In 1 John 2:1, the apostle outlines one of the purposes behind writing his epistle. “I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin.” There are, of course, other purposes, both explicit and implicit (1 John 1:4; 2:21, 26; 5:13). But the purpose statement in 1 John 2:1 is my particular concern in this article, because it provides us with one of the three related propositions about sin found in 1 John 1:5–2:2. As you’ll see, these aren’t novel, which is why I’m not referring to them as my propositions. They are consistent with countless other biblical texts, the Christian theology of sin, and our own experience.

The three propositions are:

1. No one is without sin
2. We can put off sin
3. Christ must save us from sin.

Very briefly below I will demonstrate each of those propositions from 1 John. I’ll then offer a few examples of what happens when we don’t major in all of them, before suggesting in my conclusion how you might use them as a diagnostic in your own life.

The Three Propositions in 1 John

Firstly, everyone sins. “If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us” (1 John 1:10). Similarly 1 John 1:8 reads, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” “God is light,” the apostle writes a few verses earlier, “and in him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5). The same cannot be said of us—of humanity. However much those within and without the church rail against it, the doctrine of original sin is incontrovertible.

Secondly, despite the indwelling reality of sin, as John Owen put it, sin isn’t inevitable. It is possible to resist temptation and put off sin. It would be strange if the apostle’s stated purpose for writing his epistle was a fool’s errand. “I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin” (1 John 2:1). Positively, keeping God’s commands is also a possibility (1 John 2:3). God both expects and enables his people to sin less, even if they won’t ever be sinless in this life.

Finally, the only solution to sin is Christ’s work. It is “the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). That blood is “the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 2:2). Though the apostle doesn’t clearly link the two, we can infer from other texts, particularly the book of Hebrews, that the Son’s advocacy and mediating work is premised on that blood (1 John 2:1; also seen throughout Hebrews).

In some ways, 1 John 1:9 combines the above propositions. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” For it acknowledges our sinfulness, and the need for forgiveness, while also anticipating righteous living or holiness.

Why We Need All Three of Them

Having recently taught 1 John 1:5-2:2, I argued that most of us—and our churches too—will major in one or two of these propositions while neglecting the remainder.

For example, some churches lean hardest into the second proposition, which calls believers to personal holiness, ruthlessly identifying sin and rooting it out. In these churches you might say that the first proposition has a kind of presuppositional function, instead of its pervasive sense. So instead of readily admitting that all of us struggle with sin, Christians in these churches are loaded with guilt and their faith can tend towards joyless struggle with sin, even moralism.

To pick another example, there are churches that only speak about the third proposition, usually in vaguer terms than my own. Here it’s all about God’s love and grace, teeming with tolerance and trite affirmations. But this proposition only really makes sense—at least in the way the apostle states it—with the backdrop of the other two. I’m not okay. Neither are you. The church isn’t a Jesus club; it’s God’s blood-bought people, who know their guilty standing before God but thankfully call on their advocate.

One final example, other churches will bang the drum of the first proposition, conveniently ignoring the second. Here it’s a matter of indifference and apathy, ‘everyone sins, it’s just who we are.’ But it isn’t. Remember, the apostle’s purpose in writing was that his recipients would not sin (1 John 2:1), or at the very least sin less. Continuing in sin because we’re too spiritually lethargic is very different to prayerfully struggling with sin and practising repentance. Putting off sin is possible, personal holiness should be an ambition of every believer.

Use Them, Don’t Use Them

It isn’t my intention to get into the permutations above. Instead, by outlining my—well, really 1 John’s—three propositions I hope that you will develop your own examples and consider your own doctrine and experience of sin. Which of the above propositions do you understate? Does your church perhaps overstate one at the expense of the others? Is your faith realistic and penitent, marked by dependence on God’s grace?