"My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world" (1 John 2:1-2).

This passage presents some great truths regarding the blessings that we have in Jesus. For one thing, Jesus is our Advocate with the Father. When we sin, Jesus speaks on our behalf before God as we seek forgiveness. He is a merciful and faithful High Priest, sympathizing with the weaknesses which have resulted in our sin (Heb. 2:17-18, 4:15).

Second, Jesus is the propitiation for our sins. A "propitiation" is that which appeases or satisfies. God's law states that the penalty for sin is death. When Jesus died on the cross, He made a way for God's righteous law to be satisfied without us having to personally pay the penalty for our own sin (Rom. 3:25-26).

While these are great blessings, I want us to notice the instruction which was given prior to these blessings - "that you may not sin."

God has made a way for Christians to receive forgiveness for the sins that they commit, but His will is that we not sin. I wonder, how many of us are careless about sin and temptation, feeling as if we are "covered" if we do sin? God's grace should never be viewed as a license to sin (Rom. 6:1-2, 15). Instead, God's grace calls us to a higher standard of living (Titus 2:11-12).

Brethren, let us "awake to righteousness, and do not sin..." (1 Cor. 15:34).