“WWJD” 1 John 2:1-11
FBCF – 8/30/23 REFRESH
Jon Daniels
INTRO – WWJD – Very popular at one time, especially among teenagers. Thousands of bracelets sold in Christian bookstores everywhere. Asked an employee at Lifeway bookstore back when it was open if they had ever seen anything as popular. Said they had not. Lots of Bible study series developed from it. Pro athletes wore them. Adults wore them. Even heard that one member of boy band In-Sync wore one & would give it away after their concert.
Purpose of bracelet – cause us to ask question, “What would Jesus do?” as we encounter various situations in life on a day-to-day basis. Definitely a valid question!
Look at 1 John 2:1-11 – Ask some “WWJD” questions:
WHY WOULD JESUS DIE?
Years ago on a choir tour w/ FBC, B’haven youth choir. Stopped at a Schlotzsky’s deli. Was wearing a bracelet. Teenage girl taking my order – “I like your bracelet.” Thought might be a good witnessing opportunity. Little did I know that God was about to teach me something. Asked her, “What do you think it means?” Reply: “Why would Jesus die?” I had never thought of that before! Took bracelet off & gave it to her. Thanked her for teaching me a new insight.
What an awesome question! “Why would Jesus die?” Find 2 answers to that in v. 1-2.
TO BE OUR ADVOCATE – As children of God, our heart’s desire should be that we not sin. That’s our goal – to glorify God w/ our lives by not sinning.
But we know that we WILL sin.
- It’s serious business.
- Breaks God’s heart.
- Quenches the Spirit.
- Disrupts our fellowship w/ God.
- Moves us into a place of darkness instead of light.
Good news for us today is that when we do sin, we have an “advocate” who “speaks to the Father in our defense” (NIV). What is an advocate?
- “One who pleads another’s cause”
- Gk word – parakletos – “one who comes alongside; one who appears in another’s behalf; a mediator, a helper.” (Earl Palmer, Communicator’s Commentary, p. 36)
- Someone once said that Jesus is our “heavenly defense attorney.”
- Other Scriptures:
o Romans 8:34 – “Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.” (NIV)
o 1 Timothy 2:5 – “For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus.”
Don’t misunderstand. Jesus does not stand at odds w/ the Father, pleading our case.
- Doesn’t make excuses for us – “He couldn’t help it…”
- Doesn’t try to bargain w/ the Father – “If you’ll let her off this time…”
- Doesn’t try to convince the Father that we are really good people.
Truth of His being our Advocate is that Jesus is, as one commentator put it, “nothing other than God’s embrace” (Burge, NIV Application Commentary, p. 94).
- He was & still is God’s means of dealing w/ our sin problem.
- When God looks at us, He looks at us through the “lens” of our sinless Savior & Advocate, Jesus, who represents us before the Father.
TO BE OUR ATONEMENT – The 1st solution to our sinfulness is Jesus being our Advocate. The 2nd solution is found in v. 2 – Jesus is our Atonement – “atoning sacrifice” (NIV). This is the basis if His case on our behalf, the power behind His advocacy for us.
ESV – “propitiation” – Look up word in dictionary – “to appease someone who is angry.”
- If you apply this to Christ here, you get a horrible picture of an angry God who is about to destroy the world, & a loving Savior jumping in between us & Him to appease a “ticked off” Deity!
- Certainly, God is angry at SIN. He is perfectly holy & cannot tolerate sin in His presence.
- But what does John 3:16 say: “God so LOVED…’
The word “propitiation” is a really good word that we need to understand! It does not mean the appeasing of an angry God. It means the “satisfying of God’s holy law.” It means that Jesus is the One who turns aside God’s wrath toward our sin by taking that wrath upon Himself for us.
- God us just & therefore cannot just close His eyes to our sin or look the other way.
- But He is love & wants to save sinners.
The way that this situation was satisfied was in God’s loving sacrifice of His Son on the cross.
- God is just in that He must punish sin.
- God is love in that He offers free forgiveness to us through Christ’s death.
OT picture found in Lev. 16. High priest would kill a goat as a sin offering for the sins of the people. Bring the blood into the holy of holies & sprinkle it on the mercy seat as atonement for the sins of the people. The goat would be a substitute for the people. This substitution is what atonement is all about.
Simple way to realze meaning of atonement is that, in His death as a substitution for us, Jesus made us “at one” w/ God.
WHAT WOULD JESUS DO?
First question most of us think about – WWJD?
First characteristic of a WWJD lifestyle – OBEY GOD – v. 3-5. This is foundation of WWJD lifestyle. Why? B/c this was characteristic of Jesus Himself during His earthly life.
- John 8:28-29
- John 12:49-50
- John 14:31
- John 15:10
His life was characterized by constant, perfect obedience to His Father. And if we want to live a WWJD lifestyle, doing what Jesus would do, obedience to God must characterize our lives as well.
- “Knowing God is evidenced by our heartfelt desire to obey Him” (Burge, p. 97).
Do you have a “heartfelt desire” to obey Him?
- When tempted to gossip, slander someone, do you have a “heartfelt desire” to obey God?
- …to fall into lust, greed, pride…
- …harbor bitterness, unforgiveness, hatred toward someone…
- …say NO to a witnessing opportunity…
- When HS nudges you during a worship service to make a public commitment, will you have a heartfelt desire to obey God?
v. 4 makes it clear that obedience is serious business for anyone who claims to know Christ. “John is here not simply saying that someone who fails to obey has missed the point; instead, such people are seriously disconnected fro God” (Burge, p. 98).
On other hand, true Christ-follower is one who will obey God’s Word – v. 5 – “keep” His Word.
- Word means “to observe diligently, to guard carefully, to suddenly realize a truth – & to protect it.”
- “In other words, to ‘keep God’s Word’ goes far beyond mere conformity to law. It expresses a zealous desire to adhere to God’s will” (Burge, p. 98).
Second characteristic – LOVE OTHERS – v. 9-11 – Obediecne characterized Jesus’ life. And no doubt that love was the characteristic of His life, too.
But how does that “look” in our lives today?
- “Hate crimes” – crimes committed against someone simply b/c of hatred of them – hate their race, their lifestyle choice, they beliefs. Sad commentary on our society today.
o Dollar General, Jacksonville, FL – 3 blacks killed
But for us, our “hate crimes” are much more subtle, more “acceptable.” We aren’t going to commit a heinous crime such as the one in Jacksonville. But we will harbor hatred toward someone in the Church who has wronged us or hurt us in some way. Or we will have a “silent hatred” toward someone or some group of people who are different from us in some way.
Scripture extremely clear that love for others, even for those are difficult to love, even those who hate us, is a characteristic of those who belong to Christ.
- John 13:34-35
- 1 John 4:7-8
It’s easy for us to hear those verses & agree w/ them b/c they have such a sweet ring to them. But we must relize that the ultimate test of being obedient to Christ & loving others is whether we are willing & able to love the unlovely.
- “Love only becomes a genuine value when it is tested, only when we reach beyond ourselves & love someone we do not wish to love” (Burge, p. 101).
- If we don’t love in this way, we will cause others to stumble, possibly driving them away from Christ forever.
WHAT WILL “JON” DO?
That’s the question I have to ask myself – what will I do w/ these teachings & truths?
Put your name where the “J” is. This evening, you’ve heard that:
- Jesus is your Advocate, representing you before God
- Jesus is your Atonement, substituting Himself on the cross to cover your sins
- To live as Jesus would live, you must be obedient
- To live as Jesus would live, you must love others.
What will YOU do?
