LEARNING DAILY

1 John 2:1, My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous.

Hebrews 7:25, Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.

The message at Community Bible Church was given by Pastor Marquise Cox. In his message he spoke about the storms of life; he said, “every person is either on their way to a storm, coming out of a storm, or are in the middle of a storm”. That was his target statement meaning storms are part of every person’s life. He stated, ‘these storms may be sin induced or where Jesus leads us into the storm in order for growth to occur in the Believer. It is interesting that this was written about not too long ago in this blog.

I want to focus on something he mentioned; two words have been darkened in the two Scripture verses above. Pastor Cox defined Advocate as one who stands with the accused and intercessor as one who stands between the accused and the judge.

In John’s writing, he desires that every Believer grow in their relationship with the Lord. “Growing up” or maturing or desiring to be more like Christ each day should be the goal of every Christian as they walk the narrow way!  John knows that each Believer is capable of sin each day. He gives Believers hope that Jesus Christ is our Advocate before the Father in heaven. In the Greek advocate is parakleton which means one who pleads the case of another; in this case Jesus Christ stands with each Believer, speaking on their behalf with the Father. John goes on to write in the next verse that Jesus is the One who paid the debt for each Believer by taking our place on the cross.

Jesus Christ is continually interceding on the behalf of Believers. The devil is continually accusing us of the wrong things Believers do. He hates you and everything you stand for as a follower of Jesus Christ! He does everything he can to separate you from God. But, because Jesus is standing with you, reminding the Father that you have put your trust and your faith in Him, and have repented of your sin, you are forgiven.

What does that mean regarding the storms of life? Pastor Cox stated, “Even in the darkest moments of your storm, your circumstances, Jesus Christ is standing with you (your Advocate) and He is interceding for you with the Father. In the darkest moments of the storm, Jesus Christ is walking on that which you are afraid of”. He was referring to Jesus walking on the water to the disciples; they were in a boat, terrified of the storm and the water raging around them. Jesus gave the disciples the “comfort in the storm around them”.

Are you in a storm right now? Perhaps you are coming out of one or about to enter into one. Find your comfort, your strength in knowing that Jesus is standing with you to forgive you or to help you grow in an area of your Christian walk.

One last thing Pastor Cox mentioned that is very important. He said when in a storm remember how Jesus brought you out of the last one you went through. Perhaps you need to remember the forgiveness of Jesus when you sinned and promised you would never do it again. Perhaps you need to remember the last miracle he brought into your life as you look to the one you need right now. There is no place nor time that the intercession of Jesus Christ is not available to you. His promise is, “I will never leave nor forsake you”! (Hebrews 13:5).