1 John 2:1-6
Christian faith journey is entirely based on the person and works of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We can only understand our faith in the Trinitarian nature of God because it is absolutely essential to the biblical faith.
God the Father is the source of all creation
God the Son, Christ became a man, lived, died, rose again and living today
God the Holy Spirit, our present help
I. CHRIST OUR ADVOCATE (1)
John recognized the sinful nature in every believer of the Lord Jesus during his time.
He was telling them that they don’t have to sin because they walk in the Lord’s light.
When people walk under His light cannot hide anything in their life.
He says even if we sin we have a Lawyer in heaven to plead for us before the Father.
This Lawyer is unlike earthly lawyers who are mostly crooks but a Righteous One.
The ascended Christ prays before Father God all the time for the sins we commit after
We have to keep this in mind that we do sin and needs God’s forgiveness always.
Thus Christ becomes our Advocate to go between sinning believer and a holy God.
II. CHRIST OUR PROPITIATION (2)
Propitiation has a profound significance in Christian faith.
Propitiation means atonement
In a secular meaning to atone means to make amends--to repair a wrong done.
In biblical sense it means to remove guilt of human sin.
The real and final atonement happened when Lord Jesus died for us on the cross.
Christ’s death on the cross is a universal offer whether people accept it or not.
It does not mean that everybody will be saved from sin.
Thus propitiation applies to only those who believe in Jesus by faith.
III. DO WE KNOW CHRIST? (3-5)
John was mainly focusing on two things: the talker and the walker.
The talker is the one who knows Jesus without any deeper relationship.
Unfortunately many believers in the Lord fall in this category.
The walker is the one who has the assurance as well as the obedience exercised.
Our salvation experience is determined by our knowledge of the Lord.
The important question is do we really know Lord Jesus Christ?
Assurance of salvation leads to the discipleship of the Lord.
Our obedience to the Lord gives us assurance of our salvation.
All who believe and put their faith in Him have to know that or understand seriously that they have to know Him personally.
Obedience is the key here.
When a person obeys His commands, he/she comes to know Lord Jesus intimately.
If we do not obey God’s commands, we can hardly have any confidence we know God through faith in Christ.
The life of an obedient disciple becomes a channel for God to express His redemptive love for others.
IV. CHRIST OUR EXAMPLE (6)
Those who believe in Lord Jesus must live like Him because He is our example.
In Phil 2:5 Apostle Paul talks about our attitude should be that of Christ Jesus.
Verses 6-8 describe Lord’s submission to the Father as He humbled Himself.
Christ was obedient to the Father, loved the lost so we are to imitate Christ.
So if we claim to live in Him, we have to live like Him which is a hard thing but we must try.
John Newton the converted slave-trader later became a minister of the Gospel.
He said, “I am not what I ought to be; but I am not what I once was. And it is by the grace of God that I am what I am.”
Are we different than we once were?
Is our life characterized by obedience to His word?
Christian faith journey is entirely based on the person and works of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We can only understand our faith in the Trinitarian nature of God because it is absolutely essential to the biblical faith.
God the Father is the source of all creation
God the Son, Christ became a man, lived, died, rose again and living today
God the Holy Spirit, our present help
I. CHRIST OUR ADVOCATE (1)
John recognized the sinful nature in every believer of the Lord Jesus during his time.
He was telling them that they don’t have to sin because they walk in the Lord’s light.
When people walk under His light cannot hide anything in their life.
He says even if we sin we have a Lawyer in heaven to plead for us before the Father.
This Lawyer is unlike earthly lawyers who are mostly crooks but a Righteous One.
The ascended Christ prays before Father God all the time for the sins we commit after
We have to keep this in mind that we do sin and needs God’s forgiveness always.
Thus Christ becomes our Advocate to go between sinning believer and a holy God.
II. CHRIST OUR PROPITIATION (2)
Propitiation has a profound significance in Christian faith.
Propitiation means atonement
In a secular meaning to atone means to make amends--to repair a wrong done.
In biblical sense it means to remove guilt of human sin.
The real and final atonement happened when Lord Jesus died for us on the cross.
Christ’s death on the cross is a universal offer whether people accept it or not.
It does not mean that everybody will be saved from sin.
Thus propitiation applies to only those who believe in Jesus by faith.
III. DO WE KNOW CHRIST? (3-5)
John was mainly focusing on two things: the talker and the walker.
The talker is the one who knows Jesus without any deeper relationship.
Unfortunately many believers in the Lord fall in this category.
The walker is the one who has the assurance as well as the obedience exercised.
Our salvation experience is determined by our knowledge of the Lord.
The important question is do we really know Lord Jesus Christ?
Assurance of salvation leads to the discipleship of the Lord.
Our obedience to the Lord gives us assurance of our salvation.
All who believe and put their faith in Him have to know that or understand seriously that they have to know Him personally.
Obedience is the key here.
When a person obeys His commands, he/she comes to know Lord Jesus intimately.
If we do not obey God’s commands, we can hardly have any confidence we know God through faith in Christ.
The life of an obedient disciple becomes a channel for God to express His redemptive love for others.
IV. CHRIST OUR EXAMPLE (6)
Those who believe in Lord Jesus must live like Him because He is our example.
In Phil 2:5 Apostle Paul talks about our attitude should be that of Christ Jesus.
Verses 6-8 describe Lord’s submission to the Father as He humbled Himself.
Christ was obedient to the Father, loved the lost so we are to imitate Christ.
So if we claim to live in Him, we have to live like Him which is a hard thing but we must try.
John Newton the converted slave-trader later became a minister of the Gospel.
He said, “I am not what I ought to be; but I am not what I once was. And it is by the grace of God that I am what I am.”
Are we different than we once were?
Is our life characterized by obedience to His word?
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