The Pulpit Commentary — 1 John — Section 100

of purification. He who does not observe the rules, does not use the means does not e~cRpe moral judgrnent or characterization. His whole doing takes the ch~racter of lawlessness: and sin, it is added, is lawlessness. Sin ~opposes a law which has aut.hority over us, whether revealed simply in the conscience or in Christ· it is the fact of there being such a law that gives character to action. Righteousno;s has the approval of God, as being the observance of his La,v • sin has the condemnation of God as being the Yiolation of his Law. 2. Sin incompdtible with the purpose of Christ'; manifestation. "And ye know_ that he [that One] was manifested to take away sins." Christ had uot only been proc_la1med, but had been received by his readers; he could therefore appeal to their consc10usness. The manifestation (in the past) here referred to covers the w~ole _of the_earthly h_istory of our _Lord; and it is important to note that, though Its culrnmatmg pomt was hIS death, yet It all had a bearing on the taking away si11s. The language seems to go beyond the taking of our sins upon him as our Sub- stitute, and the procuring of forgiveness for us. He was manifested to take away sins. out of our life. It is manifest, then, how incompatible sin is with God's thought. He who was in the bosom of the Father was manifested in flesh, endured hardness in this world, brought his earthly life to a close by a Jeath of unmitigated anguish; and all the.t he might take away our sins. And e.re we, instead of carrying out the Di vine inten- tion, and having our sins taken away, to clutch at them as what we cannot part with, thus putting self before God? 3. Sin incompatible with Christ's sinlessness. "And in him is no sin." The sinlessness (in keeping with ver. 3) is carried down to the present moment. He is sinless now in heaven. No sin has come down to him from the earthly manifestation. "By his sinlessness is meant that he was filled at every moment of his life with the spirit of obedience, and with a love to God which surrendered itself unconditionally to his will, and with those powers which flow from an uninterrupted communion with God. '.l.'he consequence of this was, not only that no distraction caused by sin could find a place either in his inner or his outer life, but, more than this, everything was both willed by him and carried into execution that the will of God appoinled." The worldly minded judge of Jesus, who was a man by no means very snsceptible of what is high and noble, felt constrained solemnly to recognize the innocence of the persecut.ed Jesus. And Pilate's wife, who, we may suppo~e, was more impressible than he, was so deeply convinced of the purity and blamelessness of Christ, that the thonght of her husband imbruing his hands in the blood of that righteous Man haunted her even in sleep, and gave her no rest. A Roman warrior who coi;n- manded the guard at the cross was so overpowered by the impression that the Crucified made upon him, that he broke forth in words of deepest reverence, "Truly this was a righteous Me.n, this was the Son of God." And the malefactor who was crucified along with him, moved by his dying look, was made strong to give his whole con6dence to his Person, and to apprehend the joy of a better life. Long and confidential inter- course had. given Judas the most intimate knowledge of his Master; hence, if he could have found anything reproachable in his life, he would without doubt have brought it forward, in order to quiet his conscience in the view of the consequences of his treachery, and to palliate his crime. Among his friends, John the Baptist started back at the 1houg:ht of baptizing him, saying, "I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?" Peter was so impressed with the presence of holiness in the miraculous draught of fishes, that he fell at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, 0 Lord." As for Jesus himself, he was conscious of freedom from sin: "Which of you convinceth me of sin?" He claimed to be the Image and Reflection of perfect goodness: "He that hath seen me hath seen the Father." What, then, is the meaning to us of the sinlessness of Christ? It meana that we are not to sin. Did he loathe sin, and reject it in every form? did he feel the attraction of all that was highest, and cleave to it with his whole being? e.nd are we to feel the charm of sin, and take it unto us? are we to be insensible to the beauties of holiness, and put them away from us? 4. Sin incompatible with communion with Ghrist. " Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither knoweth him." "Abiding in Christ" is taken up from the close of the second chapter. It implies an entire surrender of ourselves to Christ. It is, in communion with Christ, getting into his thoughts and life. Whosoever finds his destiny in this ,iphere of things sinneth not; i.e. it is hie principle not to sin. The prin,;iple is ~o do\ll;>t hnperfectly carried out, and is accom- ou, 111. 1- 24.] THE FIRST EPISTLE GENERAL OF JOHN.