Sins are forgiven for His names sake.....

PLease see 1st John 2:12

Here, once again John gives us a reason he wrote this epistle. 

He has given us a few already.

One, so that his readers could have fellowship with he and the other apostles, and with the father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. 

Two that their joy, or our joy might be full.

Three that they would not sin. 

And, now another reason is given with respect to the world.

He apparently repeats himself two to three times here, but, let's see if we can understand why he did this, and what he was trying to say.

He calls them "little children" perhaps a ref to the fact that he had been their spiritual father as it were. Used by the Lord to bring them to Christ, or to pastor them, and nurture them in Christ. 

I write to you because "your sins are forgiven you for His name's sake"

This is the primary fact in our salvation, that God has forgiven us of our sins.  Forgiven means, to leave, let, forsake, let alone, depart, expire, disregard, omit, not to discuss now, keep no longer, go away from, leave something behind, to leave one by not taking him as a companion. 

In other words, and we can get the idea pretty clearly, this is what has happened to our sins, through the fact of God forgiving our sins. They are gone. They no longer exist, they have vanished as it were. You could not find them if you looked for them. They are no where to be found. 

And, the forgiveness was " for His names sake" What does this mean? 

It means, "because for His name's sake your sins are pardoned" Or "through His name, and on account of confessing His name" 

It seems that it simply means, that forgiven sins, are because of who Jesus is, and what Jesus has done for us, and of our confessing Him as our Savior, and of our confessing our sins to Him etc" In other words, it's having to do with Jesus Christ being the forgiver of sins in our lives. 

Oh Lord. Thank You. 

Pastor Bob Grenier

Calvary Chapel Visalia