“2 My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.” 1 John 2:1
Beloved,
I love this verse for many reasons. First, you can see the heart of a pastor. John, the elder apostle, refers to the people as his dear children. John viewed himself as a spiritual father to the church. The church should be a place steeped in the affection and love seen in a healthy family. Secondly, John cares about the purity of the church. Our goal should always be to obey God in everything. We should never be satisfied with anything less than full obedience to our Great and Mighty Savior. God is worthy of our complete obedience. Therefore, our goal should be nothing less. “15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy (1 Peter 1:15-16).”
Finally, I love this blessed thought; we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense, Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. We will always need someone speaking to the Father on our behalf. We have been redeemed and justified, but we will continue to sin. And when we fall into sin, Jesus speaks up for us. He tells the Father that our sin is forgiven because though he was righteous, he died as a sinner to pay the penalty for our sins. Jesus committed no sin and no deceit was found in his mouth. He lived a righteous, perfect, and holy life. And now through faith, HIS righteousness life becomes OUR righteousness life. What a great God we serve!!!
Beloved, I pray you strive for holiness and full obedience. And I pray that when you fall short, you know that one speaks to the Father in your defense: Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.
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