Thank you Lord Jesus for being my propitiation and my advocate before the Father. It is Your holiness that makes me acceptable in God’s sight, for You alone are holy. Thank you for the Holy Spirit that indwells me and causes me to live a life of righteousness. I love you, Lord Jesus. Amen.
1 John 2
We briefly looked at the word advocate (parakletos) yesterday. It is #3875 in the Strong’s numbering system if you want to look more deeply into its meaning. It basically means to comfort, encourage or exhort. In the Greek, it is used of a legal advisor, pleader, or proxy; one who comes forward in behalf of and as the representative of another.
In I John 2:1, Christ is called our substitutionary, intercessory advocate.
Read John 14:16
Christ designates the Holy Spirit as Paraclete (John 14:16), and calls Him another (allos, #243), which means another of equal quality. Therefore, the Holy Spirit is designated by Jesus Christ as equal with Himself, i.e. God in I John 2:1. In addition, the Holy Spirit is also called the Paraclete because He acts as Christ’s substitute on earth.
We also briefly looked at the word propitiation (hilasmos) yesterday. It is #2434 in Strong’s numbering system if you want to also look at its meaning more carefully. It basically means to make payment, to reconcile to oneself, to satisfy a debt.
In the NT, we find man incapable of offering anything to placate God because He is a righteous God. For Him to accept sinful man, it was necessary for God, not man, to do something to deliver man from his sin. This is the reason why, in I John 2:1, we find Jesus Christ presented as the Righteous One.
God demands that the payment for sin be made once and for all. It is Christ Himself, therefore, who becomes hilasmos, the means which is acceptable to God to satisfy His righteousness or His justice. This does not merely appease God but provides the means for the redemption of man.
Christ is the propitiation which supplies the method of deliverance from our sin, and, being reconciled to God, we are acceptable for fellowship with God. (see Dr. Zhodiates NT Word Study Dictionary for a more complete explanation)
I’ve said all this to make a very important statement.
Christ is the sacrifice that satisfies our sin debt. Christ is the sacrifice for the sins of the world (I John 2:2) but He is Advocate only for believers! That is a VERY important difference! Jesus represents (advocates) only believers before the throne – therefore His propitiation covers believers only! His propitiation is offered to the world, but it only is applied to believers.
John is very careful with this teaching because of the heresy of Gnosticism that stated we are not responsible for the sins committed in the flesh (matter) and are not in need of a Savior!
Praise the Lord… we have an Advocate that is also our complete Propitiation for Sin that restores our Fellowship with God so we can Abide with Him and Know Him!! Do you see now why these words were of such importance that you were to look them up?
Abide : meno (#3306) – of the relation in which one person or thing stands with another, chiefly in John’s writings; to remain in or with someone, to remain united with him in heart, mind, and will; to remain steadfast and persevere with one; to dwell with.
Know : ginosko (#1097) – acquired knowledge. In the gospel of John, ginosko denotes personal fellowship with God or Christ and also between the Father and the Son (John 10:14, 15, 27). Since the Father and the Son know each other, they love each other (John 3:35). The same relationship exists between the Lord Jesus and His disciples (John 13:1). To know God is to be directed by love (I John 4:7, 8) and is, therefore, followed by a life of love and the execution of Christ’s commandments (I John 2:3) It could be said that ginosko means to believe, for it is through faith that we come to love the Lord. Knowing God is certainly more than just knowing about Him.
You also looked at the phrases “if we say” or “the one who says”. This is a contrast of saying/doing.
1:6 – “If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth”
Conclusion: walk in darkness = liar that does not practice the truth
1:8 – “If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us”
Conclusion: don’t admit your sin = deceived and devoid of the truth
1:10 – “If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.”
Conclusion: don’t admit your sin = calling God a liar and devoid of His word
2:4 – “The one who says, ‘I have come to know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him”
Conclusion: don’t keep God’s commandments = you are a liar and devoid of the truth
2:6 – “the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked”
Conclusion: those who abide in Christ are recognizable as walking as He walked
2:9 – “The one who says he is in the light and yet hates his brother is in the darkness until now”
Conclusion: hate is inconsistent with walking in the light
Scripture gives us a good description of what a believer looks like! How are you doing?
I thank you Lord that You loved me enough to tell me in Your word how I can examine myself (II Cor. 13:5). Open my eyes that I may see!! Amen.
