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December 10, 2023: Justified by Faith
BIBLICAL BASIS: Man's Need of Salvation
PRINTED TEXT: Romans 3:9-26
BACKGROUND SCRIPTURES: Genesis 3:1-24; Ecclesiastes 2:12; Romans 1:18-32
DEVOTIONAL READING: Ephesians 2:8-18
KEY VERSE: Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1).
CENTRAL TRUTH: Salvation only comes by faith in Christ's atoning sacrifice.
OBJECTIVE: By the end of this lesson my students should be able to explain in simple terms how a person may be saved.
LESSON OUTLINE:
I. The Sinner's Condition (Romans 3:9-12)
II. The Sinner's Character (Romans 3:13-20)
III. The Sinner's Cure (Romans 3:21-26)
December 6, 2023: Justification Not Through Works
Read Jeremiah 2:21-24.
"For though thou wash thee with nitre, and take thee much soap, yet thine iniquity is marked before me, saith the Lord God" (v. 22).
A former Colgate Palmolive soap factory employee relates that although there are newer processes for making soap, the essentials are more or less the same as when made on the farm from soda ash and the lard rendered from a pig. The raw ingredients to make soap are oils – palm oil, coconut oil, or even fish oil; for bar soap, caustic soda or lye from soda ash; and for soft soap, caustic potassium from potash.
These ingredients are boiled in huge vats. After the vats are cooled, and the chemical reaction results are removed, it is necessary to clean the vats, which are heated by huge, coal-fired boilers. The soot must be cleaned from the horizontal six-foot-high pipes leading to the chimney stacks. The unfortunate part of this process is that even though you have a lot of soap available, you can not get clean. At the end of the two weeks, it takes to clean the pipes, the employees have to throw their clothes into the garbage. After many showers, they still don’t look clean. They bare stains that even soft soap won’t clean!
We face the same problem. We have many remedies for cleaning up our lives that have been fabricated by man. We have seminars, AA meetings, NA meetings, self-help books, support groups, and therapy sessions, but even though these methods may give temporary relief, none of them can remove the stain of sin. Only the atoning blood of Jesus Christ can cleanse the stain of sin from the heart and life of a repentant individual who believes in the Son of God for salvation. (Gayle Woods)
Only the atoning blood of Jesus Christ can cleanse the stain of sin.
November 30. 2023: The Punishment of Sin
Read Jeremiah 31:27-30.
“In those days, they shall say no more, The fathers have eaten a sour grape, and the children's teeth are set on edge. But every one shall die for his own iniquity: every man that eateth the sour grape, his teeth shall be set on edge” (v. 29-30).
“You can’t tell me she’s not your daughter! She looks JUST like you!” Upon seeing my mother and I in our favorite craft and home décor store, the stranger immediately pointed out our resemblance. We smiled and chuckled in agreement. We do look a lot alike. It is easy to see we are related.
As distinctive physical traits get passed down from generation to generation, so do habits, personalities, and character traits. In today’s reading, Jeremiah addresses a proverb of his day. He was trying to balance the concept of generational consequences, though. While our forefathers may have eaten the “sour grapes” of sin, and while we may suffer some of the fallout from their decisions, Jeremiah reminds us that every generation has a choice in this area. That is both good news and bad news. The good news? We can choose differently than our ancestors and take “sour grapes” off our menus. The bad news? If we decide to follow a pattern of family sin and continue eating those “sour grapes,” we should also expect our own punishment. There will be repercussions. Serious ones, in fact. If unforgiven, we can expect to “die for [our] own iniquity.”
Yes, our parents’ choices can and do affect us. But just as their sin cannot send us to hell, neither can their salvation get us into heaven. We are solely responsible for our own actions, responses, and relationship with God. Make good choices today! (SW)
There’s a sad day coming, a sad day coming;
There’s a sad day coming by and by,
When the sinner shall hear his doom:
“Depart, I know you not!”
Are you ready for that day to come?
--- Will L. Thompson
December 3, 2023: The Depravity of Humanity
BIBLICAL BASIS: Understanding the Depravity of Humanity
PRINTED TEXT: Romans 1:18-32
BACKGROUND SCRIPTURES: Genesis 19:1-25; Judges 19:22-25; I Corinthians 6:9-11; I Timothy 1:8-11
DEVOTIONAL READING: Romans 1:1-17
KEY VERSE: For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 6:23).
CENTRAL TRUTH: Mankind's sin results in an ever-deepening cycle of depravity and despair.
OBJECTIVE: By the end of this lesson my students should be able to identify the characteristics of a sinful person.
LESSON OUTLINE:
I. The Wrath of God (Romans 1:18-23)
II. The Wrong of Man (Romans 1:24-28)
III. The Wickedness of Sin (Romans 1:29-32)
Winter 2023-24: Studies in Romans
Throughout history, many have concluded that Romans is the most profound document ever written.
Perhaps more than any other book of the Bible, Romans has been the instrument God has used to save the souls and shape the minds of Christianity's towering giants -- individuals such as Augustine, Martin Luther, John Calvin, and John Wesley.
This letter has been rightly called "The Christian's Constitution." If anyone wants an exacting presentation of the key truths of the Christian faith, there is no better book to consult than Romans.
The Book of Romans has a logical and specific sequence in thought. It starts with the fact of sin, follows that up with the good news of salvation, moves to teaching on sanctification, delves into the issue of divine sovereignty, and closes with guidelines for Christian service.
Its major message is the revelation of God's righteousness to sinners and imparting that righteousness to those who experience faith in Jesus Christ. The writer, Paul, introduced this grand theme by the words, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek" (1:16).
The biblical truths of Romans are not all in the pleasant category. Some are ugly and grim. Others are beautiful and majestic. But they are truths that we need to hear and face in the 21st century!
November 26, 2023: Praising the Living God
FOCUS TEXT: Psalm 145:3-21
BACKGROUND SCRIPTURES: Psalms 111:1-10; 113:1-9; 148:1-14
DEVOTIONAL READING: Psalm 146:1-10
KEY VERSE: Praise ye the LORD: for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely (Psalm 147:1).
CENTRAL TRUTH: Praise to God is the highest expression of redeemed man.
OBJECTIVE: By the end of this lesson my students should be able to list new ways they will praise God in their lives.
LESSON OUTLINE:
I. Praise the Greatness of God (Psalm 145:1-6)
II. Praise the Goodness of God (Psalm 145:7-10)
III. Praise the Government of God (Psalm 145:11-13)
IV. Praise the Grace of God (Psalm 145:14-21)