AM Dec 2nd 1 John 2

December 2^nd    1 John 2           B. God is Love  Obeying Christ

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: 2: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. 3: And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. 4: He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5: But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. 6: He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.

Love the brethren

7: Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning. 8: Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth. 9: He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. 10: He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. 11: But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes. 12: I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake. 13: I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father. 14: I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.

At first John seems to be saying that Christians can be sinless. Of course John is not saying that at all because previously he has said that, ‘If we say we have not sin then we are liars’. So what is John saying? Well John is saying that Christians do not sin as a deliberate a specific course of action day after day. They sin but not as a daily plan of action. Then John says, If (or when) any man sin we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He is the propitiation for our sins. He is the sacrifice that takes away the guilt of sin by taking away the offence. God is propitious. That is He is kind! There is nothing that you need to do to make him propitious! He is propitious. Christ has in himself made a sacrifice to put away ALL YOUR SIN. And not just yours but also the sin of the Whole world. (The issue God has with the world is NOT SIN! The issue God has with the world is HIS SON! And whether men accept him or not! Then John goes on to say that those who are saved - keep his commandments. Here we get a glimpse of the fact the John is writing to believers of Israel. Christians are not under commandments! But the saved of Israel are. John takes them back to the commandment of Christ given during the age of law, which is that his followers are to love one another and this will be the token of salvation. Next John writes to three classes of believers and gives exhortation suitable to their station in life. To the Little Children he says your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake. To the Fathers they have known the eternal Christ. To the young men they have overcome the wicked one. Then he has more to say to each group. Little children - have known the Father. Fathers - have known him that is from the beginning. Young men - are strong, and the word of God abideth in them and they have overcome the wicked one. Which group do you belong to?