Through the cross, God takes our condemnation away and declares us holy, just, and righteous. Condemnation is gone forever. Every sin is forgiven, every evil deed is wiped away, every immoral action is covered; there is no more condemnation. This week we are going to discuss how we are not only free from sin, but how we are also free from the record and penalty of our sins.
This week’s memory verse: Romans 3:23-24. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”
1. Why do we sometimes believe that God forgives us, but we find it hard to forgive ourselves?
2. How does the thought, “Everyone has a past that seems so hard to get past” resonate with you?
3. This world has a way to deal with condemnation and guilt in these ways:
- Blame it… (It was someone else’s fault.)
- Justify It… (Not that big of a deal, everyone fails and blows it. I am not as bad as those people.)
- Hide it... (No one can ever know about this.)
Can you share from a personal experience when you tried one or all three of these? How did it go for you? Why doesn’t this work?
4. Read Leviticus 16:5-8. One goat is to be killed as a sacrifice to the Lord as a sin offering and the other one is to be the Azazel, the scapegoat that takes the sin away. Can you share a time when you cried out to God asking him to take away the guilt and shame of your sin?
5. Read Leviticus 16:15-22. Through the first goat sin was already paid for (atoned). Why do you suppose people needed the symbolism of the second goat?
6. Read Romans 3:24. A definition of justification is: You are completely forgiven, all your sins are taken away. Is there any indication in this verse that we must perform in order to be justified? How are we justified?
7. Read Psalm 103:12. What does this verse say about how God has dealt with our sins?
8. Read Romans 3:25-26. God is the only one who can take away our sin. What did Jesus do to forgive our sin? How do we become the benefactors of this blessing?
9. Read Colossians 2:13–14. As a group, re-state these verses in your own words.
10. Day 12 in the devotional has an exercise that will help you identify and deal with destructive thoughts that you hear in your own mind. As a group read through that devotional and discuss some of the destructive thought patterns that you can identify in your life.
11. Share with your group a time when you have experienced forgiveness from God and felt the freedom that comes from it?
12. As you go through this week and you feel accusations creeping in, remind yourself: “I’m completely forgiven, all my sin is taken away.”