Holy Wit – Bible Study #3 Christ Our Advocate (Walking in the Light: Studies Through 1 John – 1 John 2:1–6) Scripture Reading (NKJV) 1 John 2:1–6 1 John 2:1 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. 1 John 2:2 And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world. 1 John 2:3 Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. 1 John 2:4 He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 1 John 2:5 But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. 1 John 2:6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked. 1 John 2:1–6 (NKJV): https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+John+2%3A1-6&version=NKJV 1. Grace Is Not Permission to Sin John begins with a statement that immediately corrects a common misunderstanding of grace. “These things I write to you, so that you may not sin.” The purpose of the gospel is not merely forgiveness; it is holiness. God does not save people in order to leave them unchanged. The grace that pardons also transforms. Throughout church history, some have treated grace as a safety net beneath a life of careless disobedience. John rejects that idea at the outset. Notice the order. John has just taught that believers must confess their sins and that God forgives and cleanses (1 John 1:9). Yet he does not conclude, “Therefore sin is no great concern.” Instead, he concludes, “Therefore do not sin.” Biblical grace never lowers God's standard. It provides the means by which sinners may be reconciled to God and progressively conformed to Christ. 1 John 2:1 (NKJV): https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+John+2%3A1&version=NKJV Titus 2:11–12 (NKJV): https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Titus+2%3A11-12&version=NKJV 2. Christ Our Advocate Before the Father John immediately balances the call to holiness with assurance. “And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father.” The word Advocate carries the idea of one who comes alongside to represent another. John does not say believers might have an advocate if they have performed adequately. He says we have an Advocate. The significance is profound. The believer's standing before God ultimately rests not upon his own righteousness but upon Christ's righteousness. Our acceptance before God is grounded in the finished work of Christ and His continuing intercession. John specifically calls Him “Jesus Christ the righteous.” This title is central to the argument. A sinful advocate could not help guilty sinners. But Christ is uniquely qualified because He alone possesses perfect righteousness. The believer's assurance is therefore Christ-centered, not self-centered. 1 John 2:1 (NKJV): https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+John+2%3A1&version=NKJV Hebrews 7:25 (NKJV): https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews+7%3A25&version=NKJV 3. The Meaning of Propitiation John next explains why Christ can function as our Advocate. “He Himself is the propitiation for our sins.” This is one of the most important doctrines in Scripture. Propitiation means that Christ's sacrificial death satisfied the righteous wrath and justice of God against sin. Modern people often prefer to think only about God's love, but Scripture refuses to separate His love from His holiness. God is perfectly loving, but He is also perfectly just. Sin creates a real moral debt before a holy God. That debt cannot simply be ignored. At the cross, Christ bore the judgment deserved by His people. Divine justice was not set aside; it was fulfilled. Because the penalty has been borne, God remains both “just and the justifier” of those who trust in Christ. The cross is therefore not merely an example of love. It is an accomplishment. Something objective occurred there. Christ actually dealt with sin. 1 John 2:2 (NKJV): https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+John+2%3A2&version=NKJV Romans 3:25–26 (NKJV): https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+3%3A25-26&version=NKJV 4. Knowing God Produces Obedience Beginning in verse 3, John shifts from Christ's work to the evidence that His work has taken root in a person's life. “By this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.” John is addressing a recurring problem. Some claimed special knowledge of God while living lives marked by disobedience. John refuses to separate theology from conduct. Notice that obedience is not presented as the basis of salvation but as evidence of salvation. John is not teaching salvation by works. He is teaching that genuine faith produces visible fruit. A transformed heart produces a transformed life. This becomes one of the major themes of the entire letter. Profession alone is insufficient. Claims must be tested. 1 John 2:3–4 (NKJV): https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+John+2%3A3-4&version=NKJV John 14:21 (NKJV): https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+14%3A21&version=NKJV 5. Assurance Through Transformation John's concern is not to create uncertainty among believers but to provide legitimate assurance. “By this we know that we are in Him.” Throughout this epistle, John repeatedly provides tests of authentic faith. These tests are not intended to encourage endless introspection. They are intended to distinguish genuine Christianity from mere religious profession. One of those tests is obedience. The believer may stumble, fail, and require repeated repentance. Yet there remains a fundamental orientation toward God and His commands. Where the Holy Spirit is present, transformation follows. The perfection John describes is not sinless performance but the maturing work of God's love in the believer's life. 1 John 2:5 (NKJV): https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+John+2%3A5&version=NKJV Philippians 1:6 (NKJV): https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Philippians+1%3A6&version=NKJV 6. Walking as Christ Walked John concludes with one of the strongest statements in the letter. “He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.” Christianity is not merely agreement with a set of doctrines, although doctrine matters profoundly. Nor is it merely participation in religious activity. It is union with Christ. Those united to Christ increasingly reflect Christ. The pattern of His life becomes the pattern toward which believers are being shaped. His humility, obedience, truthfulness, love, and submission to the Father become the model for Christian living. John's argument is straightforward: Christ died for sinners. Christ advocates for sinners. Christ transforms sinners. Therefore those who claim to belong to Christ should increasingly resemble Christ. The gospel not only rescues; it renews. 1 John 2:6 (NKJV): https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+John+2%3A6&version=NKJV Romans 8:29 (NKJV): https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+8%3A29&version=NKJV Reflection Questions 1. Why does John begin with the command not to sin before discussing Christ as Advocate? 2. How does the doctrine of propitiation deepen your understanding of the cross? 3. Why is Christ's righteousness essential to His role as Advocate? 4. How does John distinguish between the basis of salvation and the evidence of salvation? 5. What practical areas of your life most need to be brought into conformity with Christ? Prayer Points 1. Thank God for the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ. 2. Praise Christ for His continuing advocacy before the Father. 3. Thank God that the penalty for sin was fully satisfied at the cross. 4. Ask the Holy Spirit to produce increasing obedience in your life. 5. Pray for wisdom to walk more faithfully in the footsteps of Christ. For Further Study (NKJV) Romans 8:33–34 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+8%3A33-34&version=NKJV Hebrews 9:24–28 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews+9%3A24-28&version=NKJV James 2:17–18 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James+2%3A17-18&version=NKJV #HolyWitBibleStudy #GordonMcGinnis #WalkingInTheLight #1John2