FHBC Sermon Notes

Scripture: 1 John 2:1-2
Who is Christ? For only in him do we find salvation, do we find joy and peace.
Jesus: Advocate, Righteous One, Propitiation
This letter from John is to a people who had a misunderstanding of who Jesus is. The letter is intended not just to correct, but to declare who it is that Jesus. More than a name... In this sermon we are exploring the three names of Christ found in these verses.
Jesus is more valuable than anything in creation. Walking with Him brings more joy that all the gifts this world can give. So John is writing in 1 John 1:4, "I write this that our joy may be complete". In light of that he states here in verse 1, "I am writing these things that you may not sin." Like in Romans, John is warning that we must not value the created more than the creator.

1. Jesus Christ is our advocate. (v.1)
• We are sinful, John is telling us this. We need an advocate. On our own we are condemned.
  
  Micah 7 - who will plead my case. Jim told a really cool story about a lawyer that was an advocate for them at difficult point, and just 3 hours after all had been resolved, without cost to himself, then God in his daily reading lead Jim to these verses in Micah 7. How awesome is that.Just a mother reminder that God will speak daily through his Word if we will simple read and listen.
• Like the song we sung today, "when Satan brings me to despair", because of our guilt within. We have an advocate. The cost has been paid!
2. Jesus Christ is the Righteous One.
• How can Jesus be our advocate? Because he is righteous. Only because of his righteous can we be saved from the wrath of God, only through Him can we be in fellowship with God. No other avenue can lead us to peace with God, for no other is righteous. No other sacrifice would be sufficient.
3. Jesus Christ is our Propitiation.
• What is propitiation? The word means to turn away wrath. Jesus brings, he is, the atoning sacrifice that turns Gods judgement away from us, onto himself, onto Jesus.
• Our advocate isn't making excuses for us, he isn't arguing that we are innocent. We have plead guilty, but he is saying that he stands as the just and the justifier. We have a confidence in Christ, not because of our own character, but because of His.
• As such we walk in salvation, we seek not to sin, out of joy for what Christ has done, in obedience, in His righteousness. Not because we are still trying to make ourselves worthy before God.