Words to the Wise: Your Advocate Defends You
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
Romans 8:1 CSB
Dear Sister,
Imagine yourself in a courtroom where you are being judged – perhaps by God (yes, I am aware that no one has seen God at any time; just imagine the context of the scene). You know that you are guilty of disobeying the law – again. You know there is no hope for you, and shame and fear fill your insides as you contemplate the just punishment that awaits. Maybe this is something you know is wrong, but keep doing despite your desire to do the right thing (Romans 7:15-17).
Serving as the prosecution’s attorney is the devil, on the left side of the bench. Surprisingly for the father of lies, his accusations are true, and you can barely meet the eyes of the Judge before you. But just as the judge is about to hand down the verdict – the “true words” that will shape the consequences of your decision – a man, a defense attorney, steps in. He comes to your side, the right side of the bench, and pleas, “Your Honor, I would like to defend this woman.”
“On what basis?” the judge asks, a slight smile dancing on His lips.
“On the basis that she belongs to me. I died and rose to forgive her of her sins, taking all of them on me. She believes in me, and is thus at peace with You, Father. Your Spirit lives in her, and so she belongs to You.”
The Judge has a contemplative look on His face. “This is true. On the basis of this evidence, woman, I do not condemn you. Go and sin no more.”
You walk away with your head lifted high. Once again, your advocate has set you free.
Over several months, I have explored the love of God in different dimensions: from the compassionate to the romantic to the protective. Today, we are going to look at the legal dimensions of God’s love.
It may surprise you to think this, but when we look at the legal aspects of God’s love, we find out that God is kind. While we tend to view kindness as an attitude similar to niceness, in the Bible, it is primarily benevolence, a commitment to the other person’s good without consideration of our own. Before Jesus took our place on the cross for us, He said that He laid His life down willingly and that He had the authority to lay it down and take it back up again – this latter part alluding to his resurrection (John 10:18). Jesus, the Son of God, did not have to do this. He would have been perfectly just condemning us, as sinners, to hell, but He did, demonstrating His love for us (Romans 5:8) as He considered our good. Jesus suffered agony on the cross and prior to it in being flogged and unjustly accused. Yet His love did not let us down; it did not fail, and He died, rose again, ascended to the Father, and is now seated at the Father’s right hand in all authority and power. In this honored position, Jesus intercedes for us and advocates for us when the devil dares accuse us.
The book of Hebrews uses the motif of Jesus as the High Priest to end them all, and it is in this role that we can understand more profoundly what He did. Jesus’ sacrifice ended the Israelites’ atonement system completely since He died once and for all, for all people, whereas for every sin the Israelites committed, they had to sacrifice animals to God – and this did not have the power of freeing people from sin that Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection did. Jesus, being both God and man, intercedes (prays) for us because He knows what it is like to be human; He sympathizes with us as one without sin and is able to help us (Hebrews 4:15-16; 7:25). In 1st John, the namesake apostle describes Jesus as our advocate for us when we sin, telling the Father that His blood has forgiven us as the perfectly righteous one (1 John 2:1). Of course, we should not make a practice of sinning, but when we do sin, it is a comfort to know that Jesus defends us before God.
In all these functions, we see that Christ – the Messiah, the Savior – has our good in mind. Jesus truly is the mediator between God and man, in his person and in his function, and it’s because of Him that we can enjoy peace with God and an active relationship with Him as adopted daughters, part of His family. Are you withering underneath the devil’s accusations? Do not fear; God has bought you back from him; He has called you by your name; through Jesus, you are His (Isaiah 43:1, cf. 2 Corinthians 1:20).
Xo,
Ozi
Discussion Questions
How does it impact your view of Jesus that He serves as both your intercessor and your advocate?
How does it make you feel to know that Jesus is both willing and able to defend you as His sister (Hebrews 2:11-15)?
What is one thing you want to do this week to remind you that God is your defender?