Jesus Is Our Advocate
October 5, 2021
Have you ever seen one of those jelly balls? Do you know what I am talking about? It is a ball that comes in a plastic package. When you have it in your hand, it is very tacky or sticky. If you throw it against a surface, it appears to flatten. However, as it sits against that surface, over the course of several seconds to a minute, it will slowly regain its shape and you can start the process all over again. If it is dirty, often, one simply has to wash it off and it remains sticky after the dirt is removed.
When I was younger, we purchased one of these (or won it as a prize at Chuck-E Cheese). We thought it would be funny to throw it against the ceiling. We also learned a very difficult lesson . . . these jelly balls left what appeared to be an oily residue on “flat painted” surfaces (surfaces painted with flat paint). As a disclaimer, please let me offer that these jelly balls are very gross to see in action. When completely flattened, they almost look like someone had a very bad head cold – a gelatinous goo of sorts. While kids might find it fun to play with, parents often look upon these “toys” with disdain. Funny enough, as kids, we only played with these things for a time, then the newness wore off and the novelty faded. We might go back to it from time to time, but for the most part, we were finished with playing with it.
What is the point to all of this? When looking at the writings found in the book of 1 John, there are some things that seem a bit confusing. It seems as if John is saying that if people walk in the darkness (sin), they can have no share in God. Yet, he now offers that if we sin, we have Jesus to take it away, to advocate for us. How does all of this work?
Well, it is much like that ball. When God sees sin “splat” all over our lives, it leaves a residue. If we continue playing with it, it will continue to leave evidence of its presence in our lives. However, if we stop practicing sin, repenting and even confessing, we find that God cleans us up because Jesus pleads for us. However, He will only plead for us if we are willing to stop routinely and perpetually playing with that sin. He recognizes that we may fall down from time to time and return to it. In those instances, He will pick us up, correct us, and clean us, but we must begin to see it with His eyes . . . that it is gross and repulsive . . . offensive and vile. That is sin. Let us do our best to stay away from it, but when we fail, we need to know that Jesus is still in our corner.
