1 John 2:1-2
1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.
“I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin”. What does the Apostle John mean by ‘not sin’? The answer will come depending on whom he is refering to when he writes “little children.” He doesn’t mean to be derogatory rather he is placing a certain emphasis on the nature of human relationships with Christ — we are His Children. The submissive nature of children means that we are in a position of receiving whatever goodness that He intends for us & the best good is for our perfection. Perfect moral, ethical, & behavioral transformation that exalts & praises & worships the Maker of our Perfection not in absence of Him nor absent in our transformation.
Thus there are two things going on with this one statement — the first is our whole & complete salvation through the Blood of Christ; His efficacy in our place poured out for us in order to present us as Holy relics before the throne of God. In this once-for-all sacrifice, in which the Perfect sacrifice, Jesus Christ, has given to us all that we need in the heavenly places so that through Him we have taken possession already of an inheritance that is ours in Christ.
However, we do not presently, in the flesh, have taken possession of it. This is the second implication of this statement — our salvation is ongoing in the pursuit of this possession. On the one hand, we are saved by the Blood of Jesus; on the other hand, so long as we live presently in this flesh, we are being perfected in ever-greater excellence in all the manner of life — moral, ethical, & behavioral — that there will exist imperfections, weaknesses, vulnerabilities, & sin that need to be identified & rectified completely. Therefore, the Apostle John cannot mean to Christians that we need to be saved everyday of our lives in order for us NOT to sin. That would do away with the once-for-all sufficiency of Christ’s death & resurrection. He has died & resurrected once, He will not need to do it over again. Once you’re saved you are saved for all eternity.
But what needs to take place for every Christian is maturity IN the Blood of Chrust. This cannot mean for non-Christians that they can posses this every increasing perfection absent the Blood of Christ upon their life. This cannot mean that non-Christians can do what Christians are expected to do & perform through the Blood of Jesus. That is impossible! Rather, the exhortation of the Apostle John to the church is this :
To non-Christians — do not be blind & ignorant of the sin that surrounds you & indwells you, there is yet still a Savior, Christ Jesus, who has availed Himself for you in your place & have freely offered Himself in order to place upon Him the many sins that surround you & indwells you. Allow Him to change & transform your heart so that you may yet be able to please Him perfectly & completely. I exhort you to believe on Him, who is your life & accept Him into your heart.
To Christians — do not be blind & ignorant of the sin that surrounds you & indwells you, there is yet still a Savior, Christ Jesus, who has availed Himself for you in your place & have freely offered Himself in order to place upon Him the many sins that surround you & indwells you. Allow Him to change & transform your heart so that you may yet be able to please Him perfectly & completely. I exhort you to believe on Him, who is your life.
What was the difference between the statements? The only difference that you should see is that to the non-Christian, there is an obvious call to receiving the Lord Jesus. For the Christian, such a call is not necessary. Why? Because the very definition of a Christian is that this individual have already received Christ into their hearts already — salvation is no longer necessary. But the sustenance of His Grace & the sanctification of their souls unto excellence must be taking place. The Indwelling Nature of the Presence of the Holy Spirit will not allow Christians to descend into sinfulness into perpetuity. This will end.
There is no doubt about that — if you are saved by the Blood of Christ, the Holy Spirit desires that we mirror & reflect Christ & that can only occur through the presence of His Spirit & the means of Grace He provides through the Scriptures, Prayer, the Sacraments, & the Preaching of the Word. In all of these, He utilizes in order to ensure our progression in the Spirit — that is what propitiation means for us & to us.
Upon the Christ on the Cross propitiation is the wrath of a powerful God meting out divine judgment upon His only Son. But for us, as Christ received the wrath & judgment upon His Body by the Father, His Righteousness for us — Christ’s Righteosuness for us — His Own Righteousness for us, was poured into our hearts. This made us alive once-for-all & keeps us in His divine Favor forever. And yet, that is not all — Christ was the propitiation for ALL our sins : Our Past Sins, Our Present Sins, & Our Future Sins. As we are presently, living this life in the flesh, all the sins we have yet to commit have been forgiven on the Cross of Christ. This is why it is still all the more important to ask the Lord for forgiveness of sins everyday & continue in His Grace through the maturing of our Spiritual Nature.
