy Spirit will pull back the veil on those lies and bring us under conviction.

It is important that you learn the difference between the Holy Spirit’s conviction and satanic accusation. The Holy Spirit will convict you legitimately—He won’t bring up sins that have been confessed and cleansed. He will convict you specifically. “Hey! That was a lie.” “You were rude just then.” Accusation discourages, but the Spirit says, “Here is what you have done—but if you come to Jesus, He will forgive you. Come back into fellowship. You are loved.”

How to Restore Fellowship with God

Once the Holy Spirit shows you that particular sin, here is what should happen.

‘If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

Confession of sin means saying about your sin what God says about that sin.

Confess Sin Immediately

The victorious Christian life is not a life without any temptation, fault, or failure. We all sin—that’s what 1 John 1 tells us. If you get a speck of dust in your eye, when do you try to get it out? Immediately! Be sensitive to sin.

Confess Sin Specifically

John says, “If we confess our sins…” We are not talking about sin nature—we are talking about what you did particularly. Call it by name.

Confess Sin Confidently

“He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9b). There is no sin the blood of Jesus cannot cleanse. (See 1 John 1:7.)