Christ, our lawyer

Being a Christian is not a visa that guarantees we will never sin. We remain human, heirs of a fallen nature through Adam, and this reality often leads us to make mistakes daily—sometimes even doing what we ourselves do not wish to do (see Romans 7). Moments like these frequently bring feelings of guilt. Feeling guilty is natural, and in a sense even appropriate, but the problem begins when guilt pushes us to believe that God will not forgive us.

Many people, after committing a serious mistake in their walk with the Lord, choose to distance themselves from Him out of shame. Yes, sin is serious and the Bible condemns it repeatedly. However, a greater tragedy than sinning is remaining in sin without seeking restoration (1 John 3:8). We must remember that when we fall, God does not abandon us; rather, He lovingly calls us back.

This is why it is vital to keep in mind that when we sin, we have an advocate—Jesus Christ Himself:

My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.

1 John 2:1

The command of Scripture is clear: we must strive not to sin. We are called to holiness, to fight against the desires of the flesh, and to pursue righteousness. The fact that Jesus is our advocate is not an excuse to continue sinning. Instead, it is a message of hope for our fallen human condition. It assures us that when we stumble on our journey, we are not left without help.

I once knew someone who made a mistake so devastating that he became emotionally crushed by it. The accusations in his mind were constant, heavy, destructive. He allowed the weight of guilt to defeat him, forgetting that Jesus is our advocate and that when we confess and humble ourselves before Him, He forgives us freely and completely.

The Bible also tells us:

My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.

Psalm 51:17

This verse teaches us that God does not reject the one who comes before Him with a repentant heart. He does not push away those who cry out for mercy. On the contrary, He receives the humble, the broken, the repentant—because His heart is full of compassion.

If you have sinned, remember this truth: you have a perfect Advocate. Jesus Christ is the most righteous, the most faithful, the most powerful lawyer you could ever have. He is always ready to listen, always ready to intercede, always ready to forgive. Do not allow the accusations in your mind to speak louder than God’s desire to lift you up.

Since Adam, every human being has fallen short of God’s glory (Romans 3). Yet God, seeing our condition, sent His Son as the propitiation for our sins. He did not send Jesus to die for perfect people—there are none. He sent Him for sinners, for the weak, for the broken, for the guilty… for us.

Do you realize how great the Father’s love is? He delivered His only Son to the cross so that you could be forgiven, cleansed, restored, and brought into a relationship with Him. The cross was not an accident. It was the clearest demonstration of God’s willingness to save—even those who fall again and again.

So whenever you fail, do not run away from God—run toward Him. Do not hide in shame—draw near with a humble heart. And above all, remember this unshakable truth: **if we sin, we have a great Advocate—Jesus Christ the Righteous.**