Taste and See: God for us

I am writing this, my children,
to stop you sinning;
but if anyone should sin,
we have our advocate with the Father,
Jesus Christ, who is just;
he is the sacrifice that takes our sins away,
and not only ours,
but the whole world’s.

We can be sure that we know God
only by keeping his commandments.
Anyone who says, ‘I know him’,
and does not keep his commandments,
is a liar,
refusing to admit the truth.
But when anyone does obey what he has said,
God’s love comes to perfection in him.

Second reading for the 3rd Sunday of Easter
1 John 2:1-5

“I am writing this, my children,
to stop you sinning;
but…”

For most of us just how important is that ‘but’. For despite the best efforts of the authors of scripture (humans and divine inspirer and all) we remain sinners. And it is not just that we have been sinners, but retain the title. We still commit sin. Maybe it is not grave sin – hopefully it is not: but we still sin. So that ‘but’ is mighty important.

The continuing answer to our sin is Jesus, God’s eternal yes and his eternal love.

In our sin we show our imperfection, we show that our knowledge and our love is indeed imperfect. We humbly admit that, please God, but…

Or is it ‘and’? We admit our sin, and the Lord Jesus comes close for our healing and for our help.

Statue in St Nicholas, Blakeney, Norfolk. (c) 2018, Allen Morris

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