"...I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous...." 1 John 2:1
I'm sorry, I think I just misread that verse. Did it say "if anyone sins"? I thought it was supposed to be "if anyone repents".
In the Old Testament, repentance for sins involved the intense, laborious process of sacrifice. You had to offer your sacrifice at a prescribed time, in a prescribed place, and in a prescribed manner. Your sacrifice was VERY carefully inspected by the priest. Only after passing numerous tests would your sacrifice be accepted and your sins covered. You could walk away with a clear conscience, knowing that it was the sacrifice ITSELF which had adequately covered your guilt and transgression.
Repentance in the New Testament is different. The Greek word for repentance is "metanoia" and it means to change one's mind. It means to change one's belief system from being based on the law sacrificial system (which involved repeated sacrifices), to that of the grace given by the one perfect Sacrifice: Jesus Christ.
After you've changed your mind and accepted the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ, He remains your representative, because He remains in the Father's will in purpose, thought, and action (see the Amplified version of 1 John 2:1).
So, even if you do sin, because you are in Christ, your status before the Father does not change. This salvation is to all who believe in Jesus Christ as their Savior, and is not a general salvation for all of mankind. See the following verses:
Hebrews 9:28: "So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation." (italics mine)
John 6:28-29: "Therefore they said to Him, 'What shall we do, so that we may work the works of God?'Jesus answered and said to them, 'This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.'"(italics mine)
Romans 1:6: "And you are included among those Gentiles who have been called to belong to Jesus Christ."
Because repentance in the New Testament involves changing your mind about who Jesus Christ is and the placing of your trust and faith in Him, there is no amount of self-punishment or good deeds that will atone for your sins.
Simply believe He adequately took away your sins (John 1:29). The only work you are called to do is to see where that belief will take you in life and watch how God will work through you.
Grace=Peace,
Jeremy
3 comments:
Your words are true. I personally like the New King James Bible. It generally say's the same thing as your Amplified version. I just wanted to point out you or the Amplified version may have missed one important word above. 1John 2:2 And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for "ours only but also" for the whole world. The italics signify area of the important word missing in your translation. Hope it was just a typo.
I should have also stated that it is true that the wrath of God has been temporarily mitigated thru the sacrifice of Jesus. The actual satisfaction and atonement was made only for those who believe. The pardon for sin is 'offered' to the whole world. Just as in: John 1:29, 3:16, 1Tim 4:10
Sure. Above, I only quoted from the 1 John 2:1 and did not quote the next verse, so nothing was left out by mistake.
See my next post as a response to your comment on God's wrath.
Thanks for the input!
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