October 4, 2008
God’s Nature: The Basis of
Atonement
Isaiah 46:10 I have make known the
end from the beginning from ancient times, what is till to come I say: My
purpose will stand and
I will do all that I please.”
Teacher’s Aim
To encourage students to
establish an intimate relationship with God
ASSOCIATE: Why do I need to learn
this lesson?
This lesson will motivate you to
allow God to change you everyday.
DISCOVER: What does the Bible say
about the character of God?
The greatness and the love of God
is the driving force in our salvation. Nothing outside God forced Him to do
what He did for us through His
Son. Instead, it is because of His very
nature itself that He has poured out His love and grace toward this fallen world
INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD
Step 1 – Understand God’s
character and nature
A. What do the words “in the beginning God
created . . .”
(Gen. 1:1) imply about the nature
of God? Psalm 90:2
Everything in this world had a
beginning and will have an end. Because
God is eternal, He existed before all created things; He has to be self
existent. Creatures, in contrast are not. We all need air, water, and food to
preserve
our existence (Gen. 1:29). God is life Himself. And only He who is life in
Himself, the Eternal Self-existing One, can
restore life to repentant sinner. Created life, both now and for eternity, all
things come from God, the great Life-Giver. We are dependent upon Him for
everything.
B. What does the text tell us about the
character and nature of God? 1 John 4:8
“God is love” means that He is a
relational Being; He enjoys by
interaction that He reveals His love. Because God is by nature love, it is
unnecessary for us to ourselves to
be lovable in order to be accepted by Him. The plan of salvation reveals to
His love toward us. Indeed, the moment we fell into sin, Christ became
our mediator, Redeemer, and Savior—the ultimate expression of God’s love toward
the fallen race.
Step 2 – Accept God’s plan of
salvation
A. What did the Creator promise to a world
damaged by sin? Isa. 65:17
The Bible explicitly states that
God created and sustains everything through the power of His Son (John
1:1-3). The atonement is God’s solution
to the problem of sin within this creation. Instead of leaving us to reap the
ultimate rewards of sin and rebellion,
which would be eternal ruin, He instituted the plan of salvation
B. How does the holiness of God help us in our
salvation? 2 Cor. 5:21
God’s holiness does not tolerate
sin but actively reacts against it (Isa. 5:24). God’s natural hatred for sin
made necessary
the role of Jesus as Mediator. God
designed a way by which sinners could be sanctified and enjoy fellowship with
Him again. This was possible through
Christ, in whom atonement and holiness are mysteriously united.
C. What does this text tell us
about God’s foreknowledge regarding the rise of sin? I Peter 1:19, 20
God’s omniscience is of great
significance for the doctrine of atonement. Before God created anything, He
had foreseen the origin of sin and
decided to defeat it. From the divine
perspective, Christ is “the Lamb that was slain from the foundation of the
world” (Rev. 13:8).
SUMMARY: God wants us to
re-create new creatures in this sin-damaged world. Let’s
allow Him to do that in us daily.
APPLY: How can this knowledge
about the character of God affect my life today?
Realizing that God, because of
His love, has done everything for me to be saved,
• I want to understand more about the nature and character of God.
• I want to accept God’s plan of salvation daily.
PLAN: How can I use this lesson
about the character of God this coming week?
Discuss: What are the practical
ways I can do to have an intimate relationship with God?
• I can appropriate special time for studying the character of God through
Bible study.
• I can spend time everyday meditating about what God has done for me.
TRANSFER: What changes do I need
in my life?
PRINCIPLE HOW PROBLEMS DECISION
I need to develop an intimate relationship with God 1. by studying the Word of
God regularly
2. by appropriating regular times for prayer I am busy This coming week I will
set aside special times studying and mediating the Bible
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