Accuser & Advocate

The devil is the accuser and Jesus is the advocate. Jesus fights for us and supports us while the devil works against us and brings claims against us in God’s presence. 
Revelation 12:10,11 “Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Messiah. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down. 11 They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death”.

Believing in the blood of the Lamb cleanses us of all our sins. The Word of our testimony confessing Jesus as our saviour cancels all of the devils claims and accusations against us. Jesus defended us on the cross and He continues to defend us to this day. 

Romans 8:33,34 “ Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. There was sin in us, but God has justified us. Who can condemn us now? Paul tells us that Jesus is interceding for us at the right hand of God.” 

Kathryn Kuhlman who was a strong woman of God had fallen into sin once. She ran away with another man. Later she felt huge guilt and asked for forgiveness and packed up her bags and came back to the Lord and to ministry. But the press and the people kept accusing her. To this she once said “I don’t know which Kathryn Kuhlman you are talking about.” She believed that she was truly forgiven and justified by God and that she was a new creation. She knew that once God justified her, no one else could condemn or accuse her. 

Two people try to play a role in our lives. One is Jesus, who advocates for us. There is also the devil who constantly accuses us. 

1 John 2:1,2 “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. 2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.”

Proverbs 24:16 “for though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again, but the wicked stumble when calamity strikes.”
7 times doesn’t mean that on your 8th sin God will not forgive you. 7 acts as a full or whole number here. Even if we fall, we will rise because God lifts us up. This is not a licence to sin however, we will still reap what we sow. 

Galatians 6:7 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.

How many times did you fall before you learned to walk as a child? No parent gives up on their child when they fall like this. In the same way, our Heavenly Father does not give up on us. 
Psalm 37:23,24 The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him;24 though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand.

John 16:8 When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgement
Here it says sin, and not sins. The singular ‘sin’ refers to the original sin, the first sin at the Garden of Eden which led to the sin nature in all of us. Sins are the wrong things we commit in our lives. 

When the Holy Spirit comes, He proves us wrong about sin, righteousness and judgement. 
Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭ “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.”
God’s mercy is stronger than the power of sin.