“The Sins of the Whole World”

1 John 2:2 KJV [2] And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. Think for a moment about all the sins you have committed. The sins of omission and the sins of commission. They are more than you could ever recall, and these are just your past sins. Now think about your present sins. How many are there? They, too, are more than you can count. If you were to begin confessing them right now, it would take the Holy Spirit to bring them to light, …

“We have an Advocate”

1 John 2:1 KJV [1] My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: The word advocate means an individual who pleads the cause of another. A good example of an advocate would be a lawyer in a courtroom. He is one who publicly supports or recommends a particular cause or policy. Our text declares that we as Christians have an advocate. We have someone who is willing to plead on our behalf. This is not just anyone, but our …

“Owning your Sin”

1 John 1:10 KJV [10] If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. God desires to fellowship with his children. He loves each and every one of us and does not want sin to interrupt the closeness that we can have together with him. Several verses in this chapter have placed emphasis on us taking responsibility, confessing, and forsaking our sins. John has showed us both the benefits and consequences of our actions when it comes to facing our sins. This verse simply teaches us to take ownership …

“The Only Thing You Can Do”

1 John 1:9 KJV [9] If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. John has a lot to say about sin in this one verse. He first mentions the confession of sin. Secondly, he highlights the comfort about sin. Finally, he emphasizes the cleansing from all sin. As believers, we should note that there is a responsibility on both our part and the Lord’s part to deal with our sin. However, there is only one thing you and I can do about our sin. We read this …

“Self-Deception”

1 John 1:8 KJV [8] If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. Today’s world is filled with deceit. It all started in the Garden of Eden with the devil and Eve. A simple conversation casting doubt on the truth of God’s word caused a catastrophic reaction. Since that day, deception has infiltrated our society like a cancer out of control. Truth has fallen in the streets! The world would rather believe a lie as to know the truth about sin. Self-deception defiles our speech. Keep in mind that John …

“Living in the Son-light”

1 John 1:7 KJV [7] But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. The happiest life is not living in the sunlight of God’s world, but rather living in the Son-light of God’s Word. John gives three precious treasures in this verse that believers find when walking in the light of his Word. First, we find Christ in the light. When we walk in the light of his word we experience the reality of his presence. We …

“Living a Lie”

1 John 1:6 KJV [6] If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: The believer’s words and walk should always be in sync with each other. A double standard has caused the world to lose respect for modern day Christendom. Sinners have no confidence in church goers who sin and party on Saturday night, then want to sing and pray on Sunday morning. They see these individuals for who they really are. They are hypocrites trying to ease their own conscience with a little religion. So, the world …

“God Is Light”

1 John 1:5 KJV [5] This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. The light of God is seen in his world. On the first morning of creation God caused the light to shine out of darkness, (Gen.1:3). When his Son was on the cross he turned the light out in this world for 3 hours. Because he created the light he can control the light. He created the sun, the moon, and the stars that shine upon us daily. Creation …

“The Joy of Knowing Jesus”

1 John 1:4 KJV [4] And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. Our verse for today will cause us to reflect on the earlier verses we have studied. Here we see John has written with a specific purpose in mind. He wants believers to have the fullness of joy. The “things” he has written about in the preceding verses all pertain to Jesus. John had experienced the joy of knowing Jesus and he wanted others to experience this same joy also. The fullness of his joy was that he knew Jesus on a personal …

“A Personal Connection”

1 John 1:3 KJV [3] That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. This is the third time in three verses that John declares he has seen Jesus. The apostle is as enthused about sharing Jesus as he was about seeing him. Every believer should have this same zeal, both to see and to share Jesus. He tells us why he wants to share Jesus in this verse. The reason is that Jesus gives believers …