The opening verses of this second chapter of John's epistle are very beautiful, and it may not be amiss to spend a few moments in meditation thereon. The most wonderful glories of God's ways seem focused on the darkest pages of those of man and where clouds gather blackest we may look for the brightest sunshine. These verses form no exception to this rule. We may say that there is nothing more awful than sin in the believer and that there is nothing more beautiful than the grace which meets it. Where knowledge is greatest, responsibility is deepest.
That this is true needs no proof. It is an axiom, it is self-evident. "If I had not come unto them" said our Lord, "they had not had sin but now they have no cloak for their sin." " He that committeth sin hath not seen Him neither known Him," exclaims he who leaned on Jesus' bosom, while of Capernaum exalted to heaven, because of Christ's presence, it is said that it shall be cast down to hell. Knowledge intensifies guilt. The very laws of human jurisprudence proclaim it and avow it, and it is so true that which is not sin to one is to another. "To him that knoweth to do good and doeth it not to him it is sin."
Let us look then at some of the thoughts connected with sin in Scripture and may they serve as sign posts to warn us off from treacherous and forbidden ground and stand as warrants to condemn us should we venture thereon. Trench tells us that there are about nine words in the Greek of Scripture which are connected with it, or translated into it. While, no doubt, the knowledge of sin existed in all races and had some equivalent in all languages, yet God's revelation has added to its knowledge and accumulated around it a wider vocabulary, giving birth to a more comprehensive conception, and the analysis of that conception should be helpful.
Each of these words which we shall look at has an original and root-meaning, and while that root-meaning is by no means the equivalent of its present sense, yet each little root thought serves to build up our complete idea thereof. " Amartia" is the first of these, and involves the idea of missing a mark, failing of an ideal. He that sins then, misses the mark that has been set by God for him. Shall we say it is a miscalculation? Indeed it is and a most shameful and sorrowful one, a most wretched failure! It has darkened the whole creation by its folly. It is an awful blunder. But it is not merely that-a blunder, a miscalculation, a careless mistake-it is disobedience, parakoe, a "hearing amiss." It is that disobedience which results not so much from defiance as from a careless indifference as to the Master's word, a "Yea, hath God said?" and that sort of thing. How intensely sad to think that the believer's sin has that in it. "Yea and hath Christ said"? " My sheep hear My voice and they follow Me," said the Lord; but alas, he who sins is indifferent to it.
But indifference in anyone, and so much the more if it be in Christ's own, cannot be merely that, it is also parabasis, "transgression." Perhaps especially true where a direct command is violated, yet all sin has this in it. If God's commandment is not trampled on, yet the voice of conscience is. It is breaking down God's landmarks, and entering into the devil's territory. And this transgression has in it the germs of that which leads to throwing off all law and government and becoming "lawlessness," "anomia all "sin is lawlessness." It is a throwing off of the laws of the Creator and the introduction of spiritual anarchy which knows not law. No wonder then that here everything gets out of tune. Sin is plemmeeleia,'' discord." What sad discord! the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain because of it. And oh may we not say as we look at its awful consequences that is agnoema, "ignorance?" Ignorance, folly, self-indulged, self-induced and needlessly reveled in.
"My little children, these things write I unto you that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous." John wishes to keep sin from his little children but he knows that there is, alas! a possibility of it. Had he not seen it break out on the lips of one of the best of men on the dark night of Christ's betrayal? It is possible for us to sin. It is possible for us to curse and swear, to deny Christ and break the blessed communion which should be ours with Him. It is possible for us to do all these things and "more. Do we know it? Men say that, "Forewarned is forearmed." We are forewarned; Peter was forewarned, but are we forearmed? John gives us the armor in the first chapter, but it needs to be put on. The first chapter may be briefly epitomized as "the glory of Christ as God and Man and His glorious environment." What could be more sanctifying? It is of Him that John says that a man committing sin hath not seen Him neither known Him. What a blessed safeguard!
" In all extremes Lord Thou art still.
The mount whereto my hopes do flee;
O make my soul detest all 99:
Because so much abhorred by Thee."
To become more like Him we need to hate sin more, and to delight in gazing on Him more; and . each mutually helps to bring about the other. Among all the vast multitudes who hold in their hands this awful power, Christ is the only One upon whom we may direct our gaze and be absolutely sure that there we shall find nothing sinful. No wonder John opens his epistle with those beautiful words, "That which was from the beginning, which we have seen with our eyes which we have heard, which we have gazed on and our hands have handled of the Word of life." "These things," this Christ, this God, this Man, this One in whom is light and who dwelleth forever in the light, this Jesus, shall be our Sanctifier and Saviour from sin and all its power.
"He forgives sin and breaks its power; He sets the captive free."
Reader has He done it for you?
As we were saying before, John knows too well how possible it is to sin; and for such he says, "there is an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous." I would call your attention for a little to the word "advocate" paracletos. It is very interesting to notice that it is found in the New Testament in John's writings only; while its abstract form paraklesis, translated "consolation," "comfort," and occurring many times elsewhere is never once used by this same apostle. If we look at this as a mere chance phenomenon, it is a curious one, whereas if we perceive in it something more, we have a beautiful thought. We have so identified the sun in our every day experience with the light which it so bountifully sheds upon us, that to speak of one is to think of the other; and with John to think of "consolation" is to think of the "Consoler," yea is to forget all about the consolation (paraklesis) in the blessed Person who brings it (the Parakletos). Reader when you think of comfort, do you always think of Christ?
The word "advocate" has been variously rendered by different translators. In John's Gospel the same word is rendered "Comforter;" " I will send you another Comforter . . . even the Spirit of truth." We have then two advocates or comforters. The One tells us about God and the Other speaks to God about us. Here then speaking reverently, we have Divine Arms linking us with the Father and the Father with us; a blessed Voice of mercy which in our estrangement from Christ, whispers in the Father's ear of our blood-bought righteousness, and the earnest pleading of the Spirit-advocate, of the excellences of our Advocate above.
"We have an Advocate with the Father." When? "If any man sin." I believe and am sure that pleading begins as soon as the sinful act is commenced, but that is not just what John says. He says, " If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father." John brings us into the family of God. If any man in the family sin, the family has an Advocate, to whom they can appeal in behalf of the transgressor. The whole family is stirred into supplication for its erring member and many an earnest entreaty arises to the blessed Advocate above who on His part with His whole heart full of willingness, anticipates their plea. The Advocate pleads "guilty" in behalf of His client and puts in plea, a blood bought pardon. This is a righteous plea advanced by a righteous Person, Jesus-Christ the Righteous.
O child of God, disgraced by sin, with your beautiful garments soiled and mud-stained, our righteous Advocate will not belittle your guilt, will not slur over your transgression. You shall be judged in the full light, every flaw shall -be judged and . . . not condemned! F. C. G.