The objective of the class: (1) to affirm that salvation cannot be earned by obedience; (2) to state the motivation for Christian obedience is gratitude.
As we begin this series, we must have a clear, certain understanding. This series focuses on accepting responsibility for our poor choices, mistakes, and ignorance. This series is NOT about earning our salvation.
Make the class aware that there is a distinct difference in seeking spiritual maturity through obediently serving the Lord and seeking to 'earn' salvation through obedient acts.
A huge problem in many Christians' lives is produced by the belief/conviction that a Christian must earn his/her salvation. That is impossible! No one deserves the blood of Christ. Even after conversion, no one can become deserving of atonement, justification, redemption, sanctification, forgiveness, mercy, or grace. Every gift God provides the Christian through Jesus' death and resurrection is a gift (see Ephesians 2:8, 9; John 4:10 ). It is not a 'pretend' gift, a 'make believe' gift, or merely have the appearance of a gift. Salvation is a gift. It is the gift of inheritance in Christ. The Christian is in continuing relationship with God because he/she received a gift. The Christian does not need to fear death or the judgment because God has given him/her a gift.
A primary reason (one of several reasons) for some Christians reflecting spiritual depression, or spiritual hopelessness, or spiritual misery comes from the conviction they must 'earn' their salvation by being 'good enough' to be saved. In this false conviction, a Christian is supposed to 'achieve' (emphasis on human accomplishment) the status of 'good enough to be saved' through works of obedience. There are two discouraging, destructive problems: (1) Many 'leaders' who advocate this conviction as a viable approach to salvation often demonstrate an obvious level of spiritual immaturity; and (2) the more a Christian matures, the more aware he/she becomes of forms of obedience and its challenges that were unknown or not understood in the past. Thus, this approach becomes a discouraging, impossible commitment. Since a person cannot achieve perfection, he/she cannot be perfectly obedient.
While obedience is certainly necessary, obedience must be rendered for the right motivation. Our salvation does not rest on our accomplishments through deeds of obedience, but on God's accomplishments in Jesus' death and resurrection. Salvation in every person always will be dependent on God's grace and mercy.
Is obedience necessary? Absolutely! Paul's same paragraph that stressed our salvation is a gift made this statement:
Ephesians 2:10, For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.
Please stress the connection in this verse between our being God's workmanship and God being the master craftsman. The class may not understand the concept of a craftsman. Explain the concept. You possibly can use the value of antiques or the Road Show on television as examples of craftsmanship. Help your class realize we Christians are the product [created in Christ Jesus] of God's craftsmanship. Spiritually we are designed by Him for a purpose He made us to serve.
The first century world was a world of craftsmanship. There were no assembly lines, no mass reproduction as known in the 20th and 21st centuries. Paul presents God as a craftsman. Christians are the work of the Craftsman. God began by making humans good beings who were in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:31; l:27). However, evil deceived human beings and through deception perverted the good beings God made (Genesis 3:1-7). Though people were perverted by evil [and were no longer the good beings the Craftsman produced], the Craftsman provided opportunity in Christ for humans to be remade by Him. In Christ through the Craftsman's work, humans who are perverted by evil are created again (see also Colossians 3:1-11). By the work of the Craftsman, that which evil perverted is designed to serve God's original intent--to do good works. Those good works are not some 'after thought' or meaningless trivia that exist because of a thoughtless whim of the Craftsman. Those good works reflect the original design and intent of the Craftsman. Those who agree to let the Craftsman remake them are by the Craftsman's design dedicated to doing good works.
While the illustration of craftsmanship must be explained to us, craftsmanship was a part of the first century world's everyday life. They did not live in an industrialized world. Everything they had and used was made by someone. It was not an assembly line product, but the product of an individual with a particular craft and ability.
Must those who are created anew in Christ Jesus do good works? Absolutely! Does doing the good works the Craftsman designed them to do earn their opportunity to be created again? Absolutely not! There is nothing the created in Jesus Christ can do that will place the Craftsman in their debt!
God designs people who are created in Christ Jesus to do good works. That does not mean that each one of us who is a Christian is designed to do identical things! The 'object' created by a craftsman [regardless of how exquisite] never places the craftsman in debt to the 'object.' When God creates us in Christ Jesus, He does not depersonalize us. However, since we are 'God made' in Jesus Christ, we should never think in terms of placing God in our debt.
The issue is not obedience--doing good works. The issue is the motive that prompts the good works. If the motive is to earn salvation, then the obedience (1) stresses a wrong focus and (2) insults the Craftsman. If the motive is to express gratitude to the Craftsman for granting a new opportunity to be true to their original design and the Craftsman's intent, then (1) they seek life's true focus and (2) they exist to honor the Craftsman who redesigned them to live. It is impossible to place the Craftsman in our debt [to earn salvation through obedience]. It is possible to express gratitude to the Craftsman for creation in Jesus Christ. The objective of obedience is not to seek to indebt or to seek to exercise control over the Craftsman. The objective of obedience is to express appreciation to the Craftsman for giving us life and hope. Were it not for the creative gift of the Craftsman, there would be no means of acquiring life and hope! We know the essential importance of what we are given in Jesus Christ, and we never stop appreciating the Craftsman's gift!
The critical understanding is not the responsibility to be obedient, but the Christian's motive for obedience. The only thing a Christian has in his/her power of choice to express gratitude to God for His creating us in Christ Jesus is obedience. Without grateful obedience, praise is hollow and worship is meaningless. To tell God how much we love Him without showing our love in the way we live and behave insults God. Israelites made that mistake too often!
In Christ, our design is no accident! It came from the image of the Craftsman! In Christ, our purpose is no accident! It is to gratefully praise the glory of God! Consider Ephesians 1:6, 12, 14. Christians are designed to give the holy God the glory that rightfully is His. Christians do that through the praise of worship and a grateful life dedicated to obedient service. Obedience can honor the gift Giver, but obedience cannot make us deserving of the gift.
Humans as originally designed by God were in the divine image and likeness (Genesis 1:27) and were good (Genesis 13). They were not evil, and no evil influence touched their lives. They were designed by God to serve God's purposes and objectives. Satan and evil (Genesis 3) perverted God's creative design and purposes in human life. The only solution was for God [with our cooperation!] to begin again. That 'beginning again' is creation in Jesus Christ. One evidence that this new creation occurred in a person is seen in the obedient honor he/she gives the Creator.
Please, never be deceived into arrogantly thinking that by being responsible in the way you behave, live life, and serve God's purposes that you have in some way placed God in your debt. God will keep His promises. That is His divine nature. He is and always will be true to His nature. Never will anyone have 'to make' God keep His promise! Obey Him to thank Him for all He did and does for us in Jesus Christ. Never obey Him in an effort to indebt him.
Stress the fact that Christians do NOT have to coerce God to keep His promise. God wants to keep His promises--He is not 'looking for a way out' of His commitments. Christians need not be concerned about 'making' God keep His promises. Christians only need be concerned about showing God gratitude for His kindness and promises.
Consider Luke 17:7-10.
Stress that no matter how much we do, we never go beyond rightful responsibility. Nothing anyone ever does for God will equal what God did for us in Jesus' death and resurrection. Atonement, redemption, sanctification, justification, forgiveness, mercy, and grace are incredible gifts!
We are God's children [sons], not because we deserve to be children, but because of what God did for us in Jesus' death and resurrection. God chooses to look upon us as children. We did not force Him to adopt us. If we accept the privilege of being a child of God, we also accept the responsibility of being a child of God. If we accept the privileges of the gift, we must also accept the responsibility of the gift. A family is plagued with many heartaches when a child expects privileges, but refuses to accept responsibilities. God's family is not different. When Christians expect privileges but reject responsibilities, God's family is plagued.
Stress the bond or link between privilege and responsibility. If privilege is accepted, responsibility in privilege also must be accepted. We cannot be in God's family without behaving like members of God's family.
Thought and Discussion Questions
This series of lessons focus on accepting Christian responsibility, not on earning our salvation.
That Christian commits himself/herself to doing something that is impossible. A commitment to that impossibility will spiritually destroy him/her.
Obedience is necessary. Obedience does not 'earn' salvation. In the explanation, this understanding must be reflected: the motivation for Christian obedience is gratitude, not an effort to earn salvation.
Included in the discussion should be this understanding: Christians are God-designed to serve purposes/objectives that are God-intended.
He/she is designed to do good works. God, not a person's ignorance or desires, defines what is 'good' in 'good works.
The proper motivation for obedience is expressing gratitude to God for His accomplishments in Jesus' death and resurrection and for His kindness in our lives. The improper motivation for obedience is the attempt to place God in the person's debt--or an attempt to 'earn' salvation.
God did not arbitrarily give us some meaningless instructions to obey that serve no real divine purpose. Obedience is designed by God to enable Christians to reflect God's nature and character in their lives.
He/she also must accept the responsibilities of those privileges. If the responsibility is refused, the privilege ceases to exist.
Link to Student Guide
Lesson 2