Making the Connections

Context: A letter to the churches—so in theory, believers

If not understood, our doctrine can be wrong; it’s not just about obedience; it’s about the personal saving relationship with Christ which precedes the obedience

Getting this wrong, send people to Hell; churches are doing that

This letter opens with a statement of the reality of Jesus’s humanity

His deity is pre-supposed and understood to be (as opposed to John’s Gospel in which His humanity is presupposed and His deity is proven

Following that chap. 1:5-10 discussed Jesus bringing the light, being the light, and how man must walk in light by obedience

Walking the walk; not just talking the talk

Into this environment false teachers were coming…absolute heretics

We will ask some “high order questions” those that require more information, not just a yes/no/maybe response—they provoke thought process

Now John makes a bold statement of purpose

English Standard Version Chapter 2

I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin

Seems to be contrary to the end of chap. 1

John goes on from here to explain

Within the explanation we will see some self-examination questions develop

Help us with the “Am I really saved” issue that so often crops up

Some observation points to examine—if we live this way/that way, what does it say about our salvation

We must note he says MAY NOT sin; not WILL not sin

Because of the Holy Spirit, who is our helper (John 14 and 15) who indwells us (true believers)

English Standard Version Chapter 2

we have an advocate with the Father

Underlying word of advocate is paraclete (not, as the captioning will say, parakeet)

It’s the same word used in the Gospel to describe the Holy spirit, the helper, comforter

(could provoke a side-trip on the composition of the Trinity—not going there)

Why Do We Need an Advocate?

Answered in a previous message

We all sin and fall short of the glory of God

For the unsaved, the wages of sin is death

For the saved, sin wrecks the fellowship between the sinner and God as well as the sinner and other believers

We confess, Jesus intercedes for us, mediates for us, acts on our behalf before the Father

Only Jesus can do that

1 Timothy 2:5 ESV

For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,

V. 1 answers the “who” of the higher order questions: Jesus Christ the Righteous is our advocate

When Jesus taught His disciples, his instructions were to pray to the Father, in the name of the Son (primary pattern for prayer)

Whatever we ask in His Name, the Father will do

What is Propitiation?

Some translate it “atoning sacrifice,” then we have to dig into atoning

It relates to mercy—and to the mercy seat of the tabernacle

We see the word again in c. 4; also found (some translations in Romans and Hebrews,

Layman’s definition: appeasing wrath and gaining the good will of the offended party

…as kids, bringing Mom flowers after tramping mud through the house

Our sin offends God terribly…little ones, big ones…in the middle ones

Only the blood of Christ is this—removes the offence and we can again be in fellowship with the Father

A few sub-questions

Why Is it Needed?

First for salvation

Second to restore fellowship

When Was this Done?

At the cross, where His blood was spilled

For Whom Was the Done?

Sufficient for all

Effective only for those who trust in the work of Christ

How Can We Know that We Know Him?

This is a big question

Many don’t have any assurance of salvation

There is doubt for any number of reasons

We have the assurance that a person truly saved, he is ALWAYS saved from John 10,

“no man can snatch them out of my hand/the Father’s hand”

But how do we know we are truly saved

1 john 2:3

1 John 2:3 ESV

And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments.

We’ve looked at other passages on obedience, i.e. J. 3.36; but there are other thoughts to explore

Paul helps us out in 1 Corinthians 6 9-11

1 Corinthians 6:9–11 ESV

Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

There is, for the believer, a transformation that occurs

The Corinthians had been depraved sinners…proven by their lifestyle and actions…their walk

Once they met Jesus, their lives were transformed, their walk changed, they became obedient to the Word of God

When we put all this together, we see that the knowledge John teaches is superior to the so-called knowledge of the false teachers

Knowing Jesus as our personal Savior, beats anything the heretics can put out there

Note the word “know” in this passage (gnosko)

Here John is attacking that beginning of gnosticism—people claiming “special knowledge” of God

Here We Get into Trouble

This addresses the never-transformed among the church community; there are many!

They said the right things, did the right things, on the surface they were good people;

on the inside, never transformed; the blood of Christ, the propitiation, had never been applied

The old hymn:

Have you been to Jesus for the cleansing power

Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

Are you fully trusting in His grace this hour

Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

The blood of Christ is sufficient for all

But each of us must come to Christ ourselves

The church—no church—can do it

No empty recitation of a creed or prayer can do it

No action/combination of actions can do it

No empty statement

Jesus told us

John 1:12 ESV

But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,

Then, upon becoming His children, we are to be obedient

Checking on our obedience is a good barometer of our salvation

Will we still sin? Certainly; but it will not be the pattern of our lives

A life should show some change

The words of Thomas Brooks, 1608-1680

A holy heart knows indulging in the least sin is sufficient grounds for any man to question his integrity towards God.

A holy heart also knows that the least sin cost Christ His dearest blood