GOD IS!

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Responding To Grace364. The law was given in order that Christians have an inspired sourceof learning and edification under the new law of Christ (Rm 15:4; 1Co 10:11).Jesus redeemed us from having tobe justified by law. Under the Old Testamentlaw it was impossible “that theblood of bulls and goats could takeaway sins” (Hb 10:4). But under theNew Testament law we are under acovenant relationship with God whosays, “Their sins and iniquities I will rememberno more” (Hb 10:17). Godsaid this because of the sacrificial bloodof Jesus for all men. The Bible saysthat “we have been sanctified throughthe offering of the body of Jesus Christonce for all” (Hb 10:10). This is greatnews! Christians, therefore, are sanctifiedby the sacrifice of Jesus. Theydo not have to seek justification by thekeeping of Old Testament laws as animalsacrifices.SELF TEST1. ____ In reference to the Old Testamentlaw, Jesus said that He did not come to destroybut to ... (A) ... fulfill, (B) ... terminate,(C) ... re-establish2. ____ Jesus said, “Do not think that I cameto destroy the law or the ... (A) ... Prophets,(B) ... Psalms, (C) ... covenants3. ____ By what are Christians made deadto the law? (A) Hope, (B) The body of Christ,(C) The works of law4. ____ From what is one fallen if he seeksto be justified by perfect law-keeping? (A)Faith, (B) Hope, (C) Grace5. ____ Now that Christ has come, what hashappened to the Old Testament law? (A) Itwas taken away, (B) It was added to law ofChrist, (C) It was re-established6. ____ What part did the Old Testament lawplay in bringing Israel to Christ? (A) Headmaster,(B) Brought salvation to Israel, (C)Proof of God's existence7. ____ What could the sacrifices of the OldTestament law not do? (A) Bring hope, (B)Take away sins, (C) Produce obedienceYES - NO If the Old Testament law was stillin force today, would you have to offer animalsacrifices according to God’s law?SCRIPTURE READING: Rm 7:1-6; Gl 4:21 - 5:2; Hb 10:1-18SCRIPTURE RESEARCH: Abolishment of law: Gl 4:4,5;Ep 2:14-16; Cl 2:14; Hb 9:11-25; 10:9,10, Sacrifice: Hb10:4; 9:15, Better things: Hb 7:19,22; 8:6; 9:23; 10:34;11:35; 12:24RESPONDING TO GRACEStudy 15Of Jesus the Bible says, “For thelaw was given through Moses, butgrace and truth came through JesusChrist” (Jn 1:17). “For the grace ofGod that brings salvation has appearedto all men, teaching us that, denyingungodliness and worldly lusts, weshould live sensibly, righteously, andgodly in the present age” (Ti 2:11,12).These statements of the Bible talkabout grace, God’s loving initiative todeliver us from our predicament of sinand spiritual death.Grace is an action on the part of agiver who gives us something that wedo not deserve nor can we earn. Thisis what we call "unmerited favor." Unmeritedfavor means favor or accep-
Responding To Gracetance that is not earned. God’s gracetoward us means that He acted so asto give us something that we did notearn, nor did we deserve.Here’s the point. We were lost withouthope of living forever. When friendsphysically died, all of us stood aroundtheir graves, sadly feeling that this wasthe end of our loved ones. To many,life was terminated at a gravesite wherethere was no hope. But God did notcreate us for such a devastating end.In order that we have hope, God actedon our behalf. His actions have givenus the opportunity to have hope for eternaldwelling in a heavenly environment.In order for us to have such a hope,there had to be sacrifice; there had tobe an initiative on God’s part that wouldchange the graveyard scene. God’sactions that we have hope were actionsof grace.Keep in mind that God is the onewho had to take the first step. As men,we could do nothing to change our fateof termination at the time of death.Eternal dwelling is God’s realm of existence.And in order that we partakeof this existence, it was necessary thatGod reach down and take us into thisrealm of dwelling. How and what Goddid to accomplish this was an action ofgrace on His part, for we who are limitedto this physical world could do nothingto escape the confines of this world.Our limitation to the world confined usto live after our human inability to keeplaw perfectly, and thus, we lived in sin.God did not have to take the initiativeto bring us into His presence byoffering a sacrifice for the sin that separatesus from Him. God did not have37to take on the form of man in order todie and be raised again that we alsobe raised to eternal life in the end. Butthe fact is, He did. And this is grace.The Bible says, “But God manifestsHis own love toward us, in that whilewe were still sinners, Christ died forus” (Rm 5:8). What a beautiful thoughtand action on the part of God. Hisgrace toward us moved Him into actionto bring us into His realm of dwelling.In this sense, therefore, grace is afree gift. We did not deserve or earn it.The Bible says, “For by grace youhave been saved through faith, and thatnot of yourselves; it is the gift of God,not of works, lest anyone should boast”(Ep 2:8,9). If God had sent Jesus intothe world because we had worked soas to earn such a sacrifice, then thesacrifice of Jesus would not be a freegift of God. It would have been paymentto us for our goodness. But theBible says, "And if by grace, then it isno longer by works; otherwise grace isno more grace" (Rm 11:6). The fact isthat God gave the gift regardless of oursinfulness. He loved us before weloved Him (1 Jn 4:19). The Bible says,“In this is love, not that we loved God,but that He loved us and sent His Sonto be the atoning sacrifice for our sins”(1 Jn 4:10).Our recognitionof God’s action ofgrace should moveus to respond to Hisgrace. When ourfaith obediently respondsto God’sgrace, grace reigns“through righteous- GRACE!
Page 1 and 2: 1AdventuresINTOEternal LifeChanging
Page 3 and 4: ContentsGrace Moves Faith into Acti
Page 6 and 7: The Problem With SinTHE PROBLEM WIT
Page 8 and 9: The Problem With Sinbeing and has t
Page 11 and 12: The State Of ManYES - NO Since ther
Page 13 and 14: Finality Of God’s Wordpiercing ev
Page 15 and 16: Binding Religious Traditionstheir o
Page 17 and 18: Binding Religious TraditionsReligio
Page 19 and 20: Our Dilemma With SinOne is deceivin
Page 21 and 22: Blessing Of The SeedHim according t
Page 23 and 24: The Crushing Of SatanTHE CRUSHING O
Page 25 and 26: The Crushing Of Satan“who is seat
Page 27 and 28: God’s Grace And Man’s Tradition
Page 29 and 30: Establishing A Relationship With Go
Page 31 and 32: Taking Advantage Of God’s GraceWe
Page 33 and 34: God’s Promises Of A New Covenant
Page 35: Establishment Of A New Lawin the se
Page 39 and 40: God’s Invitation To Freedomby bei
Page 41 and 42: Obey The Gospelthrough whom the nat
Page 43 and 44: What Is The Gospel?THE GOSPEL EVENT
Page 45 and 46: Good News For Our ProblemsSELF TEST
Page 47 and 48: Obedience To The Gospelthere is con
Page 49 and 50: The Community Of God’s PeopleSata
Page 51 and 52: The Head Of The Church51THINGS TO L
Page 53 and 54: The Origin Of The Churchday of Pent
Page 55 and 56: The Origin Of The ChurchThe words
Page 57 and 58: The Relational Function Of God’s
Page 59 and 60: Finding God’s PeopleSELF TEST1. _
Page 61 and 62: Worship And Service Of The Churchin
Page 63 and 64: Worship And Service Of The Church5:
Page 65 and 66: Worship And Service Of The Churchci
Page 67 and 68: Searching For God’s PeopleFor the
Page 69 and 70: Starting A Church In Your Housement
Page 71 and 72: Starting A Church In Your HouseSo g
Page 73 and 74: Starting A Church In Your HouseKeep
Page 75 and 76: Starting A Church In Your Housewort
Page 77 and 78: Making An Eternal Commitment To God
Page 79 and 80: A Message From The DirectorA Messag

GOD IS!

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