Jesus Our Advocate

From the book "Voice from the Past" a daily devotional of Puritan writers. 

 

27 May

　

　

　

He is the propitiation for our sins.

I John 2:2

　

Christ stands as our advocate alone before God's bar and pleads before the Father. Whatever can rightly be charged upon us, he accepts the whole charge upon himself, acknowledging the crimes to be his own. And this, he must do. If he hides the sin, or lessens it, he is faulty; if he leaves it still upon us, we die. He must then take our iniquity to himself, make it his own, and so deliver us. Having thus taken the sin upon himself, as lawfully he may and lovingly he does—'for we are members of his body' (it's his hand, his foot, his ear that has sinned)—it follows that we live if he lives; and who can desire more? What comfort is this in a day of trouble and distress for sin!

There is a harmony between Christ's offices. As a sacrifice, our sins were laid upon him [Isa. 53). As a priest, he bears them [Exod. 28:38). As our advocate, he acknowledges them to be his own (Psa. 69:5). Having acknowledged them to be his own, the quarrel is no more between us and Satan, for the Lord Jesus has adopted our quarrel, and made it his. O blessed God! What a lover of mankind are you! And how gracious is our Lord Jesus in thus managing matters for us! The Lord Jesus after having thus taken our sins upon himself, and presented God with all the worthiness that is in his whole self for us; in the next place he calls for justice, or a just verdict upon the satisfaction he has made to God and to his law. Then the proclamation is made in open court, saying, 'Remove the filthy garments'—from him that has offended—'and I will clothe you with pure vestments' (Zech. 3). Look then to Jesus if you have sinned. Look to Jesus as an advocate pleading with the Father for you. Look to nothing else for he knows how, and that, by himself, to deliver you; yea, and he will do it in the way of justice, which is a wonder; and to the shame of Satan, which will be God's glory; and also to your complete deliverance, which will be your comfort and salvation.

　

John Bunyan, Works, r.161-162

Romans 1:16 - NOT ashamed of the Gospel

Introduction:

It has been a while since I have written on Romans.  I have been chewing on probably the most two important verses of the letter (1:16-17) for many a day now.  I have been also trying to determine just how much to write in these posts.  I could spend many a post just on these two verses, but I think perhaps three will do. 

 

In this first post I turn to the first phrase of verse 16.  but in doing so, we must look backward to verse 15 for the context.  Paul desires to come to Rome so that he might preach the Gospel to them.  Paul is "eager" to get to Rome and impart his message, or rather the message of the gospel.  I find two items of interest as we look backward.. 

 

first, Paul wanted to preach the Gospel to those believers at Rome. 

These had already heard the Gospel and put their trust in Jesus.  What did they need to have preached to them?  The Gospel is not only the starting point but it is the totality of the Christian life.  How often I forget the Gospel in my daily life.  I must continue to look at the finished work of Christ on the Cross daily for my strength, substance, joy, peace and endurance. 

 

Second, Paul would preach the Gospel to the unbelieving

I know that whenever Paul went he took all opportunity to tell unbelieving Jews and Gentiles of the saving grace of Jesus.  This would have been the same in Rome.  Paul could just imagine the audience that God would give him in such a place as Rome to preach. 

 

Not ashamed of the Gospel

And here is the reason Paul is so eager to preach the gospel to those in Rome.  this Gospel radically shook his life on that road to Damascus and he was never  the same.  I find several aspects of the Gospel that Paul was not ashamed of.

 

• It  simplicity.  Paul was so able to explain the Gospel in its simplest terms (1 Cor 15:1-5, Gal 6:14). 
• Its folly.  Paul didn't care that the gospel was foolishness to those who in the world's eyes are wise (1 Cor 1:18-19).
• Its hardships.  Paul didn't care that the gospel caused him great suffering.  This suffering was not only physical (2 cor 11) but also handed out by those who opposed his message.  
• Its ability to cause controversy.  Paul confronted even Peter directly because of Peter's denial of the Gospel truth that it is faith alone that saves and perseveres (Gal 2).

here is a modern day Paul being not ashamed of the Gospel.  Franklin Graham was disinvited to speak at the pentagon for the national day of prayer  Read about it here at Al Mohler's blog. 

 

  So what was it in the life of Paul that made him to be so confident in the Gospel that wherever he went, whomever he spoke to and whatever happened to him the Gospel came out of his mouth? 

 

• the gospel totally and radically changed his life.  He wanted that same experience for others.
• The Gospel is the only way to God.  It must be proclaimed as such.
• Clinging to Jesus through the Gospel is the only way to live a life of worth.

 

 

From Others

Truly a great post on God's sovereignty and disability. 

Read here

 

Here is the expansion of Psalm 139:13-16 that is amazing and challenging.

 

For you formed my inward parts with Down syndrome;
you knitted me together in my mother's womb without eyes.
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made with cognitive challenges. 
Wonderful are your works in creating me without limbs;
my soul knows it very well though my ears will never hear a sound.
My frame was not hidden from you as you made me with Apert syndrome,
when I was being made in secret with autism,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth without Hexosaminidase A.
Your eyes saw my unformed substance with spina bifida;
in your book were written, every one of them,
the days that were formed for me with cerebral palsy,
when as yet there was none of them.