Jesus Christ, our Advocate

1June 2, 2010

1 John 2 1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin notye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an AdvocateAdvocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous: 2 And He is the PropitiationPropitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. 3 And hereby we do knowknow that we know Him, if we keepif we keep His Commandments.

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1a My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not.

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All that God has givenGod has given John to write is to helphelp us avoidavoid the traps of devils.

Sin destroysSin destroys:

lives, homes, reputations, and ministries.

John told us in the firstfirst chapter that we all sinwe all sin and that we should be quickbe quick

to come to the Lordto the Lord in repentance.

Some might think that telling us that we all do sinwe all do sin would open the door for moremore sinning.

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But that is not God's intentGod's intent, nor willnor will it be the case for sinceresincere Christians.

The gospel, when rightly understood and received, sets the heart against all sin, and stops the allowed practice of it; at the same time it gives blessed relief to the wounded consciences of those who have sinned.

Matthew Henry Concise Bible Commentary.

Anyone who desiresdesires to sin, who wakes up every morning hopinghoping to get a chance to sin that day,

Who is looking for an excuseexcuse to sin more,

Who resentsresents and resistsresists the Holy Word of God,

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Needs to be born again.Needs to be born again.

The Apostle PaulApostle Paul wrote these words:

Romans 7 19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.

To struggle with sinstruggle with sin is not the same thing.

1 John 2 1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an AdvocateAdvocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous:

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When we When we dodo sin, sin,

Be Be quickquick to repent. to repent.HeedHeed the pricking of God's Holy Spirit.

Humble selfself and call on God.

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When we do sin, JesusJesus, the Christ, the Righteous Righteous OneOne intercedes for us with the Father.

Luke 22 31 And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: 32 But I have prayed I have prayed for theefor thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.

Jesus prayed for Peter, knowingknowing that Peter would denydeny His Lord three times that very night.

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His prayer was not to preventnot to prevent Peter's failure.

Jesus' prayer was for Peter's faithPeter's faith to remain with him, and he would turn backturn back to the Lord.

Peter would becomebecome the leader of the disciples, after he had sinnedsinned and returned forgivenreturned forgiven.

Jesus prays for usus, just as He did for Peter.

2 And He is the Propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

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Strong's defines propitiation as expiatorexpiator.http:// www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/expiateexpiate

2 a: to extinguish the guiltextinguish the guilt incurred by;

Jesus shed His Blood to extinguish our guiltextinguish our guilt.

What can wash away my sins?

Nothing but the Blood of Jesus.

What can make me whole again?

Nothing but the Blood of Jesus.

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3 And hereby we do knowknow that we know Him, if we keep His Commandments.

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Who struggles with doubtdoubt that they have been trulytruly born again?

Those who regularly walk in sinwalk in sin.

We can rest in confidenceconfidence that we knowknow Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord,

When we lovelove His Commandments and walkwalk in them.

1 John 5 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His Commandments: and His Command-ments are not grievous (burdensome).

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We who love God do notdo not find it a burden to live our lives His WayHis Way.

We have set our affectionaffection on the things of God, and notnot on the things of this world.