Jesus Christ Our Advocate: 1 John 1:5-2:2

1John 1:5 This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.

1John 1:6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.

People living lifestyles of darkness but still claiming Christ as Lord are lying and not practicing the truth as it is found in Jesus.

1John 1:7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

As we following Him in the light we have fellowship with others walking in that light and our lives our purified by his blood.

1John 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

1John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

If you don’t think you need the ongoing cleansing of Christ, you are self-deceived. We need to keep short accounts with God and others. When we enter into a relationship with Christ our sins past, present and future are dealt with. Yet, there is still a need for confession to keep our consciences clean and clear. Much like a child’s disobedience doesn’t remove him or her from the family, our individual sins do not remove us from God’s family. Yet, it does negatively affect the relationship. Children need to say and parents need to hear their children say, “I’m sorry.” The same is true in the family of God.

1John 1:10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

1John 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. 1John 2:2 And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.

Telling us of God’s love that is so great it forgives all our sins doesn’t cause us to sin but actually keeps us from sin. We don’t want to offend the heart of such a great love. As our advocate, Jesus is our counsel who speaks in our defense. As the righteous one, He doesn’t deny our guilt but His plea is that He has paid the penalty for our sin, so that we go free.