If we don’t need an advocate in court, we certainly will in eternity
By Dean Collins
What’s the difference between a good lawyer and a bad lawyer? A bad lawyer might let a case drag on for several years. A good lawyer knows how to make it last even longer.
Apologies to my good lawyer friends! While lawyers take the brunt of many jokes, the truth is at some time in life we all need a lawyer: writing a will, settling an estate, buying or selling property, or any one of a variety of other reasons. All of us make mistakes. Most of our mistakes do not require an attorney, but sometimes they do. And if you ever have to stand before a judge, you certainly do not want to do so without a good attorney advocating for you.
‘But if anyone does sin…’
Scripture writers knew we all need an advocate with God. In 1 John the apostle writes clearly to help the church not sin. But he quickly adds, “but if anyone does sin.” John agreed with the apostle Paul who stated, “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” So I guess all of us need an advocate. The good news according to the whole of scripture that John succinctly states here is this: “We have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.”
Even if we are so wise we don’t need an advocate when we go before a judge here on earth, it is extremely important not to go before the eternal Judge without an advocate, particularly when we know and cannot deny that we have sinned.
It is remarkable news that because of Jesus we can stand before our eternal God and face no condemnation. The work of Christ on the cross settled the justice issue that we would have otherwise been unable to satisfy on our own.
I have some longtime, true friends who are attorneys. Over the years I have frequently sought their advice on a number of business and personal matters. They know me. They know my heart, my character, and my intentions. They are not perfect and neither am I, yet I do find encouragement because I know they want to do anything they can to help me solve or resolve the normal legal matters that come from living life and doing business every day. We live in litigious times, and having an advocate who knows you and believes you can be critically important.
But no matter how wonderful, educated, or successful my lawyer friends are, they cannot advocate for me or defend me when it comes to my root issue of sin. There is only one advocate who can do that.
‘With confidence . . . we may find grace’
The writer of Hebrews gives us helpful information: “We do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
Jesus, our advocate, is a high priest who completely understands our weaknesses and problems of sin, yet he himself is flawless. He knows us, understands us, and stands for us both now and ultimately when we face God in eternity. His advocacy comes with full payment for our sin. We have nothing to fear because the grace and mercy of God have washed over us because of the work of Jesus on the cross.
‘Whoever hates his brother’
John warns us that we cannot say we know Jesus and fail to keep his commandments. John makes it simple to understand: “Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling. But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.”
As I read this remarkable passage, I am struck by how easily we can succumb to the tendency of current culture and the tone of so much media that spews anger and hatred to those who have opposing views or choose to live differently. As followers of Jesus, we must be careful and prayerful that we do not imitate the tone or behaviors of the world but rather live and love others the way Jesus does. John is clear that if we act like the world, then we are walking in darkness and not in the light and love of Jesus.
Lord, thank you for paying the price of our sin on the cross. Thank you for standing as our advocate before the throne of God. Fill us with your love that we might walk in your light today. Forgive us for the moments we have succumbed to the ugliness of hatred and the spoken unkind and untruthful words. We love you and ask that your life and light might shine brighter today so that someone might come to see you and choose to walk in fellowship with you. Amen.
Your time with God’s Word
1 John 2:1-11 ; Romans 8:1-8 ; Hebrews 4:14-16 ESV
Photo by EKATERINA BOLOVTSOVA at pexels.com
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