1 John 3:5: He Appeared In Order To Take Away Sins

1 John 3:5
[5] You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. (ESV)

Many people know that Jesus appeared. Over 2,000 years have gone by since the birth of Christ and we still have a holiday that celebrates his coming. Jesus has come. But why did he come? Not everyone is agreed on that point. Many would say that he came to be a great moral teacher. Others would say that he came to bring peace and justice. Still others would say that his coming is no different than any other person's birth.

The Apostle John says to the believers in Jesus Christ YOU KNOW. You know the purpose for his coming. You know that he came in order to take away sins. This point is not a small one. To deny the truth of this point is to completely miss the purpose of Christ's incarnation, his becoming flesh. Consider the very name Jesus. His name speaks to the purpose of his coming.

Matthew 1:21
[21] She (Mary) will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” (ESV)

The great truth is that he came to save sinners. And the other great truth is we are those sinners! We are in desperate need of what Jesus came to do. The world has all kinds of needs. There are wars that continue to rage on. There is hunger. There is poverty. There is all kinds of injustice. But, we need to be reminded that the primary need of man is to have his sins taken away. Nothing is more important. That means that the church's primary focus is on the Gospel, not on the other social issues.

Have you come to Jesus to have your sins forgiven? It is the most important thing that you can do. It is why he came. Share that truth with others.

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