1 John 2 — Our Counselor and Atoning Sacrifice
Introduction: John continues his letter in chapter two with comments about the counselor (advocate, intercessor, or mediator) that believers have in Christ Jesus, who is also the only atoning sacrifice (propitiation) acceptable to God the Father to cancel the separation caused by the sin that besets all people in every generation. John also warns that there are many Antichrists already in the world, but the true Christian can avoid them, and wait confidently for the second coming of Christ.
Note: All Bible text is from the World English Bible.
A — Our Counsellor and Our Atoning Sacrifice
“1 John 2:1-2 My little children, I write these things to you so that you may not sin. If anyone sins, we have a Counsellor with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous. 2 And he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the whole world.”
B — If We Know Christ Jesus We Will Keep His Commandments
“1 John 2:3-6 This is how we know that we know him: if we keep his commandments. 4 One who says, ‘I know him,’ and doesn’t keep his commandments, is a liar, and the truth isn’t in him. 5 But whoever keeps his word, God’s love has most certainly been perfected in him. This is how we know that we are in him: 6 he who says he remains in him ought himself also to walk just like he walked.”
Comments: The apostle John was very much influenced by the direct words of the Lord Jesus, and believed that true love of God must be demonstrated by keeping his commandments. John “15:9 Even as the Father has loved me, I also have loved you. Remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and remain in his love. 11 I have spoken these things to you, that my joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be made full. 12 ‘This is my commandment, that you love one another, even as I have loved you.’”
We are to walk as Jesus walked, and even the Old Testament scripture can express the heart’s desire of the believer who knows the successful “walk” is dependent on the Lord’s enabling power. Psalms “86:11 Teach me your way, Yahweh. I will walk in your truth. Make my heart undivided to fear your name.” Another psalm assures us that the Lord knows our every weakness and that his love is sufficient to supply his righteousness to those who fear him. Psalms “139:1 Yahweh, you have searched me, and you know me. 2 You know my sitting down and my rising up. You understand my thought from afar. 3 You search out my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways. 4 For there is not a word on my tongue, but, lo, Yahweh, you know it altogether. 5 You hem me in behind and before, and laid your hand on me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me. It is so high that I can’t attain it.”
John’s teaching emphasizes that the Christian person who truly loves Christ Jesus demonstrates that love by keeping his commandments. Isaiah prophesied about Christ and makes the connection to obedience, Isaiah “53:11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied. By the knowledge of himself shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.” Those who are seeking to become the righteousness of Christ are continuously growing in the process of sanctification. The grace of Christ the counselor and intercessor for the believer constantly moves them forward along the path of keeping his commandments.
Paul wrote this to the church at Colossi. Colossians “3:1 If then you were raised together with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated on the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on the things that are above, not on the things that are on the earth. 3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, our life, is revealed, then you will also be revealed with him in glory.”
Through Adam we were born into sin, but through Christ we receive the gift of his righteousness. Romans “5:17 For if by the trespass of the one, death reigned through the one; so much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one, Jesus Christ.”
Reflections in Prayer
Heavenly Father, I thank you that Jesus is able to perfectly represent me before you because his atoning sacrifice first paid the penalty for my sin that would otherwise prevent my reconciliation to you. Thank you Lord Jesus that you are a tender counselor because of the great love you proved on the cross. You came to live within me as the seal of my salvation, and as the enabling power to allow me to keep your commandments. Lord, the light you brought into the world has exposed the dark side of my heart, and has shown me by your example that there is no greater love than to give of one’s life for another. I accept your truth that if I truly love you I will love my brother. By showing that love in a practical manner, I want to continue in you Lord as you continue in me. I pray that you will remove from me any unrighteous desires for the things of this world, knowing that all of this will pass away and only the elements of your kingdom will remain. Thank you for guiding John by your Spirit to write about the identifying characteristics of the many Antichrists who malign the truth about the God-man Christ Jesus. I want to remain firmly confident in your love to the end of my life that I may rejoice at your return with all others who eagerly await your appearing. Amen.
Published 29 June 2011
Comments: John tells us that he wrote this letter to equip the believer to be able to avoid those things that are contrary to God’s commandments, but if we fail in some point, we have Christ to represent us before God the Father for forgiveness. A counselor in the legal sense is an advocate for one who has been accused of violating some portion of enacted law, and Christ Jesus is the only faultless counselor. Could anyone have a better counselor? Isaiah “9:6 For to us a child is born. To us a son is given; and the government will be on his shoulders. His name will be called Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
The Greek word translated as counselor only this one time in John’s letter as he tells us Jesus is our counselor, appears only four other times anywhere else in the bible, all of those in the gospel written by John. The KJV translates that Greek term as advocate in 1 John, and translates it all four times as comforter in the gospel of John. The WEB version translates all five occurrences as counsellor. John “14:15 If you love me, keep my commandments. 16 I will pray to the Father, and he will give you another counsellor, that he may be with you forever, 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world can’t receive; for it doesn’t see him, neither knows him. You know him, for he lives with you, and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you orphans. I will come to you.”
Some interesting points from the passage in the gospel of John: 1) Jesus said he would pray {as a counselor} to the Father, 2) the Father would give another counselor, the Spirit of truth, to be with his disciples forever, 3) Jesus said they already knew him, “for he lives with you {Jesus in the flesh}, and will be in you.” 4) Jesus told his apostles that he would not leave them as orphans, {the only other use of the Greek term is translated as fatherless} because he would come to them. He had already been with them as the Son of God, he says he will come back so they will not be fatherless and they will have the Spirit of truth in them. This is the glory of the triune God!
Jesus knew that his death would cause them grief, but he told them, John “16:7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth: It is to your advantage that I go away, for if I don’t go away, the counsellor won’t come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.” When Jesus went away, it was to death on the cross to pay the penalty for sin in behalf of all who will accept him as their Savior; therefore it was absolutely essential that he leave his disciples at that time. He returned to the Father in heaven after his resurrection and sent the counselor as promised. The Holy Spirit could not be our defense counselor without the atonement (substitutionary sacrifice for sin) provided by Christ. Paul makes these comments, Romans “5:8 But God commends his own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we will be saved from God’s wrath through him. 10 For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we will be saved by his life. 11 Not only so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.”