Building on The Basics

Jesus' propitiation, Jesus' sacrifice was was so powerful, was so sufficient that it is enough to cover the sins of the entire world if the entire world would come to him. And I know my Calvinist friends don't agree with me on that, but the Bible says that any person, anyone that is willing to to repent of their sins come to Christ and acknowledge his propitiation, his sacrifice as a payment for my sins, that person will be saved. [00:59:19] (36 seconds)

So what it means to put it in a in a theological statement, what it means is that as the propitiation, the Jesus Christ offered his sacrifice, his shed blood as the payment, the atonement, the covering for my sin, thereby nullifying my sinful action which caused the rift, the separation between God and me, and it averts God's wrath. That's what he did for me. Not only not only was willing to stand for me, stand beside me, but actually step in front of me and to say, I'll take what what was owed to Clay. [00:55:46] (41 seconds)

But maybe even more amazing than the fact that God would be my advocate, that he would stand beside me. Maybe even more amazing is the fact that God steps away from my side as my advocate and he steps in front of me as my propitiation. That's the the word that that John uses in my propitiation. The Greek word is. In ancient in ancient Greek, the was regarded as nullifying the action which caused the rift between the deity and the individual. Is only used twice in the entire New Testament, both times right here in first John. [00:55:04] (42 seconds)

You understand what I'm saying? It sounds like perhaps there could be a bit of a contradiction there, but there there's not. There's really not. The truth is it's it's both. We know that we sin. There's no sense in trying to deny it. Right? You and I come short. We we we mess up. We sin. We do things that God would not want us to do at different different times. So, we know that we are sinners but clearly, based on what John says here and extensively throughout all of scripture, there is this divine command to not sin. [00:33:43] (38 seconds)

So chapter one, John's dealing with perfectionism and and this this idea that, oh, I I don't don't sin anymore. I I used sin, but I don't sin anymore. I've I've gotten my act together and and Jesus is taking care of all that stuff and and I will say, so in chapter one, he's kind of dealing I I believe he's he's probably dealing with perfectionism. But in chapter two, there there's a there's a new, false theology. There's there's a new heresy, that's about to explode on the scene, and I believe is already beginning to rear its ugly head. I actually mentioned it a couple weeks ago. It is antinomianism. [00:38:42] (36 seconds)

this opening, especially if you were here with us last week or or you've been you've been reading some of it. As chapter two opens, there's a sense that there may be well, it almost sounds like a little bit of a contradiction in what John is now saying in chapter two. Because in chapter one, John, opened with this idea and he talks extensively about this idea that we that we know that we're sinners and anybody that says they're not a sinner, particularly in verse eight and verse 10, anybody that says they're not a sinner, they're a liar. [00:32:37] (28 seconds)

And and the the truth is not in them. He he he's he's he brings that home, but that that comes up again and again and again. He's he's saying that. But in chapter one, he he's like, we know that we're sin we know that we sin. We know that we're sinners. But here's chapter two opens. He says, I'm writing things to you so we so that you do not sin. So which is it, John? Are we to admit that we are sinners? Should we just go and confess that we do sin and because we know that we do sin or are we not to sin? [00:33:06] (37 seconds)

And, Lord, we are grateful that you have had mercy on us. We're so grateful that your mercy was poured out at the cross, and we can never say thank you enough. But I pray we would spend our lives, demonstrating our genuine appreciation for all you've done by doing what what you've called us to do and not doing what we shouldn't do, lord god, because of what you have done for us. We are grateful. We are grateful. We are grateful. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen. [01:16:10] (31 seconds)