His Present Services for the Believer Contrasted
Priesthood
1. His Priesthood is for a time of need (our temptations and infirmities: Heb. 4:15,16).
2. His High Priestly intercession is that we might behave well (Luke 22:32).
3. His Priesthood is to keep the believer from failing (Heb. 7:25).
4. He is a High Priest with God (Heb. 2:17; Heb. 7:25).
5. As a Priest He sympathizes with our weaknesses and infirmities (Heb. 2:17, 18; 4:15,16).
6. As a Priest it is His life on high that saves the believer from falling into sin (Rom. 5:10; Heb. 7:25).
7. In connection with His Priesthood, His service is referred to as "Merciful and Faithful" (Heb. 2:17).
8. His work as a High Priest interceding for us is continuous ("ever liveth to make intercession": Heb. 7:25).
9. In time of temptation and trial we go to Him as our High Priest to find help (Heb. 7:25).
10. Because of His work as a High Priest, the believer can come boldly to the throne of grace to find mercy and grace to help (Heb. 4:15, 16).
Advocacy
1. His Advocacy is for a time of failure and sin (1 John 2:1, 2).
2. His intercession as an Advocate is if we do not behave well (sin: 1 John 2:1, 2).
3. His Advocacy is to restore the believer if he fails (Luke 22:61).
4. He is an Advocate with the Father. If sin enters the life of the believer, his relationship to God is still as "Father". This shows he has not lost his link with God as one of His children. His link of relationship is a fixed and eternal one. No power of evil can nullify or break it (1 John 1:1, 2).
5. As an Advocate He does not sympathize with our sin; He grieves over it (Luke 22:61).
6. As an Advocate it is His death that He pleads for the failing believer on the grounds that propitiation has been made once and forever (1 John 2:1, 2).
7. But in regard to His Advocacy He is "Faithful and Just". This is because Advocacy has to do with Christ's finished work on the cross (propitiation). God is faithful and just to forgive because it has all been taken care of in Christ's death. God would not be just to demand it of us when Christ has paid the penalty of it already (1 John 1:9).
8. His work as an Advocate is not ongoing but only active when the believer sins. It begins when the believer sins, not when the believer repents of his sin or confesses his sin. The result of His Advocacy leads him to repent and confess his sin (1 John 1:9-2:1, 2).
9. In the time of sin and failure, we do not go to Him. Left to ourselves we would never turn back to Him, for we cannot restore ourselves. Neither does He come to us but rather He goes to the Father about our state and the Spirit goes to our conscience bringing to remembrance the love of Christ and the Word of God (Luke 22:61; John 13:4,5, "water"). The result is the believer turns and confesses his sin, thereby his communion with the Father and Son are again enjoyed (1 John 1:9).
10. Because of His work as an Advocate, the believer repents and comes humbly in confession of his sin to the Father and thus is restored (1 John 1:9).
B. Anstey