1 John 2:1
“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:”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →John writes to keep his readers from sin, yet assures them that when they fail, Jesus is their advocate with the Father.
What Does 1 John 2:1 Mean?
With fatherly tenderness John calls them little children. His aim in writing is that they not sin. Yet he knows their frailty, so he adds at once a comfort: if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
Grace does not excuse sin; it arms us against it. But when we fall, we are not abandoned. Christ stands before the Father on our behalf, the righteous One pleading for the unrighteous. The same Jesus who calls us to holiness also defends us when we stumble. This is the balance of the gospel: a high call to purity held together with a sure refuge in Christ.
In the Original Language
parakletos (παράκλητος), 'advocate' -- one called alongside to plead our cause, here Christ before the Father.