The Power of Small Words (1 John 2:1-2)

“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. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.” (1 John 2:1-2)

The most dangerous verbs are the small ones. Each of us have said, “Can I?”, only be to subtlety scolded with a “I don’t know, can you?” Where “can” expresses ability, “may” expresses possibility. What possibility lies behind John’s letter? “That you may not sin.” Before we came to Christ, we could do nothing but sin. As Romans 14:23 says, “Whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.” Now that we have fellowship with God, we can strive against sin. We can walk in the light as we were created to be. What a glorious reality!

The question before us is simple: is this always the case? John did not fall off the turnip truck yesterday. Does he say, “If anyone does sin, he is cut off forever”? No, “If anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteousness.” Our unrighteousness must be continuously covered by His righteousness; sin’s stain must be cleansed by Christ’s blood. Let us not be entangled by sin’s snare and lay defeated. Instead, Jesus stands in heaven today interceding for us, applying the cross to our condition for our salvation. To him we must come, for he has provided this benefit for all those who continually come to him.