Examining the Infinite God 1 John 1:8-10

This week we are going in deep, so put on your thinking cap.

What is so unique about something that is infinite? It must always be reliably the same. If something can change, then there is a breakdown of the consistency. This means that if something is to be forever, it must be the same. Something that was, and is, and that will be, cannot have change. That would deny the very essence of it at any point in time. The laws of nature and physics demand such painstaking reflection of infinite. What does this mean for us today? It means that God’s declaration in Revelation 1:8 needs to be examined for His authenticity, “I am the Alpha and the Omega,’ says the Lord God, ‘who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.’” He claims that He was always the same, is always the same, and will always be the same. This is powerful for it allows us to examine His characteristics and evaluate the declaration; because if it is true than it has a powerful dynamic for us. But what in the Bible could we review that would show God’s character, actions, personality, and standard to which would indicate His declaration of infinity? The answer is quite simple and can be found in 1 John 1:8-10.

“If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous 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.”

Here we see a standard that God is portraying to the reader through His apostle John. God is laying out the foundation yet again for His standard and what He means by perfection is the only thing that will bring about eternal life. When a man believes they have no sin, they are deceiving themselves. Ironically Satan does not do the deceiving here, but man does it to himself. Genesis 2:8-17 being our downfall has given us the opportunity to know what is right and wrong, but also to fall away from what is right and choose what is wrong. Because of this we can deceive ourselves into thinking we are without sin. So far we have seen God is consistent with making absolute statements, which is by itself a character of only someone who is absolute. God has claimed His current state is without sin. Yet, He quickly continues to reveal His characteristic with the resounding absolute statement “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Here God does two things that reflect His infinite character. He first declares that He has a way for sin to be dealt with. This is huge because man has been trying since Genesis chapter 3 to be without sin and have failed each time. He is declaring that He has a way to change the circumstances we find ourselves in today. Second, God is promising permanent change. This is massive because man is naturally not infinite, if something that in its very nature is always adaptable to change and imperfection than there must be a constant to help facilitate change. The only way for something that is capable of change can be influenced into staying infinite at a specific standard, it requires to be stimulated by something that is already at that standard and unchangeable. This in “Christian” terms would be known as being “born again.” God, who is infinite, is promising infinitely that the individual with sin needs to be changed in order to provide the necessary attributes that derive what is “infinite.” Have I confused you yet? Let us break this down a little further. When God saves us from our sin and causes us to be born again and saved, He is in fact causing an action that only can describe God attributes. When God says, “If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.” We are rejecting the actionable traits of God.

But why go through this philosophical discussion today? What is the “So what?” for us today? Simply put, these three verses provide the necessary measurable, quantifiable, and accountable actions to hold God’s declarations as authentic and reliable. For only something outside of change can make infinite declarations. The fact that God provided the only way for sin to be removed, and that being Jesus Christ, indicates just who He is as God and represented to us in His Son the Messiah Jesus Christ.

In this letter, John is deliberately continuing to affirm to the reader just who is Jesus Christ. While today might have dug into the philosophical world, do not lose sight on the contextual reality of Jesus Christ and what He has done for you and I! John is wanting the reader to understand this because where he is going next in his letter will require someone who is infinite to be able to make such claims.

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL