Right With God

JUSTIFICATION:
Right with God

13 INTERACTIVE BIBLE STUDIES
FOR SMALL GROUPS AND INDIVIDUALS
LEADER’S GUIDE
JUSTIFICATION:
Right with God
LEADER’S GUIDE
13 INTERACTIVE BIBLE STUDIES
FOR SMALL GROUPS AND INDIVIDUALS
J.M. Owens III

Right With God
© Reformed Youth Ministries 2015
Reformed Youth Ministries

P.O. Box 697
Cookeville, Tennessee 38503
United States of America
www.rym.org
Scripture quotations are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®
(ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publish-
ers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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•Introduction 4
Contents
•Lesson One: The Fall 8
Genesis 1-3
•Lesson Two: Original Sin 12

Romans 3:10-20
•Lesson Three: The Eternal Plan of God 16
Ephesians 1:3–14, Colossians 1:15–22
•Lesson Four: Perfect Obedience 20
Matthew 4
•Lesson Five: The Wondrous Cross 24
Mark 15:1–16:8
•Lesson Six: The Necessity of Christ’s Death 28
Hebrews 9:11–10:18
•Lesson Seven: A Sacrifice to Satisfy Divine Justice 32
Isaiah 52:13–53:12
•Lesson Eight: Peace with God 36

2 Corinthians 5:16–21
•Lesson Nine: Declared Righteous 41
Galatians 2:15–21; 3:10–14
•Lesson Ten: The Free Gift of God 45

Romans 5
•Lesson Eleven: Free from Sin! 49

Romans 6
•Lesson Twelve: Sons and Daughters 55
Romans 8:1–17
•Lesson Thirteen: Eternally Secure 59

Romans 8:22–39
•Afterword 63
•Appendix A: Suggested Answers 65
•Appendix B: Annotated Words Cited 112

INTRODUCTION
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that something is wrong with the world. Evil
is all around us. People do terrible things. Nature is both a benevolent and destructive
force. As we get older and begin examining our world, we notice that life just doesn’t add
up. It’s not fair.

Why is it that so much of life is spent trying to make things right? We try to make
things right with our parents. We have to make things right with our friends. We need to
make things right at work. Why is it that so much of life is not right? The Bible tells us the
answer. Our world is not working the way that God designed it to work. People don’t live
the way that God designed them to live. The Bible tells us that God created a
happy and holy world, where all things lived together in peace and harmony.
But everything changed when Adam and Eve rebelled against God by
eating the forbidden fruit.

Ever since that time, mankind has been estranged from God. We have been running
away from God. As Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of
God.” This means that you aren’t right with God. You never have been. All the problems
in the world around us? They stem from the fact that mankind is not right with God. This
mess we see around us is our mess, and there is no way we can fix it. This is the bad news.

But if I’m not right with God, how can I get right with God? What is the solution? Is
there something I can do? The purpose of this study is help you answer these questions
and more. We have to start with the bad news, because Adam and Eve’s first sin is what
brought this mess upon us. Because of their rebellion, we stand under the wrath of God.
We inherit their brokenness. From there we will take a long look at
Christ’s work on the cross.
We will discover together

how Jesus deals with God’s wrath
and secures for us eternal life,
how he reverses the badness
brought into the world by Adam and Eve.
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How to Use this Bible Study
When we study God’s Word, we are training ourselves to read it a certain way. We are
training and developing our minds for understanding the Bible. So in this study, we want
to focus on understanding what the text of Scripture itself is saying. If you have grown up
in the church, you probably know a lot of the answers. You’ve probably been taught the
gospel and have some understanding of Christian doctrine. But what we
already know can sometimes get us into trouble, because we assume we know the answer
rather than paying attention to what the Bible is actually telling us. What we want
to try to do in this study is discover what the Bible is saying rather than relying on what
we already know. This way, we are discovering the truth together.
This study is written to facilitate small group or one-on-one Bible discussion. Both
leaders and students will be on the same playing field, studying God’s Word like a team of
Bible explorers. Think of Jesus as the expert, not the discussion-leader. Additionally,
there aren’t any visuals or activities included because we want the focus to be on God’s
Word and each other. If your group needs visual aids or activity suggestions, these can
be found in the leader’s guide.
You will probably find that you will gain the most from this Bible study if you take the
time to work through the lesson prior to group discussion. It’s not always possible to do
this, but if you can figure out a way to make time and keep track of your study book,
you’ll find discussion times a lot more productive.
As you work through each study, take time to read the passage for that lesson and
think through each question carefully. Most of the time, the answers are found by looking
closely at the passage of Scripture before you. For those places where knowledge of other
passages is needed, we have provided references. In still other instances, a study Bible will
be almost essential. We are using the English Standard Version as our preferred
translation, and so we recommend the ESV Study Bible or the Reformation Study Bible.
A good Bible dictionary is also helpful to have around.
Most importantly, no serious study of God’s Word should take place without being
bathed in prayer. Though the Scriptures are easy to understand, it takes the work of God’s
Holy Spirit to awaken our minds and change our hearts. If you want this study of God’s
Word to help you and your friends grow spiritually, you must pray.
May the following study

be used by God
to strengthen you with the knowledge
of God’s almighty, loving, saving grace.
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How to Use the Leader’s Guide
This Bible study resource is designed to be used with students in ninth through
twelveth grades in a small group or one-on-one setting. The studies are arranged
topically, walking students through the doctrine of the atonement, beginning with the
Fall and ending with our eternal security in Christ (Romans 8:38–39). We have tried to
focus each lesson on a single section of Scripture in order to train students to study
God’s Word. Thus, this is a topical study of the atonement accomplished and applied,
but we hope it will feel like an inductive walk through the Scriptures.
Our desire to focus on the Scriptures in this study has practical implications for how
leaders guide discussion. As leaders—whether we are ministers, parents, or volunteers—
we face both the temptation and the pressure to provide all the answers. Be encouraged,
that’s not your role in this study. Rather, your role is to walk with students through the
texts of Scripture. All you need to be able to do for your students is direct them to God’s
Word and help them think reflectively about what the Scriptures are saying. You don’t
have to be the expert.
Additionally, we want to steer students away from proof-texting and relying on

existing Bible knowledge, teaching them instead to wrestle with the specific paragraphs of
Scripture under investigation. Encourage your students to examine the passage for
answers. Especially with older students, don’t tolerate answers that you can tell aren’t
from the passage at hand or evidence of critical thinking. The question “Where do you see
that in the text?” is incredibly helpful in this regard. Such a question has the added
benefit of allowing you to correct wrong answers without shutting students down.
Please note that in writing this Bible study, we have tried to write at a level that
ninth-grade students can understand. However, adolescent development is a tricky thing.
We recognize that this material will be easy for some students to grasp and difficult for
others. Additionally, the student copy of this study is meant to facilitate discussion and so
is naturally geared towards verbal and auditory learning styles.
Lastly, all Bible study groups have their fair share of diversions and specific needs.
Feel free to adapt this material, explain things differently, or split lessons as needed for a
particular student or group of students. There is an internal logic in each lesson and from
lesson to lesson, so students might not be best-served if a leader rearranges the basic
structure of the study. Otherwise, this study is yours to adapt.
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Preparing to Lead
Even though it is not your job to provide all the answers, as a discussion facilitator
you will need to prepare in advance. Depending on how deeply one studies, leaders should
be able to prepare for a lesson in under an hour. Please think through your own answers
to the questions instead of relying on the answers provided in the back of this leader’s
guide; they are only meant to provide an additional perspective. Furthermore, we
discourage providing the answers from the leader’s guide during discussion.

Each lesson in this leader’s guide also includes suggested reading for the preparation
of that particular study. These resources are not required to facilitate the discussion.
Rather, we want to provide you with solid reference material should you need it. We also
highly recommend the use of a study Bible as you work through each lesson, as study
Bible footnotes can give you ready insight into the passage at hand. As mentioned above,
we recommend the ESV Study Bible and the Reformation Study Bible. A good Bible
dictionary will also be helpful to have around. The New Bible Dictionary by
InterVarsity is highly recommended.

Most importantly, no serious study of God’s Word should take place without being
bathed in prayer. Though the Scriptures are easy to understand, it takes the work of God’s
Holy Spirit to enlighten minds and change hearts. If you want this study of God’s Word to
help you and your students grow, you must commit yourself to prayer. In the knowledge
that God’s Word does not return void, pray for your students and lead the lesson
knowing that God is at work. Also, have fun!
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THE FALL LESSON 1
Genesis 1-3
Imagine yourself in paradise. What would that be for you? For me, paradise might be living
on a large plot of woodlands in the mountains with a bubbling brook running past my house. We
would have a simple home with a large library and high speed internet. My children would be
grown, but we would have family dinner once or twice a week, and we would entertain friends
often. We’d be about an hour outside of a large city, so that we didn’t have to deal with traffic on
a daily basis, but we could go do pretty much anything we wanted without traveling too far. My
relationships would be healthy, and I would get along with everyone. My
life would be filled with laughter and joy.
But the real question is this: what role would God play in this paradise? What level of
involvement would he have with you? Would God be present and close at hand, or would he be
absent? What we find in Scripture is that God created the first human beings to be perfectly holy
and perfectly happy. He put them in a garden temple that was more beautiful and peaceful than
anything we can imagine today. He blessed them with an abundance of food, meaningful work,
and loving relationships. But most of all, God gave our first parents the supreme joy of intimacy
with God. They knew him, loved him, and they knew he loved them. They worshipped
God wholeheartedly because there was nothing to intrude on their love.
Read Genesis 1:27–2:25

1. Adam and Eve’s relationship with God in the Garden of Eden was blessed and happy.
List some things that illustrate this state of happiness. (ch. 2)
2. According to Genesis 2:16-17, God placed a condition on Adam and Eve

enjoying eternal life. What was it? Do you think this was a difficult request or
a relatively easy one?
3. In your own words, describe what Adam experiences with Eve in verses 21–25.
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Right with God Lesson 1
On September 11, 2001, members of the jihadist terrorist group Al-Qaeda hijacked
four planes and executed a multiple-front terrorist attack on the United States. They flew
two of these planes, both Boeing 767s, into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in
New York City. As they hit the towers, the planes exploded in fireballs which engulfed
several floors of the massive buildings. In an effort to save themselves from the flames,
people on the upper levels jumped out of the windows to their deaths—all on live
television. Americans watched in horror as both towers collapsed at approximately 10:00
a.m. As they fell, the towers of the World Trade Center destroyed every building in the
area. In total, 2,753 people died that day. It was no day in paradise.
Genesis 3 gives us an explanation why bad things happen in this world. A world filled
with evil was not God’s original creation. No, God designed the earth to be a holy and
happy place. On a daily basis we see it is not that way any more; it is wrong. And it is
all because of one simple act of disobedience.
Read Genesis 3:1–13

4. How would you describe the Serpent’s strategy in verses 1–5? How does he
tempt Eve, and how does he get her to disobey God?
5. What was Eve’s thought pattern that persuaded her eating the fruit was
a good idea? (v. 6)
6. What was the first sign that sin had entered the world, and how does it compare
to the way things had been previously? (v. 7, see also 2:25)
7. What are some of the practical ways that we see relationships falling apart after
Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit? (vv. 7–12)
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F rom the very start, the Serpent was intent on destroying God’s world. He was
plotting to murder those two beautiful people who were created in God’s image. In John
8:44, Jesus tells his disciples, “[The devil] was a murderer from the beginning, and does
not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his
own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” A liar and a murderer: that is Jesus’
testimony about Satan.
I hope you notice, however, that Eve did not need all that much help from Satan in
order to eat the forbidden fruit. What lured her into the trap was her own selfish desires.
All Satan did was twist God’s word so that Eve could start to doubt God’s goodness to
them. If she would doubt God’s goodness, why should she trust him? If she doesn’t trust
him, why should she obey him? It is the same with us, and this underlying doubt of
God is where our own temptations begin.
In this next section, God proves his goodness in the face of sin. He will prove it by
being both just (giving sinners what they deserve) and being merciful and gracious (giving
them something far better than they deserve).
Read Genesis 3:14-24

8. In verses 14-19, God curses the Serpent, Eve, and then Adam. What
were the curses God placed on each of them? Why do you think he cursed
them in this order?
Serpent:
Eve:
Adam:
9. How does God’s curse on the man and on the woman affect their ability to live
out God’s commission in Genesis 1:27–28?
10. What does God do to make sure that man will not live forever (vv. 22–23)?
Why might this be an act of mercy?
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11. What is the core of God’s promise to Satan in Genesis 3:15? How might that
help us understand verses 20-21?
God is a merciful God. Even in his justice, as he is condemning sin, the LORD
promises that he will provide a means of defeating the works of the devil. How? It will be
done through the son of the woman. This one will crush the head of the serpent. Through
his sacrifice, he will bring eternal life back into the world. This promised one is none
other than Jesus, of course. And this is why Adam could name his wife Eve1: because he
knew that God promised to bring life through one of Eve’s sons. No matter what manner
of brokenness and death is on display in your life, you can have the same hope of life
because Jesus Christ has come to defeat the works of the devil (1 John 3:8).
Implications
Bring this discussion close to home by reflecting on and discussing at least one of the following questions.
A. Using Eve’s interaction with the serpent as a guide, how do sin and temptation
gain a foothold in our hearts? (See also James 1:13-15)
B. Discuss how you see the Fall’s impact on the world we live in, our relationships,
or our own hearts.
C. What is an area of our culture where you think the devil is active and powerful?
How does the promise of Genesis 3:15 apply here?
In Hebrew, Eve’s name means “life-giver.”

1
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ORIGINAL SIN LESSON 2
Romans 3:10-20
I n our last lesson we saw that sin and death entered the world through Adam and
Eve. But what does that have to do with you and me?
Paul says in Romans 5:12, “Sin came into the world through one man, and death
through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned.” In other words,
Adam’s sin in the garden has been passed down to us as a sort of genetic disease. It is like
a spiritual heart condition.
What this means for us is that even when we are born, we inherit from Adam both his
guilty standing before God and a twisted corruption of our own hearts. This is what we
call the doctrine of “Original Sin.”
READ ROMANS 3:10–12

1. What do these verses say is true of absolutely everyone who lives on planet earth?
2. How do you think this affects our standing before God? (See Romans 2:6–9)
3. What do you think the Bible means when it says “No one understands; no one
seeks for God” (v. 11)? (see 1 Corinthians 2:14)
4. What does 1 Corinthians 6:9–10 say the unrighteous can expect?
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What does it mean to be unrighteous? It means to be guilty before God. It means
failing to measure up to his holy standard, breaking his law, and rejecting his truth.
Notice in 1 Corinthians that there are many ways to be unrighteous. It’s not just about the
things we think are “big sins.” No, God condemns all sins: idolatry, greed, gossip,
homosexuality, thievery, and drunkenness. We see a similar list in Romans 1:29–31,
where Paul names sins such as envy, slander, pride, disobedience to parents, and
heartlessness. In fact, Jesus has a whole lot more to say about sins like self-righteousness,
greed, pride, and anger than he does about sexual sins.
What we would like to believe is that some sins don’t matter. As long as we keep away
from the big, ugly, life-destroying kinds of sins, God will overlook our minor failures. But
the point of these passages we have been studying is that no matter how big or small, and
no matter how socially acceptable, all sins deserve God’s wrath and curse. All sins matter
in God’s sight. “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” (Romans 3:23).

5. In these verses, Paul mentions two parts of the human body that reveal the
corruption of the human heart. What are they?
6. How does Paul describe mankind’s mouth? List the metaphors and give an
explanation of their meanings (for example, “Their throat is an open grave”).
7. How does Paul describe mankind’s feet? List the metaphors and give an
explanation of their meanings.
8. What specific sins or behaviors might we say these metaphors apply to?
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No story in the entire Bible illustrates Romans 3:10-18 quite like the fake trial and
unjust crucifixion of our Lord Jesus Christ. In John 10:47–53, we see how the chief priests
and Pharisees were intent on putting Jesus to death. In fear for their own position and
political stability, they plotted to murder an innocent man they knew was anointed by
God. Likewise, to support their scheme before the Roman consulate, they provided the
court with false witnesses to establish a guilty verdict (Matthew 26:57–68).
This is the way we are, too. Our first and natural response to God is one of hatred.
We are totally rebellious. When we are presented with the truth of God, we get angry
because God’s truth threatens us. If given the opportunity, we would have nailed Jesus to
the cross right alongside of the Jewish leadership. It’s like Jesus said in John 8:40–44,
“But now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God...
you cannot bear to hear my word. You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do
your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the
truth, because there is no truth in him.” If our heart’s natural inclination is to do the
works of the devil, how can we possibly hope to please God?

9. In verse 18, Paul gives a summary statement as to why man acts the way
he does. What is it, and how does this help us understand the basic
corruption of mankind?
10. If this is what man naturally is like, what should we conclude about efforts to
make ourselves right with God—that is, through religion, finding “inner peace,”
trying to be a good person, etc.?
11. Why does Paul say in verse 20 that no one can be made right with God by
obedience to God’s Law?
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“The fear of God” is a phrase used throughout the Old Testament to refer to faith in
God. This fear is not the dread fear of punishment. Instead, we are to understand it as
loving, awe-filled respect, such as that of a child towards a good father. In Exodus 20:20,
Moses tells the Israelites, “Do not fear, for God has come to test you, that the fear of him
may be before you, that you may not sin.” In this passage we see both senses of “fear”
being used. Moses is telling the Israelites, “Do not be afraid of God, because he has come
to teach you to honor and respect him as your Lord and Savior.”
Since we are corrupt in heart, it is impossible for us to please God with our actions.
We may be able to obey God to satisfy our own expectations, and we may be able to put on
a good Christian “face” for others. But these things do not make us right with God. What
God expects of us instead is faith-filled, God-honoring trust in him. Looking to our own
righteousness as the thing that can make us right before God is an even greater offense to
his holiness than outright rebellion. Compared to his holiness, our good works amount to
nothing but filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6–7).
IMPLICATIONS
A. Some people might object to the idea that God is wrathful, or hateful, against
sinners. How could you respond to such an objection using what you have
learned today?
B. Of the two categories of sin listed in verses 13-17 (sins of the mouth and sins of
the feet), which would you say you fall into more frequently? How so?
C. In this lesson we said, “Our first and natural response to God is one of hatred.”
What do you think of this statement?
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THE ETERNAL PLAN
OF GOD LESSON 3
Ephesians 1:3–14, Colossians 1:15–22
A t the conclusion of the last lesson, we discovered that man can do nothing to reach
God through his own efforts. No religion and no amount of being good can measure up to
God’s holiness. This leaves us in a predicament. If we cannot make ourselves right with
God, how can we be right with God? This is where the Bible tells us Good News! Where
man was hopeless, God has made a way. He has prepared and executed a plan to reverse
the effects of Adam’s sin and make man right with God again.
Prepare to think outside the box a little bit today, because God’s plan is big. And by
“the box” I mean the limits of space and time. God’s plan encompasses everything, and it
is far beyond our ability to comprehensively understand. If you have difficulty wrapping
your head around this stuff, you’re in good company. As you study these passages and
answer these questions, focus in on the main ideas. This will set you up well.
READ EPHESIANS 1:3–14

1. How many times does Paul use the words “plan” or “purpose” in these verses?
2. According to verse 4, God chose his people for what purpose, and when did
he do the choosing?
3. What does Paul say some of God’s motivations were in predestining us? Name at
least three that appear in the text. (vv.4–6)
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4. What advantages and blessings come to us because God has predestined us
for adoption as sons? (vv. 7–9)
5. What is God’s plan ultimately leading to? (v. 10)
6. Some might complain that the doctrine of Predestination makes God seem
cold and distant. What are some things that you see in this text to counter
such an opinion?
L ike an architect drawing out every single detail of a complicated building before
construction begins, God has created a plan that encompasses everything that will ever
happen throughout history. God’s plan is not cold, or merciless, or detached from
relationships. Far from it! Ephesians 1 communicates that God’s plan is one that is
established in love with the purpose of uniting all things—bringing unity for all things—in
Christ Jesus his Son. It is for the glory of Jesus Christ that God has created the universe
and forged this plan of salvation.
The Bible tells us that God alone is the author of destiny. He is the giver of all good
things: talents, gifts, opportunities, and pleasures. God is also the one who allows evils
and trials and sorrows to come across our path. How different this is from our modern
way of thinking! We like to think that we are in control of our own lives and our own di-
rection. We find a perverse comfort in thinking that the storms and tragedies of life are
simply the way of nature. But when we imagine life this way, we bind ourselves into a
pointless, destructive existence. The truth which the Bible speaks into our lives is this:
“The heart of a man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps” (Prov. 16:9).
Christ came into the world in order to reconcile us to God through his death on the
cross. It was no accident that Jesus died. Acts 2:42 says, “This Jesus, delivered up
according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the
hands of lawless men.” This means that Jesus faced life the same way we do, under the
knowledge that God is in control over every detail. He knew he was going to die according
to God’s plan, and he knew that it would be for the good of God’s people and for his own
glory. Jesus’ death and resurrection is the climactic focus of world history in God’s plan.
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READ COLOSSIANS 1:15–22
7. What is Jesus’ relationship to God the Father? (vv. 15,19)
8. What is Christ Jesus’ relationship to the universe? (vv. 15–16)
9. What is Jesus’ relationship to the Church? (v. 18)
10. What does it mean in verse 16 when it says “all things were created
through him and for him”?
11. How has Jesus accomplished God’s plan? (vv. 19–22)
12. What was the point of Jesus’ reconciling us to God through his death? (v. 22)
H oratio Spafford was a lawyer who lived in Chicago, Illinois, in the 1860’s and
1870’s. He was the father of five children, one son and four daughters. He is also the
author of the hymn “It Is Well with My Soul.” Spafford wrote “It Is Well” after losing not
one, but all of his children in a four-year span. His son died of Scarlet Fever in 1870. In
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1871, Spafford lost his property and all of his investments during the Great Chicago Fire.
In 1873, there was an economic recession which forced his family to flee to England. While
he remained in Chicago to settle the last of his business, Spafford’s wife, Anna,
and their four daughters traveled to England ahead of him. While crossing
the Atlantic, their ship collided with another and sank quickly. All four of his
daughters drowned in the ocean. Anna survived and sent Horatio a telegram
that read, “Saved alone...”
When he took his trip across the Atlantic, Spafford asked the captain to wake him
when they reached the location where his daughters drowned. When that moment came,
he rose and looked out over the ocean. It was then that he was inspired to write the words,
“When peace like a river attendeth my way, when sorrows like sea billows roll, whatever
my lot, Thou has taught me to say, ‘It is well, it is well with my soul.’”
We cannot know why God allows certain trials and tragedies to come our way, but the
passages we have studied today make clear that everything is a part of God’s grand plan.
Nothing is outside of his control. Nothing is beyond his ability. And whatever happens,
“we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are
called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). It was this knowledge that
moved Spafford to write his hymn, trusting God’s goodness even when he
was overwhelmed with pain.
IMPLICATIONS
A. According to Ephesians 1:11, what types of things happen outside of God’s

plan? How can you use this knowledge as you experience problems and
challenges in life?
B. God’s sending Jesus is his remedy to the problem created by man’s fall. Do you
think that this was an unplanned response—that God hadn’t planned on the Fall
happening? Why or why not?
C. In both Ephesians and Colossians, Paul emphasizes God’s purpose in

predestining us for holiness before him. If this is God’s intent in predestination,
what role ought the pursuit of holiness and right living take in our lives?
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PERFECT OBEDIENCE LESSON 4
Matthew 4
In Ephesians 1:4, we read that God chose us and saved us so that we would be holy
and blameless in his sight. God is a holy God, and he wants us to be holy like him. As he
says in Leviticus 11:45, “You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.” What a requirement!
Aren’t we sinners? Scripture teaches us that our hearts are corrupt from the day we are
born. How can God possibly command us to be something—to do something—that is so
far beyond our ability? This is where the Gospel begins.
We often think of Jesus’ saving work as just what he did on the cross, but it was much
more than that. (Actually, it continues to be much more than that). Jesus’ whole life was
our salvation, not just his death. Think about this: Jesus’ life was one of perfect obedience
to God. He who wrote God’s law was born under the law and then had to obey it (Galatians
4:4). And he did. He obeyed God in a way that you and I never can. He obeyed in his
toddler years, his teen years, and his adult years, even to his death on the cross.
Jesus was perfectly righteous in God’s sight. He is the only person who has ever lived
up to God’s holy standard, the only one who has obeyed Leviticus 11:45. And think
about what it would mean if he hadn’t. What if Jesus had disobeyed God, what
would have happened then?
READ MATTHEW 4:1–11

1. How do you think Jesus was feeling on the day that he was tempted? (vv. 1–2)
What impact might that have had on his experience of temptation?
2. What is something that you find harder to resist when you are tired and hungry?
3. What were the three ways that Jesus was tempted by the devil?
First Temptation (v. 3):
Second Temptation (vv. 5–6):
Third Temptation (v 8):

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4. If you were in Jesus’ shoes, why would these things have been tempting?
How do you think you would have fared?
Jesus was and is God. When he walked the face of the earth, Jesus was God
made flesh. He did things only God can do. He healed the sick, cast out demons,
and raised the dead. But Jesus was not just God. Jesus was also fully human.
It’s easy to make the mistake and think that because Jesus was God, he didn’t experience
things like you and I do. That he didn’t get sick or tired or struggle or get hungry.
But this is a false assumption.
Jesus was human. He was mortal. A well-nourished human being can survive for
more than three weeks without food. Jesus almost doubled that in his time in the
wilderness. Sure, there was an element of the supernatural that kept Jesus alive all that
time, but it didn’t put food in his belly. After forty days of not eating, Jesus was hungry.
He was tired, and weary, and vulnerable.
It was precisely at this low point that Satan came to get Jesus, and he came with the
temptation, “Look, you’re God, why not make some bread for yourself?” It was a
seemingly innocent proposition. But what Jesus saw in the devil’s suggestion was a desire
to sabotage God’s mission. He knew Satan was trying to lure him into sin. Jesus knew the
issue was not whether Jesus could feed himself, but whether he would use his identity as
God’s Son for his own selfish benefit. Satan was tempting Jesus to believe that he couldn’t
trust his Father to provide for him. Does that sound vaguely familiar?
READ GENESIS 3:1–6

5. How does Satan’s temptation of Jesus in Matthew 4:3 compare with his
temptation of Eve in Genesis 3:1–6? What are their similarities?
6. Why do you think Jesus’ quotations of Scripture against the temptations of the
devil were successful, whereas Eve’s attempt to respond to Satan failed?
(Hint: “He is God” is not the answer.)
7. Read 1 John 3:8. How does this verse help us connect Genesis 3 to Matthew 4?
What was Jesus really doing in his face-off with Satan?
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8. Just using the story of his wilderness temptation, how does Jesus fix Adam
and Eve’s failure?
Jesus succeeded where Adam failed. This is the meaning behind Jesus’ temptation
in the wilderness. Jesus was not only born sinless; he continued to be sinless. He obeyed
God perfectly. He trusted God completely. When tempted by Satan to rebel against God
and rely on his own strength and wisdom, Jesus responded by faithfully quoting God’s
Word. He submitted to God’s will, even when accepting Satan’s offer would have made his
immediate future much more pleasant. And praise be to God that Jesus refused to be
tempted, for we all benefit from his obedience!
In Romans 5:18–19, Paul writes, “Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for
all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For as by the
one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the
many will be made righteous.” What Paul lays out for us here is a basic connection
between Adam and Jesus. Adam brought sin into the world through his sin. But Jesus—as
a second Adam—brings righteousness to his people through his perfect obedience.
Ultimately, it was his obedience on the cross that saved us, but he couldn’t have been a
perfect sacrifice if he weren’t sinless.
READ HEBREWS 4:14–5:10

9. What comfort can we have in the fact that Jesus was truly tempted to sin?
10. Human priests are able to sympathize with us and deal gently with us, but why
aren’t they able to do for us what Jesus did? (compare v. 3 with vv. 7–9)
11. Because Jesus was both truly tempted and perfectly obedient, what can we be
confident about in our relationship with him? (vv. 15–16)
Let’s return to our earlier thought. “What if Jesus failed?” What if Jesus had, in his
human nature, succumbed to the suggestions of the evil one? It would have been the end.
The devil would have won. He would have dealt an unimaginable blow to the holiness of
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God. Of course, we know it was impossible for Jesus to fail, but let’s not forget that for his
human nature, this was a true test of Jesus’ faith.
And yet, this was just the beginning of Jesus’ trials of obedience. In Hebrews, God’s
Word tells us, “Although he was [God’s] son, he learned obedience through what he
suffered. And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who
obey him” (Hebrews. 5:8–9). Jesus’ ability to obey his Father through difficulty only grew
more powerful as time went by, and it was all leading to the final test of the cross. Laying
down his life was not an easy task for Jesus. It was the most difficult thing God had
commanded him to do. It was so stressful that as Jesus prayed for God to find a way
around the cross, his sweat turned to blood. He feared death on the cross with every
fiber of his human nature.
But it was Jesus’ obedience, perfect even to death, that merits2 our salvation. His
righteousness is the basis by which we are saved. And without it we would be lost. “It is
his faith, his obedience, his faithfulness, his prayer which avails for us. As our great high
priest, he offers up worship and praise acceptable to a holy God, the fruit of a life of perfect
faithfulness, flawless and pure. By virtue of that perfect intercession we are acceptable to
God, having been brought by the grace of God to entrust ourselves into his hands.”3 Praise
be to God! This is our Savior, perfect in every way!
IMPLICATIONS
A. Read Psalm 119:9. How does Jesus give us an example of this verse in action?
What can you take away from this episode for your own battles with temptation?
B. If Jesus’ righteousness is the only righteousness that is satisfying to God,

what are some things we could conclude about our own efforts to earn God’s
favor through good works (such as Bible reading, church attendance,
acts of service, etc.)?
C. The devil seems to have a common playbook that he uses in trying to bring down
God’s people. Look again at the devil’s temptations against Jesus in Matthew 4
and against Eve in Genesis 3. What common tricks is he using? How have you
seen him use one of these snares and tricks in today’s world?
2
earns, deserves
3
Robert Letham, The Work of Christ, (Downer’s Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1993), p.118.
23
THE WONDROUS CROSS LESSON 5
MARK 15:1–16:8
Sin is a big problem, a serious problem. It is more serious than we realize. We catch
a glimpse of this seriousness when we see that no amount of sincerity, no amount of
obedience, and no amount of sacrifice can deal with the problem sin creates. There is
nothing, nothing, that we can do to deal with our biggest problem. Which means—God
alone can deal with our sin. We are completely dependent on his plan and his ability to be
rescued from our greatest of problems.
God’s plan was to forgive our sins and give us eternal life through the life, death, and
resurrection of his one and only Son, Jesus Christ. This was his plan from before the
foundation of the world. In this lesson we will begin exploring God’s solution through the
death and resurrection of our Savior. What Jesus did on the cross is bigger than one
lesson can capture. We will spend the next eight lessons exploring the different aspects of
Jesus’ work on the cross. Today, we will simply examine the exteriors.
READ MARK 15:1–15

1. According to Luke 23:2, what were the charges that the Jews brought to
Pilate against Jesus?
2. Why did the Scribes, Priests, and Pharisees want to see Jesus executed?
(See John 11:45-52)
3. After questioning Jesus, what conclusion did Pilate come to regarding Jesus’
guilt? (v. 10; see also John 19:4-6)
4. If Pilate knew that Jesus wasn’t guilty of anything deserving death, why did he
deliver him over to be crucified? (v. 14-15; see also John 19:12-13)
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It was a sham. It was a complete mockery of a trial. Out of their jealous hatred of
Jesus and their fear of losing their position, the religious leaders in Jerusalem brought
false charges and exaggerations before the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate. Pilate saw
through their charade, but he underestimated the priests’ and Pharisees’ hatred of Jesus
and determination to see him executed. He gave them a choice between releasing Jesus or
a known murderer. They chose the murderer, Barabbas!
READ MARK 15:16–39

5. What did Jesus suffer physically before he was crucified? (vv. 15-20)
6. Three times are mentioned in this section. What are their modern equivalents,
and what happened at each?
Third Hour:
Sixth Hour:
Ninth Hour:
7. Verse 33 says darkness covered the whole land from the sixth hour until the
ninth hour. What does this darkness symbolize? (See Exodus 10:21–23;
20:18–19; 1 Samuel 2:9)
8. At the ninth hour, Jesus said something in Hebrew. (v. 34) What did it mean,
and what does it tell us about what Jesus was experiencing?
P lace yourself there at Golgotha during the hours that Jesus hung on the cross.
Visualize the darkness. Feel the earth tremble. Smell the reek of blood. Hear the cries of
agony and grief. Jesus’ crucifixion is a historical event that is forever engraved in the
pages of history. It was a brutal, physical execution.
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Crucifixion remains one of the most gruesome, cruel, and painful methods of
execution ever conceived by man. It was a method of execution reserved for the lowest,
most debased of criminals. The point was to make a man suffocate to death through
torture. A crucified man would have to put weight on the nail in his feet in order to catch
his breath. After he caught his breath, he would relax that weight and then experience the
searing pain of the nails in his wrists and the stretch of hanging in his shoulders.
To relieve the pain, he would have to stand up again. All the while, splinters from the
rough-cut beam of the cross would be digging into his bloody, beaten back.
But for Christ, the physical aspect of his crucifixion was only part of the grisly
experience. What we see in the darkness and hear in Christ’s cry of dereliction, “My God,
my God, why have you forsaken me!” is his experience of God’s wrath poured onto his
head. This was the cup that Jesus was forced to drink (Luke 22:42, Isaiah 51:17).
While he was on that cross, for the first time in forever, Jesus was forsaken by the Father
and he experienced the Father’s wrath.
READ MARK 15:40–16:8

9. What was Pilate’s reaction when he heard that Jesus died? Why do you
think this was?
10. How do we know that Jesus was really dead? (see also John 19:33–35)
11. Why did the women go to the tomb, and what did they discover when they
got there? (16:1–5)
Mark’s Gospel ends on something of a cliffhanger. Your Bible translation may have
a note at the end of verse 8 saying something like this, “Some of the earliest manuscripts
do not include 16:9–20.” Bible scholars believe that Mark originally ended his Gospel at
chapter 16, verse 8. Because it seems to end abruptly, and with a note about the women
being afraid, it is believed that a well-intentioned scribe or pastor added verses 9–20 to
bring Mark to a more reader-friendly conclusion.
Think about it this way. If we stop reading Mark’s gospel at 16:8, we are getting
something like Mark: The Director’s Cut. Mark, the inspired author of the book, wanted
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to leave his readers with a sense of anticipation, excitement, astonishment, and a bit of
fear at the resurrection of Jesus. But, this didn’t sit well with “American audiences”—or
“Jewish audiences” as the case may have been. So the producers (later pastors or scribes)
wrote-in a more suitable ending, a happy ending where we see Jesus ascending into
heaven. This “extended cut” isn’t the original ending to Mark, but we know it’s still true
because of what we see in the other Gospel accounts.
What’s the point? Mark ends on an odd note in verse 8 because he wants us
to experience the fear and awe that the women had at the tomb. He wants us to live
with the scary realization that Jesus is alive. He’s not buried. He is out there somewhere.
And indeed he is!
IMPLICATIONS
A. What did the angel tell the women to do? What would you have thought or felt if
you were in the women’s place?
B. What is significant about the temple curtain being torn in two? (v. 38)
How does this help us understand what was happening on the cross?
(see Hebrews 9:1–4; 10:19–22)
C. Jesus’ death and resurrection are events that took place publicly on the stage of
history. They are verifiable facts. What are some of the implications of this?
27
THE NECESSITY OF
CHRIST’S DEATH LESSON 6
Hebrews 9:11–10:18
The Cross of Christ is simultaneously the most horrifying and the most marvelous
event in the history of mankind.
But we have to ask the question, why was it necessary? Yes, John 3:16 says, “For God
so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not
perish but have eternal life.” But couldn’t God have forgiven our sins some other way?
Isn’t it a bit cruel for God to condemn his own Son to death when it seems like
he would have the power to forgive sins with a wave of his hand? Today we are going
to explore Christ’s work through the Letter to the Hebrews, and see whether or
not Jesus’ death was absolutely necessary.
READ HEBREWS 9:11–22

1. What role does the author of Hebrews say Jesus Christ fulfilled? (11–12)
2. If Jesus is a perfect high priest, why couldn’t he just offer a perfect animal as a
perfect sacrifice for sins? (10:4, 11)
3. Instead of the blood of an animal, whose blood did Jesus offer? What effect
did this have?
4. Why do you think blood has to be shed for forgiveness to take place?
(v. 22—See also Genesis 2:17; Romans 1:28–32)
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5. With this last point in mind, what would you say the function of a sacrifice is?
(see also Isaiah 53:5–6)
The essential function of a sacrifice is to turn away God’s wrath through the
removal of sins. When the sacrificial substitute dies, the demands of God’s justice are
satisfied. This is the meaning of the word “propitiation,” which is used in Romans 3:25,
1 John 2:2, and 1 John 4:10.
A sacrifice does not remove sins in the sense of making a person sin no more; it
removes a person’s record of guilt and satisfies justice’s demand for execution. “And you,
who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God
made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling
the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside,
nailing it to the cross” (Colossians 2:13–14).
Imagine what it would be like to have a book which contained a record of everything
you ever thought, said, or did. All the good things, but also all the bad—all the secret
things that take place in the dark. How would you feel if someone were to find this book
and read it out-loud to the students in your class? Imagine this being done in the presence
of God with everyone you know. This is exactly what Revelation 20:12 describes:
And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books
were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life.
And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to
what they had done.
What Christ does in offering himself as a sacrifice on our behalf is this: he takes our
book, claims it as his own, and dies for what it contains—a death that we rightly deserve.
In place of our book Jesus gives us his own, the Book of Life, which will be read in the
presence of all at the last day. This is the Great Exchange of the Gospel.
READ HEBREWS 9:23–10:10

6. In verse 23, what does the author mean when he refers to “the copies of the
heavenly things” and “the heavenly things themselves”? (9:19–24)
7. Why was it impossible for the God-ordained sacrifice of animals to effectively

deal with sins? (10:1f)
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8. Whose choice was it that motivated Christ Jesus to die on the cross for sins?
(10:5–10)
When the author of Hebrews mentions “the copies of the heavenly things” (v. 9:23),
he is referring to the Levitical system of temple, worship, and sacrifices that bound God’s
people in the Old Testament. It says in Hebrews 8:5 that this old system of worship
(i.e., approaching God through the sacrifice of animals) was a foreshadowing of
what God would do through Jesus Christ. Because he has come, there is no longer
any need for the shadows.
J.I. Packer writes, “These sacrifices were typical (that is, as types, they pointed
forward to something else). Though sins were in fact ‘left...unpunished’ (Rom. 3:25) when
sacrifices were faithfully offered, what actually blotted them out was not the animals’
blood (Heb. 10:11) but the blood of the antitype, the sinless Son of God, Jesus Christ,
whose death on the cross atoned for all sins that were remitted before the event as well as
sins committed after it (Rom. 3:25–26; 4:3–8; He. 9:11–15).”4
READ HEBREWS 10:11–25

9. How do we know that Jesus Christ’s death was effective in dealing with our sins?
10. What are some of the benefits that come to us through Jesus’ sacrifice
of himself? (vv. 15–18)
11. What can we have confidence to do, knowing that Jesus is our great High Priest
who has effectively dealt with the problem of our sin? (vv. 19–22)
12. Read Hebrews 4:14–16. What additional motivation do we have in the fact that
Jesus was (and is!) a human being who has been tempted to sin?
4
J. I. Packer, Concise Theology (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1993) p. 135.
30
T
he Bible teaches that God was not under compulsion to save anyone from sin.
It is only his free and sovereign love that drives God to redeem wicked sinners
(Romans 9:14–24). However, once God decided in his sovereign love to save sinners,
there was no other option but through the death of his Son, Jesus Christ. We all know
John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes
in him should not perish but have eternal life.” What it really means is that God’s love
for us is so great that he was willing to do whatever was necessary to save us.
What was necessary was the death of his Son.
Theologian John Murray calls Christ’s death a consequent absolute necessity.
He writes:
“The word ‘consequent’ in this designation points to the fact that God’s will or
decree to save any is of free and sovereign grace. To save lost men was not of
absolute necessity but of the sovereign good pleasure of God. The terms ‘absolute
necessity,’ however, indicate that God, having elected some to everlasting life out
of his mere good pleasure, was under the necessity of accomplishing this purpose
through the sacrifice of his own Son, a necessity arising from the perfections of his
own nature. In a word, while it was not inherently necessary for God to save, yet,
since salvation had been purposed, it was necessary to secure this salvation
through a satisfaction that could be rendered only through substitutionary
sacrifice and blood-bought redemption.”5
IMPLICATIONS
A. Some people argue that God must be cruel if he demands the death of Jesus for
the forgiveness of sins. How would you respond to this objection?
B. In Hebrews 10:19–25, the author mentions several ways of applying Christ’s

priestly work to our lives. What are they, and which do you feel you need most?
C. How does it comfort you to know that Jesus is a high priest who is able to
sympathize with your weaknesses?
5
John Murray, Redemption: Accomplished and Applied, (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1955), p. 12.
31
A SACRIFICE TO SATISFY
DIVINE JUSTICE
LESSON 7
Isaiah 52:13–53:12
In our last lesson, we examined at length Jesus’ role as our High Priest in offering
himself as a sacrifice for sins. Today, we are going to focus less on Jesus in the role of
priest and more on his role as our sacrifice.
Isaiah 53 is one of the most amazing, specific prophesies of the Old Testament. On
this side of history, it is easy to see how clearly it describes Jesus’ work on the cross. What
is equally amazing is that the Israelites of Jesus’ day completely missed this aspect of their
Messiah’s identity. They were expecting a political savior, a conquering king. However,
Jesus did not come to inaugurate a physical kingdom, at least not at that time. He came
to establish a spiritual kingdom. This is what the Pharisees missed, and they missed it
because Jesus came as a suffering servant.
READ ISAIAH 52:13–53:3

1. How is Jesus (“my servant”) described in these verses?
2. Isaiah 53:1 hints at a conflict of expectations when it says, “Who has believed
what he has heard from us?” What makes it hard to believe in the Servant of the
Lord? (vv. 2–3)
3. Read John 7:25–52. How does this story illustrate the irony of Jesus not being
recognized as the Anointed One of God, the Messiah of Israel?
4. Do you think it would make it easier or harder for you to believe in Jesus if he
had come as a powerful, conquering king? How might his humility and weakness
be making it hard for you to fully trust Jesus even now?
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Messiah is the Hebrew word for “Anointed One.” The Greek word for “Anointed
One” is Christos, from which we get the title and name of “Christ.”
It is quite clear that the Israelites of Jesus’ day expected the Messiah to appear. He
was to be a descendant of David (Matthew 21:9), born in Bethlehem (John 7:40-42),
appear out of nowhere (John 7:26-27), and reign forever (John 12:34). Because of these
Biblical descriptions, the Jews naturally expected the Messiah to be a kingly, public,
impressive figure. They consequently assumed that the Messiah would expel
the Roman authorities and bring freedom back to God’s land. They couldn’t have been
further from the truth.
When Jesus began explaining the purpose of his coming and the work of his
Kingdom, it actually turned people away from his ministry (John 6:66). “They wanted a
king to deliver them from Rome, not a savior to redeem them from their sins.”6
Frequently, we too would rather have a political deliverer, though not in the same sense.
We don’t need freedom from a foreign oppressor. But, wouldn’t we rather be
rescued from the political agenda in Washington than be delivered from our
bad habits and comfortable sins?
READ ISAIAH 53:4–9

5. What do verses 4 and 5 tell us Jesus carried to, or bore upon, the cross for us?
6. Verse 5 mentions two benefits that come to us by virtue of Christ’s death.

What are they?
7. If you are a believer, how can you see Jesus bringing you peace and healing?
In what areas of life or relationships do you need his peace and healing the most?
8. What specific details do you see predicted in verses 7–10 regarding Jesus’
trial, death, and burial?
6
George Eldon Ladd, A Theology of the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1993), pp. 137–138.
33
J esus’ trial and death was a gruesome, bloody ordeal. But everything he faced that
day in Jerusalem 2,000 years ago was so that we might know peace and be healed. This
peace and healing is not primarily about the external world or the physical body. Jesus’
death didn’t bring an end to wars or to sickness. The peace and healing that Jesus brought
through his death takes place in the spiritual realm. It is a peace that restores our
relationship with God, that brings healing to our souls. As Paul says in
Romans 5:1, “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with
God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
It may not feel like it in our day to day lives, but peace with God is our greatest need
in the entire world. We were created in God’s image to enjoy eternal communion with him
in a relationship of glorified love. Our sin separates us from the person for whom we were
created and whom we need more than life itself. Once we have peace in this relationship,
when our injury with God is healed, the result is a life of peace and healing that spreads
outwards into our world. Experiencing peace with God enables us to bring peace and
healing to those around us.
READ ISAIAH 53:10–12

9. What rewards are earned by Jesus through his willing sacrifice of himself?
10. What rewards come to us because of his willing sacrifice of himself?
B efore the creation of the world, God planned to crush his own Son for the sins of a
rebellious, sinful, mortal people. It’s overwhelming to think about, isn’t it? Jesus died a
death he didn’t deserve, at the hands of a people for whom he cared deeply. As John 1:11
says, “He came to his own, but his own did not receive him.” His own people! Those whom
God had chosen out of all the peoples of the earth, and they failed to recognize their
Savior! They put him to death like a common criminal!
And yet, even this was according to the plan of God so that room might be made for
the Gentiles, you and me, to receive the grace of salvation through a redeemer
(Romans 11:17–36). “All we like sheep have gone astray”—not just the lost sheep of Israel,
but lost sheep from all over the globe—“and the Lord has laid on him the iniquities of us
all.” Christ’s work was to bring peace to those who are far off and peace to those who are
near. It is for the religious and the irreligious; the rich and the poor. The question to us is,
have we received and experienced that peace ourselves?
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IMPLICATIONS
A. Isaiah 53 tells us about a lot of things that Jesus did on the cross for us.
How can someone know for certain that they will receive the benefits of Christ’s
work on the cross?
B. John 1:11 says, “He came to his own, but his own did not receive him.” What are
some ways that Christians today can reject Jesus? What might be some ways that
you are tempted to reject Jesus?
C. In Isaiah 53:5, we saw that Jesus brings his people peace and healing. What are
some ways in which you can bring peace and healing to your home, your church,
your school, or your community?
35
PEACELESSON
WITH 8
GOD
2 Corinthians 5:16–21
In John 14:27 Jesus says, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.” What does
Jesus mean by “peace?” Merriam-Webster defines peace as “a state of tranquility or
quiet.” When we think of peace as being opposed to war, we interpret it as “the absence of
hostilities.” Eastern religions such as zen-taoism and Buddhism emphasize the
importance of “inner peace” as the height of spiritual tranquility. Is Jesus making
a pact of non-aggression with us? Is he promising a sublime spiritual state?
What does Jesus mean?
There are of course places in the Bible where “peace” does mean the absence of
hostility, and it can also mean tranquility. More often, however, the word “peace” is used
to translate the Hebrew word shalōm, which means “wholeness,” “health,” and
“relational harmony,” in addition to “tranquility” and “a state of non-aggression.”
Depending on the context, shalom can mean any one of these ideas—or all of them
together. At its core, the word shalom indicates that things are right. The person
who is blessed with shalom enjoys wholeness in every area of life
and harmony in their relationships.
In this comprehensive sense of wholeness and harmony, “peace” describes Adam and
Eve’s experience with God before they disobeyed. Theirs was a holy happiness.
They enjoyed God; they enjoyed one another; they enjoyed the world. All was well, and
there was nothing that was wrong. When Jesus says, “Peace I leave with you,” he is
promising nothing less. It is a promise for the reversal of the Fall in your life.
This reversal of Adam’s sin in your life comes first by reconciliation with God, and through
this reconciliation comes harmony with God’s created order.
READ 2 CORINTHIANS 5:16–17

1. What do you think Paul means by the phrase “regard...according to the flesh”?
(See John 8:15, 1 Samuel 16:7)
2. If we aren’t to evaluate people according to human standards and wisdom, what

standard should we use to evaluate people? (v. 17)
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3. What does Paul say is true of anyone who is “in Christ”? What do you
think this means?

S omething truly significant is happening when Paul describes believers as “New

Creation.” Think a moment. What do you know about the idea of New Creation?
Isn’t God’s work of New Creation something that is supposed to take place in the end
times? Prophecies in Isaiah 65 and 66 teach us that a recreation of the heavens and the
earth comes at the close of history. We see this reiterated in Revelation 21 and 22.
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had
passed away, and the sea was no more. (Rev. 21:1)
How is it that Paul can say that you and I are part of God’s New Creation, when we
live in a clearly evil age that is still suffering under the curse of the Fall? God hasn’t
recreated the universe yet, has he? No. Then what is going on?
After Christ’s resurrection, the Apostles realized that the “New Creation” was not
simply an end-of-the-world event. Instead, Jesus Christ’s resurrection heralds the
beginning of God’s work of recreating all things (1 Corinthians 15:20–26). Because we are
united to Christ by faith, we participate in this New Creation through him. We are part of
a new world order. Our citizenship is in heaven (Philippians 3:20). God’s work of
recreating the universe has already begun, like yeast working its way through a lump of
dough (Matthew 13:33). God is present and at work in this world. He is making things
right, one soul at a time.

4. According to verse 18, who was reconciled to whom? What does this tell us about
who the offending party was and who the offended party was?
5. Who did the work of reconciling? Consequently, what role do we play in the work
of reconciliation with God?
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6. How does Paul define God’s work of reconciliation? (middle of v. 19)
7. What responsibility has God given us as recipients of his gracious

work of reconciliation? (vv. 18–20)
Biblical reconciliation is the forging of peace between God and us by Jesus’ death
and resurrection. We can’t make sense of this doctrine unless we understand that prior to
Christ’s coming—and prior to our conversion—we were alienated from God and subject to
the full outpouring of his anger against us as rebels. Consequently, Christ’s finished
work on our behalf establishes a new relationship of favor and peace. This new
relationship is only possible because Jesus removed the very cause of our alienation from
God: our sin and guilt.
This removal of our sin and guilt could only be done through the sacrificial work of
Jesus Christ, taking them upon himself so that we could stand in righteousness before the
Father. Nothing else would do. This is the epitome of divine grace and love revealed to us
in the finished work of Christ.7 Think about it: Christ did all the work to make us right with
God long before you or I were even born. His gift of life and peace can’t be something we
have to work for. It can only be something we respond to.

8. What do you think it means to be an ambassador for Christ?
9. If reconciliation is a work that Christ does on our behalf, how can Paul beg some
one to “be reconciled to God”?
These two paragraphs are a loose paraphrase of John Murray, Redemption: Accomplished and Applied, p. 42.
7
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10. What is the central message of the Christian gospel? (v. 21)
11. Verse 21 tells us that Christ took something for us and gave something to us.
What were they?
READ LUKE 15
Picture this prodigal son. Picture him clothed in filthy, stinking rags. Picture him
hungry. Picture him ashamed. And now picture the father.
The father in this story knew his son would one day return. And so he waited. He
waited and watched for his son. One day, as he was standing on the flat roof of his stone
house, he saw his son walking the road towards the village. He recognized him
immediately. He also knew what sort of treatment his son would receive in town. He knew
his son would be mocked and shamed by the townspeople for his wasteful, disrespectful
behavior. To save his son from the cruel—but deserved—treatment he would receive from
the village, the father ran out to meet his son while he was still a long way off.
The father was the patriarch of the family: a noble, respectable man. We may miss the
significance of him running in our culture, but in the Middle East it is embarrassing for a
man to run in public. Much of this is due to the manner of dress in the Middle East: men
wear ankle-length tunics. To run, the father had to gather his tunic in his arms and show
his bare legs. But his own dignified appearance wasn’t his primary concern. Neither was
his son’s guilt and filthiness. What mattered most was that his son had come home.
When the father reached his son, he embraced him and kissed him. Do you think the
son expected this? At this point, the young man realized what he had lost, perhaps for the
first time. He had run away from a father who cared deeply about him. His father had
embraced him before he even had a chance to tell his father his plan. There was only one
response at this point available to this son: to accept his father’s love.
But the father wasn’t done. He had something even more unimaginable in store for
his lost boy. He ordered his servants to clothe his son in his best suit of clothes, put the
family ring (the signet) on his finger, and put new shoes on his feet. This son would not
walk through town in filthy rags, but with all the honor of an heir in good standing.
This act visually declared that the prodigal was to be received with peace. The father had
reconciled the son to himself.
This story is a beautiful picture of the gospel. It represents what God has done for us
in the act of reconciling us to himself. Jesus took away the dirty, filthy clothes of our sin,
and he gave us his clean garments of righteousness in their place. This righteous clothing
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is the declaration and definition of our peace with God. “But now in Christ Jesus, you who
were once far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our
peace...” (Ephesians 2:12). It is not just that God is no longer mad at us for our sin.
Our relationship with him is healed. Because we are clothed in peace God relates to us as
heirs in whom he delights.
IMPLICATIONS
A. Do you feel like you have personally experienced reconciliation and peace with
God? If you feel distant from God, or like God is mad at you, what would you
attribute that to?
B. What are some practical ways that you could be an ambassador for Christ in
your school or community?
C. What are some of the local, cultural divisions in your church or community which
need to experience godly reconciliation? (Examples: interpersonal conflicts, racial
tensions, cliques, public school vs private school, etc.) How could you personally
make a difference in these areas?
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DECLARED RIGHTEOUS
LESSON 9
Galatians 2:15–21; 3:10–14
T he gospel is truly a wonderful, amazing thing. Jesus freely and graciously made us
right with God through his work on the cross on our behalf. He took the punishment our
sins deserve and clothed us with his own righteousness. “It is finished,” Jesus said. But
now what? Jesus did all the work to secure my relationship with God. What am I
supposed to do? How do I experience the forgiveness of sins promised in the gospel?
There are only two possible answers to this question. Either, we have to do something
in order for us to experience forgiveness. Or forgiveness is something given to us. Which
one is it? Is there something I have to do? Or does God give it freely? And if God gives it
freely, how can I make sure that I am forgiven?
In Romans, Paul says, “Since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God
through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1). In this seemingly simple verse, Paul
introduces us to something profound. He links the peace we learned about last lesson
with the phrase “justified by faith.” He teaches us that it is through justification by faith
that we come to experience reconciliation with God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
But what on earth does that mean?
READ GALATIANS 2:15–21

1. What do you and I tend to mean when we use the words “justify” and “justified”
in everyday speech? (Such as, “I feel like it was justified.”)
2. In your own words, what does it mean to be righteous in God’s sight?
3. What does Paul mean when he uses the words “justify” or “justified”?
(If you have access to the ESV Study Bible or the Reformation Study Bible, you
can find the answer there. If not, you can find Bible dictionaries online at <www.
biblestudytools.com/dictionaries> )
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4. If you were to put all your good works on one side of a scale and all of your sinful
words and actions on the other, which side would be heavier? Why?
5. What are some ways you may have tried to earn God’s approval through
good works?
6. What does Paul say is the only way a person can be justified in God’s sight?
Why is it important to get this right?
Righteousness is an essential biblical idea. It defines our legal relationship with

God. More particularly, it defines God’s perspective about us under his law. Do we meet
God’s standard of righteousness, or do we not? This standard is defined by God’s
infinitely holy character. Thus, righteousness is not variable or subjective; it is an
objective legal standing before God. God is not more-or-less righteous, and so we can’t be
more-or-less righteous. We either are righteous or we are not. But what does that mean?
“Righteous in God’s sight” equals “perfect obedience to God’s law.” James says,
“Whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it”
(James 2:10). Anything less than perfection counts as unrighteousness. It counts as
breaking the law. This is where the word “justification” comes in. Justification refers to a
declaration of righteousness. It is a statement of fact. Has this person obeyed perfectly
and completely? If yes, then he is righteous; if not, he is unrighteous.
But how can God justify the ungodly? How can he declare that someone is righteous
when they are sinful? Isn’t that lying? The solution to this puzzle comes when we see that
God’s declaration of righteousness is not merely based on his observation but on his work.
God spoke, “Let there be light,” and there was light. His word is powerful that way. When
God speaks, he makes things happen. Thus, when God justifies a person, he declares them
to be righteous in his sight and actually makes them righteous at the same time. In God’s
eyes, the justified sinner actually has obeyed him perfectly. But how can that be? Where
does this righteousness come from? Does God create it out of thin air or make a sinner
righteous by some sort of magic?
The consistent message of the New Testament is that the righteousness we are given
in justification is not made up. It is not pretend. It is the real and actual righteousness of
Jesus Christ, which he earned for himself by living a perfect life under God’s Law. God the
Father legally credits (or imputes) this perfect legal standing to those who believe in
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Jesus. Christ did not simply take our sin when he died on the cross. There was
a double exchange: he also gave us his righteousness. “For our sake he made him
to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God”
(2 Corinthians 5:21). “Just as Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him
as righteousness” (Galatians 3:6).
J.I. Packer writes:
Justification is a judicial act of God pardoning sinners (wicked and ungodly

persons, Rom. 4:5; 3:9–24), accepting them as just, and so putting
permanently right their previously estranged relationship with himself.
This justifying sentence is God’s gift of righteousness (Rom. 5:15–17), his
bestowal of a status of acceptance for Jesus’ sake (2 Cor. 5:21).
The only way we can understand the doctrine of justification is by grasping the fact
that it is only the result of Christ’s work and the Father’s declaration. God declares us
righteous because of what Jesus did, not because of what we do. Our works, the good and
the bad, are completely out of the picture. All that matters is Jesus. As a result,
justification is a free gift. We can’t earn it. We can only receive it. And the way that we
receive it is by faith, faith in Christ alone.
READ GALATIANS 3:10–14

7. What does this passage say is true of everyone who attempts to rely on obedience
to get into heaven? Why?
8. How and why did Jesus “become a curse” for us? What do you think this means?
9. What is the key difference between seeking justification through the law and
seeking justification through faith?
10. If faith is so important for salvation, how would you explain faith to a friend?
11. Do you feel like you approach God more through obedience to his law, or
through the dependence of faith?
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I n the whole world, throughout history, there have only ever been two ways of
relating to God. There are only two types of religion. The first is the most common.
It relates to God by trying to reach up and earn God’s favor in some way. It thinks, “If we
obey God’s commands carefully, we may be able to please him enough to earn eternal
life—as long as our good deeds outweigh the bad.” This is the thought behind all
world religions. Without exception, manmade religion attempts to reach up and gain
God’s approval through effort.
Biblical Christianity couldn’t be more different. The Bible teaches that it is God who,
in his deep love and rich mercy, has reached down to us. Knowing our total sinfulness and
uncompromising rebellion, God took the initiative. He made the effort. He gives us what
we need for eternal life. We can never earn it. It’s free, but it’s not cheap. After all,
God’s only Son had to die a sinner’s death for it to happen.
The world’s way of relating to God is man-dependent. The Bible’s way of relating to
God is Christ-dependent. This is the definition of saving faith. When we believe in Jesus
Christ for salvation, we aren’t just affirming that the gospel is true. Satan knows the
gospel is true. Saving faith is depending on the gospel. It means depending on Jesus,
his blood and righteousness. Only through such faith can we receive eternal life.
There is no other way.
IMPLICATIONS
A. A friend approaches you with the claim that it is intolerant and arrogant to claim
that believing in Jesus is the only way to God. There are many ways to God; what
matters is the sincerity of your belief. How do you respond to this objection?
B. Paul’s words in Galatians are written to believers who were drifting back into a
legalistic, self-righteous way of living out their faith. How have you experienced
the pull and temptation towards self-righteousness and legalism?
C. How might your life be different if you lived with the constant knowledge that
God has accepted you because Jesus has made you right with God, regardless of
what you do? What are some specific things you think would change?
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THE FREELESSON
GIFT10
OF GOD
Romans 5
As we begin this ninth lesson, let’s take a moment to review the meaning of the word
“justification.” To justify something (or someone) means to declare it to be righteous. It is
a term of judgment belonging to the courtroom. Because of this legal connection, we
sometimes refer to justification as “forensic justification.” If you have ever watched CSI or
similar crime dramas, you have heard the term “forensic” used to describe a type of
science or evidence. “Forensic” simply means “of or relating to the courtroom.”
Thus, forensic science is a branch of science that studies matters important
to court proceedings, such as puncture wounds, how long a body takes to
decay, and fingerprinting.
Understanding the legal background of the doctrine of justification is essential if we
are going to grasp how God makes us right with him. When God justifies us, he officially
declares our legal standing before him to be one of righteousness—legally imputing to us
the righteousness of Christ in his act of declaration. Justification therefore both
constitutes8 us and recognizes us as righteous in God’s sight.
The basis of this declaration of righteousness is Christ’s perfect obedience alone.
When Jesus died for us, he secured our peace with God by dealing with our sins
and giving his righteousness to us. Then, when we believe in Christ, God declares us
righteous by legally recognizing Christ’s righteousness as our own. The act of justification
is therefore done completely by God in an objective, legal fashion. We contribute
nothing to our own case. Jesus’ voice is the only testimony that is needed. His blood is
the only evidence that matters.

1. Using what you have learned over the past few lessons, re-write verse 1 in
your own words.
2. In verses 1–5, Paul speaks of the certainty we can have as justified sinners.
What are some of the things he says we can have certainty about?
8
Constitute: To legally establish, form, or create.
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3. Is there anyone in your life for whom you would be willing to die to protect?
If so, who?
4. In contrast with our own ability to love people, how does God demonstrate the
greatness of his love for us? (vv. 6–8)
5. According to verse 9, what has Jesus’ death saved us from?
6. Paul tells us we should rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ. When was
the last time you experienced joy because you know you have been forgiven?
There are a number of ways people can be united to one another. Coworkers can be
united in purpose and share the same goals. Family members are united by blood and
share a common ancestry. People can be united legally: sharing an identity under the law.
Including these types of unions and going beyond them is the union of a husband and
wife. When two people get married, there is a unity of purpose: spending life together.
There is a unity of blood: creating a new family. There is a unity under the law: the legal
identification as a married couple. However, there is something more.
In Genesis 2:24, God says, “Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and
hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” Then Jesus says, “So they are no
longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate”
(Matthew 19:6). There is something deeply spiritual and personal happening when two
people get married. God joins a man and wife together. They become one flesh. This isn’t
just a reference to sexuality; sexuality itself points to something deeper.
When a husband and wife become married, they are spiritually joined together,
intimately intertwined before God. They share an identity with one another because they
share life and intimacy with one another. Married life is a joint venture, a communal
experience at the deepest level. A man no longer has life apart from his wife,
nor a woman from her husband. They are in it together, and everything one does
has an impact on the other.
The Bible speaks of another relationship in this way. Do you know what it is? It is the
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relationship of Christ with his people. In Ephesians 5:31–32, Paul quotes Genesis 2:24
(mentioned above) and provides the following comment: “This mystery is profound, and
I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.” In other words, the spiritual,
shared-life aspect of godly marriage is precisely the relationship that Christ enjoys with
his people, the Church. We are not one flesh with Jesus, but we are one Spirit with him
(1 Corinthians 6:17). It is through this spiritual union with Christ that Paul can say,
“We were buried therefore with [Jesus] by baptism into death...” (Romans 6:4).
What happened to Christ, happened to us, because Christ is one with us. Likewise, what
Christ achieved, we achieved, because we are one with him. We are united to Christ
as his body and bride.

7. In this section, Paul draws a connection between Adam and Jesus.
Illustrate this comparison below using pictures, words, or symbols. Focus on
these questions: What did Adam and Jesus do? What did they earn? What did
their work bring on us?
8. How does Paul describe Christ’s righteousness in this passage? (see esp. v. 17)
9. What does it mean that justification is a “free gift”?
10. What does God’s gift of righteousness guarantee for us? (v. 21)
G race can be defined as “unmerited or undeserved favor.” It is something that is

given simply because someone, for some reason, likes us and delights in us. This is God’s
attitude towards his children. God not only loves you; he actually likes you. Because of his
affection for you, God gives you what you could never deserve: justification. He gives you
a right relationship with him.
Of course, like any gift, it’s practically useless if it’s left unopened. No one leaves a
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Christmas present sitting under the tree until February. When Christmas morning comes,
you open your present. You receive it and accept it and enjoy it. So it is with justification.
The free gift of righteousness is contained in the offer of the gospel, “Repent and believe
in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved.” If you never believe in Jesus—if you
never trust in him—you will never be saved. It’s like leaving a present unopened.
This is what theologians mean when they say that faith is the means of our
justification. Faith is how we receive Christ’s gift of righteousness. It’s how we take it,
apply it, and enjoy it in our lives. Believing and resting upon Jesus Christ as Lord and
Savior is how we experience a life of rightness with God. What actually makes us
righteous is Christ’s obedience. How we receive his righteousness is trusting him.
IMPLICATIONS
A. If our life is intimately wrapped up in Jesus’ life and his life in ours, how could
that change the way we view sin? (see Romans 6:1–4; 1 Corinthians 6:13–20)
B. Think about how you would share the gospel with someone who wasn’t a
Christian. What would you say? How would what you say be different for a
friend who knew about Jesus but didn’t genuinely trust him?
C. What role do you think repentance and believing has in the Christian’s life?
Do we still need to repent and ask for forgiveness after we’ve been made right
with God? Why or why not?
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FREE LESSON
FROM11 SIN!
Romans 6
One of the classic objections to the doctrine of “justification by faith alone” is that it
encourages people to treat their sin lightly. If God takes care of everything and I don’t
have to do anything to make myself right with God, then what motivation do I have to say
“no” to sin and “yes” to God?
The answer is plenty.
God’s costly display of love in sending his own Son to die in our place demands a
response. It demands our gratitude. If we aren’t able to respond to God’s gift of his Son
with gratefulness, can we really say we have understood it? The person who understands
and appreciates God’s grace treats obedience as a joy. The doctrine of Justification by
Faith Alone certainly encourages Christian liberty—“For freedom Christ has set us free,”
(Galatians 5:1)—but this freedom is not freedom to sin. Christian liberty is
about freedom from sin.
“Redemption” may seem like a religious word, but it actually has financial origins.
We’ve all played games at an arcade or a Chuck-E-Cheese and received tickets for winning
games (at least, I hope you have!). What is the point of getting these tickets? The point is
to redeem the tickets for a prize. As kids, the value of the prize doesn’t matter. What we
get excited about is the act of redemption. We like trading in a piece of paper for
something more valuable to us.
Merriam-Webster defines the word redeem as “to buy back: repurchase, to get or win
back, to free from what distresses or harms: as, to free from captivity by payment of a
ransom...” Ransom. There is another financial word. It’s a word we use to refer to the
payment you give to retrieve someone who has been kidnapped. This is what redemption
is. It is the payment God gives to retrieve us from captivity. But captivity from what?
QUICKLY SURVEY ROMANS 6

1. How does Paul describe our relationship with sin before we became believers?
(vv. 16–26, see also John 8:34)
2. What do you think it means to be a slave, and what sorts of things do you
associate with slavery?
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3. What do you think that Paul means when he describes us as slaves of sin?
4. What are some specific areas of your life in which you can see sin’s mastery over
you, maybe in the past or maybe in the present?
What does it mean to be a slave? To be a slave is to be property. It is to be mastered

by someone else: to be owned and to have your freedom taken away from you. It’s not an
idea we like to think about. In our study of American history we have been exposed to the
ugly reality of race-based, chattel slavery. During the 18th and 19th centuries in the
United States, being a slave often meant being beaten, abused, molested, and murdered.
Because we have this background knowledge of American slavery, we may miss that
the Bible sometimes speaks about slavery in a positive way. Exodus 21:5–6 gives us one
such example, “But if the slave plainly says, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children;
I will not go out free,’ then his master shall bring him to God, and he shall bring him to
the door or the doorpost. And his master shall bore his ear through with an awl, and he
shall be his slave forever.”
How are we to understand passages such as this one? Does the Bible endorse slavery?
Absolutely not, especially not the variety we allowed to exist on American shores.
However, the Bible recognizes that slavery exists in the world, and in a variety of forms.
As a result, the Bible has a different frame of reference for slavery than we do
in the modern West.9
The way the Bible speaks of slavery shows us that a slave is “the legal property and
complete responsibility of his or her purchaser.”10 The way a master views and treats his
slave determines everything about that slave’s quality of life. The slave depends
completely on the character of his master. There are good masters and there are bad
masters. Who is your master?
Sin is a bad master. Sin has no concern for our well-being. It uses us, and in the end
it kills us (Romans 6:23). And sin is the master of everyone who is descended from Adam.
However, sin is not the only master. We can also be slaves of God and of righteousness
9
For a biblical perspective on slavery, consider Paul’s exhortations in 1 Corinthians 7:20–24.
The Bible treats slavery (and by that we mean the simple ownership of one human being by another) much
like it treats divorce. People are allowed to divorce in certain situations, but it is not the ideal (see
Matthew 19:3–9). So it is with slavery: the Bible makes provisions for slavery, but it is not ideal. For further
reading, I suggest the entries on “Slavery” in the New Bible Dictionary and the Dictionary of Biblical
Imagery, both by InterVarsity Press.
10
Dictionary of Biblical Imagery, Eds. Ryken, Wilhoit, and Longman, (Downers Grove, IL: Intervarsity
Press, 1998), p. 797.
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(Romans 6:18). If we have placed our faith in Christ, this is exactly what we are. Paul says
in 1 Corinthians 6:20, “You were bought with a price, so glorify God in your body.” God
has ransomed us from bondage to sin. He purchased us by his blood. He didn’t just buy
us and set us free. He bought us and made us his. Which means we are his “legal property
and complete responsibility.” We belong to him.

5. What does Paul say has freed us from slavery to sin? (vv. 5–11)
6. What does this mean the purchase price for our freedom was?
(see also Ephesians 1:7)
7. If we have died with Christ and been raised to a new life in him, what should
our attitude towards sin be?
E very day the world around us tells us that we are merely physical beings living in a
physical world. The scientific view of the universe presented in our textbooks proposes
that we are nothing more than evolved mammals made up of matter and energy.
Marketing companies, commercials, and the American Dream tell us that physical
pleasure are what we should pursue. You only have one life to live, so enjoy
life while you can.
But this isn’t what the Bible tells us. We are more than just crude matter.
Our existence is more than biochemistry. Our worth is more than that of a rational
animal. We are humans created in God’s Image. What is more, we are sinners redeemed
through the blood of a loving Savior.
There is a reality that transcends our everyday experience. The bedrock of the
universe is found with God himself. Consequently, the reality of heaven and of Christ’s
work is far more real than what we experience from day to day. This is the only way for us
to comprehend what Paul tells us about our union with Christ. Through Jesus’ death and
resurrection—and by virtue of our union with him—God has given us a new identity.
We are “new creation.” We have been raised up with him and are even now citizens in a
resurrected universe (Ephesians 2:6).
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What this means for you and me is that our identity is not defined by what we
experience day to day. When we struggle with doubt and with sin, it does not change our
security with God. Our choices and mistakes do not determine whether or not we are
enslaved to sin. If we are one with Christ in his death and resurrection, we are free from
sin! This freedom is real and absolute and objective. Christ has secured it for us. It’s like
we sing in the hymn Before the Throne of God Above,
Behold Him there, the risen Lamb

My perfect, spotless Righteousness
The great unchangeable I AM
The King of glory and of grace.
One with Himself, I cannot die

My soul is purchased by His blood.
My life is hid with Christ on high
With Christ my Savior and my God!11
Jesus is my righteousness. One with him, I cannot die—I cannot be a slave to sin. My
life, my reality, is hidden and secured with Jesus.

9. What does Paul say to the objection that we are free to sin because we are
“under grace?” (vv. 15–18, also vv. 1–4).
10. What obligation do we have as slaves of righteousness?
11. Reflect on your own life for a minute. How would you rate your obedience from
the heart as Paul describes in verse 17?
12. What is the reward that God has promised us if we persevere in obedience?
(vv. 22–23)
Charitie Lees Bancroft and Vikki Cook, Before the Throne of God Above, (Sovereign Grace Music, 1997).
11
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In his book The Prodigal God, Tim Keller recounts the following story:
Some years ago I met a woman who began coming to Redeemer, the church
where I am a minister. She said that she had gone to a church growing up and she
had always heard that God accepts us only if we are sufficiently good and ethical.
She had never heard the message she was now hearing, that we can be accepted by
God by sheer grace through the work of Christ regardless of
anything we do or have done. She said, “That is a scary idea! Oh, it’s good scary,
but still scary.”
I was intrigued. I asked her what was so scary about unmerited free grace? She
replied something like this: “If I was saved by my good works—then there would be
a limit to what God could ask of me or put me through. I would be like a taxpayer
with rights. I would have done my duty and now I would deserve a certain quality
of life. But if it is really true that I am a sinner saved by sheer grace—at God’s
infinite cost—then there’s nothing he cannot ask of me.”12
This quote reveals the radical nature of redemption: God by his grace frees us from
sin, and in so doing makes us completely his own. God loves us completely, despite our
continued sins and failures. Christ’s blood covers every transgression: past, present, and
future. However, because we are unable to earn or pay anything towards our redemption
and because we are saved completely by God’s grace, we have no right or ability to bargain
with God for how he treats us or what he asks us to do. We are debtors to God’s mercy, and
we owe him whatever obedience he expects of us. Thanks be to Jesus Christ, for he says,
“My yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:30). God is a good master.
There is none better.
IMPLICATIONS
A. In what specific ways can you “present yourself to God... and your members to
God as instruments for righteousness?” How can you offer yourself to God for his
service daily?
Tim Keller, The Prodigal God, (New York: Dutton, 2008) pp. 120–121.
12
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B. Paul makes a strong argument that sin will not have dominion over us since we
are under God’s grace. However, we still struggle with sin. How can we reconcile
these opposing realities? (See Romans 7:7–25)
C. Express in your own words how freedom from sin is good news to you. From
what sin in particular do you desire to be freed?
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SONS AND DAUGHTERS
LESSON 12
Romans 8:1–17
W e are nearing the end of our study. Hopefully you have seen the marvelous grace
of God provided for you in the gospel in a new and clearer light. It’s the prayer of this
author that the truth of Christ’s death and resurrection, the legal decree of righteousness
that covers the head of all who believe in Him, the removal of hostility and the forging of
peace between you and God, and the prospect of being set free from slavery to sin has
opened new doors for you in your walk with Jesus. But there is something more.
If we were to stop here, we would have plenty to carry us through the Christian life.
We have reason to marvel at God’s provision for us in the cross. We have reason for deep
gratitude to God for freeing us from sin and Satan and uniting us to himself. We ought to
happily spend eternity praising God for being so good to us. However, if we were to stop
here, we would miss something spectacular. Jesus is an awesome Savior and Redeemer.
God is a merciful and just Judge. But there is more. In Christ Jesus, God is our Father.
We are more than servants, more than debtors to God’s mercy—we are sons and heirs,
members of the household of God. As the Apostle John wrote, “But to all who did receive
him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were
born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God”
(John 1:12–13). And so we are. Christ’s work not only redeems us, it not only frees us, it
not only forgives us, it also elevates us. “So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a
son, then an heir through God” (Galatians 4:7).
ROMANS 8:1–11
1. What is true for those who believe in Christ Jesus? Why? (v. 1)
2. List some of the differences Paul mentions between the mind that is “set on the
flesh” and the mind that is “set on the Spirit.”(vv. 5–8)
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3. In your own words, what might be the central motivation of “the mind that is set
on the flesh?” How might it be different from the central motivation of “the mind
that is set on the Spirit?”
4. Which of these motivations do you tend to live by?
5. What is the relationship between belonging to Christ and having the Spirit of God
dwelling within you? (v. 9)
6. If we belong to Christ and have his Spirit dwelling within us, what impact does
this have on the way we view ourselves? (vv. 10–11) How can we apply this when
our own sins and failures get us down?
In John 17 Jesus prayed, “And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true
God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent” (John 17:3). We often think of eternal life as
just “living forever.” Jesus defines it differently. He says eternal life really is found in
knowing and delighting in God our Father and in Jesus Christ. In this, salvation is deeply
personal and relational. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit are persons who
care about us. They are an eternal family, and they have brought us into their own family
of love through adoption. Consequently, we are encouraged to relate to God as
members of his family. “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.
And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering
and sacrifice to God” (Ephesians 5:1–2).
Remember in the garden, before the Fall? Adam and Eve enjoyed a perfect
relationship with God. Adam was a friend of God. He was God’s friend. Think about that.
It grieved God when Adam sinned. It didn’t just make God angry when Adam sinned, it
hurt him. When Adam sinned, God lost a son. It was to restore this lost son that God set
the plan of redemption into place. It was for you and me Christ died. It wasn’t simply that
God doesn’t want sinners to burn in hell. It was his love for us that led him to redeem us.
It was love that nailed Jesus to the tree. Being right with God is not found in relating to
God as servants, but as friends, brothers, sons, and daughters (John 15:15; Rom. 8:29).
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READ ROMANS 8:12-17
7. If we are led by the Spirit of God, what is our spiritual identity? (v. 14)
8. Why do you think Paul says, “sons,” rather than, “sons and daughters” (v. 14)?
Is he excluding women? What do you think?
9. What is the personal significance to you that God sees you as his son or daughter?
10. Read verse 15 again. Discuss the difference between serving God as a “slave”
and serving God as a “son.”
11. How can you know for certain whether or not you are a child of God? (v. 16)
W e’ve all been children. And one thing most children do at some point is imitate
their parents. When I was six or seven, I was in awe of my dad. He was big and strong and
loving. I wanted to be just like him. I remember putting on my dad’s sweatpants and
athletic shoes and one of his shirts and walking around the house. The clothes and shoes
were FAR too big for me, it felt silly, but it was fun. I was being like my dad. I was dressing
up like him, because I wanted to be just like him.
What the Bible is teaching us about adoption is that this is how our obedience to God
is supposed to be. We are children who are loved by God our Father. Like a little child who
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is enamored with his daddy, we should try to act like him. Not because failing makes him
unhappy—that’s how a slave relates to God! We don’t obey because we’re afraid he’ll chew
us out or whip us if we get out of line. The reason we obey is because it makes us happy to
be like God, and it makes God happy to see us imitating him. When we relate to God
this way—with the rightness of relationship we were designed for—we see that following
Christ is personal, warm, and intimate.13
We also learn from this adoption that believing in Christ is not just a matter of
receiving and resting. You can’t be a passive recipient in any meaningful relationship.
Love is active and drives us forward. “BE imitators of God,” Paul says. Being right with
God opens the door to a whole world of righteous possibility. It compels us to put sin to
death (Romans 8:13) and to “live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in this present
age.” (Titus 2:12). Obedience is not a means for us to justify ourselves before God, or to
pay him back for his grace. It is our way of enjoying the fullness of what God has given us.
It is like playing about God’s house as beloved children.
IMPLICATIONS
A. Read Romans 8:14–17 and 8:29. How is our adoption as children of God related
to, and yet different from, Jesus’ identity as the Son of God?
B. Name one sin that dominates your life. List and discuss what practical steps you
can take to put this sin to death. Would you be willing to partner with someone
in your group to seriously do battle with this particular sin?
C. How would you describe your own affection for God, and what might be keeping
you from feeling a deeper love for God?
13
To be clear, our sin does grieve God. Ephesians 4:30 says, “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by
whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” Avoiding offending God with our sin is an appropriate
motivation for obedience. However, the point we are making is that being afraid of grieving God is an
insufficient motivation for pleasing him, and if that is our only motivation, we will not experience the joy
that belongs to us as his beloved children. God wants more for us than slavish, fearful obedience.
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ETERNALLY SECURE
LESSON 13
Romans 8:22–39
Nothing is more wonderful, in this life or the next, than God’s love for us in Christ
Jesus. It is more valuable than diamonds, sweeter than honey, and more heartwarming
than a Nicholas Sparks novel—and more meaningful than any of those things. God’s love
for you in the person of Christ Jesus is unfathomably rich. I hope it has changed you.
I hope you have greater confidence in your Savior. But...
But I know my own heart. And I imagine some of you who work through this study
have a similar experience. My belief in Christ wavers back and forth. I sometimes get
overwhelmed by doubts and fears. Sometimes I get angry at God, or I wish that I could
just sin openly and be done with it. I know that I am faithless, false, and full of sin. My love
for God is so far from perfect. Yes, I know that Jesus’ death on the cross was all that was
needed to make me right with God. But...
But I can’t help wondering sometimes if my doubts and my sins won’t drive God away
from me. What happens when I blatantly sin against God after becoming a Christian? Are
those sins taken care of too? I can’t help wondering sometimes whether or not I really do
believe in Jesus. What if I’ve never truly placed my faith in Christ? What if I am an
unbeliever and I don’t even know it?
If you have ever experienced these questions in your walk with Christ, know that
you’re in good company. “I believe; help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24) is a cry that many
Christians throughout history have cried. The reality we live with is this: we are sinners.
Even after Christ has been at work in our lives for decades, we still remain sinners. There
are times we sin openly and blatantly. There are times that we doubt God’s goodness, his
Word, and his power. There are times we get angry at him and hide from him. But...
But once again there is good news. “When we are faithless, he is faithful, for he cannot
deny himself...” (2 Timothy 2:13). Keep reading.

1. What event does Paul say that we, as people who have been born again by God’s
Spirit, eagerly wait for? (v. 23)
2. Why does Paul say creation itself is groaning in pain for the return of Christ?
(see v. 21–22)
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3. Have you ever experienced a deep longing for Jesus to return? If so, is there
anything in your life presently—(for example: a disease, a stressful relationship,
a sin)—that makes you want Jesus to return quickly?
4. How does the Holy Spirit help us as we patiently wait for Christ to return?
(vv. 26–27)
5. If the Holy Spirit is able to bring things to God that you are unable to
express clearly—things like pain and grief—how might that change the way
you approach prayer?
In verse 25, Paul says, “If we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with
patience.” On the surface, this may seem like a “duh!” statement. But let me assure you,
it’s not. Paul is saying something incredibly profound here.
First, when Paul uses the word “hope,” he’s not referring to wishfulness. The hope we
have in Christ’s return isn’t like the hope I have that one day I’ll be able to afford a Porsche
911. Yeah, I’d love a 911, but it’s not likely to happen. Christ’s return, on the other hand, is
certain to happen. Our hope in Christ is focused on a guaranteed future event. Even if we
can’t see it, Jesus’ return and his raising of the dead are just over the horizon.
Second, when Paul uses the word “patience,” he doesn’t just mean waiting. He means
that we “endure.” Biblical patience is “the capacity to hold out or bear up in the face of
difficulty.”14 What Paul is saying, then, is that our hope in Christ’s return enables us to
endure just about anything. It is easy to lose our way in life and fall under the clouds of
gloom. More often than not, this happens when we focus on our own experience, our own
disciplines, and the way we feel inside. When we use our own spiritual temperature
as a gauge for determining where we stand with God, we begin to lose hope and despair.
And it’s no wonder.
Trying to gauge our security with God by looking to ourselves is like trying
to find one’s location at sea by focusing on the sea surface. You’ll find nothing there that
can help you, especially if the weather is bad. Navigation only works by focusing on a
fixed point of reference, like the north star. Our fixed point of reference is
This is the definition of hupomone (patience/endurance) contained in the third edition of A Greek//English Lexicon
14
of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature by Bauer, Danker, Arndt, and Gingrich. [BDAG, 3rd
edition, (Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1979)]
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Christ Jesus: what he has done on the cross, where he is at God’s right hand, and what he
will do when he returns. When our focus is on him and not on how we feel,
our Christian walk becomes a whole lot easier.

6. What can we conclude about the things that happen to us if we are God’s
children, regardless of whether they feel good or bad?
7. When Paul says that God predestined those whom he foreknew, what does
he mean? Discuss.
8. What else does God do to/for those whom he predestined to everlasting life?
Why might Paul have written these verbs in the past tense (thinking especially
of the word “glorified”)? (v. 30)
9. What is Paul’s response to the question, “Who can bring a charge against God’s
elect?” How might this help when our consciences accuse us, or when we have a
hard time forgiving ourselves for our failures? (v. 33–34)
10. What are some things you worry could make you lose your salvation or lose
your faith in Christ?
11. What does Paul say can separate believers from the love of God in Christ Jesus?
(vv. 35–39) What does this mean for any fears you may have of losing your faith
or of losing your salvation?
What more can be said here? Paul says, “I am sure that neither death nor life,
nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor
depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in
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Christ Jesus our Lord.” All of our fears about losing our salvation, about losing faith
in Christ, about our sins getting the better of us—all they are is anxious fears. Even if our
sins get the better of us for a time, those who have been covered by the blood of
Jesus can neither finally nor ultimately fall away from him. Nothing can separate God’s
children from God’s love. Nothing.
As we close this study out, reflect on this. The love that God has shown you in Christ
Jesus is something that God had planned to show you long before you even were born. It
was according to his eternal plan that he predestined you to be made right with him. He
placed his decree of sovereign love over your head, he secured it through Jesus’ death on
the cross, and he won’t remove it. Nothing can force him to. If you believe in Jesus Christ
today, your future is forever secured in the love of God, because God set it in stone before
the foundation of the world. You are right with God. You will always be right with God.
You will never be not right with God.
And one day, Christ Jesus will return and recreate the Heavens and the Earth. He will
raise our mortal bodies from the dead into a glorious, sin-free immortality.
On that day, there will be no more wrongness anywhere. It will be like paradise in Eden,
but it will be better than Eden. We will be brothers and coheirs with Christ. We will share
in the joy of our Heavenly Father as fully-privileged sons and daughters. We will be able
to give and receive perfect love from God and through Christ, with the added bonus of
being able to give and receive perfect love to innumerable saints and friends and family
members from throughout history. It will be all right. For all time. It will be all right, for
all time, because God will have accomplished all he set out to do to make it right.
To him be glory forever! Amen!
IMPLICATIONS
A. What might be some of the objections people could raise to the doctrine that you
cannot lose your salvation? How would you respond?
B. Knowing that we are eternally secure in the love of God, what should our attitude
be as we approach each day? Name an area of your life where this change of
attitude is needed most.
C. What has been the most helpful aspect of this study on being Right with God?
Describe how something you have learned has made a real impact in your life.
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AFTERWORD
In every Christian’s life there are times we question our assurance of salvation—we
wonder whether or not we really have been made right with God. Other times, our own
sins and stumblings drive us to our knees in fear that we might lose our salvation. And
still more frequently, the gospel becomes background noise to us: we hear it so
frequently that we stop paying attention. In these times and others, our eternal comfort
lies in the fact that our righteousness with God is found in Christ Jesus our Savior.
The righteousness of Christ given to us by God’s grace is what makes us right with
God. His death as our substitute on the cross, bearing the sins that we have committed, is
what secures our forgiveness. And because of Him, and because of His great love for us,
we have peace with God. We have been reconciled to Him. We have been justified in God’s
sight. We have been given a new life as part of God’s New Creation. We have been adopted
as sons and daughters of the Most High God. And we can rest secure knowing that God’s
saving of us is not based in how well we perform, but on his own unchanging grace.
There will be times that you doubt the faith you have received. In those times, return
to this great theme. Return to the basics. In golf, like in baseball, the game revolves around
stance and body movement. When your game starts to slide, the first place you look is to
the fundamentals of how you are gripping the club, your stance, and your swing. These
are the basics of the game. And in the Christian life, the Basics are the truths we have
studied—how we are made right with God.
We at RYM hope this study has been an encouragement to you and helped you to
grow in your walk with the Lord. We hope it serves as a foundation for you to build on as
you develop Christian maturity. Please, keep digging deeper into the gospel of Jesus
Christ. Build your discipleship on the truth that you have already been accepted in God’s
sight. Build your sanctification on the truth that God has already declared you righteous
in his sight, and there is nothing you have to earn.
“Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy

places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened
for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have
a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full
assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience
and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our
hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.” (Hebrews 10:19–23)
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CHAPTER ANSWERS
APPENDIX A
Lesson One: The Fall
RECOMMENDED FOR FURTHER STUDY:
• J.I. Packer, Concise Theology (Wheaton: Tyndall House, 1993), 79–81
• John Currid, Genesis, Volume 1 (Webster: Evangelical Press, 2003), pp. 95–141.
• James Montgomery Boice, Genesis, Volume 1, (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1998), pp. 115–247.
CHAPTER ANSWERS
1. Adam and Eve’s relationship with God in the Garden of Eden was blessed and happy. List some
things that illustrate this state of happiness. (ch. 2)
• God placed Adam and Eve in a garden paradise.

• He gave Adam meaningful work.
• He provided abundantly for Adam and Eve.
• He gave Adam clear boundaries.
• He gave Adam a perfect, beautiful wife.
• Adam and Eve were innocent and free from shame.
2. According to Genesis 2:16-17, God placed a condition on Adam and Eve enjoying eternal life. What
was it? Do you think this was a difficult request or a relatively easy one?
The condition on Adam’s eternal life was obeying God in abstaining from the
fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Given God’s abundant blessing
towards Adam and Adam’s innate righteousness, his inclination would have been towards
obedience. This was one tree among hundreds, if not thousands. It was therefore not a
difficult request for God to make of Adam, and Adam should have found it easy to obey.
3. In your own words, describe what Adam experiences with Eve in verses 21–25.
Adam wakes up from a deep sleep to see the most beautiful thing in all of creation: his wife. God
gives her to him to be his companion, his helper, and his lover. God
himself officiates the marriage ceremony. Both are naked and without shame; they are vulnerable
and accepted by one another. Adam’s response is to immediately fall in love with his wife and write
her a song. His song emphasizes their oneness, unity, and intimacy.
4. How would you describe the Serpent’s strategy in verses 1–5? How does he tempt Eve, and how does
he get her to disobey God?
The serpent trapped Eve by distorting God’s Word, thereby creating confusion and doubt in
her mind. By asking, “Did God really say?” the Serpent was leading her to doubt God’s goodness.
Because she started to suspect God’s truthfulness and trustworthiness, Eve found the Serpent’s
deceptions plausible. Once she was convinced that God wasn’t trustworthy, she ate the fruit.
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Right with God Answers
5. What was Eve’s thought pattern that persuaded her that eating the fruit was a good idea? (v. 6)
1) The fruit is edible, not poisonous. (How could an obvious source of food be bad for me?)
2) It’s pretty, not ugly. (How can anything so beautiful be bad for me?)
3) It offered the potential to become wise, not bring death. (How could something so
profitable be bad for me?)
6. What was the first sign that sin had entered the world, and how does it compare to the way things
had been previously? (v. 7, see also 2:25)
Adam and Eve’s first taste of sin’s consequences was their realization that they were naked,
which made them feel ashamed. Consider how quickly they covered themselves with fig leaves.
Adam and Eve were the only people on earth; who were they hiding from? They were hiding from
themselves, from one another, and from God. Adam and Eve were no longer able to be honest and
vulnerable with one another. Instead, they felt a great need to cover their own shame and to hide.
7. What are some of the practical ways that we see relationships falling apart after Adam and Eve ate
the forbidden fruit? (vv. 7–12)
Adam and Eve hid from one another behind fig leaves. They hid from God behind trees.
They blamed one another. Adam even blamed God for giving him Eve (v. 12).
8. In verses 14-19, God curses the Serpent, Eve, and then Adam. What were the curses God placed on
each of them? Why do you think he cursed them in this order?
God starts his curse with the primary agent of temptation, the Serpent. He ends with the party
ultimately responsible, his vice-regent Adam. This order is also a reversal of the order of blame
given in verses 10–13.
First, God curses the Serpent with an eternity of defeat. This is the meaning behind the
phrase, “On your belly you will go, and dust you will eat all the days of your life.” Towards this
end, God promises to establish warfare against the Serpent through the woman. Through
Eve will come both the spiritual sons of Life (the meaning of “Eve”) and the spiritual sons of
the Serpent. These two lineages will be at war throughout history, and it will culminate in a “he”
who will crush the head of the Serpent. (Note that Genesis 3:15 gets further discussion below.)
Second, God curses Eve with difficulty in her relationships. First comes the promise of pain in
childbearing. This is not primarily about the act of giving birth. Rather, it refers to the entire course
of raising children. A mother’s relationship with her children will be painful. Second, there will be
great difficulty between Eve and her husband. Her “desire” is one of control and dominance (see the
use of “desire” in Genesis 4:7). But instead of allowing her to be dominant, her husband will be a
“ruler” over her. The idea is that of a constant power-struggle in marriage.
Last, God curses Adam, not in his person or in his relationships, but in his work. Note that it is
the ground which God curses. God makes a change in the natural order so that the earth works
against man, producing weeds and thistles and thorns. Adam’s work will become hard, painful, and
full of toil—he will not get back what he puts in. Joy in his work will be fleeting. His future will be
one of blood, sweat, and tears until the day he dies.
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9. How does God’s curse on the man and on the woman affect their ability to live out God’s commission
in Genesis 1:27–28?
God’s commission for Adam and Eve was to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue
it. As God’s “image” on the earth, Adam and Eve were to nurture the beauty of the Garden and fill
the earth with what it contained, including holy people. This was the thrust of the Cultural Mandate.
God’s curse on Adam and Eve goes straight to their ability to live out this mandate. Eve was specially
equipped for relationships: to nurture and raise children and to be a much-needed helper for Adam.
Adam was specially equipped to work the earth, to provide and protect the creation. Now, God’s original
design is cursed—Adam and Eve will find it unbelievably harder to fulfill and enjoy their calling in
life.
10. What does God do to make sure that man will not live forever (vv. 22–23)? Why might this be an act
of mercy?
Not only does God curse Adam and Eve in their ability to fulfill the Cultural Mandate, he kicks
them out of the garden of his presence and prevents them from re-entering. He places an angel and
a flaming sword at the entrance to guard the way back.
This is in part an act of mercy, because God’s eye is towards preventing them from gaining
eternal life in their sinful, broken state. Can you imagine how awful living forever in a sinful, broken
body, in a sinful, broken world could be? It would be an eternity of misery. It would be hell on earth.
11. What is the core of God’s promise to Satan in Genesis 3:15? How might that help us understand verses
20-21?
Genesis 3:15 contains the promise that Satan will be defeated by a son of Eve. God is promising
to send a Savior, one who will defeat the works of the Devil. This is what we call the “proto-evan-
gelion,” or the first foretaste of the gospel. In shadow form, God is promising to send his Son,
Jesus, to be the Redeemer of mankind. Adam hears this promise of salvation, and so he names
his wife, “The Mother of the Living.” Even though death and sin have entered the world through
Eve’s temptation, he knows her children aren’t “dead men walking.” They have the hope of life.
IMPLICATIONS
A. Using Eve’s interaction with the Serpent as a guide, how do sin and temptation gain a foothold in our
hearts? (See also James 1:13-15)
The standard, almost universal, starting point of temptation is doubting God’s goodness.
Like Eve, when we believe that God is holding out on us, we begin to consider taking things
into our own hands. As a result, we pursue our desires according to human wisdom. This is why
we see that which is forbidden as desirable. We think that God is keeping that thing from us.
Likewise, James says we are tempted not by God but by our own desires. There are
things we want, and we don’t trust God’s word or God’s goodness to provide for us. When
we act on these selfish, doubting desires, we sin. We reach out and take. Then, after we
have sinned, we reap the painful consequences of disobedience: shame, guilt, and death.
B. Discuss how you see the Fall’s impact on the world we live in, our relationships, or our own hearts.
Here are some sample answers:
Relationships are hard. I don’t get along with my parents/siblings. Things break down.
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Accidents happen. I’ve been betrayed by someone I trusted. My dad left. My parents divorced. My
grandfather died. My cat bit me. My dog got hit by a car. My mom miscarried her baby. I feel
lonely. I feel guilty. I feel dirty and ashamed. I feel like nobody could love me. I hate my best friend.
My best friend hates me. We can’t afford to pay our bills.
If students share something that seems to resonate with the group, draw that out a little more,
perhaps with a question like, “Have you all experienced something like that before? How so?”
C. What is an area of our culture where you think the devil is active and powerful? How does the promise
of Genesis 3:15 apply here?
• Wars and national tensions around the world.

• Political divisions in our own culture.
• The over-sexuality of our culture, depictions and expectations of casual sexual encounters.
• Homosexuality and Lesbianism, cultual acceptance of the lifestyle and the aggressiveness
of the political agenda.
• Abortion
• Persecution of Christians by Communism and Islam
• Crime and Injustice
• Racism and systemic oppression of the poor.
Regarding all of these things, Genesis 3:15 reminds us that there exists an ongoing conflict
between the Serpent and the seed of the Woman. Genesis 3:15 is not only the first promise of the
gospel; it is the first exposition of spiritual warfare. Those who follow God and love God are always
going to be in conflict with those who rebel against God and hate the things of God. However, this
conflict will not last forever. Jesus has defeated the Devil at the cross, and he will return to remove
every trace of wickedness and brokenness from the world. In the meantime, he has made us his
children, offspring of the woman, and we have the opportunity and the duty to fight back wherever
the Devil has gained a foothold.
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Lesson Two: Original Sin
• J.I. Packer, Concise Theology, 82–84.
• Kris Lundgaard, The Enemy Within (Phillipsburg: P&R, 1998), Part One.
• R.C. Sproul, Essential Truths of the Christian Faith (Carol Stream: Tyndall House, 1992), 143–149.
CHAPTER ANSWERS
1. What do these verses say is true of absolutely everyone who lives on planet earth?
We are all sinners. Nobody naturally pursues God or seeks to obey him. Sure, people make an
effort to be moral, but it does not flow out of a heart for God. Instead, it flows out of an effort to
prove that we are good people, to make ourselves feel better than those around us, or to redeem
ourselves from our moral failings. Even in this, we reject God’s righteousness provided through
Christ. Thus, no one is righteous or good, even the morally uptight.
2. How do you think this affects our standing before God? (See Romans 2:6–9)
Because we are sinners, rebelling against our Creator even in our efforts towards goodness, we
make ourselves enemies of God. We are bringing his judgment and wrath on ourselves, which will
be meted out in the final judgment.
3. What do you think the Bible means when it says “No one understands; no one seeks for God” (v. 11)?
(see 1 Corinthians 2:14)
Natural man considers the things of God absurd and offensive. Because we don’t understand
God, and because his holiness is offensive to us, we have no desire to seek him. We naturally want
to distance ourselves and run from God.
4. What does 1 Corinthians 6:9–10 say the unrighteous can expect?
We can expect to be refused entry into heaven—which means we will instead be condemned to
an eternity separated from God’s love in hell.
5. In these verses, Paul mentions two parts of the human body that reveal the corruption of the human
heart. What are they?
He mentions the mouth and the feet.
6. How does Paul describe mankind’s mouth? List the metaphors and give an explanation of their mean-
ings (for example, “Their throat is an open grave”).
• “Their throat is an open grave.” Full of death, always seeking to claim more lives.
• “Venom of asps is under their lips.” Poisonous speech, we strike and kill with our words.
• “Mouth is full of curses and bitterness.” Evil and sourness is in the mouth. We don’t
naturally speak words of life, kindness, encouragement, or blessing. Instead, we are angry
and hateful and resentful in our speech.
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7. How does Paul describe mankind’s feet? List the metaphors and give an explanation of their meanings.
• “Swift to shed blood.” Unlike God, we are quick to anger and naturally rush towards
violence. Running towards a fight and being willing to draw blood is considered a virtue.
• “In their paths are ruin and misery.” We naturally walk the path of destruction, and we
bring pain and ruin wherever we go. We find dangerous things interesting, and we make
destructive choices.
• “The way of peace they have not known.” We aren’t familiar with God’s ways or how to get
along with people. We wouldn’t even recognize peace if we saw it. Rather, we are experts at
creating new enemies, divisions, wars, and death.
8. What specific sins or behaviors might we say these metaphors apply to?
• Tongue/Mouth: Gossip, complaining, slander, unkind/hateful speech, cursing, blasphemy.

• Feet: “wandering” hearts and lives, short-tempers, violence and vengeful attitudes,
divisiveness, engaging in risky and destructive patterns of behavior.
9. In verse 18, Paul gives a summary statement as to why man acts the way he does. What is it, and how
does this help us understand the basic corruption of mankind?
“There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
In our day-to-day choices, we naturally act like God doesn’t matter and like we won’t have to
answer for our actions. As a result, we live however we want to live, without concern for what God
thinks. What God has said in his Word isn’t on our mind. Furthermore, in our heart of hearts, we
do not respect God, and we rather despise him for not letting us do our own thing.
10. If this is what man naturally is like, what should we conclude about efforts to make ourselves right
with God—that is, through religion, finding “inner peace,” trying to be a good person, etc.?
If we naturally turn away from God and don’t really fear him or respect him, then the rest of our
efforts are further methods of rebelling against him. How arrogant it is of us to try to make things
right with God outside of what he has revealed in his Word! We disregard his holiness and
righteousness when we think that we could cover for our own sins by being “a basically good
person.” These attempts to earn a moral standing, unconcerned for God’s holiness and apart from
Christ, are perhaps a greater offense than flagrant sin.
11. Why does Paul say in verse 20 that no one can be made right with God by obedience to God’s Law?
God’s Law reveals our sin. It does not give us the ability to stop sinning, to obey God, or to live
up to his Law. It tells us what God expects of us, and that we can never measure up. Apart from
Christ’s saving work, the Law leaves us in despair—knowing the requirement of God’s Holy
Standard, but unable to do it.
IMPLICATIONS
A. Some people might object to the idea that God is wrathful, or hateful, against sinners. How could you
respond to such an objection using what you have learned today?
If we really are as bad as the Bible says we are, how can it be wrong for God to hate us for our
sin? If he created us holy and happy and in right relationship with him, how can it be wrong for him
to hold us accountable for our betrayal of all the goodness he has shown to us. Would it not be right
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for God to destroy us, if—as the Scriptures say—we bring death and destruction wherever we go? In
short, the reason we think it is wrong for God to be angry or hate people is because we don’t see
sin as it really is.
B. Of the two categories of sin listed in verses 13-17 (sins of the mouth and sins of the feet), which would
you say you fall into more frequently? How so?
This question is meant to be personal and probing. Encourage vulnerability as appropriate.
C. In this lesson we said, “Our first and natural response to God is one of hatred.” What do you think of
this statement?
This is an intentionally provocative statement. If we believe that man’s natural state is one of
rebellion against God and of total depravity, then we must confirm that this statement is true.
Consider also that hatred in the Bible is not necessarily conscious anger; it can equally be ruthless
neglect, such as that shown by the priest and Levite in the parable of the Good Samaritan
(Luke 10:25–37). Likewise, our natural, secret hatred for God does not always reveal itself in
hostility and anger, but can often be disguised as disregard and carelessness. It is in this sense that
David prays in Psalm 19:13, “Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not
have dominion over me!”
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Lesson Three: The Eternal Plan of God
• J.I. Packer, Concise Theology, 37–39, 149–151.
• R.C. Sproul, Essential Truths of the Christian Faith, 67–69, 161–167.
• Robert Reymond, A New Systematic Theology of the Christian Faith (Nashville: Thomas Nelson
1998), 343–346, 356–378.
CHAPTER ANSWERS
1. How many times does Paul use the words “plan” or “purpose” in these verses?
Four times.
2. According to verse 4, God chose his people for what purpose, and when did he do the choosing?
God chose us before he made the world so that (purpose) we would be holy and blameless
before him. Holiness refers to inward purity, while blamelessness refers to outward uprightness.
The first is what the Holy Spirit does to us in sanctification, and the latter is what we do to conform
to God’s Law in sanctification.
Martyn Lloyd-Jones writes, “...it is the purpose of God in Christ for His people to undo, to
remove, and to rectify completely the effects of sin and of the Fall of man. It is God’s object in
salvation to rectify completely all the results and the consequences of that terrible and most
disastrous events.”15 In short, God chose his people even before the Fall happened, with a view to
reversing the effects of the Fall in their lives.
3. What does Paul say some of God’s motivations were in predestining us? Name at least three that ap-
pear in the text. (vv. 4–6)
He chose us in love (v. 4b), to be his sons (v. 5a), and to the praise of his grace (v. 6). The reason
God chose us for salvation was simply because he loved us and wanted us to be his children, and as
his children we are able to receive and respond to his glorious grace. As John Piper likes to say,
“God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him.”16 The best thing for us is to find our
satisfaction and joy and rest in Jesus Christ, and this is precisely what God wants to give us
as his adopted children.
4. What advantages and blessings come to us because God has predestined us for adoption as sons? (vv. 7–9)
• Redemption through Jesus’ blood,

• Forgiveness of sins,
• The riches of God’s grace, and
• Knowledge of the mystery of God’s will.
5. What is God’s plan ultimately leading to? (v. 10)
God’s plan is working towards the unification of all creation in and under Jesus Christ, which
will happen at the end of time. All things will lead to and contribute to the final glorification of Jesus
15
Martyn Lloyd-Jones, God’s Ultimate Purpose, Sermons on Ephesians, Volume 1, (Grand Rapids: Baker Books,
1979) p. 95.
16
John Piper, Desiring God, 2nd edition, (Sisters, OR: Multnomah, 1996), p. 238
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Christ, in which we will participate—not simply as observers, but as members of God’s family. We
will be glorified with him. We will find our greatest joy in that moment. We will be satisfied in him.
6. Some might complain that the doctrine of Predestination makes God seem cold and distant. What are
some things that you see in this text to counter such an opinion?
God chooses us out of his love, and he wants to lavish us with the riches of his grace. How is that
cold, discompassionate, or distant? He is adopting us as his sons and daughters and is bringing us
into his eternal, glorious household, so that we can enjoy his holiness and praise him like we were
made to do. The doctrine of predestination as explained here in Ephesians is warm, familial,
encouraging, and beautiful. God is love, and he chooses us out of love. Any view of predestination
that removes God’s love from his choice gravely distorts the true character of God in salvation.
7. What is Jesus’ relationship to God the Father? (vv. 15,19)
He is God’s firstborn Son. He is the perfect image and likeness of God. He represents God
perfectly. These phrases intentionally compare Jesus to Adam, but they also describe Jesus as
someone far superior to Adam. By saying “all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell in him,” Paul
is telling us that Jesus was and is fully God. Jesus is like Adam in reflecting God’s image in beauty,
holiness, and righteousness. However, Jesus is a more perfect reflection of God, because he is God.
Jesus is a person distinct from the Father, but he is perfectly equal to the Father. Jesus is not a
lesser, created being. This verse helps us interpret verse 15.
8. What is Christ Jesus’ relationship to the universe? (vv. 15–16)
Jesus is the Creator of the universe, and he is the reason (telos) the universe exists. All things
in the universe are working together for Jesus’ glory.
9. What is Jesus’ relationship to the Church? (v. 18)
Jesus is the head of the Church: its ruler and leader. He is also the firstborn of all God’s
children—our great older brother.
10. What does it mean in verse 16 when it says “all things were created through him and for him”?
Jesus was the agent of creation. Through Jesus all things were made, and nothing that was
made was made apart from his hand (John 1:3). However, there is something more. Not only did
Jesus create all things; he created this world for his own pleasure and glory. He designed all things
in a way that he would find beautiful and satisfying. This world is broken and corrupt because of
man’s sin and Satan’s activity in the world, but Jesus is working to bring all things back to unity and
redemption in him on the last day.
11. How has Jesus accomplished God’s plan? (vv. 19–22)
Jesus has accomplished God’s plan by reconciling all things to himself through his death on the
cross. He has made peace through the cross, and he has done all that is necessary in the sight of God
to bring about God’s plan. Most importantly, Christ has reconciled his elect, adopted children to
himself by dying on the cross in our place.
12. What was the point of Jesus’ reconciling us to God through his death? (v. 22)
The reason that Jesus reconciled us to God through his death is so that we will be holy and
blameless in God’s sight. Jesus came to remove all the effects of the Fall in our lives. He came that
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we might be wholly renewed to be like Jesus. He came that we might be right with God and find our
satisfaction in God, able to please and enjoy God forever.
IMPLICATIONS
A. According to Ephesians 1:11, what types of things happen outside of God’s plan? How can you use this
knowledge as you experience problems and challenges in life?
Nothing happens outside of God’s plan. This means that everything—every little thing, and
every unpleasant thing—happens because God planned it to be. As a result of this knowledge, and
the knowledge that God does everything for a good purpose, we can know that all of the challenges
and problems we face are sent by God to us for his purposes. What is that purpose? Romans 8:28
tells us that it is for our good. God sends us problems and challenges to strengthen us and improve
us; they purify us and make us more reliant on him and less reliant on ourselves. They make us
more like Jesus, who learned obedience through suffering (Hebrews 5:8).
B. God’s sending Jesus is his remedy to the problem created by man’s fall. Do you think that this was an
unplanned response—that God hadn’t planned on the Fall happening? Why or why not?
Some might argue that God’s sending Jesus to die was an afterthought from the Fall: that God
did not intend for Adam to sin. However, the language of Ephesians and Colossians suggests that it
was God’s plan all along to unite all things in his Son, Jesus. This would require, then, that God
intended for the Fall to happen, because without sin, there would be no need for a Savior.
We have to conclude that it was God’s plan for Adam and Eve to sin, so that Jesus could
come and be our Redeemer.
C. In both Ephesians and Colossians, Paul emphasizes God’s purpose in predestining us for holiness
before him. If this is God’s intent in predestination, what role ought the pursuit of holiness and right
living take in our lives?
In 1 Thessalonians 4:3, Paul writes, “This is the will of God, your sanctification...” What God
wants for us and from us is growth in holiness. He wants us to “be imitators of God, as beloved
children” (Ephesians 5:1). Every day that goes along God is working in us to make us more like him.
And if this is what God wants, then it’s what we ought to want, too. The question is, do we? Do we
care about holiness at all? We ought to, because God’s Word tells us that “without holiness, none
shall see God” (Hebrews 12:14).
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Lesson Four: Perfect Obedience
• R.C. Sproul, Essential Truths of the Christian Faith, 83–84.
• Robert Letham, The Work of Christ, (Downer’s Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1993), 113–121.
CHAPTER ANSWERS
1. How do you think Jesus was feeling on the day that he was tempted? (vv. 1–2) What impact might
that have had on his experience of temptation?
Forty days without food: that’s how long Jesus was in the wilderness praying and meditating on
God’s Word. If we think about that experience, it becomes pretty obvious that Jesus would have
been tired, hungry, hot, weak, and totally worn out. Think about how your brain works when you
are hot, tired, and hungry. We get mentally weaker and find sin much more appealing. Though he
didn’t have our sinful nature, Jesus was at a low point physically and mentally.
2. What is something that you find harder to resist when you are tired and hungry?
Most people tend to get grumpy and short-tempered when they are tired and hungry, as well as
more selfish. Food becomes harder to resist. Other temptations and lusts become stronger, too.
3. What were the three ways that Jesus was tempted by the devil?
• First Temptation (v. 3): To rely on his own strength to provide for himself and turn
stones into bread.
• Second Temptation (vv. 5–6): To test God’s love for him by throwing himself off the
temple to see what God would do.
• Third Temptation (v 8): To give Jesus all the wealth and kingdoms of the world for
worshipping the Devil.
4. If you were in Jesus’ shoes, why would these things have been tempting? How do you think you would
have fared?
If we are honest, I think most of us would have failed at the first temptation. Forty days’
worth of hunger, and the ability to command stones to turn into food—yes, I would
definitely have done that.
But think about the other temptations in light of what Jesus was about to do on earth. Jesus
was about to lay down his life in obedience to his Father, in order that he might be glorified among
his people and bring the Kingdom of God into the world. And so, if I had been Jesus, the second
temptation would have been difficult because I would have wanted to know for sure that God was
with me. In regards to the last temptation, if at all possible I would have sought a way out of being
cruelly and unjustly killed. The temptation to bypass the cross and go straight to kingdom, power,
and glory would have been overwhelming.
5. How does Satan’s temptation of Jesus in Matthew 4:3 compare with his temptation of Eve in Genesis
3:1–6? What are their similarities?
• Adam and Jesus are both unique redemptive-historical figures, called “the Son of God.”
• Satan is the agent of temptation.
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• The temptation involves food/eating.
• The real issue revolves around trusting God and knowing his Word.
• The test will determine the fate of the world.
6. Why do you think Jesus’ quotations of Scripture against the temptations of the devil were successful,
whereas Eve’s attempt to respond to Satan failed? (Hint: “He is God” is not the answer.)
• Jesus quoted the Scriptures correctly (and in context!)

• Jesus fully believed in the truthfulness of God’s Word and its applicability.
• Jesus understood what the Scriptures really meant.
7. Read 1 John 3:8. How does this verse help us connect Genesis 3 to Matthew 4? What was Jesus really
doing in his face-off with Satan?
When Jesus allowed himself to be tempted by Satan, he was beginning a three-year war for the
world. This was the opening engagement. 1 John 3:8 tells us the reason Jesus came was to destroy
the works of the devil. Where Jesus began his ministry was a reenactment of the temptation of
Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. What Jesus was doing was reversing the story. By obeying
God and defeating temptation, Jesus succeeded where Adam failed.
8. Just using the story of his wilderness temptation, how does Jesus fix Adam and Eve’s failure?
The primary thing we ought to see here in Jesus’ temptation is that Jesus stands up under
temptation and rejects the lies of the devil. Where Adam failed to honor and trust God, Jesus is
faithful and true. And he wins. He defeats the lies of Satan.
9. What comfort can we have in the fact that Jesus was truly tempted to sin?
Jesus knows what it is like to be a human being and live in a sinful world. He knows how
incredibly hard it is to resist temptation. But with this, we can also know that Jesus was successful
in facing temptation: he remained sinless.
Of course, it is important to realize and remember that Jesus’ temptation came from outside of
himself. Jesus did not have a sinful nature to wrestle against; therefore, his temptation was
completely external. This is why Satan came to Jesus personally. Jesus had no internal compulsion
towards sin. By contrast, our temptations come from within, from the corrupt desires of our own
hearts (Eph. 4:22; Jam. 1:14). In this sense, Jesus was not tempted like we are. However, he truly
experienced temptation, and in this we can find great comfort. Jesus defeated the devil, sin, and
death itself. He has truly destroyed the works of the devil (1 John 3:6).
Therefore, when we experience temptation, not only can we be confident that Jesus really
understands. Even better, we don’t have to fall to temptation, because the Savior who has resisted
temptation is with us in our temptation through the person of the Holy Spirit. The victory is ours in
Christ Jesus. And even if we fail, because Jesus was successful in defeating temptation, we know
that when he died, he died as a perfect, sinless sacrifice. As a result, his sacrifice was effective for us.
There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Rom. 8:1).
10. Human priests are able to sympathize with us and deal gently with us, but why aren’t they able to do
for us what Jesus did? (compare v. 3 with vv. 7–9)
Human priests are sinners. The best pastors are sinners, too. In one way, this allows them to
understand what we are going through. They are able to explain God’s grace to us in a special way,
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as fellow sinners. However, as sinners, they are far from perfect. They can actually sin against the
people they are supposed to help. More importantly, however, no priest and no pastor is able to pay
for our sins. The best they can give is sympathy and comfort, but they cannot give salvation. They
cannot defeat the devil for us, or give us forgiveness from God. Only Jesus can do that—and he did
do it. He did it by dying on the cross in our place.
11. Because Jesus was both truly tempted and perfectly obedient, what can we be confident about in our
relationship with him? (vv. 15–16)
First, we can know that Jesus is qualified to be our go-between with God. He is a perfect
mediator. Second, (and as a result of this), we can know that we can go to Jesus with our problems
and temptations. We know that he will accept us. Not only does he offer acceptance, Jesus offers us
help. We can come to him and know for sure that he will have mercy on us!
IMPLICATIONS
A. Read Psalm 119:9. How does Jesus give us an example of this verse in action? What can you take away
from this episode for your own battles with temptation?
Jesus was able to defeat the temptations delivered by Satan primarily because he knew God’s
Word, and he knew how to use it. Jesus fulfilled Psalm 119:9: he kept his way pure by guarding it
according to God’s Word. The lesson for us is that if we want to be able to defeat temptation and
stand against the lies of the devil in our own lives, we have to take the Bible seriously. We have to
know our way around the Bible, we have to memorize verses, and we have to know how to apply
these verses to the situations we face.
B. If Jesus’ righteousness is the only righteousness that is satisfying to God, what are some things we
could conclude about our own efforts to earn God’s favor through good works (such as Bible reading,
church attendance, acts of service, etc.)?
As honorable as we might think our good activities and wise choices have been, compared to
Jesus our good deeds are like garbage or dirty underwear. The Bible teaches us that none of us are
truly righteous; none of us truly love God with our whole heart. Consequently, our goodness can
never measure up to Jesus’. We can never satisfy God’s righteous, holy standard. Only Jesus can be
Jesus. Only the perfect man can perfectly obey God. Only God belongs in God’s throne room.
What we need to consider, then, is that our own efforts to be righteous and good before God by
our own ability are actually a rejection of Jesus’ perfection. Whenever we try to earn God’s favor
through our own behavior, it’s like we are saying, “I can be better than Jesus.” We can and should
honor and obey God. Yes, absolutely! However, our obedience must flow out of thanksgiving to
Jesus for being our righteousness for us. It’s like Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians:
God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to
nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And
because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and
sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the
Lord.” (1 Corinthians 1:28-31)
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C. The devil seems to have a common playbook that he uses in trying to bring down God’s people.
Look again at the devil’s temptations against Jesus in Matthew 4 and against Eve in Genesis 3.
What common tricks is he using? How have you seen him use one of these snares and tricks
in today’s world?
Satan’s playbook seems to contain these general schemes:

• Twist God’s Word to make it say something it doesn’t.
• Get a person to doubt God’s goodness: make it seem like God is mean, or holding out on
something good.
• Promise a person, “If you only reach out and do this your life will be much easier.”
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Lesson Five: The Wondrous Cross
• John Currid and David Barrett, ESV Bible Atlas, (Wheaton: Crossway, 2010), 232-237.
• Sinclair Ferguson, Let’s Study Mark, (Edinburgh: The Banner of Truth Trust, 2002), 254-272.
• G.I. Williamson, The Westminster Shorter Catechism for Study Classes,
(Phillipsburg: P&R, 2003), 118-123.
CHAPTER ANSWERS
1. According to Luke 23:2, what were the charges that the Jews brought to Pilate against Jesus?
The Jews charged Jesus with the crime of treason: that Jesus was setting himself up as a king
in opposition to the Roman Emperor Caesar.
2. Why did the Scribes, Priests, and Pharisees want to see Jesus executed? (See John 11:45-52)
The Jewish leaders were afraid for their position, influence, and comfort. They recognized
that Jesus and his message about God’s kingdom threatened the way they were used to
doing life—especially their hegemony on authority. They knew that if Jesus was not removed from
influence, they would lose their own prestigious positions. Additionally, we can infer that the
religious leaders wanted Jesus’ death to happen in a public, humiliating fashion. They were not just
interested in getting rid of Jesus, but setting the people against him. Having Jesus crucified by the
Romans, the Jewish leadership wielded a perfect argument that Jesus was a false teacher,
usurper, and someone who was cursed by God.
It is also important to note the that only the Roman government had the authority to execute a
death sentence. There were times when a community or mob would put someone to death, but
these were quickly punished by the Roman governors. Rome did not want mobs or native peoples
conducting executions, as that is a recipe for mob violence, rebellion, and anarchy.
3. After questioning Jesus, what conclusion did Pilate come to regarding Jesus’ guilt? (v. 10; see also
John 19:4-6)
Pilate quickly recognized that Jesus was innocent of the charges being made against him by the
Jewish leadership. Mark 15:10 tells us that Pilate even saw through the charges brought by the
Pharisees and Priests. He knew that the root issue was their jealousy and envy of Jesus’
success with the people.
4. If Pilate knew that Jesus wasn’t guilty of anything deserving death, why did he deliver him over to be
crucified? (v. 14-15; see also John 19:12-13)
When Pilate announced his verdict—that he saw Jesus as innocent and undeserving of
death—the Jewish leadership responded by threatening to report him to Rome and instigate a riot.
In the ancient world, riots were a major ordeal. One of the primary responsibilities of a
regional Roman governor was to prevent riots. If Pilate was found to have allowed a riot or failed
to deal with the crime of treason, he would have been removed from office and possibly executed.
When the Jewish leadership claimed “you are no friend of Caesar,” they effectively coerced the
verdict. They played into Pilate’s insecurities and forced him to go along with their plan.
For his part, Pilate considered that his life and position were more important than justice
for this Jewish teacher.
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5. What did Jesus suffer physically before he was crucified? (vv. 15-20)
• Jesus was scourged repeatedly with a cat-of-nine-tails.

• He was punched and kicked.
• He was mocked and verbally abused.
• He had a crown of large thorns pushed down onto his head.
• And then, he was forced to carry the beam of his cross to his own death.
Jesus was so physically traumatized, he almost certainly would have died from his injuries,
blood loss, and resulting infection even if he had not been crucified.
6. Three times are mentioned in this section. What are their modern equivalents, and what
happened at each?
• Third Hour: 9:00 AM—The crucifixion begins;

• Sixth Hour: NOON—Darkness settles on the land;
• Ninth Hour: 3:00 PM—Jesus quotes Psalm 22, then he breathes his last.
7. Verse 33 says darkness covered the whole land from the sixth hour until the ninth hour. What does
this darkness symbolize? (See Exodus 10:21–23; 20:18–19; 1 Samuel 2:9)
The settling of darkness over the land is a sign of God’s condemning presence. It reminds us of
the darkness which covered the land of Egypt during the ninth plague. At the cross, God the
Almighty Redeemer had come to execute judgment on wickedness and rebellion.
8. At the ninth hour, Jesus said something in Hebrew. (v. 34) What did it mean, and what does it tell us
about what Jesus was experiencing?
Jesus said, “My God, My God! Why have you forsaken me?” When he said this, he was quoting
(or possibly reciting/singing) Psalm 22. Jesus was fulfilling the Scriptures, using them in a way that
revealed their deepest meaning. He, the eternal Son of God, for the first and only time in eternity,
experienced the wrath of God. He was cut off from the love of the Father. Jesus was alone, by
himself, under the condemnation of the Father, as he suffered for sins he didn’t commit.
9. What was Pilate’s reaction when he heard that Jesus died? Why do you think this was?
Pilate was surprised. Crucifixions could last for days before a man finally died, and the Roman
guard frequently had to break a man’s legs to hasten his death. (This they did to the two criminals
on Jesus’ either side). By contrast, Jesus’ death was quick.
10. How do we know that Jesus was really dead? (see also John 19:33–35)
The centurion pierced Jesus’ side with his spear, and then water and blood flowed out. The
mixture of water and blood proves Jesus’ death, because it either means Jesus had been dead long
enough for the plasma to separate from the red blood cells, or the spear had pierced the
pericardium around Jesus’ heart. Either way, Jesus was truly and completely dead. (There is also a
theological component here that John references in 1 John 5:6-8, but that is a different subject).
11. Why did the women go to the tomb, and what did they discover when they got there? (16:1–5)
The women went to anoint Jesus’ body with perfumes and ointments. This was the traditional
way loved ones cared for the dead in the ancient world. It was a way of honoring the deceased, as
well as a means of cutting down on the odor of decay that occurred before modern embalming
procedures were adopted.
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When the women arrived at the tomb, they found the stone rolled away and a strange man
inside, who conveyed an even stranger message. He told them that Jesus was not there. He told
them that He was alive!
IMPLICATIONS
A. What did the angel tell the women to do? What would you have thought or felt if you were in the
women’s place?
The angel told the women to go tell the disciples that Jesus was alive and that he would meet
them in Galilee. Verse 8 tells us that they were trembling with fear and astonishment. They were
visibly shaken by the message of the angel and the absence of Jesus’ body. It is easy to imagine how
they may have even doubted what their eyes and ears were telling them, and they may have begun
questioning their own sanity. Theirs would have been a most overwhelming experience.
B. What is significant about the temple curtain being torn in two? (v. 38) How does this help us
understand what was happening on the cross? (see Hebrews 9:1–4; 10:19–22)
The curtain of the temple separated the Most Holy Place (“Holy of Holies”), where the Ark of
the Covenant had been seated in ancient days, from the Holy Place, where the priests did their
daily work of burning incense and presenting offerings to God. It was a thick, finely-woven curtain.
Cherubim were skillfully worked into the design, signifying the guardians of God’s heavenly throne
room and the barrier to the Garden of Eden. (Exodus 26:31-33, 2 Chronicles 3:10-14, Genesis 3:24).
When Jesus died and completed his atoning work as our substitute, there was no longer any
need for separation between God and his people. Jesus, by cleansing us from sin and imputing to
us his righteous, effectively made us holy. He brought us into perfect communion with God the
Father. He became our perfect mediator and high priest. In Christ, both the need for separation and
for an earthly priesthood was eliminated.
To summarize, the tearing of the curtain symbolized two redemptive-historical changes. First,
Jesus’ death removed the need for a barrier between God and his people. Second, Jesus eliminated
the need for a human priesthood and sacrificial system, because he completed for all time God’s
sacrificial demands by his death on the cross.
C. Jesus’ death and resurrection are events that took place publicly on the stage of history. They are veri-
fiable facts. What are some of the implications of this?
Possible points of discussion:
• If we have doubts about the existence of God or the reliability of the Bible, the answer is not
“You just have to believe.” The claims of the Gospel are historical claims and therefore should
be investigated. For example: “Was Jesus actually crucified, and if so, where is his body?”
• We can have certainty about the things we believe, because they are backed up by facts. Our
faith is not a subjective matter, purely private, or a feel-good religion. This ought to impact
the way we view sharing the gospel.
• Because our faith rests upon historical events, if it could be shown that Jesus did not
actually rise from the dead, our system of faith would fall apart (1 Corinthians 15:14-19).
This is not something we should shy away from. When people challenge our beliefs, we
should own up to this and welcome the challenge.
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Lesson Six: The Necessity of Christ’s Death
• John Murray, Redemption: Accomplished and Applied, (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1955),
9–18, 76–78.
• Louis Berkhof, Manual of Christian Doctrine, (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2001), 212–216.
CHAPTER ANSWERS
1. What role does the author of Hebrews say Jesus Christ fulfilled? (11–12)
Jesus Christ is our great High Priest.
2. If Jesus is a perfect high priest, why couldn’t he just offer a perfect animal as a perfect sacrifice for
sins? (10:4, 11)
Hebrews tells us that the blood of an animal cannot actually deal with our sin and guilt before
God. All the sacrificial animals of the Old Testament era merely served to symbolically bear the sin
and guilt of Old Testament saints. They could neither serve as representatives for man, nor
actually absorb the penalty for sin. Jesus, however, served as our substitute and representative
before God, and he actually did bear our sin and guilt, paying the debt we incurred by
nailing it to the cross.
3. Instead of the blood of an animal, whose blood did Jesus offer? What effect did this have?
Jesus offered his own blood (v. 12). Since he was an innocent, perfect, and righteous
representative, his sacrifice was effective in atoning for our sins and bringing us forgiveness.
4. Why do you think blood has to be shed for forgiveness to take place? (v. 22—See also Genesis 2:17;
Romans 1:28–32)
Paul tells us in Romans, “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). Everyone who sins
deserves to die for their sin, and because God is a perfectly holy and just God, he cannot just “let it
go” and ignore our sin. Divine forgiveness requires the debt of sin to be paid (Colossians 2:13-14).
By God’s mercy, he has granted us a substitute and representative in Christ Jesus, who was willing
to pay this debt and take the punishment on our behalf.
5. With this last point in mind, what would you say the function of a sacrifice is? (see also Isaiah 53:5–6)
A sacrifice bears the sin and punishment of the offender by serving as a substitute, taking upon
himself the punishment the offender rightly deserves.
6. In verse 23, what does the author mean when he refers to “the copies of the heavenly things” and “the
heavenly things themselves”? (9:19–24)
The “heavenly things” refer to Jesus’ work as our perfect High Priest in the actual temple
of Heaven. His blood sacrifice and his cleansing of his people from sin are the real thing.
The Old Testament sacrificial system under Moses was an early and earthly copy of Jesus’ work; it
foreshadowed and prepared for the work that he would do on the cross.
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7. Why was it impossible for the God-ordained sacrifice of animals to effectively deal with sins? (10:1f)
Animal sacrifices were created as foreshadowings, symbols, and preparations for what Jesus
would finally do. As animals, they could not actually morally represent or stand in a human being’s
place before God.
8. Whose choice was it that motivated Christ Jesus to die on the cross for sins? (10:5–10)
It was Christ’s own choice to die on the cross for our sins, but at the same time, Jesus was
submitting to the will of the Father. God the Father and God the Son were in the decision and
process of salvation together. (It would therefore be wrong to assume either that Jesus came to
earth to placate an angry and hostile Father, or that the Father sent Jesus to die unwillingly).
9. How do we know that Jesus Christ’s death was effective in dealing with our sins?
The vindication and proclamation that Jesus’ priestly work was effectively Jesus’ ascension
into heaven and session (sitting down) at God’s right hand. It was visible and universal proof that
Jesus had accomplished all that he had set out to do.
10. What are some of the benefits that come to us through Jesus’ sacrifice of himself? (vv. 15–18)
• Security in God’s Covenant of Grace,

• The Word of God engraved into our hearts and minds,
• The forgiveness of our sins, and
• The inner witness of the Holy Spirit that we are right with God.
11. What can we have confidence to do, knowing that Jesus is our great High Priest who has effectively
dealt with the problem of our sin? (vv. 19–22)
We have confidence to approach God in worship, in prayer, and in service. In every area of our
lives, we can know that we have God’s favor and approval because Jesus represents us to God.
However, this knowledge shouldn’t encourage us to do as we please; rather, we ought to draw
closer and closer to God through Jesus Christ. We should seek his face more and more and learn the
pleasures of pleasing him. When we know the acceptance we have in Christ, the result will be the
living sacrifice of our own wills, desires, and actions. (Romans 12:1–2)
12. Read Hebrews 4:14–16. What additional motivation do we have in the fact that Jesus was (and is!) a
human being who has been tempted to sin?
Jesus is able to sympathize with us and feel compassion for us. He understands what we are
going through, because he has lived and suffered a real human life and death.
IMPLICATIONS
A. Some people argue that God must be cruel if he demands the death of Jesus for the forgiveness of
sins. How would you respond to this objection?
We could admit that there would be a measure of cruelty in God the Father if he had demanded
Jesus’ death and if Jesus were unwilling. However, their mutual agreement for Jesus’ sacrifice
reveals there is no cruelty or injustice on the part of the Father. Jesus, being God, would certainly
have the power to disagree or object if it were his desire. (Of course, this would create a great deal
of other theological problems!)
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Secondly, the justice of God does not demand Jesus’ death; it demands our death. God is not
cruel if he gives people what they deserve. God would not be in the wrong for sending everyone to
Hell for all eternity. According to Scripture, that is what we all deserve. It is the grace and mercy of
God that he would allow us a substitute and grant us forgiveness. If forgiveness requires a debt to
be paid before forgiveness is granted (which Scripture teaches it does), it is the love and mercy of
God that Jesus was willing to do this for us.
We have misunderstood the cross if we look at God and see him with horror and dread.
Understanding Jesus’ substitutionary work ought to fill us with wonder, awe, and
thankfulness towards God.
B. In Hebrews 10:19–25, the author mentions several ways of applying Christ’s priestly work to our lives.
What are they, and which do you feel you need most?
• We can have confidence in the way we approach God—namely, in prayer.

• We can draw near to God rather than pulling away from him in fear whenever we sin or
when we struggle.
• We can have a deep assurance that we are forgiven and accepted by God. This isn’t
something that we should continually doubt.
• We can have a clean conscience and experience moral and spiritual purity, even if we have
done things we are ashamed of.
• We can have confidence in Jesus and have a steadfast faith, even when we are under attack
or challenged or persecuted, because we know God is faithful.
• We can encourage other Christians to get together for worship and Bible study so that we
can support one another and build one another up as we wait for Jesus to return.
• We can encourage and love one another, engage in works of mercy, and serve
within the church.
C. How does it comfort you to know that Jesus is a high priest who is able to sympathize with your weak-
nesses?
This is a personal question by design. It ought to be a comfort to us that Jesus understands us,
that he gets us. Even the most shameful things in our lives and our deepest secrets Jesus gets. He
loves us and accepts us, and we have nothing to be ashamed of before him.
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Lesson Seven: A Sacrifice to Satisfy
Divine Justice
• John Murray, Redemption: Accomplished and Applied, 19–33.
• R.C. Sproul, Essential Truths of the Christian Faith, 173–174.
CHAPTER ANSWERS
1. How is Jesus (“my servant”) described in these verses?
He is one who will act wisely and will be high and lifted up. However, he is also marred to the
point of disfigurement; he becomes unrecognizable. He has no form or majesty to be noticed, so he
is not a commanding figure in terms of prestige or handsomeness. Lastly, he is an embarrassment,
in that he is despised, hated, rejected, sorrowful, and familiar with grief.
2. Isaiah 53:1 hints at a conflict of expectations when it says, “Who has believed what he has heard from
us?” What makes it hard to believe in the Servant of the Lord? (vv. 2–3)
If we think of Jesus as “God’s Man,” we would expect Jesus to be someone noble, prestigious,
commanding, and authoritative. We would expect things to all go his way and God to give him a life
free from trouble. But though Jesus was honorable and authoritative, he was also very humble and
very humiliated. Life did not go “his way.”
Jesus embodies the principle of 1 Corinthians 1:27–29, “But God chose what is foolish in the
world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what
is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that
no human being might boast in the presence of God.”
In short, simply because God acts in ways that run counter to our ways, we find God’s activities
hard to notice and even harder to embrace. This is especially the case with Jesus. Why would we
worship someone who is despised, hated, rejected, sorrowful, and familiar with grief?
Why would we worship somebody who was a nobody, with no political or military might?
Naturally, we wouldn’t.
3. Read John 7:25–52. How does this story illustrate the irony of Jesus not being recognized as the
Anointed One of God, the Messiah of Israel?
By his teaching and miracles, it was apparent that Jesus had the authority of God behind him.
If one simply observed what he was saying and doing, one could draw the conclusion that Jesus was
the Messiah. However, the Jews and the Jewish leadership stumbled over their own assumptions
of where Jesus was from. They thought he was from Galilee, and they expected the Messiah to come
from Bethlehem. What they didn’t know was that Jesus actually had been born in Bethlehem. What
they also failed to remember was the prophecy of Isaiah 9:1–2, “...in the latter time he has made
glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. The people who
walked in darkness have seen a great light...”
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4. Do you think it would make it easier or harder for you to believe in Jesus if he had come as a powerful,
conquering king? How might his humility and weakness be making it hard for you to fully trust Jesus
even now?
If Jesus had come as a divine conqueror, riding on a heavenly steed, and marching before an
army of angels, that would be a coming of Jesus that would be hard to ignore. But is this a Jesus we
would honor with love, or one who we would honor with fear? I imagine that if Jesus had come in
such power, I would not love him like I do my Savior. This Jesus of Isaiah is someone who can relate
to me. He hurts, and he hurt for me. He took something that I deserved. As a result, I am motivated
to trust him completely and to obey him out of love.
At the same time, because Jesus is unassuming and gentle in the Scriptures, it’s easy to forget
that he actually is a King who deserves my honor and attention. Since Jesus is after heart-level
obedience, it’s easy to be lazy about outward obedience. Jesus isn’t someone you fear will bring
down the hammer if you mess up. Rather, he grabs your attention by grabbing your heart.
5. What do verses 4 and 5 tell us Jesus carried to, or bore upon, the cross for us?
Jesus bore griefs, sorrows, transgressions, and iniquities. These words summarize all the ways
we hurt and the things we do that cause us to hurt.
6. Verse 5 mentions two benefits that come to us by virtue of Christ’s death. What are they?
“He took the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.”
Because he took the things that cause our sorrows—our sin and guilt—Jesus brings us
peace and healing.
7. If you are a believer, how can you see Jesus bringing you peace and healing? In what areas of life or
relationships do you need his peace and healing the most?
This is a personal reflection question without a distinct answer.
8. What specific details do you see predicted in verses 7–10 regarding Jesus’ trial, death, and burial?
• He opened not his mouth – Jesus was silent before Pilate in Matthew 27:14.
• Grave with the wicked – He hung between two thieves in Matthew 27:38.
• With a rich man in his death – He was buried in Joseph’s tomb in Matthew 27:57.
• He shall see his offspring and prolong his days – Jesus was raised from the dead, visited the
disciples, and lives forever in Matthew 28:6ff.
9. What rewards are earned by Jesus through his willing sacrifice of himself?
• The will of God will prosper in his hand: God will bless him to enact God’s plan for history.
• He shall see the fruit of his work and be satisfied: once Jesus’ cross work is done, he will be
able to see the results and take enjoyment in a job well done.
• He will receive the spoil and a portion from God: Jesus plundered the kingdom of Satan and
establishes the Kingdom of God. All things are now to his glory and the establishment of his
Kingdom on the last day.
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10. What rewards come to us because of his willing sacrifice of himself?
• We are accounted as righteous in God’s sight.

• We received wealth and blessing as Jesus shares the Kingdom of God with us.
• Our sins are taken away, and we no longer have to live with their guilt.
IMPLICATIONS
A. Isaiah 53 tells us about a lot of things that Jesus did on the cross for us. How can someone know for
certain that they will receive the benefits of Christ’s work on the cross?
Romans 10:9–11 tells us, “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your
heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is
justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, ‘Everyone who
believes in him will not be put to shame.’”
Certainly, one can believe in Jesus and lack a sense of assurance. However, this usually
happens when a person doubts the sincerity or strength of their own faith. Scripture does not call
us to trust in our faith, but to trust in Jesus. So, if we desire to have assurance, we need to focus not
on ourselves but on the accomplished work of Christ Jesus. If we want certainty, then we can
examine the truthfulness of the gospel; we can examine the historical claim of Jesus’ resurrection;
we can wrestle with the theology of whether or not Jesus actually satisfied God’s demands for
justice and is a reliable representative to God for us. The only way to know for certain we will
receive the benefits of Christ’s work is to be certain that Christ’s work actually happened and was
actually effective. This way, we set our assurance in the external, objective realm of reality, rather
than the internal, subjective realm of our own feelings.
B. John 1:11 says, “He came to his own, but his own did not receive him.” What are some ways that
Christians today can reject Jesus? What might be some ways that you are tempted to reject Jesus?
There are a variety of ways in which Christians can reject Jesus, but let me here highlight two
common ways in which we can reject our Savior.
First, (and this is perhaps the most common), we may accept Jesus as our Savior but keep his
Lordship at a distance. It is relatively easy for most of us to accept Jesus’ grace and forgiveness.
We want to live free from shame and guilt. Who doesn’t? But when we take this forgiveness and use
it as an opportunity for sin, we are rejecting Jesus’ love for us and only using him for what he can
give us. In this way, we fail to “be imitators of God as beloved children” (Eph. 5:1). This has been
called the “Fire-Escape” approach to salvation. We like having Jesus available for his ability to save
us from God’s wrath, but we don’t see him as practically useful except in emergencies.
As a result, we worship and confess our sins on Sundays, but the rest of the week we are
indistinguishable from the world.
Second, we may reject Jesus the same way that the Pharisees rejected Jesus: by relying too
much on our own goodness and righteousness, preventing ourselves from seeing our true need for
salvation. This is a terribly sneaky, tricky way of rejecting Jesus, but it is surprisingly easy to do.
Think about it this way. Many of us have grown up in church. We know the story of Jesus and many
of the other stories of the Bible as well. We’ve been through Sunday school. We know the
Ten Commandments, the Lord’s Prayer, and John 3:16. We’ve probably memorized dozens of
verses of Scripture. We have absorbed wisdom from Proverbs. In many ways, we know how to live
the Christian life. We’ve learned from the earliest of ages the things Christians are supposed to do
and the things we are not supposed to do. THIS IS A WONDERFULLY GOOD THING. But, if you
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already know how to behave as a Christian, where’s the room for growth and repentance? If we have
learned how to exhibit good behavior and cover over our sinful attitudes, sin becomes something
hidden under the surface. Hidden sins are much harder to uncover and turn over to Jesus than are
obvious, scandalous sins. In short, the danger for lifelong Christians is living like we have no need
of a Savior, because we know how to put on the show of righteousness.
C. In Isaiah 53:5, we saw that Jesus brings his people peace and healing. What are some ways in which
you can bring peace and healing to your home, your church, your school, or your community?
Jesus’ atoning work brings us peace and healing in a unique and special way, which we could
never copy. However, as “imitators of God” we are able and called to do the work of reconciliation
(2 Corinthians 5:18). In our present context in the United States, we have a great need for agents of
peace and healing in society. There are a great many agitators and very few peacemakers. If we
would seek to be agents of peace and healing, here are some things we should consider:
• When there are quarrels and disagreements, we ought to work towards mutual
understanding rather than taking sides. This is a way that we can remove fuel from the fire,
instead of adding fuel to the fire. (Prov. 26:20) We can also do our best to make sure that all
sides are heard in a disagreement. (Prov. 18:17)
• When someone has committed a wrong against us, we ought to forgive. And when we have
committed a wrong against someone else, we must repent and seek to make things right.
(Eph. 4:32)
• We should not hold onto grudges (Lev. 19:18) or allow a root of bitterness to develop in us.
(Heb. 12:15)
• When people suffer and are oppressed, we ought to be concerned first for those who have
been victimized rather than thinking first of the establishment and those in power.
(Isaiah 1:17)
• We should not show favoritism or give benefits to certain people simply because they can
pay us back in some way. (2 Chr. 19:7) We ought to work against such types of favoritism
and exclusivism
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Lesson Eight: Peace with God
• Robert Letham, The Work of Christ, 126–149.
CHAPTER ANSWERS
1. What do you think Paul means by the phrase “regard...according to the flesh”? (See John 8:15,
1 Samuel 16:7)
He is referring to the natural ways in which we evaluate and judge people using human
categories, standards, or wisdom. Examples: Race, Income, Social Status, and Culture.
2. If we aren’t to evaluate people according to human standards and wisdom, what standard should we
use to evaluate people? (v. 17)
According to Paul, the primary thing that matters is whether or not a person is in Christ. If they
are in Christ, we are to see them as part of the new creation with us.
3. What does Paul say is true of anyone who is “in Christ”? What do you think this means?
He is a New Creation:
• He is born again—a new person.

• He has a fresh start—every day is new.
• He is already part of God’s New Heaven and New Earth—a citizen of the Kingdom of God.
4. According to verse 18, who was reconciled to whom? What does this tell us about who the offending
party was and who the offended party was?
We were reconciled to God, which means that we are the offenders and God was the offended
party. He didn’t need to make things right with us; we needed to be made right with him.
5. Who did the work of reconciling? Consequently, what role do we play in the work of reconciliation
with God?
Christ Jesus alone did the work of reconciliation on our behalf. We have no part to play in our
being reconciled to God other than receiving it and resting in it. We do, however, bear the
responsibility to be ambassadors of God’s reconciling work now that we have been reconciled to
him ourselves. The peace we have is not for our benefit alone, but for those around us.
(see questions 7 & 8)
6. How does Paul define God’s work of reconciliation? (middle of v. 19)
“Not counting our trespasses against us.” This means that God forgives us for the wrongs we
have done. He has cleared our account. We no longer owe him restitution for our wrongdoing.
7. What responsibility has God given us as recipients of his gracious work of reconciliation? (vv. 18–20)
We now have the ministry of reconciliation, which means telling others about what God has
done for us in Jesus. We are representatives and ambassadors for Christ to the world around us.
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8. What do you think it means to be an ambassador for Christ?
In everything we do, we represent Jesus to the world around us, and we represent his interest
in this world. Likewise, we should endeavor to reflect Christ in our lives and actively proclaim the
message of Christ’s Kingdom. Being an ambassador is a “state of being” that brings with it a
set of important responsibilities.
9. If reconciliation is a work that Christ does on our behalf, how can Paul beg someone to “be reconciled
to God”?
Even though Christ has done the work of reconciliation already, human beings must respond to
Christ’s work with faith. We do this by pursuing the peace of God that is offered to us in Christ
Jesus. We seek his kingdom and his righteousness (Matthew 6:33). Even though we are powerless
to effect a change in our own hearts, we can and must ask God to make us right with him and give
us his peace in Jesus Christ.
10. What is the central message of the Christian gospel? (v. 21)
Jesus bore our sin and guilt upon himself as our sacrifice before God, and He gives all those
who believe in him his own righteousness. This double work (double-imputation) is what makes
us right with God.
11. Verse 21 tells us that Christ took something for us and gave something to us. What were they?
Jesus took our sin, and he gave us his righteousness.
IMPLICATIONS
A. Do you feel like you have personally experienced reconciliation and peace with God? If you feel distant
from God, or like God is mad at you, what would you attribute that to?
There are any variety of reasons we can feel estranged from God, even as genuine Christians.
The most obvious of these reasons is that we are holding onto some unconfessed sin in our life. The
more ashamed we feel over sin, the stronger our sense of estrangement from God. However, Jesus’
blood covers every sin, and no sin is unforgivable except for “blasphemy of the Holy Spirit” (which
is a hard-hearted rejection of the Holy Spirit’s obvious work through Jesus). Thus, the solution to
unconfessed sin is to confess it to Christ Jesus and seek his forgiveness.
Biblical repentance is not easy, however, and it sometimes requires extra effort. A simple
confession of sin may not free us from habitual sins or release the conscience from the shame of sin
(especially those sins of a sexual nature). In these cases, what is required is, first, to confess our sins
to one another (James 5:16) and seek encouragement from mature believers who have walked the
road before us, and then we must cut off every opportunity to engage in these habitual sins in the
future (Matthew 18:8–9). Jesus can and does release us from sin and shame, but our activity and
effort in repentance is required if we are going to experience victory over besetting sins.
B. What are some practical ways that you could be an ambassador for Christ in your school or community?
• Be intentional about sharing Christ, especially in the sense of 1 Peter 3:15: honoring Christ
as holy in our lives and being ready to explain the reason for our hope in him.
• Be someone who is kind and approachable, rather than being self-righteous and
condescending.
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• Stand up against bullies and stand up for those who need mercy.
• Help tutor and encourage students who are less advantaged than you.
• Memorize Scripture so that we can share it at appropriate times. Be willing to talk about
Scripture or theology when people have questions or struggles.
C. What are some of the local, cultural divisions in your church or community which need to experience
godly reconciliation? (Examples: interpersonal conflicts, racial tensions, cliques, public school vs
private school, etc.) How could you personally make a difference in these areas?
Encourage students to think about your own context, rather than the United States at large.
Especially encourage answers that involve developing personal relationships with people on the
other side of these dividing lines
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Lesson Nine: Declared Righteous
CHAPTER ANSWERS
1. What do you and I tend to mean when we use the words “justify” and “justified” in everyday speech?
(Such as, “I feel like it was justified.”)
We tend to use the word “justified” as “having the right reasons” or “taking the right course.”
When I say, “I feel like it was justified,” I am saying that I think I had good reason for doing what I
did. This reflects Webster’s first definition of “justify:” “to prove or show to be just, right, or
reasonable,” and, “to show a sufficient lawful reason for an act done.”
2. In your own words, what does it mean to be righteous in God’s sight?
Being righteous means perfectly obeying God’s moral law—measuring up to his holy standard.
Webster defines it as “acting in accord with divine or moral law: free from guilt or sin.”
3. What does Paul mean when he uses the words “justify” or “justified”? (If you have access to the ESV
Study Bible or the Reformation Study Bible, you can find the answer there. If not, you can find Bible
dictionaries online at <www.biblestudytools.com/dictionaries> )
When Paul uses the word “justify” he has in mind a “declaration of righteousness.”
The Reformation Study Bible notes in its section on “Justification and Merit,”
“Justification is God’s act of pardoning sinners and accepting them as righteous for
Christ’s sake. In it, God puts permanently right their previously estranged
relationship with Himself. This justifying sentence is God’s bestowal of a status
of acceptance for Jesus’ sake.”
This, of course, mirrors the definition of the Westminster Shorter Catechism, which says,
“Justfication is an act of God’s free grace, wherein he pardons all our sins and
accepts us as righteous in his sight, only for the righteousness of Christ imputed to us, and
received by faith alone.” (Q. 33).
4. If you were to put all your good works on one side of a scale and all of your sinful words and actions
on the other, which side would be heavier? Why?
If we were to weigh all our thoughts, words, and actions, the sinful side of the scale would always
be heavier. Even if we live very upright lives, our best actions are affected by sin, especially in the
form of selfish motives. If we are truly honest with ourselves about
our motivations and our thought-lives, no way can our good works can outweigh our bad.
5. What are some ways you may have tried to earn God’s approval through good works?
Most of us, to one degree or another, do what we do to earn other people’s approval. This is the
main reason we learn to be kind and considerate, to work hard, to make good grades, etc. It is our
default way of living. We learn from the youngest of ages to think about how our actions make
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others feel. So naturally, when we start relating to God, our natural approach is to try to make him
feel good about us, and we engage in these same works to secure God’s approval. We think, “As long
as I avoid the big, bad sins and do X, Y, and Z, God will approve of me.”
6. What does Paul say is the only way a person can be justified in God’s sight? Why is it important to get
this right?
The only way a person can be justified in God’s sight is by faith in Christ. Faith is not a work;
rather, it is total dependence on Christ’s work for us on the cross. If we rely in any way on what we
do, we are basing our right standing before God on our own merit. No one can be made right with
God through their own effort. We can only be made right with God through the
effort of Jesus Christ.
7. What does this passage say is true of everyone who attempts to rely on obedience to get into heaven?
Why?
Those who rely on their own ability to fulfill God’s moral standard are under a curse because they
have failed to keep the whole of God’s Law. There is no way to divorce one aspect of God’s holiness
and majesty from the rest of who he is or what he expects of us. Failure to measure up in one area
is failure to measure up, period. Therefore, breaching one of God’s moral precepts (even
one we think isn’t that important) is equal to breaking the whole of God’s Law.
8. How and why did Jesus “become a curse” for us? What do you think this means?
Jesus became a curse for us by hanging on the cross. Paul tells us in these verses that, according
to God’s Law, anyone who was hanged on a tree was under God’s curse. We should probably
understand this as a descriptive curse. When Jesus died on the cross, it legally indicated that
he was under God’s curse.
9. What is the key difference between seeking justification through the law and seeking
justification through faith?
Seeking justification through the law is about trying to establish a right relationship with God
through our good works, and thereby earning our way into heaven. Faith looks only to Jesus and
relies on him alone to establish us in righteousness before the Father and secure our way into
heaven. The first has eyes on self-effort; the latter has eyes only on Christ’s work.
10. If faith is so important for salvation, how would you explain faith to a friend?
Faith is believing God or taking God at his word. Traditionally, saving faith has been
described with three elements.
First comes KNOWLEDGE: One cannot believe in something he doesn’t know. We must know
the gospel if we are going to believe.
Second comes ASSENT: One must agree that the gospel is true. Knowledge alone does
not count as faith.
Third comes TRUST: It is one thing to believe that the gospel is true and quite another to place
the whole of one’s life in Christ’s care. Trust is unreserved dependence on Jesus Christ.
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11. Do you feel like you approach God more through obedience to his law, or through the
dependence of faith?
This is an intentionally personal question.
Implications
A. A friend approaches you with the claim that it is intolerant and arrogant to claim that believing in
Jesus is the only way to God. There are many ways to God; what matters is the sincerity of your belief.
How do you respond to this objection?
This is a deep question, one over which many books have been written. More can and should be
said in response to this question than what can be written here. However,
several points that should be made in response to this objection are laid out below in
something resembling a logical argument.
• The first thing that can be done in the face of this question is to ask your friend, “That is a
big claim. How do you know there are many ways to God? How do you know that what God
cares about is only the sincerity of your belief?” This question will take the examining lens off
of you and give you a glimpse of the assumptions and religious beliefs of your friend. A better
understanding of his beliefs concerning religion will be of great help in further conversation.
• Second, it is absolutely vital that you explain that you are not making the claim that Jesus is
the only way to God. Rather, Jesus is the one who makes this truth-claim concerning himself.
He has said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except
through me” (John 14:6). The issue is not whether or not it is arrogant for Christians to make
this claim, but whether it is arrogant for Jesus to make this claim. The uniqueness of Christ
and his own exclusive truth-claims are the issue.
• Likewise, it is the Scriptures that explain how and why Jesus is the only way to God. Acts
4:12 states, “There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given
among men by which we must be saved.” This word “salvation” is key because it describes
what the way to God entails. Salvation is necessary because we are sinful rebels who deserve
God’s wrath and punishment. If we were morally and spiritually okay, then salvation would
not be necessary and many paths to God would make sense. However, we are not morally or
spiritually okay. Therefore, the real issue is not “why is there only one way to God,” but “why
has God given us any way of salvation at all?”
• Related to this is the issue of sincerity of belief. We can easily demonstrate that sincerely
believing something doesn’t make it true. I can sincerely believe that I am a potted plant, but
that doesn’t make it true. Likewise, I can sincerely believe that I will be reincarnated when I
die, but that doesn’t mean I will be. Indeed, I can sincerely believe that Jesus is raised from
the dead, but this belief is only valid if Jesus in fact is raised from the dead. This is precisely
how Paul argues in 1 Corinthians 15:14–17: “If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching
is in vain and your faith is in vain...and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and
you are still in your sins.” The validity of a belief is therefore dependent on its factuality, not
on its value to the believer.
• This brings us to the final matter in addressing this question, and it relates to the validity of
truth-claims in general. In this post-modern era, people are uncomfortable with all claims to
objective truth that fall outside of scientific and mathematical spheres of study. Philosophical
and spiritual claims for truth are widely considered invalid, because they are deemed
“opinion” instead of “established fact.” However, part of the uniqueness of the Scriptures is
that they are situated within the realm of verifiable history. The life, death, and resurrection
of Jesus, described as they are with time-stamps, key figures, and falsifiable claims such as
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a resurrection, are historical events. If I were to say, “You must accept my opinions or I will
condemn you,” that would be intolerant and arrogant. But if I were to say, “This is the truth,
take it or leave it,” that is neither intolerant nor arrogant.
For further reading on this question, please see the relevant sections of R.C. Sproul’s Reason to
Believe and Tim Keller’s The Reason for God. For an extensive response to the issue of inclusivism
and exclusivism in the Christian gospel, see Faith Comes by Hearing by Morgan and Peterson.
See the bibliography for publication information.
B. Paul’s words in Galatians are written to believers who were drifting back into a legalistic, self-righteous
way of living out their faith. How have you experenced the pull and temptation towards
self-righteousness and legalism?
It is peculiar but fair to say that the longer we believe in Christ, the more prone we are to
self-righteousness and the externalistic forms of legalism. (By this last phrase I refer to our
tendency to find our security in our performance of Christian duties.) When our lives are relatively
free from scandalous sins, sexual sins, and obvious breaches of the Ten Commandments or the
Sermon on the Mount, we begin to think of ourselves as basically okay. However, this is nothing
more than pride masquerading in priestly robes.
When we see ourselves as basically okay, we don’t see ourselves in great need of
forgiveness. This is a problem! If we would take the time to examine ourselves within the mirror of
either the Ten Commandments or the Sermon on the Mount, we would see how short we fall from
God’s standard. If we consider 1 Corinthians 13 and how loveless we are in our heart of hearts, we
could not consider ourselves law-keepers. Indeed, the longer we are believers and the more
outwardly righteous our lives become, the more such endeavors to examine ourselves in the light of
God’s holiness become essential to growing in humility and genuine love. We have a responsibility
to root out the hidden and respectable sins in our hearts, so that we might grow deeper in our
reliance upon and love for Jesus Christ our Savior.
C. How might your life be different if you lived with the constant knowledge that God has accepted you
because Jesus has made you right with God, regardless of what you do? What are some specific things
you think would change?
For most of us, if we lived with a deep knowledge of our unshakeable acceptance before the Fa-
ther, we would feel so much freer, so much more at liberty. We would not worry so much about
what the right thing to do is, or be so concerned about other people’s opinions
of us. There would be a care-free confidence about our lives.
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Lesson Ten: The Free Gift of God
• John Murray, Redemption: Accomplished and Applied, 106–116, 161–173.
• R.C. Sproul, Essential Truths of the Christian Faith, 191–192,195–196.
CHAPTER ANSWERS
1. Using what you have learned over the past few lessons, re-write verse 1 in your own words.
Because we have been declared righteous by God through faith, we know we have peace
with God through Jesus who saved us.
2. In verses 1–5, Paul speaks of the certainty we can have as justified sinners. What are some of the
things he says we can have certainty about?
• We have peace with God.

• Our sufferings produce godly character.
• We can have a sure hope in our final salvation.
• We have access to God.
• We receive abundant grace from God.
• God’s love is poured into us through the Holy Spirit—which at the very least means
we can experience God’s love for us.
3. Is there anyone in your life for whom you would be willing to die to protect? If so, who?
Usually, we would only be willing to lay down our lives for our family members (and not even all
of them) and the closest of our friends.
4. In contrast with our own ability to love people, how does God demonstrate the greatness of his love
for us? (vv. 6–8)
Jesus died for his enemies, for sinners, for people who have no right to his kindness and who
deserve his hatred, wrath, and condemnation. How different and greater God’s love and willingness
to sacrifice is than our own!
5. According to verse 9, what has Jesus’ death saved us from?
Jesus’ death has saved us from the wrath of God.
6. Paul tells us we should rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ. When was the last time you
experienced joy because you know you have been forgiven?
Regarding our joy as believers, John Piper has this to say:
We may speak of the joy of faith at three levels. First, there is the new spiritual taste created by
the Spirit of God for the glory of God. This new taste is the seed and root of joy. Thus it is the joy of
faith in embryo, as it were. Second there is the shoot, the stem, of faith itself reaching out actively
for all that God is for us in Christ. The pith of this stem is joy in God. It is not possible for vital,
genuine faith in the Fountain of Joy not to partake of that joy. Joyless embracing of the God of
hope, for who he really is, is impossible. Third, there is the fruit of daily gladness that Paul speaks
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of in Romans 15:13, “May the God of hope fill you with joy and peace in believing.” Here joy and
peace flow out from faith into the whole of life. 17
7. In this section, Paul draws a connection between Adam and Jesus. Illustrate this comparison below
using pictures, words, or symbols. Focus on these questions: What did Adam and Jesus do? What did
they earn? What did their work bring on us?
See figure A (pg 115-116)
8. How does Paul describe Christ’s righteousness in this passage? (see esp. v. 17)
It is a “free gift.”
9. What does it mean that justification is a “free gift”?
Justification is given to us “freely,” without cost. We don’t have to earn it in any way, shape, or
form. It is neither a payment nor a reward. It is a totally undeserved and immensely valuable gift.
10. What does God’s gift of righteousness guarantee for us? (v. 21)
It guarantees us eternal life in and through Jesus Christ, with whom we have been made one.
IMPLICATIONS
A. If our life is intimately wrapped up in Jesus’ life and his life in ours, how could that change the way
we view sin? (see Romans 6:1–4; 1 Corinthians 6:13–20)
We ought to see ourselves as having died to sin. We are no longer the same old person, trapped
under the power of our sinful nature, having to follow wherever our sinful
inclinations lead us. Sin is no longer master over us. Rather, our life is tied up in Jesus Christ.
Whatever we do, we do with Jesus, in Jesus, and towards Jesus. Therefore, we ought to treat sin
seriously. As something that is defeated, yes, but something that we want
to avoid at all costs.
However, it remains true that believers continue to sin after their salvation, no matter how much
they grow in their love for Jesus and in their sanctification. Even the Apostle Paul wrestled against
sin and found himself struggling with sins that he really would
rather do without (Romans 7:14–25). This means that while we must view our sinful
nature as something that is defeated and as something that no longer has control over us, we must
also view our sinful nature as something that is still present and active in us. We
must be both confident and watchful over our own sinfulness.
B. Think about how you would share the gospel with someone who wasn’t a Christian. What would
you say? How would what you say be different for a friend who knew about Jesus but didn’t
genuinely trust him?
A presentation of the gospel always includes two components: the bad news and the good news.
I think of the story of an evangelist who once told a young man that he needed to be saved. The
young man responded, “Why do I need to be saved, mister? I’m not drowning.” The gospel offer of
17
John Piper, Desiring God, (Sisters, OR: Multnomah, 1996), p. 69.
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salvation simply does not make sense to people who do not know the danger they are in as a result
of their sinful alienation from God.
Therefore, if we want people to understand the good news of the death and
resurrection of Jesus on our behalf, they must first understand why Jesus’ death and
resurrection were necessary. They must understand the problem of sin. Sadly, we don’t like talking
about sin, and so we frequently skip straight to, “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be
saved.” But when we communicate only this part of the gospel message, Jesus simply appears as
someone who can make life better. Only if Jesus appears as a solution for our sin and God’s wrath
will we see him as a real Savior.
When it comes to sharing the gospel with someone who is already familiar with
Jesus, we don’t change how we explain the good news, but we can adjust how we
explain the bad news. Those who are familiar with the things of God need to see how holy God is,
and how filthy our good works are in his sight. Our good works and obedience are a direct offense
to God if they are offered outside of the finished work of Christ Jesus. Religious people need to be
saved by Jesus just as much as the irreligious. We cannot be justified by works of the law, but only
by God’s grace working through faith.
C. What role do you think repentance and believing has in the Christian’s life? Do we still need to
repent and ask for forgiveness after we’ve been made right with God? Why or why not?
Romans 7 shows us that even after Paul became a believer, he still struggled with sin. Likewise,
throughout the New Testament we see encouragements and exhortations to continually confess our
sins and turn ourselves more wholeheartedly towards Christ. Thus, repentance is a lifestyle for the
genuine Christian. He is continually turning away from sin and drawing more deeply on Christ.
As Martin Luther so eloquently put it in the first statement of The 95 Theses, “When our Lord
and Master Jesus Christ said, ‘Repent’ (Matthew 4:17), he willed the entire life of believers to
be one of repentance.”
But let us also be clear: Jesus died once for every sin committed by his people, past, present, and
future. When we repent from sin and ask for God’s forgiveness as people who are already
Christians, we are not asking for a second justification. What we are asking for is the experience of
being forgiven. Christ, having died, cannot die again. But he can comfort us and console us by his
Word and Spirit. We can experience forgiveness multiple times after we have been once justified.
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Lesson Eleven: Free from Sin!
• John Murray, Redemption: Accomplished and Applied, 42–50, 141–150.
• Robert Reymond, A New Systematic Theology of the Christian Faith, 756–759.
CHAPTER ANSWERS
1. How does Paul describe our relationship with sin before we became believers? (vv. 16–26, see also
John 8:34)
We were “slaves of sin,” which means we were totally under its mastery.
2. What do you think it means to be a slave, and what sorts of things do you associate with slavery?
To be a slave is to be owned. A slave is forced to obey his master’s demands, no matter how
degrading or dangerous. A slave has no intrinsic worth to his master; his worth is determined by his
utility towards accomplishing the master’s goals. We would rightly associate beatings,
degradations, abuse, rape, and murder with the institution of slavery.
3. What do you think that Paul means when he describes us as slaves of sin?
For those outside of Christ, sin has an absolute mastery over people. And if sin is our master,
we have no choice but to sin. We consequently reap the fruits of sin consistently in our lives.
4. What are some specific areas of your life in which you can see sin’s mastery over you, maybe in the
past or maybe in the present?
This is a very personal question, and you might encourage students to simply write down their
answers privately. If you feel close to your students, you could share an example from your own
sanctification. In a public co-ed forum, we discourage talking personally about sexual sorts of
temptations. If this is a same-sex small group, then perhaps personal sharing would be appropriate.
5. What does Paul say has freed us from slavery to sin? (vv. 5–11)
The death and resurrection of Jesus has freed us from slavery to sin, because we are one with
him in both of these redemptive events. By virtue of our union with Christ, we died to sin with
Christ when he died, and we are raised to newness of life with him in his resurrection.
6. What does this mean the purchase price for our freedom was? (see also Ephesians 1:7)
The price that paid for our freedom was the blood of Jesus.
7. If we have died with Christ and been raised to a new life in him, what should our attitude towards sin be?
We are dead to sin, and it no longer has the primary hold over us. Sin is no longer the boss.
8. What does Paul say to the objection that we are free to sin because we are “under grace?” (vv. 15–18,
also vv. 1–4).
It’s ridiculous! Christ’s work for us and in us has completely changed our central motivations
and our goals in life. Those who have truly experienced grace and are “under grace” must be
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motivated by a desire to please God rather than to do as they please. For those who have been saved,
to continue in sin is to revile the life which Christ has given us in his resurrection, and it is to
disregard our obligation to obey Christ Jesus as our new and better master.
9. What obligation do we have as slaves of righteousness?
We are to present ourselves as obedient servants (Gk., “slaves”) of God and to engage ourselves
wholeheartedly in his service and in furthering our own sanctification, or growth in holiness.
10. Reflect on your own life for a minute. How would you rate your obedience from the heart as Paul
describes in verse 17?
This is a personal question. If students are willing to share, ask follow-up questions.
11, What is the reward that God has promised us if we persevere in obedience? (vv. 22–23)
We are promised continual sanctification leading to eternal life. To be clear, our perseverance
and continued sanctification aren’t how we earn eternal life. Rather, we engage in sanctification
as we look forward to eternal life in faith. If we really believe that we will spend eternity with
Christ in glory, then we ought to spend this life pursuing Christ and preparing ourselves
for an eternity in his presence.
IMPLICATIONS
A. In what specific ways can you “present yourself to God... and your members to God as instruments for
righteousness”? How can you offer yourself to God for his service daily?
In Romans 12, Paul writes: “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to
present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual
worship.” He then goes on in the following chapters to list a variety of means of doing this.
• First, Paul calls us away from conformity to the world, calling us towards transformation
through the renewal of our minds. We ought to dedicate our minds and our intelligence to
knowing God and learning to think and evaluate matters as he would.
• Second, we ought to view ourselves properly within the body of Christ, knowing our
spiritual giftedness and using our abilities as God has given them to us for the building
up of the body. In short, we ought to do what is in our power to encourage and
strengthen other believers.
• Third, we are to love one another genuinely and affectionately, placing the needs of others
before our own, and being kind and humble even in the face of opposition.
• Fourth, we should submit to those authorities God has placed over us, regardless how well
they do their job and regardless of whether they honor God’s authority.
• Fifth, we are to live as Christians should—refraining from a lifestyle guided by our sinful
impulses (drunkenness, sexual immorality, quarreling and jealousy), and instead following
the example Christ set for us through his ministry and laid out for us in Scripture.
• Sixth, we must respect the dictates of our conscience. Those who feel at liberty to enjoy
things that Scripture hasn’t forbidden may enjoy them, and those who feel they shouldn’t
participate in these things shouldn’t feel compelled by the group that they ought to.
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B. Paul makes a strong argument that sin will not have dominion over us since we are under God’s
grace. However, we still struggle with sin. How can we reconcile these opposing realities?
(See Romans 7:7–25)
We take Paul’s words in Romans 7 to be a description of his struggle with sin having already
become a follower and apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ. What we see in this description of Paul’s
struggle with his own sin is that believers are not entirely released from sin’s corrupting influence
in this life. As the Westminster Confession of Faith explains, “This corruption of nature, during this
life, doth remain in those that are regenerated; and although it be, through Christ, pardoned and
mortified, yet both itself and all the motions thereof are truly and properly sin” (WCF 6.5).
Consequently, we should realize that as sinners redeemed through Christ and alive in the
Spirit, we have two natures at war within us. We have within us our fallen, sinful nature which we
inherited through Adam (which Paul calls the “flesh” and the “old man/self”), and we have within
us a regenerated, holy nature which we have been given through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit
(which Paul calls the “mind,” “inner man,” and the “new man/self”). These two natures are
constantly at war with one another. More accurately, we are at war with ourselves. As Paul says,
“I see in my members another law [principle] waging war against the law of my mind and making
me captive to the law [principle] of sin that dwells in my members” (Romans 7:23).
C. Express in your own words how freedom from sin is good news to you. From what sin in particular
do you desire to be freed?
Students may not have had time to experience the painful consequences of sin yet in their
lifetime. Nonetheless, the path of sin always leads to pain and destruction. Anyone who has
experienced the painful consequences of sin can know first-hand why being freed from sin can
(and should!) be a deep desire for the believer. Sin so easily entraps and brings ruin into our lives.
It is a bad master from whom we should long for freedom.
What is more, being freed from sin grants us the greater freedom to honor Christ. Christ has
not merely released us from sin, but he has brought us to himself. He has offered to satisfy our
hearts and our longings. He has said, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever
believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘out of his heart will flow rivers of living water’”
(John 7:37–38). In short, freedom from sin involves finding our deeper satisfaction in Jesus.
Thus, if we would be more deeply satisfied in Jesus, we ought to take our sin seriously and rid
ourselves of its shackles to the best of our ability.
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Lesson Twelve: Sons and Daughters
CHAPTER ANSWERS
1. What is true for those who believe in Christ Jesus? Why? (v. 1)
There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. They are not condemned
because, by virtue of their union with Christ, their sins have already been condemned in Christ
in his crucifixion. (Colossians 2:13–15)
2. List some of the differences Paul mentions between the mind that is “set on the flesh” and the mind
that is “set on the Spirit.” (vv. 5–8)
The mind set on the flesh is:

• death,
• hostile to God,
• cannot submit to God’s law,
• and cannot please God.
The mind set on the Spirit is:

• life & peace, which means
• it loves God,
• it can submit to God’s law,
• and is able to please God.
3. In your own words, what might be the central motivation of “the mind that is set on the flesh”?
How might it be different from the central motivation of “the mind that is set on the Spirit”?
The mind that is set on the flesh is focused on satisfying and pleasing the self. The mind that is
set on the Spirit is focused on the love of God which we have received, and therefore our desire is to
please the Spirit rather than satisfying our selfish desires.
4. Which of these motivations do you tend to live by?
Any true believer is going to admit that we live by a mixture of motivations. On one level, we do
want to please God and we set our minds on him. On another level, we seek our own pleasure and
do what we want without considering whether or not it pleases God. Further still, none of our
motives is completely pure, and so in a single choice we may be seeking to please God
but have selfish motivations, too. With Paul we therefore cry, “Who will rescue me from this
body of death?” (Romans 7:24)
5. What is the relationship between belonging to Christ and having the Spirit of God dwelling
within you? (v. 9)
If you don’t have the Spirit of God living in you, then you don’t belong to Christ (and vice versa).
Likewise, if you belong to Christ, you must have the Spirit of God living in you (and vice versa).
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6. If we belong to Christ and have his Spirit dwelling within us, what impact does this have on the way
we view ourselves? (vv. 10–11) How can we apply this when our own sins and failures get us down?
Paul is teaching us here that even though our flesh is still beset by sin, we can know that our
spirits are alive to God in righteousness because he has regenerated us and sealed us with the Holy
Spirit. The Holy Spirit was God’s agent of creation in Genesis 1. He was the person who
supernaturally formed Jesus’ human body inside the virgin Mary. This is why we call him the
Spirit of Life. If the Holy Spirit is inside us, he is actively giving us life.
Even in our failures, God’s Spirit is not giving up on us. Scripture teaches us that we can grieve
the Holy Spirit, but he never will leave us like he left King Saul. How do we know this? Just look at
the end of chapter 8. In Christ, we have eternal security. Nothing can separate us from the love of
God in Christ Jesus—and the Holy Spirit is the guarantee of his love in our hearts. Therefore, when
we fall into sin and when we “fail God,” it is vital that we remember our sin is no longer what defines
us. Rather, the life-giving power of the Holy Spirit is what defines us.
7. If we are led by the Spirit of God, what is our spiritual identity? (v. 14)
Sons of God.
8. Why do you think Paul says, “sons,” rather than, “sons and daughters” (v. 14)? Is he excluding
women? What do you think?
In the ancient world, sons were the heirs. They had all the rights and privileges in society and
within the family estate. Women had very few rights or privileges in society, and they were
completely dependent on their fathers, husbands, and brothers. A woman could not receive an
inheritance. In these ways, women were second class citizens.
By calling all believers “sons,” God’s Word puts all believers, both men and women, on equal
footing in God’s household.We confess in the Shorter Catechism, “Adoption is an act of God’s free
grace, whereby we are received into the number, and have a right to all the privileges of the sons of
God” (Q. 34). Thus, Paul is not excluding women by using a masculine word. Rather, he is making
sure we all understand that women have the same full access to God and the same full privileges of
eternal life as the men. Men and women enjoy fellowship with the Father and receive the promised
inheritance of eternal life in equal share. (However, this is not to say that men and women share the
same roles within the Church. The word “privilege” is to be interpreted as the eternal privileges that
Christ merited by his obedience, not what we might call the “privilege of leadership” or ordination
to office in the Church.)
9. What is the personal significance to you that God sees you as his son or daughter?
I am loved. Nothing that I can do can make me lose this state of being. God cares for me deeply
and will always be there for me, pursuing my best interest. Even if I feel estranged from my
heavenly Father, I can know that he will receive me with open arms if I run to him.
10. Read verse 15 again. Discuss the difference between serving God as a “slave” and as a “son.”
A slave serves God with fear—fear of being punished, fear of disapproval, etc. A slave can be
disowned, and he knows this. So a slave does not focus on pleasing God so much as he focuses on
not DISPLEASING him. A slave is afraid to mess up or get it wrong.
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A son, by contrast, is motivated by the love of his Father and love for his Father. If he is secure
in his Father’s love, he does everything knowing that even his failures and wrong-headed efforts
cannot shake his Father’s love. Thus, the son serves the Father out of delight and with a desire to
please, because the joy of the Father is the joy of the son.
11. How can you know for certain whether or not you are a child of God? (v. 16)
Not everyone experiences the certainty of salvation known as assurance. However, it is possible
for every believer to have assurance and to know for certain they are saved. The Holy Spirit
confirms to our spirits that we are God’s children. But if we grieve the Holy Spirit through
unrepentant sin, assurance may be elusive. The answer is repentance and restoration through the
ministry of the Church. Additionally, there are those who by disposition never feel secure in their
relationship with God. If this is you, it is vital to remember that your security is in Christ Jesus, your
representative before God, not in how secure you feel on any given day.
IMPLICATIONS
A. Read Romans 8:14–17 and 8:29. How is our adoption as children of God related to, and yet
different from, Jesus’ identity as the Son of God?
When we speak of Jesus as “the Son of God” and ourselves as “sons of God,” we need to make a
careful distinction. Jesus is uniquely the “only-begotten Son of God” (John 3:18, NASB). As the
second person of the Trinity, Jesus always has been and always will be the eternal Son of God. Thus,
we confess in the Nicene Creed that Jesus is “God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God;
begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father.” As regards his deity and subsistence
within the Trinity, Jesus is uniquely God’s Only Son. We neither inherit nor partake in this special
trinitarian existence. Related to this is how we refer to God as “the Father.” John Murray writes,
Adoption is concerned with the fatherhood of God in relationship to men. When we think
of God’s fatherhood it is necessary to make certain distinctions. There is, first of all, God’s
fatherhood which is exclusively trinitarian, the fatherhood of the Father, the first person of the
Trinity, in relation to the Son, the second person. This applies only to God the Father in his
eternal and necessary relation to the Son and to the Son alone. It is unique and exclusive. No
one else, not even the Holy Spirit, is the Son in this sense. It does not apply to angels or men. In
modern theology it is sometimes said that men by adoption come to share in Christ’s Sonship
and thus enter into the divine life of the Trinity. This is a grave confusion and error.
The eternal Son of God is the only-begotten and no one shares in his Sonship, just as the God
the Father is not the Father of any other in the sense in which he is the Father of the only
begotten and eternal Son.18
We also speak of Jesus as the “Son of God” in another sense: the sense of his role as Messiah
and Second Adam (Matt. 26:63; Luke 1:35; 3:38; John 1:49). As the Messiah and Second Adam,
Jesus unites himself to his elect people. The things Jesus accomplishes as our representative, he
accomplishes on our behalf. As we have been studying, Jesus the Son of God has obeyed his Father
perfectly, he has effectively served as substitute for our sins, and he perfectly represents us before
God the Father. As a reward for his perfect victory over sin, death, and the devil, Jesus has
inherited both eternal life and the Kingdom of God (Phil. 2:5-11, Heb. 1:1–5).
18
Murray, Redemption: Accomplished and Applied, p. 134.
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This second sense in which Jesus is the Son of God naturally flows out of the first. However, it
is as the Messiah/Second Adam, and not as the “only-begotten,” that Jesus has united us with
himself and brought us into the “household of God” (Eph. 2:19). If we are in Christ, we are heirs of
eternal life and fellow heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17). Jesus is thus the firstborn (Rom. 8:29) of
the family of faith, in which we ourselves become God’s children through adoption. And most
importantly, God the Father loves us with the same love with which he loves his unique Son. “See
what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we
are,” (1 John 3:1). In this regard, Murray writes,
When God is thought of in terms of adoption as “our heavenly Father” or “our Father” it is
the first person of the trinity, the person who is specifically the Father, who is in view. The
people of God are the sons of God the Father and he sustains to them this highest and most
intimate of relationships. This fact enhances the marvel of the relationship established by
adoption. The first person of the Godhead is not only the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ but is also the God and Father of those who believe in Jesus’ name. The relation of God
as Father to the Son must not be equated, of course, with the relation of God as Father to men.
Eternal generation must not be equated with adoption. Our Lord himself guarded the
distinction... But though the relation of Fatherhood differs, it is the same person who is the
Father of the Lord Jesus Christ in the ineffable mystery of the trinity who is the Father of
believers in the mystery of his adoptive grace. God the Father is not only the specific agent in
the act of adoption; he also constitutes those who believe in Jesus’ name his own children.19
B. Name one sin that dominates your life. List and discuss what practical steps you can take to put this
sin to death. Would you be willing to partner with someone in your group to seriously do battle
with this particular sin?
Every person sins and is beset by temptation to sin. However, some people find themselves
mastered by sin. They may have spotted the problem, but they cannot seem to make any progress
towards defeating and mortifying that sin. Perhaps it is anger, perhaps it is gossip, or perhaps it is
the fear of man. But, let’s be honest: many of us are (or have been) mastered by sins of a sexual
nature and suffer (or have suffered) under addictions to pornography. Whether the sins our
students are wrestling with are of a sexual nature or not, the strategy for defeating sin remains
effectively the same.
First, if we are serious about putting sin to death in our life, we have to take our cues from
Matthew 18:7–9. In that passage, Jesus discusses the necessity of removing temptations to sin,
even if the process proves painful. We call this the principle of “radical amputation.” If a patient has
a gangrenous toe, surgeons don’t try to save the toe; they try to save the leg. They cut off the toe.
After all, it is better to lose a toe than a whole leg. Jesus has the same point here in Matthew 18. As
much as it hurts, we have to be willing to get rid of the sources of temptation in our life. If we are
struggling with internet pornography, then what we need to do is get rid of our internet (or install
a filter that we cannot get around). If it is an inappropriate relationship, we need to get out of it. We
would like to be strong enough to resist temptation so that we don’t have to inconvenience
ourselves too terribly. But Jesus says that’s not the way it works. First, we have to remove the source
of temptation. Then, and only then, do we begin to build up the strength to resist temptation. Like
cancer, habitual sin must first be starved before it can be excised.
Second, those who are struggling with habitual sin need to identify what heart-need they are
attempting to satisfy with sin. Maybe it is loneliness, maybe it is shame, maybe it is a need for
Ibid. 139–140.
19
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control, or to be desired. These longings are all consequences of the Fall. Whatever our
heart-longing is, we need to find our satisfaction in Christ. In John 4, Jesus confronts the woman
at the well with her own heart-longing that led her to serial marriage and extra-marital affairs. He
offers to fill that longing when he says, “whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never
be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to
eternal life” (John 4:14). Later in John, Jesus promises those who follow him the bread of life,
which is himself. In short, Jesus alone can satisfy our needs and longings, if only we will run to him.
Thomas Chalmers called this “the expulsive power of a new affection.” If we find in Christ a greater
affection and love, and we consequently find our needs met in him, then the deceitfulness of sin
loses its luster and thereby its power.
Lastly, if we are serious about putting sin to death, then we must realize we cannot do it alone.
As God said at the beginning, “It is not good for man to be alone. I will make a helper fit for him.”
God was talking there about marriage, but the principle applies to the loneliness of a struggle with
sin. When we are low, helpless, and weak, we need the help of other brothers and sisters in Christ.
This is why James says, “Confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may
be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working” (James 5:16).
There is a unique strength of spirit that only comes when we share our struggles with close
Christian friends and receive their encouragement and support. As Solomon says, “Though
a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a three-fold cord
is not quickly broken” (Eccl. 4:12).
C. How would you describe your own affection for God, and what might be keeping you from feeling a
deeper love for God?
The epistle of 1 John has several things to say about experiencing God’s love and knowing that
we too love God. First, we may have a lackluster love for God because we are distracted by the idols
of this world. John writes, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the
world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 John 2:15). Think about what our treasure is in this
life. What are we most attracted to? What does the heart really and truly love? Is it Christ Jesus, or
is it something this world has to offer?
Second, we may not feel a deep love of God because we are unrepentant in our sin. This could
mean we aren’t aware that our actions are sinful. “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves,
and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to
cleanse us from all unrighteousness,” (1 John 1:8–9). Or, it could be that we know we are in sin,
but we refuse to come clean. We make excuses for our sin, or we just deny that it’s wrong. “If we say
we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us” (1 John 1:10). “No one who abides
in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him”
(1 John 3:6). How can we feel God’s love for us, if by our actions we bring his wrath
and judgment on ourselves?
Lastly, we may not feel a deep love for God because we simply are not genuine Christians. How
can we grow more deeply in love with God if our profession of faith is merely on the surface and not
from the heart? This may be why we have so much sin in our life and have no idea what to do with
it. “Whoever says, ‘I know him’ but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not
in him” (1 John 2:4). But, “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God,
and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him” (1 John 5:1). If you have
not experienced the saving love of God, then that is where you need to start.
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Lesson Thirteen: Eternally Secure
CHAPTER ANSWERS
1. What event does Paul say that we, as people who have been born again by God’s Spirit, eagerly wait
for? (v. 23)
We are waiting for the redemption of our bodies and the finalization of our
adoption at Jesus’ return.
2. Why does Paul say creation itself is groaning in pain for the return of Christ? (see v. 21–22)
Creation has been suffering ever since Genesis 3 under the curse of God. Because God placed
the earth under Adam’s stewardship, when Adam fell, creation fell, too. When Adam’s race,
mankind, is resurrected and finally and totally redeemed from the curse, then creation will be
released from the curse, too. Thus, creation “longs” to enter its resurrected state as a New Heavens
and New Earth. Our Creator and Redeemer is not simply interested in our human souls.
He is interested in releasing the whole of his good creation from its bondage to
corruption, decay, and death.
3. Have you ever experienced a deep longing for Jesus to return? If so, is there anything in your life pres-
ently—(for example: a disease, a stressful relationship, a sin)—that makes you want Jesus to return
quickly?
One of the most purifying experiences for a Christian is going through suffering. In our modern
world, we look at suffering as something that is to be avoided and eliminated if at all possible.
However, this is not the Bible’s view of suffering. James 1:2–4 says, “Count it all joy, my brothers,
when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces
steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete,
lacking in nothing.” Additionally, just as the things we suffer purify us and produce
steadfastness in us, they also develop in us a longing for heaven and for Jesus’ return. In this way,
we can sing with Henry Alford,
Ten thousand times ten thousand in sparkling raiment bright,

The armies of the ransomed saints throng up the steeps of light:
’Tis finished, all is finished, their fight with death and sin:
Fling open wide the golden gates and let the victors in.
What rush of alleluias fills all the earth and sky!
What ringing of a thousand harps bespeaks the triumph night!
O day, for which creation and all its tribes were made;
O joy, for all its former woes a thousand fold repaid!
Bring near thy great salvation, thou Lamb for sinners slain;
Fill up the roll of thine elect, then take they pow’r and reign:
Appear, Desire of nations, thine exiles long for home;
Show in the heav’ns thy promised sign; thou Prince and Savior, come.
(Ten Thousand Times Ten Thousand, stanzas 1, 2, & 4, by Henry Alford).
107
4. How does the Holy Spirit help us as we patiently wait for Christ to return? (vv. 26–27)
The Holy Spirit prays for us in ways that words cannot attain to: in groans and sighs and silent
pleas. God knows what we need, and he answers the Spirit’s prayers for us. Additionally, the Spirit
is able to take our prayers and carry them to God in ways that are always acceptable to God.
5. If the Holy Spirit is able to bring things to God that you are unable to express clearly—things like pain
and grief—how might that change the way you approach prayer?
This means that my prayers don’t have to be clearly expressed for God to act on them. I don’t
have to put them into a perfect form, or make sure that they are free from sinful motives before I
bring them to God. Thus, I can pour out my complaints to God and know that he understands. And
when words don’t come in prayer, that’s okay, too. I can still pray by being silent before God,
without feeling a need to speak (Phil. 4:6).
6. What can we conclude about the things that happen to us if we are God’s children, regardless of
whether they feel good or bad?
All things contribute to our ultimate good, both in this life and the next.
7. When Paul says that God predestined those whom he foreknew, what does he mean? Discuss.
In discussing God’s “foreknowledge” of those whom he predestines, we can interpret the term
in either of two ways. The first way is perhaps more common, which is to interpret God’s foreknowl-
edge as mental awareness of those he will choose. Under this framework, God knows something
about those whom he predestines that elicits his choice. God chooses people that he knows
beforehand will believe in him, or do great things for his kingdom, or have a pure heart, etc. In each
case, however, what God is “knowing” and looking at is something in the individual he chooses. His
choice is based on something man brings to the table. This type of “crystal ball” foreknowledge runs
contrary to the gospel of free grace.
The biblical understanding of foreknowledge interprets the word “foreknowledge” as a

knowledge from God’s heart. God knows his people with an intimate, sovereign love before they can
do anything good or bad (Romans 9:10–13). In this framework, God chooses people based on his
own intimate love for them before they are even born. His choice is not based on anything good in
them or done by them. In fact, God’s choice is not based on the individual at all. Foreknowledge
therefore speaks more of God’s heart for a person than anything else. That this is the proper
interpretation of the word should be apparent from how God speaks of his chosen people in
Romans 8. He speaks of love and adoption.
8. What else does God do to/for those whom he predestined to everlasting life? Why might Paul have
written these verbs in the past tense (thinking especially of the word “glorified”)? (v. 30)
God calls them; he justifies them; and, he glorifies them. Paul speaks in the past tense because
once God has chosen a person, he will complete his work (Phil. 1:6). The choice of tense
emphasizes the fact that these actions will certainly be completed. Even though glorification is an
event that happens when Jesus returns and recreates all things, we can speak of it with so much
certainty as to say that God has already done it.
Furthermore, since our justification is through the risen Lord Jesus, there is a sence in which
we are also glorified with him already. We are identified with him in his resurrection and ascension.
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We are already “New Creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Ultimately, this is why our own future
glorification is so certain. Jesus is glorified, and since we are in him, we also must one day be.
9. What is Paul’s response to the question, “Who can bring a charge against God’s elect?” How might
this help when our consciences accuse us, or when we have a hard time forgiving ourselves for our
failures? (v. 33–34)
God is the only one who judges and makes righteous. Christ Jesus has died, been raised, is at
God’s right hand, and intercedes for us. As a result, God’s opinion and stance towards us is all that
matters. He is the judge of all, and Christ is the one who rules over all and will bring final judgment
at the last day. Therefore, if they both approve of us, no one else’s condemnation or judgment
matters, not even the condemnation of our own consciences. Of course, we need to listen to our
conscience. But sometimes our conscience and sense of guilt become distorted and can
keep us from remembering that Jesus has forgiven us. At such points we need to remember
whose opinion matters most.
10. What are some things you worry could make you lose your salvation or lose your faith in Christ?
It is easy for us to worry about the sincerity and depth of our faith in Christ. And, it is certainly
worth asking ourselves the question, “In what circumstance might I be tempted to walk away from
Christianity?” At the very least, this question can give us an insight into our true temptations.
Possible answers include:
• The answer might be persecution: Would I really have the resolution of faith to confess
Christ as my Lord if it meant surrendering my life?
• The answer might be compromise: If I were offered millions of dollars to walk away from
the church and Christianity, would I do it?
• The answer might be pleasure: If I were faced with the choice between my own personal
pleasure and following Christ down a road of suffering, which would I choose? Is there a sin
that I might leave Christ to chase after?
• The answer might be intellectual: What if I get to college and my classes convince me that
the Bible is wrong?
There are any number of temptations to lose faith in Christ and walk away from him and
from the church. And for each individual some temptations will be stronger. But God is
stronger than them all.
11. What does Paul say can separate believers from the love of God in Christ Jesus? (vv. 35–39) What
does this mean for any fears you may have of losing your faith or of losing your salvation?
God’s word clearly says here that nothing can separate us from the love of God. This means that
once God has set his love on me, then nothing can change that. I am secure. I can have peace in my
relationship with God, and my fears are baseless. That is, if I am a child of God. This security
is only for those who are loved by the Father. It is not for those who merely think they love
God or merely think they believe. If you do not actually know God or believe the Gospel, there
is no security for you.
Remember the parable of the sower in Matthew 13. Some of the soils accepted the gospel and
began to grow in faith. But not every heart actually believed the message deeply. There were those
whose hearts were rocky or thorny ground. When things got hot or difficult, they withered. This
parable teaches us that we can receive the gospel without actually finding our strength and security
in God’s love. But if we abide God’s love, then we can be forever secure.
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IMPLICATIONS
A. What might be some of the objections people could raise to the doctrine that you cannot lose your
salvation? How would you respond?
We will handle the typical objections in order of difficulty. The first is the easiest and is the
objection that those who commit suicide have no opportunity to repent from their sin and thus
cannot be saved. This understanding of the sin of suicide, however, is dependent on the Roman
Catholic distinction between mortal and venial sins. In the Roman Catholic framework, mortal sins
(such as murder) must be confessed to the priest before they can be forgiven by God; and, if a
person dies without confessing his mortal sins (or receiving “extreme unction”), then he will not be
permitted to enter heaven. However, a biblical understanding of sin and forgiveness maintains that
if a person is united to Christ by faith, all sins are forgiven, even those not yet committed and
thereby unconfessed. Justification is final upon conversion. As grievous as suicide is, Christ’s death
and resurrection covers it, if—and only if—that person has been justified by God’s grace through
faith. And yes, genuine believers can commit suicide.
The second common objection concerns those who walk away from the faith. Most of us know
people who grew up in our youth groups, appeared to be pillars of gospel sincerity, but who lost
faith in college or adulthood and walked away from the church. How are we to understand them?
Did they not lose their salvation? According to the New Testament, the answer is “no.” In his
discussion of false teachers, John writes, “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they
had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain
that they all are not of us” (1 John 2:19). Likewise, Jesus teaches in the parable of the soils
(Matt. 13) that some people appear to receive the gospel with joy and gladness, but they never root
down into Christ. They are never truly united to Christ by faith but only have a surface
Christianity, and so they always fall away. Those who walk away from the faith were
never truly saved to begin with.
The third common objection is the argument that, if we cannot lose our salvation, then what is
keeping us from walking in sin, knowing that what we do doesn’t matter? The way to answer this
objection is by keying in on its last phrase: “knowing that what we do doesn’t matter.” Scripture
teaches that what we do does matter. The commands to persevere and endure, resist temptation
and abide in Christ are all real commands. (See Matt. 24:13, John 15:6, 1 Cor. 15:1–2, and
Heb. 10:36–39, frequently used to support this objection.) Without holiness none shall see
God (Heb. 12:14). The idea that “what we do doesn’t matter” is a misunderstanding
of the doctrine of perseverance.
Nonetheless, the question remains, what keeps us from walking in sin as believers if we don’t
have to fear for our salvation? The answer to this question should be obvious from the foregoing
study. How can anyone who has died to sin still live in it? (Rom. 6:2) By definition, “No one born of
God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning
because he has been born of God” (1 John 3:9). Those who are truly saved are given a new,
regenerate nature in Christ Jesus that loves God and hates sin. That is what keeps
us from walking in sin.
The last objection is in some ways the most difficult, but it is answered in much the same way
as the others. This objection appeals to the warning passages of Scripture, including those passages
that emphasize the “conditionality” of final salvation. Passages such as Hebrews 6:4–8 and 2 Peter
2:20–22 warn against apostasy and turning away in very strong terms. Their language suggests
that people can walk the path of righteousness and received God’s Spirit, but then fall away. How
can someone who has “tasted the heavenly gift and has shared in the Holy Spirit” (as Hebrews 6
110
says) not be truly saved? How can their wandering away from the faith, such that it is impossible to
restore them, not be a losing of their salvation?
“What then do these passages teach, if they do not teach that Christians may fall away from the
state of salvation and be lost? They teach that there is such a thing as ‘temporary faith’ which is not
true faith in Christ at all. The Westminster Confession of Faith speak of some who ‘may be called by
the ministry of the Word, and may have some common operations of the Spirit,’ yet who ‘never
truly come unto Christ, and therefore cannot be saved’ (X/iv).”20 Once again, we think back to the
parable of the soils. There are those who appear for perhaps much of their lives to be Christians, but
on a day known only to God the Father, they reject the faith and walk away never to return. “Not
everyone who says to me ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the Kingdom of heaven,” Jesus said (Matt. 7:21).
These passages (and others) remind us that it is possible to fool ourselves into thinking we believe,
when in fact our hearts have never actually tasted the love of God.
B. Knowing that we are eternally secure in the love of God, what should our attitude be as we approach
each day? Name an area of your life where this change of attitude is needed most.
If our hearts are truly gripped by the love of God and we are secure in the knowledge that we
are forever in his care, then we ought to be supremely joyful and content. Each day, we ought to
wake up with an excitement that everything is going to work out for our good and God’s glory.
Even if trouble comes our way, even if we suffer, we can be secure, content, and joyful.
This gives us a joyful readiness for each day, knowing that no matter what, we already
have God’s approval. (Eccl. 9:7).
However, most of us probably would not describe our days as “contented,” “secure,” or “joyful.”
We go to work, school, and social engagements with a great deal of insecurity in our hearts. We
worry about what we are going to do, or how we come across, and who is going to approve of us or
disapprove of us. We are not ready for the day so much as we are fearful or nervous. We must seek
our security in Christ by meditating on God’s unfailing love for us and how secure we are in him.
There is no no quick fix for worry or the fear of man, but by faithfully dwelling on the love of God
for us in Christ Jesus, we can retrain our brains to focus on him instead of our fears.
C. What has been the most helpful aspect of this study on being Right with God? Describe how
something you have learned has made a real impact in your life.
This is a naturally personal question. Feel free to share first as a leader what you have
particularly gained from leading this study. It doesn’t have to be something from the text of the
lesson either. It could be something from your relationships with your students.
Reymond, A New Systematic Theology of the Christian Faith, p. 789.

20
111
ANNOTATED WORKS CITED
APPENDIX B
A Greek//English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 3rd edition.
Bauer, Danker, Arndt, and Gingrich, eds. Chicago, Illinois: The University of
Chicago Press, 1979.
Berkhof, Louis. Manual of Christian Doctrine. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 2001.
Think of this as a synopsis of Berkhof’s Systematic theology. It summarizes each section and
includes Bible references and common objections.
Systematic Theology. Edinburgh: The Banner of Truth Trust, 2000.

A little dense, but still a great place to turn for classical reformed orthodoxy.
Boice, James Montgomery. Genesis, Volume 1. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Books, 1998.
Currid, John. Genesis, Volume 1. Webster, New York: Evangelical Press, 2003.
John Currid’s commentary on Genesis is one of the best conservative, exegetical
commentaries money can buy.
Dictionary of Biblical Imagery. Ryken, Wilhoit, and Longman, eds. Downers Grove, Illinois:
InterVarsity Press, 1998.
This volume is less a Bible dictionary than it is a summary of different biblical themes and
metaphors. Think of it as a guide to the recurring motifs and images of biblical theology.
ESV Bible Atlas. Currid, John and David Barrett, eds. Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway, 2010.
If you like maps and visuals, you need to own this atlas. Additionally, it provides a very
accessible summary of biblical history.
Ferguson, Sinclair. Let’s Study Mark. Edinburgh: The Banner of Truth Trust, 2002.
Faith Comes by Hearing: A Response to Inclusivism. Morgan, Christopher and Robert

Peterson, eds. Downer’s Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press Academic, 2008.
The authors included in this collection of essays interact with the cultural pressure against
the exclusive claims to truth presented by the Bible and the Christian gospel.
Keller, Tim. The Prodigal God. New York, New York: Dutton, 2008.
Tim Keller discusses the historical meaning behind the parable of the Prodigal Son, focusing
on the character of both brothers and then drawing the lines to Jesus.
—The Reason for God. New York, New York: Dutton, 2008.
Keller’s fantastic book on apologetics begins with a dialogical response to common
objections to faith in God, from a more postmodern angle than those examined by Sproul.
The second half of the book comprises his apologetic argument for a belief in God generally
and in Christ Jesus particularly.
112
Right with God works cited
Ladd, George Eldon. A Theology of the New Testament. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B.
Eerdmans, 1993.
Ladd walks through each book of the New Testament explaining central theological themes
for each book and author.
Letham, Robert. The Work of Christ. Downer’s Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 1993.
Letham covers the work of Christ through his offices of Prophet, Priest, and King.
Lloyd-Jones, Martyn. The Cross. Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway Books, 1986.

You cannot go wrong with Lloyd-Jones. He spends the whole book encouraging the reader to
find his joy in the cross of Christ. Along the way, he has some very insightful applications for
life in the modern world.
—God’s Ultimate Purpose, Sermons on Ephesians, Volume 1. Grand Rapids, Michigan:

Baker Books, 1979.
Lundgaard, Kris. The Enemy Within. Phillipsburg, New Jersey: P&R, 1998.
The Enemy Within is an adaptation of two works by John Owen on dealing with sin in the
believer’s life: Indwelling Sin and The Mortification of Sin.
Murray, John. Redemption: Accomplished and Applied. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B.
Eerdmans, 1955.
With its clear, masterful explanation of the atonement, this book is simply one of the most
important books to have in the Christian’s library. Redemption: Accomplished and Applied,
served as the basis for this bible study. If you only buy one book to lead this study, buy this
one.
New Bible Dictionary, 3rd edition. Douglas, Wood, Marshall, Millard, Packer, and Wiseman,
eds. Downers Grove, Illinois: IVP Academic, 1996.
The InterVarsity New Bible Dictionary and related volumes are the gold standard in biblical
studies. They are without a doubt the best place to start in understanding biblical terms.
Packer, J.I. Concise Theology. Wheaton, Illinois: Tyndall House Publishers, 1993.
Packer’s Concise Theology is a marvelous little theological introduction that covers a great
deal of systematic theology in a mere two pages per topic. It is very easy to read.
Piper, John. Desiring God. Sisters, Oregon: Multnomah, 1996.

John Piper’s seminal work on being satisfied in God.
The Reformation Study Bible. Sproul, R.C. and Keith Mathison, eds. Lake Mary, Florida:
Ligonier Ministries, 2005.
Reymond, Robert. A New Systematic Theology of the Christian Faith. Nashville, Tennessee:
Thomas Nelson, 1998.
One of the best one-volume systematic theologies on the market today. Solidly reformed.
The biggest strength of the work is that the relevant texts of Scripture and of the Westmin-
ster Confession are included in the text of the book, rather than serving as references. As a
result, it feels more like an explanation of Scripture than does Berkhof.
113
Right with God works cited
Sproul, R.C. Essential Truths of the Christian Faith. Carol Stream, Illinois: Tyndall House,
1992.
This is very similar to Packer’s Concise Theology, however it is written more for study
classes and discussion. As such, it is a great place to begin if someone has a question about
theology.
—Reason to Believe. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 1982.

This little book on apologetics provides responses to typical objections to biblical claims to
truth, the authority of the Bible, the nature of God, and the person and work of Christ.
The Westminster Confession of Faith and Catechisms, Free Presbyterian Press edition.
Glasgow, Scotland: Free Presbyterian Publications, 1994.
If you don’t have a copy of the Westminster Confession of Faith and Catechisms, make sure
you get a copy of the Confession published by the Orthodox Presbyterian Church and adopt-
ed by the Presbyterian Church in America (published c. 1956). This publication represents
the orthodox “American” version of the Confession. You can find it online at the website of
the PCA Administrative Committee as follows: <http://www.pcaac.org/resources/wcf/>.
Williamson, G.I. The Westminster Shorter Catechism for Study Classes. Phillipsburg, New
Jersey: Presbyterian & Reformed, 2003.
This is a great walk through the Shorter Catechism, absolutely useful for youth classes.
Contains equal parts explanation and application.
114
THE IMPUTATION & CONSEQUENCES OF ADAM’S SIN
FIGURE 1
GOD wrath
Adam post-fall
g u ilt
fear/hatred
d is p o sit io n
corruption
US 115
THE IMPUTATION & CONSEQUENCES OF CHRIST’S
OBEDIENCE, DEATH, & RESURRECTION
FIGURE 1
standing
satisfaction
GODwrath
p ro p i t a t i o n
favor
r i g h te o u s n e s s
Christ Jesus
love
guilt
d is p o sit io n
Holy Spirit
e x p i at i o n
imputation regeneration
US 116

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JUSTIFICATION:

Right with God

J.M. Owens III

Reformed Youth Ministries

•Lesson Two: Original Sin 12

•Lesson Eight: Peace with God 36

•Lesson Ten: The Free Gift of God 45

•Lesson Eleven: Free from Sin! 49

•Lesson Thirteen: Eternally Secure 59

•Appendix A: Suggested Answers 65

•Appendix B: Annotated Words Cited 112

We will discover together

May the following study

Additionally, we want to steer students away from proof-texting and relying on

Read Genesis 1:27–2:25

2. According to Genesis 2:16-17, God placed a condition on Adam and Eve

Read Genesis 3:1–13

Read Genesis 3:14-24

In Hebrew, Eve’s name means “life-giver.”

READ ROMANS 3:10–12

4. What does 1 Corinthians 6:9–10 say the unrighteous can expect?

READ ROMANS 3:13–17

READ ROMANS 3:18–20

READ EPHESIANS 1:3–14

5. What is God’s plan ultimately leading to? (v. 10)

8. What is Christ Jesus’ relationship to the universe? (vv. 15–16)

9. What is Jesus’ relationship to the Church? (v. 18)

11. How has Jesus accomplished God’s plan? (vv. 19–22)

A. According to Ephesians 1:11, what types of things happen outside of God’s

C. In both Ephesians and Colossians, Paul emphasizes God’s purpose in

READ MATTHEW 4:1–11

First Temptation (v. 3):

Second Temptation (vv. 5–6):

Third Temptation (v 8):

READ GENESIS 3:1–6

READ HEBREWS 4:14–5:10

B. If Jesus’ righteousness is the only righteousness that is satisfying to God,

READ MARK 15:1–15

READ MARK 15:16–39

READ MARK 15:40–16:8

READ HEBREWS 9:11–22

READ HEBREWS 9:23–10:10

7. Why was it impossible for the God-ordained sacrifice of animals to effectively

READ HEBREWS 10:11–25

B. In Hebrews 10:19–25, the author mentions several ways of applying Christ’s

READ ISAIAH 52:13–53:3

READ ISAIAH 53:4–9

6. Verse 5 mentions two benefits that come to us by virtue of Christ’s death.

READ ISAIAH 53:10–12

10. What rewards come to us because of his willing sacrifice of himself?

READ 2 CORINTHIANS 5:16–17

2. If we aren’t to evaluate people according to human standards and wisdom, what

S omething truly significant is happening when Paul describes believers as “New

READ 2 CORINTHIANS 5:18–19

7. What responsibility has God given us as recipients of his gracious

READ 2 CORINTHIANS 5:20–21

READ GALATIANS 2:15–21

2. In your own words, what does it mean to be righteous in God’s sight?

Righteousness is an essential biblical idea. It defines our legal relationship with

Justification is a judicial act of God pardoning sinners (wicked and ungodly

READ GALATIANS 3:10–14

READ ROMANS 5:1–11

5. According to verse 9, what has Jesus’ death saved us from?

READ ROMANS 5:12–21