I decided to write out my answers for lesson 7 but it seems I am too wordy because I wasn’t allowed to post it in the comments section. So instead I will post my answers here.
(I didn’t get them all done because Wes was rushing me out the door.)
1. What is wrong with trying to be saved in your own way?
If you are trying to saved in your own way, then you are not working with God. It is your self-preferring nature that you are serving, trying to show that you don't need God, that you can do things on your own. Kind of like a two year old, they are always saying "I do it!". We humans are like those self determined toddlers telling God, I will do it. I don't want to owe you, I don't want to do things your way, I am doing just fine on my own. But in time, if we are watching and wise, we will see, just like those two year olds as they get older and wiser with more experience, that maybe God is okay, that God is right. His ways are good, and freeing and make our life better.
2. What part do our thoughts and our words have in our response to salvation?
Who we are starts with our thoughts, our inner most being. So to become something different it has to start with our thoughts. And so we are told here in Romans that in our heart (our thoughts, our beliefs) and with our mouth we confess what we believe, and from that our salvation will arrive. The key part to note as well here is that the Holy Spirit will come to us and speak to our heart (our thoughts) and when that happens we choose to open ourselves to Him or close the door of hearts to Him. I have always liked this verse:
“Watch your thoughts, for they become words.
Watch your words, for they become actions.
Watch your actions, for they become habits.
Watch your habits, for they become character.
Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.”
3. What promise is given to people who believe and confess that Jesus is Lord?
I am going to guess that this question is referring to verse 11 which says that those who believe will not be put to shame. That those who call on the Lord will be saved. My study notes say - "Paul is not saying Christians will never be put to shame or be disappointed. There will be times when people will let us down and when circumstances will take a turn for the worse. Paul is saying that God will keep His side of the bargain -- those who call on Him will be saved. God will never fail to provide righteousness to those who believe."
4. How does God’s righteousness motivate us to godly behavior?
I would say that God's righteousness is him telling us that we are now "right" with Him, that we are not guilty, we will not be burdened with trying to be good, that we have been adopted into His family and are heirs... that all of this this would make us so glad that our cups would be overflowing with gratefulness which then leads us to do good things for others, living out all the one anotherings that we are told about in the NT.
5. What does this passage teach about the way the good news is spread, understood, and accepted?
The good news is spread by people, every day average people, living their lives with their Savior and when they do this people will notice. They will notice that His people are different, peculiar even. And they will become curious and then they will inquire as to why His people are different. And at that moment, hopefully everything has lined up (they have seen the new creation, the Holy Spirit has spoken to their heart and now His child will share the good news of love and freedom and salvation from the world. Now these verses speak specifically to preaching and being sent. What does that look like? We know the work of the missionaries who go out their neighbourhoods and communities to do this work. But is that the only way of preaching and being sent? I read this today from David Black's blog:
" In Tuesday’s chapel I met a whole bunch of wonderful kingdom people. They are our students who are being deployed this year to some foreign country in order to "reach out and touch someone" with the love of Christ. As we laid hands on them and prayed over them, I was haunted by the idea that God is not so much commissioning them as He is commissioning all of us to be fulltime missionaries in this world. Cook a meal and take it to an unsaved neighbor and you have just gone on a "mission trip." Can you rake leaves? Use that "talent" to draw others to the Savior. Jesus wants to use all of us in evangelism. Don't get me wrong. I am grateful for each and every one of these students and their commitment to global evangelization. I just wish more of us were like them. Rumor has it that people with the most toys win. Don't believe it. No amount of things can satisfy. The American Dream is a huge downer. Much better to live for Jesus by serving others. Plug in wherever God has put you. Do it now. The time is short. The night is coming. Isn't it about time we got back to the Bible’s way of loving people toward the cross? Let's all step up the plate. "
You have probably heard me say one my favorite quotes when it comes to this topic: "Go into all the world and preach the gospel, and, if necessary, use words."
6. What aspects of God’s character are shown through his plan of salvation?
7. How are you encouraged by God’s plan to save the world?
8. Why is it difficult for us to follow Jesus?
Number one would be because following Jesus's ways goes against what is naturally in us, our self preferring nature. He wants us to love our enemies, turn the other cheek, go the extra mile.... "but what about me???" we scream. Without Him and His people this is an impossible hurdle to overcome. Number two would be that those who say they represent Him, a.k.a. Christians, have done a terrible job of being His ambassadors. Like Ghandi said, "I like your Christ, but your Christians are so unlike Your Christ." And Number three would be that it is hard to follow what we cannot see in the physical. We relate to Christ in the spiritual but our physical side is so much more strong of a "sense" that it can be very difficult us to operate in the spiritual.
9. What can we learn from Israel’s response to God’s plan of salvation?
10. How can you guard against trying to earn God’s approval and acceptance?
11. Why is it important to tell others about your faith in Jesus Christ?
No comments:
Post a Comment