John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress,
Christian believer, pilgrim, had a book in his hand and a
burden on his back. The evangelist came to him and
pointed to John Wicket Gate. He said, you go through that
gate. It's the only way. You go through that gate and you'll
find a cross. If you get to that cross, your
burden will fall. And it did. 1 John chapter 2 could not hear
a more important or vital message. Sadly, some will not hear it
and will not respond. Have mercy for it, if you will. And one verse is contained a
dire warning. and a blessed promise. A warning
lest we presume, a promise lest we despair from God. Look at verse 1, 1
John 2, verse 1. My little children, these things
write I unto you, that ye sin not, and if any man sin. We have an Advocate with the
Father, Jesus Christ. The righteous. My little children.
God's children. That's who he's writing to. This
is God speaking. Those who are born of God, begotten
by the word of truth, the gospel of their salvation. Those who
have been given the spirit of adoption, whereby they cry, Abba,
Father. God's children. He calls them
little children. Because they're all little. They
know themselves to be little. They're little and insignificant
in their own eyes. They are little in knowledge,
they are little in understanding, they are little in faith, they
are little in strength. They are little children. Our Lord
said, except you receive the Kingdom of God, the Word of God,
as little children, you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
So all of God's true people, they receive the Word, they hear
it as little children, full of joy, amazement, learning, excited. full of wonder, amazement,
joy, and gladness. That's what little children do
upon hearing good things. My little children, He said,
I write these things I write unto you. He's already written
and declared unto us of the Word of Life, the eternal life that
is Christ Himself. He's declared unto us, He's written
to us that God is light, in Him there's no darkness at all, that
Christ came as our light, He's told us about fellowship with
the Father, union with the Father, that our joy might be full. He's
told us that we're sinners, but if anyone confess their sins,
He is faithful and just to forgive all of them, every one of them. And the blood of Jesus Christ,
God's Son, cleanseth us from all sin. All sin. That's what He's written. So
He says, I write unto you these things, I write unto you also.
That you sin not. This is a command. This is a
warning. That you sin not. That you walk
before the Lord in light. That you walk upright. That you
walk in fear of the Lord. This is the beginning of wisdom. That you eschew evil. Walk before
Him. That you sin not. Paul wrote
things like this. God wrote it. Dearly beloved.
Let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and
spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. In another place,
it says, the grace of God teaches us that denying ungodliness and
worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly
in this present world. Peter writes in, or rather God
does, as obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according
to the former lust and your ignorance, But as He which hath called you
is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation, for it
is written, Be ye holy, for I am holy, sin not. Another place
Peter wrote this, Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and
pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul. James wrote, When lust hath conceived,
it bringeth forth sin, and when it is finished, death." He says,
do not err, my beloved brethren. These things are right unto you.
Don't sin. Don't do it. Like the faithful
father that he is and tells his children, don't do that. The consequences are terrible.
The cost is high. You know what it took? To put
away one sin, the blood of God's Son. Sin, don't sin. The suffering of it, the shame
of it, the reproach it brings, the hurt it causes, the damage,
the lasting, lingering, awful effects of it are great. So He
says, in goodness and mercy and grace, He tells us, don't sin. Don't sin. I hope you read the
article. I was going to read it, but I
don't have the both of it. Read the article by my pastor
on this comment. God's Word does not excuse sin,
neither do His people. They don't want the sin. They
don't excuse it when they do. So, God's Word tells us, don't
sin, don't do it. Don't trifle with it. Don't play
with it. It's a dangerous thing. Don't make light of it. He says
it's a shame to even speak of those things. Don't mock it. Don't laugh at it. Don't toy
with it. It's poison. It's deceitful. It's deadly. It costs the Son
of God His life's blood to pay for. These things I write unto
you, that you sin not. And if any man sin. It's not saying that there's
a possibility of someone not sinning. No, no, no. What it's
saying is that absolute certainty, sad certainty is that all do
sin. Every man at his best state.
If any man, no matter who it is, sin. Any sin. If any man
or woman or young person, sin, any sin, we have an advocate with the
Father. Sadly, tragically, we do sin. Horribly, we do. We all do. And
oh, the trouble it brings us and others. So this is why, you
now see why I began this with don't sin. Can you imagine, stop
and think for a minute, the angels watching the scene in the Garden
of Eden? The angels saw their fellow angels
that kept not their first estate, who heeded Satan, who said, I
will, I will, and they all thought, yes, we're with you in this.
They saw these angels which kept not their first estate, cast
into outer darkness, put in chains by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself,
in anger and wrath and fury, and saw these fallen angels,
these rebel angels, cast down into hell, awaiting their certain
destruction. They saw that. The other angels,
the holy angels, saw this happening. Then when Adam and Eve, these
two little creatures that God had made for His glory, stay
with me, These two little creatures that God had made for His glory.
He didn't have to, but He did. For His glory. For His enjoyment. Alright? He saw them talking
to Satan. His angels saw them. Can you
imagine? Stop and think about it. What
do you think they're thinking? What do you think the angels
are thinking while Eve is talking? Don't listen to him. They couldn't
speak. They couldn't stop this. This
was of the Lord. But you know they were thinking,
don't listen to him. And then they saw her take that
fruit. Don't do it! And then they saw Adam willfully
come up. You don't know what you're doing!
Don't do this! Can you imagine they were thinking
that? Don't do this! And they did it. You know they
thought wrath is going to come down. They're going to be cast
into outer darkness like the angels. But no. They saw much to their amazement.
The Son of God come from the right hand of God Himself and
walked in the garden and He spoke to that rebel man, Adam. He came looking for. He came
calling. And he spoke to, in a voice that
was both convicting and yet comforting, Adam, where art thou? And then they watched as he killed
an innocent lamb and took the blood of that lamb and took that
robe and covered these two and the angels. If they had asked,
they would have said, what is this? And the Lord, if he had
answered, would have said, that's the gospel. I came to save sinners. It is glory. These things I write
unto you. You know what Adam and Eve plunged
this race into? Was it a little sin? These things
I write unto you that you sin not. Little children, don't sin.
But, and, when you do, if any man I like that, don't you? If any man sinned. I'm a man. I'm not much of one.
Like David said in Psalm 34, this poor man cried. This poor
excuse for a man cried. And the Lord heard him and delivered
him out of all his trouble. He cried and the Lord heard him
and said, I've found a ransom. If any man sinned, look at this,
verse 1. If any man sin, any sin, if any
man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ
the righteous. We have an advocate. The word
advocate means intercessor. Please stay with me. The word
advocate means an intercessor. Intercessor means one who acts
or interposes on behalf of someone else. We sing that song, he interposed
his precious blood. An intercessor is one who reconciles,
accepts someone. They're the one that does the
accepting, that wins them over. And reconciles differences between
two people. That's Christ. He's the great
reconciler. He hath reconciled us to God. An intercessor is
a mediator, one who settles a dispute between two parties. There's
only one. If any man sin, we have an advocate,
an intercessor. There's only one mediator between
God and men, and it's the man, Christ Jesus. Let me go on record
right now. Let the whole world hear it.
That Mary is not my intercessor. She is not my mediator. Fact
of the matter is, she's no person's mediator. There's one mediator
between God and men, the man, Christ Jesus. And everyone who
comes to God by Him, everyone whom Christ mediates for, the
Father hears Him on their behalf. Every single one. That's the
mediator I need, don't you? There's only one intercessor
for sinners, the Son of God, Jesus Christ. There's only one
reconciler, Jesus Christ the righteous. Job calls Him the
daysman. Job in his early ignorance said,
I don't have a daisman. I don't have someone who can
lay his hand on me and his hand on God and reconcile us. Job,
hold on now. You do too. And God taught him. Job said, I need
a daisman. I need an umpire, an advocate.
That's what he's saying. A lawyer. That's what this name.
You're familiar with the term. lawyer or attorney, that's what
an advocate is, a representative in a court of law. If you're
guilty in a court of law, you must have an advocate. I was
reading about this, about whether a person could represent themselves
in a court of law. If it's a criminal case, there's
not a judge anywhere that will allow you to do that. The law
says you've got to be competent and able to be able to defend your own case. But the
law is strict and it will find you out. So they appoint a logger
if you don't have one. Now let me do the rest of this
message. Brother John Bunyan wrote an
allegory, Pilgrim's Progress. Do you know that most people
While he was alive, most people rejected that. They thought he
was trying to be clever. Boy, he was suffering for that,
wasn't he? He was in prison, jail, writing that. But God certainly
used that, didn't He? Have you read it? Wonderful.
It's an allegory. It's a story. It's, as it were,
a parable to illustrate the truth. If you allow me, that's what
I'm going to do, okay? I'm going to do the same. I've got good
company, Brother John Bunyan. I want to tell you about the
sinner's advocate. If this had happened, this is
the way it would have happened. Okay? And this is no fable. What I'm about to tell you is
no fable. This is a fact. We all must stand
before the judgment seat of God to be judged by Him. It's appointed
unto man once to die, and after that, the judgment. We all stand
before the law, and if God should mark iniquities, who shall stand
in His presence? We all stand and we will either
be condemned or justified. We are all sentenced to death
for our sins. What are we going to do about
it? So I hope you'll listen to this
for what in the Spirit in which it's given. It's full of scripture
and scriptural truth. Okay. God is the judge. And the judge says, bring forth
witnesses against the accused. And that's me. And that's you.
The first witness that comes forth is the law. And the law
says, I know this man. He's been under my rule since
he was born. He's a rebel. He's lawless. He's broken every law in thought,
in word, in deed. He has not loved God as himself. He has other gods than God. He taketh God's name in vain.
He has cursed God on many occasions. He loves himself, not others.
He covets. He lies. He steals. He's an adulterer. I know this man. I know him well. He's guilty. She's guilty. The
judge says, bring forth the next witness. The next witness says,
I am his conscience. I am the law written upon his
heart. I was sent to this man in the goodness of God. I was
put in his heart and his mind to warn him, to guide him, to
serve him. But he hasn't listened to me.
He stifles me. He sears me, as it were, with
a hot iron. He quiets me. He goes against
me. He doesn't like me. He will not
listen to me. Though I tell him the truth,
he just won't listen to me. I know this man. I know this
woman. She's guilty. Bring forth the next witness.
The next witness is my own heart. Deceitful above all things. Desperately wicked. My heart
says He's hardened me toward God. Hardened me to the truth. He loves only sin, self. His
affection is set on things below, not on things above. He does
not love God. He loves himself. He does not
love holiness. He loves sin. I know this man,
and my heart condemns me. He's guilty. Bring forth the
next one. And they're twins. They are my
hands and my feet. And they're joined. We know this
man, this woman. We go where he tells us to go. We do what he bids us to do.
And that is only evil continually. My hands say He's swift to use
me to shed blood, to slander, to hurt others. My feet say I
run to mischief all the way. I don't walk in paths of righteousness,
but rather paths of darkness and unrighteousness. We, His
hands and His feet, only serve Him and divers' lusts. All His
days from His youth, He has served Himself, not God. We know this
man. He's guilty. Bring forth the next witness.
And he's a big, loud fellow. He's my mouth. I condemn him more than all others.
I'm full of cursing, bitterness, murmuring, complaining, gossip,
slander. Out of the abundance of my heart,
I speak. And it's only evil contendering.
Yea, from the womb I've come forth speaking lies. I've lied
to God. I've lied on God. I've lied to
myself. I've lied to others. I speak
only of myself. When I do speak, I speak of myself,
and it's full of pride and boasting. I know this man. He's guilty. Bring the next witness. And he's
a sickly, fake fellow. He's my head. Oh, this man, I know him. He
has me thinking only of the world. Things of the world. Lust and
evil imaginations. Continually. Day and night. Never
thinking on God. Never thinking on things above.
Never thinking of the things of others. Only thinking of himself.
Thinking of evil. Thinking of sin. I know this
man alright. I know this woman alright. She's
guilty. He's guilty. And the last, but not the least,
but the greatest accuser of all, Satan, the accuser of the brethren. I know this man well. He served
me from the beginning. He's been an easy prey for me.
While he will not follow God, he follows me willingly, readily,
listening to me, heeding me, doing what I tell him. He loves
the lies I tell him. He hates the truth of God. Why? He's no better than me. He insists
on His will, just like me. And He loves only evil, just
like me. I know this man, Satan says,
he's guilty. When the judge speaks and calls
forth the accused, And that's me. That's you. You've heard what these witnesses
say against you. And hearing these witnesses,
especially the law, I cannot stand. I'm too weak to stand
before the judge. And I cannot speak. What the
law has said concerning me has shut my mouth. I have nothing
to say because I'm guilty. Everything they've said of me
is true. I am guilty before this all-seeing judge. And as I sit
alone, as I sit in silence, as I sit seemingly without hope,
without help, guilty, ashamed, condemned, awaiting execution, I hear another voice. I hear another voice say, Your
Honor, Father, I represent this man. And it's the sweetest voice
I've ever heard. Altogether, it's a voice that's
with power, yet mercy. A voice of authority, yet with
grace. A voice that both breaks the
cedars, causes the hives to cap, and yet soothes my heart. It's
the voice of the beloved. It's the voice of my representative.
It's the voice of my advocate who said, I'll represent this
man. I'll speak on his behalf. And I look, and he's at the right
hand of the judge himself, at the right hand of the majesty
on high. It's none other than the altogether loveliest son
of the judge himself, Jesus Christ, the righteous. First, he comes to me. He comes
to me. And He who has a name on His
thigh, King of kings and Lord of lords, He comes to me and
He stoops to where I am. And He tells me, He whispers
in my ear, not unlike that woman caught in the act. And He says,
I am the way. I am the truth. I am the life. No man cometh unto the Father
but by me. I am your intercessor. I am your
mediator between you and God. I am your advocate. I am the
only advocate for sinners. In fact, that's the only ones
I represent. Guilty sinners. Guilty, violent,
helpless, spotless Lamb of God is He. Do you need me? Do you
want me? Do you want me to speak on your
behalf? I say yes. I cry unto him, my
Lord, yes, please, I need you. Help me. Would you help me? But
I have nothing to pay. And he sweetly and tenderly says,
it's free. I'm not doing this for pay. I'm
doing this for love and mercy. This is free. And it will be
full. And he tells me to my great assurance,
he tells me every case I have represented, Every person I've
spoken on behalf of has been acquitted of all charges. Every
single one I represent has been guilty and they've got off scot-free. Do you need me? Oh, yes. Oh,
yes. So he stands before the judge
and he speaks on my behalf. He stands before the judge on
my behalf and he speaks on my behalf. He says, Your Honor,
my father, Forgive this man, for he knoweth not what he doeth." No, more than that, Your Honor,
acquit this man. Absolve this man. Acquit this
man. Justify this man of all charges. And the judge says,
on what grounds? Acquit this man. He's guilty.
On what grounds can I acquit him? I cannot be just and justify
this man. Well, by no means clear, but
guilty. But my advocate speaks up and
says, I am this man. I am this man's substitute. He
hasn't kept the law, but I have. He's in me. I am in him. I have
kept the law. Perpetually. Perfectly. In thought, in word, in deed.
And I hear the law over the side say, Amen. He has. I've kept the law in thought,
in word, in deed, with all my heart. I've loved God with all
my heart, with all my soul, with all my mind, body, soul, and
strength. And I hear everyone in the courtroom
that knows Him say, Amen. He has. We're witnesses. We've seen Him observed to be
the Son of God with a holy life. Your Honor, I did all this for
this man. Impute this. Reckon this. Charge
this to his account. Make him righteous. But I was
made sin for him. I know your law must be satisfied. Your justice must be satisfied.
The soul that sinneth must surely die. Your Honor, I was made sin
for him. I who knew no sin, that he might
be made the righteousness of God in me. You laid on me the
iniquity, all the iniquity of him. I was made sin for him. I was his sin-bearer. Justice
has been satisfied. The sentence of death has been
carried out. Your Honor, acquit this man,
because I died." And he brings forth five witnesses,
five bleeding wounds he bears, received on Calvary. They pour
effectual prayers. They strongly plead for me. Forgive him, O Father, forgive
they cry. Don't let this ransom sinner
die. No, you cannot let this ransom
sinner die. Holy Father, your justice must
let this man go. By me, I say, and again, by me,
I say, he is justified from all things before the law. Arise. Arise, my soul. And before he sounded like he
was angry with me. Before he sounded like he was
determined to destroy me. But now he has a different tone
in his voice. It's a voice of mercy. And He's
looking on me, not in anger, but He's looking on me with love.
He's looking on me with mercy. He's looking on me with grace. The Judge of all the earth is
smiling at me, as He says. And here's His summation. Because
of what your substitute has done, my son. Because of what my Son
has done on your behalf for you, and because He ever lives, You
see, my advocate, after he pleaded my case, went up to the right
hand of the judge himself and sat down. Nothing more to say. And the judge says, because he
ever lives right now interceding, and I see the son speaking to
the father as he speaks. The judge says, I'm satisfied.
I'm pleased. By virtue of what my son has
done, I am completely, totally appeased, reconciled, satisfied. I freely acquit you of all charges. You're free, because if the Son
has made you free, you're free indeed. But wait, the judge says, there's
more. The judge says, furthermore, Let it be known that the reason
for all this was my love. I have loved you before the foundation
of the world, unbeknownst to you. You had to feel my displeasure. You had to feel my anger. You
had to feel something of my wrath. You had to feel my indignation.
But be it known unto you that I have loved you even while you
were yet a sinner. And this, my son, was purpose
to die for you, before you were even born. I love you. I love
you. I have always loved you. I will
ever love you. And not only do I forgive you,
I give you the spirit of adoption. I am heretofore now pronouncing
you to be not just a sinner saved by Greg, but my son. You are now joint heir with my
Son. Heir of salvation. Joint heir
with Christ my Son. I have determined that you should
forever be with me in paradise. Forever. And I have to wonder
why. And the Judge reminds me. It's
because of my Son. My Son. And I just can't speak
for joy. Unspeakable. And full of gladness. Little children, these things
I write unto you, that you sin not, and if any man sin, any
sin, we have an Advocate. It is with the Father, Jesus
Christ the Risen. Alright, let's sing a song that
goes so well with this. I quote it. Number 223. Thank you very much. Arise my soul, arise, shake off
my guilty fears, the bleeding sacrifice. And my behalf appears Before
the throne, my surety said My name is written on his head My
name is written on his head He ever lives above for me to
intercede His all-redeeming love, His precious blood to plead His
blood atoned for all His grace, And sprinkles now the throne
of grace, And sprinkles now the throne of grace. Five bleeding wounds He bears,
Received on Calvary, They pour impeccable prayers, They strongly
plead for me. Forgive him, Lord, forgive they
cry, Nor let that ransomed sinner die, Nor let that ransomed sinner
die. The Father hears Him pray, His
dear anointed One. He cannot turn away the presence
of His Son. His Spirit answers to the blood
and tells me I am born of God, and tells me I am born of God. My God is reconciled. His heartening voice I hear. He owes me for His child. I can no longer fear. With confidence I now draw nigh. And father, have a father cry. And father, have a father cry. I'm not afraid. I'm not afraid.