This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.  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.  7 Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard. 8 At the same time, it is a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. 9 Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. 10 Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling. 11 But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes. 12 I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for his name’s sake.  1 John 1:5 – 2:12

B.  The Standards: Our necessity for Christ’s Advocacy

1.  The Standard of Perfect Obedience: 1 John 1:7, Matthew 5:48

2.  The Standard of Absolute Separation from the world: 1 John 2:15, Matthew 6:19-21

3.  The Standard of Sacrificial Love for Other Christians: 1 John 3:14-18, John 14:15, 21, 23, John 15:12-13

4.  The Standard of Impartial Love for Other Christians: 1 John 4:7-12, John 13:3-5

5.  The Standard of Joyful Obedience to God’s Commands: 1 John 5:3, Deut. 30:11

C.  Life’s Realities:  Our Necessity for Christ’s Advocacy

1.  We sin and conscience accuses us: Rom. 2:14-16, John 8:8-10

2.  We sin and the devil accuses us: Rev. 12:10, Job 1:8-11, Job 1:3-6, Zec. 3:1-5, Rev. 12:11