#DailyDevotion Jesus Is Your Advocate, The Father Is The Judge, The Fix Is In
Wednesday Easter 2
1 John 2:1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.
The Gospel, the Good News that if we confess our sins, our sins have been forgiven is the source of our lack of sinning. That is, when we hear the Good News our sins are forgiven us, the Holy Spirit gives us faith and takes up residence in us and provides the power/motivation/whatever you want to call it to not sin. We lose in the inward desire to sin in our minds. It isn’t what we want to do. We want to do good and obey God’s law.
Yet we still have the fallen flesh. Our flesh is sold under sin. While our spirits and minds only want to do good, our flesh only wants to disobey God. It’s kind of crazy. So if we do sin, then we have this further good news that help and keep us faithful to the end of our struggles. What is that good news? We have an advocate, a lawyer, a public defender (who is not underpaid nor too incompetent to defend anyone else) with the Father. This is great news because his Father is the judge. That’s right. The fix is in. The other good news is Jesus has gotten the DA, Satan thrown out of the courtroom. Generally, if the DA doesn’t show up, the case is dismissed.
But that is not good enough for Jesus even if it does give us a sigh of relief. For our advocate with the Father has done more than be the Son of the Father. He is the propitiation for our sins. By his shedding of blood, by his suffering and death, Jesus has taken care of any punishments that were due us. What we have deserved for our sins our advocate with the Father has taken care of them already.
So Jesus’ advocacy for us before the Father is to put forth himself as the propitiation of our sins. We stand before the judgment seat of God and Jesus show the Father his hands and his side. He exposes his back and then points to the cross where he died. The Father then pronounces us innocent. We are free. He declares us righteous. Jesus has done this not only for us but for the whole world. He is the world’s propitiation for sins. He did this for the sins of the whole world so you never have to wonder if he did it for you. With this knowledge and faith we go forth to do good and to not sin.
Yet some people still want to represent themselves. They don’t think they deserve to be judged or they think they will come out with a good enough judgment. Well we know those who represent themselves are fools. There are others who thought they had representation but their representatives were shams, con artist who are themselves set before the Father for judgment. They cannot and will not help on that day. You have an advocate with the Father, Jesus the righteous one. Trust in him.
Heavenly Father, always have set before your face Jesus Christ, your Son, the righteous one, to defend us and put forth his suffering and death, his blood as the propitiation for our sins, that we may live in your love and live out your love today and stand boldly before you on the Day of Judgment. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.