Perhaps the simplest yet most profound statement in the Bible in regard to the new birth is in Paul's letter to the Ephesians,
(Eph. 2:8–9 NIV) “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast”
However, Satan, in his determination to distort every truth in God’s Word, has caused many to think that God’s grace is cheap permission for a Christian to sin. Satan tells people, one of two things. He says “You could never meet God’s standards. Why even try?” Or else he says, “God is a loving heavenly Father, and he understands your human weakness. Don’t take sinning so seriously. God will always forgive.”
Either of these attitudes toward sin in a Christian’s life will produce a devastating effect. It will destroy fellowship with God and will prevent us from growing and maturing in the faith. Inevitably these attitudes will cause a Christian to doubt his or her salvation and relationship with Christ.
You can see the entire service from August 16,2020, from the Christ Church patio on the Christ Church YouTube Channel https://youtu.be/G7LtSVL38hY
For an audio recording of the sermon click the YouTube link at the end of this manuscript.
Scripture Reading:
I John 2:1-11 NKJV 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. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world. Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked. Brethren, I write no new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which you heard from the beginning. Again, a new commandment I write to you, which thing is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining. He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now. He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him. But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
Text: “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” (1 John 2:1).
Introduction
Remember my sermon from last week where I said that we are not to despair or to believe that we will be lost because we've sinned? I said that when we do sin, we are to confess our sins, we are to —agree with God about our sins. and as a result, God will “forgive us our sins, and . . . cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
1 John 1:9 NIV If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
After we confess, fellowship with God is restored. We may suffer the consequences of that sin but God forgives us and cleanses us from the spiritual pollution accompanying the sin, and He restores fellowship with us.
Now I don't want us to think that just because God forgives us when we sin that we have a license to sin. Because of our new birth we will no longer have the propensity to habitually sin. We may temporarily step into darkness, but because of our new nature, we are miserable until we confess and return to the light.
That's a quick review of last week and I needed to do that because of what I want to talk about today.
Perhaps the simplest yet most profound statement in the Bible in regard to the new birth is in Paul's letter to the Ephesians,
(Eph. 2:8–9 NIV) “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast”
However, Satan, in his determination to distort every truth in God’s Word, has caused many to think that God’s grace is cheap permission for a Christian to sin.
Satan tells people, one of two things. He says “You could never meet God’s standards. Why even try?” Or else he says, “God is a loving heavenly Father, and he understands your human weakness. Don’t take sinning so seriously. God will always forgive.”
Either of these attitudes toward sin in a Christian’s life will produce a devastating effect. It will destroy fellowship with God and will prevent us from growing and maturing in the faith. Inevitably these attitudes will cause a Christian to doubt his or her salvation and relationship with Christ.
So in the first two verses of chapter 2 of 1 John, John talked about “establishing the fellowship” that should exist between God and his people.
Let's read those 2 verses
1 John 2:1-2 NIV My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.
1. John declared that the privilege is shared by all believers.
In chapter 2 there is a sudden change in John’s approach from chapter one. He was more formal in chapter one. Up to this point in his letter, he used the word “we” instead of the personal “I.” In chapter one he laid down some very positive guidelines regarding darkness and light—sin and righteousness. He plainly said that Christians must confess their sins— that there is no “blanket forgiveness” provided for Christians even though they are children of God. Their sins must be dealt with individually and specifically.
A. Now starting in chapter 2 John called his readers “little children” and he uses the term "little children" six times throughout the rest of his letter.
When I started this series two weeks ago I said that we could compare this letter of John to a letter from a father to his children who need to be encouraged, perhaps reprimanded, and mostly to be reminded that God is love and that they are to show God’s love constantly in their lives.
Jesus also used the term children or child when he was talking to his disciples.
John 13:33-35 NLT Dear children, I will be with you only a little longer. And as I told the Jewish leaders, you will search for me, but you can’t come where I am going. So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”
Matthew 18:2-4 NLT Jesus called a little child to him and put the child among them. Then he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.
Children are usually teachable, and little children are even more in need of careful guidance. So, in essence, John told the recipients of his letter, “Little children, as God has spoken to me, let me lead you step-by-step through this business of dealing with sin in your lives and establishing and maintaining fellowship with your heavenly Father.”
Back to our text again;
1 John 2:1 NIV My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.
The verb tense that John used concerning sin is important. The verb tense in “If anybody does sin,” suggests committing a specific sin at a certain time. John was not talking about habitual sinning. In other words, John considered sin in a Christian’s life unusual and definitely infrequent.
B. So John basically said, “Don’t fall into sin.
Avoid it like the plague. Avoid it like you want to avoid COVID-19, but if you do become trapped by Satan in a weak moment, don’t give up! Don’t think that all is lost!” Satan has tricked a lot of Christians into believing that they can't live victoriously because we seem to fall so easily to certain temptations. Sometimes we give in and resign themselves to lives of spiritual defeat. Many Christians have convinced themselves that they can't live a meaningful Christian life.This is just the way Satan would like it.
Here's something that the Apostle Paul said;
Romans 7:14-25 NIV We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.
There's the answer "Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!"
Back to our text
A. 1 John 2:1 NIV My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.
This is one of the most comforting statements in the entire letter, in the entire Bible in fact. The word “advocate,” in this context, means “one called to your side.” It was used to indicate a legal counsel, one who undertakes the cause of another.
That's the same word Jesus used when He talked about God the Father sending the Holy Spirit, the Advocate, the One who comes alongside.
John 14:25-26 NIV “All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
Yet there was a far deeper meaning when John applied the term advocate to Jesus, seated in heaven at the right hand of the Father. In His relationship to us, He is not just a legal counsel. He died on a cross for us; He redeemed us with his blood.
B. John said that not only do we have an advocate but an advocate “with the Father.”
The word “with” literally means “facing.” Our advocate is facing the Father in heaven when he pleads our cause. This means that he is always in fellowship with the Father to plead the cause of God's children who have sinned.
Romans 8:34 NIV Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.
Hebrews 7:23-25 NIV Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.
C. In verse 2 of 1 John chapter 2 John reminded us of a basic truth: and that truth is that Jesus “paid the complete price for our sins.”
1 John 2:2 NIV He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.
In the NKJV is says that Jesus is the propitiation for our sins.
I John 2:2 NKJV And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.
The word “propitiation” has a simple meaning.“Propitiation,” simply means “satisfaction.” The guilt of sin separated people from God. On the cross, Jesus assumed that guilt and paid the penalty with his own blood. He removed the cause of alienation between God and mankind. Jesus satisfied the demands of God’s broken law.
Conclusion
The bottom line of all this is that John was warning Christians against sin. Satan is constantly waiting for opportunities to tempt and seduce God’s people.
1 Peter 5:8-9 NIV Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.
Sometimes we blow it and fall victim to his trickery. When we do, a loving and understanding God has made provision. Jesus is our advocate; he will, upon our repentance, plead our cause before the Father and restore broken fellowship.
1 John 1:9 NIV If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 2:1 NIV My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.