Jesus, the Righteous Advocate
Scripture Reading — 1 John 1:1-2:3
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 1:9
The apostle John says, “My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.”
Jesus Christ is the advocate of lost causes, and there are three reasons for this.
The first reason is that he is just. Because of his character, sin was never a part of his nature, and no malice ever came from his lips.
The second reason is in the methods he uses. As your advocate, Jesus not only comes to be by your side but also to serve in your place—to be your replacement. Jesus did not come to plead his innocence but to take on your guilt. Jesus did not come, like a human lawyer would, to charge legal fees for taking on your case. He came to pay the price for your redemption—and he paid with his perfect life. Jesus Christ, as your advocate, can save you completely because after he died for you, he rose from the dead and is now ruling at God’s right hand, where he intercedes for you.
There is also a third reason: Jesus is the advocate of lost causes because his work is effective. He has never lost a case, and he never will.
Lord God, holy and righteous are your ways! I thank you because, through Jesus, I have forgiveness for everything that separates me from you. So I confess my sin, in his name. Amen.
About the author — Hernandes Lopes
Rev. Hernandes Dias Lopes grew up in a Christian home in Brazil. Following his 1981 graduation from Seminário Presbiteriano do Sul in Campinas, Brazil, he served two congregations of the Presbyterian Church in Brazil. In 2000, he earned a doctor of ministry degree from Reformed Theological Seminary in Jackson, Mississippi. Rev. Lopes has been the voice of the television program Verdade e Vida (“Truth and Life”) since 2006. In 2010 he was appointed Portuguese ministry leader for Back to God Ministries International. Rev. Lopes and his wife, Tinha, have two college-age children.
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