Focus Verse: Prov 4:7 Lesson Verse: Gal 6:7
A. Now begins God's conditions on life's blessings. God's blessings are not automatic - they are earned. Salvation is free, but the rewards are worked at (1Cor 3)
B. Conditional blessings/rewards are a fact of life. No job has automatic rewards - they are either because of individual efforts, or team efforts. If the company is not doing well, then its employees won't do well.
A. In this chapter, there are 9 works that a Christian must maintain - match the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit in the life (Gal 5:22,23). Those fruits will match these works and be evident by our works (Jam 2:18)!
1. Love - ability to love even your enemies
2. Joy - when there seems to be nothing to rejoice about
3. Peace - in the midst of the storms
4. Longsuffering - when you want to give-up
5. Gentleness - when your flesh wants to pounce
6. Goodness - doing good to others
7. Faith - ability to trust God in total obedience
8. Meekness - not drawing any attention to self, but all to Jesus Christ!
9. Temperance - being in control of the life, and surrendered to Jesus!
B. The Lord does not bless His people constantly, with no efforts on their parts. The victories of the Christian life are obtained by faith (obedience to God, and acted upon by works - effort
C. They are followed by God's blessing if they are done, or by a curse or correction if they are not done.
D. God here over and over calls on the heart and the mind to be active in our relationship with God.
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Ref |
What
a Christian MUST Do |
What
Is God's Reward |
Fruits |
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3:1,2 |
Hold onto God's laws and commandments. Don't let anything cause you to lose your grip on them Don't forget them (mind), And love to obey (with the heart - Ps 40:8) |
Long life Length of days - quality of life Peace (not normally what the world promotes - usually only "excitement, and stress, and pressure) |
Peace |
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3:3,4 |
Carefully maintain Mercy (heart - Mic 6:8) and Truth (mind - Jn 8:36) in your thinking, attitudes and actions. This is very hard to keep them balanced. You must BIND them to your thinking. Become slave to higher principles than just selfish wants and desires |
You will have favour with both God and man (EX: Daniel, Joseph) (New agers say don't even use your mind - Cf Isa 1:18; Act 17:2; 18:4 - leads to demon-possession) |
Joy |
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3:5-6 |
Trust in the Lord with the heart. Ignore your own understanding (mind) when you can't figure God out (it can lead to humanism , atheism, evolution) Acknowledge Him - fully recognize that it is God's hand in your life that makes anything of you (Ps 100). Let Him lead! |
God will provide Guidance (it is what every doctor, lawyer, pastor, and Joe Soap needs! Each step of the way laid out Wisdom about what to do next (Jam 1:5) |
Peace |
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If you are somewhere where the Lord cannot be acknowledged, then you have no business being there (Eph 5:8-11)! |
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3:7,8 |
Don't be proud - thinking you are so smart (Rom 12:3,16; 11:25; Pr 26:12) EX: Ahab (1Kg 22:30-35) Fear God Depart from evil - forsake it EX: Joseph (Gen 39:7-12) Have a good Spring Cleaning often! If you have to, do without, for Christ's sake! |
You will be healthier in flesh (fatter, Song 7:2) And in blood - marrow is the source of blood Your attitudes affect your health even more than your foods (Dan 1:8-10) |
Long-suffering |
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3:9,10 |
Tithe (Ex 13:12,13; Lev 23:10) (Don't be just a talker, but more so a walker - live the life, and that means from the pocketbook) |
Barns will burst God will bless you in proportion (Lk 6:38; remember, he already has blessed you) New wine is fresh wine, not new "stock" but fresh from the grape (Isa 65:8) |
Faith |
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3:11,12 |
Don't despise correction Whether from others, or especially from God (through his word, His Man, His hand, etc) Don't be weary of it (happens over and over - trying to wear our flesh out, but nor our heart) Don't grow tried of doing right, or wanting to serve God (EX: Num 14:1-3) |
You will understand the love of God You will be able to comfort others (2Cor 1:3-6) Makes us stronger - in the Lord, not in flesh! Produces GOODNESS in us |
Goodness! Love Long-suffering |
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3:13-24 |
Forget just getting knowledge Get Wisdom - seek to be wise Get Understanding Love them - treasure them Hold onto them Don't forget discretion - the ability to chose what is best |
True happiness - contentment! Great things can be gotten by it Your days will be longer - quality Peace Eternal life - life to the soul Wisdom and Understanding are what God used to create this universe Grace to the neck - adorns us (Cf 1Pet 3:3) instead of rebellion Safety Stability No fear Sweet sleep |
Meekness Joy Peace |
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Forget about the world's wisdom and philosophies - they only make good bird-cage paper (Col 2:8) |
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3:26,26 |
Make the Lord your confidence - not your self, or your stability, or intelligence (back to 3:5,6) |
You won't be afraid of sudden fear, nor of God's Judgment You won't slip or be strapped |
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3:27-35 |
Treat people right 1. Pay your bills - don't delay 2. Don't take advantage 3. Don't seek pay-backs (evil against enemies) 4. Don't fight without a VERY good reason 5. Don't envy those who hurt others 6. Don't use ANY of the devil's methods - where the end always justifies his means. Trying to do wrong in order to do right |
God will treat you right - show His secret of life God will come against you if you don't treat people right. Your home will be blessed God will give YOU grace - treat others as you want God to treat you (Eph 4:32; Mt 18:23-35) You will inherit glory and honour |
Gentleness Goodness |
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II.
Conclusion and Study Questions
A. The Lord does not bless His people constantly, with no efforts on their parts. The victories of the Christian life are obtained by ___________, and acted upon by _____________ (See James 2:18).
B. In this chapter, there are 9 works that a Christian must maintain - they match the nine ________ of the Holy Spirit in the life (Gal 5:22,23).
C. They are followed by God's ____________ if they are done, or by a ________ or correction if they are not done.
D. True or False. The believer doesn't just do right, only for right's sake - he or she does right also because there is a reward for doing right.
E. What does it mean to 'acknowledge the Lord?' ______________________ ___________________________________________________________
F. The world emphasizes the obtaining of knowledge. God emphasizes obtaining two more important things: 1) ___________ and _____________
G. Should a Christian ever do wrong to do right? Yes or No.
H. Should a Christian ever fight, or should we be totally pacifistic? ________ ___________________________________________________________
I. When a Christian is being corrected by the Lord, what is the attitude that the Lord has towards the Christian? _____________________
J. What does 'discretion' mean? ___________________________________ ___________________________________________________________