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First Baptist Missionary Church
Sunday School Lessons
“GIFTS GOD HAS GIVEN TO US”
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Lessons for December 2019
Sis. Velma Miles, Superintendent
Rev. George Windley, Jr., Pastor
“See, God has come to save me. I will trust in him and not be afraid. The Lord God is my strength and my song; he has given me victory.” (Isaiah 12:2 NLT)
During this time of the year, many people give gifts to their family, friends, co-workers, and those in their circles. This is the time of year when many express their love by giving of their time and themselves to put a smile on the face of others. In Isaiah 12:2, we see gifts God has given to us out of His love for us.
In Isaiah 12:2, we see the coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who brought to this earth a special gift, His Salvation. In addition to this gift came other gifts: Courage, Strength, Song and Victory. Jesus came to save us and if we trust wholeheartedly in Him, we do not have to be afraid as He is our strength. Through His saving grace and His strength, we have a reason to be filled with joy and happiness and sing out His praises. Also, with Christ, we are reminded that whatever comes our way, we already have the victory in Jesus.
This is what makes Christmas special for us. This is why, we as believers are to be excited. We received a special gift in Jesus and all He brings to our lives. Join us this month as we look at some of the gifts the Lord offers to us.
Lessons:
Dec. 1 – Gift #1, Salvation (“God has come to save me”)
• Scripture reference: John 3: 14-18, Romans 10: 9-10
Dec. 8 – Gift #2, Courage (“I will trust in him and not be afraid”)
• Scripture reference: Ephesians 6: 10-18
Dec. 15 – Gift #3, Strength (“The Lord God is my strength”)
• Scripture reference: Psalm 27
Dec. 22 – Gift #4, A Song (“The Lord God is my song)
• Scripture reference: Psalm 98; Luke 2: 8-14
Dec. 29 – Gift #5, Victory (“He has given me victory”)
• Scripture reference: Romans 8: 31-39
December 1, 2019 Lesson 1
“Gift of SALVATION”
John 3: 14-18, Romans 10:9-13
John 3: 14-18 (NKJV)
14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son
of God
Romans 10: 9-13 (ERV)
9 If you openly say, “Jesus is Lord” and believe in your heart that God raised him from death, you will be saved.
10 Yes, we believe in Jesus deep in our hearts, and so we are made right with God. And we openly say that we believe in him, and so we are saved.
11 Yes, the Scriptures say, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disappointed.”
12 It says this because there is no difference between those who are Jews and those who are not. The same Lord is the Lord of all people. And he richly blesses everyone who looks to him for help.
13 Yes, “everyone who trusts in the Lord (calls on the name of the Lord) will be saved.”
Commentary:
Christmas is filled with many traditions. One such tradition of the Christmas Season is gift giving. As we enter this holiday season, we tend to pause and think about gifts, what should I give and who to give gifts to. We can put a lot of thought into our gift giving because we give gifts to people to show love and appreciation and we value the role they play in our lives.
As Christian believers we know that God offers everyone the free gift of salvation. Salvation is one of the key concepts of God’s revelation to humanity. The biblical ideas of salvation include the following:
1. Salvation is the rescue from sin and death.
2. Salvation is the renewing of the spirit.
3. Salvation is the restoration of a right relationship with God.
In today’s lesson we will look at two passages of scriptures which examine the purpose and plan of salvation. In John chapter 3, a Jewish leader named Nicodemus came to Jesus and acknowledges that he realized that Jesus was a teacher that came from God. Jesus let Nicodemus know that if he wanted to be a part of God’s Kingdom he had to be born again. Jesus explained to Nicodemus that the “new birth” is a spiritual change that can only be brought about by God. What Jesus told Nicodemus is still true today. We may try to live a good life, attend church, or engage in other commendable activities, yet the requirement is still the same we must be “born again” in order to be in God’s Family.
Beginning in John 3:14, Jesus spoke of an event that happened when the Israelites was wandering in the Wilderness. It gives us an example of how restoration to divine favor would come about. When many of the Israelites died from being bitten by poisonous snakes, Moses was instructed to make a bronze serpent and place it on a pole. Anyone bitten by a serpent, upon looking at the bronze serpent, would be healed and live. There was nothing in the bronze serpent that could remove the poisons from those who had been bitten. Their response to God made it possible for them to live (Numbers 21:5-9). Just as the “lifted” bronze snake gave the Israelites extended physical life, looking upon the “lifted up” Savior, Jesus gives us eternal life because He died on the cross for our sins. Because God loved us so much, He sent his Son to die for our sins so that we can have eternal life. God did not send his son into the world to condemn it, depriving humans of all hope, but to save the world and give everyone the opportunity for eternal life and an abiding relationship with him.
Our lesson continues in Romans 10:9-10 telling us how to receive the free gift of salvation. God’s salvation is right in front of us. It is as close as your own lips and heart. The gift of salvation is not a complicated process. We must remember that Jesus paid the price for the sins of every sinner, past, present and future as He suffered and died but rose three days later, victorious over sin and death. To receive the forgiveness of sin that Jesus made available to all of us, we have to personally accept Christ’s sacrifice by faith. It is important to have an attitude of repentance and to feel remorse and sorry for our sins. Afterwards, we are to believe with our hearts that Jesus died on the cross to pay for our sins and that God raised Him from the dead. Then, we are to confess with our mouths that we are sinners, in need of His forgiveness, and accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. And according to His Word, we shall be saved.
God loves us and desires to have a personal relationship with all of us. The gift of salvation does just that. Salvation restores us into a loving, intimate and eternal relationship with God. And with His Salvation, we can discover our true potential and purpose in life as we now live in our new lives with Him.
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Questions:
1. What is Sin?
2. What does it mean to be “Saved”? To be “born again”?
3. According to the scriptures, how can one receive salvation?
4. Have you received the free gift of salvation? If yes, in what ways are you living out your salvation?
5. When was the last time you walked someone through the steps of salvation and helped them receive new life in Jesus Christ?
Daily Readings:
Monday, December 2, Philippians 4: 4-13
Tuesday, December 3, 2 Corinthians 10: 1-6
Wednesday, December 4, Deuteronomy 31: 1-6
Thursday, December 5, Joshua 1: 1-9
Friday, December 6, Romans 13: 11-14
Saturday, December 7, Reflections
Sunday, December 8, Ephesians 6: 10-18
December 8, 2019 Lesson 2
“Gift of COURAGE”
Ephesians 6: 10-18 (ERV)
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10 To end my letter I tell you, be strong in the Lord and in his great power.
11 Wear the full armor of God. Wear God’s armor so that you can fight against the devil’s clever tricks.
12 Our fight is not against people on earth. We are fighting against the rulers and authorities and the powers of this world’s darkness. We are fighting against the spiritual powers of evil in the heavenly places.
13 That is why you need to get God’s full armor. Then on the day of evil, you will be able to stand strong. And when you have finished the whole fight, you will still be standing.
14 So stand strong with the belt of truth tied around your waist, and on your chest wear the protection of right living.
15 On your feet wear the Good News of peace to help you stand strong.
16 And also use the shield of faith with which you can stop all the burning arrows that come from the Evil One.
17 Accept God’s salvation as your helmet. And take the sword of the Spirit—that sword is the teaching of God.
18 Pray in the Spirit at all times. Pray with all kinds of prayers, and ask for everything you need. To do this you must always be ready. Never give up. Always pray for all of God’s people
Commentary:
Many of us get dressed every day, but are we dressed for what we will face: the weather, activities, school, and work. Soldiers have a complete uniform to protect them if they are going to war and football player wear protective equipment to prevent injuries. Kids, who participates in sport, usually wear a uniform and some type of protection gear is involved. But do we dress to prepare for spiritual attacks? Our lesson today tells us that we have the gift of COURAGE in Jesus Christ! Paul reminds the church at Ephesus and us today of being dressed for whatever the enemy will bring our way. It is good to have the right protection gear (ARMOR) on at all times to defend against attacks of the enemy on us spiritually.
We are reminded today; we will experience some attacks spiritually. It is important to know that when this happens you will be properly dressed! The spiritual Armor of God consist of the helmet, breastplate, shield, sword, belt and shoes; covering us from top of our head to sole of our feet each with a specific purpose! Let’s look at OUR ARMOR:
- HELMET - Where does the spiritual battle rage? On what battlefield is Satan active? He (Satan) works on making the mind captive. The thoughts and actions of the body proceed from the mind. Romans 12:2 says, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” The head is was a prime target in warfare, because an opponent knows, a direct hit would finish the enemy. What a remarkable promise we have in scripture, salvation! We need to learn to trust and rejoice in the hope of our eternity, when we are engaged in warfare.
|BREASTPLATE - The goal is to protect the vital organs, from an enemy attack. This parallels |
|the righteous life, when we live a righteous life; our vital organs are protected from enemy |
|attack. For example, the Christian who knows the word of God (Sword of the spirit) and has |
|great faith (shield of faith), but lives an unrighteous life, is open to enemy attack, |
|regardless how well they are able to use the other pieces of equipment. |
- GRIDLE (Belt) - The belt helps keep the equipment in place, the same way truth keeps the spiritual weapons in place. Truth means what is real, as opposed to what is not real or false. The New Testament rests on the reality of Jesus, Jesus makes this point very clear in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.”
- SHOES OF THE GOSPEL - As a believer we have authority, given to us by Jesus Christ. Our feet are the method where we move in this physical world. What territory do we walk on? The god of this age is Satan, who rules over the nations. We on the other hand advance the Kingdom of God on Satan territory. How is this Kingdom advanced? What is the method God uses to advance His Kingdom? Is it through the spread of democracy? Is it through higher living standards? Through education? No, it’s through the Gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ which changes lives for eternity. Offering a lost person liberty and freedom from Satan’s power, is achieved by the spread of the Gospel. If the saved person is not willing to tell others the Good News, the Gospel, Satan wins.
- SHIELD - What did Paul think the most important piece of equipment was for the Spiritual warrior? Right, the shield! He tells us above all, right at the start. Faith is a shield, which allows us to put an immediate end to many of Satan’s attacks. We can choose to raise our level of faith, by learning scripture and the evidences contained within it. The more we engage in spiritual combat training, the more effective we can be with our weapons. With our faith, we can absorb Satan’s “darts” of attacks and keep moving; knowing God has already given us the victory.
- SWORD - We have a weapon more powerful than any earthly weapon. The weapon is a spiritual weapon, which is God extension through us. As saints, we are God’s warriors, representing His Kingdom in this fallen world. We have authority and power through Christ. However, we also have a sword beyond any comparison in the physical world. The spiritual sword is none other than the word of God. Hebrews defines this sword for us. God’s sword is an eternal weapon, while the earthly sword is very limited in scope. God’s weapon is living, while the earthly sword has no life.
Paul uses for the church to understand how we are to be engaged in the Spiritual realms. We need to take the spiritual life as serious as the Roman soldier took the physical, military life. Paul, who fights against the demonic realms, commands the church what they need to do. He writes in his concluding remarks to the saints at Ephesus. His final instructions for them, “put on the whole or full armor of God”. Put on the whole armor of God: Paul who was in Rome, surrounded by Roman soldiers, commands the church to put on the God’s armor. We are to be complete in God’s armor, as opposed to being strong in one aspect and weak in others. We are not to just learn the shield, and not the sword. The armor is complete and we are to sink into God’s armor. If we fail to put on the armor, we will not be able to stand in battle. Satan, the devil wants to exploit our weakness, and looks for areas to take us down for the purpose of us not standing. Therefore, we as warriors have to learn to put on the full armor of God, and become proficient in our ability to use the weapon. Take confidence in knowing that you have the strength and courage of God in you spiritually! When we are dressed in the ARMOR OF GOD, we have the courage to stand for God, to live for God, and even die for God! Remembers the Battle is not yours it's the Lord! Take Courage in knowing that the victory is already won!
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Questions:
1. Describe the pieces of the Armor of God and their purpose.
2. Which portion of the Armor do you feel you possess the most? The least? Explain your answer
3. How does knowing that you are wearing the Armor of God, gives you the courage of strength?
4. How can you witness and encourage others that they too can have the courage of strength in the Lord?
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Daily Readings:
Monday, December 9, Exodus 15: 1-11
Tuesday, December 10, Psalm 118: 1-9
Wednesday, December 11, 2 Corinthians 12:1-10
Thursday, December 12, Psalm 46: 1-3
Friday, December 13, Psalm 28: 1-9
Saturday, December 14, Reflections
Sunday, December 15, Psalm 27
December 15, 2019 Lesson 3
“Gift of STRENGTH”
Psalm 27 (NKJV)
1 The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
2 When the wicked came against me to eat up my flesh, my enemies and foes, they stumbled and fell.
3 Though an army may encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war may rise against me, in this I will be confident.
4 One thing I have desired of the Lord, that will I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple.
5 For in the time of trouble, He shall hide me in His pavilion; in the secret place of His tabernacle, He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock.
6 And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me; therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.
7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice! Have mercy also upon me, and answer me.
8 When You said, “Seek My face,” my heart said to You, “Your face, Lord, I will seek.”
9 Do not hide Your face from me; do not turn Your servant away in anger; You have been my help; do not leave me nor forsake me, O God of my salvation.
10 When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take care of me.
11 Teach me Your way, O Lord, and lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies.
12 Do not deliver me to the will of my adversaries; for false witnesses have risen against me, and such as breathe out violence.
13 I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.
14 Wait on the Lord; be of good courage,
and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord!
Commentary:
The Psalm is a book that provides instruction, inspiration, motivation and consolation. Many of the psalms are prayers to God and songs (hymns) to encourage and strengthen either the writer themselves, and/or to others. Today’s lesson is written by David celebrating his assurance of God’s deliverance with prayer and reflecting how his faith in the power of God has kept him alive through his many trials. This is a statement of faith and with faith comes strength.
David is in a dark place and is praying for his life. He opens this lesson with a bold statement of confidence in God and begins claiming God as his own. He states that, “The Lord is MY light and MY salvation; whom shall I fear?” This shows that he has a personal relationship with God. We too are to have a personal relationship as such relationship brings strength when we are faced with opposition. David was not afraid to reach out (pray) to God and declare that God is his light. God’s light shows us a way when we are in doubt; comforts us when we are in sorrow; and always gives us hope to see His light. With His light, we are shown what to do in times of distress.
David continues by saying, “The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid.” Sometimes we rely on other things or people to give us strength; such as friends, our wisdom, our resources, and our experiences instead of the one person that will always provide if we ask. David knew a greater source of where his strength would come from and trust that God was his salvation and that he would be saved. Being a skilled and experienced warrior, David must have been a man of great physical strength. However, he always looked to God as the strength and protector of his life. He knew then what Paul wrote many years later in Ephesians 6:10; “Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.” God is our light, our salvation, and our strength which we should not have any reason to be fearful or afraid.
David’s desire was to always be near to God’s presence as he says, “When my enemies came against me, they could not prevail or win.” He did not turn away from God when hard times came his way. He didn’t give up; but sought strength through God’s promises and knew that he will see Him. David did not ask that God destroy his enemies or for justice but instead asked for something else. He asked that he could see and be with Him for the rest of his life. He knew that if God helped him once, He would do it again. As Christians, we should always be open and humble enough to allow God to dwell in us so that He would always be with us. We are to make ourselves available to be God’s house; His dwelling place.
David continues to praise God for what he has done for him. He knew that if God lived in him, God’s protection and blessings would keep him safe even when his enemies were close. He knew that God would give him strength to face any opposition in his life. It is good to know that we can rest in His strength and comfort and know that God will provide when we face troubles of many kinds. Praising God all the time will confuse our enemies. We should never be ashamed, fearful or afraid to give Him praise for all He had done for us. Even in our moment of trouble, we are to lift our heads and hearts up to the Lord who will bless us with His presence. We must let God’s light shine in our lives to let others see His deliverance in us. Let Him have the glory and show Himself strong. David never thought that he could tackle his fears thorough his own strength along. He knew that all his strength came from God and he trusted God to supply his every need.
In verse 9, David shifts his praises to woe. It appears that even when we praise God, it may seem that He does not hear us when we need Him the most. We can feel and hear David’s despair as he cries out to God in prayer for mercy because he felt that God had abandoned him. David demands an answer from God. God invites David to pray as He tells him to “Seek My face.” In other words, “to find Him” which possibly made David feel that God was hiding from him. David’s respond was not of anger but of desperation as he responded, “Your face I will seek.” God gives him specific instructions in how to “find” Him. When God prompts us to pray, we too should respond as prayer is not only seeking answers, but seeking God Himself. When we find His presence, we find His answers. David was seeking God and not revenge. When we pray, it must be from the heart to touch God. If not, our prayer is superficial. David continued to ask God to teach His ways, to lead him in simple paths, and not to give him over to his enemies.
David close his prayer with the statement that we must not lose hope; for it is the key to strength. He states that if it had not been for his believing of God’s goodness while he was living, he would have given up. God’s hope and strength keeps us strong while facing our troubles, problems and temptations. This hope and strength will keep us witnessing and encouraging others to be of good courage, to wait on God, and to assure them that God would strengthen their hearts. God will always do the right thing at the right time; it’s just for us to Wait on Him!!!
We are all in need of help and deliverance and we must put God in His place; our hearts. He is our strength when we feel like we can’t go on as well as our hope when we can’t see our way. God is our deliverance when we are sinking and will always provide for us strength in times of trouble. His strength comes from within and settles on the heart where we should always keep God in.
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Questions:
1. What was David’s perspective on God’s presence and strength?
2. David uses the word picture of God as light. What do you think David meant when he said, “The Lord is my light”?
Think about the characteristics of light and why light is so important and useful.
3. Is the Lord your Light? Explain, (how so?)
Is the Lord your Salvation? Explain, (how so?)
Is the Lord your Strength? Explain, (how so)?
4. What are some ways we can help others to learn how to wait on the Lord in their time of distress?
Daily Readings:
Monday, December 16, Psalm 33: 1-12
Tuesday, December 17, Psalm 95
Wednesday, December 18, Psalm 96
Thursday, December 19, Psalm 97
Friday, December 20, Psalm 98
Saturday, December 21, – Reflections
Sunday, December 22, Luke 2: 1-14
December 22, 2019 Lesson 4
“Gift of SONG”
Psalm 98; Luke 2: 8-14 (NKJV)
Psalm 98
1 Oh, sing to the Lord a new song! For He has done marvelous things; His right hand and His holy arm have gained Him the victory.
2 The Lord has made known His salvation; His righteousness He has revealed in the sight of the nations.
3 He has remembered His mercy and His faithfulness to the house of Israel; All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
4 Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth; break forth in song, rejoice, and sing praises.
5 Sing to the Lord with the harp, with the harp and the sound of a psalm,
6 With trumpets and the sound of a horn; shout joyfully before the Lord, the King.
7 Let the sea roar, and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell in it;
8 Let the rivers clap their hands; let the hills be joyful together
9 before the Lord, for He is coming to judge the earth.
With righteousness He shall judge the world, and the peoples with equity.
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Luke 2: 8-14
8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.
10 Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.
11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.”
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:
14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men
Commentary:
Psalm 98 is often referred to as a Song of Praise to the Lord for His Salvation and Judgment. The psalmist commands the reader to sing unto the Lord a new song and explains why one should sing. It is quite interesting that God would give us the gift of song, in spite of our reluctance to sing publicly (on-tune at least). Nevertheless, God has given each of us a song in the spirit to sing to Him. This particular song is first and foremost to be sung to Him in awe and recognition of all the wonderful things God has done and continues to do for us.
Why sing? We are encouraged to sing to God for various reasons as listed by the psalmist:
(1) God has done marvelous things and He has the victory. (2) the Lord has made known His salvation.
(3) He has revealed His righteousness.
(4) He has remembered His mercy and His faithfulness to the house of Israel.
How to sing? Shout joyfully to the Lord. Start singing joyful songs of praise! Music is powerful; the lyrics are very impactful. Be mindful of what you watch and listen to. Your flesh will want to listen to music that matches your present mood; however, your spirit must command your mind, will, and emotions to coincide with God’s word. If you are feeling emotionally unstable, start singing joyful songs of praise. If you’re experiencing a challenging situation, be it financial, health related, or any other obstacle, just start singing and watch the pain dissipate. Sing unto the Lord and watch the manifestation of God’s presence begin to permeate your environment.
In Luke, we witness the angel proclaiming Christ’s birth. In verse 13 we notice that as soon as the angel gave the sign to the shepherds that they would find the Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger that suddenly, there appeared with the angel, a multitude of the heavenly hosts praising God. The heavenly hosts constantly give glory to God. We, God’s children should join the angles in declaring His goodness. Jesus modeled that in prayer we should ask that the Father’s will be done in earth as it is in heaven. In heaven, the hosts perpetually render praises to God; we can invoke the heavenly atmosphere of worship and adoration to the Father by singing to God and celebrating His infinite love.
Questions:
1. Why do you think our Lord gave us the gift of singing?
2. How can you respond when your physical body or emotional state doesn’t feel like praising God in any form?
3. Psalm 98:4 how does the psalmist commend us to sing?
4. Apply the lesson. Begin to sing unto the Lord as illustrated in today’s lesson. As you sing meditate on God’s goodness and lovingkindness extended towards you. Capture your thoughts and experience in your notes/journal.
Daily Readings:
Monday, December 23, Isaiah 9: 6-7
Tuesday, December 24, Luke 1: 39-56
Wednesday, December 25, Luke 2:21-38
Thursday, December 26, Matthew 2: 1-12
Friday, December 27, 1 John 5: 1-5
Saturday, December 28, Reflections
Sunday, December 29, Romans 8: 31-39
December 29, 2019 Lesson 5
“Gift of VICTORY”
Romans 8: 31-39 (ERV)
31 So what should we say about this? If God is for us, no one can stand against us. And God is with us.
32 He even let his own Son suffer for us. God gave his Son for all of us. So now with Jesus, God will surely give us all things.
33 Who can accuse the people God has chosen? No one! God is the one who makes them right.
34 Who can say that God’s people are guilty? No one! Christ Jesus died for us, but that is not all. He was also raised from death. And now he is at God’s right side, speaking to him for us.
35 Can anything separate us from Christ’s love? Can trouble or problems or persecution separate us from his love? If we have no food or clothes or face danger or even death, will that separate us from his love?
36 As the Scriptures say, “For you we are in danger of death all the time. People think we are worth no more than sheep to be killed.”
37 But in all these troubles we have complete victory through God, who has shown his love for us.
38-39 Yes, I am sure that nothing can separate us from God’s love, not death, life, angels, or ruling spirits. I am sure that nothing now, nothing in the future, no powers, nothing above us or nothing below us, nothing in the whole created world, will ever be able to separate us from the love God has shown us in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Commentary:
As we embark upon the beginning of a new year, we cannot neglect the events and grace extended towards us in the present year. The world has celebrated Christmas in its own manner of understanding; yet we as believers must constantly be mindful of the wonderful gifts our loving Father has bestowed upon us. In this week’s lesson we reflect on God’s gift of victory.
In the beginning of chapter 8, Paul expounds upon the believer’s life in the Spirit; how they live a life of peace, following the Spirit. God’s children receive the blessings that He has for them and He will give His children all that He has given Jesus Christ.
In verse 31 Paul reminds us that if God is for us no one can stand against us. God is with us so that we can face any challenge or obstacle. If we are feeling lonely or frustrated after all the activities associated with the Christmas holiday season, we should remember that “Abba, Our Father” is right there with us. Paul recounts that we serve a loving Father who gave His best to us. Paul mentions that since God sacrificed His only son, Jesus Christ, to die a horrible death, then surely God will give us all things. Psalm 84:11 states (NIV) “For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing will he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.”
In verses 32-35 Paul both asks and answers questions to reassert the fact that nothing or no one can separate us from God’s love. He asks, “Who can accuse you?” No one! Who can say God’s people are guilty? No one! Persecution, troubles, and trials come nevertheless these issues cannot separate us from God’s love. Therefore, we should not allow internal or external condemnation to deter us from the truth that God loves us, in spite of what we may have done in our past or what others may have done to us. Regardless of our behavior, God is faithful to His Word, and our circumstances do not determine the validity of His Word. God is love and He desires to share His love with His children.
Paul recognizes that the enemy desires to have him killed for sharing the truth of God love. When we become cognizant of the triumphant power and love that resides within us, we will no longer be slaves of fear. As God’s dearly beloved children, He causes us to be victorious because our success is reflective of His Kingdom. God is excited when we reign in life because He gets the glory. When we recognize the depth of God’s love for us, we will no longer be hindered by past mistakes or be fearful of the unknown in the future. We will no longer prioritize our actions based on external factors. We will govern our lives based on the truth of God’s Word and stand on the promise that we are victorious through Christ. Deuteronomy 30:9a (NIV) states “Then the Lord your God will make you most prosperous in all the work of your hands and in the fruit of your womb.” Psalm 90:17 (NIV) states “May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us—yes, establish the work of our hands.”
As you continue to live with purpose, live with the understanding that our Father desires for us to live a victorious life full of love, peace, and Godly success.
Questions:
1. How can we be sure that God is with us?
2. What do you stand in need of? How can you apply vs.32 to that need?
3. Re-read vs. 34. Where is Jesus? What is Jesus doing?
4. Meditate on vs. 37; what do you think it means to have complete victory?
Daily Reading:
Monday, December 30, Proverbs 19: 20-21
Tuesday, December 31, Romans 8: 28-30
Wednesday, January 1, Genesis 1: 1-19
Thursday, January 2, Genesis 1: 20-31
Friday, January 3, Revelation 1: 1-8
Saturday, January 4, Reflection
Sunday, January 5, John 1: 1-14
Notes:
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