2022
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Before you click on the link below, you can read the transcript of the video below the link and the project Kevin suggests.
Fellowship Project: Blog Posting
After you watch the video and read the study notes below, answer these questions here:
How does the reality of what Jesus did on the cross by taking our sin and its punishment, affect how you view sin? How does this bring you closer in your relationship with God?
Describe what walking in relationship with Jesus is like and what does it involve?
Discuss:
1. Talk about the difference between relationship and position, and how the Lord expects more of us in the area of relationship today.
2. Discuss what it means to be in the age of grace, and how we're to tell people that their sins are forgiven, and if they believe in Jesus their sins are wiped away.
3. Discuss how you don't owe God anything, except your whole life, because He bought you.
4. How are you included in the unity between Jesus and the Father?
5. Pray for each other.
“...But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:”
John 1:12 KJV
DISCUSSION:
The relationship you have with God means so much to Him, and this isn’t being taught enough. There's a religious mentality operating where people believe that God is watching out to see if we do everything right, and if we do something wrong then we could be in trouble and get punished for it. I was brought up in this way but it’s not the truth. God is a loving God. He gives us boundaries, of course, and we obey Him, but we walk with Him out of love because He is a good God. He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6).
We don't serve God out of fear of punishment, we serve Him because He's a good Father. He has good things for His children. That's what the Bible teaches. Here on earth, we are not left alone. God did not leave us to ourselves. He sent His Holy Spirit in place of Jesus. Jesus left and ascended on high and is seated at the right hand of the Father right now. He's in Heaven seated in full authority.
The Holy Spirit came, and when He did, He came with great power on the Day of Pentecost. He is still with us and wants to help us. Jesus said when the Holy Spirit comes, He's going to be just like Him. He said He will reveal what the Father is saying and reveal the things to come (John 16:13). There is a lot of revelation to obtain when it comes to the Holy Spirit. Jesus promised to never leave us.
I will always preach the good news of the gospel and that God is with us. Emmanuel is God with us. We see this throughout the word of God and in the book of John.
John wrote about the amazing appearance of the Messiah.
RECEIVING THE FATHER GOD
John 1:10-15 KJV:
He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.
It's all about a relationship with God. When I was in Heaven, I was shown a lot of what is spoken in this text. I was shown how the governments of the world and the world system, are all controlling. There's a dominant spirit where everything is being controlled and people are trying to usurp authority. People are doing things against their will. It's a constant struggle. It’s the spirit of this world. The spirit of the Antichrist is operating and it’s satan himself. He took over the world. He took it from Adam and Eve and hijacked the whole world. It's a fallen world and man is now enslaved to this world system and to the spirit of the prince of the power of the air who is satan.
From Genesis to Revelation, we see the revelation of God moving and revealing Himself in greater ways, but in the New Testament, we are in the age of grace, which means that God is looking at people to turn to Him because Jesus paid the price. He was beaten and punished for our sins on our behalf. We don't have to be punished anymore for our sins if we accept that Jesus took our place. If we don't accept that, then we're going to have to deal with it and take the full force of the punishment ourselves. We need to announce to everybody and tell them that Jesus took their place because then the requirement for the punishment of sin has been met by Jesus Christ. He took our place. He came and walked as we should walk by the Spirit.
He would do nothing except by the Spirit of God. He was only obedient to the Father, so He didn't speak or do anything unless it was His Father doing it, which ultimately was the Spirit helping Him. John and the apostles, write about Jesus as being One whom they observed that came in the flesh. He was preexistent, but He came in the flesh and walked among us. The Bible says that the people He was sent to did not recognize Him. It’s referring to the Jewish people. They didn’t recognize Him, nor did they recognize His purpose.
How does the reality of what Jesus did on the cross by taking our sin and its punishment, affect how you view sin? How does this bring you closer in your relationship with God?
RELATIONSHIP OVER POSITION
The religious leaders got away from God in their relationship, and they became more interested in their position. They were pushing for the requirements of the law and making people enslaved. It became the religion of the day. The Jewish religion became this hard process where you joined because you are a believer in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, but you were enslaved to obey the law of Moses. The New Testament believers believe that when Jesus came, He took upon Himself all of the punishment. As far as payment for sin goes, it's been paid for. You can't pay for it. He bought you.