CC 101 Student S Edition.01

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T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S
I N T R O D U C T I O N : Why This Study? ................................................................ 3
L E S S O N O N E : Jesus is God .......................................................................... 5
L E S S O N T W O : God is Three Persons ........................................................... 9
L E S S O N T H R E E : God Is Great and Good .................................................... 14
L E S S O N F O U R : God Speaks ....................................................................... 19
L E S S O N F I V E : God Made the World but We’ve Made a Mess of It ................ 25
L E S S O N S I X : God Made a Promise ............................................................. 29
L E S S O N S E V E N : Joy to the World! .............................................................. 33
L E S S O N E I G H T : Jesus Is Lord .................................................................... 38
L E S S O N N I N E : What Are We Waiting For? .................................................. 43
L E S S O N T E N : In the Mean Time: Callings .................................................... 47
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I N T R O D U C T I O N : W H Y T H I S S T U D Y
TO BEGIN, we would like to thank you, the students, congregants, church leaders, elders,
pastors, and churches for supporting and using Core Christianity 101. We hope it enriches
your Christian life, challenges your heart, and builds up your faith to the glory of God.
This study was designed with several things in mind.
First, we designed this study to advance the gospel.
According to the Pew Research Center, theists, agnostics, Jews, and Mormons score higher
in religious knowledge than Protestants, outperforming them on questions about the core
teachings and history of Christianity. Almost 60 percent of our youth leave their churches as
young adults, with many of them joining the growing numbers of the so-called “nones”: those
who profess no adherence to any faith whatsoever.1
Despite this unsettling news, the core message of Christianity, the gospel, is still capable of
renewing the church. Rather than worrying or acting out of fear and self-preservation, we
believe that the best hope for Christians, the Church, and the people who feel the pressures
to abandon the faith, is the historic Christian faith, the gospel announcement of what God
has done through Jesus Christ for the world.
Second, we designed this study to speak to honest questions.
Many in our Evangelical, Baptist, Reformed, Lutheran, and Anglican Churches have honest
questions about faith and life that they may even be afraid to ask. Thus, we have sought to
shape the material in this study to be of use to the concerns of long-time, committed
Christians, new Christians, Christians with wavering faith, and skeptics alike.
We want this study to challenge skeptics and the growing numbers of people leaving the
church with answers of substance and beauty, answers that give hope to the hopeless. We
want this study to build the faith of Christians who have doubts. We want this study to give
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http://www.pewforum.org/2010/09/28/u-s-religious-knowledge-survey/
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new Christians a firm grasp of the Christian faith. And we want to renew the faith of long-
time committed Christians and equip them to better share the faith with others.
Third, we designed this study with an eye toward simplicity and a variety of settings.
We have thought of Sunday school classes, Bible study groups, informal gatherings among
friends, and even individuals who want to learn more about the Christian faith. Thus, this
study is arranged in a series of short lessons, each of which could be done within an hour a
week, with questions for personal reflection and group discussion so that Christians can
come together to share insights, ask questions, pray for their churches and cities, and find
hope to share what they are learning with friends and family.
The best way to do this study is to plan to meet once a week, having read the lesson and
answered the questions on your own first. There are two types of questions. Questions for
reflection are personal and not something you should feel obligated to share with everyone.
Questions for discussion are best discussed in a group where everyone can share their
thoughts and questions. After each question, space has been provided for you to answer,
but some people prefer to write their answers in a journal or notebook, and that is fine too!
Fourth, we designed this study to engage the drama of Scripture, teach the doctrine of
historic Christianity, move to doxology, and enable healthy discipleship.
It was really important to us that we handled doctrine in a way that shows how it naturally
arises out of the Bible’s narrative of Jesus Christ and his saving work. It was also really
important that we showed how this doctrine both inspires our worship and leads to life.
In each lesson, there is a section to read followed by a set of questions for reflection and
questions for discussion. We have designed the questions for reflection and discussion with
a practical emphasis to force you to engage the material in a prayerful way that should
inspire worship and lead to a fuller understanding of how to live as a disciple of Christ. The
questions for reflection have personal emphasis, while the discussion questions are oriented
toward groups.
For Christians who want to get a good foundation in the basics, this study is a complete,
self-contained study on the Christian faith. For Christians who want to go deeper, each
lesson compliments a chapter of Michael Horton’s book Core Christianity: Finding yourself in
God’s Story.
Before you begin the first lesson, watch this video where Michael Horton gives an overview
of what you can expect in this study: https://vimeo.com/167180988/c5d5c1bd96
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L E S S O N 1 : J E S U S I S G O D
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The most basic claim of the Christian faith rests on the person of Jesus, and the truth of the
Bible depends on the truth that Jesus is God. If Jesus isn’t God, the Bible is nothing more
than a mixture of history, philosophy, fables, and advice. If Christianity is not true, then
Scripture is neither useful nor helpful. If Jesus is God, then the Bible’s message is of the
utmost importance for every human being.
The British apologist C. S. Lewis made this very case in his book Mere Christianity. He
referred to a famous argument called the “trilemma.” If Jesus did not come in the flesh, live
a sinless life, die on the cross, and rise from the dead, he was either a liar (since he
promised he would rise from the dead; Luke 9:22) or a lunatic (since only a crazy man would
claim to be the Son of God who came down from heaven). Yet, if he was who he said he
was and did what the apostles said he did, then Jesus is Lord.
If Jesus is who he said he is—God, who became man for our salvation—it changes
everything. It will change the way you think about God, your life, and the world around you.
Let’s examine the facts about Jesus’ life and ministry.
First, the Bible reveals that Jesus and the early church thought he was God.
According to Jesus’ own claims, the testimony of the Bible, and other first-century
documents, Jesus was called God. This is an important point because if Jesus did not claim
to be God, he would not have been arrested and tortured by the Jewish leaders. The fact
that he was charged with blasphemy proves that he couldn’t have been just a guru or
prophet. Rather, Jesus called himself God and was called God (John 8:58; John 14:9; Isa.
9:6; Matt. 16:16; Phil. 2:9b–11; Col. 1:15, 19).
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Not only did Jesus exist from the beginning of time, but he also performed numerous
miraculous works that only God could do. Jesus’ miracles included healing the blind, lame,
and deaf; calming the seas; feeding thousands with only a small amount of bread and fish;
casting out demons; and resurrecting the dead (for some examples, see Matt. 9:2–8; Mark
8:1–9; Luke 8:22–25; John 11:38–44; 20:30).
The magi, disciples, and early Christians—most of whom were Jewish—all worshiped Jesus
as God (Matt. 2:11; Matt. 14:33; Matt. 28:19; John 20:28). The fact that the early church so
quickly began to worship Jesus is significant. While the Gentiles worshiped a pantheon of
deities, the Jews worshiped the one true God. The early church was committed to the
Jewish belief that there was only one God, YHWH, the God of Israel, and they were to
worship YHWH alone. When Jesus claimed to be equal with God, this required the church to
reconsider everything they knew about God and to embrace a new idea. Since Jesus
claimed to be equal with the Father, he was either God come to rescue his people or he was
a blasphemer. He could not possibly be simply a good teacher.
Second, Jesus died, was buried, and was resurrected.
The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are historical accounts about the life, death,
and resurrection of Jesus; these texts are tied to datable events. While we know very little
about Jesus’. childhood, Roman rulers like Caesar Augustus, Pilate, Felix, and the Jewish
king Agrippa appear in the gospel records. Even Quirinius, governor of Syria, is included in
the Christmas story (Luke 2:1–2). Because of this, no reputable scholar today disputes that
Jesus lived. Even liberal New Testament scholars such as John A. T. Robinson and Bart
Ehrman do not question the life, crucifixion, and death of Jesus.
Consider these facts:
® The Jews alive at the time of Christ’s crucifixion were convinced Jesus died—so
much so that they wanted the Romans to guard Jesus’ body (Matt. 27:62–66).
® The Talmud (Jewish rabbinic teachings) also recorded the execution of Jesus (b
Sanh. 43a.–b.).
® The renowned historian Josephus (AD 37–100) did not dispute the fact of the empty
tomb.
The facts point to a real Jesus who lived and died, and according to all four Gospel
accounts, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his burial as the promise of our
resurrection and eternal life (Matt. 28:1–10; Mark 16:1–8; Luke 24:1–12; John 20:1–18).
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All four Gospels mention that the high-standing Jewish leaders Joseph of Arimathea and
Nicodemus assisted in Jesus’ burial in Joseph’s tomb while the apostles were hiding from
the authorities (Matt. 27:57–60; Mark 15:42–46; Luke 23:50–56; and John 19:38–42). It’s
highly unlikely that the Gospel authors would include such unflattering remarks about the
disciples if their accounts were fabricated.
While various theories have been put forth to explain away the empty tomb, no one has ever
been able to bring forth any evidence of sightings of Jesus alive or dead to disprove
his resurrection.
When we take into account Jesus’ claims of divinity, his deeds, his resurrection, and how
people worshiped him, we can come to only one conclusion: along with God the Father and
God the Holy Spirit, Jesus is God. As God, he is infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in his
being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth.
Fully God and fully man, Jesus experienced everything we experience in this sin-cursed
world, yet he was without sin. He then took our place on the cross and bore the punishment
for our sin. Conquering death, Jesus now offers new life to all who believe in him. Christians
are those who place their faith and trust in who Jesus is and all that he has done for them
(Rom. 1:16; Eph. 2:1–9). This is the good news—the gospel of Jesus Christ.
For more on this subject, read pages 23–37 in Michael Horton’s Core Christianity.
QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION
1. What are some ways you are trying honor Jesus as Lord in your life?
2. What are some ways you can or do worship Jesus?
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3. What stands out to you about the way Jesus interacted with people in the Gospels?
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION
1.Imagine meeting a Muslim man in a coffee shop, and after a friendly conversation, he
confesses that he is confused about Jesus and wants to know what Christians believe. What
would you want to say? How might you continue to pray for this man?
2.To some Christians it’s surprising to discover that there is good historical evidence for
Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. Were you surprised?
3. Of everything you learned in this study, what would you be most excited to tell a friend?
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L E S S O N 2 : G O D I S T H R E E P E R S O N S
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The Bible tells us that God is one. The Bible also tells us that the Father is God, the Son is
God, and the Holy Spirit is God. The math just doesn’t seem to add up correctly. When it
comes to describing God, however, we don’t mean one and three in the same way.
How can God be one in essence and three in persons? Though some religions believe and
worship many gods (polytheism), or everything as one with God (pantheism), Christianity,
Islam, and Judaism believe that there is only one God. The belief and worship of one God is
called monotheism. God is one essence.
When we refer to God’s essence, we are addressing the concept of his being. Here it’s
important to understand that God is one, that he is not made up of parts and material like
human beings. God is Spirit and God is one. We learn this in both the Old and New
Testaments.
The Bible teaches God is one.
The Old Testament teaches that there is one God. From the early stages of its existence as
a nation, Israel was taught that there is only one God. Israel’s fundamental confession
in Deuteronomy 6:4 states, “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one." This
statement in the Old Testament reflects monotheism. The prophet Isaiah affirmed this same
monotheism when he said, "Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the
LORD of hosts: ‘I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god’" (Isa. 44:6).
The New Testament teaches that there is one God. The New Testament writers continued
the monotheism of the Old Testament. We find many statements in the New Testament that
assume or affirm Israel’s monotheistic creed, including Paul’s words in Ephesians 4:4–
6: “There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs
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to your call—one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all
and through all and in all.”
The doctrine of the Trinity evolved from the drama of redemption over time. All the first
Christians were Jews who were faced with the fact that God had become flesh in history.
After Christ’s incarnation, death, and resurrection, Christians were able to return to the
Jewish scriptures (Old Testament) and understand certain passages better in light of these
extraordinary events.
The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are three distinct persons.
The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are three distinct persons acting in the story of
redemption. In Scripture, we find many places in which the Father, the Son, and the Holy
Spirit are revealed as three distinct persons acting in history. For example, the Bible teaches
that Jesus prays to his Father (John 17), the Father speaks from heaven (Matt. 3:17), and
the Holy Spirit reveals Jesus as the Son (Matt. 3:16; 1 Cor. 2:10). These three actors
participate on the same stage throughout the Gospel narratives. The scene of Jesus’
baptism especially reveals this truth.
Before Jesus’ ministry, his cousin John the Baptist had been preaching that the kingdom of
God was about to arrive. John the Baptist called for the people to turn from their rebellious
lifestyle, turn to God, and submit to water baptism in preparation for that coming kingdom.
As Jesus appeared for baptism, John recognized that Jesus was the Lamb of God who
came to take away the sins of the world. The Gospel writers recorded for us a scene in
which all three persons of the Trinity were acting. Jesus was being baptized, and the
Heavens were torn open. The Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus, and the Father from
heaven declared, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased" (Matt. 3:13–17).
The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are one God, equal in power and glory.
In the Great Commission (Matt. 28:16–20), Jesus told his disciples to meet him on a
mountain. As the disciples ascended the mountain and approached Jesus, they began to
worship him. Then Jesus, as their Lord and Savior, told them to “make disciples of all the
nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” The
disciples were to baptize Christ’s followers into one name, the name that the Father, the
Son, and the Holy Spirit share.
In Ephesians 1:3–14, the Apostle Paul records a wonderful doxology (expression of

praise) to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit for their shared work in salvation. Paul
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declares that the Father has predestined believers "for adoption as sons through Jesus
Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace" (Eph. 1:5–6),
and sealed them "with the promised Holy Spirit" who is the guarantee of their inheritance
(Eph. 1:13–14).
The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are all active in carrying out the mission to save
people from sin and death and draw these same people into a loving relationship with the
Trinity.
® In his love for humanity, the Father sends the Son to earn eternal life and pay the
penalty for human rebellion (John 3:16).
® The Son of God is conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary (Luke
1:34–35).
® Jesus casts out demons by the power of the Spirit of God (Matt. 12:28).
® The Father by the Spirit raises Jesus Christ, the Son of God, from the dead
(Rom. 8:11).
® The Son ascends to his kingly rule and sends the Holy Spirit to gather his people to
himself (Acts 1:8–9).
® The Father and the Son manifest their divine power and glory as they glorify one
another (John 17:1–5).
In the early church, Christians struggled to understand how God might be one and yet
revealed as three distinct persons. Before coming to a clear definition of the Trinity, the
church often fell into two different errors.
Some people, like the early theologian Origen (AD 184–253), attempted to say that Jesus
was a lesser god than the Father. A man named Arius (AD 256–336) took it a step
further. He fell into the error known as Arianism, which argued that the Father alone is God,
while the Son is only a created being. Today, Jehovah’s Witnesses embrace this same
error.
Others (such as Sabellius in the third century) taught that God only appears in different
forms or modes, like someone wearing different masks. This error is called modalism.
These two errors were so serious that the church officially called these views “heresy.” A
heretic, therefore, is someone who holds to a position that strikes at the core beliefs of the
Christian faith, going against the clear teaching of Scripture and the collective wisdom of the
church.
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The Nicene Creed is a doctrinal statement that is the result of the first ecumenical
(universal) church council in AD 325. It was revised to its final form in AD 381 at the Council
of Constantinople. Contrary to the errors of their day, the creed affirms that the Son and the
Spirit are of the same essence as the Father, but each are different persons.
1. The doctrine of the Trinity puts us face to face with this mystery: that God is
incomprehensible. Write down a few of the ways that the mystery of the Trinity might inspire
you to worship.
2. Ephesians 4:4–6 says, “There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the
one hope that belongs to your call—one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father
of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” Take the time to write down some ways you
might pray for the church to manifest unity in Christ. Take this time to pray for your church,
your denomination, and the church around the world.
3.Because the Trinity is hard to understand, people sometimes become afraid that they
might get it wrong. Instead, it’s better to see that the Trinity should inspire awe and humility,
revealing the limits of our understanding and language. Write down one new idea or thought
you had, either in this study or inspired by this study.
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1. When Christians pray, they pray to the Father, through the work of Jesus Christ, and in
the power of the Holy Spirit. What are some Bible verses that teach this? How does this give
you confidence that God hears even our confused or pain-filled prayers?
2. The Mystery of the Trinity should shape us into a different kind of people. As you reflected
on the Trinity this week, what are some of the effects that you hope this would have on your
life?
3. The Trinity is immensely practical because it is the theology that drove missions. Imagine
encountering with the gospel in all its Trinitarian glory for the first time (maybe this is the first
time), how might we help people not just understand the Trinity, but worship the Trinity?
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L E S S O N 3 : G O D I S G R E A T A N D G O O D
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If God is great, why doesn’t he prevent natural disasters and terrorism? Some people think
the answer is that God must not be good. If God is good, why does he allow for evil to exist
in the world? Some people think this means God must not be great. If God were great, he
would at least be able to get rid of evil. The fact that evil still exists only seems to prove that
God is not great.
The answer God gives in the Bible about the presence of evil in the world may surprise us. It
is important to realize that much of who God is and what he does remains a mystery to us
as creatures. What he has revealed, however, is enough for us to trust his character and
have faith that he will be true to his Word.
The Bible teaches that God is great.
We tend to imagine that God is a greater version of ourselves. Actually, God is in a totally
different category. In fact, he is in a class all by himself. God alone is eternal, immortal, all-
powerful, all-wise, and all-knowing (1 Tim. 6:15–16). In fact, his spectacular majesty is
beyond our ability to comprehend:
® God is independent of all created things (Acts 17:24–25). The technical term
is aseity. He exists as the Triune God from all eternity in perfect love and fellowship.
® God is pure spirit. He is not made up of parts and has no means of corruption as we
do (John 4:24). Another way of putting this is to state that God
is simple and unified. He is also perfect and unchangeable (immutable).
® God is omniscient. Rising above our limited perspective, God knows the end from the
beginning because he is eternal (Ps. 139:16).
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® God is omnipresent. Because he is spirit, God rises above the category of “place”
that limits us in our words, speech, actions, and presence (Jer. 23:24).
® God is omnipotent. That is, he is all-powerful. Some people think of God’s

sovereignty and human freedom as if they were pieces of a pie: God may have a
larger piece, but it is the same pie. God is not just quantitatively greater than his
creatures, but he is also qualitatively greater (Matt. 19:26).
These attributes of God are called his incommunicable attributes because they belong to
God alone.
The Bible reveals that God is also good.
Everything God does is good because God is pure good. While people can be loving,
compassionate, and merciful, showing concern for justice and righteousness, these
attributes are only analogies of those that God holds in complete perfection. These are also
known as God’s communicable attributes.
Consider how you relate to your infant or child, or to an elderly parent. Similarly, God
condescends to us as our heavenly Father. The following attributes of God testify to his
loving care for his creation:
® God is loving, compassionate, and merciful. The biblical story shows us a God who is
love (1 John 4:8). Though he is high in the heavens above us, majestic in glory, yet
he is full of compassion and mercy, that “while we were enemies” Christ died for us
(Rom. 5:10)
® God is just and holy. Holiness is the moral, transcendent perfection of God. It is the
purity of his goodness; there is no evil in him at all. God’s holiness asserts that he
alone defines what is good; hence, his judgment is good. While the judgment of
sinners in the Bible is often seen as cruel and unfair, God’s goodness is actually
seen in his just judgment of sin.
® God is faithful. He is faithful to his Word. He is faithful to his justice and holiness. He
does not change because he is faithful to himself. Yet, he is also faithful to his
promises, sending his Son to fulfill the law and bear our curse. Because of his great
love, he found the way through his Son’s sacrifice on the cross to be faithful to his
justice and greatness while showing merciful love and saving compassion: “It was to
show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier
of the one who has faith in Jesus” (Rom. 3:26).
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Let’s contrast this with two popular ideas.
First, most polytheistic religions teach that good and evil spirits struggle for control of the
universe. The Bible tells us that (1) God is the perfect moral law-giver and that (2) evil is
a corruption of God’s good gifts of creation.
Second, atheists who deny the existence of God because of the existence of evil are not
standing on a firm ground of reason. Something is “evil” or “good” only when we compare
and contrast it with a perfect, moral law. The sense of a moral law within all human beings
points to a “moral law-giver” (Rom. 1:18–23).
Rather than deny the existence of God because of the existence of evil, we must trust the
God who is good and great to conquer evil. The Bible doesn’t deny evil but instead gives us
a story in which God overcomes evil.
The Bible tells the story of the problem of evil in a world that was originally created good by
a supremely good and majestic God. Evil is not a timeless principle, but it is actually the
corruption of good due to the rebellious actions in history against God’s rule. All sins are
evil, but not all evils are sin. The world is filled with natural evils, including hurricanes,
earthquakes, pestilence, and droughts, that are the results of the common curse from
Adam’s fall (Gen. 3:17-19).
Consider two verses:
For you are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil may not dwell with you.
(Psa. 5:4)
For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who
subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to
corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. (Rom. 8:20-
21)
Evil exists in the world for the time being, but God promises to one day destroy sin, death,
and the devil. We know this is true because the resurrection of Christ is the beginning of
evil's defeat (1 Cor. 15:20–28). For now, we live with the existence of evil while we wait for
God to finally destroy it.
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1. Often the existence of evil and suffering can be one of the most challenging experiences
for Christians. Below are 4 questions. Answer two that most apply to your situation:
How has the existence of evil and suffering in the world and in your own life
personally affected you?
How did you think about it while experiencing the pain of suffering?
How was this different after passing through the dark time?
What questions do you still have?
2.Take one of the incommunicable attributes of God. Think of a time in your life where it
would really matter that God had that particular attribute. How might you praise God for that
aspect of who he is?
3.Take one of the communicable attributes of God. Think of a time in your life where it
would really matter that God had that particular attribute. How might you praise God for that
aspect of who he is?
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1.What has God promised to do about evil? Why can we trust that God will keep this
promise?
2.If a friend from church confessed to you that they had a hard time believing in God
because of some evil or suffering in their life, the temptation might be to rebuke them for
having weak faith. But how might we be compassionate toward a person with such a
confession? What should we do when people admit struggles and doubts?
3. The Bible presents a God who is both great and good. Many Christians who have
suffered have drawn courage and hope from the Bible. How might we read the Bible not
simply as a book of information but as a way to draw hope in God and courage to do what is
right? What are your own habits in Bible reading? What might you change in light of the first
question?
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L E S S O N 4 : G O D S P E A K S
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God still speaks to us today, but it’s not in the way that usually makes the news headlines
and sells books. From Genesis to Revelation, God proclaims his son Jesus the “Lamb of
God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). We can understand God’s speech
from three angles.
First, God speaks today through the Bible.
The Bible is a collection of sixty-six books written by humans across different times and
places. These authors were weak and sinful, just as we are, but God used their words, their
thoughts, and their individual styles to put into writing what he wanted to tell us in a
trustworthy way.
The apostles and prophets have no successors. Rather, ordinary ministers now build on the
foundation the apostles and prophets laid, and their ministries are judged by how faithfully
they communicate God’s Word. New revelation cannot be added to the Bible. The Holy
Spirit illumines the hearts and minds of his people to understand, interpret, and obey his
written Word.
The Bible was written by diverse authors over two millennia, yet it still has a unity that can
be attributed only to a divine author. It reads from promise (Old Testament) to fulfillment
(New Testament) and is the greatest story ever told, revealing the greatest Savior to behold.
We can have confidence that the Bible is the Word of God because it is inspired,
authoritative, inerrant, clear, and sufficient.
The Bible is inspired by God. The very words—and the entirety of Scripture—are “God-
breathed” (2 Tim. 3:16). The apostle Peter states, “For no prophecy was ever produced by
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the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2
Pet. 1:21).
The Bible is authoritative. Jesus, who is God incarnate, viewed the Old Testament as
authoritative (Matt. 19:4–5). Jesus also viewed the Old Testament prophecies about the
Messiah as being fulfilled in himself (Luke 4:21). Furthermore, Jesus authorized the apostles
to speak in his name (Matt. 18:18 and Matt. 28:16–20).
The Bible is inerrant. If God is behind the writing of the Bible, and God is great and good,
then it follows that Scripture is without error, falsehood, or deceit: “The sum of your word is
truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever” (Ps. 119:160).
The Bible is clear in its message. Moses was not an astronomer, and the Bible is not a
science textbook. If we go to the Bible looking for answers to questions that are beyond its
purpose and scope, we will turn it into an entirely different book, as did the Pharisees to
whom Jesus said, “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have
eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you
may have life” (John 5:39–40).
The Bible is sufficient. The scope of the Bible is God’s commands and promises—law and
gospel—centering on the unfolding plan in Jesus Christ, the main character and center of
the plot: “Then he said to them, ‘These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with
you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms
must be fulfilled’” (Luke 24:44).
God speaks through the preaching of his Word.
Although God speaks to us through the Bible, he especially speaks to us in the public
gathering of his people each Sunday through the preaching of his Word. One way to
understand preaching is to distinguish between two main activities that a preacher does
while preaching: he exposits the text and applies it to our lives.
Exposition seeks to explain the meaning of the Bible with respect to its historical context, the
original authors intentions, the nature of the Bible’s literary forms, and the Bible’s broader
redemptive purpose. Scripture contains differences in genre (history, poetry, parable,
doctrine, etc.). We need to respect those differences and allow the Bible to ask its own
questions and provide the answers God wants to give us. This often involves the preacher’s
study of history, the ancient world, Greek, and Hebrew while trying to understand the
meaning of the author's ordinary words. Exposition respects the very human and historical
nature of the Bible.
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In reading the Bible, what becomes apparent is that much of the Bible’s larger context is a
unified story of salvation. It’s a story about God and human beings. In this story, human
beings are the disobedient, stubborn, and disoriented. Because of the choices of the first
human beings, mankind as a whole is in a mess of guilt and corruption. The Bible presents
God’s answer to this human plight. God sent Jesus Christ to live, die, and rise for the
forgiveness of sin. The broader story becomes very important in Bible application.
Application seeks to show how God speaks to our needs and our situation today.
Application shows that God’s word in its historical context and with its redemptive intention
is relevant for us today. The Bible shows us how God is involved in our lives, that he is with
us, that he is offering himself to us in mercy and grace.
If you look at the sermons in the book of Acts, for example, we see the apostles engaging in
this kind of exposition and application. In Acts 2, the apostle Peter takes a text from the Old
Testament prophet Joel and reveals how that prophecy came true in the person and work of
Jesus. Then he states the required response to the good news of what Jesus Christ has
done in his sacrificial death and resurrection: they must repent of their sins and trust in
Jesus for their salvation. Here is an early example of “Christian” preaching, where Christ is
the focus of exposition and application.
God speaks law and gospel.
There are two main parts to the Word of God: law and gospel.
The law includes everything in Scripture that God commands us to do or prohibits us from
doing. Paul captures this commanding nature of the law in Romans. He says, “For by works
of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes
knowledge of sin” (Rom. 3:20).
The law is a word that comes to us from within, and it is written on everyone’s heart (Rom.
2:15). It was once written on stone tablets in Israel’s history, and in the history of man it is
inscribed on the conscience. Everyone gets law, and everyone prescribes law to others.
When you ask a friend for some advice, the first words spoken are often words of doing: do
this; don’t do that. The law brings no hope of relief but only tells us where we’ve gone wrong
and what we need to do in order to make things right (Rom. 3:19–20). The law says, “Do
this and live” (Lev. 18:5; Gal. 3:12).
It’s not that the law is bad. In fact, the law itself is good because it comes from God and
reflects his good character. The apostle Paul even says, the “law is spiritual” (Rom. 7:14).
So we know that the problem is not with the law, but the problem is with us. As Paul
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concludes, “the law is spiritual,” but “I am of the flesh, sold under sin” (Rom. 7:14). We are
bad—the law exposes our sin—and that’s why the law becomes bad news for us.
The gospel is the good news, given throughout the Old and New Testaments, regarding
what God has done in Christ out of his love in order to reconcile the world to himself (2 Cor.
5:19). God’s law is good, but we are unable to keep it because of our sinfulness. Thankfully,
God sent his Son to do for us what we could not do ourselves. Paul captures this aspect of
God’s word in Romans: “[Now] the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from
the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it—the righteousness of God
through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe” (Rom. 3:21–22).
The gospel is a word that comes to us from outside of us, and it has been revealed by God
in his Christ. This word must be spoken, and it is the good news of what God has done in
Christ to reconcile us to himself—to satisfy all of the demands of the law and to make
atonement for all sins committed. What the law required, Jesus Christ has accomplished.
What the law demanded, Jesus has satisfied. The gospel says, “Believe this, and it is done
already.” Jesus’ final words on the cross are appropriate to summarize the good news of the
gospel: “It is finished!” (John 19:30).
Whenever you read a verse, you can immediately tell whether it is law or gospel by either
the demands it makes upon you or the promise it offers you. The law commands you to do
something or to stop doing something. The gospel, however, tells you what God has done
for you or what he will do for you.
What separates the teaching of Christianity from every other world religion is that the Bible
reveals to us how the law can never save us; only Jesus can. No other religion tells us that
God has done what we could not do for ourselves. No other religion offers us the gospel: the
free grace of God in Jesus Christ. “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Rom.
7:25).
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1.Find one passage in this study about the Bible’s authority. What are some ways in your
church and in your own devotional life that the Bible is honored as the Word of God?
2. What is Bible exposition? Why is Bible application important?
3.Through the Bible, God speaks a powerful message of grace. What are some key
passages about the gospel that you know? What do these teach you about God?
1. The Bible is inerrant and inspired, but our interpretations are not. Yet, whenever we read
the Bible, we must interpret it. How should this bring humility to our reading the bible?
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2.Sometimes people pit reading the Bible “devotionally” against “study.” How are you
currently reading the Bible and how might that change after having done this study?
3.Even though we are not saved by the law, we must still seek to glorify God in keeping the
law. How does knowing that you’re saved by grace inspire you still to do good works? What
are some good works that are easy to overlook either because they are too ordinary or
because they are challenging?
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L E S S O N 5 : G O D M A D E T H E W O R L D B U T
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The Bible tells us that God made the world very good (Gen. 1:31). If that’s the case, why do
people face so many struggles in life? To understand the world as it is today, we need to
learn about the biblical account of creation and where we fit into the story.
Scripture tells us the following about God’s work in creation:
® God is the author of creation: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the
earth” (Gen. 1:1).
® Next, we learn that God spoke all the material of creation into existence
from nothing: “And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light” (Gen. 1:3).
® God’s spoken commands also shape creaturely response: “And God said, ‘Let the
earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds—livestock and creeping
things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds.’ And it was so” (Gen. 1:24).
This speech points to the specific relationship between God and creation. God is the Lord,
and creation is his servant. Only two categories exist: God and everything else; creator and
creation. God made humans alone in his own image and gave them a special role
in creation:
Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them
have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over
the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the
earth.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them. (Gen. 1:26–27)
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God made humans his royal representatives.
To be human is to hold a high office, maintaining God’s good order of love, righteousness,
holiness, and justice. Everyone is intrinsically aware of this divine calling: all people have
God’s moral law etched on their conscience (Rom. 1:20).
God placed his image bearer Adam “in the garden of Eden to work and keep it” (Gen.
2:15). He then gave Adam a command to test his covenantal faithfulness: “You may surely
eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall
not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die” (Gen. 2:16–17).
As God’s royal representatives, Adam and Eve were supposed to exercise their authority
and drive God’s enemies from his garden. Instead, the serpent (Satan) twisted and
corrupted God’s Word. Satan enticed Adam and Eve to rebel against God by telling them
that they would not die but would instead “be like God, knowing good and evil” if they ate the
forbidden fruit (Gen. 3:5). Even while Satan was falsely promising Adam and Eve autonomy
if they obeyed him rather than God, he knew autonomy was impossible: Adam and Eve
would serve someone. Satan wanted humans to bear his image, not God’s.
Adam and Eve committed treason against their King.
When Eve “saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and
that the tree was to be desired to make one wise,” she took the fruit and ate it and gave
some to Adam, who ate it as well (Gen. 3:6). Adam and Eve’s eyes were opened, but not in
the way they expected. They were naked, ashamed, and unable to cover their sin and guilt
with man-made coverings of fig leaves (Gen. 3:7).
God found Adam and Eve in the garden and demanded an account of their treason (Gen.
3:8–10). God then exercised his righteous judgment by the following sanctions:
® He cursed the serpent (Gen. 3:14–15).
® He multiplied Eve’s pain in childbirth and cursed to her seek control over her
husband who would rule over her (Gen. 3:16).
® He cursed the ground upon which Adam would labor with great toil (Gen. 3:17–19).
Adam, God’s covenant servant, defied his own high office and committed treason against
his King. Sin and misery entered the world because of Adam’s rebellion, breaking the
relationship between God and creation. God made clothes from animal skins and clothed
Adam and Eve (Gen. 3:20). He then cast Adam and Eve from the garden and barred them
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from the tree of life. Adam and his posterity were now in bondage to sin and estranged from
God (Isa. 59:2; John 8:34).
1.When you think about being made in the image of God, how does that make you feel? It’s
especially true that victims of violent crimes could lose a sense of value as human beings.
What might you want to tell someone who has lost a sense of human dignity?
2.Genesis 3 records the story of the fall when Adam and Eve sinned against God. When
you think about sin and misery in the world, what comes to mind? What would you pray for
people who are experiencing that kind of sin and misery?
3.Psalm 19 is a beautifully written poem about creation displaying the glory of God. Write
down a couple of the praises in this psalm that stand out to you.
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1. What comes to mind when you read these words: “To be human is to hold a high office,
maintaining God’s good order of love, righteousness, holiness, and justice. Everyone is
intrinsically aware of this divine calling: all people have God’s moral law etched on their
conscience” (Rom. 1:20)? What are some things we can do to begin to look at people as
“made in the image of God” on a day-to-day basis?
2. In Matthew 22:34–40, Jesus taught that the entire law of God can be summarized as
loving God and loving your neighbor as yourself. And in Matthew 23:23 Jesus said, “Woe to
you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have
neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you
ought to have done, without neglecting the others.” What are some of the weightier matters
of the law in our situation that challenge us?
3. Genesis 1 reveals God as the author of creation. A God who is powerful enough to create
the world out of nothing is definitely powerful enough to work in our lives and to save
anyone who would come to him. When you think about God’s power to save, how does that
give you hope for the people you know who don’t yet know Jesus as their savior?
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L E S S O N 6 : G O D M A D E A P R O M I S E
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The stories of the Old Testament contain much more than mere moral lessons. In fact, these
stories reveal a bigger story, a more expansive plot. While we can and must learn from the
good examples we find in the Bible, we need to see that what unites these stories isn’t
morality but redemption.
From Adam to Abraham to David, all of these Old Testament characters and stories have a
place in the larger drama of God the Father sending his Son Jesus so that all may have life
in his name through the power of the Spirit. As Jesus told us, the Old Testament Scriptures
pointed to him (Luke 24:25–27; John 5:39). Thus, Scripture needs to be seen through the
lens of Jesus Christ as the fulfillment of a very specific promise.
The story of the Bible is the unfolding of God’s promise that—though we deserve death for
our sin—God will bring us into glory through the incarnation, life, death, resurrection,
ascension, and return of his Son Jesus. In fact, Abraham, Moses, David, and Daniel all take
their place as joyful beneficiaries of the promised gift of eternal life. So God is the ultimate
hero in the greatest story ever told.
The key context of this promise is covenant. Remember: a covenant is an oath or promise
that forms a relationship between two or more parties (Lesson 5). Even though there are
several different covenants throughout the Bible, each of these covenants is united by one
central truth. Let’s look at the different covenants God made and kept with Abraham, Moses,
and David.
God’s Covenant with Abraham
The Abrahamic covenant terms are unconditional and permanent. Usually in the covenant-
making process, one party was greater than the other party. We see a clear example of this
in Genesis 15. In that story, God completes a covenant-making ceremony by
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passing between the pieces of severed animals. This was often the way treaties were
ratified in Biblical times. This act signified that the party passing through was assuming the
same fate as the animals should he fail to keep the terms of the treaty. Normally, the lesser
party would walk through—in this case, Abram (God changes Abram’s name to Abraham
in Genesis 17). In an unusual yet beautiful twist, God, the greater party, walks through the
pieces. God is willing to die should he not uphold his unconditional and permanent
covenant!
God’s Covenant with Moses
The Sinai (or Mosaic) covenant terms were conditional and temporary. On Mount Sinai, God
gives the law to Moses, the mediator of God’s covenant with the nation of Israel. Israel
receives detailed commands governing every aspect of its life. Here, along with the bloody
sacrifices, the tabernacle and priesthood testify to the demand of righteousness by a
holy God, the seriousness of sin, and the need for a mediator greater than Moses to
reconcile us to God. Time and time again, God demonstrates his faithfulness and love in
spite of the people’s faithlessness and disobedience. Israel cannot keep up its side of the
covenant no matter how hard it tries. Though Moses’ lieutenant Joshua is able to bring
Israel into the promised land of Canaan, Israel continues to disobey God’s commands. Even
though Israel fails to keep its commitments, God keeps all his promises to Israel in
the conditional and temporary Sinai covenant (Josh. 23:14).
God’s Covenant with David
In the Davidic covenant, God promises that a descendant of David will rule on the throne
forever. Even through the period of the judges, Israel remains unfaithful, forsaking the true
God for other gods. So the last judge, Samuel, is told by God to anoint a king over
Israel. Their first king, Saul, looks promising, but he cannot attain to the level of obedience
demanded by God. The Lord then chooses David as the King of Israel. David’s desire to
replace the impermanent tabernacle with the permanent temple serves as the occasion for
God to make an unbreakable covenant with David (2 Sam. 7:4–17). Though sinful, David
receives a promise that his house/dynasty will be an everlasting throne, held by his son.
Although David’s son Solomon is credited with much wisdom, he could not escape the
foolishness of sin either. Solomon fails to be the promised forever-king. As each generation
passes, we read of kings who come and go and, for the most part, lead their people away
from God. Eventually, the sin of God’s people becomes so great that judgment must be
dispensed. Israel and Judah are conquered by foreign nations and taken into exile.
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God keeps his promise to David by sending his own Son to be the king who will be righteous
for the people. Hope remains not in the temporary and conditional covenant made in
Sinai, but on the basis of the Abrahamic and Davidic covenants. A new covenant is
promised in Jeremiah 31:31–34. Here God reminds his people that in spite of their infidelity,
he will bring forth a greater prophet, priest, and king: one who will fulfill all the promises and
commands of the Old Testament and establish his throne forever. He will lead his people on
a greater exodus and allow them entrance into the greater promised land. God will redeem
his people—but this will come with a cost. Through his perfect life, sacrificial death, and
vindicating resurrection, Jesus will conquer death itself for his people and grant access into
God’s presence forever.
1. “The story of the Bible is the unfolding of God’s promise that—though we deserve death
for our sin—God will bring us into glory through the incarnation, life, death, resurrection,
ascension, and return of his Son Jesus.” Does this sentence reflect the way you understand
the Bible and history? How might this statement of theology give hope to a Christian who is
going through challenge after challenge with no end in sight, feeling like life is mostly
meaningless?
2. The history of Israel can be summarized by this one sentence: “Time and time again, God
demonstrates his faithfulness and love in spite of the people’s faithlessness and
disobedience.” How is this true in your life?
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3. As a descendant of David, Jesus is the promised king who will rule the world in
righteousness. Read Psalm 2. What strikes you about the Son’s rule?
1. What is the difference between a conditional and unconditional promise?
2. The history of Israel can be summarized by this one sentence: “Time and time again, God
demonstrates his faithfulness and love, in spite of the people’s faithlessness and
disobedience.” How is this true in the Christian life? How does this give us confidence that
God is able to gather people who stray from his grace?
3. Psalm 2:10 says, “Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth.”
When you think of this as both a promise of God and an expression of hope upon the lips of
God’s people, what comes to mind? How might this comfort a people who feel oppressed by
sin from within and evil from the outside? What do you think is the good news of Jesus as
King?
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The best news in the world makes everyone want to burst into song. The coming of Jesus is
the turning point in God’s story. God does indeed send a redeemer for Israel, but this savior
isn’t going to return God’s people to a nation or state made up of a physical land under
theocratic rule. Jesus comes to 1) earn eternal life for his people by keeping God’s law
perfectly, which Adam, Israel, and all humanity failed to do, and 2) offer himself up as the
perfect sacrifice for their sins.
The Bible is chiefly a story of redemption.
The big plot of Scripture is the war between the seed of the woman and the seed of the
serpent (Gen. 3:15). Throughout the Old Testament, the devil is hard at work attempting to
thwart God’s plan to save people from their fallen state. From the days of Noah to the
testing of Abraham, from the persecution of the Hebrews by Pharaoh and the struggles of
the Israelites in the wilderness to the temptations to which David succumbs, Satan seeks to
destroy God’s people by preventing the coming of the Messiah.
In Luke’s account of Jesus’ birth, an angel appears to a Jewish virgin named Mary “in the
days of Herod, king of Judea,” with the most wonderful news: she shall bear a son named
Jesus, who “will be called the Son of the Most High,” of whose kingdom there will be no end
(Luke 1:5–33). Even after Jesus is born, Satan doesn’t stop trying to eliminate the promised
seed. When Herod hears from the wise men of a king’s birth, he orders all the children
under the age of two years old to be murdered to remove any possible competition to his
crown; however, God protects Jesus from harm and he grows in wisdom and stature (Matt.
2:13–15; Luke 2:52).
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Jesus is the true and faithful Son.
In his genealogy of Jesus, Luke refers to Adam as “the son of God” (Luke 3:38). Yet, Adam
failed to obey God. In Exodus 4:22–23, God refers to Israel as his “firstborn son,” yet Israel
also failed to keep God’s law. Ever since sin entered the world through Adam, God was
waiting for a true and faithful human son who would keep his law out of duty and joyful
thanksgiving, fulfilling the purpose of humanity’s creation.
To be God’s true and faithful son, Jesus needed to fulfill specific requirements and
prophecies:
® The greater Adam: Jesus must be the fully human descendant of Adam in order to
prevail in the trial where Adam failed and win the right to eat from the tree of life
(Lev. 17:11; Heb. 4:15; 9:22; 10:4).
® The promised Seed: Jesus must be the true offspring of Abraham by Sarah in order
to be the child of promise, through whom the world would be blessed, not the child of
human effort, which is represented by Hagar (Gal. 4:21–34).
® The eternal King: Jesus must be the true shoot of Jesse and the descendant of
David who would keep God’s law perfectly in order to rule on the everlasting throne
(2 Sam. 7:12–13; Isa. 11:1; 1 Kings 9:4–9; 11:4–8).
The four Gospels describe Christ’s work to redeem humanity from sin, judgment, and
death. Since no mere human being could keep God’s law perfectly because of Adam’s fall,
only Jesus, being both fully God and fully man, could be the perfect Son of Israel.
Where the nation of Israel failed to keep God’s law, Jesus succeeded in every
way. The covenant mediated by Moses was conditional and was never meant to last. The
old (Mosaic) covenant ended when Jesus lived the perfect life and offered up the perfect
sacrifice for all those who trust in him. The greater unconditional promises of the Abrahamic
covenant are fulfilled in the new covenant of grace through Jesus Christ. At last, God had a
true and faithful Son who willingly obeyed his Father and submitted to his will in all things.
God declares unrighteous people to be righteous in Christ.
What does Christ’s fulfillment of the Law and his perfect sacrifice mean for us? The doctrine
of justification explains how sinful humans are declared righteous before a holy God through
the finished redemptive work of Christ: “Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for
all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men” (Rom. 5:18).
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It is not enough to just be acquitted of guilt—we must also be righteous before God to merit
eternal life. When we place our trust in Christ alone, not only is our curse imputed (counted)
to Christ, but his righteousness is also imputed (counted) to us. The apostle Paul sums up
these amazing gifts of God’s grace in his letter to the Corinthians: “For our sake he made
him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God”
(2 Cor. 5:21).
Protestant Reformer Martin Luther called this transfer of our debts for Christ’s riches “the
marvelous exchange.” God doesn’t make a person righteous upon conversion; rather,
he declares the believer justified by a legal verdict in Christ alone, through faith alone, by
grace alone, on the basis of God’s promise (Rom. 5:1).
It is futile to try to win God’s approval through our own inadequate works, since “all have
sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). Jesus triumphed over sin and death
with his perfectly obedient life, substitutionary sacrifice on the cross, and vindicating
resurrection from the dead (Heb. 4:15). Salvation comes only by God’s grace alone, through
faith alone, in Christ Jesus alone.
1. Because Jesus kept the law on our behalf we can keep the law, not to earn salvation, but
because we are free to love God having received salvation as a gift (Eph. 2:8). And in
Ephesians 4:1-3 Paul says, “I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a
manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness,
with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in
the bond of peace.”
What does Jesus’ faithful life teach us about what it looks like to obey Paul’s command?
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2. What ideas come to mind when you think about Jesus’ birth? What are some biblical
ideas that seem to be out of step with pop culture understandings of Jesus’ birth?
3. In Romans 5:6-8 Paul says, “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ
died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps
for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows his love for us in that
while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Read this verse over a few times. What thanksgiving could you pray to God as a response?
1.When Jesus was born, he was subject to the same suffering and pains we are. He was
born into poverty and into a world of conflict between Satan and the world on one side and
God and his people on the other. How might this give us confidence that God understands
our situations and cares about all the details?
2.How does Jesus’ life model obedience to God? What is similar about our call to obey God
and Jesus’ call to obey God? What is different about our call to obey God compared to
Jesus’ call to obey God?
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3.Imagine a Christian friend who feels that they are not sure they have done enough good
works to gain salvation. How might we speak to a person about the grace of the gospel?

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Heaven and eternal life can seem very far away at times. Some people look to Jesus mainly
to help them with their problems here on earth. Jesus does care about the difficulties we
face in this life, but he came to the world to do much more than make our daily lives more
fulfilling.
Jesus is Lord over death.
The day after Jesus rose from the dead, two of his disciples were walking along the road to
Emmaus (Luke 24:13). They didn’t recognize Jesus at first because they had
certain expectations about who the Messiah was and what he had come to do. What
actually happened was very different from what they expected. These disciples needed
someone to teach them the Bible to understand why Jesus was crucified, since they thought
he was supposed to free the Jews from Roman rule.
Jesus explained the Scriptures to these confused disciples: “Was it not necessary that the
Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all
the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself (Luke
24:25–27).
Later, Jesus joined them for dinner, and their eyes were opened when he took the bread,
broke it, and gave it to them. Jesus wanted his disciples to first recognize him as the
fulfillment of the Old Testament story before they recognized him by sight.
We are in the same position today as these disciples were on the road to Emmaus. People
often look for a sign or vision to learn about God, but what they need to know is the story
in which Jesus is the central character. We cannot shoehorn Jesus into whatever we want
him to be. He has cast us as characters in his story, and what a joyful story it is!
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As the Lord who commands and the Servant who obeys, Jesus humbled himself to be born
in the flesh to conquer sin, death, Satan, and hell as one of us. He reigns both as fully God
and fully man, being the faithful and victorious last Adam. Jesus rules by serving and serves
by ruling.
If the church is the official embassy of a king who declares, “All authority in heaven and on
earth has been given to me” (Matt. 28:18), why does his kingdom seem so weak and
fragile?
Christ is building his kingdom on earth, but his methods and means differ from those of the
world. We can be confident that Christ has the authority to rule because of his vindicating
resurrection from the dead and his promise to overcome the world. While our relationship to
death has drastically changed because we are united to Christ in his resurrection, the sting
of death is not completely removed from us presently. But as Christians we can have hope
even in the midst of grief (1 Thess. 4:13).
Jesus is building his church by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus is building his kingdom through the building of his church, which is his people (Matt.
16:18). If you want to be a disciple of Jesus, then you should join a local church. Jesus does
not save his sheep from the wolves only to leave them to fend for themselves (John 10:10–
16). Christians need to be clothed, bathed, and fed with Christ’s saving gifts. They also need
to be taught, guarded, and guided by his ministers and elders.
While there are many aspects of church life that help people grow in their faith, the Holy
Spirit primarily works through the ordinary means of the preaching of the Word, the
administration of the sacraments (baptism and the Lord’s Supper), and godly discipline to
build up the body of Christ (John 14:26; Eph. 1:17–18).
There are several ways in which Jesus as Lord presently disciples us in ordinary ministry:
® Jesus serves us by the Word. The regular preaching of the Word is vital to our
discipleship. The Bible tells us that faith comes by hearing the gospel (Rom. 10:17; 1
Pet. 1:23–25).
® Jesus serves us by baptism. Being baptized and remembering our baptism is vital to
our discipleship. Baptism lies at the heart of our Lord’s Great Commission as it is the
entrance into the church, the public assembly of his saints (Matt. 28:19).
39
® Jesus serves us by the Lord’s Supper. Regularly taking the Lord’s Supper is vital to
our discipleship. The Lord’s Supper is a feast that is meant to nourish us spiritually
and assure us of our sharing in Christ (1 Cor. 10:16).
A disciple is one who also learns and comes under instruction and guidance. Christ disciples
his sheep in the three ways:
® Discipleship involves learning through sound teaching and through wise, godly
examples (2 Tim. 3:10; 4:2).
® Discipleship involves being shaped by the prayers of the church, both spoken and
sung, and by the common confessions of sins and of faith in Christ.
® Discipleship sometimes involves needing to be corrected in doctrine or life. Jesus

calls us his sheep because, like sheep, we are prone to wander (Ps. 119:176; Matt.
18:12–13).
Christ has given his church servants. Christ has given his church the special
offices of pastor, elder, and deacon to guide, protect, and care for his sheep. To grow and
thrive, Christians need to be properly discipled by the leadership of the local church. While
most believers do not hold a special office in the church, we all hold a general
office as royal priests, loving and serving one another in the name of Jesus Christ (1
Pet. 2:9). All believers are priests because we each have access to God’s presence through
Christ (Eph. 2:18). We also offer spiritual sacrifices of thanksgiving to God through
Christ (Heb. 13:15).
For now, the church is where and how Jesus’ saving lordship is seen and heard. Even
though our churches may appear to be small and insignificant in the eyes of the world, they
are the consulates of Christ’s embassy of grace. Jesus is Lord!
40
1. As the Lord who commands and the Servant who obeys, Jesus humbled himself to be
born in the flesh to conquer sin, death, Satan, and hell as one of us. He reigns both as
fully God and fully man, being the faithful and victorious last Adam. How does Jesus’ victory
over death inspire your worship and prayer life?
2. Jesus is building his kingdom by the power of the Holy Spirit, and Jesus is using the
ordinary means of preaching and teaching, baptism, the Lord’s supper, and the discipline of
the church to do it. What is one area of your church’s ministry for which you are especially
thankful?
3.How are you being discipled at your church? What are some ways you can become more
active in being a disciple?
41
1. As the Lord who commands and the Servant who obeys, Jesus humbled himself to be
born in the flesh to conquer sin, death, Satan, and hell as one of us. He reigns both as
fully God and fully man, being the faithful and victorious last Adam. How does Jesus’ victory
over death inspire your worship and prayer life? How might this inspire us to share burdens
with people and help them?
2.The Bible teaches that Jesus is building his kingdom by the power of the Holy Spirit, but
sometimes it’s hard for people to see this. The church doesn’t often look glorious. People
suffer. Scandals happen. How should we see the kingdom expanding despite the challenges
we experience?
3. Often the phrase “Church discipline” tends to scare people because it can sound like the
church wants to punish sinners. But when we think about it more carefully, church discipline
isn’t just calling people to repentance or excommunicating people who don’t repent. Church
discipline includes all the work pastors and church leaders undertake to form us in Christ.
What are some good sides of how pastors and church leaders do the work of discipleship
through discipline?
42
L E S S O N 9 :
W H A T A R E Y O U W A I T I N G F O R ?
WATCH
https://vimeo.com/170203690/92e0edc6dc
READ
If Jesus is King, why is it that the world is still filled with suffering and death?
We need to understand that death is the last enemy, and its defeat is certain (1 Cor. 15:26).
People often try to smooth over the grim reality of death by turning funerals into celebrations
with no place for mourning. Death, however, is not natural; it is a horrible thing that has
entered our world because of sin (Rom. 5:12). Yet, Christ’s work for believers has radically
transformed their experience of death.
Christian hope is generated by the gospel. Rather than trusting in our own personal views or
wishes about what will happen after we die, we can trust God’s Word to know the
truth. Death is cause for real sorrow; yet even as we mourn we have hope because Christ
bore the curse of sin for us on the cross. God foretold Jesus’ coming in the Old Testament,
and Christ’s resurrection is the vindicating proof that God will fulfill all his promises
throughout the entire Bible (Acts 17:31). The resurrection of Jesus is the hope upon which
the Christian faith stands (1 Cor. 15:14).
The Bible tells us that the sufferings of this present time—physical illness, pain, sorrow,
death—are not worth comparing to the glory that will be revealed in us (Rom. 8:18). Paul
suffered from many afflictions in his life, including illness, beatings, and a stoning so severe
that he was nearly blinded. Still, Paul rejoiced in spite of these adversities: “For this light
momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison” (2
Cor. 4:17).
43
Death is not the final chapter of the story.
Christians can accept the reality of death because they know it is not the final chapter of the
story. Immediately after death, we enter into the presence of God waiting for the
resurrection of our bodies at the last day (2 Cor. 5:8). This is the intermediate state.
Our future in the presence of God is far better than our situation now, but it is far less than
the resurrection. During the intermediate state, our bodies decay in the earth, not yet
being raised in glory. In Revelation 6:9–10 we have a picture of the departed saints who are
fully aware of the persecutions and struggles of those who have not yet entered the
intermediate state. These departed saints cry out, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true,
until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?” (v. 10).
The intermediate state is temporary as we wait for Christ to return and bring us into a new
creation that will be just as physical and terrestrial as the current creation but without sin,
sorrow, pain, or death.
What will happen when Christ returns?
When Christ returns and ushers in (consummates) the new creation, he will raise the dead,
judge the nations, and lead all believers into the everlasting glory of the age to come: all the
dead will be raised, and Christ will judge righteously by his perfect standard (Matt. 12:36–
37; 2 Tim. 4:1).
Apart from Christ, the entire world stands guilty and awaiting punishment before God
(Rom. 3:9–20).
® Salvation in the Bible is salvation from God’s wrath (Rom. 5:9).
® There are important differences between Christians and non-Christians at the final
judgment.
® While non-Christians are judged according to their own works, Christians are judged
according to the finished work of Christ done on their behalf (Rom. 4:23–25).
® Christians receive the reward because they are heirs with Christ (Gal. 4:1–4).
God will recognize many ordinary acts of love and kindness that Christians didn’t even
realize were good works, whereas the non-Christian’s best works will be judged as filthy
rags (Matt. 25:31–46; Isa. 64:6).
44
The final judgment turns out to be a final vindication for Christians as their faith is proved to
be fruitful (Luke 9:23–26; 1 John 5:4).
At Christ's return, he will lead creation into everlasting glory in the new age (Rev. 21:1–
4). Scripture uses many pictures to give us an idea of what the new heaven and
new earth will be like. What we know is that—having been resurrected—we will experience
physical existence. It's often pictured as a feast (Isa. 25:6–9; 55:1–3; Matt. 22:2–
14; Rev. 19:6–10). Scripture teaches that the new creation will contain worship (Rev. 19:10)
and that God’s glory will be its light (Rev. 21:23). We know that the new heaven and
new earth will be free from sin, sorrow, death, and pain (Rev. 21:4).
The most significant thing about heaven on earth is that God himself will dwell with us, and
we will behold him face-to-face (Rev. 21:1–3; 1 Cor. 13:12). While Scripture has only given
us hints about the new creation, we know enough to understand that it will be greater than
anything we have ever experienced. Thus, as God’s people, we wait and hope for Christ’s
return. Come, Lord Jesus!
1.Read 1 Thessalonians 4:13. How would you pray for someone who is grieving over the
death of a Christian family member?
2. What is the difference between the intermediate state and the resurrection?
45
3.The most significant thing about heaven on earth is that God himself will dwell with us,
and we will behold him face-to-face (Rev. 21:1–3; 1 Cor. 13:12). Look up these two verses.
Write down what most stands out to you.
1. Because Jesus is Lord over death, we can be confident that through faith in Jesus, even
though we die, we will enter into the presence of God and be raised on the last day. In light
of this truth, how can we better comfort Christians who are grieving over the death of a
Christian family member? What might we say? How can we pray? What could we do to
help?
2.The Bible tells us that the sufferings of this present time—physical illness, pain, sorrow,
death—are not worth comparing to the glory that will be revealed in us (Rom. 8:18). How
does this motivate you to keep living for the glory of God and for the good of your neighbor?
3. The final judgment turns out to be a final vindication for Christians as their faith is proved
to be “not in vain” (Luke 9:23–26; 1 John 5:4). At Christ’s return, he will lead creation into
everlasting glory in the new age (Rev. 21:1–4). Why should this give us confidence that God
will gladly receive us into his glorious kingdom?
46
L E S S O N 1 0 :
I N T H E M E A N T I M E — C A L L I N G S
WATCH
https://vimeo.com/171488027/b93e355d96
READ
When it comes to knowing the times and seasons of God’s unfolding plan, we need to know
where we are and where we are headed. Christ’s kingdom is already here, but it is not yet
fully arrived in all its glory.
In Scripture we discover that we are located at a precarious intersection between this

present evil age and the age to come. Christ came the first time in humility and self-sacrifice
to bring salvation. At his second coming, Christ will come in power and glory as the judge of
the world (Matt. 24:30; 25:31–36).
Waiting for Christ’s Return
People have offered three answers to this question:
® Christians should be triumphalistic: This view teaches that Christians should

transform the world for Christ and make the world a better place, suitably fit for
Christ's return.
® Christians should be defeatists: This world is doomed, so we must save as many

souls as possible from this “late, great planet earth.”
® Christians should be witnesses: We are called to be witnesses of Christ, to suffer for

that witness, and to love and serve our neighbors in our worldly callings.
The third view—being a witness for Christ—best recognizes the tension between the
“already and not yet” of Christ’s kingdom here on earth while we wait for Jesus' return.
Christ has toppled the dominion of sin, and even now we can see the fruit of the Spirit in our
lives, though at times it seems indiscernible.
47
Living in an Economy of Grace
Since Christ has already come and brought us peace with God, our lives take on an
attitude of thanksgiving. We no longer offer sacrifices for guilt. We live as those who belong
to Christ, moved into a kingdom of grace and not of debt. We are free at last to be thankful,
offering ourselves as “living sacrifices” of praise to God (Rom. 12:1).
We must not shrink from our responsibilities in daily living, and we also must be clear about
our calling as Christians in this present world. We need to keep two things in their proper
order:
® First, God first serves us with his saving grace (Acts 17:25–26; Rom. 11:35–
36; James 1:17).
® Second, receiving God’s saving grace, we do good works out of the love God forms
in us by the Holy Spirit. And God uses these good works to serve our neighbors in
daily life (Rom. 13:8–10; Gal. 5:22–24; 6:2; Col. 3:17; Eph. 2:8–10).
Remembering the following will help Christians keep a proper focus on how to live in this
world:
® Christians are not building a kingdom; they are receiving one (Heb. 12:28–29; Rom.
12:1–8). The church is this new body in Christ where each person does his or her job
to nourish and strengthen other members by the Spirit’s gracious gifts (Rom. 12:3–
8; 1 Cor. 12:12–27).
® Christians are called to love and serve their neighbors to the best of their abilities.
Believers do good works for the glory of God and the good of others (1 Cor. 10:31).
® Whether it is in the church, the family, or in a secular vocation, God has given each
of us various callings. A Christian can be—and often is—a parent, spouse,
employee/employer, deacon, child, and volunteer, all at the same time! We
sometimes think that our gifts don’t matter much, but they are essential (Rom. 12:1–
8).
Sometimes new Christians wrongly assume that life will be better now that they have trusted
in Christ as their Savior. Life can actually become more complicated for Christians because
there is a war going on inside of us between our desires to obey God’s will and our
indwelling sin, even though we have been justified by God because of
Christ’s righteousness that is counted to us.
48
Living with Common Grace
Christians share in the common curse and common grace of this world just like
unbelievers. We enjoy the benefits of human progress from medicine, technology, and other
good inventions. We also still get sick and die. Yet, death no longer has the final word for
believers. God uses it to free us from our decaying bodies so we can be raised in glory (1
Cor. 15:43).
God’s will for our lives doesn’t have to be a mystery. Everything God says that we need to
know is contained in Scripture. Beyond that, God’s secrets are just that—secret (Deut.
29:29; 1 Thess. 4:1–12). We are free to be who God made us to be, where we are, with the
gifts he has given us, without worrying about finding out his secret will. God has revealed his
saving will and love for us and has made us to be a conduit of his love in our service to
others. We need to wisely interpret Scripture regarding the good and necessary principles
for life that God gives us in his Word.
God gives us gifts not only for fellow believers but also for those who do not yet know Christ.
God makes us his ambassadors, witnessing by word and deed to Christ’s victory over sin
and death, all the while conforming us to the image of his Son.
1. We are called to be witnesses of Christ, to suffer for that witness, and to love and serve
our neighbors in our worldly callings. This can be a frightening call, but God has given us
the Holy Spirit. Beyond church on Sundays, how else are you a witness in your situation?
Consider the small, everyday interactions.
49
2. The problem with triumphalism is not its goal; Christians should want to see their good
works produce change in their lives and in their societies. The problem with triumphalism is
that it expects us to transform the world so that Christ’s kingdom will come, as if Christ’s
coming is dependent upon our work. How are you freed to serve in love when you recognize
that Christians receive the kingdom by grace?
Because of common grace, even non-Christians contribute to the well-being of society.

3.
What are some of the “general goods” in the world that you are thankful for?
1. Christians should be witnesses. We are called to be witnesses of Christ, to suffer for that
witness, and to love and serve our neighbors in our worldly callings. What are some
practical ways we can share the gospel with people? How does our love and service help or
hinder our witness?
2.The good news about your calling is that through the ordinary simple stuff like going to
work or school, serving our families or friends, and speaking Christ’s words of hope, God
serves the world. God serves the world through us. How does this reveal that your life has
meaning?
50
3. In this world, we participate in common goods with Christians and non-Christians. This is
not to say either that Christians are doing everything right or that non-Christians never
oppose God. It’s to say that God, through common grace, uses Christian and non-Christian
together to accomplish his care and preservation of society. How does this idea free us to
work for the common good with a spirit of gentleness in secular spaces ? Why is it a good
thing to work with non-Christians to do good in the world?
51

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1

I N T R O D U C T I O N : Why This Study? ................................................................ 3

L E S S O N O N E : Jesus is God .......................................................................... 5

L E S S O N T W O : God is Three Persons ........................................................... 9

L E S S O N T H R E E : God Is Great and Good .................................................... 14

L E S S O N F O U R : God Speaks ....................................................................... 19

L E S S O N F I V E : God Made the World but We’ve Made a Mess of It ................ 25

L E S S O N S I X : God Made a Promise ............................................................. 29

L E S S O N S E V E N : Joy to the World! .............................................................. 33

L E S S O N E I G H T : Jesus Is Lord .................................................................... 38

L E S S O N N I N E : What Are We Waiting For? .................................................. 43

L E S S O N T E N : In the Mean Time: Callings .................................................... 47

This study was designed with several things in mind.

First, we designed this study to advance the gospel.

Second, we designed this study to speak to honest questions.

Second, Jesus died, was buried, and was resurrected.

Consider these facts:

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION

2. What are some ways you can or do worship Jesus?

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

The Bible teaches God is one.

In Ephesians 1:3–14, the Apostle Paul records a wonderful doxology (expression of

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION

The Bible teaches that God is great.

® God is omnipotent. That is, he is all-powerful. Some people think of God’s

The Bible reveals that God is also good.

Consider two verses:

What questions do you still have?

First, God speaks today through the Bible.

God speaks through the preaching of his Word.

God speaks law and gospel.

2. What is Bible exposition? Why is Bible application important?

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

Scripture tells us the following about God’s work in creation:

Adam and Eve committed treason against their King.

® He cursed the serpent (Gen. 3:14–15).

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION

God’s Covenant with Abraham

God’s Covenant with Moses

God’s Covenant with David

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

1. What is the difference between a conditional and unconditional promise?

The Bible is chiefly a story of redemption.

God declares unrighteous people to be righteous in Christ.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

Jesus is Lord over death.

Jesus is building his church by the power of the Holy Spirit.

® Discipleship sometimes involves needing to be corrected in doctrine or life. Jesus

What will happen when Christ returns?

® Salvation in the Bible is salvation from God’s wrath (Rom. 5:9).

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

In Scripture we discover that we are located at a precarious intersection between this

Waiting for Christ’s Return

People have offered three answers to this question:

® Christians should be triumphalistic: This view teaches that Christians should

® Christians should be defeatists: This world is doomed, so we must save as many