Sermon Tone Analysis

We Have an Advocate with the Father

Sunday, January 27, 2008

"My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin.

But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous."

(1 John 2:1, ESV)

1.John starts out the second chapter by reminding us that he is talking to us -“My little children.”

He goes on as says that “I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin.”

Here is a reference to chap 1 verses 5 - 10.

2.The first thing we need to address this morning is that there is no forgiveness except in the Lord Jesus Christ and through Him.

So many people seem to think that God could forgive our sins without the Lord Jesus Christ and therefore they see no need for Him.

They say things like “God is love and God can forgive sin” and “if I ever did sin I would just ask Him to forgive me and it would be done at once.”

This is why so many do not believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.

3.We have to address the doctrine of forgiveness and what the New Testament says about it.

But before we address that let us look back to the Old Testament and see that God has given us a picture of sin and the price that is to be paid for it.

4.Everything God told the nation of Israel - burnt offerings, peace offerings, meal offerings, ceremonials, rituals, and everything that was connected to the Tabernacle and the Temple were all but types and shadows of that which was to happen fully and finally in the Lord Jesus Christ.

They did not really deal with sin they were merely a covering for it.

God gave all these regulations to impress upon them this great truth, that He cannot forgive sin by simply forgiving it.

5.Because God is holy and righteous He cannot just say “Well you have sinned and I forgive you.”

Something has to be done about sin.

The shedding of blood is essential “and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins."

(Hebrews 9:22, ESV).

6.In other words sin has a price and someone has to pay.

Believers have their sins payed for and their account closed because of Jesus.

Non believers will have to pay for their own sins in the Lake of Fire.

7.Also, for believers we are told we have an “Advocate with the Father.”

(Gr.

parakletos), This one who pleads another’s cause, who helps another by defending or comforting him.

It is a name given by Christ three times to the Holy Spirit in John 14:16; 15:26; 16:7, where the Greek word is rendered “Comforter,”.

In this passage it applies to Christ where the same Greek word is rendered “Advocate.”

8.We must never think of this as if the Lord Jesus Christ is pleading before an unwilling God.

You will see that certain hymns and songs do suggest that, and certain statements have been made which sound as if God were opposed to us and just wants to punish us for our sins and the Lord Jesus desperately begs Him and finally succeeds in getting Him to change His opinion.

9.We must not view advocacy in this way at all.

It is impossible because we are told plainly in the Word of God that “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son." (John 3:16, ESV).

You see it was not the Son who decided to come on His own and is now pleading for our deliverance.

No it was the Father who sent His Son.

It was God who "When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law," (Galatians 4:4, ESV) And "in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them."

(2 Corinthians 5:19, ESV) and "For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do.

By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh," (Romans 8:3, ESV) So as we consider the Advocacy, let us get rid of the idea that God is unwilling and that He is not prepared to forgive.

10.We are told that "Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them."

(Hebrews 7:25, ESV)

11.Since "the Spirit helps us in our weakness...the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words."

(Romans 8:26, ESV) The Holy Spirit intercedes within us and Christ is interceding for us.

The Holy Spirit is within us building us up in Christ teaching us and guiding us and showing us what to do and what not to do .

And the Lord Himself is making intercession for us and on our behalf always to the Father.

12.Do you see the comforter as He is?

When you are conscious of guilt, when you are conscious of your frailty and smallness think of your “Advocate with the Father” the Lord Jesus Christ.

"For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin."

(Hebrews 4:15, ESV)

13.Today, get rid, once and forever, the idea that God is against you.

It is God who appointed the Son to this particular task of Advocacy, it is God Himself who gave Him the office “"And no one takes this honor for himself, but only when called by God, just as Aaron was.

So also Christ did not exalt himself to be made a high priest, but was appointed by him” (Hebrews 5:4-5, ESV)

14.If you are a non-believer today your only hope is Christ.

Without Him there is no “Advocate” for you.

If you are a believer and have fallen into sin, when Satan, your adversary, comes and tries to drive you into despair and dejection because of it, turn and say “ I have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous and I am accepted by God through my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”