2 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you might not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; ² and He Himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. ³ By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. ⁴ The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; ⁵ but whoever follows His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: ⁶ the one who says that he remains in Him ought, himself also, to walk just as He walked (1Jn2:1-6).

John  wrote what he did in chapter one (previous post) so as to exhort his readers not to fall into sin. But as and when they inevitably do, Jesus Christ is described as their “παράκλητος”, variously translated as advocate, comforter or counsellor (v1); also as the “ἱλασμός”, that is a propitiation, atonement or atoning sacrifice (v2), being the effectual means to satisfy an offended God. It is effectual in view of what and to Whom the sacrifice pertains – “Jesus Christ the Righteous One” (v1). Such satisfaction for sin  certainly holds true for the Christian, but John intriguingly adds in verse 2 “not for our (sins) only, but also for the sins of the whole world”.

Universal sufficiency or current application?

 The Greek wording and indeed most English translations are most logically taken to infer that the benefits of this atoning sacrifice have application now to the whole world, not as many commentators seek to theologize it as referring to the universal sufficiency of Christ’s atonement for sin. By that they mean that it is sufficient for everyone in the world to benefit from the Atonement providing they come to know and trust in Christ as their Saviour. But John knew full well that this will not happen and cannot happen, for God’s sovereign will has ensured that such shall be the case. For it was John who quoted Jesus  saying “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws Him” (Jn6:44). And those who do receive Christ, do so because “He gave them authority to become children of God  – those who believe in His name who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (Jn1:12-13). Paul of course affirms the elective nature of gospel salvation throughout his epistles.

As I have expressed the matter in the past, God wishes all people ultimately to come to a knowledge of the truth and be saved (1Tim2:4) – He unsurprisingly has not decreed that all should marry His Son and share His throne (Rev3:21 &19:7). The latter, who are divinely elected to embark on such a course must be made ready in the current age so as to fulfil such a destiny in the next.

That requires more than God’s pardon and appeasement – it needs His spiritual empowerment and sanctifying grace, but also the commitment, self-discipline and perseverance of those He has called. Scripture suggests that a relatively small proportion of those who were baptized at birth or respond later to the gospel are truly faithful to their calling. But then the demands are high: “whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for (Christ’s) sake shall find it” (Mt10:39; Mk8:35; Lk9:24).

The context of gospel salvation

It should therefore be no surprise that  “many are called, but few are chosen” (Mt22:14). Chosen for what? – to go to heaven when they die? Truly, many of those who do, such as the Mt25 “sheep” were never “called” in the first place. The New Testament’s frequent and inescapable references to God’s calling and elective choice pertain to the gospel and those whom the Holy Spirit enlightens such that they come to attain “an inheritance with the sanctified” (Acts20:32).  That is a living relationship with the Saviour in the present followed by unspeakable glories in the ages to come (cf. Rev3:21 &19:7). This related earlier post explains in more detail how and why the Atonement functions at various levels: participatory (sanctifying), forensic (pardoning), whilst for some (“goats”/”tares”/children of the devil) it does not avail.

Knowing Christ

Those who are to attain to glory are in the participatory category. In John’s language they have come to know Christ (v3). I have summarized from the gospels what is required of them above: to die to self and live for Christ. Whether or not we “know Christ” in the Johannine sense pertains as much to what we do as to what we believe, as the apostle goes on to affirm: “By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. The one who says, ‘I have come to know Him’ and does not keep His commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever follows His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected” (vv3-5). And “love” is the key, as John will go on to explain (next post).

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