Sunday School - March 15, 2009

Sunday School - March 15, 2009

Faith that is passive renders only a belief or an acknowledgement of fact. A student, who believes in the fruitful task of study, but moves not to do so, assures failure, even though faith has provided the clear proven path to success. Such is not a saving faith or a faith that merits any rewards. This faith is like a seed that remains above ground, not sown into the earth, a seed that will never rise from the earth as produce, a seed from which one should never anticipate a harvest. This in the end is a useless faith, a belief or an acknowledgement of fact with no committed will to follow:

James 2:14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?

James 2:17. Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

Faith that is active is a faith that follows, that which we follow is that to which we are faithful. To be faithful is to be committed in following that which we believe; such is the evidence of saving faith, when we act in tandem to that which we profess to believe. Thus our faith becomes a saving faith, when we are faithful and/or committed to Him who saves (our Lord and Savior).

James 1:22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

Romans 2:13 (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.

Faith that proves to be unfaithful is as a light which does not illuminate, such is a hypocrite who claims to honor, that which in practice he despise. As Christians our faith resides in our Savior, the one and only true God; To Him our faith is committed and to Him we will faithfully follow.

This week's lesson is again from the book of Ezekiel. For those who follow the International Sunday School Lesson Plan (aka: The Standard Sunday School Lesson), this Sunday's lesson (March 15, 2009) comes from Ezekiel 36:22-32.

Ezekiel continues to utter prophecies given to him by God (Ezekiel 36:1-21). God has seen the heathens speak in reproach of His name and gloat of the calamities brought upon His people (Israel). The unfaithfulness of the Israelites and the judgment they received gave reason for the heathens to blaspheme the Holy God. Such is a sin that requires judgment from a just and jealous God.

Although the house of Israel was not faithful to God, God is faithful (2 Timothy 2:13) and He cannot deny Himself nor allow His holy name to be defamed. God will sanctify Himself in Israel before the eyes of the heathens, not for Israel’s sake but for the sake of His Holy Name (Ezekiel 36:22-23). Such is the essence of grace; God’s unmerited blessing to Israel and such is His continuous work of grace, His unmerited blessing to His Church:

Ephesians 2:8-9.
*For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
*Not of works, lest any man should boast.

God will bring His people from among the heathens to a land that will be their own, and then He will sprinkle clean water upon them to remove all filth and their desire to seek worthless idols. He will give them a new heart and His spirit, a heart that seeks after God. In them, God will place His Spirit, to bring forth a faith that will follow; for then they will walk in His statutes and all His judgments they will do. They will dwell in the promise land and they will be His people and He will be their God (Ezekiel 36:24-28). Such is only the work of God, for the natural man’s heart has not the will to do:

Psalms 10:4. The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts

Romans 3:10-11.
*As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
*There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.

God will redeem them of uncleanness and cause their land to produce in abundance, for famines shall be no more. Then will God’s people remember their own evil ways and acknowledged that they were not good; with their new heart and spirit, they will loathe the abominations and iniquities of their past pursuits. Such is the conviction of a Holy Spirit which brings light to that which was once Dark (Ezekiel 36:29-31). This promise to Israel is in us who are saved by Christ, the indwelling Holy Spirit, a light that shines in a world of darkness.

Ephesians 5:8. For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:

The promise to be given to Israel is not for their sakes, saith the Lord God. Be it known to Israel that they be ashamed and confounded for their ways (Ezekiel 36:32). Neither has the Church merited such grace, for all that God will do is for the sake of Jesus. However, if we are the faithful in Jesus, we are joint-heirs with HIM (Romans 8:17).

If you are not a typical Sunday School attendee, Go and surprise the teacher. If your Church does not follow the Standard Sunday School Lesson and you are not aware of the topic of discussion, take on the attitude of "positive anticipation". I am sure you will like it; there is nothing like reading and discussing God's Word.

FYI: Sunday School is not just for Kids, it is also for the Humble (those who seek a faith that saves) at heart.

Good Day and God Bless
 
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