Jeremiah 29:10-11
This is what the LORD says: "When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my gracious promise to bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Jeremiah 32:38-41
NIV: They will be my people, and I will be their God. I will give them singleness of heart and action, so that they will always fear me for their own good and the good of their children after them. I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never stop doing good to them, and I will inspire them to fear me, so that they will never turn away from me. I will rejoice in doing them good and will assuredly plant them in this land with all my heart and soul.
NLT: They will be my people, and I will be their God. And I will give them one heart and one purpose: to worship me forever, for their own good and for the good of all their descendants. And I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never stop doing good for them. I will put a desire in their hearts to worship me, and they will never leave me. I will find joy doing good for them and will faithfully and wholeheartedly replant them in this land.
What do the above verses say about how God wants to treat us?
I noted in the different translations one used the word Fear and one used the word Worship... I admit that for all his talk of Love - the word Fear was always sort of disconcerting. Substituting Worship (which rolls awe and Love and Fear I think together) helped me feel more secure about how He wants to treat us. He wants to do good for us because it brings Him joy. He wants us to have hope and joy ourselves. He wants to serve us because it makes Him happy to see us happy. And knowing that - He wants us to be more like Him... He wants it to be a complete circle of giving - because when we all give of ourselves to bring joy to others it brings joy to ourselves and glorifies Him as without Him none of us could be joyful servants.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Lesson Two - Going Deeper Section 4
Colossians 1:21-22:
Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation—
Read Colossians 1:21-22. Does the phrase "free from accusation" describe the way you think about yourself? Why, or why not?
The definition of accusation is a charge of wrongdoing; imputation of guilt or blame. To me Free from accusation means that we are never blamed or made to feel guilty by God. And maybe I don't get it - but I do feel guilty. And I think when we stray from His path, if we didn't feel guilty we wouldn't be able to find our way back. So perhaps free from accusation isn't free from the consequence of turning from Him - maybe it's the fact that God accepts us and doesn't blame us for being sinners in general anymore. He still doesn't like for us to sin, but He doesn't stand there and shake His fists because he has accepted it is who we are.
Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation—
Read Colossians 1:21-22. Does the phrase "free from accusation" describe the way you think about yourself? Why, or why not?
The definition of accusation is a charge of wrongdoing; imputation of guilt or blame. To me Free from accusation means that we are never blamed or made to feel guilty by God. And maybe I don't get it - but I do feel guilty. And I think when we stray from His path, if we didn't feel guilty we wouldn't be able to find our way back. So perhaps free from accusation isn't free from the consequence of turning from Him - maybe it's the fact that God accepts us and doesn't blame us for being sinners in general anymore. He still doesn't like for us to sin, but He doesn't stand there and shake His fists because he has accepted it is who we are.
Lesson Two - Going Deeper Section 3
Is it possible to go beyond the point where God can forgive? Explain how a person might feel he has sinned one too many times to receive God's forgiveness, and why those feelings are wrong.
God has already forgiven us everything we have ever done and will ever do. Still, it's easy to forget the completeness of His forgiveness because we ourselves have such a hard time forgiving others completely. How could He possibly forgive me when I am so horrible? We know He is perfect, and in that perfection we expect the judgement that we deserve - but I think when we focus on His perfection, we forget the promise that he won't judge us even though we do deserve it.
God has already forgiven us everything we have ever done and will ever do. Still, it's easy to forget the completeness of His forgiveness because we ourselves have such a hard time forgiving others completely. How could He possibly forgive me when I am so horrible? We know He is perfect, and in that perfection we expect the judgement that we deserve - but I think when we focus on His perfection, we forget the promise that he won't judge us even though we do deserve it.
Lesson Two - Going Deeper Section 2
Compose Lists for the following based on Titus 3:3-7
Titus 3:3-7
At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.
Characteristics of man and what he has done:
foolish, disobedient, deceived, enslaved by passions and pleasures. Lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.
Characteristics of God and what He has done:
Kind, loving, Merciful - saved us by renewing us in the Holy Spirit through Jesus so we can have eternal life.
Titus 3:3-7
At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.
Characteristics of man and what he has done:
foolish, disobedient, deceived, enslaved by passions and pleasures. Lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.
Characteristics of God and what He has done:
Kind, loving, Merciful - saved us by renewing us in the Holy Spirit through Jesus so we can have eternal life.
Lesson Two - Going Deeper Section 1
What does it mean when we say that Christ made atonement for our sins? Look at the following verses and see how they help you understand atonement.
John 3:36
"Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him."
Romans 3:25
God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished—
Hebrews 2:17
For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.
1 John 2:2; 4:10
He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.
This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
The definition of Atonement is: amends or reparation made for an injury or wrong; expiation.
Guilt is said to be expiated when it is visited with punishment falling on a substitute. Expiation is made for our sins when they are punished not in ourselves but in another who consents to stand in our room. It is that by which reconciliation is effected. Sin is thus said to be "covered" by vicarious satisfaction.
John 3:36
"Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him."
Romans 3:25
God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished—
Hebrews 2:17
For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.
1 John 2:2; 4:10
He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.
This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
The definition of Atonement is: amends or reparation made for an injury or wrong; expiation.
Guilt is said to be expiated when it is visited with punishment falling on a substitute. Expiation is made for our sins when they are punished not in ourselves but in another who consents to stand in our room. It is that by which reconciliation is effected. Sin is thus said to be "covered" by vicarious satisfaction.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)