BROKEN FOREVER

“My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous.”
1 John 2:1 NLT

How did John discover the meaning and intricacies of Jesus’ death and resurrection? He lived in close contact with Jesus, the man, for more than three years. He knew that Jesus was a real man, doing all the things that real people do. Now he writes, of that man, things that humans do not do. What made the difference?

Not only did John hear Jesus’ promise of the Spirit in power on the day of Pentecost, the promise of power and revelation…

“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you… But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.”
John 14:16, 26 NLT

“When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me. All that belongs to the Father is mine; this is why I said, ‘The Spirit will tell you whatever he receives from me.’ “
John 16:13-15 NLT

… But he also fully experienced living with Jesus, and the Spirit’s power and revelation in his own heart and life when the Holy Spirit fell on the disciples at Pentecost.

Thus, he could say, “We have seen, touched, felt, and experienced the impact of this man’s life and words in our lives.”

John knew what sin did to him. He knew that no animal sacrifice could deal with his sin. However many lambs were killed on his behalf, his guilt and shame were always on his conscience, accusing him before God.

John also knew the blessed release of forgiveness. The moment the truth dawned on him that the bloodied form hanging on a Roman torture stake, the glorious Lord who emerged alive from His burial place, meant a forgiveness so powerful that his guilt and shame lifted from him forever. The peace that settled in his heart convinced him that this salvation was real and forever.

So, he could write, “We are free from sins past and free not to sin again, but…if we do, the Advocate who spoke for us will continue to speak because His death has dealt with all sin for all time.”

John was a realist. He knew that, although all his sin was forgiven and his guilt taken away, and that the Holy Spirit in him gave him power over sin, he still could still sin because he still had an old nature in him, prone to go astray. What a comfort to know that Jesus was always at the right hand of the Father, his Advocate and Intercessor, presenting His blood as the answer to his sin problem.

At those times when he was either caught unawares, failing to be vigilant or giving in to the pull of sinful desires, Jesus, his Advocate in the court of heaven, was there to defend him.

On what grounds is John so sure that Jesus will adequately plead his case before the Father?

“He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world.”
1 John 2:1-2 NLT

Firstly, He is the righteous one. He qualified to atone for our sin as the perfect lamb because there was no sin in Him.

Secondly His death paid the debt for all sin, for all people, for all time. He is….

“…. the Lamb who was slaughtered before the world was made.”
Revelation 13:8 NLT

Thirdly, the names of the redeemed are indelibly written in the Lamb’s book of life. Nothing can erase those names except deliberate renunciation of Jesus as Lord.

So, we rejoice as we persevere in our faith and walk with Jesus since there is nothing in heaven, on earth, or under the earth that can separate us from God’s love in Christ Jesus.

“… The world cannot accept him because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.”
John 14:17 NIV

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 8:38-39 NIV