What Makes A Genuine Believer Different?
(I John 2:1-6)
1. Just a few years ago, during Christmas caroling, we missed Doris Smith. Here is how it happened…..
2. To atone for this, I remembered that Doris loved doughnuts…so I brought her half a dozen with some fruit and sang to her…
3. Doris was not angry, but if she was, the doughnuts could have propitiated her wrath; as it was, the doughnuts atoned for or compensated for our mistake.
4. The subject of propitiation is part of what our text is about.
5. Last week, John told us that, as believers, we still sin. This raises a question.
Main Idea: Since both believers and unbelievers sin, how are believers different?
I. Believers Have An ADVOCATE, Unbelievers Do Not (1).
A. John says he is writing to help us THWART sin in our lives (1a).
• He calls believers, “little children.” In Luke, Jesus says, “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” (Luke 12:32). The idea is we are vulnerable but protected by a shepherd. A sense of security/guidance.
B. Nonetheless, when we do sin, we have a defense ATTORNEY, an advocate (1b).
• Christ is called our high priest, our mediator, and here our advocate (His session)
C. Romans 8:33-34 teaches a SIMILAR concept.
Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.
D. Both of these passages are likely a Midrash from ZECHARIAH chapter 3:1-7.
Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. 2 And the Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, O Satan! The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is not this a brand plucked from the fire?” 3 Now Joshua was standing before the angel, clothed with filthy garments. 4 And the angel said to those who were standing before him, “Remove the filthy garments from him.” And to him he said, “Behold, I have taken your iniquity away from you, and I will clothe you with pure vestments.” 5 And I said, “Let them put a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the Lord was standing by.
6 And the angel of the Lord solemnly assured Joshua, 7 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: If you will walk in my ways and keep my charge, then you shall rule my house and have charge of my courts, and I will give you the right of access among those who are standing here.
E. Genuine believers are eternally secure because Christ KEEPS His elect saved.
1. We never get beyond sin and forgiveness in this life; we can never mature so that we do not sin, nor can we get to the point where we do not need to confess our sins.
2. We came into the Christian life with Jesus Christ as our propitiation, and He is our propitiation every day still.
F. Sometimes we start projects and then drop them; when it comes to salvation, Christ saves us and STICKS with us.
II. Believers Have Received Jesus’ PROPITIATION for Our Sins, Unbelievers Have Not (2).
A. Jesus HIMSELF is the propitiation, the atoning sacrifice.
B. Expiation means the legal removal of sin; propitiation is a sacrifice or act of atonement that AVERTS God’s wrath and addresses the holy rage God righteously has toward sin.
Romans 3:24b-26, “…Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”
Numbers 35:10-11, “10 And the LORD said to Moses, 11 “Phinehas the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, has turned back my wrath from the people of Israel, in that he was jealous with my jealousy among them, so that I did not consume the people of Israel in my jealousy. 10 And the Lord said to Moses, 11 “Phinehas the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, has turned back my wrath from the people of Israel, in that he was jealous with my jealousy among them, so that I did not consume the people of Israel in my jealousy.
C. The Feast of Yom Kippur suggests the IMAGERY of propitiation.
D. Because unbelievers have not received Jesus’ propitiation, they must pay the PENALTY for their sins for eternity.
III. Believers Are Now Pre-disposed to Obey God’s Word from a REGENERATE Heart, Unbelievers Are Not in that Position (3-6).
We are saved by believing in Jesus Christ, but belief is not always genuine. How do we know our faith is genuine?
John 6:63b-66, “The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”
After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him.
A. Regarding others, we must PRESUME (1) those understanding the Gospel, (2) claiming to believe the Gospel, and (3) not living in outward rebellion are believers.
2 Timothy 2:19, But God's firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.”
Sometimes we suspect people have little spiritual interest, and they drag everybody else down. But we don’t want to judge them. We might feel like the girlfriend in this true story when they stop their pretense.
“Today, I broke up with my girlfriend. She was ecstatic. Apparently, she'd been trying to figure out how to break up with me for the past four months.”
In other instances, you may be completely surprised.
B. Regarding ourselves, we know we have the real disease because we have a DESIRE to keep His commandments.
1. When people have an attitude of “so” toward God’s Word, that is a red flag.
2. Many unbelievers seek to obey God’s commands (e.g., Pharisees), but so do some people lost in their sins and from a position of spiritual deadness.
3. Romans 8:8, “Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”
C. We want to WALK as Jesus walked, even though we fall short.
1. Not imitating His life, but His character: holiness, obedience, humility, love, contentment, enjoying His relationship to the Father.
2. If you want to be like Jesus, you have to spend time with Jesus.
D. We see ourselves maturing spiritually, the hallmark of which is growing in LOVE.
God gave us the Holy Spirit to produce His fruit in us and to help us be Christ-like.
E. Later in the chapter, John will add “staying TRUE to the faith.”
F. Sadly, people who should not doubt their salvation do so, while people who SHOULD doubt their salvation do not.
Conclusion
1. Yes, believers still sin. But they do not take sin lightly.
2. We confess our sins, ask forgiveness.
3. We do not boast about our sins, but are ashamed of them.
4. It bothers us when we sin.
5. We seek to sin less and less severely.
6. And when we do sin, we appreciate our Advocate!
