I Am Writing You These Things So That You May Not Sin
1 John 2:1 Christian Standard Bible
2 My little children, I am writing you these things so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ the righteous one.
John begins this verse with the phrase little children. It shows that he is writing from the perspective of a spiritual father who truly cares about the lives of his spiritual children and desires the very best for them. The word sin means not only to miss the mark but also to violate the divine law. Anything that is sin is against God and His word. Sin carries with it destructive consequences. To continue in sin would simply lead to destruction. When Jesus calls anyone to follow Him, He calls them to repentance which means to turn completely from sin and to live completely for God.
John says I am writing these things so that you will not sin. Does this mean that sinless perfection is possible? Is it possible for someone to follow Jesus and not sin at all? I don’t believe it is. When we come to Christ, we still have a sin nature. Paul writes about this in Galatians five in which he writes of the works of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit. There is a sanctification process that takes place in the life of the believer as they walk with Jesus each day. The Holy Spirit transforms us from the inside out. But I don’t believe there is ever a point on this earth when we will find sinless perfection. As long as we live in this world, we will fall short, but the goal is never perfection. The goal is always maturity. The more mature we grow in Christ, the more we become like Him.
What I believe John is pointing to is living in sin. Allowing rebellion to lead, guide, and direct us. How are we molded and transformed by The Holy Spirit? Through the truth of God’s word. This requires that we spend time in God’s word daily. That we mediate upon the word. That we seek the Holy Spirit for revelation and understanding, knowing how to apply the word of God to our lives in practical ways. Understanding how to live out the truth of scripture.
John points something out that is very important. Our advocate with the Father who is Jesus Christ. The word advocate is the Greek word paraklētos and it means advocate, helper. The noun refers to one who helps, advocates, or comforts someone on behalf of another.[1] The reason Jesus is our advocate is because He is righteous. He is the mediator between God and man. When we come to the Father through faith in Jesus Christ, the sinless blood of Jesus has washed away our sin and clothed us in the righteousness of Christ. When the Father sees us, He no longer sees our sin, He sees the righteousness of Jesus. This is why if we do sin we can confess our sin and He is faithful and just to forgive us.
As long as we live on this earth there will be things we struggle with and things God is continually working on. The grace of God doesn’t give us a license to live in sin. But when we do fall short because of sin, we are able to confess our sin and find forgiveness. For those who have areas of sin in their lives that they are struggling in I would encourage you to bring it before God daily in prayer. Asking Him to deliver you from these things. It is only by the grace and power of God that we can overcome. As we study the scriptures, we are truly transformed and changed by the power and might of The Holy Spirit.
Prayer
Father thank you for your love and grace. Thank you for your goodness. Thank you that you lead, guide, and direct us in all things. That you that there is forgiveness and there is healing found in you. Father remove from my life anything that would grieve or break your heart. Give me the strength to live in freedom and victory. Jesus thank you for how much you love me and that you willingly gave your life for me. Holy Spirit fill my life each day and lead, guide, and direct me in all things. In the mighty name of Jesus, Amen!
[1] G. D. Taylor, “Testimony,” ed. Douglas Mangum et al., Lexham Theological Wordbook, Lexham Bible Reference Series (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2014).
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