1 John 2 “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.”
Atone - make amends or reparation; the making of amends for a wrong one has done.
Propitiate - win or regain the favor of (a god, spirit, or person) by doing something that pleases them.
The Apostle John is directing this writing to those who appear to be Christians and well known to him. There is no clue as to which Christian community he is directing his letter. 1 John 2:18-19 indicates that there were false teachings being propagated from within the community of believers and John is attempting to ward off such teachings. This is no doubt why he opens his letter with the words “so that you will not sin”. The advocacy of Christ on our behalf is noted in case sin does occur.
I would like to spend the remainder of this entry discussing Christ’s atonement. It was also referred to in the King James Version as Christ’s propitiation or propitious sacrifice; it is the blood sacrifice to end all blood sacrifices that would satisfy once for all time God’s demand that sin be paid for with blood. And not just any blood but the blood of a spotless animal; cattle, sheep or goats, whichever was required. (Note: For those who could not afford the larger animals, a turtledove or pigeon was allowed.) The bottom line was that sin had caused a breech between a man and his God and the sacrificial system God set up demanded that the blood of a spotless sacrificial animal must be spilled to cover the sin. It wasn’t until Christ, the very Son of Almighty God, came onto the scene that these annual sacrifices were required to atone or make amends for the sin committed against God. A price had to be paid.
Christ willingly came to earth in the form of a created creature to grow up, mingle, minister and then, when the time was right, allow Himself to be brutally beaten and killed on a cross reserved for criminals.
2 Corinthians 5:21 “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
His sacrificial death was necessary; the quintessential example of God’s love, mercy and grace was given up to eradicate or remove man’s sin for all time. There was no more need to merely cover up the sin with blood. Christ’s blood washes it away as if it had never occurred in the first place. What an indescribable gift God has bestowed upon His wayward creation. So remember, it is better if we do not sin; however, if we should happen to sin against God, we have an advocate, a mediator of sorts. One who stands in the gap we created by our sin. God loves us that much.
WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!!
