Have No Desire For Sin

AUGUST 12, 2020 STUDY NOTES I JOHN 2:1-2 BIBLE TEACHER: CLIFTON JONES HAVE NO DESIRE FOR SIN INTRODUCTION John is revealing to us that God does not want us to live in sin John teaches us that Christians do not have to live in sin In chapter one we learned that as Christians we can live in fellowship with God and His Son And through fellowship with God we can live in fellowship with one another It is important to understand that John is still writing to the Christian just as in chapter one Many terms and truths found in chapter two will confirm that his message is to the believer THE BELIEVERS ADVOCATE 1Jn 2:1 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: This is the first of seven times that John calls his readers “little children” in this letter It is John’s favorite way of identifying with genuine born-again believers It is a term of affection for a loved one, referring to John’s love for the family of God Jesus used the same phrase, Joh 13:33 Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me: and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come; so now I say to you. Jesus was referring to His death upon the cross, He expressed love and concern for His disciples John probably picked up the term from the words of Jesus John wants to speak from his heart to the heart of the Christian He wants them to know that they are dear to the heart of God and-also dear to his heart John wants the Christian to have the assurance of being a child of God even though they will sin Before the sin is committed, they are a child of God After the sin has been committed, they are still a child of God John is going to teach us why that is true But he is not going to teach us that it is okay for the Christian to continue in sin He has already shown us the consequences of unconfessed sin in the previous chapter Christians cannot fellowship with God in unconfessed sin, 1Jn 1:6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: So, John writes to us out of a heart of love because he is concerned about us these things write I unto you, John refers to his writing in 10 verses of 1 John and a total of 13 uses of the word “write” John has already given us one reason for his writing, 1Jn 1:4 And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. He now gives us another reason for writing and the two go together The Christian cannot be filled with joy and live with unconfessed sin in their life God’s Word and the joy of a right relationship with God go together So, we not only need to read what John writes, we need to read the whole Bible When we read, study, learn, and live the Bible our life will be filled with joy God’s Word will prevent sin in our life, Psa 119:11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. John writes his word to us so that we “sin not”--that ye sin not. John does not contradict what he has already taught us He has already taught us that everyone is going to sin, 1Jn 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. The truth is that you are going to continue to commit sins even as a Christian There are those who use that fact as an excuse for sin in their life Claiming that “everyone else is doing it,” so they join in with the wrong crowd Another truth that John has already taught us is the forgiveness of sin, 1Jn 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. From this, some will find another excuse for sin Their excuse for sin can be, “what difference does it make if Jesus is going to forgive me” Those thoughts are as ridiculous as someone who would say: “Since there is an antidote for a certain poison, I will go ahead and drink the poison” John follows up the truth of sin and the forgiveness of sin with a very-strong statement “These things write I unto you that ye sin not” Jesus does “forgive us” of our sins but as Christians we are to “forsake sin” Paul explained to us the same thing John is telling us by asking a question, Rom 6:1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? Paul is not teaching go ahead and sin because you will experience the grace of God Paul had the answer to his question, Rom 6:2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? The word “death” in scripture does not mean extinction, the meaning is “separation” “Dead to sin” means that the power of sin over the believer has been broken, Rom 6:6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. John and Paul are both teaching that Christians have been set free from sin John is going to explain to us how the power of sin has been broken He does not say that the Christian “cannot” sin, he writes that we “may” not sin John is not referring to a sin filled life, he is not referring to a habitual path of sin He is not talking about a sin that has been a part of one’s life for a long period of time John will deal with that subject later in the letter He is not referring to a Christian who is daily practicing the same sin over and over He speaks of a single act of sin and he writes that we might understand the truth of that sin His point is that every sin is sin; Christians can sin; Christians will sin He writes to encourage us not to commit even one single act of sin Paul’s point was “do not serve sin,” which agrees with John’s teaching Christians must stay away from “all” sin because sin does make a difference in our life Even one sin will make a difference in our life, not one single sin can be taken lightly We can never say that a “little” sin won’t hurt, John wants us to know the “cost” of sin But he also wants us to know the “price that was paid” for our forgiveness of sin We must not take the “forgiveness of sin” lightly So how do you turn from sin? How do we avoid sin in our daily life? You read your Bible daily and pray that the Holy Spirit will teach you what it says You pray daily that the Holy Spirit will bring to your mind and heart what you have learned You live your daily life according to the leadership of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God You “walk in the light” daily and you confess known sin daily John writes to us so that we might not live our daily life in sin Sin means to miss that which has been marked out by God as life, to sin is to miss life When Christians sin they miss the joy of a right relationship with God known as fellowship So, John is warning us not to walk in one single sin, he encourages us not to sin even one sin Sin is something serious and Christians must take sin seriously, so John instructs us--- And if any man sin, “If” actually means “when” we do sin But it does not refer to a continuous repeated action, it is not the same old sin day after day John does not have in mind the path of habitual sin, the emphasis is upon one single act of sin John wants us to understand the consequences of any one sin at any given time Sin in the life of a Christian will result in a loss of Christian joy but not the loss of salvation The Christian will still be a child of God even though a sin has been committed John wants us to know that being tempted by Satan to sin is not a sin But if we yield to the temptation, we commit sin and there is the danger of continuing in sin That is why sin must be immediately confessed, we must not be dominated by sin To be filled with the Spirit is to be filled with the assurance of salvation John explains to us another assurance of salvation--we have an advocate with the Father, First notice that John says, “We have,” referring to each-and every believer John includes himself as one who needs an “advocate with the Father” Those who are lost and without Christ in their life do not have what we have We have “An advocate,” which literally means “one called alongside” One who is there to help, comfort, counsel, encourage, intercede, or whatever the need An advocate is one who comes to our side whenever we are in need The full meaning of our “Advocate” is difficult to define in a few words No N.T. writer uses the term “Advocate” except John, and he uses it 5 times in his writings In reference to the Christian, it speaks of Christ who is “standing alongside of us” Literally Christ is standing in us, with us, and for us as “our Helper” to aid us in all things He is standing with us for our comfort and encouragement In the Gospel of John, we find Jesus referring to the Holy Spirit as our “Advocate” There the same Greek word is translated “Comforter” and found four times The disciples of Jesus were discouraged because Jesus had said that He would be leaving them But then Jesus encouraged them by saying that they would not be all alone, Joh 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; The word “another” means “another of the same kind” The Holy Spirit’s role unto the believer is that of “another Jesus” They would not be able to forget Jesus because they would be reminded of all that He taught, Joh 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. The words of Jesus must be taught and remembered, we must remember to live them The “Spirit of Truth” would testify of “The Truth,” Joh 15:26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me: The completed redemptive work of Jesus allowed Him to return to the Father Upon His return to the Father He sent to us “our Advocate” or “our Comforter,” Joh 16:7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. Through the ministry of the Holy Spirit believers are comforted and encouraged But in 1 John there is an additional truth that we need to understand First John says that Jesus is our “Advocate with the Father” John presents Jesus as our “Substitutionary Advocate” who stands before God for us Jesus is presented as our defense attorney who comes forward, on behalf of our interest Jesus is our “Defense Lawyer” in the court of heaven, the one who speaks in our defense He does not plead that we are innocent, He acknowledges before the Father that we are guilty But He presents Himself and His vicarious work before the Father on our behalf There is a question that will help us to understand the meaning of “we have an advocate” How can sinful man ever enter the presence of the All-Holy God? Christians know that the answer is the “Person and Work of Jesus Christ” In the two verses we are studying, John uses two important words explaining the work of Jesus We have just discussed our “Substitutionary Advocate” who pleads our cause with the Father We have someone who stands before the Father and speaks to the Father for us In the next verse we will find that Jesus “is the propitiation for our sins” But before we leave the word “Advocate” there is one more thought to consider The fact that we need an “Advocate” reveals the fact that we have an “accuser” Jesus is the “Advocate of the Believer, Satan is the “accuser of the brethren,” Rev 12:10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. Satan accuses us before our God day and night, Jesus pleads our case before the Father, Rev 5:6 And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. Jesus stands before the Father for us, He stands “face to face” before the Father The case that is presented before the Father is not who we are within ourselves The case that is presented is who “Christ is” and who we are “In Christ” John now presents the person and qualifications of our “Advocate,” He is--Jesus Christ the righteous: He is the One who knows us and understands us, Heb 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Jesus is the One who can intercede for us, Rom 8:34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Christ is always there for us, Heb 7:25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. The next verse in Hebrews presents Jesus the same way that John does, as “the Righteous,” Heb 7:26 For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; Only as the “the Righteous” can Christ stand before God for us Jesus can stand before God because as the “Righteous” He died for the “unrighteous,” 1Pe 3:18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: Peter reveals five great truths about the Person and Work of Jesus: (1) He suffered for our sins (2) The “Just” or the “Righteous” suffered for the unrighteous (3) The purpose of the suffering was to bring those who would trust Him to God (4) He was put to death in the flesh (5) He was made “alive in the spirit” Only Jesus can stand before God the Father and completely please God for us We are assured that He is equal with the Father, He is the “Righteous One” before the Father He stands as the “Just One” before God for us without prejudice or partiality JESUS CAN FORGIVE SINS 1Jn 2:2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. “And He is” is a very strong point, “He himself” is the only one who can do what John tells us In verse 1, John told us what Jesus is now doing for us as He stands before God the Father In verse 2, John is telling us what Jesus did for us in the past, which is why He came to the earth What Jesus did for us in the past is what makes possible what He is now doing for us John tells us that Jesus is “the propitiation for our sins,” He Himself is the “atoning sacrifice” “Propitiation” means that Jesus Christ, the righteous, satisfies the righteous demands of God God is just or righteous and must remain true to His Character in all that He does His righteousness and holiness, demands wrath upon sin and the sinner The holiness of God requires that sin must be punished The wrath of God demands that the penalty of sin be paid God is also the God of infinite love, who loved the world of sinners Both the love of God and the wrath of God must be satisfied God could not change His holy demands against sinners apart from “propitiation” Only God could satisfy those demands, God himself must provide the escape from His wrath God provided the necessary sacrifice that would satisfy His demands “Propitiation” speaks of the satisfaction of all God’s righteous demands for judgment upon sin The word “propitiation” signifies the turning away of God’s wrath by a sin offering That offering was the sacrificial death of Jesus on the cross Jesus can forgive our sins because He is “the propitiation for our sins” Sin is the problem that separates us from God Jesus satisfied the righteous demands of God against sin, He was made sin for us, 2Co 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. The sacrifice of Jesus on the cross was acceptable to God God was fully satisfied with the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross That sacrifice turned the wrath of God upon sin from the believer God’s wrath will still fall upon the unbeliever John makes a distinction between “our sins” and those identified as “the whole world” and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. “Ours” refers to those who have been saved, to everyone who has been saved or will be saved Our sins have been paid for and removed from us by the blood of Jesus on the cross This verse does not teach universalism when it speaks of “the whole world” Universalism is the belief that everyone will be saved and forgiven of their sins Teaching that all will eventually go to heaven because God loved the world Some do not believe in the vengeance and wrath of God or an eternal punishment for the lost From Genesis to Revelation you find the love and grace of God, you also find the wrath of God The cross of Jesus can save a world of sinners and will save Gentiles and Jews No one is excluded from the opportunity of salvation God has not pre-determined that some people cannot be saved or that some will go to hell No one in hell can claim that it is God’s fault that they are there Only those who believe in Jesus are justified, Rom 3:26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. “What A Friend We Have In Jesus” Listen to the song