HELP! I NEED A BARRISTER, A HELPER, AN ADVOCATE TO PLEAD MY CASE! 1 John 2:1-2
1John 1 v 8 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 1John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1John 1:10 If we say that we have not sinned we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us. 1John 2:1 My little children, I am writing these things to you that you may not sin, and if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, 1John 2:2 and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.
INTRODUCTION FROM CHAPTER 1
All these verses go together. They are precious truths God has given for our edification and grounding. Let us look at these few verses in an overall context. In verse 8 John is denying the state of sinless perfection here on earth. We are deceivers if we go around saying we do not sin. We are deceiving ourselves, and make ourselves look like idiots. But, that then, leaves us with a dilemma – Christ died for our sins, but we are still sinners. It is our sin that breaks fellowship, or communion, if you like that word. We don’t lose salvation, but we do lose fellowship.
In verses 9 and 10, God provides the remedy for the sin that still breaks out in us, be it action or inner thoughts and attitudes, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. That remedy is confession. Confession leads to restoration; the word is cleansing,
Then in verse 1 the Apostle then says, {{“My little children, I am writing these things to you that you may not sin,”}} and why does he do that? There are several answers to the question. The most obvious is that we have now been created in the image of Christ, and the Son of God does not sin; neither should we. We carry around with us the foul smelling garment of the old nature, which will be shed when the Lord returns, or when we are raptured to His presence if we are still alive.
However, the reason behind John’s desire that they do not sin, is this. If we have a remedy for when we sin, then why worry about sinning? One may say, “It’s alright to sin in a not too serious way like murder, because all we need to do is then confess our sins and we are back to normal.” Do you know what that is? It is a licence to sin. Keep on sinning – just go to confession and a priest will forgive you. There is a false church that adopts that line. Sin as much as you like – just go to confession.
Sin is so evil, even “light sin”. Just one light sin would have required Calvary, let alone, our truck loads of sin. God knows we are sinners, but it is scandalous to think that God now treats our sins lightly because of Calvary. Some Christians (professing Christians) think that way. Now that they are saved, then sin does not matter that much. It is outrageous. The cross and salvation do not give you a licence to sin. Sin, and all lawlessness should be hated.
When we continue with verse 1, we see that John uses this expression – “and if anyone sins” whereas we might have said, “when anyone sins”. What’s the difference? Well, the use of “when” is conceding too easily, whereas “if” acknowledges the likelihood of sinning. There is a subtle difference. We must abhor sin, reject it, stand against it, not leave the house in the morning and say, “Well I am going to sin today because I am human and have the old nature, but God forgives me.” What sort of Christian attitude is that?
PART A – JESUS CHRIST OUR ADVOCATE
Now we come to the heart of the message today, taken from verses 1 and 2 of chapter 2. There is very deep and rich teaching in these two verses where the Lord Jesus Christ is set forth as holding these wonderful positions for us. I want to break the message up into 3 sections. The first is “Jesus Christ our Advocate”. The second is “Jesus the Anointed Righteous One”. The third is “Jesus Christ our Propitiation”.
John comforts us by saying if we sin, we have an Advocate with the Father. The true Christian does not want to sin, but sin is that which does so easily beset us. It is deceitful, cunning and catches us out. When we fall and sin openly or secretly or internally, we have an Advocate with the Father. What is an advocate? If you are to face a lawsuit you may have a solicitor acting for you, but on the day of a court hearing, your case may be taken up by a barrister, or if really serious, by a Queen’s Counsel. It is he who represents you, who takes up your case and pleads for you. Jesus acts like the barrister for you when there is sin.
This word, “Advocate” in the NASB and ESV and KJV and in some NIVs, is the Greek word “pa?????t??” from “pa??” meaning near, and the “???t??” is from the verb to call, so it means one called near. It means one beside you, with the idea of assisting. The same word “pa?????t??” is used 4 times in John’s gospel and always in reference to the Holy Spirit. In each case in the Gospel, in the KJV, it is translated as “Comforter”. In the NASB it is rendered as “Helper”, and in the NIV it is Counsellor. These are the verses from the NASB:
(a). {{John 14 v 16 “and I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper that He may be with you forever - John 14:17 that is, the Spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive because it does not behold Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.”}} As Jesus Christ is our Advocate in heaven for us, the Holy Spirit is our Helper on earth for us. The words “another Helper” means another Helper of the same kind, and of course that is so, because the Holy Spirit is God, the third person of the Trinity. One commentator wrote “Greek, "paraclete," the same term as is applied to the Holy Ghost, as the "other Comforter"; showing the unity of the Second and Third Persons of the Trinity. Christ is the Intercessor for us above; and, in His absence, here below, the Holy Ghost is the other Intercessor in us. Christ's advocacy is inseparable from the Holy Spirit's comfort and working in us, as the spirit of intercessory prayer.”
(b). {{John 14 v 26 “but the Helper, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.}} This is an addition to the previous verse and tells us that the Holy Spirit was to bring all things again fresh into the disciples’ memories, all that Jesus taught them. He was their great Teacher. He is also our great Teacher. The same things apply to us as well as to those disciples.
(c). {{John 15 v 26 “When the Helper comes whom I will send to you from the Father, that is, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will bear witness of Me.”}} The Father sent the Son into the world, and the Son sent the Holy Spirit to us. He represents Christ, just as Christ represented the Father. It is the Holy Spirit who teaches you, not me, not any speaker. He leads you into the truth, and we certainly need truth today in professing Christendom, because there is so much false teaching and deception infiltrating everywhere.
I consider it sad that men can be deluded so that they think they are indispensible to their churches. They have come to consider themselves as great teachers and some think of themselves, that they are all important. The true Teacher is not man but the Holy Spirit. Some churches are so dead the Holy Spirit is not to be found near the place. This is a call for humility. The moment a person thinks he achieves through his own efforts, then it is time he departed from ministry. The speaker is a channel only, just an empty pipe that acts as a channel. All gifts come from God and they are to bring glory to the Lord not to an infallible man.
We need the Spirit of Truth more than ever in these days. The false teaching is everywhere and the land we live in is becoming more under satanic influence through his agents. The last days of the Church age will see increasingly difficult times, times of much hardship. Only truth will cut through the darkness and the falsity. That is why we need the Spirit of Truth more than ever.
[A later insert – August 2022] I had an interesting email today (8 August 2022) connected with a discussion I was having about restrictions coming on Christians in Australia. I will quote part of it –
“I very much fear that Christian writers now exist on borrowed time. The focus of evil is steadily, inexorably, upon believers, who will not/cannot, waver from the essence of the Living Word of our Most Holy Father. I have long predicted that shortly, will come, massive attempts to close our access to websites down and to personally vilify us. I note that in the U.K, if you now dare post, on Social Media, biblical quotes that go against Wokeism, then, expect a visit from the Police, arrest and charges to follow. We are getting closer to the same thing, by the day.”
So many stories are emerging from around the world such as this with Christians in the firing line. Censorship is very active now and to use a very WOKE word, Christians are being “cancelled”. It means neutralised and punished. While we have but a short time let us work for the Lord to get His word out there.
(d). {{John 16 v 7 “but I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper shall not come to you, but if I go I will send Him to you.”}} On face value, this is truly a remarkable verse for Jesus is saying to the disciples that the Holy Spirit with them, will be of greater advantage than the Lord being with them. His departure meant the Holy Spirit’s arrival, and that would be better for the disciples, and we have to infer, better for us as well. The Holy Spirit would be the Helper, the Comforter, the Counsellor, the Intercessor, and the Teacher. For those 5 references, the best word to suit all 4 references is “Advocate” which is the work of the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Now, what sort of Advocate is Jesus Christ? I wish to quote from James Fenton who wrote these thoughts – {{“It is a common remark about law courts that "he who appears as his own advocate, has a fool for his client." If this be true in an earthly court of justice, it is no less true in the court of heaven, for he who is charged at God's bar is altogether unfit to plead his own case. Let us here consider, first, the unfitness of the unbeliever for this work.
(1). He is ignorant of God's law.
(2). He is ignorant of his own sin.
(3). He is ignorant of the ruin which sin works.
(4). He is ignorant of the holiness and justice of God. It is manifest that the unbeliever is altogether unfit to be his own advocate, and yet this is the office, which those who reject Christ, try to fill for themselves.
But the question may now perhaps be asked, “Does the believer really require an advocate?” He is not entirely ignorant of God's law and his own sin. But, what is more to the point, his knowledge of these, however imperfect it may be, is yet sufficient to show him the utter hopelessness of his case.
Christ must not be thought of as loving us more than the Father loves us, as more longsuffering, more easy-to-be-entreated, showing us more sympathy, or knowing better the weakness of our nature. Hence when Christ appears before the Judge and Father for a believer who has sinned, it is not with any weak form of intercession, but as our advocate at God's bar of judgment. He admits the sin; He approves of the law; He acknowledges the justice of the penalty; and yet, strange to say, He obtains for the accused a discharge from the bar. And why? Because He is the propitiation for our sin.”}}
(James Fenton, M. A.) We will look at propitiation in the next message.
Dr Candlish wrote “In any court in which I had a cause to maintain, I would wish to have a righteous advocate. I do not want one to tell me smooth things, putting a fair face on what will not stand close scrutiny, getting up unsustainable lines of defence, and keeping me in good humour till ruin comes. Give me an advocate who, much as he may care for me, cares for honesty and honour, for law and justice, still more. Such an advocate is Jesus Christ for us in the high court of heaven; for He is "Jesus Christ the righteous."
CONCLUSION
To conclude today’s message I am closing with an illustration that comes from “Bible study, Christian sermon, Free sermon illustration”
A great minister who was noted for his Christ-like spirit as well as for his consecrated ability, dreamed that he had died and stood at the gate of heaven knocking for admission. He gave his name, only to be told that his name did not appear upon the books. Finally, at his earnest entreaty, he was bidden to enter and was told he would have the privilege of appearing before the Judge of all the earth, and if he could stand His test he might abide in heaven forever. Standing before the throne, he gave his name, and the following questions were put to him: “Have you led a righteous life?”
He said, “No.”
“Have you always been kind and gentle?”
Again he replied in the negative.
“Have you always been forgiving to those who have been around you?”
“No, there I have miserably failed.”
“Have you always been honest and just?”
He answered, “I fear not.”
As question after question was put to him by the Judge, his case seemed more and more hopeless. The last question was asked him, and to that, too, he was obliged to give the same negative reply. Just when he seemed to be in despair, the brightness about the throne became brighter, and suddenly he heard a beautiful voice - the most beautiful to which his ears had ever listened. It was sweeter than a mother’s voice; it was more beautiful than all the music of heaven; it filled all the arches of the skies and thrilled the soul of this man as he stood before the Judge trembling and about to fall.
The speaker said, “My Father, I know this man. It is true that he was weak in many ways, but he stood for Me in the world, and I take his place before Thee.” Just as the last words of this sentence were spoken, the dream was over and the man awoke; he had his lesson, and it is a lesson for us all.
ronaldf@aapt.net.au
