06 Mar 2007 - 1 John 2:1-2

Tuesday, March 6, 2007

Let’s Pray: Lord, guide me through your Spirit; bring understanding deep
into my heart and mind. Reveal yourself to me in new ways in this day
and in this Easter season.

Scripture for today: 1 John 2:1-2

What do you see? Have you sinned? What is atoning, anyway?

Ok, so we have all sinned. It is silly to ask ‘have you sinned’, or is
it? Though the Bible is clear in saying ‘all have sinned’ (Rom 3:23), we
should acknowledge that John here says that he writes ‘so that you (or
‘we’ his audience) will not sin’. The fact that John seems to write “not
sinning” as possible has always struck me as shocking, and challenging;
however, with a crucial accommodating turn he goes on to point us in the
direction of our defender, the Lord Jesus Christ. Our Defender is
described as ‘the atoning sacrifice’ and, in this time of preparing for
Easter, we should seek to fully appreciate this truth about Jesus. The
Biblical word atonement finds its meaning in words like ‘covering’ or
‘reconciliation’; it is about God’s provision to cover our sin and
reconcile us to Him.
The children of Israel practiced a Day of Atonement (also known as Yom
Kippur, see Lev. 16), This celebration was about a sacrifice of
guiltless blood (an animal) given by God to be shed to atone for the
forfeited blood of the guilty (the people). This was a practice that
ultimately found its fulfillment in the Lord Jesus Christ (Rom 6:23). In
the atonement, Jesus has restored sinners (you and me) to God. As one
writer put it, Jesus is the "at-one-maker between God and man."
While we do our best to look to Jesus in our day to day life and bring
our actions under his will and guidance, we inevitably fall short. In
fact, like a defiant child we can be downright hostile at times! But
praise be to God for “while we were still sinners Christ died for us”
(Rom 5:8)—“He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins”(I Jn 2:2)

Lord, I know that every time I sin it is a decision I make to turn my
back on you. I am so sorry for assaulting our relationship with my sin.
Thank you for the amazing defense of your son Jesus, I weep over his
blood given for my sin, but I rejoice over my restored relationship to YOU!

Bill Francis, Morello Hills Christian Church