Confess Your Need: Christ, Our Advocate and Savior

Devotional

Day 1: Walk in the light; confess and be cleansed.

The text calls the congregation to stop pretending and to step into the light where fellowship and cleansing happen. Confession is not a shameful secret but the way God, who is faithful and just, removes sin and restores relationship. When one admits failure, the blood of Jesus cleanses all unrighteousness and the Advocate stands with the believer. [08:30]

1 John 1:5–2:2 (ESV)

5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.
8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous,
2 and he is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.

Reflection: Name one specific area where you have been minimizing sin by saying, “I’m fine.” Write a short confession you will bring to God this week and identify one person you will tell (or entrust to prayer) for accountability.

Day 2: Confess Jesus openly; believe and be saved.

The preacher reminds the church that salvation is not a secret formula but a simple, public act of mouth and heart. Confessing Jesus as Lord and believing in the resurrection is the doorway into justification and life—Jew and Gentile alike. This is the practical invitation: declare it, believe it, and live in the freedom that follows. [26:27]

Romans 10:9–10 (ESV)

9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

Reflection: What one public or private step will you take this week to confess Jesus as Lord (a conversation, a social share, a prayer aloud)? Set a day and an exact action you will do.

Day 3: Human betrayal foreshadows Christ’s rejection and rescue.

The story of Joseph shows how human sin—betrayal, false accusation, rejection—plays into God’s redemptive plan rather than canceling it. What felt like ruin for Joseph became the road to exaltation; similarly, the manger and the cross show a Savior misunderstood and betrayed for the world’s rescue. Trust is encouraged: God can turn your deepest wound into a stage for His grace. [15:19]

Genesis 37:23–28 (ESV)

23 So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped Joseph of his robe, the long robe with sleeves that he wore,
24 and they took him and threw him into a pit. The pit was empty; there was no water in it.
25 Then they sat down to eat. And looking up they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing gum, balm, and myrrh, on their way to carry it down to Egypt.
26 And Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood?
27 Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And his brothers listened.
28 Then Midianite traders passed by. And they drew Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. And they took Joseph to Egypt.

Reflection: Identify a past betrayal or hurt you still carry. How might God be using that story now? Name one practical step toward forgiveness or trust you will take this week.

Day 4: Forgiveness makes the burden of sin lift.

Using David’s example, the message shows that when sin is confessed the Lord does not count it against the penitent—there is blessing in uncovered sin being forgiven. The Holy Spirit brings conviction not to shame forever, but to lead into confession and restoration where the soul is healed. This is the good news: to come clean before God and find blessed relief. [21:58]

Psalm 32:1–2 (ESV)

1 Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.
2 Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.

Reflection: What specific weight or secret do you need to bring to God for forgiveness? Commit to one concrete act this week (a prayer time, a written confession, or telling a trusted brother/sister) to release that burden.

Day 5: Approach the King with humility and receive mercy.

The example of Shimei shows the courage to come before the king confessing wrong, trusting that grace can prevail over judgment. It’s an invitation to stop hiding, to fall on the King’s face, and speak the truth of one’s sin—then receive mercy rather than condemnation. The Advocate does not defend your innocence but brings you before the Father's mercy through Christ. [20:33]

2 Samuel 19:16–18 (ESV)

16 Shimei the son of Gera, the Benjaminite, hurried down with the men of Judah to meet the king. With him were a thousand men, and Ziba, the servant of the house of Saul, and his fifteen sons and his twenty servants;
17 they crossed the Jordan at the ford to bring the king across, to do what was good in the eyes of the king.
18 Shimei the son of Gera fell on his face before the king when he was about to cross the Jordan and said to the king, “Let not my lord hold me guilty, or remember how your servant did wrong on the day my lord the king left Jerusalem, for your servant knows that I have sinned.”

Reflection: Is there a person or past action you are afraid to bring before the King? Write the sentence you will say to God admitting that wrong, and choose a time in the next three days to come before Him in prayer and confession.

Sermon Summary

We entered this Advent season by lifting the name of Jesus above every other name. God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all. So we cannot claim fellowship with him while clinging to the shadows. The good news is not that we are good; the good news is that Jesus is. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Christmas is only sweet when we admit why we need it—God became man because we could not rescue ourselves.

From Genesis to the Gospels, the pattern is the same: when the Word confronts us, we either change or we put the Word down. Adam and Eve hid and blamed; but in Christ, we stop hiding and we stop blaming. Joseph’s brothers insisted, “We are honest men,” even while standing on a lie. That self-defense still lives in us until the Spirit breaks it. Yet when they finally sought mercy, Joseph wept and forgave—a shadow of the greater Joseph, Jesus, who distributes the true bread.

David’s story shows the same grace. After Absalom’s rebellion collapsed, Shimei fell before the king and begged for forgiveness. Mercy met him there. Blessed is the one whose iniquity is not counted against him. Conviction aches in the bones, but confession opens the door to joy.

This is not a ladder of works. The word is near you. If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Right now, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ the Righteous. He does not argue our innocence; he presents his own. He is the atoning sacrifice, the only sufficient payment. So let this season be more than tradition and lights. Come into the light. Confess your sin and confess Christ. Let him fan into flame what has grown cold. Let’s stand, sing, and respond to the One who did not spare his own Son.

Key Takeaways

1. Confession opens the door to light Honesty before God is where fellowship and cleansing begin. The light does not shame us; it frees us by exposing what Jesus has already covered. Refusing to admit sin leaves us in the dark, but confession places us under faithful, just forgiveness. Step into the light and find the Father’s welcome. [08:30]
2. Stop defending goodness; embrace need Like Joseph’s brothers, we can insist “we’re honest people” while standing on a lie. Self-justification is a wall that keeps grace out. Drop the case for your own goodness and come empty-handed; mercy flows to the low place. God meets truth-tellers with bread for the soul. [18:04]
3. Bow low; mercy runs to meet Shimei’s plea before David shows the path home after rebellion. When we come down from pride and move toward the true King, judgment gives way to mercy. Confession is not humiliation; it is the threshold of restoration. Grace waits on the other side of surrender. [20:33]
4. Christ pleads his righteousness, not ours Our Advocate does not try to prove we’re innocent; he presents his perfect obedience and his blood. That is why weary hearts can rest without pretending. Assurance grows where self-defense dies, because our case rests on Christ’s finished work. Return to the cross and breathe again. [29:54]
5. Advent is an invitation to return Let this season be more than trees and tradition. The King calls you to rekindle love, to confess sin, and to confess Christ afresh. Come near, and let the Spirit fan the flame that once burned bright. Step forward and respond while he is near. [35:12]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[08:30] - If We Say We Have No Sin
[12:29] - Beyond Blame: A New Father
[15:19] - Joseph Distributes Bread: A Picture of Christ
[18:04] - “We’re Good People” Exposed
[19:34] - Facing Our Need for a Savior
[20:33] - After Rebellion: Return to the King
[21:58] - Blessed Whose Iniquity Isn’t Counted
[26:27] - The Word Is Near: Confess and Believe
[29:54] - We Have an Advocate
[30:56] - He Pleads His Righteousness, Not Ours
[32:14] - One Perfect Atoning Sacrifice
[35:12] - Come, Confess, and Worship

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading (ESV)
1 John 1:5–2:2
5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.
8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, 2 and he is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.

Observation questions
- What specific contrast does 1 John make between “walking in darkness” and “walking in the light,” and what result follows walking in the light? [08:30]
- When Adam and Eve were confronted, how did they respond (who did they blame, and what did they do), and how does that reaction contrast with confessing sin? [12:29]
- What did Joseph’s brothers say to defend themselves, and why does that phrase (“we are honest men” / “we’re good people”) matter for understanding self-justification? [18:04]
- In the story of Shimei and David, what posture did Shimei take before the king, and what was David’s response when mercy was requested? [21:58]

Interpretation questions
- How does the statement “God is light, and in him is no darkness at all” shape the group’s understanding of what fellowship with God requires (honesty, openness, willingness to be exposed)? [08:30]
- What does it mean the Advocate “does not plead our innocence but pleads his righteousness”? How does that change the way a person approaches guilt and assurance? [29:54]
- How does the defense of “we’re good people” function as a barrier to receiving grace, based on Joseph’s brothers’ response? What is the mechanism by which self-justification blocks mercy? [18:04]
- How does confession move a person from conviction to joy, taking Psalm 32 and Shimei’s example together—what does confession actually accomplish in a person’s relationship with God? [21:58]

Application questions
- Confession opens the door to light. When was the last time you honestly named a sin before God or another believer? What kept you from naming it sooner, and what small step of confession could you take this week? [08:30]
- Stop defending goodness; embrace need. What are the “we’re good people” excuses you most often use to avoid God’s scrutiny? How would your life look different if you dropped that defense and came empty-handed to receive mercy? [18:04]
- Bow low; mercy runs to meet. Is there a relationship (with God, a family member, or a friend) where pride is keeping you from asking forgiveness? What concrete first move will you make in the next seven days to bow low and seek mercy? [21:58]
- Rest on Christ’s righteousness, not your own. What shame or guilt do you carry that you try to cover by doing better? How will you specifically remind yourself this week that Jesus is your Advocate who pleads his righteousness for you? (Name one action: a verse to memorize, a prayer, telling a friend.) [29:54]
- Advent as an invitation to return. This season calls for rekindling love. What practical spiritual habit will you begin or restore during Advent to “fan the flame”—daily confession, a short evening examen, weekly accountability, or time in worship? Pick one and commit to it for the next four weeks. [35:12]
- If someone senses they are ready to confess Jesus as Lord and believe in their heart that God raised him, what are the next practical steps they could take this week (who to talk with, what prayers to pray, what verse to hold onto)? [26:27]

Sermon Clips

35s

#SavedByFaith

“The message, the message, is very faith, that we preach, if you openly, declare, that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart, God raised him, from the dead, you will be saved, for as by believing, in your heart, you are made right, with God, and saved, and the scripture, tells us, anyone who trusts, in him, will never be disgraced, Jews, Gentiles, the same in this respect, they have the same Lord, who gives generously, to all.”

23s

#LetTheWordChangeYou

“I hope that we come together as a congregation, and read the word of God, but I'm convinced that one of two things happens, when we come and meet this, with the Spirit dwelling inside of us, and we open up the word of God, that is in spirit of itself, one of two things happens, we will change, or we'll quit reading it, so we don't have to.”

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Faulks Baptist Church This sermon · AI assistant

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Confess Your Need: Christ, Our Advocate and Savior

Devotional

Day 1: Walk in the light; confess and be cleansed.

Day 2: Confess Jesus openly; believe and be saved.

Day 3: Human betrayal foreshadows Christ’s rejection and rescue.

Day 4: Forgiveness makes the burden of sin lift.

Day 5: Approach the King with humility and receive mercy.

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Confess Your Need: Christ, Our Advocate and Savior

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