Jesus is our Advocate by Keneth E. Hagin Pt.2

 

 As our advocate, Jesus restores to us our lost sense of righteousness, for He said, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins . . .” (1 John 1:9). But He does more than just forgive us of our sins; He cleanses us from all unrighteousness. He cleanses us from that sin-consciousness or spiritual inferiority complex that would keep us from going into God’s Presence.

There are those who live under a cloud of fear. They say things like, “I am so afraid of displeasing the Lord. If Jesus comes, I might not make it. I don’t know if I am ready or not.” And they are robbed of their joy in Christ. They are afraid that God is mad at them and will not have anything to do with them.

We do not have to live under such a cloud of fear and gloominess. We can know that if we have failed—if we are Christians—our hearts will be grieved about it. If you can keep sinning and failing, however, and are not grieved about it, you had better check up on your conversion experience. If you have been born again and have the life and nature of God in you, you don’t want to do wrong.

Many times new Christians miss God’s will and sin in ways they are not even aware of, but they are walking in the light they do have. “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).

As I look back now, after nearly seventy years of being a Christian, I can see that I missed God many times when I didn’t even know it. At the time, I walked in what light I had, and the blood of Jesus Christ cleansed me from things I didn’t know about.

I can remember the first time I was conscious of the fact I had done wrong after I became a Christian. It nearly broke my heart.

If a believer is tempted and Satan gains mastery over him in something, when the believer cries out for mercy, he can hear Christ whisper, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

And then we also can hear Him say in this marvelous scripture from Hebrews 4:16, “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace.” Why? “. . . That we may obtain mercy . . . .” It is mercy that we need when we have sinned. As long as we are doing right, we can get by on justice.

In Hebrews 4:14 we read, “Seeing then that we have a great high priest . . . .” We have a High Priest who also stands in this office of Advocate that we may “. . . come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (v.16).

Grace is unmerited favor. When you fail is the time you need grace; that’s when you need mercy.

Once while driving through a small town, a minister friend of mine drove through a red light. Before he knew it, there was a flashing red light behind him and the sound of a shrill siren. A policeman pulled him over and gave him a ticket for running a red light and for going 45 in a 30-mph zone.

When the minister had to appear in court, his case was stated and the judge asked if he had anything to say.

He answered, “Yes, I do.” He said that he was on his way to preach and explained that he ministered in small country churches. Then he said, “Judge, I don’t have a dime. I’ll just have to go to jail or work it out on the county farm. I’m not going to ask you for justice. I would be in trouble if I got justice, because I’m guilty. So I am asking instead for mercy.”

He continued, “I’m like the woman in the Bible who was taken in the act of adultery. Her accusers brought her to Jesus, and He said, ‘. . . He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her’ [John 8:7]. Jesus stooped down to write something in the sand, and when He looked up, everyone was gone.

“‘When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: GO, AND SIN NO MORE” (John 8:10,11).

The preacher added, “I’m asking for mercy, and I’ll go and sin no more.”

The judge asked, “Is that story in the Bible?”

“Yes,” the preacher answered.

The judge said, “I wish you would show it to me.” The preacher had his New Testament with him, so he turned to that passage and showed it to the judge.

The judge said, “I teach a Sunday school in a local church, but I didn’t know that was in there. I’m going to teach on that. Case dismissed!”

The judge showed mercy. If the preacher hadn’t been speeding and hadn’t run that light, he could have gotten by on justice; he wouldn’t have needed mercy. But he broke the law and, therefore, needed mercy.

Mercy and grace are always available to us if we break God’s law. All we need to do is call on Christ our Advocate!

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