You conquer sin through Jesus Christ! 

Before you continue reading, check out my previous article, you can experience real life in Jesus Christ. In this article, you learn that life Jesus gives you allows you to enter into fellowship with God and others. It also helps you find meaning and purpose in life. 

That’s helpful to know as you learn how all that happens in the following lines. And, our foundation is 1 John 2: 1-6,

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.  And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked. ESV. 

Everything I share with you, as you keep reading this article, comes out of the above six verses. 

Two truths you should know about yourself

First, God’s desire for us all is that we might not sin. 

That’s how John opens 1 John 2,

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. ESV. 

God does not want us to sin!

Second, John continues saying,

But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.

What that means is every human being is a sinner!

Paul echoes that in Romans 3: 23,

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God … ESV. 

That sounds like there’s no hope for humans. 

No, there is, and we find it through faith in Jesus Christ because He is our advocate. 

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Three things make Jesus Christ our Advocate

John talks about three things that make Jesus Christ our advocate. We come across them in verses 1 and 2,

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. ESV. 

First, Jesus Christ is our Advocate because He is with the Father. 

• Jesus has been with the Father from the very beginning. Read John 1: 1-2.
• Jesus is one with the Father. Read John 10: 29-30. 

Second, Jesus Christ is righteous. 

• Jesus became sin on our behalf even though He knew no sin. Read 2 Corinthians 5: 21. 
• Jesus Christ became wisdom, redemption, sanctification, and righteousness from God so that we learn to boast in God, and only for God has done for us. 1 Corinthians 1: 29-30. 

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Third, Jesus Christ is our propitiation. 

• Jesus Christ took our place on the cross. He took upon Himself our condemnation so that we’re forgiven. Read Hebrews 10. 
• Jesus Christ, in other words, became our atonement. What that means is Jesus became the sacrificial lamb that took away the sins of the world. See John 1: 29, 36.

Here are three things you should do

Verses 3, 4 and 5 talk about what you should do, which are:

• To know God. 
• To keep God’s commandments.
• To abide in God. 

All the above imply learning, listening and acting on the knowledge you gain about God and your faith.

What this means is that you’ve got to read and study Scripture, learn from others, listen for God through prayer and journaling. 

It also means staying in communion with other believers to grow in faith and your personal relationship with Jesus Christ. 

There are more benefits for doing so, which I’m talking about next. 

Here’s what you benefit from doing the above

First, God’s truth is in you. 

God’s truth is such a special to have in life. God’s truth sets you free (John 8: 32).

• You’ll become free from sin or anything that prevents you from loving and serving.
• You’ll become free to become who God intended you to be. 
• You’ll have clarity about who you should always be. 

Second, God perfects God’s love in you.

God’s love in you is the source of all what you need to grow as a Christian. With God’s love, you experience the following: 

• You overcome sin. 
• You have God’s favor. 
• You have the power to influence your surroundings as a Christian leader. 

In summary

You and I are sinners. But, Jesus Christ is our Advocate standing between God and us. As a result, and in combination with our response to the price Jesus paid for our sins, we have God’s truth and love in our lives. Therefore, we overcome sin, experience God’s favor and influence our surroundings, as Christian leaders.