1 John 2:1-6
1 My little children, these things I write 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 whole world.
3 Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.
4 He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
5 But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.
6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.
Notice how John starts this section of his letter.
He wants to help us not to sin, but he acknowledges that we have sin.
What's the cure for our sin?
Jesus, our Advocate.
An advocate is one who pleads our case before a judge.
Someone who stands at our side or even in front of us, to help us.
He intercedes to protect us.
Think of Jesus as our perfect defense lawyer.
Even though we are guilty, He stands for us.
Jesus declares, "I paid that debt. It is washed away by my blood."
That is the propitiation, the forgiveness we have in Jesus.
Jesus, as God in the flesh, has satisfied the debt of sin for all of us.
But, this forgiveness, this grace is not an excuse to sin.
Far be it.
It is a chance for us to do better, to beat our sin.
A chance to learn and grow closer to the Lord.
In the next verses, John explains this.
He doesn't tell us what not to do, but he tells us what to do.
How can we know that we truly know and follow and believe in Jesus?
By keeping the Lord's commandments.
Remember what Jesus taught us.
“‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’
‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’
"Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them"
"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
"But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High.
For He is kind to the unthankful and evil.
Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful."
Those are the commandments of love, the Law of Love.
If we will keep and do those commandments, the love of God will be complete in us.
That is what is meant by "perfected" in verse 5.
That love will grow to fruition within us as we practice it.
Like everything in life, God's love must be learned and practiced to grow.
And this love is not human love.
It is the love of God, where we want good for everyone.
We desire for everyone to have what is good and best for them.
To the extent that we are willing to sacrifice to help them have the best.
Just like our example Jesus.
John says we should "walk just as He walked."
Meaning we should live like Jesus lived.
Live a life of love and sacrifice.
Carry on in the example Jesus gave us.
If we do these things, we will know that we are following the Lord and He is with us.
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