Our Loving Advocate

God has demonstrated his love for us by sending His Son to fulfill the righteous requirements of the law and to pay for the penalty of our sin, a horrific torture and death on the cross. If God provided the blood of His only son to get us into His family, then what will he do to keep us in the family? The answer is astounding: He offers us His Spirit. Here we embrace God’s plan for our destiny as children of God. While Jesus is interceding in the heavenly realms at the right hand of God for us, our defense attorney (Rom 8: 34), the Spirit is interceding for us and within us according to the will of God (Rom 8: 27). The Spirit partners with us to comfort us (John 14: 26), to help us in our weaknesses, to pray for us deeper than words can express (Rom 8: 26). We have been given this gift of intimacy with the Holy Spirit within our very souls. But as for intimacy in any relationship, we need to listen. What is it that he wants us to hear and understand? The apostle Paul seems to have understood as he prays for the church in Ephesus: “that he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God” (Eph 3: 14-19). He needs us to trust His love for us, even during times of trials, persecution, and hardships. The Spirit empowers us with this knowledge of His love. We are cautioned in Romans 8 that fears can enslave us and cause us to fall back and not be led by the Spirit (Rom 8: 15). Only a perfect love, God’s love, for us can drive out fear (1 John 4: 18). God has not only proven His love for us with His Son, He provides us with His Spirit who empowers us to trust in His love for us even during hardships. 

Here are some of the scriptures that His Spirit has moved in my heart to grasp His love for me: 1 John 4: 8-11, Psalm 86:15, Deut 7:9, 1 John 3:1, Zeph 3:17,  Rom 8:37-39, Ephes 2:4-10, John 3:16, Gal 2:20, Psalm 139: 13-17, Isaiah 49: 13-16, 1 Peter 5:6-7, Jeremiah 29:11, and Luke 13:34.

What scriptures help you grasp the love of God? Perfect love drives out fear and we have been empowered by His Spirit to understand God’s perfect love for us.