Have you ever heard a parent teach a child the art of “contingency planning”. It might go something like this: “Don’t gamble, but if you do, never bet more than you can lose.” or, “Don’t go so fast over the speed limit, but if you do, keep an eye out for speed traps.” One time, as my wife tells the story, our kids were riding down a small hill, but they kept falling off as they did so. Realizing that she was probably not going to prevail in keeping them from doing this, she instead taught them to “tuck and roll” when they inevitably fell off their scooter.
Let’s see what the apostle John had to say in the second chapter of the first epistle bearing his name.
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.
1 John 2:1-2 NIV
Followers of Jesus aren’t saved so that we can go out and sin however we want to. The goal is to live a life of gratitude, honor, and obedience to God, led by the Holy Spirit in our decisions, which naturally results in good deeds and righteous behavior. “Not sinning” is still the goal for Christians, although that really should have been our goal even before we sinned and needed salvation from Jesus.
However, because we are still fighting a battle against the part of us that wants to keep sinning, we slip up sometimes. While that’s not ideal, it can happen, and so God – knowing that this would be the case – proactively provided for that possibility.
Furthermore, not only did Jesus give His perfect life to pay for our sins, but He is also actively standing up for those who are His. Whether we think of Jesus as a defense attorney, a priest, or just someone speaking up for us, I picture this role of His (see also Colossians 3:1) as God the Son seated next to God the Father. From that seat of honor, whenever we do sin, Jesus affirms that we are His and that He already paid for our sins. Justice has been served, our Advocate says, and our sins no longer keep us separated from God.
Furthermore, as John shares here, Jesus didn’t just die for John, or for a few apostles, but – as John also wrote in John 3:16 – eternal life is open to everyone who believes.
How does Jesus turn away the wrath of God that we deserve for having sinned? In the NASB, what the NIV translates as “atoning sacrifice” is a fancy word called “propitiation”. The NASB footnote refers to a “means of reconciliation with God by atoning for sins…”, and I think that all of these words and descriptions point to a similar concept. To add to them, years ago, I learned from a pastor (and good friend) that propitiation is “something that turns away wrath”.
For instance, imagine that a little kid was running around in a busy marketplace, and ran into a grown-up, causing the adult to spill their coffee. Let’s say that the adult gets really angry, having stained their shirtsleeve and mildly scalding their hand. They start yelling at the child about how much they paid for that drink, and how long they waited in line for it. (This is the “wrath” part.)
But what if the child’s parent steps in, stands between their child and the frustrated coffee-drinker? The parent doesn’t try to justify the child’s behavior (since they had been told not to wander off), but offers to wait in line and buy a new coffee, meeting the offended adult in a few minutes with a fresh cup, while also holding out a $20 bill to cover dry cleaning for the stained shirt. The new coffee and the money are something that turns away wrath. While this is a silly example, that’s kind of how I interpret “propitiation”.
When we sinned, God’s wrath was legitimate – we deserved it. God created us, in His own image, to live a righteous life with Him. When we broke that trust, we harmed ourselves, destroyed our relationship with Him, and often hurt other people. As a result, God‘s wrath against sin is understandable, justifiable, and even necessary. Because God is perfectly just, then justice must be served.
However, God loved us deeply, even when we sinned. So, Jesus – God the Son – came to pay for the sin that we had committed. Jesus doesn’t pretend that our sins don’t matter. He doesn’t try to explain away our responsibility for our choices. We sinned, and it was our decision to sin. (As a result, we need to admit that we sinned, confessing our sins.)
However, Jesus did provide what was required for justice to be served. He took upon Himself the wrath of God that our sins incurred, so that wrath would no longer be directed upon us, once we accept that gift for ourselves. Jesus’ death was the propitiation that turned the necessary wrath of God away from us, as Jesus took that wrath upon Himself.
So, if you haven’t accepted Jesus’ payment (or “propitiation”) for your sins, now is a great time to do so! And, if you have, let’s confess that we are sinners, and thank Jesus for not only paying for our past sins, but also reaffirming that even our present and future sins are covered by His sacrifice, too.
From Sunday School lesson prepared for February 16, 2025
References:
- 1717 Bible Studies, 1, 2, and 3 John, © 2025 Christian Standard Media.
- Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
- Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Copyright by The Lockman Foundation.
- The College Press NIV Commentary – 1, 2 & 3 John, by Morris M. Womack. © 1998 College Press Publishing Co.
Those Who Sin Differently 