Bible Study
Don’t just take our word for it . . . take His! We would encourage you to spend time examining the following Scriptures that shaped this sermon: 1 John 2:1-6; Hebrews 10:19–23
Sermon Notes
I. The Setting and Purpose of First John
John writes as a spiritual father to believers who were being unsettled by false teachers. His purpose is overwhelmingly pastoral: to strengthen the faithful, protect the flock, and confirm them in apostolic truth.
The letter emphasizes three essential qualities of the Christian life:
- Joy: “That our joy may be complete” (1 John 1:4).
- Holiness: “I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin” (1 John 2:1).
- Assurance: “That you may know that you have eternal life” (1 John 5:13).
First John is therefore both pastoral and polemical. John does not primarily attack the false teachers; he warns and protects the flock from teaching that would lead them away from Christ.
II. The Loving Call to Holiness
John begins with a deeply personal address:
“My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin.” — 1 John 2:1
The words “my little children” reveal John’s fatherly affection and pastoral concern. His warning does not come from cold condemnation but from love for those entrusted to his care.
At the same time, John’s purpose is clear: the Christian is called not to sin.
- Grace never treats sin casually.
- False teaching must not be excused as innocent or harmless.
- Sin disrupts fellowship with God and destroys the joy found in walking in his light.
- The believer is called to resist sin and pursue holiness.
John’s tenderness does not weaken the seriousness of his warning. Biblical love speaks the truth because error and sin endanger the flock.
III. Christian Realism about Sin
Scripture does not present a Pollyanna view of the Christian life. It is sober and candid about the struggles believers face in a fallen world.
John writes that believers should not sin, but he immediately adds:
“But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” — 1 John 2:1
John holds together two truths that must never be separated:
- The Christian must never become comfortable with sin.
- The Christian who sins must never despair of God’s grace.
The proper response to sin is neither denial nor hopelessness. It is confession, repentance, and renewed trust in Jesus Christ.
IV. Jesus Christ Our Advocate
A. The Meaning of Advocate
The Greek word translated advocate is paraklētos, or paraclete. It describes one who comes alongside to help and who speaks on behalf of another.
In the Gospel of John, the word describes the ministry of the Holy Spirit, who testifies concerning Jesus in a hostile world. In 1 John, it describes the ministry of Jesus himself, who represents his people before the Father.
An advocate is one who speaks on behalf of another. Jesus Christ represents and intercedes for believers before the Father.
B. Christ’s Continuing Intercession
Jesus does not merely offer sympathy to sinners. He stands in the presence of the Father on their behalf.
- Romans 8:34: Christ died, was raised, and now intercedes for his people.
- Hebrews 7:25: Christ always lives to make intercession for those who draw near to God through him.
- Hebrews 9:24: Christ appears in the presence of God on our behalf.
Christ’s advocacy is not a repeated sacrifice. It is the continuing application of his completed and sufficient sacrifice to the salvation of his people.
Nor does Jesus persuade an unwilling Father to love us. The Father sent the Son in love, and the Son willingly accomplished the work of redemption. The Father and the Son are perfectly united in the salvation of sinners.
V. Jesus Christ the Righteous
John identifies our Advocate as “Jesus Christ the righteous.”
Righteousness is conformity to God’s perfect character and moral standard—being right with God and living rightly before him.
Jesus alone perfectly obeyed the Father in thought, word, and deed. He fulfilled God’s law and stands before the Father truly innocent.
- Hebrews 4:15: Jesus was tempted as we are, yet without sin.
- 1 Peter 2:22: He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.
- 2 Corinthians 5:21: Christ knew no sin, yet was made sin for us so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
The righteous Christ represents unrighteous sinners. Our confidence before God rests not upon a righteousness we produce, but upon the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ.
VI. Jesus Christ the Propitiation for Our Sins
John continues:
“He is the propitiation for our sins.” — 1 John 2:2
A. The Meaning of Propitiation
Propitiation is Christ’s atoning sacrifice by which God’s holy and just wrath against sin is satisfied and peace with God is secured.
Propitiation means that Jesus willingly bore the judgment sinners deserve. At the cross, he did not merely provide an example of sacrificial love; he offered himself as the sufficient sacrifice for sin.
- Romans 3:25–26: God presented Christ as a propitiation to demonstrate his righteousness and to justify those who have faith in Jesus.
- Hebrews 2:17: Christ made propitiation for the sins of his people.
- 1 John 4:10: God loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
B. The Necessity of Divine Judgment
A righteous God cannot simply ignore evil. A being who refuses to judge and punish sin would not be truly righteous or just.
Our problem is therefore deeper than imperfect behavior. We need:
- Forgiveness for the sins we have committed.
- Acquittal from the judgment we deserve.
- Righteousness that we cannot produce for ourselves.
- Reconciliation with the holy God against whom we have sinned.
At the cross, God’s justice and mercy meet. Sin is truly judged, yet sinners who trust in Christ are forgiven.
C. A Picture of Substitution
Maximilian Kolbe’s sacrifice at Auschwitz offers a powerful human picture of substitution. He voluntarily stepped forward and accepted the sentence assigned to Franciszek Gajowniczek, a condemned man he barely knew.
Kolbe’s act points beyond itself to the far greater sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Christ did not merely risk his life or postpone another person’s death. He willingly bore the righteous judgment of God against sin so that all who repent and believe might receive forgiveness and eternal life.
VII. The Ground of Christian Assurance
For the follower of Christ, a proper understanding of advocacy and propitiation should bring profound comfort, peace, and assurance.
- Romans 3:23: All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
- Romans 6:23: The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ.
- John 3:16: God loved the world and gave his only Son so that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
The believer no longer needs to ask:
- Have I done enough?
- Am I good enough?
- Can God truly forgive me?
- Will Christ receive me when I confess my sin?
The answer rests not in the believer’s performance but in Christ’s finished work. Jesus Christ the righteous has accomplished what sinners could never accomplish for themselves.
Christian assurance rests upon the sufficiency of Christ, not the adequacy of our obedience.
This assurance does not make sin unimportant. It gives the believer confidence to confess sin honestly, receive forgiveness gratefully, and continue pursuing holiness faithfully.
VIII. The Sins of the Whole World
John states that Christ is the propitiation “not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:2).
This declaration teaches that Christ is not the Savior of one ethnicity, nation, social class, or small circle of believers. The gospel is to be proclaimed to the whole world, and all who repent and believe are invited to receive Christ.
The verse does not teach that every person is automatically saved apart from repentance and faith. John consistently connects eternal life with believing in the Son and abiding in the apostolic gospel.
Christ’s sacrifice is sufficient for all, and the promise of the gospel is freely offered to all. Its saving benefits belong to those who are united to Christ through faith.
IX. The Comfortable Words
First John 2:1–2 appears among the Comfortable Words proclaimed in the Anglican liturgy following confession and absolution:
“If any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and he is the propitiation for our sins.”
Its placement is deeply pastoral. After confessing sin, the congregation is directed away from personal merit and toward the promises of the gospel.
The Comfortable Words remind believers that:
- Christ receives those who truly turn to him.
- God gave his Son so that believers might have everlasting life.
- Christ came into the world to save sinners.
- Jesus Christ the righteous is our Advocate and propitiation.
The assurance offered in the liturgy is the same assurance proclaimed by John: forgiveness and peace are found in the person and work of Jesus Christ.
XI. Summary
The gospel is not that Christians never sin or that sinners make themselves worthy of God. The gospel is that Jesus Christ the righteous stands as the Advocate of his people and has offered himself as the propitiation for their sins. Because God’s justice has been satisfied in Christ, all who repent and believe may receive forgiveness, peace, and the assurance of eternal life.
In short:
- The problem: Sin separates us from God and places us under righteous judgment.
- The Advocate: Jesus Christ represents and intercedes for his people before the Father.
- The qualification: Jesus alone is perfectly righteous.
- The sacrifice: Christ is the propitiation who bore the judgment sinners deserve.
- The invitation: The gospel is proclaimed to the whole world.
- The response: Repentance and faith in Jesus Christ.
- The assurance: Our salvation rests upon Christ’s finished work, not our performance.
- The fruit: A life of confession, gratitude, holiness, and joy.
Discussion Questions
- Why does John place “so that you may not sin” and “if anyone does sin” together in the same verse?
- What does it mean that Jesus Christ is our Advocate with the Father?
- Why is it essential that our Advocate is described as “Jesus Christ the righteous”?
- What is propitiation, and why is it necessary for our reconciliation with a holy and just God?
- How does the sacrifice of Maximilian Kolbe help illustrate substitution, and where does the comparison with Christ fall short?
- How does 1 John 2:1–2 protect believers from both taking sin lightly and despairing because of sin?
- Why does Christian assurance rest upon Christ’s finished work rather than our ability to be good enough or do enough?
- How should Christ’s advocacy and propitiation change the way we confess sin, pursue holiness, and speak the gospel to others?
Questions?
Do you have a question about today’s sermon? Email Tim Winkler (TWinkler@StAndrews.Church)
Audio & Video
You can listen to the sermon by using the player below or via the St Andrew’s Sermon Podcast on iTunes and Spotify.