John Calvin Commentary 1 John 2:1

"My little children, these things write I unto you that ye may not sin. And if any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:" — 1 John 2:1 (ASV)

My little children. It is not only the sum and substance of the previous doctrine, but also the meaning of almost the whole gospel, that we are to depart from sin. Yet, though we are always exposed to God’s judgment, we are certain that Christ so intercedes by the sacrifice of His death that the Father is propitious to us. Meanwhile, He also anticipates an objection, lest anyone should think that He gave license to sin when He spoke of God’s mercy and showed that it is presented to us all. He then joins together two parts of the gospel, which unreasonable people separate, and thus tear apart and mutilate. Besides, the doctrine of grace has always been slandered by the ungodly. When the expiation of sins by Christ is set forth, they boastfully say that a license is given to sin.

To counter these slanders, the Apostle first testifies that the design of his doctrine was to keep people from sinning. For when he says, that you sin not, his meaning is only that they, according to the measure of human weakness, should abstain from sins. And what I have already said respecting fellowship with God—that we are to be conformable to Him—is to the same purpose. He is not, however, silent about the gratuitous remission of sins; for though heaven should fall and all things be thrown into confusion, yet this part of truth must never be omitted. On the contrary, what Christ is must be preached clearly and distinctly.

So we also should do today. As the flesh is inclined to licentiousness, people must be carefully warned that righteousness and salvation are provided in Christ for this purpose: that we may become the holy possession of God. Yet whenever it happens that people wantonly abuse the mercy of God, there are many grumbling individuals who slander us, as though we gave free rein to vices. We should still boldly go on and proclaim the grace of Christ, in which the glory of God especially shines forth, and in which the whole salvation of humankind consists. These attacks of the ungodly, I repeat, should be wholly disregarded, for we see that the apostles were also assailed by these attacks.

For this reason, he immediately adds the second clause: that when we sin, we have an advocate. By these words, he confirms what we have already said: that we are very far from being perfectly righteous; indeed, that we contract new guilt daily, and yet there is a remedy for reconciling us to God if we flee to Christ. And this alone is that in which consciences can find rest, in which is included the righteousness of human beings, and in which the hope of salvation is founded.

The conditional particle, if, should be viewed as causal, for it is inevitable that we sin. In short, John means that we are not only called away from sin by the gospel—because God invites us to Himself and offers us the Spirit of regeneration—but also that a provision is made for miserable sinners, so that they may always have God propitious to them. Furthermore, the sins by which they are entangled do not prevent them from becoming just, because they have a Mediator to reconcile them to God.

But to show how we return to favor with God, he says that Christ is our advocate. For He appears before God for this purpose: that He may exercise toward us the power and effectiveness of His sacrifice. That this may be better understood, I will speak more plainly. The intercession of Christ is a continual application of His death for our salvation. Therefore, God does not impute our sins to us because He regards Christ as intercessor.

But the two names by which he afterward characterizes Christ—just and a propitiation—properly belong to the subject of this passage. He calls Him just and a propitiation. It is necessary for Him to be both, that He might fulfill the office and role of an Advocate. For who that is a sinner could reconcile God to us?

For we are excluded from access to Him, because no one is pure and free from sin. Hence, no one is fit to be a high priest unless he is innocent and separated from sinners, as is also declared in Hebrews 7:26. Propitiation is added because no one is fit to be a high priest without a sacrifice.

Therefore, under the Law, no priest entered the sanctuary without blood; and a sacrifice, as a customary seal, used to accompany prayers according to God’s appointment. By this symbol, it was God’s design to show that whoever obtains favor for us must be equipped with a sacrifice. For when God is offended, satisfaction is required to pacify Him.

It therefore follows that all the saints who have ever lived and ever will live need an advocate, and that no one except Christ is qualified to undertake this office. And undoubtedly, John ascribed these two things to Christ to show that He is the only true advocate.

Now, just as no small consolation comes to us when we hear that Christ not only died for us to reconcile us to the Father, but that He continually intercedes for us, so that access in His name is open to us and our prayers may be heard, so we should especially beware lest this honor, which belongs uniquely to Him, should be transferred to another.

But we know that under the Papacy, this office is ascribed indiscriminately to the saints. Thirty years ago, this very remarkable article of our faith—that Christ is our advocate—was nearly buried. But today, they allow that He is indeed one of many, but not the only one.

Those among the Papists who have a little more modesty do not deny that Christ excels others, but they afterward join with Him a vast number of associates. But the words clearly mean that one cannot be an advocate who is not a priest, and the priesthood belongs to no one but Christ alone.

Meanwhile, we do not take away the mutual intercessions of saints, which they practice in love toward one another. But this has nothing to do with the dead, who are removed from interaction with human beings, nor with that patronage which they invent for themselves so that they may not be dependent on Christ alone.

For though fellow believers pray for one another, yet they all, without exception, look to one advocate. There is, then, no doubt that the Papists set up as many idols against Christ as the patrons or advocates they devise for themselves.

We must also note, by the way, that those err very greatly who imagine that Christ falls on His knees before the Father to pray for us. Such thoughts should be renounced, for they detract from the heavenly glory of Christ. The simple truth should be retained: that the fruit of His death is ever new and perpetual, that by His intercession He makes God propitious to us, that He sanctifies our prayers by the fragrance of His sacrifice, and also aids us by pleading for us.