(1 John 2:1 ESV)
" My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
We will continue our study in 1 John 2 looking at the first verse.
Verse 1 says "My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous."
Verse 1 says "My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous."
We talked about this in chapter one but we will point out a few things regarding this verse.
1-The admonition we see from the Holy Scriptures is that we are to be Holy as God is Holy (Mathew 5:48). This gets to the issue of what is called "Total Depravity" which essentially states that every part of man is depraved (Mind/Will/Emotions). Because of the fall man is dead in sin (Romans 5:12) and can not obey God's commands perfectly and that is why we need a Savior. Let's look at some of the verses that support the view of Total Depravity.
1-The admonition we see from the Holy Scriptures is that we are to be Holy as God is Holy (Mathew 5:48). This gets to the issue of what is called "Total Depravity" which essentially states that every part of man is depraved (Mind/Will/Emotions). Because of the fall man is dead in sin (Romans 5:12) and can not obey God's commands perfectly and that is why we need a Savior. Let's look at some of the verses that support the view of Total Depravity.
(Click here to read more about this doctrine http://www.gotquestions.org/total-depravity.html)
Psalm 143:2 - Enter not into judgment with your servant, for no one living is righteous before you.
Romans 11:32 - For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all. (c.f. Galatians 3:22)
Romans 3:23 - for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
2 Chronicles 6:36 - "there is no one who does not sin"
Isaiah 53:6 - All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way
Micah 7:2-4 - The godly has perished from the earth, and there is no one upright among mankind; they all lie in wait for blood, and each hunts the other with a net. Their hands are on what is evil, to do it well; the prince and the judge ask for a bribe, and the great man utters the evil desire of his soul; thus they weave it together.The best of them is like a brier, the most upright of them a thorn hedge.
Romans 3:9-12 - What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” (c.f. Psalm 14:1-3, 53:1-3)
1 John 1:8,10 - If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we say we have not sinned, we make [God] a liar, and his word is not in us.
Mark 10:18/Luke 18:19 - And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone."
When God the Holy Spirit regenerates us and then indwells us we are no longer slaves of sin
(Romans 6:5-11 ESV)
"For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus."
However because we have inherited a sin nature from Adam, we still continue to sin. While it is true we do not make a "practice" of sinning (1 John 3:9) we still sin because we have not gone through the final stage in our salvation which is glorification (Please Click This link to learn what Glorification is http://www.gotquestions.org/glorification.html).
John is telling us that we are given the Holy Scriptures and in them the tools to fight temptation and to flee sin (Please listen to this great series by John Macarthur on the Full Armor of God). (http://www.gty.org/resources/sermon-series/307/the-armor-of-god )
However when we do sin (And we will) we can come with confidence to Jesus because He is our advocate. This gets into Christ's role as our intercessor. Let's look at a few verses that expound on this:
(Hebrews 1:3-4 ESV)
"He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs."
When we read about the role of the priest in the OT we notice that they never sat down. In fact they did not have a chair in the temple because the work was never done. However when Christ finished His work on the cross he was able to sit down signifying the work was done. He now is interceding for God's elect:
(Hebrews 7:23-25 ESV)
"The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them."
Jesus as our intercessor is the one who reconciles sinful man and Holy God.
(Romans 5:10-11 ESV)
"For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation."
(Romans 5:10-11 ESV)
"For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation."
Before God regenerates us we are dead in sin and rebels against God. We are enslaved to sin and a child of wrath (Ephesians 2). After salvation though our position has changed in that Christ has imputed his Righteousness to us (Click Here to learn more about imputed righteousness http://www.gotquestions.org/imputed-righteousness.html).
However our condition is still fallen and sinful and this is why John tells us that if we do sin we can come to Christ and He will make intercession for us.
However our condition is still fallen and sinful and this is why John tells us that if we do sin we can come to Christ and He will make intercession for us.
(Click Here to read more on Christ's role http://www.gotquestions.org/Jesus-interceding.html)
Meditate on this truth today friends! As said before, if you have sins that you need to confess before God,then do NOT hesitate.
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