Bible Reading: 1 John 2:1 & 2
John wrote these words in 1 John 2:1 – “My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus
Christ the righteous” (NKJV). John was trying to help his readers (including us) to avoid sin. Sadly that doesn’t always work.
When a person fails to avoid sin and ends up committing a crime, he needs a defense attorney. A defense attorney takes the side of that accused criminal and argues in the criminal’s defense. We call a person who pleads the case of another person, like that attorney, an advocate.
Since Satan is busying running to God and accusing us of continually disobeying God, we need someone to act as our advocate or defense attorney to defend us against all of Satan’s charges.
Jesus is our Advocate. Jesus stands before God’s Judgment Seat and defends us against Satan’s accusations. Jesus continually reminds God that, while we have done the things that Satan accuses us of, our sentence has already been served. Jesus, himself, took the punishment for every offense that we have ever or will ever commit. Therefore, if we accept Jesus’ punishment as the penalty for our wrongdoing, we are declared, “Not guilty” of all of Satan’s charges.
Have you accepted Jesus’ death as the punishment for your sins? Have you allowed God to declare you “Not guilty!”?
“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,” Romans 8:1
Prayer: Heavenly Father, I believe Jesus died to take the punishment for my sins. Forgive me and declare me, “Not guilty.”