1 John 2:1-6
“But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.”
There are two very different ways Christians respond to their sin. Some become overwhelmed by guilt and shame, feeling so unworthy that they struggle to believe God could ever forgive them. Others become indifferent to their sin, minimising it, excusing it, or taking God's forgiveness for granted.
Both responses misunderstand the gospel. The first fails to grasp the sufficiency of Christ's forgiveness. The second fails to grasp the seriousness of the sin for which we need forgiveness.
Scripture reminds us that God is perfectly holy and just. No sin escapes His judgment. Every thought, word, and action is known to Him. This raises an important question: How can a perfectly just God forgive guilty sinners?
John gives us the extraordinary answer: “We have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.”
Imagine standing in a courtroom where every accusation against you is true. There is no denying your guilt or explaining away your actions. Yet standing beside you is Jesus Christ, your advocate.
He does not defend you by pretending you are innocent. He defends you on the basis that He has already borne the punishment your sins deserve.
At the cross, God's justice and mercy meet. Christ bore the judgment we deserved so that we might receive the forgiveness we could never earn.
What wonderful assurance! We need neither despair over our sin nor dismiss its seriousness. Instead, we can confess it, turn from it, and rest in Jesus, our righteous advocate.
Dave
