Class Lesson December 6, 2015 New Series

Priceless: Finding Your Value In God

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You are loved by God. You are priceless.

Remember those credit card commercials that went something like this?

• Two tickets to the big game: $46.
• Two hot dogs, two popcorn's, two sodas: $27.
• One autographed baseball: $50.
• Real conversation with your child: priceless.
• There are some things money can’t buy.

I always liked those commercials. But they raise an interesting question: what gives something value? Think of a $20 bill, for example. The Federal Mint doesn’t use $20 worth of ink to print a $20 bill. They don’t make it with $20 worth of paper; in fact, the paper is the same type used in a $1 bill. In the end, a $20 bill is worth $20 because the government says it is worth $20.

In a similar way, your value as a human being is determined by God. Your worth is based on the fact that God created you, loves you, and gives you value. And unlike items that go up or down in worth and value based on the opinions of others, your value doesn’t change. Because God isn’t going to change His mind, we can know that the value He has assigned to us isn’t going to change, either. 

How can know you are highly valued by God? This study will examine seven things God has done for you that prove your worth to Him. 

You are priceless.


7 Lessons to show what God has done to prove your worth to Him:

1. Adopted in God's Family
2. Freed by God's Forgiveness
3. Saved by God's Son
4. Strengthened by God's Power
5. Equipped with God's Gifts
6. Used in God's Service
7. Cherished in God's Eyes

ADOPTED IN GOD'S FAMILY   

THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE
 

My wife, Tammy, and I once visited an orphanage in Calcutta, India. We were taken aback by all the orphaned babies needing attention. I remember Tammy placing her hand on a screaming child and singing, “Jesus loves me, this I know....” Immediately, the child became perfectly still and silent. She locked eyes with Tammy. It was a God moment.

Several years later, our daughter and son-in-law became foster parents. Their first little boy, Jeremiah, taught each of us so much about God’s love. When the day came for him to go to his new home, we all shed tears. Jeremiah did not choose his earthly father; his father chose him.

Much in the same way, we’ve also been chosen by God the Father. He desires to adopt us into His family. We don’t need to remain as orphans, crying and hoping for the love and acceptance of a Father. Instead, we are loved by God and can receive from Him an immeasurable gift: adoption into His family.

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY


1 John 3:1-10 (NIV)
 
1 See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.

3 All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.

4 Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.

5 But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin.

6 No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him. 

7 Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. 

8 The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.

9 No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God.

10 This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister.



Seed (v. 9)—”Seed” is the translation of a Greek term originally used to describe the literal seed of a plant; however, the term gradually acquired the poetic sense of anything that has the power to create or give life. This term was used as a synonym for words such as “family” and “descendants.” John’s reference to God’s seed may refer to the grace and power of the gospel, or to the new life placed in the believer by the Holy Spirit.

 
 





1 John 3:1-3

 
“See what great love the Father has lavished on us ” (v. 1). This is no ordinary love! As we’ll see throughout this study, God’s love is unconditional, undeserved, unmerited, and unselfish.

As people, one of the hardest things for us to do is to love unconditionally. Even within families, our ability to love freely can be impacted by the hurts or disappointments we’ve experienced. Let’s be honest: it’s easier to love when that love is returned; our affection is conditional. But God isn’t like that. Regardless of what we’ve done, or even if we don’t love Him at all, He loves us.

Here’s more good news: your worth as a person isn’t based on your performance; it’s based on God’s love. You may feel unworthy of that love—and you are. But God makes you worthy.

In this world, people may disappoint you. Your spouse or family members may not appreciate you. Friends may forsake you. But God will never disappoint or abandon you (see Heb. 13:5). He is a friend to the friendless and a Father to the fatherless (see Ps. 68:5).

I love what John wrote in verse 2: “now we are children of God.” Satan doesn’t want you to remember that. One of the enemy’s greatest tools is doubt. If you’re unsure of who you are, you’ll be uncertain of where you should be and what you should be doing. But your salvation and security are grounded in who God is. As a Christian, you are a child of God. And growing as a Christian means becoming more like your Father every day. This process will be complete when you see Him face to face.

Therefore, don’t think God could never love you. You can never go so far that the love of God can’t reach you. You may feel like God couldn’t possibly love you because of your past sins or problems. Your present circumstances might make you feel like God doesn’t love you anymore. But that’s not true. Nothing can separate us from the love of God (see Rom. 8:38-39).

How should we respond to God’s love? The answer is simple: in light of His unconditional love, our only proper response is unconditional surrender to Him.

1 John 3:4-8

 
Verse 6 can be surprising at first glance because all people—including all Christians—struggle with sin. So, was John saying that if I sin in any way, God has turned His back on me? That He has withdrawn His love and forgiveness?

In the original language, the phrase “keeps on sinning” (v. 6) is a present tense verb denoting continuous action. In other words, a child of God does not keep on committing habitual sin. A child of God cannot continue to live in sin and enjoy it, without any desire for repentance. God doesn’t let His children get by with their sin; rather, He convicts, warns, and disciplines His children in order to help them move forward (see Rev. 3:19).

Jesus lived the perfect life we could never live. He died the death we all deserve, which gave us life instead. It was the great exchange. He took our sin and gave us His righteousness.

Why did Jesus do this? Love.

Satan desires to steal our understanding, kill our joy, and destroy God’s purpose for our lives. The Devil seeks to devour us like a roaring lion (see 1 Pet. 5:8). Our enemy is actively fighting against us to discourage us, distract us, and distort the truth. No person is exempt from the temptations of the adversary. Even Jesus was tempted! If the Devil tempted the very Son of God, he certainly is not afraid to tempt you.

Feeling overwhelmed yet? Don’t. Remember the truth of verse 8: Jesus delivered us from the power of sin. The reason the Son of God came was to destroy this work of Satan in our lives. And that’s how we’re able to stand with Jesus and resist the temptation to sin (see Jas. 4:7; 1 Pet. 5:9). 

It’s all because of His love for us. For you.

 
1 John 3:9-10

When you were born physically, you were born with a sinful nature. That means the most natural thing in the world for you to do was to sin. But when you’re born again, you receive a new nature. A Christian is a new creation (see 2 Cor. 5:17). Jesus takes away your sin and the Holy Spirit takes up residence in your life (see Rom. 8:9).

The word “remains” in verse 9 means your life in Christ is everlasting and cannot be reversed. Once you become God’s child, you will always be His child. While we break fellowship with God when we sin, our relationship with Him cannot be broken. We have a permanent connection with the Father.

Still, nowhere in the Bible does it teach that you can walk down an aisle at church, pray a simple prayer, and then go live a life of sin. A tree is known by its fruit, and Christians are known by the way they live with Christ and for Christ. As Jesus said, we must “produce fruit in keeping with repentance” (Matt. 3:8). 

Make no mistake, there are only two kinds of people in the world: children of God and children of the devil. Whose child are you? Verse 10 provides a litmus test for answering that question: love.

God is love (see 1 John 4:16), and we are to be like our Father. When we are adopted into God’s family, we become more and more like Him. The more we experience and are filled with God’s love, the more we will demonstrate that love in our lives. Showing love is a key sign of our connection with the Father. So don’t be afraid to love out loud!

LIVE IT OUT

How will you respond to the reality of God’s love? Consider the following suggestions in the days to come:

• Embrace the love of Christ. If you have not accepted Christ as Savior and Lord, there’s no better time to be accepted into God’s family. Talk to someone in your group or read the inside cover of this book.

• Show love through words. Watch for an opportunity this week to tell someone how he or she can experience the love of Christ. Choose to stand strong in the love of Christ, even in a culture that often opposes your faith in Him.

• Show love through actions. Let the love of God overflow out of your life and into the lives of others. Look for active, specific ways to demonstrate God’s love to others.

Our world is filled with spiritual babies who need to experience the love of their Father—a love far greater than any of us can comprehend. How will you respond?

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Our Lesson Today:

ADOPTED IN GOD’S FAMILY

Video: Seabiscuit – How important is it to belong to a family?

• The story follows the redemption of the three men as they rise from troubled times to achieve fame and success through their association with the horse. Red Pollard was the child of wealthy family which was ruined by the Great Depression. In need of money, the family leaves Red with a horse groom.
• We are loved by God, our perfect Father and One that will never leave us!
• In July of 2005, Angelina Jolie adopted a little Ethiopian child. This was actually the second time she had adopted. While she was touring drought, disease and famine stricken Ethiopia, she got the idea that although she couldn’t rescue every child in Africa, she could grant favor to one child. So she stepped once again out of her world and into the world of this little girl whose existence was difficult at best. Can you imagine the difference in the life of this little girl before Jolie adopted her and after the adoption? Jolie chose her. She showed favor to her. Her life, once deprived, now had abundance. Her life, once without any real future, now exploded with possibility. What a difference it can be when someone who has everything shows favor to someone who has virtually nothing.
• It might sound inviting to be adopted into the family of a wealthy movie star and enjoy the benefits that come along with that. Can I suggest something better? God wants to adopt you into His Family. You say, “How is that better?” As financially well off as Jolie is, her money will eventually run out. And as loving an act as she did to adopt and commit to raise these two children, her love has limits. God is not limited in either area.

Lesson Point: We are loved by God, our perfect Father.


The Bible Meets Life

One of the most difficult challenges for us as believers is to love unconditionally. In almost all of our relationships, even within our families, our ability to love freely can be affected by the hurts and disappointments we experience from others. Loving others is easier when the love is returned. God is not like that. Regardless of what we have done, He loves us. He loves us so much He made it possible for us to become His children.

The Setting

First John was written to encourage Christians to remain true to their faith in Jesus Christ. A heretical group had split from the believers’ church (1John 2:19) but was still trying to influence them. Among the heretics’ teachings were denials that Jesus was the Messiah, God’s Son (2:22; 4:15; 5:1); that Jesus had come in the flesh (4:2-3); or that the atoning nature of Jesus’ sacrifice would give eternal life to those who believe in Him (5:6-13).

1 John 3:1-10 (NIV)



How do you know how valuable you are to God?



I. We Are God’s Children


1 See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3 All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.



What about God’s love in this passage really captures your attention? Why?

• Think about the benefits that a child of God has added to his life at the moment of salvation. The fear of the wrath of God is eradicated from his life. What he lost as a result of sin is restored. What he gains as a child of the Father is so much more – a home of his own where he can eat at the King’s table, the change of His character by the entrance of the Holy Spirit and peace in knowing that no enemy, no matter how great, can separate him from the love of God (Rom. 8:35-38). Most of all, he gains a relationship with God because now he is a child of the Father (Heb. 2:9-11).
• As believers, our self worth is based on the fact that God loves us and calls us his children.

Why does the world not know us as God’s children?

• If the world did not recognize and accept Jesus as God’s unique Son, neither can we expect that the world will recognize, be impressed with, and accept believers as His children.

What does John mean when he says, “now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known”? Are we children of God, becoming children of God, or both?

• To be called something is to be equal to it. Believers are not just addressed or identified as children of God; they are, right now, at this time, or in the present.
• Even though that is true, we have not yet fully realized what it means to be God’s children.
• Verse 1 tells us who we are – members of God’s family (children of God). Verse 2 tells us who we are becoming – reflections of God.
• Being children of God is a present possession but the fullness of its meaning remains to be revealed.
• The Christian life is a process of becoming more and more like Christ (see Romans 8:29). This process will not be complete until we see Christ face to face (1 Corinthians 13:12; Philippians 3:21), but knowing that it is our ultimate destiny should motivate us to purify ourselves. To purify means to keep morally straight, free from the corruption of sin. God also purifies us, but there is action we must take to remain morally fit (see 1 Timothy 5:22; James 4:8; 1 Peter 1:22).

What does John mean when he says, “All who have this hope in him purify themselves”?

• We purify ourselves (v. 3). Purifying ourselves is not a purely human effort. We purify ourselves by using the God-appointed means of confession-repentance-purification. When we confess, we say, “I’m sorry. I’ve been walking down the wrong road.” When we repent, we say, “I stop and turn. By God’s grace, I’m going to walk in a new direction.” When we are pure, we say, “I recognize the divine action within my being, whereby God, through His grace and mercy, forgives me and cleanse me.”

How do you know how valuable you are to God?


II. God Removes Our Sin

4 Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. 5 But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. 6 No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him. 7 Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. 8 The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.

Beginning with 1John 2:29, John emphasized the importance of right action as a demonstration of one’s Christian commitment and as evidence that one truly is a child of God.

• Clearly, however, we do not become children of God by right living. We become children of God only because God acted in love to make it possible. John described it using a birth metaphor: “born of God.” He sent His Son to take away our sin and to destroy the works of the Devil. Because we abide in Him, and He with us, as His children we are freed from living lives marked by the practice of sin.

Why do we tend to treat some sins lightly?

• We rank sins according to severity - a “stretch the truth” (lie), vs murder.
• A failure to tithe vs embezzling from an employer.
• Overdosing on chocolate vs hooked on crack cocaine.

How did John define sin?

• Sin is open rebellion against the ways of God.

What two purposes did John give for Christ’s coming into the world?

• Christ, the sinless One, came to take away our sin and to destroy the works of the Devil.

How does a child of God live?

• Those who are intimately joined with Christ live righteous lives that reflect the righteousness of God in Christ.
• We are God’s children. He lavished His love on us: By divine grace He adopted us into His family and by the miracle of new birth we have been born again. We bear His image and His name. We, therefore, don’t want to do anything that will bring dishonor to His name.

Is there a difference between committing a sin and continuing to sin?

• Yes, even the most faithful believers sometimes commit sins, but they do not cherish a particular sin and choose to commit it. A believer who commits a sin repents, confesses, and finds forgiveness.

According to John, what does the continuous practice of sin in a person’s life indicate?

• Those who keep on sinning are not children of God but offspring of the Devil.
• A person who continues to sin, by contrast, is not sorry for what he or she is doing. So this person never confesses and never receives forgiveness. Such a person is in opposition to God, no matter what religious claims he or she makes.

What does it say about me when I repeatedly struggle with the same sin?

• I’m human
• I need to be looking for the “escape” from temptation Jesus talked about the need to practice “spiritual breathing”

Spiritual breathing is an exercise in faith that enables you to continue to experience God's love and forgiveness.


Exhale - the pure. Confess your sin -- agree with God concerning your sin and thank Him for His forgiveness of it, according to 1 John 1:9 and Hebrews 10:1-25. Confession involves repentance - a change in attitude and action.


Inhale – the impure. Surrender the control of your life to Christ, and appropriate (receive) the fullness of the Holy Spirit by faith. Trust that He now directs and empowers you; according to the command of Ephesians 5:18, and the promise of 1 John 5:14-15.



How do you know how valuable you are to God?


III. God Gives Us a New Nature


9 No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. 10 This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister.



What does this really mean? Is having a new nature from God more about obeying commands, showing love, or something else? Explain.

• The one born of God has a new nature that is opposed to a life style of sin.
• A true Christian will not continue to sin. They can’t because they have been re-born and God’s new nature has been given to them.

So if I’m a Christian now does this mean that I won’t sin anymore?

• No one who is born of God will continue to sin means that true believers do not make it a practice of sinning, nor do they become indifferent to God’s moral law.
• All believers still sin, but they are working to gain victory over sin. God’s seed remains in them means that true believers do not make a practice of sinning because God’s new life has been born into them.
• We all have areas where temptation is strong and habits are hard to conquer. These weaknesses give the devil a foothold, so we must deal with our areas of vulnerability.
• We are “born of God” when the Holy Spirit lives in us and gives us Jesus’ new life. Being born again is more than a fresh start; it is a rebirth, receiving a new family name based on Christ’s death for us. When this happens, God forgives us and totally accepts us; the Holy Spirit gives us new minds and hearts, lives in us, and begins helping us to become like Christ. Our perspective changes too because we have a mind that is renewed day by day by the Holy Spirit (see Romans 12:2; Ephesians 4:22-24). So we must begin to think and act differently.

So, if I am struggling with a particular sin, is John talking to me?

• John is not talking to those who are struggling with a particular sin, even if for the time we seem to keep on sinning. John is not talking about people whose victories are still incomplete; he is talking about people who make a practice of sinning and look for ways to justify it.

Sadly, national polls consistently indicate that virtually no difference exists between those who claim to follow the Christian faith and the population at large when it comes to sexual morality, materialism, hedonism, and worldview. Those claiming to be Christians too often think and act just as the world does. We may claim to believe in Jesus and the Bible, but sometimes our lives don’t back up the claims.

• John addressed that issue. He indicated that being a Christian is doing what is right, regardless of circumstances, location, or feelings. John is very clear that being a Christian means doing what is right. A true believer practices righteousness. Right living is a distinguishing mark of a Christ follower.

What outward evidence indicates whether a person is a child of the Devil or a child of God?

• Evidence that one is a child of God is right living and loving others.

3 Steps are necessary to find victory over prevailing sin:


1. Seek the power of the Holy Spirit and God’s Word.

2. Stay away from tempting situations.

3. Seek the help of the body of Christ – be open to their willingness to hold you accountable and pray for you.



How is the new nature revealed? We feed the new nature. A converted Native American explained, “I have two dogs living in me—a mean dog and a good dog. They are always fighting. The mean dog wants me to do bad things, and the good dog wants me to do good things. Do you want to know which dog wins? The one I feed the most!”


A Christian who feeds the new nature from God’s Word will have the power to live rightly. That is why reading the Bible, praying, church attendance, and all the other spiritual disciplines are so important. Through these practices we feed the new nature, we grow, we mature, we become more Christ-like. And, the by product, is that we live right.



Live It Out

Even back to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, men and women have struggled with a “do what you think is right for yourself” attitude. That attitude no less prevails in our day. John’s message offers a challenge and an alternative to that attitude. By God’s great love – which expresses just how valuable we are to Him – He has made it possible in Christ for us to become His children, a privilege that carries with it the responsibility of living as His children. God’s children do not live for themselves but in ways that honor God as their Father and point to His Son, Jesus Christ, through whom we have been born into a new life.



Prayer of Commitment

Dear Lord, What a privilege to come before You as Your child and to call You Father. Thank You for such love - love manifested in Christ, who has come once and is coming again. Amen



Hope to see you on Sunday!


In His Love,


David & Susan