In Defense of Sinners

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Well, as I mentioned, next week I hope for us to continue our study in the issue of Creation. But tonight, I thought we would do something a little different because of its being Easter Sunday, and because of our reflection on the reality, even as we've just sung that, He's alive. I thought we would take a look at His current ministry to us.

Occasionally, in various pastors' meetings, it didn't happen in my last trip to Russia, but it's happened before. I'll be asked the question: What to you is the most discouraging thing in ministry.

I can tell you, it's not the workload. I enjoy working hard. I enjoy studying and spending hours a week trying to discover what the Bible teaches, and that feeds my own soul, and it gives me the opportunity to hopefully feed you as well.

It's not the fact that there are some people who respond either slowly to the truth of God or sometimes even in antagonism to the truth of God. It's not the occasional difficulties with working together as men in the church with elders.

It's certainly not a lack of appreciation.

The most difficult thing in ministry for me, and I think for every pastor, if they were honest with their own soul, it's always the same. It's ourselves. And I think, if you're honest with yourself, the most difficult thing in the Christian life is not the people around you; it's not the troubles you face; it is in fact you. As the cartoon character said, we have met the enemy, and it is us. There's the real issue. It's our slowness to learn. It's our sinfulness. It's the struggles within our own hearts.

Well tonight, I want to give you some encouragement in this area. I want to take you to a passage that's been a great source of encouragement to me through the years. And that's 1 John 2, 1 John 2. You see what this passage will encourage us to do is to look away from ourselves and to look to Christ. This little epistle, John's first epistle, was probably written from Ephesus somewhere between ninety and ninety-five, and where John ministered Iin his later years before his imprisonment. It was written to the churches in Asia Minor, where he administered for a number of years with a couple of purposes.

First of all, there was a polemic purpose to expose the false teachers that had already begun to infiltrate the church there, the pregnostiscism, the sort of higher knowledge. This was the most dangerous attack on the church in the first three centuries, except for the Galatian heresy, which Paul deals with, and so John writes to attack this. But in addition, he has a very strong pastoral purpose, and that really is the heart of this book. He's concerned about the people who are a part of these churches. He wants to provide true believers with confidence and assurance.

Let me read for you these wonderful two verses 1 John 2:1

My little children, I am writing these things 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 those of the whole world.

The heart of this passage obviously is that little phrase in verse 1. We have an advocate. That's really an amazing statement.

You know, we think of Jesus Christ and His work. You ask the average Christian, so what was the core of the work of Christ? They would answer correctly the cross, His perfect life and the cross work of Jesus Christ. But if you ask them, so what does He do today? What now that He's alive?

Now that He's risen now that He's returned to heaven what is the work of Christ. I think probably the most common answer you would get would be: well: He's preparing a place for those that love Him, and that's true.

And while that's very important to all of us, the ministry that this verse and this phrase touches on is really the most important ministry of Christ on our behalf, and I hope before the evening's done, you'll agree with that. Notice, John begins in verse 1, my little children.

He uses this seven times in the New Testament, all in John. It's a term of endearment. From this aging apostle to his children in the faith my little children, I am writing these things. By writing these things He's probably referring back to what he's just gone through in the end of chapter 1, where he's dealt with this whole issue of sin, the reality that to have fellowship with God means to walk in the light that is to walk in a pattern of obedience. To walk in the realm of light and not in the realm of darkness.

And he says, I'm writing these things (what I've just written to you). I've written that you may not sin. You see, John didn't want them to misconstrue his comments about sin. In chapter 1, as an excuse to sin you remember in chapter 1, There's that great verse.

If we sin, we only have to confess them to the Lord, and He responds, and we should never say that we have no sin, but He doesn't want them to misunderstand those verses and assume that sin's okay; it's okay to be tolerated in the life of a believer. He says, I am writing these things literally. You could translate the verb tense this way: that you may not commit even one act of sin; listen don't tolerate sin, he says.

God expects, in fact, God demands that we not sin. First Peter 1:14 - 15 says, be holy as your Father in heaven is holy.

Matthew 5:48. We're to be perfect again as our Father is perfect. But then he adds this. He says, I'm writing that you not commit a single act of sin. And if any one sins, or we could say, but if anyone sins, or literally, you could translate it, and since we will sin; we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the Righteous. John makes it clear that acts of sin are part of every Christian's experience. You and I know this; we know this intimately. We know this moment by moment every hour of every day.

But when that happens, he says, We have an Advocate. Notice, I love this, the apostle John, now is at least eighty years old. This dear godly saint, the only apostle left living, and he says, "If anyone sins, we have an Advocate." He includes himself with those who sin. What an encouragement that is to all of us.

Notice as we look at this passage together, first of all, God's promise of an Advocate. We have an Advocate Jesus Christ, the Righteous. This is the main point of the passage.

Here's a word of hope for those who are conscious of sin, a failure of their own unworthiness. Martyn Lloyd Jones writes,

The Devil is constantly present. He is the adversary of our souls, and if we find ourselves having sinned, (see if this has ever happened to you), he comes to us and whispers. You have no right to go back to God. How can God forgive you?

God has graciously made provision for our restoration in Christ. John literally says, we are having and advocate with the father. This is Christ's constant preoccupation in Heaven, His constant activity in heaven. He is serving moment by moment as our Advocate.

Now, what exactly is an advocate, well the Greek word you'll recognize if you've been in the church any time at all, it's the word that's related to paraclete.

It's used only in John's writings. It's used often in his gospel. It's translated helper or comforter. In John, it refers to one who is called in for aid; an advocate; one who pleads the cause of another; one who comes alongside to help.

Because the kind of help this person brings, brings comfort, he's sometimes called a comforter.

In secular Greek, this word was used in the courtroom as a defense attorney, one who represented you before the judge. And I think that's probably the best context for it here. Jesus Christ is our attorney. He's called this explicitly here. I think he's called it implicitly in John 14:16, where he says, "If I go, I will send you up another helper." The Holy Spirit is this other helper, but that means Christ Himself is also a helper.

Two advocates we have, the Holy Spirit who dwells within us and utters groanings, you remember, which cannot be uttered. And Christ Himself in the presence of God. When it refers to Christ, the role of Advocate speaks of one very specific activity, and that is His intercession for us as High Priest.

As I said before, most Christians think that the work of Christ accomplished on earth was far more important than what He does now in heaven on our behalf, but compare what Hebrews has to say. You ladies are studying Hebrews. The writer of Hebrews constantly comes back to the point that the high point of the High Priest's work was when he took the sacrifice, and he went into the very presence of God.

That's the work of Christ does now for us. Now what is exactly the nature of this intercession? This advocacy that Christ does for us? What is he doing right now for you in heaven? Well, there are several duties five specific duties that Christ is carrying on as your intercessor as your advocate right now in heaven. And this is such a great comfort.

First of all, Christ provides a constant reminder of his atonement. He provides a constant reminder of his atonement. You remember the High Priest, entered the Holy of Holies with the completed sacrifice, and he sprinkled the blood around on the Ark of the Covenant on the mercy seat. It was to remind God (that was the throne room of God). That Arc of the Covenant represented His throne as the King of Israel and the blood sprinkled was to remind the king that an atonement had been made that sacrifice had been offered for the sins of the people.

Turn to Hebrews 9, you see this image played out. Hebrews 9:24.

For Christ did not enter a holy place made with hands a mere copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; nor was it that He would offer Himself often, as the High Priest enters the Holy Place year by year with blood that is not His own. Otherwise, He would have needed to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now once at the consummation of the ages He has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.

You get the comparison.

The high priests went often into the Holy Place into the Holy of Holies with blood that wasn't his own the blood of an innocent victim to argue for the forgiveness of the sinner. Jesus takes His own sacrifice into the presence of God. And there His very presence is part of His intercession. Jesus' presence before God is a perpetual reminder of His perfect sacrifice. You remember the hymn by Charles Wesley,

Five bleeding wounds He bears, received on calvary. They pour effectual prayers. They strongly plead for me, forgive Him, O forgive they cry. Forgive Him, O forgive they cry, nor let that ransom sinner die.

Jesus intercedes right now in heaven on your behalf and on my behalf by providing a constant reminder in the presence of God that He has atoned for your sins.

There's a second duty that Jesus has as our advocate, our intercessor, and that is that He answers all the charges that Satan brings against us. He answers all the charges that Satan brings against us, You remember Revelation 12:10 calls Satan the accuser of the brethren; says he accuses us before God, day and night. I don't understand why God has chosen to give Satan access to His presence, but He has. You see that played out in the book of Job, and Satan is day and night accusing the brothers, that is you and me. He accuses us before God. But his accusations won't stick. Turn to Romans 8:33, Romans 8:33.

Who will bring a charge against God's elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, [and watch this] who is at the right hand of God; who also intercedes for us.

Listen, no charge anyone ever brings against you before God will ever stick because Jesus Christ is your intercessor, and He answers all the charges that are ever brought against you. That's His intercession. I love that verse of the song we sing, Before the Throne of God Above. You know that second verse says,

When Satan tempts me to despair and, tells me of the guilt within, upward, I look and see Him there. The One Who made an end to all my sin. Because the sinless Savior died, my sinful soul is counted free. For God, the just is satisfied to look on Him and pardon me.

Jesus, in the presence of God, intercedes on our behalf, and that means He answers all the charges that could ever be brought against us.

There's a third duty that He expends on our behalf in the presence of God, and that is to sanctify our spiritual activities or that is our worship and service to sanctify our spiritual activities of worship and service.

You see 1Peter 2:5 says, We are a priesthood offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. When you and I serve; when you and I pray; when we sing; when we study the word of God; when we minister to others; when we share the Gospel, we are involved as it were as a spiritual priesthood, making sacrifices to God, but how can those sacrifices ever be accepted by a holy God. Our prayers are imperfect, trivial sometimes, superficial, insincere. Our worship is often distracted and half-hearted. Our service often is done with mixed motives, even our best service. Could never be acceptable to a Holy God, but as part of His intercession,

Jesus sanctifies our spiritual sacrifices. Listen to 1 Peter 2 again. We offer God spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ takes our imperfect worship, our imperfect prayers, our imperfect service, and He purifies them, and He presents them to God, an acceptable sacrifice in His presence. That's what He's doing right now for you and for me.

There's a fourth duty that Jesus provides as intercessor, and that is, He provides help for the hurting and the tempted Hebrews. Chapter 4 turn there for a moment you're familiar with these words. Hebrews 4:14,

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens [in other words, He's there now. He's representing us], Jesus the son of God. let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as, we are yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need

Jesus' intercession provides help for the hurting and for the tempted.

There's one last duty that Jesus expends there as our advocate as our intercessor, and that is: He prays for us. Prays is perhaps not the best choice of words. He talks to the Father on our behalf. He communes with the Father on our behalf.

There are two great examples in the New Testament of Jesus doing this. One of them is in Luke 22. Turn there for just a moment in Luke 22:31. This is just before Jesus is arrested in the garden of Gethsemane, and He says,

Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.

Here, Jesus is praying for Simon for Peter's spiritual protection. Jesus, in the presence of God, even now prays for us. He presents our needs to the Father. He prays for our spiritual protection just as He prayed for Peter. Satan often demands to sift us like wheat and yet Jesus prays on our behalf that our faith fail not.

There's another example in John 17, We won't turn there, but in John 17:17 and following Jesus prays for our sanctification that is for our holiness, he says, Father sanctify them [through] … the truth; Your word is truth.

And certainly, if that was His ministry, even in the last hours of His life here, He continues that prayer on our behalf in heaven. You and I will one day be like Jesus Christ, and one of the reasons I know we will be like Jesus Christ is because right now and every moment of every day until we're in His presence, Christ is praying that we will be sanctified through the word of God made more like Him.

Those are the duties that Christ expenses as our Advocate. That's the promise that we have when John says we have an Advocate. This is the work Christ is constantly undertaking in Heaven on our behalf. But most attorneys argue the innocence of their clients. And we, of course, are guilty. So, when we sin as believers, on what basis does Christ argue for our complete forgiveness? What arguments does He present to God?

Well let's look briefly at his arguments. They're here in 1 John two2 they're buried within the richness of each of these expressions.

Notice the arguments. This is deep theology. It really merits several weeks, but John's purpose here is not theological but pastoral. He wants to comfort us. Here are the arguments Jesus uses. When you sin, when I sin, and we come before God again, seeking forgiveness. On what basis does Christ argue that forgiveness be granted, that forgiveness, not judicial forgiveness? If you're a believer, you've been justified; you've been declared righteous in the courtroom of God's justice; but now you're, as it were, guilty before the Father. On what basis does Christ argue that we should be forgiven before our Father. We'll watch the arguments that He presents.

First of all, He argues our relationship to God. We have an advocate with the Father. You are not God's enemy any longer. You are His child. That is the basis on which Christ argues that you should be forgiven. We have an Advocate with the father.

John Stott writes,

Once the sinner has been justified by God, his judge, he has entered the family of God and becomes related to God as his Father. If he should sin, he does not need another justification from the Divine judge. He is a child of God. He needs his Father's forgiveness.

Jesus argues, Father, this is no longer your enemy; this is my brother; this is your child. When you sin and feel you have no right to go back to God, remember that in Christ, God has become (and will always be) your Father. I don't think we really comprehend the depth of that expression. We almost can't believe it's true our Father. So, Christ argues as our advocate on the basis of our relationship to God.

Secondly, He argues that the character of God, notice he says, We have an advocate with the Father, Jesus. Jesus, this is Christ's human name. Of course, He became man. He understands us. Hebrews 2 says He had to be made like us made like His brethren in all things, but there's really more here.

The name Jesus is, of course, equivalent to what Old Testament name? the name Joshua, Yeshua. It means Yahweh saves, or Yahweh is salvation. God Our Savior is a phrase that occurs seven times in the New Testament. That's the essence of Jesus' name. God is a Savior by nature.

Matthew 1:21 calls Him Jesus the angel said, for He shall save His people from their sins you see. Jesus argues His very name, which is the character of God. The name Jesus means Jehovah or Yahweh saves, so when he stands before the Father, and He argues on our behalf that we have sinned yet again, He argues the very character of God. He says, God, you must forgive not only are you this person's Father, but it's your character to save to deliver sinners.

The third argument that Jesus offers as our Advocate, not only our relationship to God; not only the character of God; but thirdly the plan of God. Notice again, he says, We have an Advocate with the father Jesus Christ. Take that name Christ for a moment. Of course, the Greek, it's the Greek translation of the Hebrew, Messiah Hamashea, It means the anointed one, the one properly appointed by God for this very purpose. Lloyd Jones writes,

comfort yourselves in this thought the Advocate that has been appointed has been appointed by the judge. The Father in His everlasting love has me has Himself set His son apart and anointed Him for this task.

That name, Christ means the Appointed One, the anointed one, appointed for this very work, and so when Christ argues on our behalf, He says, Father, this is part of Your plan. You appointed Me to do this very thing.

God is not reluctant. You know, I think sometimes we get the picture because of images like this. And all images fall short when compared to God, because we see Christ as this sort of lawyer arguing with a reluctant judge. That's not the picture at all. God is not reluctant in Christ trying to convince Him. It was, from the beginning, the Father's plan.

First, John 4:10 said God loved us and sent His Son. Galatians 4:4, God sent forth His Son. Second Corinthians 5:19, God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself. When Christ stands before the Father and argues on our behalf, He argues the very plan of God. Father, this was Your plan. You set out to do this. You set out to save this one, and to make him like me, and to give him to me as a love gift from You.

So, Jesus argues our relationship to God; the character of God; the plan of God; and He argues His own righteousness. Notice again, we have an Advocate with the father Jesus Christ the righteous. You know, it still, it amazes me every time. I stop to think about the reality that Jesus Christ lived in this world for 33 years and never thought a sinful thought. He never did a selfish deed. He never failed to love God perfectly a single moment. He never failed to love others as Himself for a heartbeat. He never failed to do a single thing that was in God's perfect will. He lived absolutely perfectly. Hebrews 4:15 says He was tempted yet without sin. Now this is important that Jesus is righteous for two reasons.

First of all, as our Advocate, He has the very thing we lack when we sin, it's righteousness that we don't have. A positive righteousness required to enter God's presence; we don't have it, but He has it. And in justification, the amazing thing is that righteousness, as we've talked about so many times, has been imputed to us. Our Advocate is the Righteous One, and He will be heard.

The final argument that Jesus presents before His Father is the satisfaction of God's wrath. Not only our relationship to God; the character of God; the plan of God; His own righteousness; but the satisfaction of God's wrath notice what He says, We have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins. The word propitiation simply means the satisfaction of the wrath of God. Notice, He Himself is the propitiation. Verdict, in his commentary, writes, "Normally, the priest and the sacrifice are separate and distinct. Here, in Christ, they are one and the same."

Isaiah 53 reminds us that the Lord was pleased to crush Christ to satisfy His wrath. So, Christ reminds the Father that He died in the believing sinner's place; that He suffered the awful wrath of God that we deserved, and therefore there is none left for us. This is what Christ argues before the Father. Father, your wrath toward this person has been completely satisfied. Romans 8:1. There is therefore now what no condemnation, no judgment, no chance of a guilty verdict.

And He says, He Himself is the propitiation for our sins and not for our sins only, but also for those of the whole world. Obviously here, he's not referring to every person in the world. Romans 3:25 says that Christ satisfies the wrath of God only toward those who exercise faith.

He's pointing here to the sufficiency of Christ. Christ's sacrifice was sufficient for the entire world, though efficient only for the elect those whom God has chosen. Christ argues Father that one, that one who's coming back again, coming having sinned yet another time, coming to seek Your forgiveness, You must forgive not only because You are their Father; not only because it's your character to be a Savior; not only because You are the One who has appointed this plan of redemption; not only because I am their righteousness, but I Myself on calvary satisfied Your wrath on that sinner's behalf.

Notice, that all of those arguments are based on what God is, or on what God has done. Christ's intercession (and boy, this is a wonderful thing) Christ's intercession is not based on us at all. It doesn't have anything to do with us. And the amazing thing is the Father always hears Him. John 11:42. Christ says Father, I know that You always hear Me. Christ's advocacy is always perfect. Because of God's absolute holiness and the reality of our sin, you and I need an advocate, and this is Christ's constant activity in heaven.

He intercedes for us by providing a constant reminder of His atonement before the Father, by answering all the charges that Satan brings against us by sanctifying our spiritual activities; by helping and caring for us when we're hurting; or when we're tempted by praying for us for our spiritual protection and for our spiritual sanctification.

And we can be confident that God will hear Him because God is, in fact, our Father; because God is by nature, a Savior; because God has appointed Christ to deal with sin; because our Advocate is perfectly righteous, and His righteousness has been imputed to us.

Because God has imputed our sins to Christ; and in Christ, His holiness and His wrath are completely satisfied, an amazing reality. When we sin, and we will sin, we do sin. We have an Advocate with the Father.

Now that's what happens in heaven when we sin, but what should happen here on earth? What should happen with you when you sin? You have an Advocate, But what should you do about that sin? Well, there are two things that this passage teaches us.

First of all, you should confess your sin. Romans excuse me 1 John 1:9 says we are to confess our sin. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just [or faithful and righteous,] to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. To confess means to say the same thing.

Sometimes this is taken sort of flippantly and lightly. Literally, it means this. It means to pass the same judgment on our sins that God does. That's what it means to confess your sin. To say: God, this is a terrible offense against Your righteousness. This deserves the absolute worst from Your hand. And I'm seeking Your forgiveness not on my own merits, but on the merits of my Advocate and my Savior.

But it also means not only confession. It means that you and I should forsake the sin and pursue holiness. We're to confess our sin yes, but we're to forsake it, and pursue holiness. Notice, verse 1 again, "My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin."

Don't take sin lightly. Don't assume that well, you know, I'll it's just a peccadillo. I'll sin, and then I'll come and confess it, and it'll all be all right. John says don't take this lightly. I'm writing to you that you not even commit one sin; take sin seriously. Don't just confess it. Forsake sin and pursue holiness.

I think there's one Proverb that captures the essence of our responsibility related to sin, and it's this Proverbs 28:13. He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion, compassion.

Let's pray together.

Father, thank You for this amazing glimpse behind the scenes of heaven to see even now what our Savior does before You on our behalf and Lord, we thank You that You're not reluctant to hear Him. You're not reluctant because He's Your Son, and You're not reluctant because we are Your sons and daughters as well.

Father, thank You, that the Trinity; Father, Son and Holy Spirit are for us, are working together for our good, for our holiness, and to bring us to glory.

Lord, help us to deal with our own sin, help us to be willing to confess it before You; to pass the same judgment on it that You do and to be willing to forsake it and pursue holiness. And Lord, as we do what You have given us the responsibility to do, we thank You and praise You and bless Your name that You have provided for all of us an Advocate with You. Jesus Christ the Righteous who Himself is the propitiation for our sins. Thank you, Father. Help us to deal with sin in a way that honors the sacrifice of Christ.

In whose name we pray, Amen.