Dec 11, 2010

The Advocate

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. (KJV)(1 John 2:1)

Here's another devotional by Dr. Robert M. McMillan about our friend, defender and advocate, Jesus:

The Advocate

John continues in this chapter to deal with the believer and his sin. This is John's counterpart to Paul's declaration in Romans 6:1 which reads, "What then shall we say? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?" Again, we state that the provision for the sin of the believer is no excuse for the believer sinning. John continues, "If any one should sin we have a Paraclete with the Father." This word Paraclete is a transliteration of the Greek word for which our Authorized Version translates "Advocate." The word means "One called alongside to help." This office of Paraclete is exclusively in relationship to believers. It carries the suggestion of the family attorney who is permanently retained in order to plead our cause in any circumstance that may arise. This same word is used of the Holy Spirit in the Gospel bearing John's name. (Jn. 14:16)

What a blessed thought that Jesus not only has saved us from the guilt of sin but is perpetually active on our behalf to break the power of sin. How often we believers slip and fall but how blessed the thought that immediately Jesus is alongside to help. Jesus knew full well the content of His own statement, "...no man shall pluck them out of my hand." And this means that we cannot even pluck ourselves out of His hand for we come under the category of the words, "no man."

Singing His Praises,
Joey Culpepper

Psalm 122:1

I rejoiced with those who said to me, "Let us go to the house of the Lord." (HCSB)