This document outlines a Bible study on the character of God being forgiving based on passages from 1 John. The study has 6 sessions, with session 4 focusing on God being forgiving. Key points made in session 4 include: God grants judicial forgiveness and justification when we submit to Jesus as savior; Jesus serves as our advocate for ongoing forgiveness when we sin; and we can return to full fellowship with God through confession. The study encourages participants to respond to God's offer of forgiveness by self-evaluating, letting go of false guilt, and forgiving others.

1. Beyond Belief
Exploring the Character of God
Rhema Christian
Fellowship Bible Study

2. Our Essential Questions
1. What do I believe about my faith?
2. How do I know the will of God?

3. Beyond Belief:
Exploring the Character of God
Session 1: God Is Holy
Session 2: God Is Loving
Session 3: God Is Just
Session 4: God Is Forgiving
Session 5: God Is Wise
Session 6: God Is Faithful

4. God Is Forgiving
Session 4

5. God Is
Forgiving
The Point: God always
forgives when I truly
repent.
Intro: The Bible Meets
Life
Our Passage: 1 John 1:5-
2:2

6. 1 John 1:5-7 (HCSB)
5 Now this is the message we have heard from Him and
declare to you: God is light, and there is absolutely no
darkness in Him.
6 If we say, “We have fellowship with Him,” yet we walk in
darkness, we are lying and are not practicing[a] the truth.
7 But if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we
have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus
His Son cleanses us from all sin.
6

7. 1 John 1:8-10 (HCSB)
8 If we say, “We have no sin,” we are deceiving ourselves,
and the truth is not in us.
9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to
forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness.
10 If we say, “We don’t have any sin,” we make Him a liar,
and His word is not in us.
7

8. 1 John 2:1-2 (HCSB)
1 My little children, I am writing you these things so that
you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an
advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ the Righteous
One. 2 He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not
only for ours, but also for those of the whole world.
8

9. Conduct An Inductive
Study
Free online course at
http://precept.org

10. Conduct an Inductive Study
Mark reference to author in one color and
another to the recipient
Identify lists
Mark keywords and synonyms
Mark contrasts
Mark terms of conclusion
Mark comparisons
Mark expressions of time
Double underline geographical locations
Make lists of keywords and key people

11. Key Words
 Fellowship (1:6) G2842
The Greek word means “common”. This term implies that those
in fellowship with one another share things in common as part of
their relationship.
 Advocate (2:1) G3875
One who stands beside. The related word means “encourage”,
“exhort”, “counsel”, or “comfort”. In John's Gospel, it refers to the
Holy Spirit, but here to Jesus.
 Propitiation (2:2) G2434
The Greek word refers to the appeasement of God's wrath
against sin through the appropriate sacrifice, which could only
occur through the death of God's son.

12. Inductive Study Marking Method

13. 1 John 1:5-7 (HCSB)
5 Now this is the message we have heard from Him and
declare to you: God is light, and there is absolutely no
darkness in Him.
6 If we say, “We have fellowship with Him,” yet we walk in
darkness, we are lying and are not practicing the truth.
7 But if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we
have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus
His Son cleanses us from all sin.
13

14. 1 John 1:8-10 (HCSB)
8 If we say, “We have no sin,” we are deceiving ourselves,
and the truth is not in us.
9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to
forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness.
10 If we say, “We don’t have any sin,” we make Him a liar,
and His word is not in us.
14

15. 1 John 2:1-2 (HCSB)
1 My little children, I am writing you these things so that
you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an
advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ the Righteous
One. 2 He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not
only for ours, but also for those of the whole world.
15

16. ”God Is Forgiving”
(1 John 1:5-10)
 God gave Christians “Fellowship”
 1 John 2-3 tie our fellowship to God thru Christ
 Metaphor of “light” to God.
 God as the “Righteous One”
 We are imperfect in “darkness”. How can we
ever hope to live in the “light”?

17. ”God Is Forgiving”
(1 John 1:5-10)
1. “Judicial Forgiveness”, occurs when
God – acting as the Righteous Judge –
grants us salvation.
2. “Justification”, occurs when we submit to
Jesus is our savior, we are forgiven and
declared righteous by God (see Romans
5:6-11; Ephesians 1:7).

18. Judicial Forgiveness
Justification

19. God Is Forgiving
(1 John 2:1-2)
 We should not be living in a way that’s
characterized by disobedience
 The tendency toward sin remains powerful, and
because it's embedded in our very nature (see
Romans 7:14–24).
 If Christ's forgiveness brings me into a relationship
with God, what happens when I sin again?
 As believers, we still possess Christ's forgiveness
even when we sin.
 The result is the gift of salvation, It also means the
availability of ongoing forgiveness.

20. God Is Forgiving
(1 John 2:1-2)
 We looked at judicial forgiveness and justification.
 The aspect of forgiveness is required each time we sin.
 Consider: When a child is disobedient, his relationship
with his parents is affected, but he/she does not cease
to be a son/daughter. Are we not adopted sons and
daughters of God
 We can return to full fellowship with God through
confession and We can be - and will be - forgiven by
God each time

21. God Is Forgiving
(1 John 2:1-2)
There are three culprits that we can blame for our
continuing guilt and shame:
1. Satan accuses us (see Revelation 12:10).
2. Others don't forgive us.
3. We keep reminding ourselves of our past
disobedience.

22. Live It Out
How are you responding to God's offer of
forgiveness
1. Step back for self-evaluation
2. Let go of false guilt.
3. Forgive when it hurts.