When life presents more detours and U-turns than you ever imagined, do you hunker down and forge ahead regardless?  Wonder what you did to deserve this?  Throw up your hands and say "I quit"?  If you mess up more than you "get it right", do you think you're worthless and that there's no one in you corner?  John, the apostle of love, gives positive encouragement as he writes, "My children, I write this to you so that you may avoid sin.  Yet if - and when - we do sin we already have one who pleads our cause before the Father, namely, Jesus Christ, the Rightous One". (I John 2:1)

John points us to what Jesus did and is doing for us.  Jesus intercedes for us for Jesus is the divine remedy for human sin.  Try as we might, we will never avoid sin.  Sin is a fact and reality of human life.  I don't like to hear or be told that; neither do you.  Yet if we deny our sins and sinful condition, we cut ourselves off from God's gift of the forgiveness of sins won for us by Jesus through His suffering and death on Calvary's cross and at Easter's open tomb.  Because Father God loves us so much, He sent His one and only Son, Jesus Christ, to bear the guilt and punishment we rightfully deserve as He suffered and died for all our sins on Calvary's cross. (John 3:16)  Our guilt became His; our punishment was borne by Him; His death is the death we deserve to die - but won't - because Jesus, our Substitute and Savior, is the universal atonement-price for sin.

Don't forget the rest of the story.  Three days after He died, Jesus did the incredible: He came back to life, rose from the dead, and appeared to His disciples.  Forty days after His resurrection, He returned to heaven to sit at the right side of God the Father to rule and fill heaven and earth until the end time.  As He sits at the Father's right side, He's not just sitting.  Though his work of redemption is done, He continues to work for you and for me as He pleads our case and cause before the Father.  As an attorney represents his client, so Jesus represents us in the heavenly court of divine justice.  He tells the Father that though we have sinned repeatedly and will cotinue to sin until the day we die, He, the Savior of the world, suffered, died and rose again to pay in full the debt of our sin.

Imagine a felon sentenced to life in prison without parole.  As he's taken from the courtroom to prison someone cries, "Stop! Wait! Jail me; set him free!"  Unreal?  That would never happen!  In our experience, probably not.  But that's exactly what Jesus did and does for you, for me and for the entire world: "Yet if - and when - we do sin, we already have one who pleads our cause before the Father, namely, Jesus Christ, the Rightous One".  Because of what Jesus has already done, He continues to plead our case before the Father.  His suffering, death and resurrection have set us free from the death sentance we deserve and given us life instead.

Is it really true?  Can I be sure?  Yes!  First, God promises: "I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more" (Jer. 31:34c).  Second, Jesus Christ, Son of God and Son of Man, came to earth as the Babe of Bethlehem, lived among men, suffered, died, rose from the dead and ascended into heaven to guarantee complete forgiveness of sins for you, for me and for all the world.  Third, through Jesus we receive GRACE - God's Riches At Christ's Expense. (II Cor. 8:9)  Only God can forgive sins.  God forgives because of what Jesus, His Son, has already done through His death and resurrection.

With that work done, Jesus continues to intercede for you.  He's far better than Perry Mason - He's never lost a case because on Easter He won the victory over sin, Satan, death and hell.  That's true because of His names - Jesus Christ.  "Jesus" means Savior. (Matt. 1:21)  "Christ" means "the anointed one".  The two names together are a title and refer Jesus, Son of God and Son of Man.  He, the Righteous One, declares us "righteous" - straight, plumb, just, right - before God.  Forgiven of all of our sins, we are free from sin, free to serve God and others now and eternity.

While it is helpful to ask, "What Would Jesus Do?" especially when we need to make important decisions, it's far more important to ask, "What has Jesus Done For Me?  What Is He Doing Right Now?"  Jesus suffered, died and rose again for you and for me.  He continues to plead our case and cause before the Father's throne right now because we sin continually.  Forgiveness is yours right now because of "Jesus Christ, the Righteous One".

"I lay my sins on Jesus, The spotless lamb of God;
He bears them all and frees us  From the accursed load.
I bring my guilt to Jesus  To wash my crimson stains
White in His blood most precious  Till not a spot remains."