We have an advocate

My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world. – 1 John 2.1-2

What would happen if we had to stand before God in His courtroom of perfect divine justice to act as our own counsel as we faced the charges before us? As the charges were brought forth there would be nothing we can say but ‘guilty.’ Without someone to stand for us all we could do is to accept the penalty.

But praise that God that we have an Advocate. We have one to draw alongside and stand with us. When our advocate draws alongside he doesn’t deny our guilt. We still stand as guilty as ever. We are guilty, but our advocate stands by our side to accept the penalty for our guilt. He is the propitiation. That means that He stands by us as the one who will accept and satisfy our sin debt. Instead of ‘guilty’ the answer to our sin is ‘covered.’

Yes, we are guilty, but our Advocate stands by our side, interceding for us, as the covering and satisfaction for our sin.

So God looks on Him, and pardons me.

Wow.