Community Group Questions

“A Guide to Walking in Total Forgiveness” 10/21/18

If you have not listened to the message yet, there are many ways to do so at www.redeemernj.com/sermons

Or you can watch the stream of the whole service by clicking here

Scripture: Read- 1 John 2:1-2, Zechariah 3:1-5, Romans 7:24-25

Series: 1 John: A Guide to the Christian Life Part 3

Scripture: Read- 1 John 2:1-2

Series: 1 John: A Guide to the Christian Life

Connecting the teaching and the worship: In “Before the Throne of God Above” we sang “I have a strong and perfect plea”.  How does the theology for that lyric come from this song?

1) How does the term “little children” show John’s (and really God’s) tenderness in addressing these Christians? 

2) Why is it important to use tenderness and gentleness when delivering Biblical truth to people?  What happens when we don’t use tenderness?

3) When John says that he is "writing to us that we may not sin (2:1)”, does he really expect that we would not sin?

4) The rest of the passage uses a couple of deeply theological terms. Why is it important for Christians to understand the importance of terms like “advocate” and “propitiation”? 

5). What does it mean to say that Christ is our Advocate when we sin? 

6). Why is this good news?   

7) John says that if we say we’re without sin, we’re a liar- why is it critical to acknowledge verses 8 and 10 to receive the “do-over” from verse 9?

8) Look at Zechariah 3:1-5.  How does this show Christ acting as our Advocate?

9) Define “propitiation”

10) Why is propitiation an important doctrine for every Christian to understand?

11) How does propitiation act as the guarantee for our do-over?

_________________________________________________________

Some words of Practical Application from our passage 

1. First point- don’t stand defeated in your sin.  Christ came to give power- power over sin and death and when He rose from the grave, that power now resides in US!

2. Where are we living like we still need to fight for approval?  If you are in Christ that you have been approved in Christ, so why do we fight for the approval of others?

3. You can always come to Him.  1 John 1:9 ALWAYS applies.  He paid it all.  There is no excess of wrath that He keeps in His pocket

4. When you sin- you have an advocate with the Father- not an accuser

5. Last week, we saw that you can have a do over

6. This passage shows us that the do over is inexhaustible- because the wrath is gone- and we are now partakers of His grace