Session 9 · 1 John 2:1-2
An Advocate
Who speaks for you when you fail again
Book reading: Chapter 9: An Advocate
Imagine you are in a courtroom and you know you are guilty. The most important question is not whether the judge is fair. It is who is standing next to you. Chapter 9 of Gentle and Lowly moves from Christ’s intercession to his role as our advocate, using 1 John 2:1.
John writes, “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin.” Notice he starts there. The goal is not to make sin comfortable. Then he adds, “But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” The word translated advocate is parakletos, which pictures someone called alongside to help you, someone who stands beside you and speaks for you. Ortlund unpacks who Jesus argues for, and before whom. He argues for us, before the Father.
Intercession and advocacy are close cousins, and the chapter sets them side by side. Think of intercession as Jesus asking for what we need as a loving priest, and advocacy as Jesus speaking for us at the moment our failure rises against us. Intercession tends to cover the whole walk. Advocacy shows up when guilt is on the table.
The passage also tells us why this advocate is qualified: he is “Jesus Christ the righteous.” A lawyer who is guilty of the same crime cannot defend you. Jesus does not need to be defended himself. Because he is righteous, his word carries weight with the Father. Then John adds the foundation: “He is the propitiation for our sins.” That means his death turned away the wrath we deserved. His advocacy is not a clever argument. It rests on a payment already made.
Here is the part that lands in everyday life. Ortlund applies this to our recurring sins. Even as we fail again, Christ is already speaking on our behalf. He does not wait until we have cleaned up and offered a perfect apology. This is meant to fuel repentance, not hide us from it. The whole point is that knowing someone is already on your side makes it safe to come out of hiding and admit the truth. Shame says, hide. The advocate says, come.
The chapter closes with Bunyan on Christ’s advocacy, a reminder that this comfort has long been a lifeline for struggling believers.
If your failures involve patterns you cannot break, such as addiction or harm to yourself or others, please talk with a pastor, counselor or trusted friend. The advocate does not replace the help of other people. He often sends it. But in the moment of failure, you can know where to turn first.
Key idea
When we sin, Christ the righteous is already our advocate before the Father, which makes repentance safe instead of something to avoid.
Questions to consider
- How is Christ’s role as advocate different from his role as intercessor, and why might we need both?
- What do you usually do in the first hour after you fail: hide, make excuses, punish yourself, or turn toward Jesus? What would it look like to change that pattern?
Journal prompt
Think of the sin you most often repeat. Write a few sentences to Jesus about it, beginning with, “Because you are my advocate, I can say…”
Practice
1. The next time you notice you have failed, stop within five minutes. 2. Say aloud, “Jesus, you are my advocate. I did this.” 3. Read 1 John 2:1-2 once, then say one sentence of repentance and one sentence of thanks. If no failure comes today, practice the same three steps with a recent one.