I’ve blown it. I’ve lost my temper after committing to never again lose my temper. I’ve daydreamed of the good life after committing to a life of contentment free from the desire for more stuff. I’ve selfishly arranged my life to benefit me despite being inspired by verses about humility, selflessness, and service. 

I’m going to go out on a limb and trust that I’m not the only one who has blown it. You have too. You’ve made choices in your life for which you wish you still had the receipt. You’d take it back in a New York minute. You’d do things differently. You’d choose wisely. But you can’t. So, what do you do when you’ve blown it? Where do you turn? Go to God. 

Remember John has just said he’s writing to us so we may not sin, but knowing each of his readers will do that very thing, he provides the solution:

If anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.

An advocate is someone who comes alongside you in times of need. Has there been a time when you’ve been in need? Of course! Significant challenges and difficulties in life confront us on a daily basis. Relationships. Parenting. Work. Health. Finances. The list goes on. All of these areas of need, while significant, pale in comparison to our spiritual need brought on by sin. Sin kills. The good news is we were never meant to face the fallout of our sin alone. 

When we sin against the Father, we have an advocate with the Son, Jesus Christ. 

In our guilt, we go to God. 
In our shame, we reach out to our Savior. 
In our regret, we cry out to the Righteous One. 

Jesus is our advocate—a helper in our time of need.