The intent of this lesson is practicality. Its emphasis is application. As you prepare, consider, "How can understanding God's sovereignty change the lifestyles and behavior of Christians?"
"Okay. These lessons remind me (1) that the sovereign God created this world; (2) that the sovereignty of God was rejected when people [whom God created] surrendered to temptation; and (3) that the sovereign God chose to give humanity opportunity to reconcile. They remind me that the sovereign God worked for thousands of years to bring Jesus into our world to make human reconciliation with God possible. They challenge my concepts through the understanding that human redemption is a step, but only one step, toward restoring recognition of and surrender to God's sovereignty. My realization that Jesus Christ will return the kingdom to God to make God the "all in all" expanded my understanding. I acknowledge that all of this is interesting, but do these understandings have any relevance to me? Do they have significant meaning to my life?"
Application: the objective of spiritual understanding is much greater than possessing correct knowledge.
Those last two questions are excellent! A person can factually know God's ultimate objective in Jesus Christ and have only information. Is God's goal fulfilled when we possess in-depth information about His objectives? Are God's purposes accomplished when we can say that we "know," or we "understand," or we find the information "interesting"? No!
A Christian should feel a sense of spiritual maturing when what he or she learns changes the ways he or she acts and lives. A Christian acquires information in order "to be" God's person. The objectives of "knowing" is "being" as well as "doing."
In the gospels, the Pharisees and the scribes' knowledge of scripture declared they were experts. They could not be surpassed in "information expertise" (Matthew 23:1-3). However, they possessed very poor understandings of God's will and purposes (Matthew 23:4-7). While they knew much information in detail, they could not even recognize God's son! They were so convinced Jesus misrepresented God that they declared Jesus' powers came from Satan! (See Matthew 9:34.)
The Pharisees and scribes are classic examples of people who were experts in technical information from scripture but who had incorrect understandings of God's will and purposes. Christians today surely can be mistaken in understanding just as they were. Their focus was on knowing, not on being.
Christians do not acquire knowledge merely to say, "I know." Matters many of today's Christians consider to be essential knowledge for salvation often are not critical knowledge. Too many Christians who take great confidence in their knowledge also possess an enormous love for specific types of evil. It is not uncommon for one of two conditions to describe such Christians. (1) Some have such distorted concepts of evil they are unaware that they love specific types of evil. (2) Some declare their knowledge with great conviction while justifying [to themselves] their love of specific types of evil. Never forget if the scribes and Pharisees could do this, we can also!
Many Christians would be shocked if God contrasted His salvation issues to their salvation issues. It is possible, simultaneously, to have a wealth of technical knowledge while loving certain types of evil. That is one reason for some "faithful" Christians being so unjust to others [including other Christians] or being so hypocritical in the way they live/behave.
Knowledge of Jesus Christ's identity leads a person to surrender to God's sovereignty. Surrendering to God's sovereignty involves much more than possessing correct information. Surrendering to God's sovereignty is a matter of two things: (1) heart and (2) behavior. Surrendering to God's sovereignty transforms hearts and knowledge into daily behavior. Surrendering to God's sovereignty transforms a person's lifestyle. Surrender to God's sovereignty bends the knee in subjection and praises God's worthiness--everyday in all the person is and all he or she does. When our lives are judged, God will not administer some spiritual ACT examination. He will examine how we lived surrendered lives. He will note how our surrendered lives expressed themselves in our treatment of other people. Have you read Jesus' statements in Matthew 25:31-46 and Matthew 7:15-23 lately? In both statements Jesus emphasized God's priorities. God's priorities are God's declarations of what is important to Him.
Surrendering to God's sovereignty involves much more than one's admission that "God is in control." Accepting God's sovereignty involves the genuine surrender of self. It involves serving God's purposes, and that involves serving other people. It involves change. The person wants [genuine desire!] to change the person he or she is and change the way he or she lives.
This lesson challenges you to back up and note a comprehensive emphasis before you fasten your attention on details. When Paul wrote a letter to the Christians in Ephesus, he opened the letter (1:3-14) by emphasizing some incredible things God did for them: God's choosing them to be holy and blameless (1:4); God's determined effort to adopt them (1:5); their redemption through Jesus' blood (1:7); the grace God lavished on them (1:7,8); the mystery of God's will (1:9); their inheritance (1:11); the Holy Spirit as God's promise and assurance (1:13,14). These Christians lived in a city powerfully dominated by the world renowned temple of Artemis. In the environment produced by that temple and the followers of Artemis (see Acts 19:23-41), these Christians seemed to face insurmountable disadvantages. Paul challenged them to change their focus. He focused them on their God given advantages in Jesus Christ.
Before a Christian devotes his or her attention to details, he or she must develop a sound, healthy, basic "over-all" view. Before he or she analyzes the details of what God expects, he or she needs to develop a comprehensive view of what God has done. This comprehensive view often determines how details are interpreted and understood. Paul wanted Christians in Ephesus to have an "over-all" view of what God did for them.
In this same paragraph, Paul called their attention to their life's purpose as Christians. He did this three times. Immediately after declaring the kind intentions of God's will expressed in their adoption, Paul spoke of God's ultimate motivation. Paul emphasized God cared so much about them with these words in 1:6:
to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.
God's kindness toward them was declared in incomprehensible ways through Jesus Christ. God wanted them to realize and appreciate the kindness of His grace. God wanted them to praise His glory because He is a kind God.
Note the comments following the emphasis on 1:12.
Again in 1:12 Paul made this statement:
to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ
would be to the praise of His glory.
Every gift God made available to them in Jesus Christ (redemption, grace, revelation of the mystery, inheritance) was given to equip them to represent God appropriately. In the city of Ephesus they were among the first to place their hope in Christ. They appropriately represented God by giving others reason to see God as praiseworthy. [Remember these Christians lived "in the shadow" of Artemis and her temple in Ephesus.] God wanted all people to see Him as praiseworthy and glorious. Reasons to praise His glory were [and are] seen in His kind gifts in Jesus Christ.
All three references to "the praise of God's glory" stressed Paul's desire for the Ephesian Christians to be a people who lived and acted in ways that caused others to praise and glorify God. Remember these Christians lived at a center for a popular form of idolatry. Remember the temple of Artemis was powerful in Ephesians. It possessed a lot of financial power and a lot of political power. These Christians had the ability to cause others in idolatrous Ephesus to glorify their God as praise worthy! For this to happen, they must understand that the purpose of their existence. They were to be a people who praised and glorified this God who gave them such wonderful gifts--from redemption to an inheritance. Others would never glorify this strange God if that God's followers did not glorify Him! When the Christians in Ephesus grasped the magnitude of God's gifts to them, they would live to the praise of His glory.
Yet again in 1:14 Paul declared this:
who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of
God's own possession, to the praise of His glory.
In context, Paul spoke of God's use of the Holy Spirit in their lives. The Spirit living in them confirmed God's promise and served as the assurance of their inheritance. God's promise to bring to Himself those who belonged to Him was unquestionable. Because nothing could block God's determination to bring the redeemed to Him, He deserved praise and glorification.
They were not "on their own" as they committed themselves to being a people who lived to praise and glorify God. God's presence lived in them. God's presence in them was the guarantee that God would keep His promise to bring them to Himself. Their being with God was something they could hold with confidence.
Christians exist to praise God's glory. Through our commitment or lack of commitment, our daily lives challenge people to praise God or to curse God. Do not doubt that fact! The way you represent God results in people praising God as a glorious God or cursing God for His perceived inconsistency. People praise God when they see His kindness in His people. People curse God when they see hypocrisy in His people.
As Christians we need to live daily with the awareness that our attitudes toward God and people are powerful. Those attitudes can cause others to praise God or to curse God.
Thought question: how can the lives of Christians cause people who are not Christians to see and praise God's glory?
There is little way to predict how students will answer this question. There are many correct approaches to take. One approach could include these thoughts:
Finding strength to endure in moments of weakness.
Thankfulness expressed to God when appreciated things happen and when painful things happen.
Repentance when one's life needs redirecting.
Being accountable.
Accepting responsibility when one makes a mistake.
Genuine appreciation for what God does continually through His gifts: forgiveness, redemption, grace, the inheritance, etc.
Genuine, deep respect for God which expresses itself in worship and in the treatment of others.
Compassion for others.
Being a humble person.
Link to Student Guide
Lesson 10