My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—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.
-I John 2:1, 2
John said that his reason for writing was so that the believers would not sin. Part of our Christian life and testimony is the avoidance of sin. We seek, as the scripture says, to gratify the Spirit rather than the flesh. Someone has suggested that the flesh and the Spirit are like two dogs that are always at odds with one another. They are always battling and seeking dominance. The question arises as to which one wins those battles; the answer is the one we feed. Feed the Spirit and the Spirit is victorious. Feed the flesh and it will win.
Victory over sin can only come through faith in Jesus Christ. The Lord understands that we are fallen and frail humans before we came to faith in Christ, and we continually need all the spiritual strength we can acquire. Jesus said that the Holy Spirit will help us to remember all that He has taught us (John 14:26), and the Holy Spirit will empower us to stand firm. The scripture teaches that we have an advocate with the Father – Jesus Christ the righteous. But let’s be sure we understand that sinful behavior is in no way typical of the believer’s life. The Bible says in Romans 6:2, “How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? (KJV)” What the Bible says in these verses is for us in the event that we do fall along the way somewhere. If we do sin, we have one who speaks in our defense – Jesus Christ. He is our defender, for He has paid the penalty for our sin.
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