I call the first epistle of John “The Book of Sin.” Over and over and over again John tries to impress his reader with the necessity of examining one’s own life honestly. In essence he says, “Do not hide yourself from your own flesh.” We all tend to do that, don’t we? We accept sins in ourselves that we despise in others. If we do then we are hiding ourselves (our sins) from our flesh (from ourselves; this means we do not acknowledge our sins, admit we walk in sin, confess our sins, or repent of our sins). This is why Jesus said to “love others as you love yourself.” We show our love for ourselves by accepting our infirmities. Do we accept them in others? We show our lack of faith in Jesus if we accept our sins and do not repent of them. This is why John writes,

My little children, I am 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. ² He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. ³ And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. ⁴ Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, ⁵ but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: ⁶ whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked. (1 John 2:1-6)

John knows that we will not walk in sinless perfection during our sojourn in the flesh, but he expects Christians to want to be perfect. He, like Jesus, desires that we sin not. If we do sin, though, and we will, there exists a remedy for our sin and continuing reconciliation with God our Father. This reconciliation comes by the propitiation for our sins through the blood of Jesus. This is why the Bible calls Jesus the Lamb of God who was slain from the foundation of the world. Jesus is God’s Lamb who was sacrificed for all mankind. Ancient Israel’s mandatory system of laws of sacrifice also serve as parables explaining the spiritual implications of Jesus’ sacrifice. Each of the required sacrifices point to the work of Jesus in some profound and unique way. I urge you to read my books When We Awake and Food Sacrificed to Idols and Andrew Jukes’ book The Law of the Offerings for more information about the prophetic meaning of the sacrificial law.

Most Christians simply do not take seriously the words of God’s prophets today. When did you last hear a sermon on the passage, “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?” Do you say that you are a Christian? Then you affirm that you “abide in him.” Do you therefore walk even as Jesus walked? Why is this so important? Because “by this we may know that we are in him!” If you are not “in him,” then you abide outside of him. You will not enter New Jerusalem. You will not “go to heaven!” Instead, your place will be in the outer darkness until you learn to repent of sin.

But fear not, “if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” John says, “if anyone does sin….” I sin. Do you sin? Then confess your sin! John already told us, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9) Do not believe the world’s lies which say that that thing that you do which the Bible calls wrong is no longer a sin.  Do not accept the world’s wisdom that your “little white lies” are okay. Don’t accept the devil’s lie that you can look at that pornography. Do not believe the world which tells you it is okay to live with and fornicate with a woman who is not your wife. Do not believe the world which says that you can now fornicate with and/or marry a person of your same sex. Do not believe the world that tells you can medically change the sex God assigned you. Do not accept the bribe that pays you to genetically engineer and modify seed which God created to reproduce after its own kind!  Don’t accept that salary from your company that pays you to cheat its customers. Don’t work for that company or government which hires you to spray poison into the skies. “BE HOLY AS I AM HOLY,” says your God, “AND I WILL ACCEPT YOU!”

But, if you do sin, if you do confess your sin, if you turn away from it, and if you attempt to walk as Jesus walked, then you have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous.