Day 7- 1 John 2:1-2

CBC Family Devotions- 1 John

Day 7

1 John 2:1-2

This passage accounts for one of four times in this book that John tells us why he is writing:  “these things I write to you…”  John is writing this to Christians so that they “would not sin”.  Once again, John is pointing our attention from merely learning concepts to the practice of this belief system.  More than that, he is providing some important and necessary encouragement to those who have joined into this fellowship with Christ. 

Read 1 John 2:1-2

There are a couple of important titles that we need to think about:  Advocate and Propitiation.  Our Advocate is our Comforter- the Holy Spirit- who desires that we listen and heed His promptings to do what is right.  Our propitiation is Christ- who, as one author has said, “is the wrath absorbing sacrifice for our sin”.  When we sin, we have lost our direction and broken fellowship with Christ.  We will mess up.  We will sin.  But the power and motivation to get back into right fellowship with Christ do not come from our own sheer will power. 

There is a story told of a man who operated an ice house- the old fashioned kind that kept ice to sell.  While working, the man lost his pocket watch in the sawdust.  He offered a reward to the workers.  They sifted through the sawdust with rakes and on their hands and knees, to no avail.  After they left for lunch a small boy went into the icehouse, and a few minutes later returned with the watch in his hand.  When asked how he found it, he replied, “I just lay down in the sawdust and listened.  When I heard it ticking I picked it up.” 

Most of the time we work really hard to get back on track and find our way and make things “look right”.  In the process, all we have done is created a lot of confusion and kicked up a lot of dust.  The best thing to do is stop and listen to your Advocate.  In response you will hear Him prompting you to ask forgiveness of your sin (1 John 1:9).  When you do, He will forgive you, because he is the only ONE who Can.  He is the propitiation for our sins.