| My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. |
| —1 John 2:1 |
Raised as an only, adopted child, I have always been a misfit. As I have related numerous times on this blog, I have an innate social awkwardness that makes other people quite uncomfortable. Some people accuse me of being angry all the time. Others speak behind my back telling others that I think I’m a “know it all.” Still others insist that I want to always take over and run the organizations to which I belong.
Over the years, many people react negatively toward me because I am morbidly obese. Others speak ill of me because they feel I talk too much. Still others don’t like the fact that I am not inclined to enjoy sports. Many think that I give too long an explanation, or that the stories I tell are boring.
This recitation of the negative feelings people have about me is not a “pity party.” Rather, I am using these facts as an illustration of what it means to feel that I don’t belong, that I am standing alone against the world, that I am a misfit, and that I have no one to stand up for me.
In the period of time from fifth grade through my graduation from high school, I was bullied—a lot! I developed various strategies to try to minimize the impact that bullying had on me. I was never really very successful at developing the kind of “I don’t care” attitude that would have insulated me from the effects of the bullying. I always wished I had someone—anyone—who would stand up for me, take my side, or otherwise advocate on my behalf.
With this background, you can understand why the verse of Scripture at the beginning of this blog post has come to mean so very much to me. The Apostle John—known in church history as “the disciple whom Jesus loved”—writes to the Christians in Jerusalem and Asia Minor a great truth. John shares something that has importance beyond measure.
John asserts that the reason he has chosen to write his first letter to them is so that he can encourage them to set sin aside in their lives. In so doing, John reminds these baby “Christ’s-ones” that if they do sin, they are not facing a holy God alone. No! They have an advocate who stands with them, acting on their behalf between them and God. And, this advocate is none other than God’s dearly loved only Son, Jesus.
Even as we begin another day, whether or not in our personal lives we have anyone here on earth to stand up for us, in heaven where it really matters, we have an advocate who stands before God in our behalf. Jesus takes our place, stands up for us, speaks on our behalf, and saves us from the rightful wrath of a holy God. Just as Jesus bore the penalty for our sins on the cruel cross of Calvary, so Jesus continues to advocate for us. Jesus is our brother. He is our friend. He is the one upon whom we can always depend.
Johnson Oatman (1856-1922) wrote a song toward the end of the 19th century that has appeared in over 350 hymnals. It’s a song that we seldom hear sung today. The words have a special meaning in light of the teaching the Apostle John shared with those early Christians. Here are the words: 1
There’s not a friend like the lowly Jesus—
No, not one! no, not one!
None else could heal all our soul's diseases—
No, not one! no, not one!
Refrain:
Jesus knows all about our struggles,
He will guide till the day is done;
There’s not a friend like the lowly Jesus—
No, not one! no, not one!
No friend like him is so high and holy—
No, not one! no, not one!
And yet no friend is so meek and lowly—
No, not one! no, not one!
Refrain:
Jesus knows all about our struggles,
He will guide till the day is done;
There’s not a friend like the lowly Jesus—
No, not one! no, not one!
There’s not an hour that he is not near us—
No, not one! no, not one!
No night so dark but His love can cheer us—
No, not one! no, not one!
Refrain:
Jesus knows all about our struggles,
He will guide till the day is done;
There’s not a friend like the lowly Jesus—
No, not one! no, not one!
Was e’er a gift like the Savior given?
No, not one! no, not one!
Will he refuse us a home in heaven?
No, not one! no, not one!
Refrain:
Jesus knows all about our struggles,
He will guide till the day is done;
There’s not a friend like the lowly Jesus—
No, not one! no, not one!
| 1 Oatman, Johnson. “No, Not One.” This is a gospel song in the Public Domain. This gospel song is also included in various Hymnals that themselves are copyrighted by the publisher of the Hymnal. Though this citation is noted to be in the Public Domain, in the case of someone claiming Copyright protection of this material, please note that in each case, whenever a citation of any Copyrighted material is made within a post on this blog, such a citation is made strictly for Educational Fair Use illustration purposes only. All Rights Reserved by the original Copyright Holder. |
