“My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.” 1 John 2.1-2
I write today with a heavy heart after hearing of a pastor friend who took his life yesterday. He was a good, solid, smart man—a father of two girls and a faithful husband—yet haunted by inner demons that would not let him go. Some might think the demons won, but that’s simply not true. Even death cannot separate us from God. This brother may have battled depression and seemingly lost that battle while on earth, but he is victorious in heaven.
Why do I share this with you today? Because, as 1 John 4:4 says, “Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.” And, as it also says, “If anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.” Our friend who took his life sinned in that action, but that sin cannot keep him from God’s love and forgiveness. The Advocate, the Healer, the Great Shepherd of our souls, atones for our sins and the sins of “the whole world.”
John wrote this letter to the church then and to the church now “so that you will not sin.” Sin keeps us from experiencing the life God intended for us. When we sin, we take matters into our own hands. I was going to say that some sin is self-harm, but in truth, all sin is self-harming. Each action that takes our focus off the Lord is destructive to our souls. John writes, so timely I might add, that when we sin, the Advocate—God’s Holy Spirit—is with us. He atones for our sins and the sins of the whole world.
Perhaps today you are struggling with sin, grief, depression, anxiety, or addiction, and you are considering doing something that will likely harm you. Do not do it. Pray for strength to resist the temptations of the flesh. Do not harm yourself. God is with you. He has a plan for your life. Do not sin and thus separate yourself from His atoning, loving sacrifice of blood.
May God give us all the strength to walk in His grace, live by His love, and be filled with His Spirit, both today and in the days to come.
“O Lord God, You are good and faithful. Even when we sin and fall short of Your glory, You still love us. You can bring healing, even in death, to a soul that is weary and wayward. Come now, Holy Spirit, fill us with Your presence. Help us remember that You are a good and loving God. Save us and redeem us by Your blood, for You are good, and Your love endures forever.” Amen.