Today we will do something a little different. We will start chapter 2 by looking at the first two verses, then do a chapter summary of chapter 1 next time. Many Bible teachers agree that the first two verses of chapter 2 conclude the discussion of chapter 1. John does not change subjects until verse 3. Therefore, we will deal with those verses in this chapter 1.
We see in this chapter a delicate balancing act between feeling forgiven and feel free to sin. The apostle John says in 1:9 that if we confess our sins, we will be forgiven. We have no reason to be overwhelmed with guilt because of our inability to eliminate sin in our lives. Just because Jesus is willing to forgive our sins does not mean we can feel free to keep on sinning. This Scripture is written so we will not sin. We might be able to say, “Do your best not to sin, but if you do, you have help.”
“Dear children” signifies a tender affection for the people to whom John wrote this letter. The exhortation to walk in the light encourages us not to sin. But we will sin and chose our own way. All is not lost when we do sin. Jesus is our Advocate, one who speaks to the Father in our behalf, as a defense attorney would argue our case before a judge.
The advocate speaks with extraordinary authority before the judge, however, because his defense for us is that he, the defense attorney, has already paid any price the judge could impose.[1] The willingness of the judge to forego judgment is not based on the life of the one on trial (us), but rather on the merits of Jesus’ sacrifice. Jesus sacrificed His life in our place. He paid the price for our sin with His death. He is our atoning sacrifice (sacrifice that pays the price and allows forgiveness).
Jesus’ atoning sacrifice is sufficient not only for our sins, but also for the sins of the whole world. Does this mean that everyone is saved? No, the Bible makes it clear that not everyone will be saved (Matt. 7:14; 1 Cor. 6:9; Gal. 5:21). But anyone who hears the gospel and accepts Christ as Lord can be saved (Rev. 22:17).
Verses:
My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; 2 and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. (NASB)
Key Takeaways:
- We are not perfect. We will sin as all do. But praise God we have an Advocate who helps and grants us forgiveness
- Sin is not something to look at as something inconsequential. Sin is serious and we must have a proper view of sin. This will lead to a greater view of the sacrifice that Christ made for those that believe
- The Cross has satisfied God and has met His righteous demands so thoroughly that His grace and mercy are abundantly available to both saved and unsaved alike
Closer Look:
Verse 1: Some of John’s readers might have thought his insistence on the sinfulness of Christians somehow would discourage holiness. The opposite was John’s intention as he affirmed: “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin.” He addressed them affectionately as an apostle with a fatherly concern (The Gr. word for “children” [“dear” or “little” is not in the Gr.] is teknia [literally, “little born ones”], used seven times by John in this epistle [vv. 1, 12, 28; 3:7, 18; 4:4; 5:21] and once in his Gospel [John 13:33]. A similar word tekna [“born ones”] occurs in John 1:12; 11:52; 1 John 3:2, 10 [twice]; 5:2; 2 John 1, 4, 13; and 3 John 4. On the other hand, paidia [“children”] occurs only twice in 1 John [2:13, 18].)[2]
The statements in 1:8, 10 about believers’ sinful tendencies do not encourage sin; they actually put perceptive Christians on guard against it. If a believer tries to make the claims denounced in 1:8 and 10, then he/she is most likely to fail to recognize and reject sin. But sin is nevertheless a reality, however much John wished his readers would not commit it. Accordingly, he assured them, “And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” John did not want his readers to sin, but he knew that none of them was perfect and that all would need the help available from their Advocate.
The word “Advocate” is translated from a single term (paraklēton). Its essential meaning is captured by the word “Advocate.” John is the only New Testament writer to use it of the Holy Spirit (four times in his Gospel: John 14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7). In these four verses, some translations renders it “Counselor” each time (cf. KJV‘s “Comforter”). The thought here in 1 John 2:1 is of a defense attorney who takes up the case of their client before a tribunal. The way in which the advocacy of the Lord Jesus works for His sinning people is admirably illustrated in His prayer for Peter (Luke 22:31–32). In anticipation of Peter’s approaching denial, Jesus asked the Father to prevent Peter’s faith from collapsing. He also had in mind Peter’s future helpfulness to his Christian brethren. There is no reason to suppose that Christ must ask God to keep a Christian from going to hell as a result of their sin. Eternal life is fully guaranteed to those who have trusted Jesus for it (John 3:16; 5:24; etc.). But the consequences of a believer’s failure, their restoration, and future usefulness are all urgent matters which Jesus takes up with God when sin occurs. Jesus’ own personal righteousness (He is “the Righteous One”; cf. 1 John 1:9, God is “just”) is what uniquely suits Christ for His role as a Christian’s Advocate after the believer’s sins.
Chapter 2 verses 1 and 2 deal with two responses to what has already been said in chapter 1. Look at the first response again: “My little children, I am writing these things to you that you may not sin.” The first response that you are going to have from what is said here is carelessness. All you have to do is confess your sin and God will forgive you.
Many years ago, a professor of mine told a story where he and his wife worked with young people at a camp. He remarked how this one teenage girl said, “Isn’t God gracious? I can go out on a date and do whatever I want and come home and confess it and God will forgive me.” Another person said, flippantly, “1 John 1:9 is God’s bar of soap.” You can just have a flippant view as many today do. I hate to say it, but I have heard 1 John 1:9 used just like that. Just a light, flippant view of sin. And John says, “I am writing these things to you that you may not sin.” But the provision for forgiveness does not give license to sin. Again, the Provision for forgiveness does not give license to sin. You have all seen the new buildings. Now let’s suppose when the builders had the girder up on the fourth floor, you saw me walking up on those girders. You say, “Taylor, be careful you might fall and get hurt. You could even kill yourself.” I respond with something like, “I don’t care, I’ve got insurance.” You would say, “That’s stupid, that does not make sense.” Provision does not give license for sin, that is what John is saying. The first response is carelessness – the second response is despair. “God is light. In Him there is no darkness at all.” I haven’t got a chance. Despair is the second response. john deals with that in verse 2, but starts at the end of verse 1: “If anyone sins, we have an advocate with the Father.” And that’s the first point, God is righteous, we have an advocate.
Verse 2: If God extends mercies to a sinning believer—and the believer does not reap the full consequences of his/her failure in his/her personal experience—that fact is not due to the merits of that believer themselves. On the contrary, the grace obtained through the advocacy of Christ is to be traced, like all of God’s grace, to His all-sufficient sacrifice on the cross. Should any sinning believer wonder on what grounds he or she might secure God’s mercy after he or she has failed, the answer is found in this verse. So adequate is Jesus Christ as God’s atoning Sacrifice (“propitiation”) that the efficacy of His work extends not merely to the sins of Christians themselves, “but also for the sins of the whole world.” In saying this, John was seems to be affirming the view that Christ genuinely died for everyone (cf. 2 Cor. 5:14–15, 19; Heb. 2:9; some will disagree with that). This does not mean, of course, that everyone will be saved. It means rather that anyone who hears the gospel can be saved if he or she so desires (Rev. 22:17). In context, however, John’s point is to remind his readers of the magnificent scope of Christ’s atoning sacrifice in order to assure them that His advocacy as the Righteous One on their behalf is fully consistent with God’s holiness.[3]
In recent times there has been much scholarly discussion of the Greek word hilasmos, which the NIV renders as “atoning Sacrifice.” (The word occurs in the NT only here and in 1 John 4:10.) Some say the term is not the placating of God’s wrath against sin, but rather is an “expiation” or “cleansing” of sin itself. But the linguistic evidence for this interpretation is not persuasive.[4]
God’s wrath against sin may not be a concept agreeable to the modern mind, but it is thoroughly biblical. Hilasmos could be fittingly rendered “propitiation” (as shown in NASB and ESV; cf. the noun hilastērion, “propitiation,” in Rom. 3:25 and the verb hilaskomai, “to propitiate,” in Luke 18:13 and Heb. 2:17). The Cross has indeed propitiated (satisfied) God and has met His righteous demands so thoroughly that His grace and mercy are abundantly available to both saved and unsaved alike.
Back to the second response of despair. As just discussed, Parakletos is sometimes translated Comforter, one who comes alongside, but here One who pleads our cause. We have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous one. If God can be righteous, if God is righteous, He is righteous to forgive us our sins. We have a righteous advocate who pleads our case.
Then to drive that home it says, “And He himself is the propitiation for our sins.” We have discussed propitiation extensively before that I do not want to get too deep into it. What does the word propitiation mean? Satisfaction. Jesus is the satisfaction for our sins. God is satisfied with what Christ has done. That is why God can be righteous and forgive sins. We have a heavenly lawyer who pleads our cause – by the way with the heavenly lawyer advocate (Rev. 12:10).
When Satan accuses the brothers and sisters, he accuses the them day and night before the throne of God. Then you will notice this – Jesus is the propitiation. The full satisfaction of payment for our sins, not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. There are some dear, dear brothers and sisters who believe in limited atonement. They believe in what they call restricted redemption. Christ paid only for the sins of the elect, not for the sins of the non-elect. They tell you that it was sufficient for all the world but not the payment for the whole world. I have to say their theological package is neater is mine, I have to admit that. Because here is the argument, limited atonement says that there has to be payment for sin. Christ paid for the sins of the elect, for the non-elect there’s a payment in hell, they pay for their sins. If Christ paid for the sins of the whole world, you have double jeopardy, double payment. Christ paid for their sins and then the person still goes to hell, He pays for sins. So double payment is the argument and I say I can’t refute that.
All I can say is, “Your package is neater than mine but I go by what the Scripture literally says.” And I’m not trying to be sarcastic when I say that. I have to admit that the Scripture says that Jesus died for the sins of the whole world because of 1 John 2:2. He is the propitiation for our sins, not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. And you could drive that home because the whole world, that expression, the whole world only occurs 2 times in 1 John. Occurs here and in 1 John 5:19. In 1 John 5:19 it says, “The whole world lies in the wicked one,” in Satan. That can’t be the whole world of the elect. If you want to say Christ died for the sins of the whole world of the elect, what are you doing with 5:19? The “whole world” meaning the whole world lies in the wicked one.
If you want, you may also want to see here for some other refutations of a couple other verses that are used. Second Peter 2:1 says, “Denying the Master (Lord) who bought them.” He is talking about heretics who deny the Lord who bought them, or paid for them. Hebrew 2:9 reads, “He might taste death for everyone.” Singular and interesting. Not for all people, each person: He tasted death for every person. It is hard to get around that.
So is there a problem with saying that Christ paid for the sins of the whole world. One could say that the way it is said is not sufficient, He paid for their sins, meaning only the elect. Maybe a response would be to say we don’t understand and we go back to the fact that a pardon is not a pardon unless it’s accepted. Then, just leave it at that.
There is a case where a man was destined for death row and there was some public outcry against his sentence and so the President of the United States sent a pardon. And the man refused to accept the pardon. That refusal went all the way to the Supreme Court and the Supreme Court ruled that a pardon is not a pardon unless it’s accepted and he died for his crime because he did not accept the pardon. The payment was there but it was not accepted. I know that almost all illustrations have fallacies and all I’m saying is the pardon is not a pardon unless it’s accepted. The first result of God is light is holiness. The second result is obedience, which we will see in Chapter 2 verses 3 – 6
[1] David Walls and Max Anders, I & II Peter, I, II & III John, Jude, vol. 11, Holman New Testament Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999), 160.
[2] John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, Dallas Theological Seminary, The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 886–887.
[3] John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, Dallas Theological Seminary, The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 887.
[4] The view has been capably discussed and refuted by Leon Morris in The Apostolic Preaching of the Cross (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1965, pp. 125–85).