Category: The Advocate

1 John 2:6 NIV
Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.

“For John, as for Paul, and above all as for Jesus, the commandments are all summed up in one word: Love. The Life of God’s New Age is revealed as the Love of God’s New Age. All other commandments—the detail of what to do and not to do—are the outflowing of this love, the love which has been newly revealed in Jesus, the love which God now intends should be revealed in and through all those who follow Jesus.” [Tom Wright, Early Christian Letters for Everyone, 141]

“We know that we cannot live any other way. Yes, sometimes we struggle, sometimes we have difficulty, sometimes we lose sight of our way. But in our heart of hearts, for those who know Jesus the Advocate, who have been made righteous, who have been forgiven and cleansed, we recognize and rejoice that the boundary of our life is now to keep his commandments to love! This leads us to repentance, confession, assurance and renewal in Jesus’ love for us!” [P. Nate’s Message]

Let’s pray for one other person today, that God’s salvation would come so that they would know the love of Jesus. May they recognize and rejoice in the boundaries of God’s love around their lives!

Prayer: Lord, thank you for tethering me to your love! May we love you with all our heart, soul, mind and strength today. In Jesus’s name. Amen.

Let’s worship to “We Could Change the World” by Matt Redman (click here).

-LB

Psalm 17:7-8 (NIV)
7  Show me the wonders of your great love,
you who save by your right hand
those who take refuge in you from their foes.
8  Keep me as the apple of your eye;
hide me in the shadow of your wings.

1 John 2:3-4 (NIV)
We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands.  Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. 

“The words in these verses for ‘keep his commands,’ ‘do what he commands,’ and ‘obeys his word’ all share the same root word of ‘keep’ or ‘guard.’ The sense is a keeping watch, guarding the command. One of the noun forms of this word is literally a ‘prison’ or ‘jail cell’. John teaches us that the evidence of our knowing Jesus our Advocate, is literally keeping his commands, or to put it in an intensified way, being imprisoned by Jesus’ commands, being guarded by his commands. The boundaries of our lives become bounded by what Jesus commands. Those who truly know Jesus will not go beyond these boundaries.” [P. Nate’s message]

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the love of Jesus that has set the boundaries of our life. Help us see that you have marked out your ways for us. May we recognize and turn our hearts to you once again. We are in need of your healing and touch. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Let’s worship to the song “Your Love Defends Me” by Matt Maher (click here).

-LB

1 John 2:5-6 NIV
But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him:  Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.

“When we respond to Jesus’ commands in action, ‘love for God’ comes to a completion. The language here is wonderfully ambiguous. The phrase, ‘love for God’ can be translated also as ‘love of God’ (that is love from God for others), or simply ‘God’s love’. The phrase, ‘love for God,’ is ambiguous with reference to whether it is our love for God that is completed, or whether it is God’s love that is given to us for others. It is best to always interpret these phrases as both/and – love for God and love from God are both made complete in our lives as we live in Christ! The verb, ‘made complete’ carries overtones of purpose and maturity. The purpose of our lives, the trajectory of our living, is to respond to God’s Word – active commands, written Scripture, Jesus the Living Word in our lives. When we are responsive, God’s purposes for our lives to be filled with love are fulfilled. That is God’s purpose for our life – to obey in love.”  [P. Nate’s message]

Prayer: Thank you Jesus that through your word, and by your Spirit we can know and love you. May our obedience and life in Jesus reflect who you are! Fill us with a joy that comes from knowing you. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Let’s worship Jesus as we sing “This Is How We Know” by Matt Redman (click here).

-LB

1 John 2:1-2 NIV
My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.

“But here in 1 John 2:1-6, we see that Jesus too is our eternal advocate—the Righteous One who completely obeyed the Father’s will unto death; the atoning sacrifice for our sins and those of the whole world; and the One in whom we now live in obedience to the Father. The terms we see here—advocate, atonement and righteousness—in view of the fellowship we share with the Father, are incredibly powerful for our lives. Jesus has transformed our whole reality. The Righteous One has made us righteous, that is, through his life, death and resurrection, he has given us his righteousness, so that we would have fellowship with our holy Triune God. This is Jesus’ eternal advocacy for our sake. Jesus is our eternal advocate, who has bestowed his righteousness upon our lives. Paul in 2 Corinthians goes so far as to say that we have become the righteousness of God.” [P. Nate’s message]

Prayer: Lord, we confess our sins to you. Would you wash our feet, so that we may have fellowship with you. Thank you Jesus for you are our eternal advocate so that we can become the righteousness of God. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Let’s worship Jesus as we sing “The Lord Is My Salvation” by Keith & Kristyn Getty (click here).

-LB

Let’s read aloud the following scripture and prayer.

Psalm 17:6-8 (NIV)
6  I call on you, my God, for you will answer me;
turn your ear to me and hear my prayer.
7  Show me the wonders of your great love,
you who save by your right hand
those who take refuge in you from their foes.
8  Keep me as the apple of your eye;
hide me in the shadow of your wings.

1 John 2:1-6 (NIV)
My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.  He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.  We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands.  Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him:  Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for opening our eyes to see and place our trust in you. May we lean into your love today, which is firm and steadfast. We humbly ask for you to empower us through your Holy Spirit to walk in the way of the Lord. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Let’s worship Jesus as we sing “In Christ Alone” by Passion (click here).

-LB