In Isaiah 59, the prophet speaks of sin.
He also states that all sin is known to God.
Isaiah 59:12-13 (NRSVue) - For our transgressions before you are many, and our sins testify against us. Our transgressions indeed are with us, and we know our iniquities: transgressing and denying the Lord and turning away from following our God, talking oppression and revolt, conceiving lying words and uttering them from the heart.
The author of 1 John also speaks of sin.
He also reminds us that we have an advocate.
He reminds us that we should not commit sin.
But when we do, Christ intercedes on our behalf.
1 John 2:1 (NRSVue) - My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous,
In legal terms, an advocate is someone who pleads the cause of another.
Christ pleads our cause.
That is one reason confession is so important.
When we confess, God already knows our transgression.
We are not telling God what He does not know.
In confessing, we admit to ourselves that we were wrong.
God heals and forgives through Christ because of His great and abiding love for us.
When Christ was crucified, he was mocked by those in attendance.
Christ was their advocate when He asked The Father to forgive them.
If Christ was able to forgive so much, why are we hesitant in forgiving so little of others?
After all, Christ is their advocate too.
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
Look for me at faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com on Friday, August
4, 2025.
I will be back here on Friday, August 11, 2025
