We have an advocate

With the focus of the nation riveted on the unfolding drama of a courtroom, the Verse of the Day for September 25, 2018 is particularly meaningful:

I John 2:1 rendered in the Revised Standard Version in this way:

[Christ Our Advocate] My little children, I am writing this to you so that you may not sin; but if any one does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous;

As I was growing up, I remember descriptions of Jesus Christ, as a “doctor in the sickroom,” “a lawyer in the court room.” Other lyrics describe the Son of God as “a lawyer who never lost a case.” First John, in speaking of Jesus Christ as our advocate, one who pleads our case, echoes this same idea.

The late Dr. Adrian Rogers describes the term in this way:
“Advocate is just a fancy term for a lawyer, someone who pleads your case before the bar or justice. . . . Jesus goes before God on our behalf and says, ‘Father, I know they are sinners, but they have repented and my blood has cleansed them. They belong to Me.’”

The word advocate is translated from the Greek word parakletos, the same word used for the Holy Spirit, also referred to as the Paraklete: one who pleads another’s cause, who helps another by defending or comforting him. The term refers to one who comes alongside to help. In this case the word is used to refer to someone who is a defender, a defense attorney.” for of all who belong to His Kingdom.

Matthew Henry writes: “The clients are guilty; their innocence and legal righteousness cannot be pleaded. It is the advocate’s own righteousness that he must plead for the criminals.” In this courtroom setting sinners are accused before God, the Lord, the righteous Judge, Jesus Christ comes in as the sinners’ Defense Attorney.

Romans 8:27 in the Amplified Bible speaks of Holy Spirit, our advocate, in this way:

And He Who searches the hearts of men knows what is in the mind of the [Holy] Spirit [what His intent is], because the Spirit intercedes and pleads [before God] in behalf of the saints according to and in harmony with God’s will.

Despite our best efforts, we will sin; indeed, all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. We are all sinners, saved by grace. On those occasions where we fall short or miss the mark in our efforts to serve the Lord, we have a defense attorney, a barrister, an advocate with the Father.

How comforting to know that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, serves as our advocate or defense attorney, who is seated at the right hand of God, as he ever makes intercession for us. Thank God that he is “a lawyer in the courtroom.” and that he has “never lost a case.”

We close with a musical rendering of the Verse of the Day: 1 John 2:1:

We have an advocate: Take Jesus as your lawyer

The Verse of the Day for September 25, 2014 is a blog entry from a year ago which is modified and reposted below:

I John 2:1 in the New Living Translation renders the Verse of the Day in this way:

My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous

The Verse of the Day brings to mind lines from songs that I recall from childhood: hymns and gospel songs composed of

“Lyrics I did not know when I was young

When life was uncertain, my song unsure.”

I remember descriptions of Jesus Christ, as a “doctor in the sickroom,” “a lawyer in the court room.” Other lyrics describe the Son of God as “a lawyer who never lost a case.” First John speaks of Jesus Christ as our advocate, one who pleads our case, and echoes this same idea. The late Dr. Adrian Rogers describes the term in this way:

“Advocate is just a fancy term for a lawyer, someone who pleads your case before the bar or justice. . . . Jesus goes before God on our behalf and says, ‘Father, I know they are sinners, but they have repented and My blood has cleansed them. They belong to Me.’”

The word advocate is translated from the Greek word parakletos, the same word used for the Holy Spirit, also referred to as the Paraklete: one who pleads another’s cause, who helps another by defending or comforting him.

Romans 8:27 in the Amplified Bible speaks of Holy Spirit, our advocate, in this way:

 And He Who searches the hearts of men knows what is in the mind of the [Holy] Spirit [what His intent is], because the Spirit intercedes and pleads [before God] in behalf of the saints according to and in harmony with God’s will.

Despite our best efforts, we will sin; indeed, all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. We are all sinners, saved by grace. On those occasions where we fall short or miss the mark in our efforts to serve the Lord, we have a defense attorney, a barrister, an advocate with the Father.

How comforting to know that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, serves as our advocate or defense attorney, who is seated at the right hand of God, as he ever makes intercession for us. Thank God that he is “a lawyer in the courtroom.” and that he has “never lost a case.”

Buddy Causey offers a piece of advice for those who are wise:

We have an advocate: “a lawyer in the courtroom”

The Verse of the Day for September 25, 2013 comes from I John 2:1 rendered in the New Living Translation in this way:

My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous

The Verse of the Day brings to mind lines from songs that I recall from childhood:  hymns and gospel songs composed of

Lyrics I did not know when I was young

When life was uncertain, my song unsure.

I remember descriptions of Jesus Christ, as a “doctor in the sickroom,” “a lawyer in the court room.” Other lyrics describe the Son of God as “a lawyer who never lost a case.”  First John, in speaking of Jesus Christ as our advocate, one who pleads our case, echoes this same idea. The late Dr. Adrian Rogers describes the term in this way:

“Advocate is just a fancy term for a lawyer, someone who pleads your case before the bar or justice. . . .  Jesus goes before God on our behalf and says, ‘Father, I know they are sinners, but they have repented and My blood has cleansed them. They belong to Me.’”

The word advocate is translated from the Greek word parakletos, the same word used for the Holy Spirit, also referred to as the Paraklete:  one who pleads another’s cause, who helps another by defending or comforting him.

Romans 8:27 in the Amplified Bible speaks of Holy Spirit, our advocate, in this way:

 And He Who searches the hearts of men knows what is in the mind of the [Holy] Spirit [what His intent is], because the Spirit intercedes and pleads [before God] in behalf of the saints according to and in harmony with God’s will.

Despite our best efforts, we will sin; indeed, all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. We are all sinners, saved by grace. On those occasions where we fall short or miss the mark in our efforts to serve the Lord, we have a defense attorney, a barrister, an advocate with the Father.

How comforting to know that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, serves as our advocate or defense attorney, who is seated at the right hand of God, as he ever makes intercession for us. Thank God that he is “a lawyer in the courtroom.” and that he has “never lost a case.”