1 John 2:1-2 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
Can I be forgiven? Am I forgiven? These and similar questions plague the mind of saint and sinner alike. Assurance of forgiveness is the longing of the heart. The LORD gives assurance in His Word and by His Grace. There is no way I can make it known to you but the LORD can so I would ask that you ask Him to allow you to see His truth in this passage today. Here His offer of forgiveness is made to the saved and the unsaved. The offer of Total Forgiveness is made to all through Jesus Christ, Romans 6:23.
Everywhere you look in the Scriptures, you are met with the Grace of God. As Paul journeyed on the road to Damascus he was blinded, [Acts 9:4-5 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.] Saul was blinded but he could see inward where the Spirit of God works to bring the LIGHT to our darkness, [2 Cor. 4:6]. In King David’s confession he knew that The LORD must clean the inside, Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Psalm 51:6, 7.
Paul and King David both knew their debt was too great for them to pay. But God made a way for us all, Tit 3:4-7 But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
Again we are reminded that John is writing to believers, as the Holy Spirit’s selection of words points out: “ little children.” Seven times in this epistle these particular words, little children are used. 5040/teknion shows endearment and dependence on their heavenly Father. It is used again 2:12, 2:28, 3:7, 3:18, 4:4, and 5:21 also little Children is used in John 13:33, Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me: and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come; so now I say to you and Gal. 4:19. My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you, The other place in 1 John where little children appear is a different Greek word 3813 paidíon and meaning more toward discipleship or a different aged believer.
John is establishing the Sufficiency of Jesus Christ. The test of truth is Grace, the Grace of God. If anything is taught that takes away from the sufficiency of Christ it is not Grace; it is works that are being taught. Which is the teaching in many, many churches.
“These things write I unto you, that ye sin not” These things are the things he is writing here in front of us. The things we are reading. “that ye sin not.” I do not think he is talking about sinless perfection because of 1:8, If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. To understand “that ye sin not.” May we go back to 1Jn 1:6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: 1Jn 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. So the fellowship one with another is you and the LORD. It is not you and someone else.
What did we say about walking in darkness? Answer: It is the believer who sins and allows that sin to stay, to continue unconfessed. You remain in an unrepentant state. You are walking in darkness and not in the lighted room. You lost fellowship - not the Gift of Eternal Life. There is no darkness at all in the LORD [1:5]. We walk away from the LORD and the believer is the one who must come back to the LORD. You have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus the Righteous.
I remembered a song that I heard more than thirty [30] years ago: “At an Altar of Prayer” It was sung by Robbie Davis a young lady in a Wheelchair. One verse in that song captures the feeling of many people with the lingering question: Can I be forgiven?
“If your heart is weighed down with problems
And you're caught in sins wicked snare
You will find peace and rest in the Savior
Just meet Him at an altar of prayer”
That Altar of Prayer is Jesus, Rev 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. Will you answer Jesus with faith in Him? He is your Advocate.
Our Advocate, And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: that means as a believer you have Christ in you by the Holy Spirit and you have Christ as your Advocate with the Father in Heaven.
Have you sinned? Are you caught in sins’ wicked snare? Would you like to go back and change that decision, undo that act? You can not but you can be forgiven! That is what this verse is telling you. It is the certainty of forgiveness! 2:1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: “The Righteous” = The One God gave [John 3:16] “And if any man sin,” we have acted unrighteously [ we have sinned] but our Advocate is Jesus Christ the Righteous – The One who is there for you.
Our Advocate on earth is the Holy Spirit and our Advocate with the Father is Jesus Christ the Righteous. The word paráklētos translated Advocate is only used five times in the N.T. and all by John. It is the same word in John 14:16, 26; 15:26 and 16:7 as Comforter, But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. Rom 8:34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Rom 8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
But here in 2:1, it refers to Jesus Christ Himself as our Advocate. So the believer at the moment of weakness and failure is assured of an Advocate with the Father Who will intercede. So often you hear the word lawyer to describe “Advocate” but I believe intercessor is better. Hebrews 7:25 sheds much light on this, Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
So what is He interceding about? In His interceding, He is praying for you, Luke 22:31-32, Luk 22:31 And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: Luk 22:32 But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted,[means to return to me] strengthen thy brethren. His interceeding is about forgiveness, restoration, and being used again.
1Jn 2:2 “And he is the propitiation for our sins:….” It is not His sacrifice that is in view here but He, Himself is the propitiation for our sins. That is one reason He is at the Father’s Side. He is the One who made satisfaction to God for our sins.
Heb 1:3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; Still bearing the wounds of the cross. Jesus Christ is the personal satisfaction for our sins. He is there in the presence of the Father
Regardless of what our sin may be, Christ has made satisfaction for it. It is the person of Christ who made the sacrifice for you. As you look at this you see the Grace of God, The test of Truth, the sufficient of Christ is Grace. Jesus said, “I am the truth, and the life…” God’s offer of total forgiveness forever is Jesus Christ. You see the certainty of forgiveness for a believer’s sin! [1 John 2:1]. The Holy Spirit is The LORD’s advocate on earth and Jesus Christ is our advocate in Heaven.
“and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. “ Everything that the believer has in the Miracle of Eternal Life is offered to the unbeliever. Jesus is the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world, The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. So how do you receive this Gift of Eternal Life? By believing that God included you in what Jesus did as the Lamb of God, [1 Cor. 1:30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:]. And here is His promise of Life, John 5:24, Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
“Belief is persuasion:” If you are persuaded that something is true, you believe it. Meaning you have confidence in whom you have believed, Paul said, “…for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him. Are you persuaded that Jesus is able to keep that which He promised, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.” John 6:47
At the final judgment of the lost, Rev. 20:11-15 the judgment is about works, according to their works. Showing that works give you no claim on Salvation. It is only by faith in Jesus Christ that you lay Hold on His Salvation. Joh 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, to them that believe on his name: Believing on His name is the same as believing in Him for Salvation.
Joh 1:13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. You cannot become unborn, You are His child forever. If life has left you with a heavy burden and you feel caught and tired of failures you have an Advocate in heaven with the Father. Listen to what is written: 1Jn 2:1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 1Jn 2:2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
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