Our Advocate

Dear Brethren,

What do the Scriptures mean when they say that Jesus Christ is an "advocate with the Father?" What is an advocate? An advocate is a person who pleads for a cause or propounds an idea. An advocate might be a lawyer who pleads cases in a court of law. As "advocate" is used in the Bible, it is not entirely a legal term, but rather a term that means that Jesus is our comforter, intercessor and consoler. However, the legal term, "advocate," works very well when describing how Jesus defends us and represents us to His Father. "My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." (1John 2:1)

What can we expect when Jesus is our advocate? Is Jesus Christ qualified to be our advocate? Let's understand that even after we are baptized, we are not perfect. Even with God's Holy Spirit, we still come short, and because of our human frailties, we fall and we sin. It is necessary that we admit this. "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1John 1:8-9)

Not only does Jesus "forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness," He pays our debt as well. That is what "propitiation" means. "And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world." (1John 2:2) Because we are sinners, we are worthy of death, but Jesus willingly paid the death penalty for us. He did not have to do that!

Look at this overly simplified example: Let's suppose we get a speeding ticket and we are summoned to go to court. We stand before the judge - guilty. Then, our defense attorney who is representing us, knowing that we are guilty, tells the judge, "I will pay the fine for the defendant." We get off scott free! That would never happen in this life - but that is exactly what happens when we sin, and Jesus is our advocate. When we confess our sin, Jesus, as our advocate, represents us and willingly pays our fine for us.

And just as in the example, it does not mean that we can go out and speed again - when Jesus pays our death penalty in our stead, we are not to sin again. No! Just the opposite, we are to be law abiding citizens. "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? Absolutely not! How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?" (Romans 6:1-2)

***

Sermon:

"Our Advocate"