QTRLY Bible Study:

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Lesson 8: The Law of God and the Law of Christ *


Introduction: Are you bored? I hope not! You may be concerned that the last few lessons seem to repeat the same concepts. If you are bored, I apologize. On the other hand, understanding grace is critical - and hearing about it more than once is a blessing. The good news for the bored is that our lesson this week takes a turn to explore what grace means for everyday life. The good news for those who feel they could still use a little repetition about grace, is that we are still generally on that subject. Let's dive into our study of the Bible and learn more about the law and grace!

Law and Love


Read Matthew 22:34. How smart are Pharisees?

(Apparently they think they are smarter than the Sadducees. They think it is their turn to play the game called "outsmart Jesus." The Sadducees could not win, but the Pharisees think they can.)


Read Matthew 22:35-36. Is this a difficult question? If you think so, why?

(I consulted some Bible commentaries and found that Jewish theologians could not agree on the answer. By asking Jesus to state His opinion, the Pharisees would create a conflict between Him and at least some of the leading scholars - or so they hoped.)


Read Matthew 22:37-40. Let's go back to a topic I have repeatedly mentioned: the moral law was established by God as a reflection of His love for humans. God knew about the operation of the natural law, and to protect us from unwittingly being damaged by natural law, God gave us the moral law. Does my theory fit with what Jesus says here?

(Jesus says God's laws are all about love. If the goal of the law is to produce love in us, it makes perfect sense that God's motivation to give us the law was also love.)


If reason for the law is God's love for us, and the goal of the law is that we would love others, would God ever have a reason to end the law?


What advantage is there in being free from the law?

(Being free from the penalty of the law is one thing (grace), but being free from the protection of the law is foolishness.)


New Law on Love


Read John 13:33. If you were one of Jesus' disciples, would this worry you?

(You are a disciple! Why can't you go everywhere Jesus goes? This is worrisome.)


Read John 13:34-35. How can Jesus say this is a "new command" when we just read in Matthew 22:39-40 that loving our neighbor is a summary of both the law and the statements of the prophets of old? This is a very old command, right?


Let's re-read Matthew 22:39. Think carefully about this: What, exactly, is the standard for conduct when we are told to love our neighbor as our self?


Let's consider an example. If you've been reading my lessons for a long time, you know that I used to regularly mow my elderly neighbor's lawn. Does that mean that when I get older I expect someone younger might mow my lawn?

(Yes. This is the standard I've set for myself.)


Assume that I would never expect that someone would mow my law. Would I be following Jesus' command if I failed to mow the lawn of an elderly neighbor?

(Jesus seems to make us the standard for how we treat our neighbor. If we would not expect it for ourselves, then we need not provide it for our neighbor, right?)


Re-read John 13:34. Jesus is telling His disciples that He is going to His death and resurrection. Would you die for your enemy? See Romans 5:10. Would you give up your son's life so that someone else might live?

(No! Never!)


How is Jesus' command to His disciples "new?"

(It is absolutely new. The old standard for loving our neighbor turned on our own standard. Jesus tells us that the new standard is His standard - He was willing to die for us when we were His enemies! That is the new standard for love!)

 

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Law of Christ


Read Galatians 6:1. Is this sinner one who came to church and confessed?

(This person is caught when they did not expect it.)


What kind of attitude would you expect from the person who was caught?


What kind of attitude should the spiritual people have? (They should be gentle. The goal is restoration, not condemnation.)


I was just reading a condemnation of the way our church handles homosexuals. The claim is that we condemn, rather than trying to restore. Do you agree?


Re-read the last part of Galatians 6:1. What do you think complicates the issue of how the church relates to homosexuality?

(This lesson reaches many cultures. I can only speak about the United States. The complicating issue here is that those condemning the church do not think that homosexuality is sin.)


How do you "gently" "restore" those who do not admit their conduct is sinful?


Is warning about being caught up in the sin teaching us to keep a clear vision about the nature of sin? (Yes. When we come close to the sinner, our sympathy for the sinner may transform itself into sympathy for the sin.)


Read Galatians 6:2. Consider two questions. What does it mean to carry the burdens of others? What is the law of Christ?

(We just learned that the "new law" of Jesus is to love others as Jesus loved us. Thus, carrying the burden of others is to help them with their sin problem.)


Let's go back to homosexual behavior. How would you carry the burden of a homosexual?

(Kindness. Many homosexuals say that they are by nature attracted to others of the same gender. We know that our own sin problem is stubborn and arises from our sinful nature. Sympathy in restoration goes a long way. But, restoration is always the goal.)


Read Galatians 6:3. How can we think we are something when we are nothing?

( James 2:8-11 tells us that if we break one point of the law, we have broken all. We cannot congratulate ourselves for being heterosexuals, for the sin of pride means we are like other sinners.)


Would the attitude that we are also sinners help in our restoration efforts?


Read Galatians 6:4-5. Why are we now told to "carry our own load" when we were just told we should "carry each other's burdens?"

(Carrying our own load is recognizing and taking responsibility for our own sins. If we merely recognize the sins of others, and not our own, we can hardly help others with their sins.)


Why is it important not to compare ourselves with others?

(This gets back to the new law of Christ - the standard for comparison is Jesus' love for us.)


Read 1 Corinthians 9:19-21. Does this help us to understand what it means to carry the burdens of others? (Yes.)


Exactly what would you do if you were following Paul's directions? Would you become a sinner to win sinners?
(This cannot be the meaning because Galatians 6:1 teaches us to be alert to temptation when we are carrying the burdens of others. Instead, I think the practical application of this advice is to avoid stressing the differences in our points of view.)


Reaping from Love


Let's return to Galatians. Read Galatians 6:7-9. We have been talking about carrying loads - not only our own but that of others. I'm not normally excited about carrying things around. What is the good news here?

(We are rewarded for it!)


Is our reward eternal life? If so, carrying loads earns our salvation?
(Read Galatians 2:15-16. Paul is not saying that our works earn salvation. Rather, he is telling us that choosing to live by the Spirit rather than by our sinful nature makes a huge difference in our life. Our works do not save us, but our decision to accept Jesus as our Savior is naturally followed by decisions to treat those around us with love.)


Read Galatians 6:10. Who should be the special target of our help? (Fellow believers.)


Friend, grace is about more than receiving unearned eternal life as a result of Jesus' life, death and resurrection on our behalf. True grace produces in us a love like Jesus showed to us. A love in which we give up our life for others. A love which recognizes that we, too, are terrible sinners. A love which blesses us more than if we lived a selfish, narrow life. Will you commit today to ask the Holy Spirit to infuse your life with love?


Next week: Christ, the Law and the Gospel.

 

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Lesson 9: Christ, the Law and the Gospel *

Introduction: Whether someone has shared a secret with you, or you have some unique knowledge or skill, you feel special when you know things others do not. Some secrets are not to be shared, but sharing knowledge or skills is one of the greatest blessings in life. You are able to improve the lives of others by teaching them important things they do not know. The gospel is like that. God entrusts His message to you. What a blessing it is to share eternal life! Some of the message is understood without your help, but other parts rely on your explanation. Let's wade into our study of the Bible and learn more about sharing the law and gospel!

Teaching Natural and Moral Laws


Read Romans 1:16-17. Why would it cross Paul's mind to be ashamed of the gospel? Why does he feel the need to protest that it is not shameful?

(Our God came to earth and lived as a human. He died like a criminal at the hands of the government. Our God gave up Himself that we might live. For a god, this takes some explanation to help others understand.)


What else is unusual about our faith?

(Our righteousness comes from faith, not works. I cannot speak regarding all cultures, but my culture believes that work is essential for success. My father taught me to work harder and better than those around me. Thus, work is part of my basic attitude in life.)


What should we conclude from the two points we just discussed?

(We have unusual religious beliefs. Our God is self-sacrificing. Our righteousness does not turn on how hard we work. These are counter-intuitive.)


Read Romans 1:18-20. What does this say about the logic, the intuitiveness of our God? (This says that God's power and nature can be clearly seen from those things which surround humans. Humans have no excuse for ignoring God.)


Let's consider these two concepts a minute. Paul says God's power and nature are clear and understandable to all. On the other hand, other aspects of the way our God operates are not so clear and understandable. What does this say about the relationship between natural law and moral law?

(A great deal of natural law can be understood. We see it operating every day. But, the intersection with the entire moral law might not be so clear.)


Let's re-read Romans 1:16. What does the reference to "Jew" first and "Gentile" second suggest?

(The context is believing the message of our salvation. The Jews were the first to be given this message and now Gentiles have been given this message.)


Re-read Romans 1:18. Who else do we have?

(Truth suppressors.)


What does this suggest about your life? (You might be a truth suppressor instead of a truth teacher.)


Read Deuteronomy 30:15-18. What are the choices in life?

(Life and prosperity or death and destruction.)


Read Matthew 7:24-27. What difference does obedience make to the way your life turns out?

(Again, this is a promise and a warning. Following God's moral law brings a better life.)


Are we (Gentiles) now the source of God's message about His gospel to the world? Are you charged with being a truth teacher as opposed to a truth suppressor?


If you say, "Yes, I will be a truth teacher," how would you start?

(I would start with the obvious - the power and nature of God. Then I would move to the less obvious, the self-sacrificing God that we serve who saves us by His grace.)


Let's discuss some very practical questions. I recall church meetings in which the question was "How should our church share truth with our neighbors?" Some said, "Let's share a tract about the Sabbath." Others wanted to pass out a big book about the history of the conflict between good and evil. Still others wanted to pass out a book about the love of God. Look again at Matthew 7:24-27 and Deuteronomy 30:15. What do these suggest about our approach?

(God's approaches us by saying He has the secret to a better life. He has the secret to building a life that will endure the storms. I think we should take the same approach.)

 

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John's Example


Read John 1:1-5. How does John start his instructions about Jesus?

(He starts with the natural. See the creation? Jesus did that.)


Read John 1:10-11. What is not so obvious about Jesus?

(The world did not recognize Jesus as the Creator! "His own," meaning the Jewish people, did not receive Him. They did not accept His message.)


Read John 1:12-13. Who did Jesus go to next?

("All who receive Him.")


What is the special secret about accepting Jesus as Creator and Savior?

(We become the children of God!)


Think about your own children. Do you have your child's best interests in mind?

(Yes! If you are a normal parent, you want to be a great blessing to your children. That is our God's attitude towards us! Praise Him!)


Read John 1:14. What is the key belief here?

(God became human and lived with us.)


What does it mean that Jesus was "full of grace and truth?"

(Grace, of course, refers to the gospel - that Jesus lived, died and rose again to save us from sin and give us the promise of eternal life.)


What is the "truth" part of Jesus?

(Jesus revealed the true nature of God.)


(Can you see that John is following the same pattern we discussed before? When you want to share the message, start with things which are known to all, those things which reflect nature and the natural law. Then move to the teachings which are less obvious, God took on human nature and died to give us eternal life.)


Read John 1:16-17. Why does it say that the law was given "through" Moses?

(God gave Moses the Ten Commandments. Exodus 24:12. This was not Moses' idea.)


Let's go back to the concepts from Deuteronomy 30 and Matthew 7. These are the texts about how obedience makes your life better. Is this part of the "natural" aspect of the gospel message? Should this be obvious to all?

(Yes. It should be obvious that if you avoid killing and stealing your life will be better.)


If God is the Author of the Ten Commandments, and they are part of the "obvious" it follows that leading with them would be consistent with this plan. How, for example, would you lead with the Sabbath (the fourth commandment)?

(I would not start out with "this is what God says," but rather "Would your life be better if you took off work and spent one day a week with your family?" "What if this was God's will for you so that you never felt guilty about not working on Sabbath?")


Paul's Example


Read Ephesians 2:1-3. How does Paul start his argument?

(He does the same thing. He starts with the natural. Instead of holding out the promise of blessings, Paul says, "Your life used to be pretty lousy, right? You used to find yourself colliding with natural law and it was not pleasant.")


Read Ephesians 2:4-7. What is Paul's next argument? (He goes next to how Jesus loved us, saved us, and gives us the promise of heaven. This is the part that is not obvious. This is the secret we get to share with others.)


Let's revisit John 1:17. Grace and truth came "through" Jesus. The law was given through Moses and grace and truth through Jesus. Why does John set up the two "through" statements in this way?

(This is a summary of our gospel message. God gave us the law - and it makes sense to both the wise and to those who have already banged their head on the natural law. And, God gave us the less obvious, the tremendous gift of Jesus which shows us the grace and love of God. We cannot keep the law. We cannot earn salvation. But, we can have faith in Jesus' grace, and we can show intelligence by living a life in accord with God's law.)


Friend, will you show wisdom in sharing the gospel with others? Why not start with the obvious, and then share the secret of our great God's love and salvation?


Next week: Christ, the Law and the Covenants.

 

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Lesson 10: Christ, the Law and the Covenants *

Introduction: "Covenant" is not a common term these days. The modern legal word would be "contract." The Bible speaks repeatedly of "covenants" between God and humans. Normally contracts are entered into by two parties with relatively equal bargaining powers. Would "contract" be correct when referring to an arrangement between God and humans? Could we enter into a contract with our Creator, the one who sustains us moment by moment? Let's plunge into our study of the Bible and see what we can discover!

Animal Parts and Rocks


Read Genesis 15:9-10. Can you picture this in your mind? Abram cuts animals in half and arranges the halves opposite each other. What do you think is going on?
(Read Jeremiah 34:18-19. This helps us understand. The Hebrew word for "covenant" means "divide" or "cut in two" according to Fausset's Bible Dictionary. People would cut an animal in two, and then walk between the parts. That signified that they had entered into a contract.)


Can you relate the logic of this to today's contracts?

(Yes! Generally two parties enter into an agreement in which they divide responsibilities. Each promises something. This is called "consideration" and it is necessary for a valid contract. I will build you a house if you pay me a certain amount of money. Your responsibility is to pay and my responsibility is to build.)


Read Genesis 31:44-45 and Genesis 31:48-49. What is the sign of the contract here? (Stones piled up.)


Why do you think they used stones for the contract?


What relationship, if any, do the animal parts have to do with the stones?

(The purpose of the stones is to symbolize or memorialize the agreement. I think cutting the animal in half and walking between the parts also symbolized the contractual agreement.)


What parallel do we have today?

(We write down our contracts, and each party signs his name. The writing is like the stones - so you have proof of the agreement. Your signature represents you, it is your personal identification with the contract - like walking between the halves of the animal.)


Rainbow


Read Genesis 9:8-11. What is the contract here?

(God will not destroy the earth and life on it by a world-wide flood.)


Read Genesis 9:12-15. What symbolizes this contract?

(The rainbow in the sky.)


We see several similarities with what we have already studied. The animal halves, the stones, the rainbow are proof of the contract. What is the division of responsibilities here? We see God's part, what part are humans undertaking? What part are animals ( Genesis 9:9-10)undertaking?

(This does not seem to be the usual two-party agreement. God is the One doing all the promising. If humans and animals have something to promise, it would seem to be to acknowledge that God is their God.)

 

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Circumcision


Read Genesis 17:1-2. What does this tell us about the contract between God and Abram?

(It already existed. This is a confirmation of an existing contract.)


Read Genesis 17:3-8. What is God promising for His side of the agreement?

(He will make Abraham the "father of many nations," He will be the God of Abraham and his descendants, He will give them a specific land "as an everlasting possession.")


Read Genesis 17:9-13. What is Abraham promising for his side of the agreement? ("Every male ... shall be circumcised.")


Does this seem to be more of a sign of the contract then the actual agreement?


Is this contract more like the flood/rainbow contract? Are humans promising anything?


Read Galatians 3:6-9. This is looking back at the very discussion we just read. What does this say that Abraham promised? What is Abraham's part of the contract? (Believing God.)


What does this suggest about the flood/rainbow contract? (The same - our part is believing God.)


Contracts and Grace


Read Galatians 3:15. This sounds like lawyer talk. How do you understand this?

(Once you have an enforceable contract, it cannot be set aside without the agreement of both parties. In addition, one party cannot add to the obligations of the other.)


Read Galatians 3:16. How do you understand this? It seems to say that Abraham and Jesus were promised righteousness by faith. Did Jesus need grace?

(No! This cannot mean Jesus was saved by faith. We rely on His perfect life for our salvation.)


Let's back up a minute, and read a verse that I skipped over. Read Galatians 3:14. How does this say that we Gentiles are given the blessing promised through Abraham? (Through Christ Jesus.)


Does that help us understand Paul's meaning when he wrote that the "promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed" and that "seed" means "one person, who is Christ?"

(Yes. The promise was to Jesus, because only through Jesus do all of us receive righteousness by faith. Jesus is our gateway to eternal life. Thus, our promise comes only through Him!)


Read Galatians 3:17-18. We already learned that one party to an enforceable contract cannot add to its terms. What does Paul say cannot be added here?

(Obedience to the Ten Commandments. The "430 years later" refers to the Ten Commandments and the other laws given through Moses.)


Re-read Genesis 15:6. As we discussed before, the contract between Abraham and God was that Abraham believed, and God "credited it to him as righteousness." What is Paul saying about the Ten Commandments?

(Since Abraham and God already had an enforceable contract, and since we are successors to that contract through Jesus, God cannot change the terms of the contract by adding "And, you must keep the law to be saved.")


Let's step back a minute. In seven places in the Bible it refers to a "new covenant." See, for example, Luke 22:20, 1 Corinthians 11:25, and Hebrews 12:24. How can we have a "new covenant," when Paul just explained how the original contract is the same unbroken contract?


Read Exodus 19:3-8. What is this?

(This is a contract between God and His people at the time of the giving of the Ten Commandments.)


How does this contract fit into our discussion? This is the "430 years later" addition, and Paul argues that it was an improper addition! How can that be?

(Paul tells us that the original promise was to Abraham and Jesus. God knew that His people could not keep the Ten Commandments to earn salvation, but He asked the people to keep them so that they would have a special relationship with Him. When Jesus came later, and perfectly kept the law, this was new. At that point the promise of righteousness by faith came to all of us through Jesus. We get to take advantage of the "original" deal, the original contract!)


Read Galatians 3:19. Since the Ten Commandments cannot be added to the grace contract, why did God give them? (Because of our sins!)


Read Galatians 3:23-25. How does the law lead us to Jesus?

(We know about our miserable, rotten lives. We know that we have a sin problem. This teaches us that the only way to eternal life is through the promise made to Abraham and Jesus, the promise that belief credits us with righteousness. We take advantage of that promise only through Jesus! Praise God!)


What does this do to my theory that the Ten Commandments protect us from being harmed by natural law?

(Nothing. It is still true that God gave us the law because of love. It is still true that God wants a people who obey His law (just like at Sinai). But, it is also true that righteousness comes only through faith - the contract that we can take advantage of only through Jesus!)


Friend, will you, through Jesus, become a party to the original contract of righteousness by faith alone? Why not accept Jesus right now?


Next week: The Apostles and the Law.

 

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Lesson 11: The Apostles and the Law *

Introduction: Many years ago, I met a young man who had recently been saved. He wanted to talk with me about theology, and he was adamant that the Ten Commandments had been abolished. He was saved by faith alone and had no obligation to obey any of the law. While I agreed with him about salvation by faith alone, I pressed him about his obligation not to kill anyone. Was that no longer relevant? He would not bend. A few years later I met him again and recalled our conversation. "Do you still believe that you have no obligation to keep the law," I asked? With more study, he had changed his mind. He agreed that the law was important. Let's plunge into the topic of what the Bible says through the apostles about keeping the law!

Jude


Read Jude 1:1 and Galatians 1:19. Is Jude a modest man?

(Yes! Instead of writing, "I'm the brother of our Lord Jesus," he writes, "I'm the brother of the brother of Jesus.")


Read Jude 1:2-3. What motivates Jude's letter?

(His motive is to "contend for the faith.")


Read Jude 1:4. What theory is Jude contending against? What is the specific point in contention?

(That grace is a license for immorality.)


Is this still an issue for the church?


Why is immorality a denial of Jesus? I can see why you could say this theory is a denial of the law, but why a denial of Jesus?

(One reason is that Jesus died over the law. If God was willing to consign the law to the trash dump of history, He would have declared the law was dead. Jesus could have avoided living with us, suffering persecution from us and dying at our hands. Another reason is that Jesus is our Lord and the law is His gift of love to humans. To deny His law is to deny Him.)


Read Jude 1:5. How is the Exodus account relevant to this argument?

(Jesus delivered His people from the slavery of Egypt. They did not merit this. Jesus delivers us from the bondage of the law. We do not merit that. But those who did not believe, those who disobeyed the order to enter into the promised land, died in the wilderness. It is a lesson for us.)


Read Jude 1:6. Why is the situation of the fallen angels relevant to us?

(Even in heaven God expects obedience from His subjects.)


Are we in a lot of trouble? If we are saved by grace here, will we ultimately lose out in heaven because we will need to obey there?


Have you heard the question, "Are you safe to save?" What do you think this means?


Are the assumptions underlying this question accurate?

(It depends. If the question means that we have to become sin-free in preparation for living in heaven, it is not based on good theology. We were born into sin ( Psalms 51:5). Our hearts are deceitful ( Jeremiah 17:9). Even the righteous find they do things they do not want to do. Romans 7:18-19)


Read Hebrews 3:7-9. Who is being tested? (Here is another reference to the Exodus. God says the people were testing Him!)


Read Hebrews 3:10-11. How would you characterize the people? Why is God angry with them? (God says that He showed them that He was trustworthy. Yet, the people did not trust Him. They did not even try to understand God.)


Let's go back to our "safe to save" statement. What do you think makes us safe to save in God's eyes? (Trusting God! Notice that God does not say, "I gave these people the Ten Commandments and they failed." He says, "I showed them my power, love and provision - and they still did not trust Me." The foundational part of obedience is trusting God.)


Read Jude 1:7-8. A common theme in the Bible is that Sodom and Gomorrah are the poster children for what happens to the wicked. The specific sins mentioned are "sexual immorality and perversion." Why would Jude mention specific types of sin if the true issue is trusting God? (God did not give us His law because He is mean. He gave it because He loves us. If we trust God, we understand this and we know that obedience is the best thing.)

 

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Peter


Read 1 Peter 2:1-3. What does Peter tell us about the law? (He says that we should "rid" ourselves of these sins.)


How do we "rid" ourselves of sin? How is this consistent with grace? (Read 2 Corinthians 5:17-20. Part of grace is making us new people. We represent God, and therefore how we live is important. This suggests that righteous living, unlike salvation, is a team effort.)


Read 1 Peter 2:4-5. What is God's goal for us? (To be "living stones," who are part of the "holy priesthood" which constitutes God's "spiritual house.")


Notice this starts "As you come to Him." What does that mean? (As we come into the presence of God through the Bible, prayer and worship we become more like God.)


What do you think are the "spiritual sacrifices" that we offer to God? (Read Romans 12:1-2 and Hebrews 13:15-16. Spiritual sacrifices are not simply praising and trusting God, but they involve our minds and our deeds. Renewing our minds, doing good works, are sacrifices to God.)


Would you truly call this a "sacrifice?" (In God's economy, giving up ourselves ends up with a greater blessing being given to us.)


Read 1 Peter 2:9. We previously read that we are living stones in a spiritual house. That is an interesting word picture, but what is the point of the living stone, spiritual house, royal priesthood? (You are special. You are different than the world. You are a representative of God. That gives you the opportunity to declare the praises of God to those who do not know Him.)


Read 1 Peter 2:11. What is wrong with allowing sinful desires to live in our mind? (It wars against our soul.)


Read 1 Peter 2:12. How can pagans accuse us of doing wrong? They are pagans! (I see this all the time. Pagans today believe that every choice is equally valid, and no one has the right to say that his way is superior. Thus, Christians who assert that God's way is not only superior, but the only way, are bigots and haters.)


What is the antidote to these false charges of wrong-doing? (The way that we live!)


Consider your life. Is the way you live helping or hurting the charge that you are a bigot and hater?


John


Read John 15:9-10. What is Jesus saying - that if we fail to obey Him He will no longer love us? (No. Do you want to know how to remain in the center of God's love? Keep His commandments. Jesus is saying that He gave us His commandments to show us how to best live. He gave His commandments to keep us to keep us from being harmed.)


Read John 15:11. What is the level of joy in your life? If you are a quart low, Jesus says that obeying His commands will make your joy "complete!")


Read John 15:12-13. How will giving up our life for others give us complete joy? This sounds like complete sacrifice! (Imagine a world in which everyone had your best interests in mind. Imagine a world where no one wanted to harm you, steal from you, or cheat you. Treating others fairly gives us joy. Showing others mercy gives us joy. Being treated fairly and being shown mercy makes us grateful.)


Have you made the transition from thinking that the law is a pain, to thinking that it is for your own benefit? Read 1 John 2:3. If we have not made the transition, what is the problem? (We don't know God. We need to study His word more. We need to experiment with doing His will.)


Read 1 John 2:4-6. Why is obeying the law so important? (It reflects our knowledge of God. If we just grit our teeth and try to obey, it will not work. But, if we have the firm conviction that the law is for our benefit, that it puts us at the center of God's love, that it creates a better world for those around us, that it honors God, then we don't have to grit our teeth.)


Friend, if you have not understood the benefit of obedience, will you start exploring it today? Will you decide to know God better and experience the joy of living in the middle of His love?


Next week: Christ's Church and the Law.

 

[Laela]

With a contract, if one agreeing party does something in violation of the contract then it is considered broken. The whole contract becomes null and void. Basically the signers of a contract agree to hold up their ends as long as the other signatories hold up theirs too.

With a covenant, both parties agree to hold up their ends regardless of whether the other party keeps their part of the agreement. A violation of a covenant by one party doesn’t matter as far as the other party’s responsibility to continue to do what they agreed to do. ~Chris Cree

Our Covenant with God cannot be broken, because He said He will keep His Promise and God is not a liar; He fulfilled the promise on both sides and satisfied the old covenant through His son, Jesus, and that is how we would come into a New Covenant.

We are no longer bound to good works to keep the old covenant. That is bondage.

 

[blazingthru]

Our Covenant with God cannot be broken, because He said He will keep His Promise and God is not a liar; He fulfilled the promise on both sides and satisfied the old covenant through His son, Jesus, and that is how we would come into a New Covenant.

We are no longer bound to good works to keep the old covenant. That is bondage.

Laela, Thank you because I love to research, but currently I am traveling and I am unable to commit at this moment, but i will get back to you. As in agreements--this can be broken, its never God that breaks the agreement it is us and if you read each of his Agreements or the Contracts you will see it is give and take, he will do this if we do that. If you would this I will bless and heal you. If you would do this I will heal your land, I will never bring disease to you if you follow my laws. Which makes total sense, If we eat a wholesome diet of just Raw fruits and vegetables and occasional eating cooked vegetables and no junk or process foods, no meats, none whatsoever or any dairy ever, we will be healed and be free of diseases as God promises. Keyword here is if.

Concerning the Law it is a choice if we say that God is our God and we will serve him and him only then we will obey his Laws and do it gladly because we are grateful that we are saved and he want others to have that same joy that we have, and so we do the 'work' willingly. Works cannot save you, Again pastors preaching outside on the streets and go home and beat their wives or whatever crazy stuff folks do will not save them. That's really what that means, but we still do the work because we are saved.

But many of will not because we want to do things our own way. Bondage is used only to make you think you can't do something. Well the truth is you can't. Do and suffer the consequences as we see everyday around us.
brb

 

[blazingthru]

Lesson 12: Christ's Church and the Law *

Introduction: In our study two weeks ago, the Apostle Paul taught us in Galatians 3 that nothing has changed in the contract between God and Abraham. This agreement, that Abraham believed and it was credited to him as righteousness ( Genesis 15:6), is available for every one of us because of what Jesus has done on our behalf. Is it really true that nothing has changed? Let's dive into our study of the Bible and look at the relationship between God's people and the law throughout the ages!

Adam, Eve and the Law


Read Genesis 2:15-17. Has God created a law for humans at this point?


If you say, "yes," how many laws has He created?

(I consider it a "law" that I need to show up for work so that I can fulfill my obligations to others and get paid. Adam had a work assignment. That might be one law. The other law had to do with not eating the fruit from one tree.)


Read Genesis 2:2-3. Is there another law about work that constrained Adam?


Read Genesis 3:1-3. How did Eve understand the fruit eating law?


(She has it right, except that she adds that she cannot touch the fruit. That was not part of the original recorded restriction.)


Read Genesis 3:4-6. The law was not to eat this particular fruit. What is the temptation before Eve?

(Not to believe God. Not to trust God.)


How does this differ from the obligation of Abraham? (It is precisely the same - the issue is whether we will believe and trust God. Eve did not sufficiently trust God.)

Noah and the Law


Read Genesis 6:11-14. Put yourself in Noah's place. What is the challenge for you?

(God makes an astonishing statement about His plans for the future. The question is whether you believe God.)


Read Genesis 6:15-17. Is this only a matter of belief?


(No. This belief clearly requires action.)


Read Genesis 6:18-22. What is the contract that Noah has with God? What is God promising? What is Noah promising?

(Read Hebrews 11:7. The foundation of this agreement was Noah believing that God would destroy the earth and that God would save him and his family.)


This account provides a very interesting context for examining the relationship between faith and works. Would Noah have built the ark if he had not believed God?


If Noah had not built the ark, what would that say about Noah's faith in God?

(His hard work on the ark demonstrated his faith in God.)


Abraham and the Law


Read Genesis 12:1-3. How is God's approach to Abraham similar to His approach to Noah?

(God has a plan of action which involves a completely new experience.)


In the three cases (Adam, Noah and Abraham), what is the basic challenge? (To believe and trust God.)


What common thread do we see in all three cases?

(Obedience to God's commands reflects the individual's trust in God. Disobedience reflects a lack of trust in God.)


Read Genesis 12:4-5. What objections to obedience might you raise if you were Abraham?

(I'm too old. I've never been there before. This seems risky.)


Read Genesis 15:1-3 and compare Genesis 12:2. What is the problem with the contract?

(God is not holding up His end of the deal.)


What do you think about the way Abraham raised the issue with God?

(Abraham is direct, but he is not charging God with a breach of the agreement.)


Read Genesis 15:4-5. Put yourself in Abraham's place. How would you view this promise?

(God has not performed so far with regard to the promise of children, and now God makes the promise even bigger.)


Would it be hard to believe God?


If you say, "yes," why?

(Because it is contrary to what I see. It is contrary to the trend of things. God has had an opportunity to work on His end of the contract, but nothing has happened so far.)


Read Genesis 15:6. What does this teach us about the nature of the belief at issue? Is this a casual belief? Is this a belief that results in showing up at church only on Christmas and Easter?
(This is a belief that endures despite evidence to the contrary. This is belief that is not automatic. This is a belief that charts the course of your life.)

 

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Christ Church and the Law 2

Moses and the Law


We pick up the story just after God spoke the Ten Commandments to Moses. Read Exodus 20:18-20. What kind of relationship did God initiate with His people? (Fear would keep them from sinning.)


Read Exodus 32:15-17 and Exodus 32:21-24. How effective a tool is fear?


Read Deuteronomy 7:7-11. Moses told the people that fear was God's motivating factor to keep the people from sinning. Does that seem correct to you based on this text?

(God's original motive was love for His people. But, we so see a hard edge to this.)


Read Deuteronomy 7:12-15. What is the appeal here?

(Health and prosperity.)


Would it be fair to say that God is appealing to the people's greed?


Read Deuteronomy 7:16. What would you call this?


Contemplate all this for a minute. We have three motives swirling around: fear, love and greed. Does this cause you to trust God less?


Read 1 Corinthians 9:20-23. How would you describe Paul's method of evangelizing?
(He uses what works to advance the Kingdom of God.)


Is Paul taking his lead from Deuteronomy 7?

(God loves us. He is willing to use the most relevant tool to bring us to Him. If you are one who responds to fear, God has that in his toolkit. If you respond to greed, God has that. If you respond to love, God uses that. Whatever approach God takes, the question for us is will we trust Him?)


Jesus and the Law


Read Matthew 22:36-40. What does Jesus say is the foundation for the law? (Love!)


Does Jesus suggest that this changed over time? (No.)


I thought we decided that trusting God was the foundation. How does that fit here?

(The foundation for God's attitude towards us is love. The foundation for our response is trusting a God we know loves us and has our best interest in mind. Eve missed the part about God having her best interest in mind.)


Read Revelation 12:13-16. What is being symbolized here?

(The conflict between Satan, Jesus and Jesus' Church.)


Read Revelation 12:17. What is the focus of Satan's attack, and why? (Those who lift up Jesus and obey His law are under attack because they are the problem. If believing in Jesus makes no difference in your life, you are not a problem for Satan.)


Read Revelation 14:6-7. I thought our conclusion was that the most important part of the contract between humans and God was that we should trust Him and obey Him. Why is "fear," "glory" and "worship" mentioned as the "eternal gospel?"

(This is the essence of trust: our Creator God is coming to judge the world. If you trust His love, if you trust what He did on the cross for you, then you will fear, glorify and worship Him!)


Friend, we have seen a consistent theme throughout the ages. Those who follow God believe and trust Him. That belief and trust translates into concrete actions to advance God's mission on earth. Is your belief in Jesus reflected in the way you live? Why not ask the Holy Spirit to help make that goal a reality in your life?

 

[blazingthru]

Lesson 13: Christ's Kingdom and the Law *

Introduction: Are you a part of the Kingdom of God? If you are reading these lessons, the answer is probably, "Yes." When I see things going wrong in the world, or I get upset about national politics, I have to remind myself that I am first a citizen of the Kingdom of God. How can we know the Kingdom of God is real? How does our study of the law fit into our belief in the Kingdom of God? As we finish our series on the law, let's dive into our Bibles and study what it means to be citizens of the Kingdom of God!

The Kingdom of God - Is It True?


Read 1 Corinthians 15:1-2. What two options do we have with regard to the gospel?

(On one hand, we can believe it and to take a stand for it. On the other hand, we can be casual about it and have acted in vain.)


Read 1 Corinthians 15:3-7. What is the most important truth of the gospel? What is of "first importance?"
(That Jesus died for our sins, just as the Bible predicted, he was buried and he rose from the dead. This was witnessed by many.)


Read 1 Corinthians 15:12-13. Some do not believe in the resurrection of the dead. What is the logical consequence of that view?

(It refutes the "most important truth" that Jesus died for our sins and was resurrected from the dead.)


Read 1 Corinthians 15:14. There are lots of good things about the gospel. Why is faith and preaching the gospel "useless" without the resurrection?


Our entire series has been about the law. I've been repeating that the law is given to us by a loving God so that we will not bump our head on the natural laws. How can that be useless?
(If Jesus died permanently, then the law killed Him. If it killed Jesus, it will kill every one of us. Thus, even the idea that the law helps us would not ultimately be correct because the law would kill us.)


Read 1 Corinthians 15:15-16. What other problem exists with our message if Jesus was not raised from the dead?
(We are liars!)


Read 1 Corinthians 15:17-19. Whenever I'm tempted to walk out of the will of God and into a life of sin, my first thought is "How can I live without God?" In all of the battles of life, in all of the challenges of life, having God with me has been essential. How can Paul say that "hope in Christ" for this life alone is pitiful?

(I think his point is that it would be like me trusting the tooth fairy all of these years. It might seem to help, but it really is pitiful because I have a false hope.)


Read Matthew 4:8-10. What is the temptation here?


What does this teach us about Jesus' belief in the Kingdom of God?

(If Jesus failed, then He would lose everything. Jesus had confidence that He would succeed. He did not need Satan to give him the kingdoms of the earth, for He would recover the earth for the Kingdom of God.)


The Kingdom of God - The Truth


Read 1 Corinthians 15:20-22. What is the truth about Jesus' resurrection?

(That He was resurrected, and thus we can have confidence in our resurrection.)


Read 1 Corinthians 15:6-8. Consider for a moment Paul's statements about the futility of the gospel if Jesus was not raised from the dead. Paul says that the risen Jesus appeared to him. How trustworthy are Paul's statements?

(This shows that Paul has no motive to lie about the risen Jesus. He says he saw Jesus. He has no doubt about what he saw. Lying about it would show he had a pitiful life. Who wants to lead a pitiful life?)


Read 1 Corinthians 15:23-25. What kind of timing do we see with regard to our resurrection?
(Jesus rose first. Next come those called "first fruits" and then we are resurrected just before "the end.")


What advantage do we have as citizens of the Kingdom of God? (Our Kingdom is in the hands of God. Earthly kingdoms are destroyed.)


Read 1 Corinthians 15:26. What else is finally destroyed?
(Death! Our "last enemy" is destroyed.)


Why is that important when we think about the law?

( Romans 7:10-11 tells us that the Ten Commandments bring us death. If death is destroyed, this means that the final conflict over sin is over. God has given us eternal life!)


The Kingdom of God - The Future


Read Revelation 21:1-3. What is the future of the Kingdom of God?
(It will be located on the earth made new.)


Since this is the "Kingdom of God," where will God be?
(He will dwell with us on earth!)


Read Revelation 21:4. What fundamental difference will there be in this Kingdom? (There are no tears, death, mourning, or pain.)


What does that teach us about God's attitude towards these things when they happen in our life now? (God is against them. God will destroy them.)


Read Revelation 21:5. Is God's promise trustworthy?

(God tells John that He does not want John to get this wrong. He says, "Write this down" because I want people to be sure they can have confidence that this what I said.)


Read Revelation 21:6-7. One of the ancient quests is for the fountain of youth. Jesus tells us that He will have us drink "from the spring of the water of life." What other exciting promise does God make?
(We will be His children. He will be our Father.)


Read Revelation 21:8. This is a very interesting list. We might nod our heads approvingly about leaving the vile, the murders, and liars out of the Kingdom of God because we want a safe, trustworthy place to live forever. But, how does this fit the idea of grace?


Are murders, liars and the vile unable to rely on the perfect life and death of Jesus? We just studied that this was the most important principle of the Kingdom of God!


The other sinners, the sexually immoral, magicians, and idolaters seem even less threatening. How do you explain this?

(Notice how this list starts: "the cowardly, the unbelieving." The first text we studied was 1 Corinthians 15:1 which mentioned those who had received the gospel and taken a stand for it. Believing God, trusting Him, is foundational. If you do not believe or trust, then your life spins into trusting others (magicians, idolaters), and putting self first (liars, sexually immoral, vile, and murders). Our life reflects whether we believe and have taken a stand for God.)


Read Revelation 21:15-16. The New Jerusalem is a cube which is 1,400 miles on a side. This is approximately the distance between Washington, D.C. and Denver, Colorado. It is 1,659 miles from Jerusalem to Moscow. Just imagine the footprint of the New Jerusalem, when each wall is 1,400 miles long! Imagine a city that is 1,400 miles high! What kind of condominium do you think you will have in that city? (Large!)


Read Revelation 22:1-3. What does the main street of the New Jerusalem look like?
(It has a river running down the middle. A tree with a trunk on both sides of the river runs along the river's banks.)


What is the purpose of the river and the fruit of the tree?
(To give us life and keep us healthy.)


Can you imagine what kinds of shops and restaurants line main street? Can you imagine eating at a sidewalk cafe there? No worry about calories!


Read Revelation 22:6-7. Friend, do you believe? Do you want to be there? The essence of the gospel is believing that Jesus makes eternal life possible for us. The essence of the gospel is trusting God. That means we believe in His unmerited grace, and we trust that His law is His loving guide for our life. Will you, right now, place your faith, trust and hope in Jesus and join the Kingdom of God?

 

[blazingthru]

what is an abomination to god?
Inge Anderson

Many Christians believe that “homosexual behavior” is the worst of sins and that God hates homosexuals, based on Leviticus 18:22 and Leviticus 20:13, where same-sex intercourse is called an “abomination.”

does the bible really justify this conclusion?

Do we know what abomination really means? Let’s see if the rest of the Bible sheds light on the matter by checking out a few other “abomination” texts. I have used the King James Version of the Bible for this purpose, since other versions do not use the word abomination as much. (For instance, the NIV does not use the word abomination for sexual sins.)

Sexual sins of any kind are considered “abominations” to the Lord. (See Leviticus 18:18-30 KJV, paying particular attention to Lev 18:27-30 KJV, which refer to “all these abominations” after various kinds of sexual activities apart from marriage have been mentioned.) A similar list is repeated in Leviticus 20 KJV, concluding that God’s people ought not to do these things “after the manner of the nations which I cast out before you.” We find that the levitical laws also forbade remarriages of divorced couples, after the wife had been married to another man, even if the second husband died, calling such an act an “abomination.” (Deuteronomy 24:1-4 KJV)

When we consider that Christ amplified these laws to include the lustful thought, who is without sin to cast the first stone?

Dishonest business practices are named as an “abomination” in Deuteronomy 25: 13-16 KJV, Proverbs 11:1 KJV and Proverbs 20:10 KJV. It seems that scrupulously honest business practices are required of any professing to be the Lord’s people.

Do our practices pass the careful scrutiny of the Omniscient One?

Oppressive treatment of others and a haughty attitude are considered as “abomination” in Proverbs 3:31-32 KJV, and a “froward heart” (the Amplified Bible translates this as “willfully contrary in heart”) is again mentioned in Proverbs 11:20 KJV. I wonder if some of the attitudes of conservative Christians towards gay people might not fall into these categories of “abominations.”

a list of six “abominations”

These six things doth the LORD hate:
yea, seven are an abomination unto him:
A proud look, a lying tongue,
and hands that shed innocent blood,
An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations,
feet that be swift in running to mischief,
A false witness that speaketh lies,
and he that soweth discord among brethren.
~~ from Proverbs 6:16-19 KJV

Who can claim innocence from all these “abominations”? Are all the sure dispensers of judgments on gay people free from a “proud look” or “false witness”? (Who can be sure that words repeated are absolutely true?) Or sowing discord in God’s congregation?

The simple term “wickedness” is equated with “abomination” in Proverbs 8:7 KJV. “Lying lips” are added to the list in Proverbs 12:20 KJV and a “proud heart” in Proverbs 16:5 KJV. It seems then that pride and lies to further one’s own agenda are every bit as hateful to a holy God as are sexual sins.

Who then can stand before Him?

Those that justify the wicked or condemn the just, as well as scorners are listed as “abominations” in Proverbs 17:15 KJV and Proverbs 24:9 KJV.

Prayer is added to the list of “abominations,” if it comes from one who turns his ear from hearing the law in Proverbs 28:9 KJV. That becomes especially significant when we consider that all of God’s laws are summed up in the great principle of Love to God and to one’s neighbors and that Christ Himself demonstrated that Law in His life.

Are my prayers an “abomination”? Are yours?

what jesus said

I am forced to the conclusion that an “abomination” simply refers to something the Lord “hates” − something totally out of harmony with His character of purity and love. If we take the biblical record as a whole, we find that pride and self-sufficiency are mentioned more often than any other qualities as being distasteful to God. And no wonder. Pride feels no need, and there’s nothing even God can do for a self-sufficient sinner. That’s why Jesus said that He came to save sinners and not the “righteous.” Given that the Bible is clear that there is “none righteous,” Christ’s statement indicates as clearly as any other that a self-righteous spirit excludes its bearer from the kingdom of heaven.

Finally, not only did Christ clearly teach that a self-righteous spirit is a teflon-coated defense against saving grace, but He actually used the key word abomination in describing such a spirit. Luke gives this account:

“And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him. And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.” (Luke 16:15-16 KJV)

“That which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.” Position, wealth, education, popularity, religiosity, the esteem of men — these are abomination in the sight of God.

In the final analysis, all our own “righteousness” is “abomination” in the sight of God. None can say, “I am better than you. My sin is not as bad as yours,” for in so doing, we exclude ourselves from God’s grace by our judgmental spirit, and thus we are lost without hope.

None of us is qualified to cast the first stone. We are all equally in need of restoration. Let us not focus on heterosexuality nor homosexuality as anything before God, but let us focus on Him who is the hope of our salvation and bow before Him in humility of spirit for “the Lord is near to the brokenhearted, and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” (Psalm 34:18)

Let us then embrace each other in love gay and straight together — and kneel humbly before the Christ who took our place and tasted death for us that we might stand in His place and share eternal life with Him.

May we always lift up Christ,
for if He is lifted up,
He will draw all unto Himself –
men and women, gay and straight,
young and old, rich and poor.

Lift Him up!

 

[blazingthru]

Lesson 1 - Our Loving Heavenly Father

Posted: 05 Jul 2014 05:00 AM PDT

Introduction: One of the greatest blessings of my life was to have a loving father. It was my father who taught me that fear and love are not inconsistent. I had no doubt that my father loved me absolutely. On the other hand, I understood what judgment meant! It was a wonderful combination that shapes my understanding of our great Father in heaven. Our understanding of our Father in Heaven is even better informed by what Jesus had to say about Him. That is our study this week. Let's plunge into our Bible and see what we can learn about our loving heavenly Father!

Our Attitude Towards Others


Read Matthew 7:1-2. What is the rule about how we should treat each other? (We get what we give. If we show mercy, then mercy is shown to us.)


Read Matthew 7:3-5. How do we normally treat each other? (Generally, we are more critical of others than we are of ourselves.)


Read Matthew 7:6. How does this fit with the prior verses? This seems like a counterpoint to the instruction so far. Is it? (In our mercy and help we need to make mature, commonsense judgments.)


God's Attitude Towards Us


Read Matthew 7:7-8. Jesus turns a corner here. He has gone from how we treat each other to what other new topic? (How God treats us.)


Do you think the prior verses about how we should treat each other inform us about how God treats us? (Matthew 7:1 seems to say that God considers how we treat others when dealing with us, but it seems to me that God is more generous to us than we are to each other.)


What is God's standard?

(If we ask, God will give.)


Is this your experience in life? Be honest.


Read Matthew 7:9-11. What point of reference does Jesus suggest for measuring God's attitude towards us? (How we treat our own children.)


Why would Jesus compare His Father in Heaven to us? (I know my father wanted to give me good gifts. I know I want to give good things to my children. This is just a fabulous encouragement to me. Every time I wonder, "What God has in mind for me,"I need to just ask, "What would I do for my child?" "What would my father have done for me?")


Now let's revisit Matthew 7:7-8. If you said to yourself, "God does not grant my requests," did you grant all the requests of your children? (Matthew 7:11 refers to God giving us "good gifts." In our study last quarter, we learned that trusting God is central to our relationship with Him. God knows everything. He gives us good gifts. If the gifts seem wrong to us, we need to just trust Him to know what is best for us.)


Read Matthew 7:12. Why does Jesus go back to discussing how we should treat each other? (How God treats us is related to how we should treat others. God is generous to us. He is looking out for our best interests. Therefore, we should look out for the best interests of others.)


Re-read the last part of Matthew 7:2: "With the measure you use, it will be measured to you." Who is doing the measuring when it comes to you? (God measures. How we treat others is a measure God uses in treating us.)


Jesus' Picture of the Father


Read John 14:1-3. What is God asking of us? (Not to be worried here on earth. Trust God for He will ultimately take us home to live with Him.)


Read John 14:4-5. Thomas hears that he supposedly knows the directions to this great place Jesus has prepared for him to live. What is his concern? (Jesus is making some false assumptions. Thomas does not know the way to go, and this is a very important matter to get straightened out! Thomas wants to go.)


Read John 14:6-7. Is Jesus talking about directions? Is He referring to a map? (Jesus is speaking about salvation. The only way to heaven is through Jesus.)


Read John 14:8. What do you think Philip is really saying? (The great question of the ages is "Who is Jesus?" Philip says we can have confidence in who you are, Jesus, if you will just show us the Father in heaven.)


Read John 14:9. Is Jesus disappointed in Philip? (Yes.)


Are Jesus and Philip on the same page? (Philip is a long way behind Jesus. Philip wants to confirm that Jesus is God. Jesus tells Philip that if he wants to know God, Philip need only consider Jesus.)


Read John 14:10-11. Let's say that you are way ahead of Philip. What do you learn about God through Jesus? (Jesus did miracles to take away human suffering. Jesus gave His life for us. The picture Jesus gives us is of a Father who loves us supremely.)


The Creation's Picture of God


Read Matthew 6:25-26. What is Jesus suggestion about having the right priorities? (He says that having our life and health are more important than food or clothes.)


Why do you think Jesus said this in the context of God looking out for us? (We need to be grateful for the basics. People who eat expensive food and wear great clothes, but are not healthy, understand these priorities.)


What do birds teach us about the love of the Father in Heaven? (God makes sure they are fed. He will make sure we have enough to eat.)


Read Matthew 6:27. What practical point does Jesus add? (Worrying does not make you taller, better looking or extend your life. What good is it?)


Read Matthew 6:28-30. The earlier verse told us to have our priorities straight. Here, Jesus is saying something different. Will God give us only the basics? (No! You want your children to have great things. God has the same desire for you.)


Read Matthew 6:31-33. Instead of worry, what should we do? (Put God first. Promote the Kingdom of God. Pursue righteousness.)


Prodigal Son and a Picture of God


Read Luke 15:11-12. What would you say if your son asked this of you? (I'm not dead yet!)


What does this say about the father?


Re-read Matthew 7:6. Was the father making a mistake?


If you say, "yes," we will learn that in this parable the father represents God the Father. Would God make this same mistake?


Luke 15:13-16. How are things working out for the son? Are his dreams being fulfilled?


Read Luke 15:17-19. What motivates the son to go back? (Food.)


Read Luke 15:20. Put yourself in the father's place. Would you have the same reaction? What if you knew the son's motivation for returning was food?


Read Luke 15:21-24. My father taught me the wonderful blend of love and judgment. Is there any judgment here? (No. None.)


How do we treat those who are turning to God?


Read Luke 15:25-28. Who does the older brother represent? (Us - those who faithfully obey God.)


Read Luke 15:29-30. What do you think about the attitude of the older brother towards his father?


Have you ever thought, "I'd like to be like the thief on the cross: do what I want and at the very last minute repent and be saved?"


What is the problem with this kind of attitude? (Last quarter we learned that God gives us His law because He loves us and wants to keep us out of trouble. We need to trust God. The older son envied the younger son. He did not think his life with his father was anything but "slaving.")


How are the younger and older sons alike? (Both seemed motivated by what they can get from their father.)


What does this teach us about our Father in heaven? (He loves us even if our motives are not yet right!)


Friend, have you ever seen such great love? We are far from perfect. Like Philip, we don't understand. Like the brothers, we have the wrong motives. Jesus says that our love for our children is just the starting point for understanding the love of God the Father towards us. Will you respond to that love today? Will you accept Jesus' sacrifice on your behalf, and trust God with your life?

 

[blazingthru]

Lesson 2 - The Son

Posted: 12 Jul 2014 05:00 AM PDT

Introduction: Who is Jesus? This is the most important question in life. Recall our discussion last week about Thomas worrying because he did not know the directions to the place Jesus was preparing for him in heaven? Jesus explained to Thomas that He was not talking about a map, He was talking about theology. In John 14:5-6 Jesus explains that He is the only way to heaven. Like Thomas, this is something we want to be sure we get right! Let's jump into our study of the Bible and learn more about Jesus!

Roof Rats


Read Luke 5:17. What does this suggest that the established religious teachers thought of Jesus? (It was worth the effort to travel to listen to Jesus. He was someone whose teachings were worth considering.)


What do we learn about Jesus' power to heal? (It seems that the power to heal was not present at all times. Jesus healed through the power of God who determined when that power would be present.)


What does this suggest about our attempts to heal sick friends and family? (The power comes from the Holy Spirit, and it is not always present. God is sovereign in all things.)


Read Luke 5:18-19. Pretend that you were one of the friends who was carrying your quadriplegic friend to be healed. A big crowd has gotten there before you. What would you do? (Come back another day and get there earlier.)


What kind of person thinks of climbing on the roof, ripping off the tiles to create a hole, and lowering a friend in front of Jesus?


If you were speaking, would you appreciate these characters creating such a great distraction? Didn't anyone teach them manners? What about having respect for the property of others?


Read Luke 5:20. What did Jesus see? (Their faith.)


Contemplate this just a moment. I don't know the customs of the day, but I've got to believe that these guys were violating all sorts of rules of personal conduct and respect for private property. What does it teach us that of all the bad things Jesus could have noticed about them, what He sees is their faith?


By the way, whose faith is Jesus referring to?


Jesus says, "Your sins are forgiven." What do you think: is this what the friends were hoping to hear? (My guess is that they were hoping to have their friend healed of his disability.)


Read Luke 5:21. Turns out that this is not a popular response at all. What troubles the established religious teachers? (They believe that only God can forgive sin.)


Do you agree?


Jesus is obviously not stupid. Why do you think He gave this unpopular answer? (Jesus wants the established religious leaders to consider whether He is the Messiah.)


Read Luke 5:22-25. What should the religious leaders think about Jesus knowing their thoughts?


What is the answer to Jesus' question about which is easier? (It is easy to say either one (although saying one would subject you to the death penalty, see Leviticus 24:13-16), but proving you had healed someone was a lot harder.)


What point is Jesus making to the group? (He is the Messiah. He has authority on earth to forgive sins. As they know, only God has that authority.)


Read Luke 5:26. What do you think the people concluded from this? Did they think Jesus was the Messiah?


There are many Biblically illiterate people running around saying, "I think Jesus was a good man and a great teacher, but I don't believe He is God." After reading this story, what is your response to this kind of statement? (Jesus claimed to be God. Do good people lie? Do they make false claims? Generally, people who think they are god are lunatics. Jesus was either right or He was a fraud.)


Son of Man


Read Matthew 20:25-28. Who is Jesus calling the "Son of Man?" (Himself.)


If Jesus wants His followers to believe He is the Messiah, why would He call Himself "Son of Man" as opposed to "Son of God?" (Read John 8:58-59. Recall the blasphemy law I referenced earlier? When Jesus clearly makes the claim to be God ("I Am"), the people decide to enforce the blasphemy law by stoning Him. Jesus had a strategic problem. He needed to tell the people He was the Messiah, yet that could get Him killed prematurely.)


Read Daniel 7:13-14. What is being pictured in Daniel's vision?

(The Second Coming. The Messiah coming in power to take His followers to heaven.)


What name is the Messiah given here?
("Son of Man." Daniel says, "like a son of man.")


Why do you think Jesus calls Himself the "Son of Man" all of the time? (This is His cunning way of saying, "I'm the Messiah" without having the crowd pick up stones and start throwing them His way.)


Satan's Testimony


Most Americans know the judicial rule about hearsay testimony. To be valid, statements have to be made in court so that they can be cross-examined to test their truth. Admissions against interest are an exception to the hearsay rule. These are statements that harm you. "Yes, I committed the murder" is an example. They are considered to be true statements because you normally do not admit something that would harm you. Let's read Matthew 4:1-4. Is Satan admitting that Jesus is the Son of God? (No. But, it is very interesting that Satan asks Him to prove that He is the Son of God. It sets the stage for the next temptations.)


Read Matthew 4:8-10. Would Satan make this offer to you? Would he make it to anyone you know? Would he make this offer to a carpenter or a Bible teacher? (Why would Satan give away all of his assets? You would logically make this offer only if you were getting some great value in trade.)


What was Satan hoping to get from this deal? (The fact that Satan makes this offer is an admission that Jesus is not just an ordinary person. If Jesus were God, it would make sense to offer this trade because Satan would then be "higher" than God. I think this is an admission by Satan that Jesus is God.)


Read Matthew 8:28-29. What do these two demon-possessed men admit? (That Jesus is the Son of God, and that He will defeat them in the future!)


Read Matthew 8:30-31. Who is speaking in this story, the men or the demons? (This makes clear that it is the demons who admit that Jesus is the Messiah and that He will triumph.)


The Father's Testimony.


Read Matthew 17:1-3. Who are Moses and Elijah? (We know these are prominent figures from the Old Testament who have gone to heaven. See 2 Kings 2:11 and Jude 9.)


What does this suggest about the nature of Jesus?


Read Matthew 17:5-6. Who is speaking? (God the Father in Heaven. He says that He is pleased with "My Son.")


Your Testimony


Read Matthew 16:13-14. What do you think about these answers? (They show that the people thought Jesus was special.)


Read Matthew 16:15-16. How do you answer this question?


Friend, the question Jesus put to His disciples is the question for you today. Do you believe that Jesus is the Son of the Living God? As Thomas was told, this is the key to heaven. Will you accept that key today?

 

[blazingthru]

The Holy Spirit
(John 14, Matthew 12, Acts 1-2)


Introduction: Have you noticed that even within your church denomination there are different groups of believers? One large group that cuts across denominational lines is known as "charismatic" or "Pentecostal." According to the "ReligionFacts" web site, Pentecostals constitute the largest Christian group - about 500 million worldwide. These Christians have a special focus on the work of the Holy Spirit. What is the focus of your church? Let's dive into our study of the Bible and see what we can learn about the Holy Spirit and our Christian walk!

God With Us


Read John 14:15-16. Jesus makes two statements: if we love Him we will obey Him; and, He will give us a Counselor if we ask Him. Are these two statements related?


Have you ever wished that Jesus still walked on the earth and you could ask Him questions about what to do and how to live?

(If you say, "Yes," that reveals the relationship between the two statements. Jesus tells us that if we ask for the Counselor, He will counsel us in right living.)


Read John 14:16-17. What is this Counselor, and where does He live?

(This is a reference to the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit can be with each of us at all times.)


Is this better than Jesus still living on the earth?

(Yes! Jesus came in the form of a human. He could only be in one place at a time. The Holy Spirit can be with each of us constantly.)


What is the view of the "world" about the Holy Spirit?

(I cannot accept Him because it does not know him.)


Read John 14:18-21. Jesus says something very interesting, that He will be in us. Does this contradict what I just said about the Holy Spirit being better than having Jesus on earth?

(This gets to the heart of the Trinity. Jesus says that He is "in my Father" and we are in Jesus. When the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit, is in us, that is God living in us. That is Jesus living in us.)


Would you consider missing this opportunity?


Read John 14:26. How important is the presence of the Holy Spirit in our life?

(Just as Jesus taught His disciples, so the Holy Spirit teaches us and reminds us of what Jesus previously taught.)


Rejecting God In Us


Read Matthew 12:22-23. What question are the people asking? What do they mean by it?

( Isaiah 35:5 is part of a prophesy that God will come and open the eyes of the blind and the ears of the deaf. They people are saying, "Could this be the promised Messiah?")


Read Matthew 12:24. What did the established religious leaders say was the answer to the question of the people?

(No, this is not the Messiah, this is the work of Satan.)


Read Matthew 12:25-28. What logical argument does Jesus make to counter the statements of the religious leaders?

(Why would Satan cast out Satan? That harms Satan.)


Read Matthew 12:29-30. What other logical arguments does Jesus make?

(That you would have to overpower Satan to carry off one of his victims. And, Satan and Jesus have incompatible goals.)


Read Matthew 12:31-32. I had you read this story so that we could focus on the verses you just read. What does Jesus say about the claim that His work is demonic?

(He says this allegation is "blasphemy against the [Holy] Spirit [and it] will not be forgiven.")

 

[blazingthru]

Re-read John 14:16-17. Will the secular world acknowledge the power of the Holy Spirit? (No.)


What will some of the religious world say about the power of the Holy Spirit?

(That it comes from Satan - and this is an unforgivable blasphemy.)


In light of this, how cautious should we be in rejecting claims that something was done by the power of the Holy Spirit?

(This is very dangerous ground.)


When I was growing up, I read an "official" church article saying that a miracle was done through the power of the devil, when the person claimed it was through the power of the Holy Spirit. I read a book arguing that speaking in an unintelligible tongue was demonic. Even recently, friends have argued against something saying that it was "Pentecostal." What does the Bible tell us about these kind of charges?

(They are extremely dangerous. We may be speaking against the Holy Spirit!)


Read Matthew 12:33-35. Why do you think Jesus turned to the topic of trees and fruit? Has He changed the subject?

(No. We should make judgments about whether something is from God or from Satan. However, a judgment that something is demonic when it could be from the power of the Holy Spirit must be based on a careful investigation of the facts. Good people produce good deeds. Bad people produce bad deeds. That is the proper way to examine supernatural claims.)


Read Mark 3:28-29 and Luke 12:8-10. These are additional statements on attacking the Holy Spirit. The general theme is that you can say bad things about Jesus and be forgiven, but you cannot attack the Holy Spirit and be forgiven. If you believe in the Trinity, how can this be true? If the Three are One, why is one angle of attack unforgivable while others are not?

(Read John 16:7-8. This is the only explanation that makes any sense to me. If you reject the Holy Spirit, you reject the One who convicts you of sin. If you are never convicted of sin, your sin is "unforgivable.")


Read John 3:5-8 and Titus 3:5. In what other way is the Holy Spirit essential to obtaining eternal life?

(Being born of "water" is grace - we accept the life and death of Jesus on our behalf at baptism. More than that, we die with Jesus and rise to new life when we are baptized. The Holy Spirit renews our life. We must not reject the Holy Spirit!)


The Power of God In Us


Read Acts 1:6-9. What is the last instruction of Jesus to His disciples?

(To be Holy Spirit powered witnesses.)


Read Acts 2:1-4. Imagine you are there. What are you hearing?

(A violent wind and speaking in tongues.)


What are you seeing?

(Tongues of fire resting on each person.)


What would you say if something like that happened in your church?


Why is the Holy Spirit so "dramatic?"

(Read Acts 2:5-7 and Acts 2:12. The Holy Spirit wants to get the attention of the people. The noise and fire come for a reason.)


Read Acts 2:7-8. What kind of tongues are demonstrated here?

(Speaking (or at least hearing) in another language.)


Read 1 Corinthians 14:2-4. Is this a foreign language?
(No. In this tongue you speak only to God, no person understands.)


What do you think the phrase, "utters mysteries with his spirit" means?

(Read 1 Corinthians 14:14. This suggests an unusual prayer in which the speaker does not understand what he is saying. His spirit prays to the Holy Spirit, but bypasses the mind.)


What could be the purpose of this kind of tongue?

(The speaker "edifies himself." This seems to be a unique form of meditation which somehow blesses you.)


Read 1 Corinthians 14:6-9. What is the problem with the public display of speaking in an unknown tongue?

(It does not help others.)


Read 1 Corinthians 14:10-12. What are the best spiritual gifts?

(Those that build up the church instead of just building up us.)


Read 1 Corinthians 14:18-19. What is the relative value of public speech in an unintelligible tongue? (Low! Five understandable words are better than 10,000 words that cannot be understood.)


Read 1 Corinthians 14:39. What does the Bible say should be our view of unknown tongues? (It is a low value gift, but it should not be forbidden.)


What if we say it is demonic? (You should consider the warnings about the unforgivable blasphemy we previously studied.)


You could be forgiven if you find all of this strange. Loud wind noises, fire, unintelligible tongues. What should we think about all of this?

(God is sovereign. He decides how He will make His presence known to us. In the Old Testament God was dramatic when He appeared to humans. Thus, nothing has changed.)


Friend, the Holy Spirit in our life is essential. Will you invite the Holy Spirit in with power?

 

[blazingthru]

Introduction: You undoubtedly have opinions on many things. I know I do. On some issues I think my opinion is important because I know a lot about the subject. On other issues I know very little and want to learn more from those who are knowledgeable on the subject. On many issues, what I think doesn't really matter. On a few issues, my opinion can change things. What is the most important issue on which we can have an opinion? I think it is the question of eternal life. Who is most informed on that subject? Jesus! What He did changed the course of human history. Let's jump into our study of the Bible and learn more about Jesus' opinion on salvation!

Salvation's Source


Read John 8:12. "Light of life." What a great phrase! What do you think it means?


What is the advantage of light normally? (You can see what to do. I think the "light of life" means that Jesus shares with us what to do. Following Jesus gives us the secret to a better life.)


Read John 8:13. What kind of objection is this? (This is a lawyer's objection.)


What logical point are the Pharisees making? (A person is motivated to slant the truth to favor himself. In an American court, that would be grounds to argue bias, but it does not invalidate the person's testimony.)


Read John 8:14. What is Jesus' argument about the validity of His testimony? (He says that he has first-hand information about who He is. The Pharisees know nothing about the subject. Jesus has the most informed opinion.)


Read John 8:15-18. What other reason does Jesus argue for the validity of His testimony? (He has two witnesses, His Father and Himself.)


Read Deuteronomy 17:6 and Deuteronomy 19:15. This is the legal rule cited by the Pharisees. What problem do you see with applying this rule to the testimony of Jesus? (This is a witness rule for convicting criminals, particularly where death is the penalty.)


What does this say about the view of the Pharisees about Jesus' teachings? (Either they are misstating the legal rule, or they understand that Jesus is teaching about very important matters - matters of life and death.)


Read John 8:21-24. What is Jesus teaching about? (He is teaching about life and death matters.)


What is at the heart of our salvation? (Believing that Jesus is God. Believing that Jesus is divine. Believing that Jesus can take away our sins.)


Read John 8:25-26. Do you think "Who are you?" is a serious question?


Read John 8:27-30. What does this say about the state of mind of the listeners? (They did not clearly understand what Jesus was telling them.)


How will Jesus being crucified ("lifted up") help them to understand His divine nature? Doesn't that confuse the issue? (Truth will dawn on them as they see His crucifixion and remember what He said. More important, this gets to the heart of salvation. The sacrificial lamb in the sanctuary service represented Jesus. It is Jesus' life, death and resurrection that, as Jesus clearly stated ( John 8:24), is the only way to eternal life.)


Read John 8:31-33. Have you ever been in a debate and the person on the other side is seriously deluded? (Abraham's descendants were taken captive by the Babylonians, and they are now subject to the rule of the Romans.)


What kind of slavery ("truth will set you free") do you think Jesus means?


Read John 8:34-36. Jesus makes clear here that He is talking about the slavery of sin. But, He goes on to talk about slaves, sons and being permanent members of the family. This raises several questions:


What family is He talking about?


What does sin have to do with being a son in this family?


Why does sin control how long you are a member of this family?


Read Romans 6:23. What does sin bring? (Death. The slave to sin will not be a part of the family of God. The slave set free from the penalty of sin becomes a permanent member of the family of God.)


When do we secure a permanent place in the family of God? (When we accept the light of truth: Jesus is the only way for us to be saved and enter into eternal life.)


Read John 8:37-38. What claim is Jesus making? (That He has been in the presence of God the Father. This is a clear claim to be the Messiah.)


Who is the father of those who want to kill those who disagree with them theologically? (Satan.)


Read John 8:39-41. Do these religious leaders know about Jesus? (Yes. Notice the insult, "we are not illegitimate children." They are talking about Jesus' human birth. I suppose they did not appreciate Jesus' statement that they were the children of Satan.)


Read John 8:42-47. Do you think Jesus is clear in what He is saying? Do you understand it? (Jesus unambiguously says God the Father sent Me to share the truth of salvation with you.)


Have you been in a debate with a pagan who seems to be unable to think clearly, who cannot understand the most basic truth?


Read John 8:48-51 and John 8:58-59. What is Jesus' claim? (Read Exodus 3:14. Jesus is unambiguously saying that He is God - and the listeners understood exactly what He was saying because they were going to stone Him for saying it. Jesus tells us that if we keep His word, the word that He is the God who died for us, we "will never see death.")


Salvation's Motive


Nicodemus, an important religious leader, and Jesus are having a conversation. Let's listen in by reading John 3:13-15. Why would Jesus compare himself to Moses' snake?


Let's consider this history. Read Numbers 21:4-5. What do you think about the people's complaints?


Read Numbers 21:6-9. What was the key to surviving snake bite? (Looking at the snake.)


What is the logic of this? (I think it represented the people looking at their sin and its consequences.)


How is this like Jesus being raised on the cross? (When we consider the agony of Jesus' crucifixion, we look upon our sin and its consequences. It is a sobering view.)


Read John 3:16. Why would God the Father and Jesus the Son go through such a horrific thing for us? (He loved us!)


Read John 3:17. I feel terribly condemned and guilty when I consider what my sin did to Jesus. Is that how Jesus wants me to react? (The point is not simply to make us feel badly. The point is that Jesus' death saves me from my sin. Just like looking at the serpent in the wilderness saved the people from certain death from poisoning, so Jesus saves us from the certain death of sin.)


Read John 3:18. What is the key to salvation? (Belief in Jesus. Consider how many times we have read that same statement in the various Bible texts we have studied in this lesson.)


Read John 3:19-21. Recall that we started this study with a discussion of light ( John 8:12)? Why would anyone reject Jesus' offer of eternal life? Why would anyone bitten by the snake not look at it? (We don't want to leave our sin. We don't want to live a transparent life.)


Friend, Jesus is the only way to eternal life. It is a free gift. Will you ask the Holy Spirit to help you to want to live in the light, face the sinfulness of your life, and accept Jesus' free gift of salvation?

 

[blazingthru]

Introduction: In our last two lessons we discussed the power of the Holy Spirit, grace and salvation. That logically leads to our study this week. What would you answer if someone asked: "How can I be saved?" Many years ago, a fellow in my Sabbath School class asked me whether he was saved. I told him I was sure that he was saved because he knew the gospel, he understood grace. However, I as I reviewed our conversation later, it occurred to me that with my focus on grace, I had not suggested that he repent of his sins. He unexpectedly died a little later. Sometimes our conversations are more important than we realize. Let's jump into our study of the Bible to be sure we know what to say when someone asks us, "How can I be saved?"

Guilt


Read John 16:7-8. My best friend when I was growing up no longer seems to have any interest in me. I used to see him regularly when our travel paths crossed. Because it had been decades since he attended church, I would talk to him about his salvation when I would see him. He used to say, "I've spent years in therapy to get over guilt." I would respond, "Guilt is good" - meaning that he should pay attention to his conscience. My wife says that it is my fault that we are no longer friends. What do you think, is it the work of the Holy Spirit alone to help us recognize our need to repent, or should we be helping?


How are you convicted of your sin? Is it because of the words of others, or the Holy Spirit speaking to you? (I am mostly convicted of sin when I am studying the Bible. But, the words of others also help me to see things more clearly. I believe the Holy Spirit speaks through the Bible and others. However, I know that no one likes to be criticized. My friend and I used to be very open and frank with each other, but I think my wife is right that I pressed too hard.)


If you are worried about the salvation of friends, co-workers, family or neighbors, what should you do? (The most fundamental rule of Christianity is love ( Matthew 22:37-40). I think that we need to love those who are not serious about God, and pray that the Holy Spirit will convict them of their need for grace.)


Read 1 John 1:8. What is the problem with this person? (This person is self-deceived.)


Is this common? (Read Romans 3:10-12 and Jeremiah 17:9. We all want to deceive ourselves about our sin problem, including you and me.)


What does this problem suggest about us and recognizing our need to repent? (We need to give our own hearts a good, long look. Let's look more closely at this in the next section.)


Repentance


Read 1 John 1:9-10. What is necessary for the forgiveness of sin? (To recognize it, contrary to our natural inclination, and confess it.)


Read Acts 2:37-38. What does Peter tell us to do when we are convicted of sin? (To repent and be baptized.)


Notice something very odd. Peter says you will receive the Holy Spirit after you repent. How do you explain that? We previously learned that the Holy Spirit brings repentance. (We know from the Pentecost story that the Holy Spirit was already present in power. It was the Holy Spirit working with Peter and the others who convicted the listeners of their sins. Peter is telling them that in the future they can have the Holy Spirit as an active agent in leading their life and living in them.)


Read Psalms 51:3-4. To whom should we confess our sins? (King David says that we only sin against God. Thus, the confession is to God.)


Read Leviticus 6:1-5. Notice that this repeats the idea that sin is being unfaithful to God. But, what does it suggest we should also do? (It says that we need to make restitution. There is a personal aspect to sin that requires us to try to make things right, to the extent possible.)


Read James 5:16. What does this mean? The texts we read in Psalms and Leviticus say that we sin only against God, does James disagree with this? (This seems to be more like a Christian "support group" situation in which we confess our failures and pray for each other.)


After reading these texts about repentance, why do you think God tells us to repent? Why is repentance directed to God? Is there a practical reason for this?


Read John 3:19-20. What reason does this text suggest that we would not want to confess our sin to God? (Because we love the sin. If we confess the sin, we are saying that we should turn away from it. Confession of sin to God is an admission that we have a problem - and that is the first step to turning away from sin.)


Belief


Read Mark 16:15-16. How important is belief? (It makes the difference between life and death.)


What, exactly, is it that we need to believe to be saved? (Read Romans 10:9-10. We need to believe that Jesus is our Lord, that He died for our sins, and that He was raised to eternal life. We need to believe that He did that for us, and that if we accept what He has done for us, we have died and will be raised in Him to live eternally.)


If Jesus is our substitute, if belief in Him gives us salvation, why do we need to repent and confess our sins? (I've not completely worked this out in my mind, and my thoughts at this point are tentative, but I think that it has a great deal to do with our decision to turn away from sin and turn to God. This is not so much about single sins as it is about areas of sin in our life. We give God all of our life.)


Salvation Illustration


Read Matthew 22:2-3. Often we learn something more easily when it is illustrated with a story. What is this story about? (It is an illustration of the Kingdom of Heaven.)


Read Matthew 22:4-6. Why did the invited guests not come to this wedding? (They were either indifferent or hostile.)


Does that describe the world today?


Read Matthew 22:8-10. What kind of people ended up coming? (Both good and bad.)


What was most important to these people coming to the wedding -- which we learned represents the Kingdom of Heaven? (That they came. They were not indifferent, they were not hostile, they made the decision to come.)


Is that what is really meant by repenting of sin? That we decide to come to God?


Did these street people have help in coming? (Notice that they were "gathered." God encourages us to be saved.)


Read Matthew 22:11. Where do you think the guests got their wedding clothes? (They had been in the streets, they must have received them from the King when they came to the wedding.)


Read Matthew 22:12. Why was the man "speechless?" (He had no excuse. This is further proof that the wedding garment was a gift - all he had to do was accept it!)


Read Matthew 22:13-14. After considering this story, what do you think God means when He says, "few are chosen?" (God cannot mean few are invited. He cannot mean that merit is the basis for being chosen because both good and bad came. What God must mean is that few chose the free gift of the wedding garment. Few accept the free gift of Jesus' righteousness.)


Why do you think that is? (People love sin more than they love God.)


Freedom


Read John 8:31-32. What happens after we receive the free gift of salvation? (We hold to the teachings of Jesus.)


Why? By obedience do we merit salvation? (No. Our robe of righteousness is a free gift. In obedience we experience the freedom of a life well lived. We experience the freedom of being released from the slavery of sin. We experience the freedom of walking with God! All of this reflects our decision to love God rather than sin.S)


Friend, what will you say when someone asks you how to be saved? How about this: Repent of your sins, accept the life, death and resurrection of Jesus through baptism, accept righteousness as a free gift of God, and then experience the freedom of living a life in accord with God's will. If you have not accepted salvation, why not accept right now?


Next week: Growing in Christ.

 

[blazingthru]

Introduction: Recently, I was in a Bible study where the teacher kept stressing that Christians are saved "from their sins" and not "in their sins." What, exactly, does that mean? If it means that we are not saved if we have sin in our life, then the statement is false. If it means that someone who is saved by grace partners with the Holy Spirit to live a life in accord with God's will, then the statement is true. Our lesson this week is about becoming more like Jesus - who lived a sinless life. Let's explore the Biblical view of being saved from our sins!

Night Interview


Read John 3:1. What do we learn about Nicodemus?

(That he was a religious and political leader. I've read that some ancient manuscripts indicate that the House of Nicodemus was one of the wealthiest families.)


Read John 3:2. Put yourself in Jesus' place. Would you be insulted by what is being said and done?

(Nicodemus comes at night, thus suggesting that he does not want to be seen with Jesus. He calls Jesus a "teacher," but does not acknowledge Him as the Messiah.)


Put yourself in Nicodemus' place. What logic is there to your actions?

(You want to know more about this new teacher, but you do not want to appear to endorse His claims - or harm your reputation. You carefully built your reputation and you continue to be cautious.)


Read John 3:3. We just reviewed the "relationship" aspect of this interview. What does Jesus' reply suggest about His relationship concerns?

(Jesus does not seem to care about the relationship aspect of the discussion at all. He gets straight to business.)


How should Nicodemus understand what Jesus just said? What is Jesus saying about Nicodemus?

(Jesus tells Nicodemus that Jesus knows more about having a right relationship with God. He suggests that Nicodemus does not have a proper understanding of how to have the right relationship with God.)


What warning does this suggest to us?

(We might know a lot about the Bible, but can still misunderstand salvation.)


Read John 3:4. How is Nicodemus taking Jesus' words?
(I think he is at least mildly insulted. His response is certainly insulting - "everyone knows, Jesus, that what you are saying is physically impossible.")


How We Grow


Read John 3:5-6. Jesus explains that being "born again" is essential to salvation. Being born again is being "born of water and the Spirit." How do you understand this? (Being born of water is baptism. Being born of the Spirit is having the Holy Spirit live in us.)


Jesus says something that seems very odd, "Spirit gives birth to spirit." What does this mean? (It means that the Holy Spirit is giving birth to something spiritual in our life. God is reproducing Himself in us.)


Read Romans 6:4. When Jesus says that we must be born of water, He is talking about grace. Through baptism we participate in Jesus' sacrificial death on our behalf. When we rise from the waters of baptism, we rise to a new life. How does this fit with the idea of being born of the Spirit? (Part of our new life is the Holy Spirit imparting God's nature in us. Helping us to live a life of love, just as Jesus did.)


In the introduction I mentioned the Bible teacher who kept saying that we are "saved from our sins, not in our sins." The potential problem is thinking that our salvation depends on our works, and therefore whether we are saved changes hour by hour and day by day depending on what we do. Look again at John 3:5. Jesus tells us that we must be born of both water and the Spirit to be saved. Does this indicate that becoming more like Jesus is required for our salvation?


Read Romans 6:4-7. What does this teach us about good works? (Our works do not save us, but the point of Jesus' death on our behalf was "so that the body of sin might be done away with." God does not want us to be slaves to sin. He has freed us from the penalty of sin (which is death) and we need to live a life free from the harm that sin does to us.)


Let's get back to the discussion with Nicodemus. Read John 3:7. Is this a mild rebuke? (Yes. Jesus is not trying to flatter Nicodemus. He is not trying to talk sweetly to someone who could be a big financial supporter.)


Read John 3:8. Does this mean that after we are born of the Spirit, we don't know where we are going or where we have been? (No. But, it tells us that the working of the Holy Spirit in our life is mysterious. We know the Holy Spirit exists and is present, just like we know the wind is present, but explaining it is more difficult.)


I want the Holy Spirit to act in powerful ways in my life. What does this verse teach me about that? (The extent of the power of the Holy Spirit is up to God. There is an unpredictable aspect to the Holy Spirit.)


Read John 3:9-11. Do you think that Nicodemus does not really understand Jesus, or is Nicodemus saying this because he does not want to understand? ("You people do not accept our testimony" sounds like Nicodemus does not want to understand.)


Read John 3:12-15. Jesus has challenged and insulted Nicodemus. Is Jesus just making debater's points or does He seek to convert Nicodemus? (Jesus clearly states that He is from heaven. He clearly states that He is the key to eternal life. The fact that Jesus tells Nicodemus how He will die shows that Jesus wants to convert Nicodemus.)


Read John 3:16-18. Do you think that Nicodemus is a good man? (I think so.)


If I'm right, why does Jesus make this statement? (Good works do not save us. Rather, "whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." As verse 18 teaches us, good people, like Nicodemus, will stand condemned if they do not accept Jesus.)


Read John 3:19-21. Is Jesus making a statement about their night meeting? (Perhaps!)


Who is the "Light [which] has come into the world?" (Jesus is the light. But, note the close connection between coming into the light of Jesus and our deeds. We cannot love light and want to live in darkness.)


Our Daily Cross


Read Luke 9:22-23. The disciples did not know when Jesus spoke these words that Jesus would be killed on the cross. Does this mean that we must suffer every day? (Read Galatians 5:22. Suffering every day is inconsistent with living a life of joy and peace.)


Read Luke 9:24-25. What does this suggest Jesus means about us taking up our cross daily? Jesus is still talking about life and death.(Jesus is talking about a mental attitude. Either we put our life first or we put the Kingdom of God first. Either we live to benefit ourselves, or we live to benefit others.)


What does this teach us about works? (Works are a natural result of grace. Jesus gave Himself up so that we might have eternal life. That example governs how we should live.)


Is this an easy choice to make? (Re-read Luke 9:24-25. Jesus says that even if we choose to live for self it does no good. Even the most selfish will die. Even if we become the richest person in the world, how does that compare to eternal life?)


When Jesus says a person "must deny himself," is Jesus talking about money? (Notice Jesus compares it with saving our life and gaining the whole world. This covers much more than money.)


What do you think Jesus means if He is talking about much more than money?


Think about your favorite sin. If you turn away from it are you denying yourself?


Friend, we are not saved by our works, but a person saved by grace experiences a new life in the Spirit. The Holy Spirit living in us changes us so that we want to live in the light, we want to deny self to bless others. Will you ask the Holy Spirit to guide you in living a righteous life?

 

[felic1]

blazingthru,this was a lovely message. Thank you.

 

[felic1]

blazingthru

I have never been asked what is my favorite sin.

 

[blazingthru]

blazingthru

I have never been asked what is my favorite sin.

Many of us would never tell, I would never ever tell, however, I think about the passage where you sins will find you out.

Numbers 32:23 King James Version (KJV)

23 But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the Lord: and be sure your sin will find you out.

Only God knows my deepest struggles and I pray every night for him to keep it under wraps, I did so many things in my life that I would never ever want anyone to know, especially my family. Good Grief.

We talk about that a lot about the records being open and your sins exposed but the blood of Jesus blots them out. So we keep praying for the blood to keep all that hidden away and not repeating it ever again.

 

[blazingthru]

Lesson 7 - Taming the Tongue

Posted: 15 Nov 2014 05:00 AM PST

Introduction: James previously counseled us to be quick to listen and slow to speak (James 1:19), to keep a tight reign on our tongue (James 1:26) and that our words are a consideration in the judgment(James 2:12). This reflects a statement of Jesus in Matthew 12:37 that our words will acquit or condemn us. Clearly, our tongue is a very important part of living a life in accord with God's will. Let's plunge into our study of the Bible and learn more about it has to teach us about our words!

Teachers


Read James 3:1. What is the most common reason you hear about why some no longer attend church? (Someone insulted them. Someone decided to "teach" them something about how they should live.)


What warning does James give to teachers?

(They will be judged more strictly.)


What does teaching have to do with the tongue?
(Teachers are concentrated tongue users!)


What does James mean when he says "not many of you should presume to be teachers." What do you think he means by "presume?"

(Don't take it on yourself to teach. Be sure you are called to teach. Teaching is a spiritual gift. Romans 12:6-7.)


Look again at James 3:1 and James' statement about being judged "more strictly." If we are saved by grace, and not by obeying the law, what is James talking about? Does he mean unsaved teachers are judged more strictly?


Is it possible that he is talking about being judged by humans rather than God?

(That makes sense to me. My wife used to be unhappy when someone would harshly criticize one of my sermons. I was volunteering my time to preach, she knew I worked hard on the sermon, and she thought criticism was unfair. My thought was that if I was going to put my thoughts before others, they had a right to judge them.)


Read 1 Corinthians 3:10. What does Paul mean when he calls himself an "expert builder?"

(He is referring to his teaching.)


Read 1 Corinthians 3:11-13. Who are these people who are building with gold, straw or something in between?

(Teachers. The foundation of all Christian teaching is Jesus. However, teachers vary greatly in the quality of their teaching. The quality of the teaching will be tested by fire.)


Read 1 Corinthians 3:14-15. Let's consider this reference to "fire." What does it mean for a teacher's work to be consumed in "fire." Is this the final judgment James is talking about?

(It certainly is a judgment, but I tend to think it is a judgment on the teaching as applied in the lives of the students. When trouble comes, whether the teacher is building with gold or straw will make all the difference in the life of the student.)


What happens to a "straw building" teacher?

(He escapes! His students might not make it, but the teacher does.)


How is that consistent with James' statement about being "judged more strictly?"

(It certainly shows that the quality of teaching has a great impact on students, thus the judgment is "more strict" in the sense that is has a greater impact. However, Paul gives us the sense that the lousy teacher might survive while his students do not.)


What is the lesson in this for the student?
(Test the teacher!)


Read James 3:2. Is James telling us that teachers are perfect?

(No. He says (including himself) "we all stumble." When we are testing our teachers, we should keep this in mind. We should not expect them to be perfect.)


What is his point about teaching, stumbling and judging?

(Teachers will stumble "in many ways." When we do, we can expect to be "judged more strictly." We all know this is true.)


Tongue


Read James 3:3-4. James says something hard to understand: your tongue is like a "bit" or a "rudder." In what way is your tongue like a rudder or bit?

(A reasonable conclusion is that what we say affects how we think. Our tongue steers our body.)


Read James 1:15. We discussed this in some detail before. James says that evil works arise from evil thinking. That would mean that evil works came from evil thinking, not evil speaking. Has James just contradicted himself?

(James is certainly correct in saying that sin begins in the mind. But, it appears that our mind listens to our words, and it is affected by what we say. It is a two way street - what we think influences what we say, and what we say impacts what we think.)


Have you ever heard someone say that if you want to have a good day, then be nice to others, say nice things to others? (I believe that our speech has an effect on our thinking, just like our thinking has an effect on our speech. It may be that when we verbalize something we make our thoughts on that subject stronger. Thus, our tongue plays an important part in how we think.)


Read James 3:5. This seems to be different than James' bit and rudder statement. What do think this means about the tongue?

(Words can great huge problems. The "spark" of a word "burns" your life.)


Have you experienced this?


Read James 3:6. James repeats some of what he said so far: the tongue affects the whole body, and the tongue affects relationships. What other concept does James add?

(I think he adds that the effect of the tongue on the person is not just temporary, rather it can set the course of a person's life "on fire.")


Read James 3:7-8. What is the purpose of warning us about the tongue, if there is nothing that we can do about it?

(Since James has warned us of the terrible danger of our tongues, I think his point here is to suggest that we constantly evaluate what we say.)


Salty Tongue


Read James 3:9-10. James just told us that our tongue cannot be tamed, and here is proof of it, right?


How many of you (no need to raise your hand) can identify with these verses? (I don't often "curse" men (I get annoyed with fellow car drivers), but I know that not everything I say is something I would want to repeat in my Bible class.)


Read James 3:11-12. If you, like me, confessed that our tongues are not always producing fresh water, are we doomed? (In James 3:8 he says producing all fresh water (taming the tongue) is not possible for a human. Perhaps there is a legal loophole here. James says a "salt spring" cannot produce fresh water, he does not say a fresh water spring cannot produce salt from time to time.)


What should we conclude? What can we do, especially if you don't like my legal loophole? (Two things. First, what is impossible with humans is possible with God. We need to ask the Holy Spirit to guide our words. Second, I think James is trying to encourage us to pay attention to our speech and realize it reflects our nature.)


Read John 15:5. I attend a small weekly Bible study where I'm not in charge. We were discussing some of James' more difficult statements, such as James 2:24, "a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone." One of the members of the study pointed to the illustration of the vine and branch in John 15:5-8 and said this visual helped her in understanding the relationship between faith and works. If we are "hooked up" by faith to Jesus, we naturally produce works. We can take no credit for the works, but the works demonstrate the "hook up." What do you think of this illustration?


Look again at James 3:12. Is this another "hook up" statement by James? (I think so. James admits we are not perfect and our tongues are difficult problems. He says our words reflect our connection. Either we have a saltwater source, or we have a fresh water source. Either we are hooked up as branches to the vine, or we are not. What we produce reflects the connection of our life.)


Friend, what do your words say about you? If you don't like the result of this self-examination, why not, right now, ask the Holy Spirit to come into your life and repair your connection with Jesus?


Next week: The Humility of Heavenly Wisdom.

 

[blazingthru]

A small break in the lessons, to sort of get caught up, sorry I been gone for so long.

 

[blazingthru]

Introduction: Which do you prefer: to study a topic or a book of the Bible? My preference is to teach books, rather than topics. Why? Because God arranges the order of the material. This quarter we are studying a book! But, of all the books to teach, James would be a contender for my least favorite. On the surface, James stresses works, not grace. He seems to have some sort of dislike for those with money, even though he says showing favoritism is a sin. Some of his statements seem to contradict other statements in the Bible. If you like a challenge, then we have one! We are going to be challenged to dig deeply into James and try to understand what he, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, is really teaching us! This week let's start by learning about James' background.

The Family


Read Matthew 1:20-21. What do you think Jesus' father understood about Jesus' mission?


Read Luke 1:30-34. What part of the angel's message did Mary think was most important?
(The part about her having a baby even though she was a virgin.)


Should Jesus' parents have understood His mission?
(The angels gave Jesus' parents an amazing message. It seems the message was so big, and they were so focused on real life, that they did not properly understand.)


Read Luke 2:41-43. Why would a twelve year-old boy stay behind in Jerusalem? (Read Luke 2:45-47. He was having a great time with the Jewish teachers. He loved to learn.)


Read Luke 2:48. How did Jesus' parents view this?
(They thought that Jesus was mistreating His parents. They were focused on themselves, rather than His work.)


Read Luke 2:49-50. What is the problem here?
(Jesus' parents did not understand His mission.)


Read Mark 3:13-15. Why did Jesus select disciples to be with Him?
(They would aid Him in His ministry.)


Read Mark 3:20-21. Recall that Jesus was born to a working class family. What does it appear they thought about Jesus selecting disciples and attracting crowds?
(That Jesus was out of His mind. He needed to have someone "take charge" of Him.)


Should Jesus' parents have understood what was going on? (They should have understood, but apparently they did not.)


Read Mark 3:22. What did the religious leaders think about Jesus' work? (They said He was demon-possessed.)


If you were Jesus, how would you feel about yourself?

(Your family thinks you are crazy and need to be restrained, and the religious leaders think you are demon-possessed.)


Read John 7:1-5. This is much later in Jesus' ministry. What advice is Jesus being given by His brothers?

(To prove Himself to the world. Perform miracles that many can see and believe.)


Why did they give Jesus this advice?

(Because not even His brothers were convinced that He was a proper "public figure.")


Read Mark 6:1-3. Is Jesus the hero of His hometown? (No! They were offended that Jesus was claiming to be someone special.)


Notice the names of Jesus' half-brothers. It appears that Jesus' oldest half-brother is named James. Later in this study, I hope you will conclude that the author of the book of James is Jesus' oldest half-brother. Given what we have learned about the attitude of Jesus' parents, Jesus' family, and those in Jesus' hometown, what kind of attitude would you expect that James would have about Jesus?
* I think that they were step brothers. Mary did not give birth to James he was older then Jesus, Joseph had children before he married Mary, evidently his wife and passed away. the authors notes as well that they were step brothers, but the bible say brothers.

The Change


Read Acts 1:10-11. When is this in Jesus' ministry?
(Jesus has been killed, resurrected, appeared to His followers, and now is returning to heaven.)


Read Acts 1:12-14. What has happened with regard to Jesus' family? (They have become convinced. They now believe that Jesus is the Messiah, He is not crazy.)


Read 1 Corinthians 15:3-7. Who is this James? ( Mark 3:16-18 tells us that two of Jesus' disciples are named James. Mark 6:3 tells us that Jesus' oldest half-brother is named James. However, because 1 Corinthians 15:7 sets this James apart from the "the Twelve", this appears to be a reference to Jesus' oldest half-brother.)


Read Galatians 1:15-19. Paul argues that he received his message from Jesus, not from any human. What does this text suggest about James, Jesus' half-brother? (That he was an important figure in the early church.)


Read Galatians 2:9. How important is James? (He is a "pillar" of the early church!)


Read Acts 15:12-14 and Acts 15:19-21. What do we learn about James here? (He is the head of the early church. He declares his judgment (apparently on behalf of the early church) on what should be required of the Gentile converts.)


As we see this transformation in James' views, and his importance in the early church rise, does this make sense to you?

(Yes. James has first-hand knowledge of Jesus' life on earth from the very beginning. He becomes convinced that Jesus is the Messiah. No doubt James' parents shared with him what the angel told them. Second, it seems natural that the early church would be attracted to a brother of Jesus. They had the same mother. They might have looked alike. Perhaps their voices were similar. Jesus returned to heaven, but His brother was still here.)

*God probably allowed Jesus to look like his family, I guess it would be odd if your child look so dramatically different then the rest of your children.

From a lawyer's evidentiary point of view, I realize that I have not perfectly "proven" that James, the half-brother of Jesus, is the one who wrote the book we are studying. But, that is the majority view and it seems right to me.)


The Book


Read James 1:1. Given what we have learned, does this introduction seem right to you? (What James says is no doubt correct, it is what he does not say that bothers me.)


Why does James omit "and half-brother of our beloved Savior Jesus?" (He is more modest than most of us!)


Is his modesty misplaced? (The early church thought James was special, no doubt at least in part because of his relationship with Jesus. I think the relationship gives him a special position that he should have stated. Perhaps James thought "People already know, I don't need to say it.")


What significance do you attach to the fact that James aimed his letter at Jewish converts rather than Gentile converts? (This might help to explain his later emphasis on works.)


Look again at James 1:1. What do we know about the Jews being "scattered among the nations?" (Read Acts 11:19-21. The death of Stephen started a "great persecution" among the early believers with the result that they were "scattered throughout Judea and Samaria." Acts 8:1.)


Read James 1:2. How many of you want joy in your life? How many want trials? (No doubt we all want joy and we all would like to avoid trials. Remember, James' audience is those who have left their homes to avoid persecution.)


What does James say is the relationship between joy and trials? (He says we should look for joy in trials.)


Read James 1:3. Looking for joy in trials seems counter-intuitive. Why is it reasonable to look for joy? (Trials test our faith and that develops perseverance.)


I've got to say that I do not put joy and perseverance in the same box! Perseverance brings to mind a continuing problem. How do you look at this?


Read James 1:4. How does this explain joy? (James tells us that trials teach us perseverance, and perseverance gives us all the tools we need. Knowing that is a source of joy.)


Friend, do you identify with this lesson? Are you one who thought Jesus' teachings were crazy, but later, like James, have come to be a true believer? Perhaps you were the one whose family thought you were crazy because of your faith. One lesson I've learned in life is that if I'm "converted" from one view to another, I hold my new view much more strongly. No doubt James was a strong believer. Will you join me in seriously considering what James has for us in the following studies?

 

[blazingthru]

The Perfecting of Our Faith
(James 1:2-11)

Introduction: In Matthew 5:10-12 Jesus says those who are persecuted "because of righteousness" are blessed, and those who are insulted and defamed because of Jesus are blessed. Most people would call that a bad day at work! The Dali Lama, a Buddhist, has some interesting things to say about being mistreated by enemies. He says something like, "How many enemies do you have? How many people mistreat you? Consider this an unique opportunity to improve your character!" Jesus and James are pointing us on the path to heaven, the Dali Lama is not, but they all understand the relationship between problems and character development. Let's dive into our study of the Bible and learn more!

Persecution


Read James 1:2-4. What do trials and testing do for us? (We discussed this last week. It makes us mature and complete - we have all the tools needed to be on the path to right living.)


Read James 1:5. Wait a minute! If being mature and complete is the complete toolkit, why does James mention wisdom?


Is wisdom the same as maturity? (Maturity can simply mean "old," and we all know some old people who are not wise.)


Think about this for a little while. James says that tough times teach us perseverance and maturity. How is that different from wisdom?


If wisdom is different, how does it relate to this issue of being persecuted?

(A difficult experience can teach wisdom to deal with that kind of problem. But, it takes wisdom to realize this. James tells us things we don't like to hear - trials and testing do us some good. Then he says, if this doesn't make sense to you, ask God for wisdom.)


Wisdom


Look again at James 1:5. How do we acquire wisdom? (Ask God for it!)


If you are honest, how many of your "persecutions" and "troubles" are your own fault? If you were wise in the beginning, would you have avoided these problems?


Is this another aspect of wisdom - wisdom not only shows us the benefit of trials, but it will help us to avoid going through trials?


In Matthew 5:10 Jesus says we are blessed when our troubles arise from doing right, from standing up for Jesus. James does not limit the source of the trouble, although he does refer to the "testing of your faith" ( James 1:3). Will trouble be an opportunity for learning regardless of the reason for it? (I think so.)


How often do we teach our young people about wisdom? You can learn things the hard way or the easy way. If you create your own trouble you have the opportunity to learn. But, if you ask God for wisdom, you can learn without the pain. Is this something that we stress?


Is some pain inevitable? (Jesus refers to pain that results from doing the right thing. Living in a sinful world opens us up to pain.)


Look again at James 1:5. Why does the text refer to God not "finding fault?" Why mention this in the context of asking God for wisdom? (God will not say, "You've been too stupid in the past, or made too many mistakes, to deserve wisdom.")


How is intelligence different than wisdom? Or, are they the same? (Wisdom can be called "emotional intelligence," and it is something that can be learned. You are born with a certain amount of native intelligence - and increasing it is difficult. But, your wisdom can greatly increase.)


Read James 1:19-20. What wisdom lessons do we find here? (These are rules of emotional intelligence. Listen before you talk. Listen carefully. Think about what you are about to say and don't speak immediately when you are angry. The rule is that listening should be automatic. Speaking or getting angry should be carefully considered.)


What does this have to do with trials? (If you follow this rule, the number of trials you face will greatly diminish.)


Faith


Read James 1:6-8. What is the context here - what is this person asking for? (Wisdom.)


Is God's gift of wisdom guaranteed if we ask and believe? (Yes! James says that only doubting will keep us from having the gift.)


What is the problem with doubting? (It allows our emotions to go all over the place. It makes us unstable. Worse, it denies us the gift of wisdom.)


Look again at James 1:8. How serious is the problem of doubting God? (It makes us unstable in all that we do.)


Do you know people like this? They have weak faith. They are always facing some sort of trial. The result is that their life is "blown and tossed" about. James says the cure is believing God.


Pride


Read James 1:9 and Proverbs 8:12-13. James just told us that if we ask God for wisdom, He will give it to us. Proverbs adds that wisdom hates pride. Now James tells us that those in "humble circumstances" should take pride. Is James confused?


Are these "humble circumstance" people the ones who doubted and missed out on wisdom? (It is hard to believe that James actually means "pride." Instead, I think he is saying that if we live modestly because we are poor, there is no shame in that.)


Read James 1:10. Let's try the Bruce Cameron paraphrase: "Those rich low-lives should be happy to know they will die soon." Do you think this reflects the general teaching of the Bible?


Read Ecclesiastes 5:19 and Deuteronomy 28:12-13. What do these say about wealth? (They say that wealth, and the enjoyment of wealth, is a gift of God. It is a reward for obedience.)


What do you think: is there a connection between being poor and being righteous?


Read James 1:11. Here is a hint about wealth - the rich guy dies while he is still working! No wonder he is rich. Is James saying that rich people die more easily?


I believe that the entire Bible is inspired by God. How should we understand James' nasty note about wealth when the Bible elsewhere says wealth is a blessing from God? (I don't think James is saying that poor people should be proud and rich people should expect to die soon - as if wealth caused death. Instead, James is saying that whether we are rich or poor, we are all subject to death. Human dignity exists for all as long as they have life. The rich man may still be rich ("he goes about his business"), but that does not keep him from dying just like the poor person.)


Read Ecclesiastes 9:4. Would you rather be a lion or a dog? (A lion!)


Would you rather be a live dog or a dead lion? (Solomon votes for the live dog. I think that is James' point - death is the great equalizer. The rich should not think they are superior, because they, too, will die.)


Read Luke 8:14. This is part of Jesus' parable about the Kingdom of God being like a farmer planting seed. What is the caution here about wealth? (The rich can become preoccupied by their riches and pleasures and turn away from the gospel.)


Read Proverbs 18:11. Is this true? (Yes. Money can protect you from many bad things.)


What is the problem with that? (You depend on your money and not on God. When you rely on money more than God, money is your idol. You are fooled because you "imagine it an unscalable wall" - and it is not.)


Consider what we have studied. We should prize persecution. We should take pride in "humble circumstances." The rich will die soon. Is there a theme here? (Yes, the common theme is to trust God. That is also the key to wisdom, trusting that God will give us understanding about the important things in life.)


Friend, why not ask God for wisdom right now?

 

[MrsHaseeb]

Good to see you posting again blazingthru

 

[blazingthru]

Good to see you posting again blazingthru

Hey Mrs. Lady, Thanks, I haven't gotten my computer up and running yet since I moved. I will be up and running probably this weekend. I hope. my time on here is so limited for now but soon, I'll be back in the mix.