Who Needs An Advocate In The New Year

I know I will mess up alot this year. Hopefully less than last year. But what encourages me the most about the new year is the following truth:

I have an advocate, someone pleading in my behalf.

As believers, we all have Christ as our advocate.

In 1 John chapter 2, John writes, "My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous."

I believe John wants us to know sin is not a necessary component of the Christ life. Yet, because we live in a broken world and struggle daily here, he knows we will. So his very next sentence, gently reminds us,

"Hey, even though you don't have to sin, I know it will happen. But here's the good news: Christ is already pleading on your behalf....that sin is already taken care of by me...Christ."

Furthermore, as a woman of God, I believe the apostle John is telling me, just like Christ told the woman at the well, now because you have experienced me.... go and sin no more.

I am blown away personally by how God wants me to know Him. How available He is to speak to me intimately at any time I quiet my soul and seek Him through His word.

Will 2013 be a time when you get to know God more..

experience Him advocating for you

and respond to Him as advocate by going and

sinning no more

Sin is a hard word to write about. No one likes to be called out on their sin. In my world, as well as the apostle John's, belief was paramount to experiencing God. In other words, might our lack of experiencing God be a result of some form of unbelief, known also as sin.

Even today I wrestled with unbelief regarding living my single mom life. 

Gently, the Father reminded me that although my life may be filled with good deeds and righteous acts, I struggle with belief that He will give me the desires of my heart regarding a mate.  The struggle to believe that He really is big enough to solve the dilemma of a single mom with five children is ongoing.

 Yeah, I know, it even sounds kinda lame here as I write. I mean He did part the Red Sea.

But I do struggle and my unbelief is sin. 

The beautiful reality though is that He has that sin covered and pleads on my behalf as my advocate in spite of my unbelief.

 He loves me enough to show me my sin, allowing me to confess and experience Him more fully.

My prayer  is that 2013 will be full of such times for you as well as me. And I would love to hear about them here.

Love,

Pam