FALL 2014
RIGHT & WRONG
Setting the Standard
Plan of Salvation
In your opinion, what do you think it takes to get to heaven? It’s really very simple. Here’s what the Bible says about how you can get to heaven.
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KNOW GOD. To be sure you are going to heaven, it is essential that you know God in a personal relationship. Without this relationship, you are completely separated from Him. (Romans 3:23; 6:23)
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NAME JESUS AS YOUR LORD AND SAVIOR. You must believe that Jesus is who He said He is—God’s Son. As the perfect, sinless Son of God, only Jesus can forgive your sin. (Romans 10:9-10)
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OWN UP TO YOUR SIN. Take personal responsibility for your sin and confess it to God. He will hear your prayer and forgive you of your sin. Forgiveness is a free gift—all you have to do is ask. (Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-9; 1 John 1:9-10)
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WALK A DIFFERENT DIRECTION. The Bible calls this turning away from your sinful choices repentance. To repent really just means to go in a different direction. As a Christian, you will want to live differently. (Luke 13:3; Ephesians 5:8)
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NEVER DOUBT THAT GOD LOVES YOU. You can be certain that God loves you and that He has forgiven your sin. He wants you to know, beyond any doubt, that you will spend eternity with Him in heaven. (John 3:16; 1 John 5:13)
Prayer
LORD JESUS, I want to know You in a personal relationship. I know I am a sinner and have displeased You in many ways. I know You died for my sin and only through faith in Your death and resurrection can I be forgiven. I want to turn from my sin and ask You to come into my life as my Savior and Lord. From this day on, I will follow You by living a life that pleases You and makes You known to others. Thank You, Lord Jesus, for saving me. Amen. After you have received Jesus Christ into your life, tell another Christian about the important decision you have made. Follow Christ in believer’s baptism and church membership. Grow in your faith and enjoy new friends in Christ by becoming part of His church and attending a Bible study class a church has just for you. You’ll find others who will love and support you.
Know God Own your faith make your faith Known.
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You are holding in your hands a unique Bible study resource intended to help you connect the life-transforming truths of the Bible with the wide variety of life experiences you encounter. The highly illustrative approach of KNOWN is intended to engage you in your study of biblical truth. This month, OWN your faith as you learn how to live by God’s absolute standard of right and wrong.
KNOWN VOLUME 7 ISSUE 2
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MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL Jeff Pratt, DIRECTOR STUDENT MINISTRY PUBLISHING Ben Trueblood, DIRECTOR STUDENT MINISTRY Printed in the United States of America. KNOWN® (ISSN 1939-0742; Item 005159803) is published monthly by LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN 37234, Thom S. Rainer, President. © 2013 LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. For ordering or inquiries, visit www.lifeway.com or write LifeWay Church Resources Customer Service, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN 37234-0113. For subscriptions or subscription address changes, e-mail subscribe@lifeway.com, fax 615.251.5818, or write to the above address. For bulk shipments mailed quarterly to one address, e-mail orderentry@lifeway.com, fax 615.251.5933, or write to the above address. We believe that the Bible has God for its author; salvation for its end; and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter and that all Scripture is totally true and trustworthy. To review LifeWay’s doctrinal guideline, please visit www.lifeway.com/doctrinalguideline. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible®, copyright 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.
For more information and resources, visit www.lifeway.com/known.
Setting the Standard
Session 1
Session 2
Right from Wrong
The Author
7
13
Session 3
Session 4
Set in Stone
Gray Areas
19
25
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SYNOPSIS 0 0 6
Session 1 Right from Wrong Is truth absolute or is it relative? Does it change depending on the circumstance or situation? Check out pages 8-9 to explore the reality of absolute truth—a reality around which you can build your life.
Session 2 The Author
Session 3
In order for there to be “wrong” there has to be an absolute standard of “right.” God is the source for this standard. Check out pages 14-15 to examine why God gets to set the standard of what’s right and wrong in the world.
Set in Stone The Bible is by far the best-selling book of all time. However, it may be the least read book in your room. Pages 20-21 will explore why we should regularly look to the Bible—God’s Word—as complete, right, reliable, and full of wisdom.
Session 4 Gray Areas God has provided an absolute standard of right and wrong. But what do you do when an issue of right and wrong is not spelled out in the Bible? Pages 26-27 will examine some clear principles that can guide you in making those tough decisions.
SESSION K
ONE
RIGHT FROM
WRONG
“The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it.” —Flannery O’Connor
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THE QUESTION
Is there a standard for right and wrong? In Thor: the Dark World (Walt Disney Pictures, 2013), Odin’s adopted son, Loki, is determined to live by his own standard of right and wrong.
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“Many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our point of view.” —Obi Wan Kenobi Loki: I really don’t see what all the fuss is about... Odin: Do you not truly feel the gravity of your crimes? Wherever you go there is war, ruin and death! Loki: I went down to Midgard to rule the people of Earth as a benevolent God, just like you. Odin: We are not gods! We’re born, we live, we die, just as humans do.
We all have
right and
wrong. So, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, instinctively do what the law demands, they are a law to themselves even though they do not have the law. They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts. Their consciences confirm this. Romans 12:14-16
“So far, about morals, I know only that what is moral is what you feel good after and what is immoral is what you feel bad after.” —Ernest Hemingway, Death in the Afternoon
That’s just wrong.
an innate sense of
Murder
Genocide
Child Abuse
Theft
Drunk Driving
Human Trafficking
God defines
“Absolute Truth: that which is true for all people, for all times, for all places. Absolute truth is truth that is objective, universal, and constant.” —Josh McDowell, Right from Wrong
right and wrong. Then God spoke all these words: I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery. Do not have other gods besides Me. Exodus 20:1-17
A Test for Absolute Truth Objective
A true standard of right and wrong must be objective; that is, it must exist independently of what you or any other person thinks or feels. Otherwise, right and wrong could change from person to person. Your conscience is not an objective standard, because it does not exist independently of you, your opinions, and your feelings.
Universal
A true standard of right and wrong must be universal; that is, it must apply to all people in all places. If it did not, right and wrong may change from culture to culture or even from community to community. You may consider it wrong to abuse children, for example, but if a neighboring culture disagrees, who can say they’re wrong?
Constant
A true standard of right and wrong must be constant; that is, it must be unchanging. It does not change with time. Otherwise, right and wrong might be different from generation to generation or even from day to day. In the absence of a constant standard, you have no hope of knowing from one minute to the next whether an act is right or wrong.
God’s standard hasn’t changed.
“Wrong does not cease to be wrong because the majority share in it.” —Leo Tolstoy, A Confession
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Hebrews 13:8 The grass withers, the flowers fade, but the word of our God remains forever. Isaiah 40:6-8
Some things never change.
constellations
true north
gravity
the sun
THE POINT
time
God is the absolute standard of right and wrong.
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Stick Close
Living by Faith
SIN. It is a powerful word, but what does it mean? Webster’s dictionary defines sin as “an offense against God.”
Virtue. Decency. Uprightness. Honesty. What do all of these words have in common? They are synonyms for the word “righteousness.”
How would you define “sin”?
When you hear the word righteous, what comes to mind? Do-gooders? Preachers? “Holier-than-thou” types?
Read Isaiah 59:2. What is the result of sin?
Read Romans 3:10. According to the Bible, who is righteous?
As a child, were you ever separated from your parents in a crowded place? If so, did you feel frightened? alone? vulnerable? Were you afraid that someone might harm you? If we are separated from God, we should feel all of those things. God wants us to stay near to Him because if we don’t, we are making ourselves vulnerable to attacks from Satan.
Read 1 Peter 5:8. Why are you to be on guard? What does Satan want to do to you? God wants you to stay close to Him. Sin prevents this from happening. Just like a parent looking for a lost child, God longs for you. He wants you to be with Him. He loves you.
Does this suddenly make you think, “Oh great, that must mean there’s no hope for me!”? You don’t have to worry, because there is always hope.
Read Romans 3:22-24. What is the hope? Everyone has sinned, but we all have the opportunity for redemption through Jesus Christ.
Read Romans 1:16-17. How does this describe what it means to be righteous? If you live by faith—faith in Jesus as your Lord and Savior—then you are righteous. Remember, no one is perfect, but your goal in life should be to strive to be like Jesus—who was perfect!
What does it mean to you to live by faith? Everyone sins (Romans 3:23), but there is hope. Jesus is your hope. He is your salvation. Reflect on your day and week. How have you been living by faith? Have you been showing others that you are striving to live a righteous life? Why or why not?
My Prayer
My Prayer
God, help me to get rid of all the things in my life that separate me from You.
God, thank you for Your Perfect Son and the great sacrifice He made for me.
The Cold Hard Facts
My Prayer Concerns
Prisoner. Thief. Liar. Drug-pusher. Gang member. Backstabber. Nextdoor neighbor. Sunday school teacher. Preacher. Christian recording artist. Me. You.
Thanks God, for:
What do all these people have in common?
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If you said “nothing,” then you’re wrong. These people share one thing … SIN. Maybe you think it’s horrible to compare a Sunday School teacher to a drug pusher or a preacher to a gang member. Sorry, but it’s the truth.
Sins that are separating me from God:
Read Romans 3:23. Who is identified in this verse as a sinner? Notice it says “ALL”. That’s me, you, and even Sister Sally at the piano.
Read 1 John 1:8. What are you not supposed to do? Sin will always be around while you walk the planet. Granted, you can be forgiven for your sin, but the fact remains that sin is everywhere. No matter how hard you try, you will sin.
Friends who need to know Jesus:
Read Romans 3:12-18. Have you ever thought about yourself this way? Does it seem harsh? Why? We are all sinners—yep, even you. Plain and simple. It is the reality of being human. But, the good news is that God still loves you. His love is amazing. And as long as you are willing to turn from your sin, He will be faithful to forgive you.
My Prayer God, help me to to be aware of and turn from the sin in my life. Thank You for Your willingness to forgive me.
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Ways I can start to live by faith this week:
MIDWEEK
THE QUESTION Where do we find truth?
Truth 0 1 2
is not found in
Read Proverbs 16:25. What is this verse cautioning us of?
personal
opinion. When have you made a poor decision based solely on your opinion? What was the result?
Truth
Truth
philosophies.
Christ.
is not found in
worldly Read Colossians 2:8-10. Paul warned believers not to be deceived by false teachings and philosophies. What are some of the consequences of being deceived by false teachings? What kinds of false teachings do we encounter today in the media? at school? in the shows we watch? in the music we listen to?
Memorize: “You will know
the truth, and the truth will set you free� (John 8:32)
is found
only in
Read John 8:32. Knowing truth is possible. How does living by the truth lead to freedom? If living by the truth leads to freedom, why do you think so many people choose not to live by truth?
THE POINT There is only one source of truth.