1 John 1:6 - 2:2 Dealing with Sin (Part 2 (Sermon 6)
We have come to a section of John's First Epistle where he is addressing the subject of
'Dealing with Sin'. He does this by looking at Three False Claims concerning Sin.
· He is addressing Three most Common Errors regarding Sin which are still prevalent today.
Note how John introduces each of these Three False Claims with the words:
"If we claim" (NIV) or "If we say" (AV) - at the beginning of verses 6, 8 & 10.
· In each case he makes a Contrast between the False Teaching & the Truth (1:7&9 & 2:1-2)

Last time we looked at the First Two False Claims concerning Sin:
The First False Claim is that Sin does Not Matter (verse 6)
· John says: "If we Claim to have Fellowship with God yet Walk in Darkness.
we lie, & do not live by the truth."
John goes on to explain God's Remedy for this Aspect of Sin (v7).
· If you claim to have Fellowship with God, Seek to Walk in the Light of God's Holiness.
· Furthermore: If we Walk in the Light as God is in the Light, Two Things will Follow:
Firstly: 'We will have Fellowship with One Another' (v7).
Secondly: "The blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us (or cleanses us) from every sin" (v7).

The Second False Claim is that Sin is Not a Part of our Nature (v8)
· John says: "If we claim to be Without Sin, we Deceive Ourselves & the truth is not in us."
Once again, John goes on to explain God's Remedy for this Aspect of Sin (v9).
· He says that: Confession of Sin is an Essential Part of the Believer's Walk with God.
· John goes on to give Two Words of Encouragement to the Believer who Confesses his Sins.
Firstly: We have the Assurance that God is Faithful & Just:
Secondly: We have the Assurance that God will Forgive us & Purify us.

Now, we come to the Third False Claim: That Sin is Not a Part of our Conduct (verse 10)
"If we claim we Have NOT Sinned we Make Him out to be a Liar &
his word has no place in our lives."
Notice the difference between the Second & Third False Claims:
· In verse 8, John refers to the False Claim that Sin is Not a Part of our NATURE.
· In verse 10, John is referring to the False Claim that Sin is Not a Part of our CONDUCT.
He is referring to the Acts of Sin, which are PRODUCED BY the Sinful Nature.
These False Teachers were saying:
"Not only do we not possess a Sinful Nature; Neither do we Commit Sinful Acts."
In other words, they were Claiming that Believers are Perfect.

This false teaching was not confined to John's day & age. Even TODAY certain people say:
"I believe in God & have Fellowship with him; But I have never been conscious of my sin
I simply do not understand why you are preaching this doctrine that 'all have sinned'.
After all, I was brought up in a Christian Home & I always try to do good to others.
I don't need to repent of anything.
You should concentrate your efforts on preaching to people who really need it."
Furthermore, there are Christians from some Sections of the Holiness Movement who say:
"I am born again of the Spirit of God; the Spirit Dwells within me; I have a New Nature; And, therefore, I simply Cannot Sin & will Never ever Commit Sin again."
· These people Deny Actual Sin.
· There is a self-satisfaction in such thinking, which claims that
Some Christians are of a Different Spiritual Class.
They claim to Live on a Higher Spiritual Plain than Other Believers.
These people claim to be More Holy than David, the man after God's own heart, who said:
"I know my transgressions & my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have
I sinned & done what is evil in your sight … Create in me a pure heart, O God, &
renew a right spirit within me" (Psalm 51:3-4 & 10).
They claim to be More Holy than Isaiah, who saw a Vision of God's Glory, & exclaimed:
"Woe is me! I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, & I live among a people of
unclean lips, & my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty" (Isaiah 6:5).
Listen to what the godly Bishop Ryle had to say about such people:
"A Right View of Sin is one of the best antidotes to the overstrained Theories of
Perfection. If men really mean to tell us that here in this world a Believer can attain to
entire freedom from sin … I must honestly say that such an opinion appears to me to be
unscriptural … I cannot find the slightest warrant in God's Word for expecting such
perfection while we are in the body …Christ alone is without sin."

Look at what the Apostle John says about people who say 'We Have Not Sinned':
"They Make God out to be a Liar & his word has no place in their lives" (1 John 1:10).
John is saying:
· If we do not realise that Believers Commit Sin, we are 'making God out to be a liar'.
· If we do not realise that Believers Still Need Forgiveness, we are calling God a liar.
· If we do not realise that Believers will Always Need Forgiveness, we are calling God a liar.
· If we dare to claim that All Believers are Absolutely Perfect, we are calling God a liar.

The Apostle John didn't go around looking at Christians with rose coloured spectacles.
· He has a very Realistic Viewpoint concerning the Condition of the Human Heart.
· He is very blunt & to the point about these people who claim that they Have NOT Sinned.
These people failed to realise how easy it is for Satan to entice people into sin.
They failed to realise that Christians are human beings, who are morally fragile
& prone to give in to temptation.

Never forget that John is writing to Believers when he says:
"If we claim we HAVE NOT SINNED, we Make Him out to be a Liar &
his word has no place in our lives."
Never forget that John is writing to Believers when he says:
"If we Confess our Sins, he is faithful & just & will forgive us our sins
& purify us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9).
Furthermore, Remember that the Lord Jesus taught his Disciples to Pray, saying
"Forgive us our Trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us" (Mtt 6:12).
· If Believers are 'Without Sin' - Why does Jesus teach us to pray for Forgiveness?
Derek Prime comments on this verse, saying:
"Sin is not eradicated from our lives when we are born into God's family.
While we hate sin as never before, & its power is broken, nevertheless
day by day we still sin & fall short of being the people we ought to be."
Apostle Paul declares:
"There is no one righteous, not even one …
All have sinned & fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3: 10 & 23).
For Believers & Unbelievers alike, the Doctrine of Sin is absolutely essential:
· Unless you realise that you are still a sinner, your hope is not fixed on Christ.
· Unless you realise that you are still a sinner, you are still Walking in Darkness.
· Unless you realise that you are a sinner, in need of God's Forgiveness,
you CANNOT possibly Claim to have Fellowship with God, who is Light & Holiness.
Yet again, in chapter 2:1-2, just as he did in 1:7 & 1:9, John makes a Contrast between the False Claim of the False Teachers and the Real Truth from the Word of God:
"If we claim we have Not Sinned, we Make Him out to be a Liar & his word has no place in our lives. My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defence (AV we have an Advocate) - Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the Atoning Sacrifice for our Sins (AV the Propitiation for our Sins), and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world."
Note how John is Writing to a Group of People whom he calls 'My Dear Children.'
· He is addressing his Children in the Faith. He is speaking to a Group of Believers.
This is a Word to Christian People who are Conscious of their Sin & Failure.
· Having stated the False Claim that 'We have Not Sinned', John gives God's Remedy for Sin, to those who are willing to confess that: 'We HAVE most Certainly Sinned' (ch 2:1-2)

Before John gives the Remedy to Believers who Need God's Forgiveness,
he tells us that his Ultimate Goal is that 'We will Not Sin'.
· It was possible that some of John's Readers might misunderstand the message
he had just written concerning the Confession of Sin & the Forgiveness of Sin.
· The fact that Believers are Not Free from Sin might be seen as a Licence to Sin.
· The fact that God is Faithful & Just & will Forgive Sin might also be seen as a licence to sin.
Therefore, John says quite categorically:
"My dear children, I write this to you so that you Will Not Sin" (ch 2:1).
· We must Never Think that, because God is Faithful, Merciful & Forgiving,
he is Not Bothered about our Wrongdoing.
The Apostle John makes it quite clear that God is Against Sin - he does not want us to sin.
· John writes with the Hope that 'We will not sin' (2:1). But, he has already said that
we are All Sinners who need to Confess Sin & have our Sins Forgiven (1:8-10).

How can we reconcile these two seemingly contradictory statements:
"We will not sin" & "If anybody does sin"
Peter Barnes says:
"This shows us that John is 'Both a Perfectionist & a Realist'. John is a Perfectionist
(in that he desires perfection) & a Realist (in that he knows what human beings are like)"
· Barnes goes on to say that only those who know something about these Two Motives at Work within their lives can really understand this teaching of the Apostle John.

Perhaps the best example of a man who understood these Two Opposing Motives at work
in the life of the Believer would be the Apostle Paul, writing to the Romans:
"I have the desire to do good, but cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; NO, the evil I do not want to do - this I keep doing" (Romans 7:18-19).
· Paul has a deep desire to be perfect & to do good, but finds that he does the very opposite.
· He keeps on doing evil, when his real desire is to do good.
· Paul's own experience reflects the honest experience of every born-again Believer
· This is why Paul goes on to say:
"What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?" (Rom 7:24).

The Apostle John goes on to give Two Aspects of God's Remedy for Sin:
Firstly, Jesus Christ, the Righteous Ones, is the Sinner's Advocate with God the Father.
"I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have
one who speaks to the Father in our defence Jesus Christ, the Righteous One."
AV "If any man sin, we have an Advocate with God, Jesus Christ the Righteous"(1 Jn 2:1)
John is addressing a Fundamental Question in the Life of Every Believer:
When you sin as a Believer. How is your Fellowship with God to be Restored?
How can you be forgiven when you have disobeyed God & fallen into sin?
· The Devil is constantly present. He is the Adversary of our Souls.
· If you find yourself sinning, Satan will whisper doubts in your ear, saying:
"You have no right to go back to God to seek forgiveness.
You have been Walking in the Light. BUT, now you are sinning & Walking in Darkness.
How can you Seek Forgiveness when you have Wilfully Disobeyed your God?"
· The Apostle John replies:
"I am writing so that you will not sin. BUT, I want you to know that if you do sin,
you have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous.

The NIV translation gives an insight into the meaning of the word 'Advocate':
"We have One who Speaks to the Father in Our Defence."
· The Greek word translated as 'Advocate' refers to 'One who Represents another.'
He stands before a Court of Law & Presents the Case of Someone Else.
He is someone who is called to your side to plead your case in a Court of Law.
The word 'Advocate' means a 'Legal Defender'.

Look at the Nature of this Work of Advocacy which is being done by the Lord Jesus Christ.
John says: "We have an Advocate WITH the Father."
NIV "We have one who Speaks to the Father in our defence."
· The meaning here is that we have one who speaks face to face with God the Father.
· It doesn't mean that we have someone who represents us now & again, or sometimes.
But, rather, we have an Advocate who is Always Face to Face with God the Father.
This is what the writer to the Hebrews says:
"Because Jesus live forever, he has a permanent priesthood …
He always lives to intercede for us" (Hebrews 7:24-26).
· Jesus doesn't have to be invited for an audience to intercede for us,
like some kind of Ambassador coming into the presence of a Foreign King.
· He is Always Looking into the Face of God the Father.
· Therefore, when you have sinned before God, you can come to the Throne of Grace immediately, to seek forgiveness through your Divine Advocate, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Look at John's Description of the One who is Our Advocate with the Father:
"But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defence
(AV we have an Advocate with the Father) Jesus Christ, the Righteous One" (2:1).
In ch 1 verse 7, John says:
"The blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us (or cleanses us) from every sin."
Why can the Blood of Jesus PURIFY us?
· John gives us the answer to that question here in ch 2:1.
The Blood of Jesus has the Power to Cleanse us from Sin
because it is the Blood of the Righteous One.

Notice that it is the Righteous One who has been appointed as our Advocate with God.
· John is referring to the Righteous Character of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The writer to the Hebrews provides us with a commentary on this truth:
"For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathise with our weaknesses,
but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are, yet was without sin.
Let us approach the Throne of Grace with Confidence, so that we may find mercy &
find grace to help us in our time of need" (Hebrews 4:15-16).
· Our God is a Holy God. Therefore, only the Righteous One,
the One who is Without Sin is fit enough to be our Advocate with this Holy God.
· No Fault was found in him. He is Absolutely Perfect.
· This is the kind of Advocate we need as our Representative in the Presence of a Holy God.
· No one who is unworthy in himself can possibly plead on behalf of sinners.
· However, it is the Righteous One who Pleads with the Father on our behalf.

Do you see the encouragement & consolation for the Believer who Falls into Sin?
· You have the Perfect Advocate with God the Father, Jesus Christ - the Righteous One.
Therefore, you can Come with Confidence & Boldness before the Throne of Grace.
You can Come with your Confession of Sin & Plead for Forgiveness,
in the certain knowledge that you will Find Mercy & Grace.
· I suggest that you read Hebrews ch 4&5 & see how this Doctrine is expounded in more detail.

Notice that the Righteous One is none other than Jesus Christ.
· Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the Anointed One of God, the Eternal Son of God, our Saviour,
He is the One who has been Appointed by God the Father as your Advocate.
· Jesus did NOT Appoint himself to this position of Advocate.
God, the Righteous Judge, has Appointed our Advocate.

The writer to the Hebrews tells us that the High Priest was NEVER self-appointed
He was ALWAYS appointed by God
"No one takes this honour upon himself; he must be called by God … So Christ did not
take upon himself the glory of becoming a high priest. But God said to him,
'You are my Son, today I have become your Father' …
'You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek'" (Hebrews 5:4-6).
· God himself Appointed & Set Apart his Own Son to be the Saviour & Advocate of
all those who believe in him.
· In his Everlasting Love, God the Father Anointed his Son for this task of being our Advocate.

Do you see the implication of this passage regarding the fact that Christ is our Advocate?
· Jesus Christ is the One who has been appointed as our Great High Priest.
His Priesthood is an Eternal Priesthood - He is 'a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek'.
· It is God the Father who has appointed our Permanent Advocate with himself.
· It also implies that the Advocacy of Jesus Christ, on behalf of his people, can never fail!
· Therefore, we can come to our Advocate with Great Confidence & Great Assurance.

In 1 Jn 2:1-2, the Apostle John gives Two Aspects of God's Remedy for Sin:
Firstly, Christ, the Righteous One, is the Sinner's Advocate with God the Father.
Secondly, Christ's Sacrificial Death is the Propitiation for our Sins (2:2).
Tom Wells defines this term 'Propitiation':
"A Propitiation is an act that turns away the wrath of another. 'Appeasement' is a
synonym. We use the word when someone is angry with us & we do something to remove his or her anger. We appease him or propitiate him so that
his anger toward us is removed."
· The Apostle John is speaking about Propitiating or Appeasing the Anger & Wrath of God.
He is writing about Satisfying God's Holiness & God's Perfect Justice.
He is writing about Dealing with the Outpouring of God's Wrath upon Sin.

The Doctrine of God's Wrath is not a very popular idea today.
· This is why many commentators shy away from this word 'Propitiation'.
People do not want to accept the Doctrine of God's Wrath.
People try to water down the meaning of the Greek term to fit their own theology.
· The New English Bible says that Christ is 'the remedy for the defilement of our sins.'
This is a phrase that draws attention to the Power of Sin, rather than the Guilt of Sin.
There is no mention of the Wrath & Anger of God.
· The RSV uses the word 'expiation', which at least refers to the removal of guilt.
However, it fails to deal with the connection between Man's Sin & God's Wrath.
· The NIV paraphrases the meaning by referring to Christ as 'the atoning sacrifice for our sins.'
That statement is perfectly true. However, it is an imperfect translation of the Greek.
It is only a partial translation of the full import of the Greek word.
· Only the AV gives the true meaning of the actual Greek word used by John.
Despite the fact that this is not a word that is commonly used today,
'propitiation' conveys the right idea & is the right translation.

Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones brought out the difference between the NIV & AV translations
long before the NIV was published:
"What we are told here is that Jesus Christ Himself is our Propitiation …
He is not only the Propitiating (or Atoning) Sacrifice, but, the Propitiation itself; everything that is necessary to reconcile the sinner with God is in Jesus Christ.
He is Prophet, he is Priest, and he is King. He is the Sacrifice.
It is his blood that has been shed & presented. It is all in him."

Despite the opinion of some so-called Modern Day Theologians,
the Scriptures speak very clearly about the Anger & Wrath of God.
· John is NOT talking about 'Anger' in the sense of 'flying off the handle' -God is not like that.
· Rather, he is speaking about God's Wrath & Anger being poured out upon
the presence of Injustice & Wickedness in the world & in the hearts of individuals.
· John is talking about God's Wrath against Evil & Sin.
One writer says that the Old Testament alone mentions God's Wrath over 500 times.
· For example, the Prophet Jeremiah says:
"My Wrath will break out & burn like fire because of the evil you have done -
burn with no one to quench it" (Jeremiah 21:12).
· The Lord God speaks through the Prophet Zechariah (8:17), saying:
"'Do not plot evil against a neighbour, & do not love to swear falsely. I hate all this'."

When we turn to the New Testament, we find the same teaching:
· Some writers point to John's Gospel ch 3 as a passage that speaks about God's Love.
· But they forget that this God of Love is ALSO a God of Wrath.
The Apostle John records the words of John the Baptist, concerning Christ:
"Whoever believes in the Son has Eternal Life, but whoever rejects the Son
will not see life, for God's Wrath remains on him" (John 3:36).
The Apostle Paul speaks to the Romans about not being Ashamed of the Gospel (Rom 1:16):
"Because the Gospel is the Power of God for the Salvation of everyone who believes."
However, in this context, Paul goes on to say:
"The Wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all the godlessness & wickedness
of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness" (Romans 1:18).
· Wherever you find Wickedness & Godlessness, you will also find Wrath.

Paul goes on to say that God's Wrath causes him to give people over to wickedness:
"God gave them over to the sinful desires of their hearts" (Romans 1:24)
"God gave them over to shameful lusts" (v26).
"God gave them over to a depraved mind" (v28).

The Scriptures also speak about the Wrath of God being Stored Up for the Judgement Day:
· In Revelation 6:17 the Apostle John speaks about: "The great day of their wrath."
John is referring to the Wrath of the Lamb & the Wrath of the Almighty God.
Then John says: "Who can stand against God's Wrath on that Judgement Day?" (v17)
· John says that, if men & women continue to Reject Christ's Salvation,
their names would not appear in the Lamb's Book of Life.
On the Judgement Day they will be "Thrown into the Lake of Fire" (20:15).
· The Apostle John leaves us no doubt that God is a God of Wrath, as well as a God of Love.

A vital Question must be answered: Is there really an Answer to the Wrath of God?
· This is the Good News of the Gospel - God's Wrath has been Propitiated or Appeased.
John says that:
"Jesus Christ is the 'propitiation' for our sins, that turns away God's Wrath"(1 Jn 2:2).
The Apostle Paul says (Romans 3:25):
"Christ Jesus - Whom God has set forth as the propitiation through faith in his blood." The Blood of Christ 'Propitiates or Appeases' God's Wrath in the same manner that the
Blood on the door-posts of the Children of Israel 'Appeased' the Angel of Death in Egypt.

There is no doubt that 'Propitiation' is an Essential Aspect of the Gospel Message:
· There is no doubt that the Scriptures teach the absolute necessity of a Propitiation for Sin.
· The Holiness & Justice & Wrath of God demand Punishment for Sin.
· They demand the Doctrine of Propitiation.
They demand that God's Wrath should be turned away from the sinner
& placed onto the propitiating or atoning sacrifice.
What should be Our Response to this Doctrine of Propitiation?
Surely, there is only one response.
We must Praise God because the Punishment for Sin has been fully paid by the Lamb of God
We must Praise God because the Righteous One has suffered & died to save sinners
We must Praise God because the Lord Jesus has taken away our sin & placed it upon himself
We must Praise God that the demands of God's Holiness & Justice have been fully satisfied.
We must Praise God because we can Plead with God for Forgiveness in the Name of Jesus, who is described by John as: 'the Propitiation for Our Sin'.
SUMMARY

We have been looking at how the Apostle John addresses the matter of 'Dealing with Sin'. In particular at the Third False Claim: That Sin is Not a Part of our Conduct (verse 10)
"If we claim we Have NOT Sinned we Make Him out to be a Liar &
his word has no place in our lives."
· There are Christians today who still say they Deny Actual Sin in the Life of the Believer.
· To any Christians who hold this viewpoint John says:
"They Make God out to be a Liar & his word has no place in their lives" (1 John 1:10).
The truth of the matter is that,
For Believers & Unbelievers alike, the Doctrine of Sin is absolutely essential.
Unless we realise that we are sinners, in need of God's Forgiveness,
we CANNOT possibly Claim to have Fellowship with God, who is Light & Holiness.

John makes a Contrast between the False Claim & the Real Truth from God's Word
· He tells us that the Ultimate Goal is that 'We will not sin''.
· However, John is both a Perfectionist & a Realist.
· He knows that All Believers do Commit Sin - Therefore,
He tells us that, 'If anybody does sin', there Two Aspects to God's Remedy for Sin
Firstly, Christ, the Righteous One, is the Sinner's Advocate with God the Father.
Secondly, Christ's Sacrificial Death is the Propitiation for our Sins (2:2).