1 John 2:1-6 - Jesus our Advocate and Propitiation - 8.2.2026

Turn to 1 John, chapter 2. Now, we're going to

1 John 2 · chapter mention

be digging into a lot of doctrine today also.

So we're going to pray, and then we're only going

to be focusing on the first six verses of chapter

2. But before we do that, we're going to need

to read a little bit. um in chapter one so we

understand the context of what john is saying

so let us pray uh today's message jesus our advocate

and propitiation um two very important doctrines

here but there's there's also several others

that we will be mentioning as we walk through

this together father i want to thank you so much

for your goodness and faithfulness thank you

lord for your word thank you um just for your

amazing work of salvation for your people. You

are our advocate. You are our propitiation. You

are the perfect sacrifice, the only sacrifice,

and the one eternal sacrifice that was given

for your people and for the salvation. Not only

that, to be conformed into the image, into your

image. Father, I pray that you would continue

to work out all things. for our good as you form

us into the image of your Son. We do praise you

and thank you for your goodness and faithfulness

in Jesus' name. Amen. So, chapter 1, let's start

off in verse 7, and then we're going to go through

verse 6 of chapter 2. But if we walk in the light

as he is in the light, we have fellowship with

one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son,

cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no

sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not

in us. And if we confess our sins, he is faithful

and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse

us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have

not sinned, we make him a liar and his word is

not in us. My little children, I'm writing these

things to you so that you may not sin. But if

anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the

Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous. He is the

propitiation for our sins, and not only for ours,

but also for the sins of the whole world. And

by this we know that we have come to know him

if we keep his commandments. And whoever says,

I know him, but does not keep his commandments

is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever

keeps his word, in him truly the love of God

is perfected. By this we... may know that we

are in him. Whoever says he abides in him ought

to walk in the same way in which he walked. So

quite a bit of stuff here. The first is Christ

is our advocate and propitiation for our sins.

The advocate is the one who speaks on your behalf

that you are not guilty. The propitiation is

the one who has paid the cost of your guilt.

A lot of times I think when we think about the

advocate of Christ, just how important his advocacy

is for you and I. And not only that, the reality

of the propitiation is the clarifier of that

advocate. There had to be something that paid

the cost to appease the wrath of God. And so

Christ. is that sacrifice by which he now can,

through the propitiation, be the advocate of

his people. In Hebrews 7 .25, it says, Consequently,

he is able to save to the uttermost those who

draw near to God through him, since he always

lives to make intercession for them. I want you

to hear that. He saves to the uttermost. OK,

that's in other words, the salvation of Christ

is beyond measure, beyond measure. The first

John 2, 1 and 1 and 2, my little children, I'm

writing these things to you so that you may not

sin. What things? Well, the list he previously

said in chapter one, which we went through. Right,

that if we confess our sins, he is faithful and

just to forgive us of our sins, that he. He has

cleansed us from sin. And that if we confess

that we have sinned, then the truth is in us.

But those who do not confess that they're sinners

or that they sin, the truth is not in them. And

we don't want to make God out to be a liar because

God is not. He says we are sinful. We are utterly

sinful, as we had talked about last week. In

total depravity. Now, when we deal with this

issue of advocacy, we see this here in the second

part of the verse. But if anyone does sin, it's

not that you're not going to sin, you're going

to sin. It's when you sin. So when you sin, we

have an advocate. Paracletus. One who pleads

another's cause. An intercessor. And he specifically

pleads the cause with the Father. Now, if Christ

was not the propitiation, there would be no cause

to plead. You're guilty. But because we have

a propitiation, we have one who has dealt with

our sin and has appeased the wrath of God, Christ,

when we do sin, can go to the Father and say,

They're covered, not guilty. I plead on their

behalf. And that's the idea of the advocate.

And we see that in Exodus. We're going to see

that in a minute. So the first thing I want you

to understand is when we're dealing with the

doctrine of the advocate of Christ, to be an

advocate requires a propitiation. There has to

be a... something provided that the advocate

can come before the judge and plead the case

of not guilty. Okay? He is the propitiation,

the means of appeasing. Now, what's interesting

is when you look at the issue of propitiation,

you also have to look at the reality of the atonement,

the atonement of Christ. The innocent being sacrificed

for the guilty. The blood being spilled for the

cleansing and the removal of the sin. By which

the advocate then can go before the father and

say, not guilty. Now this is important because

you cannot have one without the other. And we

see that in Exodus 32. So he is the propitiation

for our sins. And not for ours only, but also

the sins of the whole world. Now, to explain

this a little bit, I want you to understand when

we're looking at the effectual work of the sacrifice

of Christ, that the power of the sacrifice and

the shedding of his blood is more than enough

to deal with the sins of the whole world. It's

not just a little bit. His blood has power and

effectualness to take care of all sin. And that's

important because we see the work of Christ down

to the smallest minute detail of our lives. Many

would argue the point that the reality of atonement

or propitiation means if it's for the whole world,

then the whole world's sins are covered. There

is clear teaching throughout the Old Testament

and the New Testament that the application of

the propitiation is applied to those who believe.

And applied to those... whom God has appointed.

And what you see that, is you see that not only

in the establishment of the Passover meal, that

the family would take in the lamb on the 10th

of the month into their home, and the lamb would

stay in the home until the day of sacrifice,

which implies that the lamb is part of the family.

And that lamb would only cover or work, be applied

to the sin of the family, not sin of the nation.

That was a different sacrifice. So there was

the sacrifices that were given daily, and then

there was the sacrifice for the entire nation.

And we can see that also in Exodus. But we're

not going to get into the deepness of that right

now, because I want to focus on... the person

of Christ, the advocate and the propitiation.

Moses as advocate and to make propitiation in

Exodus 32. Now, I want you to hear that. Moses

is an advocate here. He makes propitiation. He

is not the propitiation, which is the difference

between him and Christ. Now, in Exodus 32, 30

through 33. The next day Moses said to the people,

you have sinned a great sin. So we have the declaration

of guilt here. And now I will go up to the Lord,

perhaps I, perhaps I can make atonement for your

sins. So he says, I'm going to go up and I'm

going to advocate for you, perhaps by appeasing

his anger towards you. And the word they use

there is atonement. Now, verse 31. So Moses returned

to the Lord and said, Alas, this people has sinned

a great sin. They have made for themselves gods

of gold. But now, if you will, forgive their

sin. But if not, please blot me out of your book

that you have written. Now, I want you to get

this. Very important. What do you notice about

the advocate here? He confesses the reality of

their guilt. He then says, listen, I am coming

on their behalf, and I am offering myself as

a means to appeal for your forgiveness. And what

you see here, he says, please blot me out of

your book that you have written. If you're not

going to forgive them, then I don't want to be

associated without them. That's an advocate.

And that's exactly what Jesus says. To some degree,

isn't it? What's he say? No one takes my life

from me. I give it of my own accord. I lay down

my life for my sheep. And Moses is doing something

very similar here. Take me out of your book.

I'm with them. Because the reality is, they've

sinned, and if you eliminate them, you eliminate

all of us, and I'm a part of them. That's my

family. Those are my people. It's very interesting.

And it's interesting because Jesus does the same

thing. Jesus dies for his people once for all,

the scripture says. Verse 33, but the Lord says

to Moses, whoever has sinned against me, I will

blot out of my book. Not you. Notice he doesn't

say, and you. He says, no, those who have sinned

against me, I'll blot out. But now go, lead the

people to the place. which I have spoken to you,

behold, my angel shall go before you. Nevertheless,

in the day when I visit, I will visit their sin

upon them. Upon them. And you read the rest of

the story, and the reality is what happens is,

Moses pleads on behalf of the people, and he

goes down, and he tells the people to pick a

side. And the Levites, who were the ones, which

Aaron is the one who made the golden calf, they

all move over to Moses' side. But everybody else

who didn't, the scripture says that the Levites

killed them all. But Moses was the advocate because

the reality is the wrath of God was going to

be placed upon the entire nation. But because

of Moses, God said, I will only visit those who

have sinned against me. Now, Jesus the advocate,

Luke 23 -34. And Jesus said, Father, forgive

them, for they know not what they do. And they

cast lots to divide his garments. Do you hear

that? Sounds similar to Moses. Moses says, they've

sinned against you. They don't get it, really.

Jesus says, Forgive them for they know not what

they do. He advocates for us on the cross. Jesus,

the propitiation. Romans 3, 21 through 26. But

now the righteousness of God has been manifest

apart from the law. Although the law and the

prophets bear witness to it, meaning Christ,

the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus

Christ for all believe. Do you hear that? That's

important. For there is no distinction. For all

have sinned and fallen short of the glory of

God. There is the declaration of guilt. And are

justified by his grace as a gift. There is the

work of Christ in soteriology as a propitiation

for our sins. Through the redemption that is

in Jesus Christ. Whom God has put forward as

a propitiation by his blood. So the issue of

God's appeasing is by the blood of Christ. Without

the shedding of blood, there is no remission

or forgiveness of sins. And this reality of the

propitiation by his blood, as Paul continues

in Romans, it says to be received by faith. How

is the propitiation to be received, applied by

faith? There it is. The application of the atonement.

Not the effectual offer of the atonement. It's

the application of atonement received by faith

that's important. This was to show God's righteousness

because in his divine forbearance he has passed

over former sins. And we know that. Another reality

of the... of the effectualness of God and the

application of the atonement was only those who

had the blood on the doorpost did not die. Now,

let's keep reading. Verse 26, it was to show

his righteousness at the present time. In the

same way he showed his righteousness and his

forbearance to the sins of the forefathers before

at the Exodus, we see Christ again in the present

time. God has been patient, not wanting any to

perish, but all to come to repentance. It was

to show his righteousness at the present time

so that he might be just and the justifier. What's

this mean? That he will show his justice? on

the punishment upon his son, and he will show

the reality that we are justified in Christ by

faith in Jesus. And not only that, he is also

just in the condemnation of those who don't believe

God is just either way or either way. It continues,

not only that he might be just and the justifier

of the one who has faith, In Jesus. There it

is again. Second principle. You know that you

know Christ. You know that you know Christ. Not

by a prayer spoken, but by your life being changed.

How can you know? How can you know for sure that

you are eternally secure in Christ? that you

are truly his. How do you know? All of us doubt.

All of us go through the questions. But the reality

is you know that you know Christ, not by a prayer

spoken, but by your life being changed. To know

him is to love his word, and to love his word

is to do his word. How do you know who is and

who's not? How do you know you know? Because

you desire his word and want to obey. Please

him and do his word because that is your heartbeat

for him. That is the reality of a really, truly

changed life. There are many who sit in the pews

in churches throughout the country and throughout

the world who say they know, but they really

don't know. Why? Because you'll know them by

their fruit. What is the fruit? The fruit is

a life of obedience. It's not a prayer. What

someone says isn't the guarantee. The work of

Christ is the guarantee. What is the result of

the guarantee? Change. Because that's what repentance

means. It's the idea that I've turned toward

God, away from my sin, that I want him more than

anything else. In John 14, 15 through 17. Jesus

says, if you love me, you will keep my commandments.

And I will ask the Father and he will give you

another helper to be with you forever. Do you

hear that? In other words, you can't do this

life on your own. You can't live this way on

your own without the helper to help you. And

the reality of our desire to be obedient to the

word of God is the actual... effectual work of

the Spirit of God in you. I want to please him.

Verse 17, even the Spirit of truth whom the world

cannot receive because it never sees him nor

knows him. You know him for he dwells with you

and will be in you. How do you know? The Spirit

of God is present in your life. What is the work

of the Spirit of God present in your life? Sanctification.

What is sanctification? God changing you and

making you like Him. Taking out the bad and putting

in the holy. And your desire to be obedient in

all things is the reality of the proof of that

work of the Spirit in you. In 1 John 2, 3 -4.

Now one of the other things I want you to understand

is very important. If the Word of God is the

very thing that continues to work effectually

in us to form us and conform us into the image

of His Son because it's living and active, how

much time do you spend in it? Is it important

to you? Do you study it? Do you soak your life

daily in it? Do you eat the manna every day?

Do you drink the everlasting water of the Word?

Are you being cleansed by the water of the Word?

How much time do you really spend in it? How

important is the Word to you? Because you cannot

know the God of all creation without knowing

What he's giving you to know. This is what it

says in verse 3 and 4. And by this we know, gnosko,

to know God expressed in action. It implies a

deep intimacy, a relational deepness of knowing.

And that knowing is seen in my action toward

him. That is what gnosko means. And you'll notice

that just in these two verses, gnosko is used

three times. In the six verses, gnosko is used,

as a matter of fact, let me pull it up. I think

it's four times in six verses. Here is the first

one. And by this we gnosko. We know that we have

come to gnosko him. We know that we know if we

keep his commandments. Very important. A lot

of people say they know. A lot of people think

they know. But the reality is to know. And to

come to know is I keep his word. Do you see that?

By this we know that we have come to know him

if we keep his commandments. What's the proof

of my conversion? Obedience. People don't like

that. It's okay. Whoever says I know him, Gnosko,

but does not keep his commandments is a liar.

and the truth is not in him. You cannot say I

know him and you're not being obedient. This

is not an issue of legalism. It's an issue of

my greatest desire is to love him. And loving

him is to do what he tells me to do. What happens

to those who do not know or who do not keep his

commandments? They're liars. They're just, they're

liars. He just straight says it. And the truth

is not present. Now what's interesting is Jesus

says, I am the way, the truth, and the life.

And if we are not keeping his commandments, that

means Jesus is not in you. Third principle. You

know that you are eternally his. He lives in

you, and you in him. If you abide in him, you

will and must live as he lived. This is John's

clear declaration in John 14, 23 through 24.

Jesus answered him. If anyone loves me, he will

keep my word and my father will love him. And

we will come to him and make our home with him.

There it is. If we are in Christ, the truth is

in us. But if we are not, and we are not being

obedient to the word, then the truth is not in

us. And he tells us that he will come and live

with him. He and the Father. We will come to

him and make our home with him. Whoever does

not love me does not keep my words. And the word

that you hear is not mine, but the Father's who

sent me. It's interesting that Jesus clarifies

that all that the Father has spoken, Jesus speaks.

1 John 2, 5 and 6. But whoever keeps his word,

in him truly the love of God is perfected. How

do we know that the love of God is perfected?

Because of the effectual work of Christ through

his sanctification in us and his conformity of

us, because he has imputed to us his righteousness,

he will not leave us to our own demise. And plus,

if he is in us, then the truth is actively working

in us because the Spirit of God is present. guiding

us in all truth. He has not left us as orphans.

He has given us a helper that we would rightfully

and righteously be obedient in all things. But,

as a reminder, if we confess our sins, He is

faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and

cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Why? Because

If we say we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves,

and the truth is not in us. So the reality of

God's perfect work in us is that truth is present,

and we are being obedient to it. That shows that

I know that I know him. By this, we may gnosko.

We may know that we are in him. How can you know

that you are in him? Because you keep his word.

How can you know that you are in him? The truth

is in you. How can we know? Because whoever says

he abides in him ought to walk in the same way

in which he walked. What is the proof? The seen

fruit. Obedience. We walk like Jesus walked.

And the reason why John is doing this, because

as we learned last week, when we deal with the

reality of light, we receive the light, we proclaim

the light, we walk in the light. The proof that

we are walking in the light, that we have proclaimed

the light, and that we receive the light, is

that we want to obey him because we love him.

We want to obey him because we know him. We want

to obey him because we want to please him. We

want to obey him because we love his word and

we want to be fed and heard and hear him. How

important is the word of God to you? And the

reality is, because he has done this great work,

we can know for sure that he is our advocate.

Jesus Christ the righteous and the propitiation

of our sins because we obey his word. That's

how you know that you have an advocate. Jesus

speaks on your behalf because you're being obedient.

You see the effectual work of Christ's salvation

in your life. So next week we'll pick up on verses

7 through. Father, I want to thank you so much

for this message. Thank you, Lord, for this time.

Lord, as we spend time to do your supper, I pray

that you're honored and glorified that we would

reflect deeply on our lives as we partake of

this bread and this juice.