Which person needs God's grace more: the conscientious, dutiful, hardworking Christian, or the most decadent, hard-living sinner? Explain your answer.
Okay, so this is a trick question because both need God's grace EQUALLY!
In God's eyes, we are all sinners and there is no difference between the sins - therefore we all need His grace equally.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Lesson One - Going Deeper Section 3
Romans 3:22-24
This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
Galatians 5:2-4
Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.
Ephesians 2:4-7
But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.
What is the relationship between the grace of God and the righteousness of Christ?
We receive the grace of God through the righteousness of Christ. If you try to justify your life through your actions being good you have pushed yourself away from Christ. When God looks at us he sees Christ's perfection. That is what lets Him show us his Love/Mercy/Grace - even though we are imperfect.
In essence, you cannot have the grace of God without the righteousness of Christ, but it is through God's grace that we were given the gift of Christ. It's sort of a which came first, the chicken or the egg question, isn't it?
This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
Galatians 5:2-4
Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.
Ephesians 2:4-7
But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.
What is the relationship between the grace of God and the righteousness of Christ?
We receive the grace of God through the righteousness of Christ. If you try to justify your life through your actions being good you have pushed yourself away from Christ. When God looks at us he sees Christ's perfection. That is what lets Him show us his Love/Mercy/Grace - even though we are imperfect.
In essence, you cannot have the grace of God without the righteousness of Christ, but it is through God's grace that we were given the gift of Christ. It's sort of a which came first, the chicken or the egg question, isn't it?
Lesson One - Going Deeper Section 2
Sometimes the word sin doesn't mean anything to a nonbeliever. How would you explain the concept of sin without using the word?
Sin is doing what is wrong, or doing what is not right according to God's rules.
Sin is doing what is wrong, or doing what is not right according to God's rules.
Lesson One - Going Deeper Section 1
Leviticus 16:1-34
The LORD spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron who died when they approached the LORD. The LORD said to Moses: "Tell your brother Aaron not to come whenever he chooses into the Most Holy Place behind the curtain in front of the atonement cover on the ark, or else he will die, because I appear in the cloud over the atonement cover.
"This is how Aaron is to enter the sanctuary area: with a young bull for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering. He is to put on the sacred linen tunic, with linen undergarments next to his body; he is to tie the linen sash around him and put on the linen turban. These are sacred garments; so he must bathe himself with water before he puts them on. From the Israelite community he is to take two male goats for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering.
"Aaron is to offer the bull for his own sin offering to make atonement for himself and his household. Then he is to take the two goats and present them before the LORD at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. He is to cast lots for the two goats—one lot for the LORD and the other for the scapegoat. Aaron shall bring the goat whose lot falls to the LORD and sacrifice it for a sin offering. But the goat chosen by lot as the scapegoat shall be presented alive before the LORD to be used for making atonement by sending it into the desert as a scapegoat.
"Aaron shall bring the bull for his own sin offering to make atonement for himself and his household, and he is to slaughter the bull for his own sin offering. He is to take a censer full of burning coals from the altar before the LORD and two handfuls of finely ground fragrant incense and take them behind the curtain. He is to put the incense on the fire before the LORD, and the smoke of the incense will conceal the atonement cover above the Testimony, so that he will not die. He is to take some of the bull's blood and with his finger sprinkle it on the front of the atonement cover; then he shall sprinkle some of it with his finger seven times before the atonement cover.
"He shall then slaughter the goat for the sin offering for the people and take its blood behind the curtain and do with it as he did with the bull's blood: He shall sprinkle it on the atonement cover and in front of it. In this way he will make atonement for the Most Holy Place because of the uncleanness and rebellion of the Israelites, whatever their sins have been. He is to do the same for the Tent of Meeting, which is among them in the midst of their uncleanness. No one is to be in the Tent of Meeting from the time Aaron goes in to make atonement in the Most Holy Place until he comes out, having made atonement for himself, his household and the whole community of Israel.
"Then he shall come out to the altar that is before the LORD and make atonement for it. He shall take some of the bull's blood and some of the goat's blood and put it on all the horns of the altar. He shall sprinkle some of the blood on it with his finger seven times to cleanse it and to consecrate it from the uncleanness of the Israelites.
"When Aaron has finished making atonement for the Most Holy Place, the Tent of Meeting and the altar, he shall bring forward the live goat. He is to lay both hands on the head of the live goat and confess over it all the wickedness and rebellion of the Israelites—all their sins—and put them on the goat's head. He shall send the goat away into the desert in the care of a man appointed for the task. The goat will carry on itself all their sins to a solitary place; and the man shall release it in the desert.
"Then Aaron is to go into the Tent of Meeting and take off the linen garments he put on before he entered the Most Holy Place, and he is to leave them there. He shall bathe himself with water in a holy place and put on his regular garments. Then he shall come out and sacrifice the burnt offering for himself and the burnt offering for the people, to make atonement for himself and for the people. He shall also burn the fat of the sin offering on the altar.
"The man who releases the goat as a scapegoat must wash his clothes and bathe himself with water; afterward he may come into the camp. The bull and the goat for the sin offerings, whose blood was brought into the Most Holy Place to make atonement, must be taken outside the camp; their hides, flesh and offal are to be burned up. The man who burns them must wash his clothes and bathe himself with water; afterward he may come into the camp.
"This is to be a lasting ordinance for you: On the tenth day of the seventh month you must deny yourselves and not do any work—whether native-born or an alien living among you- because on this day atonement will be made for you, to cleanse you. Then, before the LORD, you will be clean from all your sins. It is a sabbath of rest, and you must deny yourselves; it is a lasting ordinance. The priest who is anointed and ordained to succeed his father as high priest is to make atonement. He is to put on the sacred linen garments and make atonement for the Most Holy Place, for the Tent of Meeting and the altar, and for the priests and all the people of the community.
"This is to be a lasting ordinance for you: Atonement is to be made once a year for all the sins of the Israelites."
And it was done, as the LORD commanded Moses.
2 Samuel 12:9-10
Why did you despise the word of the LORD by doing what is evil in his eyes? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own. You killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.'
1 Kings 13:21-22
He cried out to the man of God who had come from Judah, "This is what the LORD says: 'You have defied the word of the LORD and have not kept the command the LORD your God gave you. You came back and ate bread and drank water in the place where he told you not to eat or drink. Therefore your body will not be buried in the tomb of your fathers.' "
What insights do the above verses give us about God's view of our sin?
It seems to me that without Jesus it takes a lot of work and a LOT of innocent blood to atone for our sin. In Leviticus 16:1-34 it describes the lengths people had to go through before Jesus to be cleansed from sin in God's sight.
In Samuel 12:9-10 it talks about how when you do harm to another person to get your own way that harm stays with you - which I take to mean a sort of you reap what you sow. Although really the main thing I took from it is that He doesn't like it when we do what we want instead of what He wants.
In 1Kings 13:21-22 it says if you do what he tells you not to, he will keep you from being with your fathers. He simply wants us to do what he asks us to do.
The LORD spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron who died when they approached the LORD. The LORD said to Moses: "Tell your brother Aaron not to come whenever he chooses into the Most Holy Place behind the curtain in front of the atonement cover on the ark, or else he will die, because I appear in the cloud over the atonement cover.
"This is how Aaron is to enter the sanctuary area: with a young bull for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering. He is to put on the sacred linen tunic, with linen undergarments next to his body; he is to tie the linen sash around him and put on the linen turban. These are sacred garments; so he must bathe himself with water before he puts them on. From the Israelite community he is to take two male goats for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering.
"Aaron is to offer the bull for his own sin offering to make atonement for himself and his household. Then he is to take the two goats and present them before the LORD at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. He is to cast lots for the two goats—one lot for the LORD and the other for the scapegoat. Aaron shall bring the goat whose lot falls to the LORD and sacrifice it for a sin offering. But the goat chosen by lot as the scapegoat shall be presented alive before the LORD to be used for making atonement by sending it into the desert as a scapegoat.
"Aaron shall bring the bull for his own sin offering to make atonement for himself and his household, and he is to slaughter the bull for his own sin offering. He is to take a censer full of burning coals from the altar before the LORD and two handfuls of finely ground fragrant incense and take them behind the curtain. He is to put the incense on the fire before the LORD, and the smoke of the incense will conceal the atonement cover above the Testimony, so that he will not die. He is to take some of the bull's blood and with his finger sprinkle it on the front of the atonement cover; then he shall sprinkle some of it with his finger seven times before the atonement cover.
"He shall then slaughter the goat for the sin offering for the people and take its blood behind the curtain and do with it as he did with the bull's blood: He shall sprinkle it on the atonement cover and in front of it. In this way he will make atonement for the Most Holy Place because of the uncleanness and rebellion of the Israelites, whatever their sins have been. He is to do the same for the Tent of Meeting, which is among them in the midst of their uncleanness. No one is to be in the Tent of Meeting from the time Aaron goes in to make atonement in the Most Holy Place until he comes out, having made atonement for himself, his household and the whole community of Israel.
"Then he shall come out to the altar that is before the LORD and make atonement for it. He shall take some of the bull's blood and some of the goat's blood and put it on all the horns of the altar. He shall sprinkle some of the blood on it with his finger seven times to cleanse it and to consecrate it from the uncleanness of the Israelites.
"When Aaron has finished making atonement for the Most Holy Place, the Tent of Meeting and the altar, he shall bring forward the live goat. He is to lay both hands on the head of the live goat and confess over it all the wickedness and rebellion of the Israelites—all their sins—and put them on the goat's head. He shall send the goat away into the desert in the care of a man appointed for the task. The goat will carry on itself all their sins to a solitary place; and the man shall release it in the desert.
"Then Aaron is to go into the Tent of Meeting and take off the linen garments he put on before he entered the Most Holy Place, and he is to leave them there. He shall bathe himself with water in a holy place and put on his regular garments. Then he shall come out and sacrifice the burnt offering for himself and the burnt offering for the people, to make atonement for himself and for the people. He shall also burn the fat of the sin offering on the altar.
"The man who releases the goat as a scapegoat must wash his clothes and bathe himself with water; afterward he may come into the camp. The bull and the goat for the sin offerings, whose blood was brought into the Most Holy Place to make atonement, must be taken outside the camp; their hides, flesh and offal are to be burned up. The man who burns them must wash his clothes and bathe himself with water; afterward he may come into the camp.
"This is to be a lasting ordinance for you: On the tenth day of the seventh month you must deny yourselves and not do any work—whether native-born or an alien living among you- because on this day atonement will be made for you, to cleanse you. Then, before the LORD, you will be clean from all your sins. It is a sabbath of rest, and you must deny yourselves; it is a lasting ordinance. The priest who is anointed and ordained to succeed his father as high priest is to make atonement. He is to put on the sacred linen garments and make atonement for the Most Holy Place, for the Tent of Meeting and the altar, and for the priests and all the people of the community.
"This is to be a lasting ordinance for you: Atonement is to be made once a year for all the sins of the Israelites."
And it was done, as the LORD commanded Moses.
2 Samuel 12:9-10
Why did you despise the word of the LORD by doing what is evil in his eyes? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own. You killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.'
1 Kings 13:21-22
He cried out to the man of God who had come from Judah, "This is what the LORD says: 'You have defied the word of the LORD and have not kept the command the LORD your God gave you. You came back and ate bread and drank water in the place where he told you not to eat or drink. Therefore your body will not be buried in the tomb of your fathers.' "
What insights do the above verses give us about God's view of our sin?
It seems to me that without Jesus it takes a lot of work and a LOT of innocent blood to atone for our sin. In Leviticus 16:1-34 it describes the lengths people had to go through before Jesus to be cleansed from sin in God's sight.
In Samuel 12:9-10 it talks about how when you do harm to another person to get your own way that harm stays with you - which I take to mean a sort of you reap what you sow. Although really the main thing I took from it is that He doesn't like it when we do what we want instead of what He wants.
In 1Kings 13:21-22 it says if you do what he tells you not to, he will keep you from being with your fathers. He simply wants us to do what he asks us to do.
Lesson One - Exploring Grace Section 9
How can you guard against these attitudes of self-righteousness and spiritual pride? Decide on one specific thing you plan to do this week to guard against depending on your performance to earn God's favor. For Example:
- For one day, keep a running tally on a three-by-five inch card of the times you think sinful thoughts. Each time you make a mark on the card, stop and thank God that your forgiveness was procured at Calvary and that by His grace you are growing in Him.
- Make a list of God's blessings in your life in the last year. Put a check beside anything on your list that you earned through your behavior.
- Make a list of some of your accomplishments in life. Put a check beside any that you achieved on your own efforts, without any help from God.
I think that I will try to keep a running tally of every time I feel that I am better than someone else in a situation. I will make a mark on a 3x5 card every time I lose my patients with someone for not being as "good" as I am or whenever I start to feel superior in any way. Every time I make a mark I will stop and remind myself that I am flawed and thank Him for His grace and the forgiveness paid at Calvary.
Lesson One - Exploring Grace Section 8
Do you ever experience feelings of self-righteousness and spiritual pride creeping into your life? In what circumstances do you find yourself most vulnerable to these kinds of thoughts.
I'm a very proud person and it is something that I struggle with all the time. "At least I'm not like that" is a common failing of mine. It's hard not to give sin degrees of severity in your own mind. I mean, obviously I'm better than that woman who's cheating on her husband or that man who beats his wife or that teenage mother who neglets her child... except... in God's eyes, I'm not better than any of them. And it's hard to put yourself in that mindset. It's really something I need to work on. I want to be able to humble myself before God and I struggle with it a lot.
I'm a very proud person and it is something that I struggle with all the time. "At least I'm not like that" is a common failing of mine. It's hard not to give sin degrees of severity in your own mind. I mean, obviously I'm better than that woman who's cheating on her husband or that man who beats his wife or that teenage mother who neglets her child... except... in God's eyes, I'm not better than any of them. And it's hard to put yourself in that mindset. It's really something I need to work on. I want to be able to humble myself before God and I struggle with it a lot.
Lesson One - Exploring Grace Section 7
Give an example of a recent time when you were tempted to think that God's blessings in your life depended on your performance. For Example:
- You missed your quiet time. When things went wrong during the day, you attributed it to God's disappointment for missing your time with Him.
- You had an especially worshipful time with the Lord, reading His Word, praising Him, and interceding for your friends. When you needed the Lord's help with a particular problem, you felt He owed you this favor.
I will admit that it has crossed my mind that the reason John and I haven't gotten pregnant was because we weren't close to God (going to church, nourishing our spirit, worshiping Him.) Conversely I also have though that God should let me get pregnant because I did things in the "right" order... I mean, he blesses people who don't want/care for/about children with them, so of course he should bless me!
And as I sit here and read that - it makes me think of how a young child might react to a parent. Well - I was bad for wetting the bed so I deserve a time out... or I was better than my little sister, so don't I deserve a little more ice cream than she got? It seems so silly when you look at it that way.
I mean, the young child can't help wetting the bed - just as we are bound to sin... we can be sorry for it, but He knows it's going to happen and He's already forgiven us - so why withhold the Gifts he has planned for us? That would be silly!
And the gifts are His to give, not mine to expect. Just because I thought I did something better or deserve more... that's what I think because I am the central focus of my thoughts in that instance. Just like a child might not see something that their sibling did to deserve that same large scoop of ice cream, so I don't see the hearts that God sees in others because I don't look at them as my equals in sin when I am wrapped in my selfishness.
Lesson One - Exploring Grace Section 6
What do you think makes it so hard for a person to rely on God's grace rather than his own efforts?
I think deep down it's hard for us to accept that we are so bad it doesn't matter what we do. Like all children, we want to be pleasing in our Parent's eyes. So when we do something bad - we try to make up for it. We see God as our ultimate Father and look at him in the same light we do any authority figure. We try to prove that we're good enough, that we're worth his love and pride. I also think it's hard to come to terms with the fact that his Grace has already been paid for in ALL forms... that even though we don't deserve it, we get it no matter what we do. I think today people can be so cynical - it's hard to believe we get something for nothing. We fail to realize that faith isn't "nothing" It takes a LOT to have/keep our faith - especially in times of adversity.
I think deep down it's hard for us to accept that we are so bad it doesn't matter what we do. Like all children, we want to be pleasing in our Parent's eyes. So when we do something bad - we try to make up for it. We see God as our ultimate Father and look at him in the same light we do any authority figure. We try to prove that we're good enough, that we're worth his love and pride. I also think it's hard to come to terms with the fact that his Grace has already been paid for in ALL forms... that even though we don't deserve it, we get it no matter what we do. I think today people can be so cynical - it's hard to believe we get something for nothing. We fail to realize that faith isn't "nothing" It takes a LOT to have/keep our faith - especially in times of adversity.
Lesson One - Exploring Grace Section 5
Romans 11:6
And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace
Galatians 5:2-6
Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.
Look at the above verses. What do they teach about trying to mix grace and works as the basis for a relationship with God?
The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love. It's not what you do - it's why you do it. Do you do a good thing because it makes you look good, or you think it's what you should do - or do you do a good thing because you Love God and you want to do that good thing to honor him? If you do it out of Love, it gives your action meaning - but it doesn't make you good.
Besides, trying to buy your way into heaven by being good, cheapens God's gift of grace. Because if we could do it ourselves, it would make His grace have no meaning. It's sort of like when you get a phone call promising some great vacation for ABSOLUTELY FREE!!!! When really, you have to go sit in on a presentation and then take part in a time share... well, that makes the whole ABSOLUTELY FREE thing sort of meaningless... By doing good works it's like we're saying to God "No, I know there's a catch! It can't possibly be FREE - so I'll just build up some credit on my own - you know... just in case" We don't like it when people cheapen our gifts - why would God?
And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace
Galatians 5:2-6
Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.
Look at the above verses. What do they teach about trying to mix grace and works as the basis for a relationship with God?
The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love. It's not what you do - it's why you do it. Do you do a good thing because it makes you look good, or you think it's what you should do - or do you do a good thing because you Love God and you want to do that good thing to honor him? If you do it out of Love, it gives your action meaning - but it doesn't make you good.
Besides, trying to buy your way into heaven by being good, cheapens God's gift of grace. Because if we could do it ourselves, it would make His grace have no meaning. It's sort of like when you get a phone call promising some great vacation for ABSOLUTELY FREE!!!! When really, you have to go sit in on a presentation and then take part in a time share... well, that makes the whole ABSOLUTELY FREE thing sort of meaningless... By doing good works it's like we're saying to God "No, I know there's a catch! It can't possibly be FREE - so I'll just build up some credit on my own - you know... just in case" We don't like it when people cheapen our gifts - why would God?
Lesson One - Exploring Grace Section 4
Galatians 3:3
Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?
Philippians 1:6
being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
Many Christians believe that their justification is based on grace, the blessings in their Christian life are based on works, and their future glorification will be based on grace. Where is the error in this thinking? (see Galatians 3:3 and Philippians 1:6)
There is nothing that we can do to get where we want to go. Give God all the credit - it belongs to him anyway. 'Twas Grace that brought me here and Grace will lead me home... so too shall Grace help me lead my life... I can't do it by myself - and God doesn't want me to. He wants to do it - and he's the only one who can!
Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?
Philippians 1:6
being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
Many Christians believe that their justification is based on grace, the blessings in their Christian life are based on works, and their future glorification will be based on grace. Where is the error in this thinking? (see Galatians 3:3 and Philippians 1:6)
There is nothing that we can do to get where we want to go. Give God all the credit - it belongs to him anyway. 'Twas Grace that brought me here and Grace will lead me home... so too shall Grace help me lead my life... I can't do it by myself - and God doesn't want me to. He wants to do it - and he's the only one who can!
Lesson One - Exploring Grace Section 3
Philippians 3:1-14
Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you.
Watch out for those dogs, those men who do evil, those mutilators of the flesh. For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh— though I myself have reasons for such confidence.
If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless.
But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
In Philippians 3:1-14 Paul contrasts the attitude of legalism with a true understanding of the transforming grace of God. In the following chart, contrast a legalist trying to earn God's favor and a person trusting in God's grace.
Basis of a relationship with God
Feelings toward God
Motivation for Good behavior
Reason for feeling bad about failures
Treatment of others who have fallen short
Basis of strength during trials
Basis of strength to serve the Lord
So... I didn't understand the chart. But I think the main difference between Legalists and a person trusting in Grace is that once you have accepted that you aren't enough you can base your relationship with God and your service of him as Love for him and Joy in him. There are no ulterior motives and no false pride. When you try to legitimize your relationship with God by doing "good works" it becomes all about you and not about HIM. But really, it is all about HIM. Additionally, once you give it over to Him, you are no longer motivated by fear like you would be if you were trying to do enough to earn his favor and failing.
Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you.
Watch out for those dogs, those men who do evil, those mutilators of the flesh. For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh— though I myself have reasons for such confidence.
If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless.
But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
In Philippians 3:1-14 Paul contrasts the attitude of legalism with a true understanding of the transforming grace of God. In the following chart, contrast a legalist trying to earn God's favor and a person trusting in God's grace.
Basis of a relationship with God
Feelings toward God
Motivation for Good behavior
Reason for feeling bad about failures
Treatment of others who have fallen short
Basis of strength during trials
Basis of strength to serve the Lord
So... I didn't understand the chart. But I think the main difference between Legalists and a person trusting in Grace is that once you have accepted that you aren't enough you can base your relationship with God and your service of him as Love for him and Joy in him. There are no ulterior motives and no false pride. When you try to legitimize your relationship with God by doing "good works" it becomes all about you and not about HIM. But really, it is all about HIM. Additionally, once you give it over to Him, you are no longer motivated by fear like you would be if you were trying to do enough to earn his favor and failing.
Lesson One - Exploring Grace Section 2
Why is it important to focus on your spiritual condition apart from Christ in order to understand God's grace?
I believe it is important to focus on your spiritual condition apart from Christ because in order to understand God's grace you have to first realize that without Christ, you are not good enough for God. Seeing yourself as a sinner, it makes you appreciate that even though you don't deserve it - even though there is no way for you to earn it - God loves you and will fill your life with his wonders and all you have to do is accept them as the GIFT that they truly are.
I believe it is important to focus on your spiritual condition apart from Christ because in order to understand God's grace you have to first realize that without Christ, you are not good enough for God. Seeing yourself as a sinner, it makes you appreciate that even though you don't deserve it - even though there is no way for you to earn it - God loves you and will fill your life with his wonders and all you have to do is accept them as the GIFT that they truly are.
Lesson One - Exploring Grace Section 1
Isiah 53:6 -
We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to his own way;
and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
Romans 3:10-20 - As it is written:
"There is no one righteous,not even one;
there is no one who understands,
no one who seeks God.
All have turned away,
they have together become worthless;
there is no one who does good,
not even one."
"Their throats are open graves;
their tongues practice deceit."
"The poison of vipers is on their lips."
"Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness."
"Their feet are swift to shed blood;
ruin and misery mark their ways,
and the way of peace they do not know."
"There is no fear of God before their eyes."
Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.
a. What do the above verses say about your spiritual condition apart from Christ?
Isaiah 53:6 says that we have all put ourselves on our own path instead of the one that God chose for us. God laid our iniquity (our failings) onto Jesus.
Romans 3:10-20 says that everyone is a sinner. We all have these inequities that make it impossible for us to do enough good before God to make us righteous in his eyes. It is only by having our failings paid for by someone who was perfect that he can even stand to see us with Mercy.
b. Relate an experience that made you keenly aware of your spiritual "bankruptcy" apart from Christ.
I'm not sure how to answer that. I know that there is nothing I can ever do to earn my way to heaven. But even after reading the chapter's in the book and the scripture - I can't say that I have ever had an "AHA!" moment that said I was more "bankrupt" than any other time in my life. I have the general knowledge that I'm spiritually bankrupt - that only through God do I get to have anything.
Lesson One - Warm Up
Tell about a time when someone (a parent, teacher, or friend) treated you with grace instead of treating you as your behavior deserved.
I had a history teacher in middle school. She caught me writing down answers on my desk before the test. She brought me over some Windex and a paper towel and said "I think your desk could use a cleaning before I pass out the test."
She could have made an example of me. She could have chosen to embarrass me in front of the class. She could have sent me to the principal or given me detention. All these things I deserved - but instead, she treated me with mercy and gave me a clean slate... Grace.
I had a history teacher in middle school. She caught me writing down answers on my desk before the test. She brought me over some Windex and a paper towel and said "I think your desk could use a cleaning before I pass out the test."
She could have made an example of me. She could have chosen to embarrass me in front of the class. She could have sent me to the principal or given me detention. All these things I deserved - but instead, she treated me with mercy and gave me a clean slate... Grace.
Lesson One - The Performance Treadmill
The Performance Treadmill
Chapters 1 and 2
The Central Idea of these chapters is that God's grace alone saves us, helps us grow, meets our daily needs, and guarantees our future in heaven. These blessings are never given to us based on our performance.
Chapters 1 and 2
The Central Idea of these chapters is that God's grace alone saves us, helps us grow, meets our daily needs, and guarantees our future in heaven. These blessings are never given to us based on our performance.
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