THE TWO GREAT TEACHINGS OF THE BIBLE Faith Foundations Course One Lesson 2

IMPORTANT LESSONS FOR LIFE What are the two great teachings of the Bible?

GOD’S RIGHT AND WRONG God first wrote his law on people’s hearts. Read Genesis 1:27. This passages says that Adam and Eve were created in the image of God. That doesn’t mean that they were powerful or all-wise like God. What does it mean? They were holy.

GOD’S RIGHT AND WRONG Read Genesis 3:1-6. When did God’s law become unclear to the human race? When Adam & Eve ate the forbidden fruit, they lost the perfect image of God.

GOD’S RIGHT AND WRONG Before the fall into sin, Adam and Eve enjoyed being in God’s presence. After the fall, that all changed. Read Genesis 3:8. Why did they hide from God? They realized they had broken God’s law and were now sinful.

GOD’S RIGHT AND WRONG God’s law still applies to all people. In Leviticus 19:2, what does God demand of all people? God demands all people to be holy = perfect

GOD’S RIGHT AND WRONG Since the fall into sin, people no longer have a perfect knowledge of God’s law in their hearts. All people, even unbelievers, have some knowledge of the law, but it is not perfectly clear to them. (For instance, an unbeliever may feel guilty when he steals or murders but not when he curses or cheats.) In order to help people know his law more clearly, God gave it a second time. Recall the evens recorded in Exodus 20:3-17. How did God give his law this time? God wrote the 10 Commandments on 2 stone tablets.

GOD’S RIGHT AND WRONG What do these commandments tell us? What we should and should not do.

GOD’S RIGHT AND WRONG According to Romans 3:20, what else does God’s law do for us? It makes us “conscious of sin.” God’s law S.O.S. = Shows us Our Sin.

GOD’S RIGHT AND WRONG Kristen knows she isn’t perfect, but she’s confident that God is smiling down on her. “After all,” she says, “I try to obey my parents and teachers. I keep out of trouble, go to a Lutheran school, and have nearly perfect attendance at church and Sunday school. I do better than most other kids.” What would you say to Kristen? It’s good that you try to lead a godly life, but that will not win you salvation. God demands perfection. He commands us to obey everything that he says. It doesn’t matter what our behavior is like compared to other people’s. The only thing that matters is how our lives match up with what God demands. For example: Jesus tells us that if we hate someone, we are guilty of murder. None of us can claim perfection. Only through Christ are we acceptable to God.

KEY POINT #1 The law tells us what we should and should not do.

GOD’S LOVE IN CHRIST Luke 2:10,11 tells us about the good news the angels proclaimed to the shepherds. What was that good news? A Savior was born who is Christ the Lord.

GOD’S LOVE IN CHRIST In John 3:16 Jesus explained the good news to Nicodemus. What was that good news? God sent his one and only Son, Jesus, to be the Savior of the world. Whoever believes in him will be saved.

GOD’S LOVE IN CHRIST Read 1 Peter 2:22. How is Jesus different from every other human? He never committed a sin. He obeyed the law perfectly.

GOD’S LOVE IN CHRIST Read Romans 5:19. Why is Jesus’ perfect obedience and holy life so important to us? God’s law still demands that we be perfect. Jesus was perfect in our place.

GOD’S LOVE IN CHRIST First Corinthians 15:3 tells us something else Jesus did in our place. What did he do? He suffered and died to pay the penalty for the sins of all people.

GOD’S LOVE IN CHRIST Maria is afraid she might not go to heaven because she sins so much. What does she need to hear, law or gospel? What would you say to her? Gospel. You might say: None of us deserve to go to heaven, because we all sin. But we can still be certain we’re going to heaven because of what Jesus did for us. He lived a perfect (holy) life, and he died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins. God has forgiven us—no matter how bad or how many our sins are!

GOD’S LOVE IN CHRIST Jacob says, “I know I’m going to heaven. I’m really careful not to sin—or at least not do any big sins.” What does Jacob need to hear, law or gospel? What would you say to him? Law. Possible answers: Even one sin, no matter how big or small, is enough for God to condemn us to hell. God says we need to be perfect. That’s why we all need Jesus to be our Savior. I’m sure I’m going to heaven too but not because of what I’ve done. I’m sure of heaven because of what Jesus did for me.

GOD’S LOVE IN CHRIST How would you finish this sentence: “Because Jesus lived and died for me…”? Possible responses: “I am going to heaven.” “I want to live for Jesus.” “I want to obey the commandments.” “I will praise Jesus all my life.”

KEY POINT #2 The gospel tells us what God has done for us.

What are the two great teachings of the Bible? The law tells us what we should and should not do. The gospel tells us what God has done for us. SUMMARY The two great Bible teachings are the law, which tells us what we should and should not do, and the gospel, which tells us what God has done for us.

Old Testament Books of the Bible – Part 1 Genesis 1 & 2 Samuel Exodus 1 & 2 Kings Leviticus 1 & 2 Chronicles Numbers Deuteronomy Ezra Nehemiah Joshua Esther Judges Ruth

Romans 6:23 The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.