Jesus Our Advocate

One of the greatest truths in all of scripture is the fact that God is for us. He loves us, He cares about us, and He is on our side. He really is on your side! That is encouraging! Imagine the peace in our life that we would experience if we simply walked in this truth. That is the promise we have as believers.

This is so important! Knowing that Jesus is our advocate is vital to our belief. What you believe about God and what you believe about yourself is very important. Why? Because right belief leads to right living. Believing the right things leads to living the right way.

Not everyone sees you the way that God sees you. Not everyone talks about you the way that God talks about you. It is important that we are listening to the voice of our advocate and not the voice of the accuser.

But more on that later! For now, let’s jump into our text for today.

The apostle John, the same John who wrote the gospel of John, is writing to his readers about living rightly before God. The main idea is that true fellowship with God is found in the person of Jesus Christ and that the evidence of fellowship with Him is found in a transformed life.

In chapter one he establishes his authority as a true eyewitness of Jesus risen from the dead. He was adamant about God being perfect as light and that no one can be living in darkness and claim to be in God. He also is adamant that anyone claiming to be without sinning is lying and is not born again.

Then in chapter two John continues his thought. Let’s pick up in verse one:

1 John 2:1-2 — “1 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.

Here the Bible says that we as believers have an “advocate” with the Father.

Our Advocate = Jesus Christ (the Righteous One)

What is an Advocate?

Advocate (Parakletos) = One who stands on your behalf; Defends your case

A “Parakletos” was someone who voluntarily stepped forward in a court of law to defend an accused person, represent them, and urge the judge for a favorable verdict. John is saying that Jesus is that person for us!

There are a few things that we have to understand in order for all of this to make sense.

1.     The Law Reveals Our Guilt
The truth is that God is holy, just, and righteous. God is perfect! When God created the world, it was perfect as well. But when Adam disobeyed God, sin entered the world. Through Moses, God gave the Law to Israel and to us (Torah). The whole point of the law was to reveal that we have all sinned and that we have all fallen short. It’s purpose was to reveal our guilt.

When you break the law here in America, there are consequences. When you break the law of God, there are consequences as well. When you break the law in America, your penalty is a fine, jail time, prison time, potentially even life in prison. However, when you break the law of God, the consequence is eternal separation from God.

Every single one of us has fallen short, every single one of us has sinned. Therefore we are all guilty of breaking the law. If you had to stand before God based on your own righteousness, you would have no defense. The evidence against you in overwhelming!

No amount of good works, church attendance, apologizing could erase our guilt. We needed someone to do for us what we could never do for ourselves. That someone is Jesus Christ!

2.     Jesus Paid Our Debt
Jesus came to this earth born of a virgin, lived a perfect life, was falsely accused, nailed to a wooden cross, and then died a sinner’s death. When Jesus died, He took our punishment upon Himself for us. His blood was shed for us so that we could be forgiven, set free, and could be in right standing before God. (Oh precious is the flow…)

In the Old Testament, there was mediator between God and man; the high priest. The role of the high priest was to represent man before God (Note: A prophet represented God to the people).

Hebrews 5:1 — “For every high priest taken from among men is appointed for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins.”

His job was to represent the people by offering a consecrated sacrifice to God on behalf of the people for their forgiveness.

Jesus Himself is the Ultimate High Priest! He was taken from us (born of a virgin), and appointed for us, in order to represent us to God. His death was the perfect sacrifice made unto God once and for all for the forgiveness of our sins. His death paid the debt we owed and took on our penalty for us.

3.     Jesus is Defending Our Case
Jesus is no longer in the grave — He is in heaven right now making intercession for you. What does that mean? He is defending your case. He is being an advocate on your behalf. Why? Because while you do have an advocate that is on your side, you also have an accuser; that is the devil himself.

The Bible says that the devil is the accuser of the brethren (Revelation 12:10).  It says that he accuses us before God day and night. All day long, he goes before God to make accusations against you. He points out the wrong you have done, the sins you have committed, and the mistakes you have made. He is constantly pointing our your guilt.

But this is where Jesus as our advocate really comes into play. While the devil continues to hurl accusations against you, Jesus stands before God as our lawyer/defender and points to His righteousness that has been applied to us through His blood that was shed for us. He points to His sacrificial death on the cross that completely paid for our sin. Jesus stands before God on your behalf and says “he is mine, she is mine, I paid for him/her!”

Jesus is making intercession for you right now!!

So 1 John 2:1 portrays a heavenly courtroom:

•   God is the judge

•   You as the defendant

•   The devil as the accuser (prosecutor) pointing out what you did wrong

•   Jesus as the defense attorney on your behalf

Jesus is interceding on your behalf before God RIGHT NOW!!

Notice what it says at the end of 1 John 2:1

“But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.”

Jesus is qualified to be an advocate on our behalf because He is the perfect and righteous one!

This is the truth! This is so important for us to know and understand. Why you may ask? Because the accuser is not only making accusations about you before God, he is also making accusations to you as well. He tells you all the bad things you’ve done. He points out all your failures. He tries to condemn you by whispering lies to you:

•   You are a failure

•   You’re not a good parent

•   It’s your fault

•   You are never going to change

•   God is disappointed in you

•   You ruined your calling

•   You’re not worthy

•   God can’t use you, look at your mistakes

If we are not careful, we will begin to agree with accusations that God never spoke over us. We can find ourselves imprisoned by and accusations and condemnation (lies) when the truth is actually quite the opposite.

The devil wants you to focus on yourself and your own shortcomings. Why? Because he knows that if you begin to lift your eyes to Jesus, then you will see the truth, that you are forgiven, that you have been covered, and that you have had an advocate on your side the entire time.

The devil knows the truth, he just wants to keep you from seeing it. Why? Because he wants to keep you on the sideline. He wants to keep you from being effective for the kingdom of God. His weapon of choice are accusations and condemnation. But we must remember that our advocate has paid the price for us and is defending us before God the Father day and night!

So let us take our eyes off ourselves and our own failures and shortcomings and let us put them on Jesus! Who is the Author and Finisher of our faith. It is because of Him that we are considered the righteousness of Christ.

2 Corinthians 5:21 — “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

You are no longer identified by your sin. You are now identified by His righteousness.

TAKEAWAYS

I.      Stop agreeing with accusations that God never spoke over you
We have to be careful not to agree with the attacks on our heart from the enemy when he accuses us. We must recognize that as the voice of the enemy.

We have to recognize the difference between conviction and condemnation. Condemnation is from the enemy. He constantly accuses, condemns, and reminds you of your shortcomings.

However, conviction comes from the Holy Spirit inspired to lead us to repentance and restoration. Conviction leads you back to God, condemnation leads you away from God.

Do not build your identity around what the accuser says about you. Instead, build your identity around what your advocate says about you.

II.     Keep your eyes on Jesus instead of your failures
The devil wants you to focus on yourself and all of your mistakes because as long as you stare at yourself, you will keep staying defeated. He wants to keep you from lifting your eyes to Jesus at all costs. Why? Because freedom comes when you lift your eyes and see the truth that Jesus has been defending the entire time.

Your salvation was never based on your perfection, it was based on His.
And you are not being defended by your righteousness, but by His.

III.   Remember that Jesus is still interceding for you right now
Although Jesus paid for your salvation 2000 years ago, He is actively advocating for you in heaven right now! The devil is hurling accusations about you before God, but Jesus your advocate is standing in the gap interceding on your behalf. You don’t have to fight for God’s love or acceptance, you already have it in Christ!

And since Jesus is advocating on your behalf day and night, let us…

IV.   Live confidently knowing that God is for you
Because Jesus is your advocate, you do not have to live defeated, ashamed, or condemned. If you sin, repent (not apologize) and ask for God’s help to redeem you from your struggles.

The enemy wants to keep you on the sideline through guilt and shame. However, Jesus paid for your sin so that you could walk in freedom and purpose.

Romans 8:31 — “If God is for us, who can be against us?”

GOD IS FOR YOU!!

God is on your side and He will never give up on you.

Rock Solid Convictions Prayer: Our Dependence on God

 Series Review:                                                                                                

Intro: What are Convictions?

•    Conviction — Something you are so thoroughly convinced is absolutely true that you are willing to take a stand for it regardless of the consequences 

•    Convictions are settled before a crisis

•    Convictions refuse to bow even others do

•    If you don’t decide what you believe, something else will decide for you

•    A shaky belief system leads to a shaky life

Part 1: Convictions about God

•    God is supreme — (uncreated, infinite, unchanging)

•    God is good — (holy, loving, just)

•    God is sovereign — (all-powerful, all-knowing, all-present

•    God is worth trusting

Part 2: Convictions about the Bible

•    God’s Word is the ultimate authority — not culture, opinions, or feelings (2 Timothy 3:16–17)

•    God’s Word is truth, not suggestion — it defines reality, not just advice for life (John 17:17)

•    God’s Word must be applied, not just heard — transformation comes through obedience (James 1:22)

•    God’s Word is the foundation for a stable life — it anchors you when everything else shifts (Matthew 7:24–25)

•     

Part 3: Convictions about Money

•    God owns everything — everything belongs to God, we are simply stewards of what He has given to us (Psalm 24:1)

•    Money is a tool — God is not opposed to us having more money, He is opposed to money having more of us (1 Timothy 6:10)

•    God is my Provider — my paycheck is not my provider, but God is
(Philippians 4:19)

•    Money is temporary — Do not accumulate riches here on earth, but accumulate riches in heaven (Matthew 6:19-20)

•    Being blessed is a responsibility — God blesses us with the intent of us being a blessing to others (Genesis 12:2)

 

Today we are talking about rock solid convictions that we as Christians should believe when it comes to prayer. There are a lot of things I could have chosen for us to discuss when it comes to this series, but I chose prayer. Why? Because if there is one area the enemy constantly attacks in believers, it is their prayer life.

Most believers believe prayer matters, but many believers struggle to pray consistently. Prayer often becomes:

•   Occasional

•   Reactive

•   Rushed

•   Emergency-only communication with God 

We pray when:

•   Life falls apart

•   Bills stack up

•   Relationships strain

•   Diagnoses come

•   Anxiety rises

•   Difficulty hits

But prayer was never meant to be our last resort.

Prayer was always supposed to be our daily connection with God.

And what’s amazing is that the disciples walked with Jesus every single day. They heard Him teach, they watched Him heal people, they saw miracles, they watched Him lead crowds of people.

Yet, what was the one thing they asked Jesus to teach them? Prayer.

Luke 11:1 — “One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray. 

So out of all the things they could of asked Jesus to teach them, why did they ask Him to pray? There must have been a reason… I believe it is because they recognized something powerful about the life of Jesus: His power flowed from His connection with the Father.

And if we are going to build rock-solid convictions, we must settle this truth:

I cannot live the life God has called me to live apart from prayer.

So lets look at 5 rock solid convictions that we should believe about prayer:

1.     Prayer is relationship, not a performance
Matthew 6:7–8 — “7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”

Jesus teaches that prayer is not about performance or empty repetition. God is not impressed by fancy words, long speeches, or spiritual sounding language. Prayer is not about trying to impress God or to impress people. Prayer is about a communal relationship with God.

When Jesus taught His disciples to pray, He started with the words “Our Father…” — That matters because it shows that prayer is personal.

 

Some people struggle with prayer because they think:

•   I don’t know how to pray…

•   I’m not spiritual enough…

•   I don’t sound good when I pray…

 

But prayer is not about how well we can perform it in front of others; it is simply communication with God.

 

The power of prayer is not found in perfect words. The power of prayer is found in the God we are praying to.

 

Conviction:

•   God desires connection more than performance

•   Prayer is about relationship, not religious routine

2.     Prayer Reveals Dependence
John 15:5 — “Apart from Me you can do nothing.”

Prayer is an act of dependence. Every time we pray, we are acknowledging “God I need you.” In fact, one of the reasons prayer can be difficult is because our flesh likes independence. We like:

•    Control

•    Self-sufficiency

•    Feeling capable

•    Handling things ourselves

But prayer humbles us. Prayer reminds us that we cannot do life apart from God. A life without prayer is a self-dependent life.

 

Even Jesus consistently prayed:

•    Before major decisions

•    Before miracles

•    In the Garden

•    Before the cross

 

If Jesus prioritized prayer, how much more should we?

Illustration: Prayer is to the spirit what breathing is to the body. You can survive a little while holding your breath, but eventually weakness sets in. The same thing happens spiritually when believers disconnect from prayer.

 

Without prayer:

•   Discernment weakens

•   Peace weakens

•   Spiritual strength weakens

•   Sensitivity to God weakens

 

Prayer is a declaration of dependance on God: we were never designed to live independently from God.

3.     Prayer invites God into every area of our life
Philippians 4:6-7 — “6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”

Notice that it says “pray about everything.” That means that prayer is not just for a crisis, tragedies, emergencies, or major life moments. Prayer belongs in the everyday moments of life:

•    Parenting

•    Marriage

•    Finances

•    Ministry

•    School

•    Relationships

•    Work

•    Emotions

•    Stress

•    Decisions

Sometimes we think, “God doesn’t care about something this small.” But if it matters to you, it matters to Him. God does not just want access to part of your life, He wants involvement in every area of your life.

Prayer should be a part of everyday life: nothing is too small to bring before God

4.     Prayer changes us before it changes our circumstances
One of the hardest parts about prayer is waiting. Sometimes we pray and situations do not immediately change. If we are not careful, discouragement can settle in.

But prayer is not only about changing circumstances. Prayer is about changing us. Prayer changes:

•   Our perspective

•   Our trust

•   Our peace

•   Our surrender

•   Our dependence on God

 

Look at Jesus in Gethsemane.

 

Luke 22:42 — “Not My will, but Yours, be done.”

 

Jesus entered prayer burdened, but He left prayer surrendered. The cross was not removed, but strength came through prayer. Many times prayer does not immediately remove the battle, but prayer strengthens us in the middle of it.

As believers many of you know exactly what that feels like:

•    The situation remained difficult

•    The pressure did not instantly disappear

•    The answer did not come immediately

 

But somehow:

•    Peace came

•    Strength came

•    Grace came

•    Endurance came 

Prayer often strengthens us before the circumstances ever change

5.     A prayer-less life is a dangerous life
One of the most dangerous things spiritually is looking alive outwardly while slowly disconnecting inwardly. It is possible to attend church, serve faithfully, know Scripture, look spiritually mature, and still lose intimacy with God.

 

Because activity is not intimacy.

 

The enemy understands the importance of prayer. That is why one of his greatest strategies is distraction. If he cannot destroy your faith, he will try to distract your focus. He knows that if he can disconnect us from God, then we will grow to be weak spiritually

 

But when we build consistent prayer lives, we grow in:

•    Peace

•    Wisdom

•    Discernment

•    Intimacy with God

TAKEAWAYS

I. Spend intentional daily time in prayer

II.     Bring everything to God, not just emergencies

III.    Allow God to shape you through prayer

IV.   Prioritize your connection with God over religious routine