1 John 2:1–6 (ESV)
Christ Our Advocate
2 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 He
is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. 3 And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. 4 Whoever
says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, 5 but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: 6 whoever
says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.
Only true children who know Jesus as their Savior can truly walk as Jesus walked and love one another as
Jesus has loved them. If anyone claims to know Jesus and does not love as Jesus loves, he is a liar. When we are guilty of not loving as Jesus loved us, we have One who defends us before God’s throne and petitions our pardon for the sake of His own blood—Jesus
the Righteous One. Through His endless love and forgiveness, we have salvation and have come to know Him. In Him, we love our fellow Christians.
I Pray: Father, strengthen
me in my own salvation, that I might be empowered to keep Your commands and love everyone as Christ has loved me. Amen.
Edward A. Engelbrecht, The Lutheran Study Bible (St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 2009), 2173.