Jesus Christ The Righteous

"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: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world."

I John 2:1,2

"My little children." John writes to those under his care as if they were his own children. And not only they, but all of God's people who would read these words throughout time. The apostle whom Jesus loved is showing forth that same love in taking us by the hand and explaining a very important truth to us just as a caring father would for his own children.

Never having met most of his readers he informs us why he is taking such great care to write; So that we do not sin. Not that he is saying that we can live perfect sinless lives on this earth but that it is what we should be working for. God's people are to abhor sin and flee it like the plague that it is! Run from it even though we will never be able to fully escape it until we die. Why is this or how is it possible? It is because God has provided His people with an advocate in Jesus Christ by whom is the only means God's people have righteousness; by whom is the only way they become God's people. 

Jesus the righteous died so that God's people may be saved from His just wrath and dwell eternally in His holy presence. This happens because the blood of Christ is a propitiation for those who believe - meaning His blood satisfied the requirement that resulted from Adam's sin in the garden. We know from scripture that Christ is not a propitiation for every man because we know many are in Hell. Therefore He is not an advocate for every man but for those whom God has given Him (John 6). And He is not a propitiation for believing Jews only but for the gentiles also! Praise God that His saving grace has extended beyond the exclusivity of the Jews to all nations upon the earth, that among all nations God has and is bringing many sons to glory!

In the first chapter, John laid the foundation teaching us that God's people must confess when we sin because Jesus, our righteousness, is our advocate to God. We don't rely on a human priest to atone for us. We don't rely on a pope to give us the Word or instruct us in holiness. We don't trust anything that we may do because we are not perfect. We have Jesus the only righteous for when we sin and praise His name that have Him!

Consider also: Romans 3:19-26; John 17

The Foundation

"If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us."

I John 1:10

On the surface this verse seems to only be a replica of verse eight. But look at it closer and you well see the summation of what we know as the first chapter of this letter from John and the perfect bridge from this chapter to the next.

Contextually speaking, John has laid the final stone in the foundation of this letter before building the walls to the palace which has become a blessed part of our beloved Word of God. Through inspiration John has drawn sharp contrast speaking of light and darkness, truths and lies. We must understand that there are opposing sides and that there is no middle ground between them.

John has shown us that we all have sinned and that sin actions still remain after conversion. He has also comforted us in telling us that if we confess our sins to God, humbling ourselves before His majesty He is faithful to forgive His people and that He is just in doing so. We know that darkness and light cannot commune with each other. Therefore we understand that those who practice sin cannot claim to have truth or to be in fellowship with God. If we were to deny all of this we would be accusing God of lying, and if we accuse Him of such it is painfully obvious that His living word, even our Jesus who gives life, is not in us.

The chief cornerstone is Jesus Christ. If we are to have any part in the palace it must be by resting on Him alone by faith. This faith is evident when we separate from the worlds sinful mindset and actions. That is, when we stop practicing sin and start practicing holiness by the power of God. If we are to "sin not" as the apostle admonishes in the next chapter, then we must rest on the finished work of Jesus Christ who died on the cross for our sins.

Consider also: Romans 13:10-14; 2 Corinthians 4:1-6; Galatians 5:16-26

Confession

" If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

I John 1:9 

 We know that none of us live without sin. After close examination it is evident that we still sin even after conversion. After all, the entire book of I John is about examining ourselves and reaffirming that we are in the faith. In verse eight of this chapter we see that no one is without sin and to say such makes that person a liar and without truth. But we struggle with these thoughts and understanding God's way. Do we lose our salvation when we sin after conversion? Has the glory of being in God's presence slipped through our fingers because of one sin we commit? Must Jesus die again for for our iniquity? Thankfully, no! Scripture tells us that Jesus died once for all who look to Him and believe for all of time, from the foundations of the world to the very last breath that will be taken on this planet.

So what is this manner of confession? It is not strictly toward our brothers in grace or to the head of your local assembly other than that which is specifically against them that would cause the fellowship to cease. Instead, we are to consistently confess our sins to God because all sins are rebellion against Him and a trespass against His holiness. We confess to God not only because we are commanded to, that we may be in fellowship, but also so that we may be humbled before God rightfully acknowledging His complete sovereignty even if we don't understand it. And this isn't necessarily a general request of forgiveness as a blanket to cover our sins at the end of the day, week, month, year, or lifetime. The proper application here is that we confess every sin we know. We acknowledge our evil against the Almighty because we cannot bear to be removed from His fellowship. 

And what is the result of this confession? It is that our sins are forgiven because He is faithful and just to do so and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. This isn't concerning the sacrifice of Christ directly as a matter of salvation but those whom the blood has been applied. God is just in forgiving their sins because justice was already served upon Christ and His righteousness covers the believer who has been made alive in spirit and can come before the throne of God in prayer. The unconverted have no part in this due to the fact that they are dead in their trespasses and sins. They have not been drawn to Christ and His blood not applied on their behalf. This is how we know that God is faithful and just, because He does forgive the sins of His children when we confess and repent because the absence of His presence, that of the Holy Spirit during this life, is a great grievance for us. Thus His cleansing us is necessary time and time again until this body dies to the curse and our spirits can enjoy the true presence of our Savior in Glory. 

Dear children of the living God, do not be weary when we fail our Father. In His love and mercy He has provided a way of reconciliation and it is that we confess our sins to Him and He will forgive and cleanse us by giving us repentance from the sins and a heart that loves Him and His commands. What a mighty and wonderful God!

Consider also: Proverbs 28:13; Psalm 32

Deceiving Ourselves

"If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." 

I John 1:8 

Jesus Christ died for the ungodly and His righteousness covers all those believe that He is the only begotten Son of the living God who bore His wrath upon the cross in our stead. Though this covering of Jesus' righteousness upon us separates us from the bondage of sin, frees us from the guilt of sin, and removes the burden of bearing the immense weight of our sin, it does not cause our sinning to cease. Our bodies were formed under a curse that they should die and though the righteousness of Jesus cover our souls He has not unjustly removed our bodies from that judgement. God, while greatly merciful and gracious, is still holy and thus while our perfected souls will one day be able to stand in fellowship in His presence by the blood of Jesus our corrupt bodies must still perish because of sin. We cannot, by the very existence of our remaining on this earth, say that we have no sin.

To say that we are perfect and without sin is a lie. It is deceptive not only to ourselves but to those around us. We may rightly say that we are not living in a particular sin, or that we do not go about practicing sin (our actions will confirm this), but we can never in this life say that we have no sin. Who among us can say there are no thoughts that creep into our minds that we dwell on till sin is conceived be it lust for money, power, sex, or property? Who among us has not looked upon our neighbors belongs and coveted for anything of his, even after conversion? Who among us has not gone a day without an action of some kind great or small confirming that sin remains in this present life? Isn't this the plight of the Christian? We are not bound to sin because Jesus has freed us. His yoke is easy, and His burden is light (Matt. 11:30). When He has cleansed our spirits and washed away our sin with His blood we earnestly desire to put away sin and bring our flesh into subjection because we desire to be like Him.

God is truth and truth must be in us for us to be in fellowship with Him. Dear children of the living God, do not deceive yourselves into believing that the activity of sin has yet passed from us. We are not yet perfect in glory with the Father and until we are we must remember that our fleshly bodies, and those of our brothers in faith, are not yet without sin. And understanding that we know and can say that the truth is in us because of Jesus.