1 John 2:1-5 Christ, Our Answer for Sin
1 You are my dear children, and I write these things to you so that you won’t sin. But if anyone does sin, we continually have a forgiving Redeemer [ends the curse] who is face-to-face with the Father: Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2 He is the atoning sacrifice [satisfaction] for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.
A New Commandment
3 Here’s how we can be sure that we’ve truly come to know God: if we keep his commands. 4 If someone claims, “I have come to know God by experience,” yet doesn’t keep God’s commands, he is a phony and the truth finds no place in him. 5 But the love of God will be perfected within the one who obeys God’s Word.
Just believing God exists and that Jesus is the Son of God does not bring redemption. In our passage today, John reminds us that not living under the authority of God’s Word is sin—rebellion against God. Keeping God’s commands is the proof and evidence of coming to know God. God’s forgiveness of our sins, the shalom that we share together, and the ongoing resurrection of Christ in our lives is the foundation for our witness as the Body of Messiah. May we continue to seek the perfection of God’s love in us as we live the Word.
Prayer: Lord, through your Word, you help me understand my sin, your sacrifice, and humanity’s invitation into eternal salvation. Help me proclaim the forgiveness of sins by living the Truth in your Love, today. In Jesus’ name. Amen.