If Anyone Sins

As a reminder, the purpose of this series is to show how teachers often twist, alter, or ignore Bible text in order to defend sinful behavior in themselves and their congregants. They believe that all Christians sin and will continue to sin for the rest of their lives. Of course, the Bible flatly contradicts that notion, but the teachers seem unable or unwilling to see this.

One of the most commonly used passages is the first verse of 1 John chapter two.

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.

These teachers usually quote the verse out of context in order to alter the real meaning. In order to interpret this verse, it’s crucial to understand the context. As I explained in my previous post, the first chapter provides a gospel message, an explanation of how to gain fellowship with God and eternal life. This happens when a person confesses his sin (1 John 1:9) and is cleansed of all sin.

So, in chapter two, when John says, “I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin,” he is indicating that the gospel he has presented has this purpose. He has provided this gospel so that his readers won’t sin.

That’s what acting on the gospel message does. It makes people holy. It provides the means to stop sinning, because the blood of Jesus cleanses from all sin (chapter one verses 7 and 9).

Does the blood of Jesus cleanse only some sin but not all? Of course not. It cleanses all sin, thereby making the believer holy and without sin. If they actually do sin, that would mean that they didn’t heed the gospel message that he provided, for that was its purpose.

Here is where the confusion arises. John then gives us this very scenario. What happens if someone actually does sin?

It is essential for us to identify the people in mind, and the pronouns John uses help us understand his meaning. Most people paraphrase the verse in this fashion.

“John wrote this so that we wouldn’t sin, but if we do, we have an advocate with the Father, so we’re forgiven.”

Or, “This was written so that you won’t sin, but if you do, you’re forgiven because of Jesus, your advocate.”

These are both inaccurate representations of what John is teaching. Remember, John gave them the message so that they would not sin, but if anyone does sin, that person is in the group that is described in 1:6, in darkness, needing a savior. Notice the change in pronouns in the chapter two verse, "I am writing these things to you that you may not sin. And if anyone sins ... "

John changes from second person, "you", to third person, "anyone". The one who sins is not meant to be part of the group addressed.

When John wrote, “my little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin,” he then assumes that his readers have accepted this gospel and are now Christians. If he had meant the following "anyone" to refer to his readers, it would have made more sense for him to say, "If any of you sins ... "

This is the reason he says that "we" have an Advocate instead of "he" has an Advocate. He is referring to someone outside the “we” group. The sinning person does not have an Advocate with the Father, because he is an unbeliever. The Christians are the ones with the Advocate, and this Advocate can be shared with the sinning person.

The person who sins could be an unbelieving member of the church or one who has left the congregation, so John is telling the Christians what to do in this situation. This brings chapter 1 verse 9 back into the light, part of the message that he gave to the readers. The Christians are supposed to share the gospel message of chapter 1, the good news of their Advocate. They are to communicate this message to those who are sinning.

The news of the advocate is to be shared, because He is the propitiation for the sins of the whole world, not just for the sins that John's readers had committed in the past. The Christians had their sins forgiven already, but it was important for them to announce the availability of this forgiveness to "anyone" who sins. This "anyone" would not be part of the “we” who had believed the message, but they would be considered part of the "whole world," anyone who is not assumed to be a Christian.

Therefore, the implication of the possibility of a sinning Christian in "that you may not sin" is removed, because John has apparently placed "anyone" who actually does sin out of the addressed group by the use of the third person pronoun.

The complete purpose of John's "message" is now clear. The first purpose is to make sure that the people in the audience receive the gospel, become cleansed from all unrighteousness, and sin no more. The second purpose is to encourage them, once they are cleansed, to give the gospel message previously stated to anyone who does sin.

Notice the "And" in "And if anyone sins ... " The word is kai in Greek. This connective makes the twofold explanation more clear. If John had meant for the second part of the verse to be applied to Christians who have already received the gospel, the connective would have been "but," alla or de in Greek.

“But” is an adversarial connective, one that is meant to introduce the result of an opposite action. The first part of the verse says that John intends for his reader to refrain from sin. If John were going to explain what would happen if the opposite of this occurred, he would have said, "But if anyone (or any of you) sins ... " He chose "and," which means "in addition to this." Therefore, the second part of the verse is the second portion of his purpose statement, something that adds a separate, new idea. It is not the consequence or remedy for the failure of the first idea.

He is saying that there are two purposes for his message. One, believe the message so that you will stop sinning. Two, share this message with people who are sinning, because Jesus died for them, too.

This interpretation provides a more reasonable flow into verse 3, an explanation of how to tell who is truly a believer, by an examination of their actions.

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 keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked. (1 John 2:3-6)

This is crystal clear. The person who actually sins is not a true Christian. This way, the audience is able to identify who actually needs this message, and the purpose can be put into practice. They can share the great advocate with the sinner so that he can be saved and stop sinning.

If actual Christians still sinned, then these three verses wouldn’t make any sense at all. The standard for telling a Christian from a non-Christian is obedience, so if sin continues in a Christian, then we would have to remove these verses from the text. They would be wrong.

The overwhelming testimony of the apostle John is that Christians are always obedient:

We know that no one who is born of God sins; but He who was born of God keeps him, and the evil one does not touch him. (1 John 5:18)

They are exactly like Jesus in their conduct:

By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world. (1 John 4:17)

And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. (1 John 3:3)

And those who sin are of the devil and in slavery:

He that committeth sin is of the devil, for the devil sinneth from the beginning, For this purpose the son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. (1 John 3:8)

Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin.” (John 8:34)

I urge readers to evaluate John’s message and cast aside the words of teachers who hold to a form of godliness but deny its power (2 Timothy 3:5). I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin, and I hope you will accept it and carry this message to others, this message of the great Advocate who can cleanse anyone from all sin.

Next time, I will explore Romans chapter seven. When it comes to teachers grasping for excuses to sin, Romans seven is probably the most frequently misused passage in the Bible.