My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 1 John 2:1(NIV)
Many struggle with some kind of sin and sincerely strive in many strenuous ways to overcome it but here is given us one simple but all powerful weapon for living in triumph over sin – the written Word. John says I write this to you so that you will not sin. There’s sin destroying power in the Word of God that’s been written to us. Reading, hearing, confessing, meditating on, preaching, teaching, studying, walking in the Word written to us releases the power in it that enables us to live godly and righteously from within our innermost being. Psalms 119:11(NIV) I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.
Then John goes on to tell us – But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.
God doesn’t want us to sin, neither should we have that desire because we are born of Him and have his righteous nature in us. But because our minds are not yet completely renewed and conformed to our true nature we will sin. Now when we sin that’s not the end of it all. We have an advocate. The word that’s translated advocate actually means one called to one’s side as a helper, comforter, aid, counsellor, assistant, consoler, intercessor.
Jesus as our advocate or intercessor doesn’t mean that He pleads with and convinces God the Father to have mercy and forgive us when we sin. Jesus and God the Father are one. John 10:30 (NKJV) I and [My] Father are one.”
They are one in attitude, intent, judgment, and purpose.
Jesus as our advocate actually pleads with us to draw near to God.
Hebrews 4:14-16 tells us that since we have Jesus our great high priest who sympathizes with us, who personally knows firsthand all we go through and has himself been tempted in all points yet did not sin we can boldly draw near God’s throne of Grace.
He convinces us that God loves and accepts us unconditionally, that He has already dealt with, forgiven, and put away our sins in the crucifixion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
