Our Advocate

“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; and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.” (1 John 2:1-2)

The death of Jesus was the “propitiation” for all of the sins of the world. Propitiation has the idea of a place where MERCY begins. It is the place where the mercy of God in resurrecting the dead is manifested – starting with Christ Jesus who promised to return and resurrect "all people" from death.

The Bible says Jeus “gave himself as a ransom for all people” (1 Timothy 2:6). 

Ransom is payment to the captor for releasing the hostages. It is NOT the payment for the SINS of the hostages! Otherwise none of us would die. Mankind is held hostage by our captor, death. The cost to release the hostages was Christ Jesus identifying himself with us in death so that he could then lead those captive by death into abundant, everlasting life by means of resurrection.  It is the gracious "gift" of our "Advocate" to us, not a payment for works that we may do….

“But to each one of us GRACE was GIVEN according to the measure of Christ’s GIFT. Therefore it says, WHEN HE ASCENDED ON HIGH, HE LED CAPTIVE A HOST OF CAPTIVES, AND HE GAVE GIFTS TO MEN…He who descended is himself also he who ascended far above all the heavens, so that he might COMPLETE ALL…until WE ALL attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God.” (Ephesians 4:7-13)