1 John 1v10-2v2

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10 If we (might) ^Asay-₂a that we have not ^Asinned, we ^Amake him (Jesus) liar and the word of him is not in us.

• How would we make Jesus a liar by saying we have not sinned?
• We are told in many places in the Bible that we are all sinners and that we all sin even after belief in Jesus;
• This is the experience of people in the OT (e.g. Abraham, David) and in the NT (e.g. Peter, Paul);
• However, read 1 John 3v9 – how do we reconcile with this passage?
• Future study to come on what does it mean to be born of God;
• The word of Jesus is not in us if we say we have not sinned.

1 Little children of mine, I ^Awrite these things to yous that yous might not ^Asin-₂a.  And if anyone (might) ^Asin-₂a we ^Ahave advocate with the father, righteous Jesus Christ.

• These things – primarily v5-v10 written that yous might not sin;
• John wants believers to have fellowship with God (v6) and other believers (v7);
• Sin will inhibit this fellowship.

What is an advocate?

1. One who puts a case on someone else’s behalf;
2. One who intercedes on behalf of another.

• Notice no definite article in this verse – Jesus is not ‘the advocate’;
• ‘The advocate’ (also translated as helper/comforter) = Holy Spirit (John 14v16, 16v7)
• Advocate in this verse with no definite article is defined for us as righteous Jesus Christ;
• This again shows forth the trinity where the Son and Holy Spirit share the attribute of advocacy but it is the Holy Spirit who is designated as ‘the advocate’;
• Upon what basis does Jesus act as an advocate/intercessor?

2 And he is atonement concerning the sins of us, moreover, not concerning (the) ours only but also concerning all the world. 

• Jesus acts as an advocate based upon His atonement.

Subject of Atonement

What is atonement?

1. Action of making amends for a wrong;
2. At-one-ment;
3. Reconciliation with God.

The problem

• Adam and Eve before the fall:

• Adam and Eve after the fall:

• Adam and Eve now have a sin nature and therefore they sin.

Under the Old Covenant

• The blood of animals could not take away sin (Heb 10v1-4);
• God passed over their sin (Rom 3v25);
• Believers in the OT were not indwelt with the HS yet the HS came upon believers in the OT.

Under the New Covenant

• Jesus willingly offered up:
  • His perfect life;
  • His blood;
• Because Jesus was perfect in every way atonement could be made for mankind;
• Reconciliation with God or to be ‘at-one’ with God could begin;
• Through His offering, sin could now be taken away rather than only being covered by the blood of animals;
• Man’s conscience could be cleansed by the sprinkling of His blood as opposed to only man’s flesh being purified by the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer (Hebrews 9v13&14).

In Protestant Theology this is as far as the subject of atonement goes:

“¹The atonement is the work Christ did in his life and death to earn our salvation.”

• However, the blood of Jesus did not deal directly with the sin nature.  It is still there;
• It was in Jesus’ resurrection and glorification that the promise of the Holy Spirit could be fulfilled (John 7v37-39); 
• Man, from the resurrection, could be indwelt and empowered with the Holy Spirit to defeat the sin nature, the flesh that still remains after being born again/from above (John 14v17).

Through Christ’s atonement:

1. Man can be forgiven of his sin and his sin can be taken away;
2. The HS was poured out to enable man to overcome the sin nature.

More in the OT concerning atonement than just blood:

	OC	NC
1	Blood of animals (Leviticus 16&17)	Blood of Jesus
2	Plunder from battle (Numbers 31v50)	Works of faith
3	Temple tax (Exodus 30v15-16)	Money
4	Incense (Numbers 16v46&47)	Prayer

Look at 2^nd point:

Read Numbers 31v1-4

• In the book of Numbers the Lord instructed the Israelites, through Moses, to take vengeance on the Midianites;
• Moses sent twelve thousand men to war and they killed all the males and all the kings of Midian. 

Read Numbers 31v9-11

• They then brought all the captives, the booty and spoil to Moses. 

Read Numbers 31v21-24

• The booty and spoil was purified with fire and/or water;
• The booty and spoil was the work or end product of fighting in the battle. 

Read Numbers 31v48-50

• They brought an offering to the LORD of the things put through the fire to make atonement for themselves before the LORD.

Read 1 Cor 3v1-3

• Notice Paul calls them brethren;
• And he speaks to them as carnal;
• There is such a person as a carnal believer.

Read 1 Cor 9-15

• I think Paul uses what we read in Numbers 31 here in 1 Cor 3 but informs us that all our works throughout the Christian life will go through fire whether gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay or straw;
• Depending on what is left will determine whether we receive a reward or suffer loss;
• This is an atonement passage;
• This will take place at the judgment seat of Christ;
• This is not like a prize-giving day;
• It is a believer’s works done in and through the power of the Holy Spirit or lack thereof which will determine if atonement will be made for us so that we will receive a reward; 
• We are rewarded according to our works;
• Loss – miss out on millennial kingdom, being part of the bride and being a firstborn son yet will be saved through fire.

Blood only	Blood & Reward of Overcoming
Church	Glorious church
Body	Bride
Child	Firstborn Son

An additional 3^rd point of what Christ’s atonement achieved:

• Moses had to purify everything in the earthly temple with blood;
• In like manner, Heb 9v23 tells us that the heavenly things themselves need to be purified by better sacrifices i.e. the blood of Jesus;
• Why would the heavenly things need to be purified?
• Possibly because of the stain of sin from the devil since his fall;
• The devil was once a cherub;
• This may be what the phrase ‘he is atonement for the sins of all the world (heavens and earth),’ has in view;
• It is doubtful John is directly addressing the 1500 years later Protestant Calvinist/Arminian debate over limited or unlimited atonement.

¹Wayne Grudem Systematic Theology p568