Review
The Gnostics said they had no sin, blaming their sinful acts on their body. John was setting the record straight for his readers by presenting both bad news and good news.
The bad news is that we do sin. The good news is that if we confess our sin God is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1:9).
John begins chapter two by addressing his readers as "my little children." "My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin."
Pastoral Love and Concern
The church at Ephesus was founded by Paul but John served as her first pastor. His fatherly concern and pastoral affection shines through with the words, “My little children.” John wanted to refute the Gnostic heresy so that his "children" would not be led astray in sin.
He uses the word "children." It is the Greek word, teknia, literally meaning, "little born ones."
This verse reminds me of the many times I have as a father had to sit down with my children after a spanking or some discipline and share my reasons for disciplining them. I would say something like, "Daddy had to spank you in order that you would remember not to do that bad thing again."
This is the heart-attitude of the elderly John as he wrote the words, "My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin."
Let’s define the word “sin.” The word “sin” is hamartia (noun) hamartano (verb) and means "to miss the mark." Missing the mark is failing to meet God's holy standard for right living.
Romans 3:23 says, “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”
I used to do some preaching down at the Inner Harbor where I encouraged the crowd to whom I was speaking to imagine three men given the assignment of throwing a rock across the harbor waters.
The first man heaved his rock and it went about half way across before it plunked into the water and sank.
The second man thought that he could get a better throw by employing a running start. He took a few steps back and ran to the edge of the harbor almost falling in before he let his rock loose. His rock went further than the first man but it still came short of the goal of making it over to the other side of the dock.
The third man used to be a quarterback for the Colts when they were in Baltimore. He had the skill, the technique and much of the strength he had when he was in his prime. He threw his rock—which had a wonderful arch—but lo and behold—it sank into the murky waters of the Inner Harbor.
Each of these men tried their best but they still fell short of the goal of landing their stones on the other side of the harbor.
This is the way it is when it comes to sin. Each time you and I sin we “miss the mark” of the glory of God. When we try to reach God through our own efforts, we consistently fall short of the glory of God.
Man’s puny efforts to reach God include:
* Trying to be a good person in order to get to heaven
* Giving money to charitable causes in an attempt to please God
* Not doing bad things (like drinking, smoking, cussing) in order to earn God’s favor
When we sin we miss the mark—we miss the high holy standard of God.
Sin is also a transgression of the law. The word “transgression” means "A violation of a law, command, or duty." It also means "to overstep a line, boundary or limit." The New Testament uses the word "trespass."
When we steal, covet, lie or covet or are sexually immoral we trespass or crossover God’s standard into the realm of disobedience.
Because God is perfect, His standard for His people is absolute perfection. He would not be God if He said in 2:1, “these things I write to you, so that you may sin just as little as you can.”
God cannot condone sin in the least degree, and so He sets perfection before us as the goal. John didn't want his readers to willingly fall short of God's holy standard. He didn't want his readers to willingly cross over the line into disobedience so he begins chapter two with these words, "My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin."
If you are a true believer you’re not going to want to sin. Having a desire to avoid sinning is one of the proofs you are a child of God. We learned this past week in our LIFE Group that obedience to what God says is one of the proofs that you are in fellowship with God. It is one of the indicators that you are His child.
I can remember before I trusted Christ, I would sin. Most times I knew it was wrong. When I sinned I even felt guilty about it. By the way, I need to let you know that feeling guilt or being sorry for your sin doesn't mean you’re a Christian; it just means you have a conscience.
In 2 Corinthians chapter 7 Paul distinguishes between a sorrow of the world and a sorrow that is according to the will of God.
Before I became a Christian the guilt I felt was because my actions went against a moral code I was taught by my mother or someone else that I loved and respected. I did not feel guilt because I displeased God, it was because I understood that what I did was wrong—in other words, I was sinning against my conscience.
Both believers and unbelievers have consciences. Romans 2:15 says the law of God is written on your conscience unless this law has been burned away because of your continued sinning—the Bible calls this a “seared conscience.” (1 Tim 4:2)
Before I trusted Christ as Lord and Savior I would sin. The difference came when I trusted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior.
I knew the difference between right and wrong as before.
I felt guilty when I did wrong as before.
The difference was that after Jesus saved me, I despised sin and tried desperately to avoid it because I knew it would displease Him.
This is how you can tell whether someone is a Christian or not. Find out what their attitude is toward sin.
This is how you can tell whether you yourself are in the faith—examine your own heart attitude toward sin.
Listen to what John writes concerning this:
(1 John 3:6 NIV) No one who lives in Him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.
(1 John 3:7 NIV) Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. He who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous.
(1 John 3:8 NIV) He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work.
(1 John 3:9 NIV) No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God.
(1 John 3:10 NIV) This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother.
Back in our text John writes, "My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin." And then he continues, "And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous."
Believers are going to sin; we just don't do it habitually. Sin is not the habit pattern of our lives.
When believers sin it is the exception, not the rule.
When believers sin, it is abnormal
When believers sin they have deviated from their normal course of conduct.
But believers do sin so John says in 2:1 that if anyone sins we have an "Advocate" with the Father.
The word advocate in this verse is the Greek word, parakletos. The word parakletos comes from two words: “Para” meaning “with” and “cletos” where we get the word “cleets” that you wear in baseball.
Putting these two words together we get to “stand with” or “stand alongside.” Parakletos is translated into our English words, intercessor, consoler, advocate and comforter.
Thus, the Holy Spirit is the One who comes alongside us in our time of need to help and comfort us. The Holy Spirit is the One who “stands with” us..
The word parakletos occurs only four other times in the N.T., each time describing the ministry of the Holy Spirit (John 14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7). But here in 1st John 2:1 the word is referring to Jesus who is the One who stands with us before the Father in heaven.
The NIV summarizes parakletos into the phrase, "one who speaks to the Father in our defense…" In other words, Jesus is our Attorney. He is our Defense Attorney.
John writes, “And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.”
Why would a Christian need a defense attorney? There are two reasons:
1.) The devil constantly accuses us before God
Rev 12:9 And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.
Rev 12:10 And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, "Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, who accuses them before our God day and night.
The very word “satan” means adversary. It can also mean opponent. He is a prosecutorial attorney who sets up a case and an indictment against God’s beloved children.
Jesus as our defense attorney comes alongside us and defends us against Satan’s accusations.
Satan enters the courtroom of God with a briefcase in his slimy hands. He pulls out a DVD with hours upon hours of recorded evidence for his charges against us.
Satan reminds God of our past sins; he brings before God our present iniquities. He questions the motives for our Christian service before God. He speculates slanders and accuses.
Each and every time Satan tries to bring our sins before God in order to condemn us, Jesus answers the charges by lifting up His hands and saying, “Paid in full!”
2.) The devil constantly accuses us in our thought life.
Not only does the devil constantly accuse us before God, he continuously accuses us in our thought life and it is here when Jesus, our Defense Attorney, comes to stand with us to face the charges.
In 1 Samuel chapter 30 there was an occasion where King David needed a Defense Attorney:
1 Sam 30:1 Now it happened, when David and his men came to Ziklag, on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the South and Ziklag, attacked Ziklag and burned it with fire,
1 Sam 30:2 and had taken captive the women and those who were there, from small to great; they did not kill anyone, but carried them away and went their way.
1 Sam 30:3 So David and his men came to the city, and there it was, burned with fire; and their wives, their sons, and their daughters had been taken captive.
1 Sam 30:4 Then David and the people who were with him lifted up their voices and wept, until they had no more power to weep.
1 Sam 30:5 And David's two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite, had been taken captive.
1 Sam 30:6 Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God.
I believe that it was at this time when Jesus came to David’s defense against the accusations of the enemy that came through the mouths of the people.
I believe that David was reminded of the power and providence of God
He was reminded of the promises of God
David’s Defense Attorney reminded him of his covenant relation to God
David was reminded of the grace, mercy, and goodness of God.
God reminded David that He has delivered him from things in the past and He will surely deliver him in the present and future.
I believe that God put together a defense strategy that took David all the way back to his days as a young shepherd where he risked his own life to save his father’s sheep and he would build on this victory later on to kill the giant Goliath.
I believe when the Amalekites took David’s family and subjects captive, God told David “If I delivered you from the mouth of the lion and the jaw of the bear and the sword of Goliath, I will deliver you from the hand of the Amalekites.
In the New Testament we see Jesus working as our defense attorney helping us to cast down satanic accusations that try to take root in our minds:
2 Cor 10:3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh,
2 Cor 10:4 for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.
2 Cor 10:5 We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,
Satan, the accuser of the brethren will tell you that you aren’t saved. He will tell you that God doesn’t care or that God doesn’t know how you feel.
Satan will speak to your mind telling you that God is ignoring your circumstances and that things will never get better.
But your Defense Attorney will object to those accusations and His objection will be based on the Word of God that says in Ephesians 4:30 that we are saved and “sealed unto the day of redemption.”
Jesus will object to the devil’s accusation that God doesn’t care for in 1 Peter 5:7 God says that you and I can “cast all of our anxiety upon Him, because He cares for us.”
God both knows and cares how we feel and He is not ignoring our circumstances because He said, “I will never, no not ever leave or forsake you” and in another place the Scriptures say that we have “a faithful high priest who sympathizes with us in our weaknesses.”
Jesus defends us against accusations that are launched against us by fiery darts from the wicked one.
The Judge is our Father!
Next in our text John writes that Jesus as our Advocate/Attorney comes to our defense before "the Father."
My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
At first glance, you may not see what John is communicating here. Notice, John doesn't say that we have an Advocate with the Judge (or God). He says we have an Advocate with the Father.
John is declaring to Christians a wonderful truth: the Judge is our Father!
The story is told of two men, one the father and the other his son. The Father served as a judge. The son found himself in court because of a crime he committed. The case was tried, and the prisoner was found guilty. Would the judge take advantage of their relationship and refuse to pass judgment? No, he must fulfill his duty; justice must be done; the law of the land must be obeyed.
He gave out the sentence--fourteen days hard labor, or a fine of a thousand dollars. The condemned man had nothing with which to pay, so the bailiff prepared to escort the man to his prison cell.
But as soon as the judge had pronounced the sentence, he got up from the bench, threw aside his judges robes, stepped down to the floor, stood beside the prisoner, paid his fine for him, and then said: "Now Bill, come on home with me to supper."
It is the same with the sinner. We know that God cannot overlook sin. The Bible teaches that justice must be done, the law of heaven must be carried out and sentences pronounced.
But God the Father Himself pays the debt with the giving of His Son Jesus at the Cross, and the sinner is set free! One day there will be a supper in heaven where all the redeemed will assemble around a table with Jesus!
John writes the encouraging truth, “And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father…”
Jesus is our Attorney and our Heavenly Father is the Judge! The Christian is related to the Judge!
Another thing we can observe from verse one is that when the Christian sins, God remains his Father.
John could have easily written, ““And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with God…” But the Holy Spirit chooses to inspire John to write using the word Father.
This tells us that while sin may break fellowship between us and our Heavenly Father, it doesn’t sever our relationship with Him.
Another thing that Jesus as our Advocate does is by His Spirit, seeks to bring us to the place where we confess and forsake our sins and are restored to fellowship with the Father (John 16:8; 2 Cor. 7:10)
Listen to what John writes at the end of verse one:
1 John 2:1 My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
John tells us some more about Jesus. He is our Advocate and He is also “Jesus Christ the righteous!”
Jesus is our Attorney but he is not like the attorneys of the world; John goes on to say that He is: “Jesus Christ the righteous!”
Righteous - The Lord God is righteous in that He speaks and acts in accordance with the purity of his own holy nature. It is synonymous with the word “just.” Justice is rooted in the very nature of God (Isa 40:14).
Today a good lawyer can get a guilty man found “Not Guilty.” Today a crooked lawyer can argue a case so that an innocent man lands behind bars or worse.
But our defense attorney is “Jesus Christ the righteous!” He does not ignore the sins of any (Psalm 33:5; 37:6, 28; 97:2; 99:4). He does not take bribes (Deut 10:17). He does not pervert justice in any way (Gen 18:25; 2 Chron 19:7).
It is Jesus Christ the righteous who is our defense attorney! He is the Righteous One in the court and in the sight of the Judge.
You don’t have to be a righteous person to be a good lawyer; you just need to be a good lawyer. But in 1 John chapter two, the clients are guilty.
There can be no slick lawyer maneuvers before the One who is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
Don’t think you can walk in God’s court with a cane and a neck brace. There is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the fiery eyes of Him with whom we have to do. (Hebrews 4)
There is no plea bargaining. There are no “not guilty by means of insanity” pleas in God’s courtroom. No one can claim innocence because “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)
There is no begging for leniency in heaven. This is how many lawyers win their cases---by their ability to make a judge or jury “feel” their client’s predicament.
As our "advocate," Christ is not a mere begging petitioner. But Jesus pleads for us on the ground of justice, or righteousness. But it is not our goodness or righteousness; it is His.
Though He can say nothing good of us, He can say much for us.
It is His righteousness
It is His obedience to the law
It is His payment of sin’s penalty for us
It is on these grounds that He claims our acquittal.
In the court case of the infamous Maryland/Virginia sniper, Mohammed’s attorney showed the jury videos of his client as a loving father to his children. But our defense before God doesn’t depend on what we have done but what Jesus has done!
The Father, by raising Jesus from the dead, and setting Him at His own right hand, has once for all accepted Christ's claim for us. Therefore the charges of Satan against God's children are of no account.
The reformer Martin Luther says, "The righteousness of Christ stands on our side; for God's righteousness is, in Jesus Christ, ours”.
It is like someone switches the court records. I remember being in court for a traffic camera citation. I noticed the judge had a computer on the table next to his bench. I soon discovered that the judge knew all about my driving record because he had my file right before him on the computer screen.
Now take this picture and imagine with me that you were in court for murder and the judge looked at the computer screen and found no evidence of the crime you committed. He scrolled down the screen and found no warrants and no arrests. On the contrary, he found a record that said you were a model citizen.
This is what it is like in heaven when Satan accuses the believer. God looks at the documentation and sees the record of His own Son that has overwritten your sinful history.
This reminds me of the song that says:
When he shall come with trumpet sound; oh may I then in Him be found
Dressed in his righteousness alone Faultless to stand before the throne
On Christ the solid rock I stand all other ground is sinking sand; all other ground is sinking sand
This is what John is writing about in 1 John 2:2: “And He (Jesus) Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.”
Simply put, God, the Righteous Judge, has to judge our sin. Romans says, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men…” (Rom. 1:18 )
God has to judge sin because He is holy. The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). The soul that sins it will die (Ezek 18:4).
What the death of Jesus on the Cross did was satisfy the just demands of God's holy judgment against sin.
God's holiness and justice demanded that He judge our sin but Jesus took our place and paid the sin penalty so that all the charges against us were dropped!
Thus, Christ does not simply represent us before God as our Advocate (v. 1), He also provides the grounds for our forgiveness—God overwrites our record with the spotless record of His Son’s righteousness -- Jesus is both our Advocate and atoning sacrifice.
Some years ago I had a relative who was in jail and needed money for his attorney to begin the work needed to defend him. He’s had that lawyer who says, “If you need me, call me.”
What that attorney’s commercial doesn’t say is that you and I can call him all we want but if we don’t have the money, he ain’t doing nothing. What this lawyer ought to say is, “If you’ve got the money, call me.”
You may find a lawyer who is willing to pay for his client’s fees but rarely if at all will you find a lawyer who is willing to pay for his client’s sins. But that is what Jesus has done, and the most amazing thing of all is that He paid for them by His own death on the cross.
As we close let us consider what John writes in verse two: “And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.”
Is John saying that the whole world is automatically forgiven of sin by the death of Jesus?
No. What the Bible is teaching is that the forgiveness of Christ is available to all. Jesus’ death on the Cross made salvation freely available as a gift to all. But this does not guarantee that everyone's sin is automatically forgiven.
At our last Birthday Party for Jesus many people bought gifts for children with their hard earned money. Really nice gifts—expensive gifts. But after the party was over we found that we had several gifts tagged with children’s names that were never claimed. After a month had gone by there were gifts that had yet to be received by the person they were purchased for.
It is the same when it comes to salvation. Paul writes in Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”
Salvation is a free gift. But it is not yours until you take it by faith. Christ's work applies only to those who in faith give their lives to Him (cf. 4:15; John 5:24).
There will be many people whose eternal life was paid in full for that will spend eternity in hell because they didn’t receive the free gift that was paid for by the blood of God’s Son, Jesus Christ.
If you have sins, you have a Lawyer. If you need Him, call Him—you don’t even need a phone!
Jesus says, "Let's talk about it." (Isaiah 1:18)
(Isa 1:18-19 NKJV) "Come now, and let us reason together," Says the LORD, "Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool. If you are willing and obedient, You shall eat the good of the land;
You won’t have to worry about getting a bill because the price has already been paid in full at the Cross.
