1 John 2:1-2 Amplified Bible
Christ Is Our Advocate
2 My little children (believers, dear ones), I am writing you these things so that you will not sin and violate God’s law. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate [who will intercede for us] with the Father: Jesus Christ the righteous [the upright, the just One, who conforms to the Father’s will in every way—purpose, thought, and action]. 2 And He [that same Jesus] is the propitiation for our sins [the atoning sacrifice that holds back the wrath of God that would otherwise be directed at us because of our sinful nature—our worldliness, our lifestyle]; and not for ours alone, but also for [the sins of all believers throughout] the whole world.
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
Christianity hinges on the message of forgiveness.
Other religions may offer moralism.
What do we mean by moralism?
Moralism is a philosophy that arose in the 19th century that concerns itself with imbuing culture, society with a certain set of “correct and proper and civilized” morals, usually traditional behavior, but also “justice, freedom, and equality”.
Moralism reforms behavior and conforms to standards. Moralism is given to reform on one’s own and is often substituted for the gospel. It is the belief the “the Gospel of Christ can, should be reduced to improvements in behavior,” that “we humanity, can achieve righteousness by means of proper behavior.”
Moralists may offer methods that will help us “tidy up our public and private lives or make us feel that we are good people if only we will behave ourselves.
Christianity, however, is for the untouchable, the unworthy, the lost, the beleaguered, the oppressed, the scorned, and the sinful. It’s for people who need to hear that they can, will, be forgiven. In other words, it’s for everyone.
From first to last, the gospel is about what God does, not about what we must do. It is God, by His mercy, who gives us the desire to even want to be forgiven—and it is only when we put our 100% faith in Jesus that we are fully pardoned.
John 20:11-18 Amplified Bible
11 But Mary [who had returned] was standing outside the tomb sobbing; and so, as she wept, she stooped down and looked into the tomb; 12 and she saw two angels in white sitting there, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. 13 And they said to her, “Woman, why are you crying?” She told them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.” 14 After saying this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you crying? For whom are you looking?” Supposing that He was the gardener, she replied, “Sir, if you are the one who has carried Him away from here, tell me where you have put Him, and I will take Him away.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to Him in [a] Hebrew, “Rabboni!” (which means, Teacher). 17 Jesus said to her, “[b]Do not hold Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.’” 18 Mary Magdalene came, reporting to the disciples that she had seen the Lord and that He had said these things to her.
When we 100% turn to Him in genuine “search me, O God, investigate my life, test me and know my thoughts, see if there is any wicked way in me, show me the narrow pathway to righteousness, everlasting life” repentance and faith, we are able to look back and say; ‘Thank God, we’ve been saved from sin’s penalty.’
As with Mary standing alone at the empty Tomb, waiting for who knows who, who knows what, to both reassure and us of the truth of the resurrection, all the sin and her terrible choices in life that was against her, and now that is and was against us, all that kept us from knowing God, all that kept us from discovering His love and His goodness—all of the penalty that we deserve—has been fully eradicated, erased through the saving work of God’s Son Jesus, on the cross.
As believers, then, we can—we should—assuredly rejoice in the truth that sin no longer rules over us. Yet the reality is that in our earthly lives, we still sin.
We still miss the mark; as Adam and Eve, we still fail to reach God’s standard.
Genesis 3:1-7 Amplified Bible
The Fall of Man
3 Now the serpent was more crafty (subtle, skilled in deceit) than any living creature of the field which the Lord God had made. And [a]the serpent (Satan) said to the woman, “Can it really be that God has said, ‘You shall not eat from [b]any tree of the garden’?” 2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees of the garden, 3 except the fruit from the tree which is in the middle of the garden. God said, ‘You shall not eat from it nor touch it, otherwise you will die.’” 4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You certainly will not die! 5 For God knows that on the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened [that is, you will have greater awareness], and you will be like God, knowing [the difference between] good and evil.” 6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was delightful to look at, and a tree to be desired in order to make one wise and insightful, she took some of its fruit and ate it; and she also gave some to her husband [c]with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of the two of them were opened [that is, their awareness increased], and they knew that they were naked; and they fastened fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.
And when we do, the Evil One loves to still whisper, “Are you really saved? Will God really forgive you this time?” To which we must answer, “Yes, I am; and yes, He will, for the one who died for me is at this moment advocating for me.”
Knowing forgiveness is not a license to sin; indeed, John wrote with the purpose “that you may not sin no more.” When we sin, the joy we have found in God begins to fade. While He remains our heavenly Father, it should be no surprise that if we harbor sin, we will fail to enjoy all the blessings He intends for us.
And so we seek to live in obedience to our Lord, and yet, since we will not do so perfectly, we also must live in repentance to our Lord.
In the Upper Room, Rabbi Messiah Jesus underscored the genuine need for and importance of daily repentance in John 13 when, while He was in the midst of washing His disciples’ feet, Peter protested and said, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus responded, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me” (13:8).
Forgiveness is not ours until we are washed by Jesus, confess with our whole heart Jesus’ Messiahship, Jesus’ Lordship over our entire lives, and then He continues to wash us through our daily discipline of repentance and faith.
One day, you and I and we, will all be taken to heaven and saved from sin’s presence. But until that great day, your Christian life, my Christian life, and our Christian life is to be a journey of repentance, acknowledge Jesus calling out our names, acknowledging with Rabboni – master teacher, my only 100% salvation.
I have been saved You have been saved.
I will be saved You will be saved.
But for now, in this moment, in this time and this season, minute by minute, day by day, you are mercifully being saved as you repent and turn back to Jesus.
Who Is It We Are Looking for? Self? Gardner? God? Serpent?
John 20:11-16Amplified Bible
11 But Mary [who had returned] was standing outside the tomb sobbing; and so, as she wept, she stooped down and looked into the tomb; 12 and she saw two angels in white sitting there, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. 13 And they said to her, “Woman, why are you crying?” She told them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.” 14 After saying this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said unto her, “Woman, why are you crying? For whom are you looking?” Supposing that He was the gardener, she replied, “Sir, if you are the one who has carried Him away from here, tell me where you have put Him, and I will take Him away.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to Him in [a]Hebrew, “Rabboni!” (which means, Teacher).
There are times in life when we have to do some things we don’t want to do.
Tough things. There’s that phone call we have to make. Or that task ahead of us that looks bigger than we bargained for. Or maybe we have received news that shatters our thinking, and we can’t imagine how we can deal with the situation.
The only things that seem to fill our souls are those “serpent” like words, I am way out of my league with this one, I have no morals, ethics, strength of character.
I have no experience, no courage in myself or in my God because I do not see Him.
I have hope after hope after hope but nothing in my life has ever panned out for me.
I have always been a failure in my life, why should I expect anything different now?
I am sure that some permutation of the above self-deprecating statements is how probably Mary felt. Her heart was so heavy with the news of Jesus’ death.
She knew that his body was placed in the tomb, and she and some others had wanted to make sure his body was prepared properly (Mark 16:1-7; Luke 24:1-12).
Imagine the shock and surprise when entering in, the tomb was very empty.
Where is He?
Who has taken Him?
How could this be?
What does all this mean?
After sharing the news with Jesus’ disciples (John 20:1-2), Mary went back to the tomb and stood there, not knowing what to expect, would anyone show up?
Who would be there, who would come there, to call, to tell her the 100% truth?
Her heart was heavy, and the tears for her Lord trickled down her face.
Someone else was there too.
A gardener?
Perhaps he might know something.
A serpent in wolf’s clothing …?
A Roman Soldier who was guarding the tomb against intruders?
A complete stranger wandering among the tombs?
Perhaps the truth. at least some truth, will come out now?
The stranger speaks …
He said, “Why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?”
Then he spoke her name.
MARY …
And exactly in that moment, she absolutely knew it was a living Jesus.
Her whole outlook changed.
What a glorious encounter!
Whatever circumstances you are in, I am in, we are in, and no matter what struggles we are facing, we are confronted by in our worst of times, be 100% assured that Jesus is with you (Matthew 28:20) and that he knows your name.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 63 Complete Jewish Bible
63 (0) A psalm of David, when he was in the desert of Y’hudah:
2 (1) O God, you are my God;
I will seek you eagerly.
My heart thirsts for you,
my body longs for you
in a land parched and exhausted,
where no water can be found.
3 (2) I used to contemplate you in the sanctuary,
seeing your power and glory;
4 (3) for your grace is better than life.
My lips will worship you.
5 (4) Yes, I will bless you as long as I live;
in your name I will lift up my hands.
6 (5) I am as satisfied as with rich food;
my mouth praises you with joy on my lips
7 (6) when I remember you on my bed
and meditate on you in the night watches.
8 (7) For you have been my help;
in the shadow of your wings I rejoice;
9 (8) my heart clings to you;
your right hand supports me.
10 (9) But those who seek to destroy my life —
may they go to the lowest parts of the earth.
11 (10) May they be given over to the power of the sword;
may they become prey for jackals.
12 (11) But the king will rejoice in God.
Everyone who swears by him will exult,
for the mouths of liars will be silenced.
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
Loving God, Living God, Loving Hope, Living Hope, Loving Living Life His Way! "Many things are possible for the person who has hope. Even more is possible for the person who has faith. And still more is possible for the person who knows how to love. But everything is possible for the person who practices all three virtues." - Brother Lawrence (1605-1691), Practicing the Presence of God (1692). 