Wednesday, July 20, 2005
1 John 2:1 My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
WE HAVE AN ADVOCATE WITH THE FATHER
John the Apostle, as an old man, speaks to us in a gentle, fatherly way, urging us to turn aside from all home-made solutions to the problem of sin and guilt. An advocate is, "One who pleads the cause of another," an attorney.
We make jokes about lawyers. We blame them for many ills of modern life. But when you need someone to represent you, to take your case, then it's a different story.
When we sin and come penitently confessing that sin to the holy God, we believers do not stand alone before the Almighty. We do have someone to speak for us to plead our case. Jesus intercedes for us with the Father.
Picture yourself arraigned in a heavenly courtroom. Your case is brought before the Judge of All. You know the sin -- the charge. You know you're guilty. Jesus is your Advocate. He represents you as a defense lawyer would represent a client. He enters your plea before the Father on your behalf.
But He does not pretend you are innocent or try to get you off on a technicality. You are guilty of sin, and God says the penalty for sin must be paid for.
John reminds us that our Advocate is the Righteous One for a very good reason. Jesus pleads His righteousness on our behalf. He has paid for your sin -- fully and completely. And God accepts the substitutionary death of his own Son, Jesus Christ.
Because Jesus has received the punishment for your sin, you are forgiven. You are once again restored to fellowship with your heavenly Father. Jesus the Righteous One is your Attorney, your Spokesman -- whenever you need to go to God's throne with repentant heart.
