In touching language the venerable Apostle John here teaches us our duty of living a blameless, holy life. In the foregoing chapter he has written of the forgiveness of sins, which we find in the cleansing blood of Christ, the Son of God. Now he continues in burning apostolic love to exhort us and say: "My little children, these things write I unto you that ye sin not."

The fact that we have found forgiveness with God dare not make us indifferent to sin, but should constrain us to avoid all manner of wrongdoing. "My little children," says the apostle. Ah, yes, we are "little children," walking unsteadily in God's holy Law of love. What pain it often causes us that we cannot love God and our brethren more and better than we do! How often we sin against them! But for this depressing thought the apostle provides sweet balm and comfort by telling us that if we sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, even our blessed Savior.

When Satan accuses us at the bar [court] of divine justice on account of our manifold sins; when our own heart condemns us and we must plead guilty to the charge; when God's justice stands ready to execute the dread verdict of death against us, lo, our Savior arises to plead our cause. And He can appeal not only to God's mercy, which He won for us, but also to God's justice, whose exacting demands and claims He has paid for us in full and forever. He is the Propitiation for our sins and for the sins of the whole world. So even such great, vile sinners as we are, God, the divine Judge, must acquit, declaring us "Not guilty" for Jesus' sake. But how this sweet, adorable truth must impel us to avoid all willful sins and to walk in newness of life!

[devotion text by Rev. F. W. Herzberger (1920) -
from the Family Altar - CPH (1957 edition)]
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