Together in Christ: 'Living as Forgiven People' — 1 John 2:1-2

In the preceding verses, John has just warned these same followers of Jesus that they must not try to deny that they had sinned. ^[1] Instead, if they were open and brought their sin into the light and confessed it, God would not only forgive them but also cleanse them of all wickedness. ^[2]

This gift of freedom from our guilt and from the stain of our sin is wonderful! However, like the apostle Paul, ^[3] John was careful to warn these disciples that God did not want them to use this gift of forgiveness, cleansing, and freedom from guilt as an excuse to keep sinning so they could keep being forgiven! Our verses begin with John's warning:

My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin.

Forgiveness, cleansing, and freedom from guilt come at a high price: Jesus, Who offered himself as a sacrifice of atonement for our sins. ^[4] We should never take this cost for granted, but be deeply appreciative of our Lord and Savior's willingness to pay our redemption cost! In addition, our forgiveness should also be a reminder that Jesus didn't pay this price just for us but for everyone who comes to Him in repentance and faith. Our forgiveness should motivate us to be conduits of God's grace for us in Jesus and to share the hopeful message of grace and forgiveness with others! ^[5]