[Fill in the Blank]
“My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.”
Today’s Text: 1 John 2:1-11 (Living Life Daily Devotional)
Thank God that Jesus Christ is our Advocate for when we sin. But we have to recognize our sin, and we have to confess our sins. If we do not recognize our sin, how can Jesus advocate on our behalf?
If we do not recognize our sins, there is a good chance that self-righteousness is lingering in our hearts. And that’s pretty much all of us. It’s much easier for us to recognize sin in others than it is to recognize our own sin. At least, it’s much more gratifying, and that too is self-righteousness.
But if we do not recognize our sins, again, it is difficult, if not impossible, to experience the freedom and the power of the gospel of grace that saves us.
Can we comprehend how completely countercultural and completely offensive the gospel of Jesus Christ is to the human heart?
The offensiveness of the gospel is abundantly clear in that Jesus Christ is “the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.”
We may be able to easily accept that Jesus is “the atoning sacrifice for our sins,” because we don’t truly recognize our sins and don’t truly understand the offensiveness of our sins to God. “Oh yeah, I lied to get out of jury duty. Forgive me, Lord. Oh yeah, I watched some pornography. I’m really, really sorry, Lord! Forgive me!”
That’s the gospel of moralism, which is not the true gospel of grace. We don’t need Jesus Christ to learn how to control our own bad behaviors.
But do we ever pray, “I was angry with [fill in the blank] today. Have mercy on me, a sinner!” Or “I can’t forgive [fill in the blank] for hurting me. Have mercy on me and change my heart, Lord!” Because Jesus said,
But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment.
— Matthew 5:22a
Sometimes, the fact that Jesus Christ is also the atoning sacrifice “for the sins of the whole world” seems to completely bypass the part of our brains responsible for comprehension. We would rather pray, “Lord, punish [fill in the blank] for hurting me!” God will never answer that prayer, because Jesus Christ is the atoning sacrifice for [fill in the blank] too.”
The Apostle John is telling us that our sins are on par with the sins of the whole world, and especially the sins of [fill in the blank]. Jesus Christ is the atoning sacrifice for all of our sins, because Jesus Christ is the atoning sacrifice for all.
And it won’t do to just avoid and ignore and break off ties with [fill in the blank] and call it love (verses 9-11).
Father, You offer to us the Tree of Life, Your word. Yet, we continually chase after the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, self-love. But if we were smarter, true self-love would be to obey Your word. Forgive me, Lord. Thank You, Father, for the Advocate of Your Son, my Lord. Help me to recognize my sins so that He might advocate on my behalf. In Jesus’s name. Amen.
