THEME FOR BIBLE LESSONS FOR SECOND QUARTER, 2018
The Just Shall Live By Faith
For this quarter we will focus on the principles of faith and trust in God. We want to explore the beginnings of faith, the necessity of faith, the walk of faith, and the fight of faith. Which vital doctrines are covered by these principles? What practical standards for personal living will these teachings require of our lives? What is the projected end—the GOAL—of a life of faith?
We hope to discover the answers to these questions as we study into the Word of God. Join us, and invite a friend, to share the joys and challenges of living by faith.
—Sis. Angela Gellenbeck
APRIL 1, 2018
FAITH’S BEGINNINGS
Romans 10:6 But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:)
7 Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.)
8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;
9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.
13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?
17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
18 But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world.
Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
MEMORY VERSE: For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. —I John 5:4
CENTRAL THOUGHT: Faith is born or implanted by God in the heart of a person when he or she, hearing and receiving God’s Word, is persuaded and convicted to believe, confess, and obey it.
WORD DEFINITIONS
Romans 10:6 “Who shall ascend…”: Phrases from Deuteronomy 30:11-14 are quoted by Paul. “Heaven”: “The region above the sidereal heavens, the seat of an order of things eternal and consummately perfect, where God dwells and the other heavenly beings.” Deuteronomy reads “Who shall go up for us to heaven…”
Romans 10:7 “The deep”: bottomless; boundless; fathomless. The abyss.
Deuteronomy reads “Beyond the sea…who shall go over the sea….”
Romans 10:8 “The word of faith”: the means of begetting and implanting faith in the heart.
Romans 10:9 “Confess”: to be in full agreement; align with; endorse; assent. “Confession of the Lord Jesus with the mouth must be taken to express generally, not only fearless avowal of the Christian faith, but also consistent life” (Pulpit Commentary). “Believe in thine heart”: “Faith must have an object and a reason for its exercise; the object is Jesus Christ—the reason is the infinite merit of his passion and death” (Clarke’s Commentary).
Romans 10:11 “For the scripture saith…”: A quote from Isaiah 28:16. Romans 10:12 “Rich”: having many resources; abounding in riches. Romans 10:13 “For whosoever shall call…”: A quote from Joel 2:32. This was also quoted by Peter in Acts 2:16.
Romans 10:15 “How beautiful are the feet…”: A quote from Isaiah 52:7. Romans 10:16 “For Esaias saith…”: A quote from Isaiah 53:1.
Romans 10:17 “So then faith cometh by hearing”: “The beginning, progress, and strength of faith is by hearing” (Matthew Henry). “Faith”: “Persuasion, i.e. credence; moral conviction (of religious truth, or the truthfulness of God or a religious teacher), especially reliance upon Christ for salvation; abstractly, constancy in such profession; by extension, the system of religious (Gospel) truth itself—assurance, belief, believe, faith, fidelity” (Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance).
Romans 10:18 “Their sound went into all the earth”: A quote from Psalm 19:4.
LESSON BACKGROUND
In the epistle to the Romans, the apostle Paul deals with the issues of Israel’s unbelief and rejection of Christ and the turning of the Gentiles to faith in Christ. In the beginning chapters he establishes several key facts: First, that all have sinned, Jew and Gentile alike. Secondly, no one is justified by the law or by his own good works. Third, salvation is by the free gift of Jesus Christ. Fourth, salvation by grace does not mean continuation in sin. And fifth, the righteousness of faith can be attained by Jew and Gentile alike, only by faith.
Paul sets forth in this chapter the process by which man comes to faith in Christ. He quotes extensively from the Old Testament. He compares the description in Leviticus of justification by doing the works of the law to that of justification or righteousness which comes by faith. He then expounds upon the message in Deuteronomy that the commandment was not “far off” or “too hard,” but that it is very near, even in one’s mouth and in one’s heart. He calls it “the word of faith.” That “word” must be believed by the heart, and vocal confession, or agreement, or consent, must be given.
How, he reasons, is this “word” brought to one’s heart and mouth? Again quoting from the Old Testament, he tells that one must be “sent” in order to bring the good tidings of peace—to preach the gospel message of salvation. He goes further and answers the question, “Has everyone heard the message?” by quoting from Psalm 19 that God has “sent” the sound of His Word to the whole earth by the messengers of creation—the heavens, sun, moon and stars declare it.
The verses from Ephesians reiterate that salvation is by grace and through faith; the gift of God. John calls overcoming faith that which is “born” of God.
God initiates; it is up to man to give response.
—Sis. Angela Gellenbeck
DISCUSSION:
- Complicate: As ridiculous as it may sound, we as humans have many times reacted to the gospel message in the same manner as “Who shall go up to heaven and bring Jesus down?” Describe how we do that.
- Universal: Which verses clearly teach that the gospel message is for all?
- Born: Describe the process of hearing, believing and confessing unto salvation.
- Experience: Tell how God has drawn, persuaded or convinced you to believe in Him.
COMMENTS AND APPLICATION
The Bible clearly states that the “word” of salvation, or the reality of the invisible God, is set forth plainly in the things He has created, so that everyone in the entire world can read or hear the message. God is faithful to do His part. He “lighteth every man” (John 1:9) and it is not His will that “any” should perish (II Peter 3:9). He will have “all men” to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth (I Timothy 2:4). Through creation, through the witness of every man’s conscience, through the printed or preached word, through His Spirit’s personal visitation, and through the personal example—the “word” written in the lives of His people lived out before the world, the Father draws men to Him.
In Acts 17:31 Paul told the Athenians on Mars’ Hill that God has “given assurance,” or offered faith, or presented hard evidence or proof to all men when He raised Jesus from the dead. The empty tomb is still the solid basis for our faith!
Jesus told John in the book of Revelation, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock” (Revelation 3:20). He goes on to say that the hearing of His voice and the opening of the door is completely up to the will of the individual. Hearing comes by the word of God. Faith comes by hearing. So God calls. He draws. He convinces and convicts. He persuades. But only when the “Word” heard is united by the willful assent of the heart is faith “born” and the process is complete.
—Sis. Angela Gellenbeck
REFLECTIONS
In Matthew the fourteenth chapter, we read of the incident where Jesus had sent the disciples away on a ship. He then went up into the mountain to be alone and pray. As the evening was approaching, the disciples found themselves in the midst of a rough and windy sea. About the fourth watch, between 3:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m., Jesus went out to them walking on the sea. Remember, this was not a smooth sea of glass. (Isn’t it interesting that Jesus loved to walk on the stormy waters?) The disciples perceived Him to be an apparition which only added to their distress and fears. Jesus calmly replied to their cries by saying, “Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.” Upon hearing the Master’s voice, they felt assurance and hope.
Then Peter did the unthinkable: He asked to join Jesus on the water! Jesus, in turn, invited Peter to “come.” Peter walked ON the water. But sadly, his human reasoning caused him to look at his surroundings and he began to sink. Jesus stretched forth his hand and admonished him by saying, “O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?” The loss of Peter’s faith did not change the circumstances, as the sea was still tumultuous and rough; it did not cause Jesus to sink, as He is still the Lord of all. The lack of Peter’s faith hindered only Peter.
“Faith sees the invisible, believes the impossible, receives the incredible,
No matter what was—
Faith moves the unmovable, proves the unprovable,
For anyone willing to trust;
Believe and you’ll see what faith does.”
— by Donna Brooks, Marty Funderburk and Scott Wilemon
May our prayer be that the Lord will increase our faith so that we may move mountains and walk on water.
—Sis. LaDawna Adams
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