Group Guide
Our Righteous Advocate
Our Righteous Advocate
3 Letters From John – May 25, 2025
Scriptures
Key Points
- John speaks to believers as little children—a term of identity, intimacy, and dependence on the Father.
- Sin separates us from God and is described in Scripture as lawlessness, defilement, slavery, treachery, iniquity, rebellion, ignorance, foolishness, and deception.
- Jesus is our Advocate and our propitiation—the atoning sacrifice who absorbed God’s justice and reconciled us to the Father.
- God’s justice was satisfied in Christ’s death. He paid our debt in full so we can live in freedom.
- Those who know God will desire obedience—not to earn His love, but because of His love.
- A true believer hates their sin, confesses it, and grows in surrender and obedience over time.
- Maturity is measured not by perfection but by our willingness to walk as Jesus walked.
Discussion
- What does it mean to you personally that God calls you His “little child”?
- Which of the biblical descriptions of sin resonated with you most? Why?
- How has Jesus functioned as your advocate in a time when you failed?
- What’s one area of your life where you’re still tempted to “stiff-arm” God’s grace and act independently?
- How can obedience be an act of love instead of legalism?
- What does walking like Jesus look like in your current season of life?
Application
- Receive the Advocate: Confess any current sin and rest in the truth that Jesus has paid your debt in full.
- Surrender Like a Child: Reflect this week on what it means to walk in humility and dependence on the Father.
- Hate the Sin You Once Loved: Ask the Holy Spirit to give you new eyes to see sin as God sees it—and to run from it.
- Walk as He Walked: Take one practical step of obedience this week (forgiveness, prayer, generosity, honesty).
- Find Your Peace: Ask the Holy Spirit to help you lay your head down each night with confidence and rest, knowing that Jesus’s blood covers you.