The Atonement and the Divine Initiative Ephesians 1:9, 10 “Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: That in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him.” KEY THOUGHT: The plan of salvation was fully revealed and implemented in the life, ministry, death, and Resurrection of Jesus. TEACHER’S AIM: To encourage students to accept the plan of salvation daily. ASSOCIATE: Why do I need to learn this lesson? This lesson will motivate us to study and accept the plan of salvation everyday. DISCOVER: What does the Bible say about the plan of salvation? Human beings were given moral freedom—the ability to choose between right and wrong. They could use this freedom to respond positively by rendering love and faithful obedience or they could reject the gift of life and disobey the Lord. God— foreseeing the possibility of disobedience formulated the plan of salvation before sin actually appeared, a plan centered on the person and work of Jesus Christ. HOW CAN WE BENEFIT FROM THE PLAN OF SALVATION Step 1 – Appreciate God’s love through loving obedience A. What prompted God to bring salvation to us through Jesus? Romans 5:6-8 God was not obliged to save the human race. It was not something He was forced to do. He did it because of love. B. According to Paul, how are we saved? Romans 3:19-22 Because of sin it is impossible for humans, through obedience to the law, to reconstruct their original relationship with God. If salvation was something that we could earn through obedience, God would owe it to us to save us. Instead, God determined that humans will be forgiven and restored to permanent and eternal relationship with Him only through the work and person of His Son, Jesus Christ. Step 2 – Accept the plan of salvation A. When was the plan of salvation instituted? Ephesians 1:4 The NT reveals several things about the mystery of God. It was formulated before the “foundation of the world.” Long before human fell into sin, the Godhead had created a plan to deal with that calamity. It was determined that it would be put into effect at a particular moment (Col. 1:26). This mystery is identified with Christ (Col. 1:27), His ministry, death, resurrection and mediation. It is the good news of salvation. This mystery has now become known through the coming of Christ into human history. B. What did Jesus “need” to do in order to accomplish His mission of salvation? Luke 9:22; 17:25 The ministry of Jesus was clearly determined by willingness to accomplish God’s plan for the salvation of human race. Every aspect of His life was part of this plan. Dying was not enough to fulfill His mission. It was necessary for Him to be resurrected (Acts 17:3). He was following the eternal plan put together by the Godhead. SUMMARY: We don’t have to fully understand God’s choice to rescue us. He just wants us to accept and believe He has provided a way out. We simply have to choose to accept it. APPLY: How can this knowledge about the plan of salvation affect my life today? Realizing that God had a plan of salvation for a sinner like me, • I want to appreciate God’s love through loving obedience. • I want to accept God’s plan of salvation PLAN: How can I use this lesson about the plan of salvation this coming week? Discuss: What are the practical ways I can do to benefit from the plan of salvation? • I can show my appreciation of God’s love through my loving obedience. • I can spend time meditating about what Jesus had done for my salvation.
TRANSFER: What changes do I need in my life? PRINCIPLE APPLICATION (HOW) PROBLEM DECISION I need to accept God’s plan of salvation in my life. 1. By committing myself to God daily 2. By meditating what Christ has done for me everyday I always depend upon my own ability This coming week I will continue to study and meditate upon the Bible everyday. __________________________________________________ Apakah Anda Yahoo!? Lelah menerima spam? Surat Yahoo! memiliki perlindungan terbaik terhadap spam http://id.mail.yahoo.com
