1 John 2:1 My little children, these things I write to you that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous; (2) And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for those of the whole world
The Lord Jesus has become an Advocate for every Christian who sins, in the same way that He has become the Savior for every sinner. It is not that first we repent, believe, and are regenerated, and then the Lord Jesus dies for us. Rather, it was while we were yet sinners that Christ became our Savior (Rom. 5:8). In the same way, it is not that we first repent, and then He becomes our Advocate. Rather, even while we are sinning, He becomes our Advocate. [John] does not say that first we repent, confess our sins, and pray for forgiveness, and then He becomes our Advocate. Instead, John says that if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father already. Whenever you sin, at that moment the Lord Jesus is already your Advocate before God. At that very moment, the Lord Jesus will show God His work of the cross, and God will have to let your sins go. A Christian can confess and repent because the Lord Jesus is his Advocate. Because we have the Lord Jesus as our Advocate, advocating and speaking for us while we sin, we eventually repent, confess our sins, and ask for forgiveness. The Lord Jesus' work of advocacy does not happen at the moment we repent. Rather, it happens while we are sinning. When we sin, the Lord Jesus is our Advocate already. Afterwards, we are brought to repentance and confession.
Bible verses are taken from the Recovery Version of the Bible and Words of Ministry from Watchman Nee, The Gospel of God, pp. 472-473. Both are published by Living Stream Ministry, Anaheim, CA. Please visit us at www.emanna.com. Send comments to: [email protected].
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