In prayer: Jesus Christ our Advocate

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. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.
1 John 2:1-2

When we fail to obey God, our guilt and shame can tempt us to avoid Him. Is this the right response?

One reason John wrote this letter is so that we may not sin. If we are walking in the darkness, we can’t be in fellowship with God. We are to be in vital relationship with Him, walking in the light.

So how can we have enough confidence to approach Him when, once again, we have sinned? If we are relying on our own faithfulness, we have a problem. We are not trustworthy. Our confidence must be based on God’s provision for us.

God gave His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Jesus Christ is our Advocate, and He makes it possible for us to come to the Father. He died for our sins. We have been credited with His righteousness. If we sin, we can come to the Father with confidence in Jesus, our Advocate.

We have no other hope, and we must come to Him.