WE HAVE AN ADVOCATE


A. "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" - I JOHN 2:1-3
  1. When coming to the throne of grace:
    1. We do so in the knowledge that we are not alone, but we have some one there to come to our aid - that someone is Jesus Christ our Lord
    2. That ought to give us courage and boldness to pray
  2. We have an advocate:
    1. Jesus Christ the righteous - that means
    2. That we made our petitions in His name and claim the merits of His righteousness
B. WE HAVE AN ADVOCATE
  1. What is an advocate?
    1. One who pleads the cause of another as before a tribunal
    2. One who defends or espouses any cause by argument - a pleader - an intercessor
    3. A go-between; Examples: Abraham pleaded the survival of Sodom because of the anticipated righteous who lived in that city - Gen. 18:23-33; Moses interceding for Israel at a moment when God was angry with them - Ex. 32:31-35
  2. Jesus Christ the righteous is our advocate:
    1. He is our representative in the heavenly courts
    2. He appears before the face of the Father in our behalf - so that when we come to God in prayer - our Advocate is there and ready to plead our cause
    3. This brings comfort to the soul and gives us boldness to appear before God and offer our petitions to him - Heb. 4:15-16
  3. Merits of the advocacy of Jesus Christ our Lord:
    1. He presents to the Father clothed with His own righteousness - Is. 61:10; I Cor. 1:30-31
    2. He pleads His blood shed to cover our sins - Eph. 2:14-16; I Peter 1:18-19
    3. He pleads our acceptance of His atonement for our sins - Rom. 5:11; Heb. 9:14-28
    4. Such knowledge by us ought to give us much encouragement when we pray
C. WHY WE NEED AN ADVOCATE BEFORE THE FATHER
  1. Because of sin:
    1. Sin has alienated us from God; separated us from Him; made us His enemies - Is. 59:1-3; Rom. 8:6-7; Col. 1:21; Rom. 5:10; Eph. 2:11-13
    2. Sin, therefore, disqualifies us to appear before a righteous God; we are in need of someone acceptable to Him
  2. Even though we have accepted Jesus Christ:
    1. We still are apt to sin and come short of the glory of God - and thus we become disqualified to make claims to Gods blessings - I John 1:7-9
    2. Our human frailties necessitate a representative in the courts of heaven - Heb. 2:14-17
  3. The advocacy of our Lord:
    1. Is not needed to make our heavenly Father conciliatory toward us - no, no, it is He who made the supreme sacrifice in the gift of His only Son - Rom. 8:31-39; 2 Cor. 5:18-21
    2. The ministry of Jesus Christ in our behalf is necessitated by our fallen condition; it is because of sin, which God cannot condone, that the Son of God pleads His own righteousness before God - to make us worthy of His blessing
    3. We must ever keep this truth in mind when we think of Jesus as our advocate before God - not the Father, but our sin necessitates the intercessor before God
  4. These eternal truths give great emphasis to our relationship to Jesus Christ our Saviour:
    1. He is our only hope now and forever compare Acts 4:12 with Matt. 1:21; John 1:29; Rev. 1:5
    2. His infinite sacrifice has been accepted by the Father and it is because of this that we have right to come to God in prayer - Heb. 4:14-16
    3. How condescending is our Father's love toward us - to have set up a throne of grace for us to come boldly and to receive mercy for us to come boldly and to receive mercy and strength in time of need
    4. How eternally inexcusable it is to neglect so great a salvation - Heb. 2:1-6
  5. Yes, dear ones, we have an advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous - let us make full use of His ministry for us:


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