Read with Me
1 John 2:1-2 (HCSB)
My little children, I am writing you these things so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ the Righteous One. He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not only for ours, but also for those of the whole world.
Listen with Me
John has just written about the need for people to admit their sin in order to be forgiven, unlike the Gnostics, who claimed that any bodily sin couldn’t touch their incorruptible souls, and therefore need no repentance or forgiveness.
But now he indicates that the correct state for the Christian is not to be constantly repenting and being forgiven. Instead, he writes to encourage his readers to not sin, to never rebel against God’s commands or the commandments of Jesus.
To many this may seem an impossible standard. But at its root, sin is more than mere human failure and weakness. Instead, it is rebellion against God’s sovereignty, a decision to not do what he commands in favor of following one’s own agenda, or a decision to do what He has forbidden, not because it is unavoidable, but because the desire is there to do otherwise, and that desire is allowed to be stronger than devotion to Him.
Such sins demonstrate that self is still on the throne in one’s life, which necessarily means that God is not. John has set forth the paradigm that will solve this problem. Each Christian must determine to walk in the light as God himself is in the light, which necessarily includes keeping Him in first place in one’s life, and considering not only His will, but also His commandments in each decision that is made.
John includes in this letter many more urgings to live without sin. But he also doesn’t want to drive to despair those who are reading his letter who might have some sins that they have recently committed and for which they have not repented.
John encourages those people with the understanding that in the rare case of one of God’s people committing a sin, that does not have to mean the loss of salvation. Instead, forgiveness is available to any who choose to repent. The same powerful blood of Jesus that cleansed us in the first place is still available to wash away the stains of any outstanding sins, restoring the relationship with God and giving each person a chance to start again.
Pray with Me
Father, I appreciate John’s balance in this. Your plan for each of us is a life submitted to Your lordship, obeying and not rebelling, putting Your will absolutely first in our lives, and never usurping that priority with our own will. But if we should realize that we have gotten it wrong, that we have taken over the reins and have and have disobeyed, then there is hope for restoration and forgiveness. Of course, this still requires confession and true repentance instead of stubbornly continuing on the wrong path. But if we will repent, if we will turn fully away from our sins and back toward You, then we can not only be forgiven and restored, but we can also be cleansed from all unrighteousness (1:9) so that the sin that ensnared us has far less chance of doing so again in the future. Thank you, Lord, for Your grace that can help us live without sin, as well as for Your grace that can restore us if we fail. Amen.