9-18-20 THOUGHTS

Some very fundamental thinking this morning.
I do not want to sin. I want to be holy as God is holy.  But I do sin!  God knew I would need an Advocate in this process.  He knew I’d be weak. The Greek for Advocate is parakletos which is the same word used by Jesus in John 14-17.  God’s Spirit is the parakletos there,  and making Jesus known through the WORD is what He is to do.  He is one “called along side” to help!
God cannot co-exist with sin.  God hates sin.  This Advocate is also called PROPITIATION!  It is Jesus, and he satisfies God’s WRATH when it comes to my sin.  God looks on Him and pardons me.  From God’s doing in Christ Jesus, there is peace, and access and life for me.  The confidence to KNOW is there.  If I truly BELONG... I can truly KNOW!    John then relates belonging to my living, and my keeping God’s commandments particularly in the area of LOVE!  It seems that the way I interact with THE PEOPLE GOD CREATED is KEY!  I MUST BE A LOVER!  I must look and see HOW JESUS WALKED as HE lived on this earth.  Jesus is “the WAY, the TRUTH, and the LIFE...  That fact must be embedded in my heart to the extent that it oozes out of the pores of my life!  
Read the following very carefully.  Read it over and over letting all the parts sink in.  ABSORB the SENSE OF WHAT GOD IS SAYING!  CAUSE THAT SENSE TO BE LIVED IN YOUR LIFE!   That is for me to do TODAY!  
1John 2:1-6    My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous;  2  and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world. 3  By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4  The one who says, "I have come to know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; 5  but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: 6  the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.
Gal 2:20   "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the [life] which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.
A CAUTION:    Luke 18:9    And He also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt:

My Prayer:
Oh Lord God, we praise you and exalt your great name.  You have done it all!  We live in hope and confidence because of your love and grace and mercy in Christ Jesus.  Help each of us, Oh God to truly belong to you!  Give us the joy of your salvation that we may love with a pure heart fervently.  Help us today and each day to simply and purely love.
In Jesus name               Amen