Our Advocate
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. 2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.
If you don’t believe in sin, you should spend some time with toddlers. I’m kidding. Sort of. They can be so sweet and cute one moment, and the next, they’re biting, scratching, and stealing each other’s toys. Why? Because they want to. As good parents or teachers, we correct them. You know what we don’t do? We don’t reject them.
In 1 John 1, John spends some time addressing some troublemakers in the church, but here he switches for a moment to his congregation. He calls them his “children.”
Pastors in the early church would often call their church members children. It was a term of endearment. John wants them to know he’s writing so they won’t sin.
He doesn’t want them to walk down the same path as the troublemakers, nor does he want them to go back to their old ways. John knows how much damage sin does.
But if that happens, there is a way out. We have help.
Jesus is called our advocate. That Greek word means a helper, someone who speaks on behalf of another. When we sin, Jesus advocates for us to the Father. Imagine the love God has for us that He would advocate for us while knowing what we did. “Yikes!” and “Whew!” all at the same time.
Jesus is able to advocate for us because he is our “atoning sacrifice.” The word used by John means the “cleansing and forgiveness of a sinner.” It also carries the idea of satisfying the punishment. God, as we will learn in 1 John 4:10, sent His son to be this sacrifice. He did it to cleanse our sins and pay the price for sin. God didn’t make someone else do it. He did it Himself.
Jesus’ sacrifice wasn’t to cover the sins of a select few. What Jesus did on the cross was enough for all the sins of the world. If you sin, you can be sure that Jesus’ sacrifice paid the price for that sin. You can be forgiven. Jesus is your advocate. He also gives us the power to resist sin.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, I thank You for sending Your son to be the sacrifice for our sins. Thank You for the forgiveness we do not deserve, but You gave out of Your love. I am grateful that in Your presence, we have an Advocate. Help us to resist sin and walk in Your light. Amen.