The Role of Advocate

The Role of Advocate

Scripture Reading: 1 Samuel 24:1-22

“May the Lord judge which of us is right and punish the guilty one. He is my advocate, and he will rescue me from your power! (1 Sam. 24:15 NLT)_

The Greek word parakletos is used five times in the New Testament and translated as “advocate, helper, counselor, intercessor, or defense attorney. It signifies one who takes up the cause of another, a helper in court, or someone who comes alongside as comforter.

     I have had the privilege of acting as advocate on a couple of occasions. Once when a missionary couple was seeking to raise support, I spoke on their behalf before the board of elders at our church. The decision was made to add them to the mission support list. On a recent occasion I chose to be an advocate for a missionary friend who is seeking to raise support to help a couple return to the mission field with their one and a half year old quintuplets. 

     Four of the five uses of parakletos is found in John’s gospel. In John 14:16 and 26;15:26;16:7, the Holy Spirit is sent by the Father in the name of Jesus Christ to be a helper, comforter, and counselor to the believer. His task will be to guide, teach, comfort, protect, and testify about the Lord Jesus Christ. In 1 John 2:1, we see the Lord Jesus Christ acting as a parakletos or defense attorney before the Tribunal of God when Satan comes to accuse the brethren.

     I see David acting as an advocate to show mercy to Saul when the king was indisposed in the very cave where David and his men were hiding. The men wanted David to kill the king while he had him under his power, but David refused to harm the Lord’s anointed one. The Scripture says, “So David sharply rebuked his men and did not let them kill Saul.” (1 Sam. 24:7 NLT)

     As their advocate, Jesus intercedes for believers in prayer to the Father that their “faith should not fail (Luke 22:31-33). Because of their faith in believing that Jesus died for them, believers are eternally secure in Christ, but when it comes to service they need to continue to hold fast to their faith. Jesus knew that Peter would deny him, so he prayed to his Father that as a result of Peter’s denial his faith would not collapse and damage his future usefulness in the Kingdom of God.

     Are you willing to be an advocate, helper, counselor, or comforter to someone who is in need?

Prayer: Dear Lord, there are many opportunities for us as believers to take up the just cause of another person or other groups. Give us the courage, strength, and willingness to come alongside another believer or unbeliever and fulfill the role of an advocate.