Experts say when you go to court, you should have an expert attorney to plead your cause—one who knows you, your case, the law, how the system works, and if possible, one who knows the judge. Having excellent representation will likely get you the best outcome. If that is true in human courts, think how valuable the right advocate must be before an all-knowing, all-wise, and all-mighty Judge as God is. That need is why the Apostle John highly recommends Jesus as the sinner’s advocate. In 1 John 2, he writes, “My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world. He has already paid the price for our violations. Yet His pardon does not take effect unless we repent of our sins and accept His atoning death as payment for our wrongdoing. But when we do, God forgives all our sins and accepts us into his family. He asks us to show our gratitude by living for Him in every sphere of life—our family, job, school, and our world.
Dr. Melvin E. Banks, Sr. is the founder and chairman of UMI (Urban Ministries, Inc.). Under his direction, UMI has grown to be a leading publisher of Christian education resources for churches in the African American community. Read More
