There have been many questions and much confusion over some things that happened to God’s people under the Old Covenant. Many today try to link things that were suffered then to what we can expect to experience.
But God has provided better things for us (Heb. 11:40). Not the least of which is Jesus—our advocate, and the Holy Spirit—our comforter.
Under the Old Covenant, God sought for a man to stand in the gap and make up the hedge, but He found none. Under the New Covenant, however, we have such a man: His name is Jesus. And we have a Comforter—the Holy Spirit.
There is power on the side of the believer today. Jesus gave us His Name to use. We now have an Intercessor, One Who is seated at the right hand of the Father, and He makes intercession for us.
God speaks through Isaiah about the Lord’s intercessory efforts:
Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
(Isa. 53:12)
Isaiah prophesied that Jesus would make intercession for the transgressors. We know that He wept over Jerusalem; He prayed for those that rejected Him. When He was on the cross He cried, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34).
John gives us insight on this in the light of the New Covenant:
My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.
(1 John 2:1-3)
If any man sins, we have an advocate with the Father. The word advocate in the Greek is paraclete. It means advocate, consoler, comforter or intercessor.
Pleading For Another
The Old Testament word intercessor means mediator; one who intercedes; one who pleads in behalf of another. In the New Testament the word translated intercession means “to meet with, come between; intercede.”
Every time the word is used referring to intercession that is done under the New Covenant, it is referring to Jesus or the Holy Spirit.
Jesus is our Intercessor. He is our Counselor, our Consoler, our Comforter; in other words, our Lawyer. In making reference to the Holy Spirit as the Comforter, Jesus said, “I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you” (John 14:18).
Jesus Christ, being our Advocate and Intercessor, pleads our case for us. John gives us some good news: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
The book of John was not written to sinners, but to the Church. All those who are born again have Jesus as their Advocate, their Comforter and their Intercessor. But if they don’t understand His present-day ministry, they may never receive the full benefits of that ministry.
Only when we get a revelation of Jesus as our Intercessor will we be able to flow with His anointing and receive all the benefits of His ministry.
Excerpt permission granted by Harrison House Publishers
Charles Capps is a retired farmer, land developer, and Bible teacher who has traveled extensively throughout the United States and several foreign countries sharing the truths of God's Word. He has taught Bible seminars for over 35 years, emphasizing the authority of the believer, faith and the power of words.
Charles and Peggy both have their roots in the rich farmland of Lonoke County, Arkansas. Having been raised by parents who were farmers, Charles began farming cotton, soybeans, and rice immediately after graduating from high school and marrying in 1951.
Peggy, being 3 1/2 months older than Charles had to sign as the adult on his behalf when he wanted to begin flying lessons at the age of 17. They joined an organization known as the Flying Farmers and gained experience going to "fly-ins" and national meetings across the United States. Neither knew that this skill of flying would be such an asset later when Charles began teaching personal evangelism in the 1960's. He spoke on the subject of soulwinning in churches not only in the US, but flew his twin engine Piper Comanche to the Bahamas to teach students of Youth With a Mission how to share Christ with others.
After reading a book by Kenneth E. Hagin entitled, "Authority of the Believer", Charles and Peggy's life took on a new dimension of travel and ministry as Charles became known for his teaching gift and insight on the subjects of faith and confession. Invitations to minister to the Full Gospel Businessmen's Fellowship International (FGBMFI) began to pour in, eventually leading to the publication of his teachings in book form. "The Tongue a Creative Force" and "God's Creative Power(r) Will Work for You" became bestsellers after Buddy Harrison, Kenneth Hagin's son in law, launched his publishing company with these two classics. These two books have sold millions (the God's Creative Power(r) series has sold over 5 million copies) and are still much in demand today.
We celebrated Charles' promotion to heaven at 5:15 pm Sunday, February 23, 2014. He informed the family and close friends on Friday that he would be going home to heaven in 3 days. After having some final words with family and friends on Saturday, he went to bed, went to sleep and never awoke. (He kept saying, "I want to go in my sleep.") His wife and daughters had the privilege of being with him as he finally got that glorified body he always talked about. Charles Capps was a man of integrity, a man of his word and he got what he said. He called those things that be not as though they were.
Charles Capps broadcast called, "Concepts of Faith", continues a daily national radio broadcast and a weekly television broadcast aired over several networks, satellite, and the internet. Click on the Radio or TV link to find the broadcast in your area.
Peggy continues to reside in Arkansas. Both Charles' and Peggy's daughters, Annette and Beverly are involved in the ministry.
