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Growing in Grace -
Lesson 8
ENTERING
INTO YOUR PRIVILEGES
WHAT THE PRIVILEGES ARE
We are His sons.
I John 3:1-2—”Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed
upon
us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world
knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the
Sons of God.”
John 1:12— “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to
become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.”
God the Father is truly our Father, and we are to enter into the
position of “sons” in a definite way. What potential to be His son!
This speaks of a son-ship relationship to be entered into by faith
(cf. Romans 8:14-17).
We are Christ’s honored friends.
John 15:15—”Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant
knoweth
not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all
things
that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.”
What an intimate relationship! It is with a friend that we feel at
home and can share the most intimate things about our lives. The
joys, sorrows, cares, blessings—yea, every aspect of our lives—must
be shared with Christ. Learn to bring everything to Him.
We have the Comforter—the Holy Spirit.
John 14:16-17—”And I will pray the Father and he shall give you
another
Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; even the Spirit of
truth. . .?
The word Comforter is the Greek word paraclete, which means one
Called
alongside to help. The Holy Spirit has been given to help us in
every trial and circumstance.
The Holy Spirit indwells us as believers and is always present to
meet our needs.
I Corinthians 6:19-20—”What? know ye not that your body is the
temple of
the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not
your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in
your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”
We have a personal teacher—the Holy Spirit.
John 14:26—”But the Comforter which is the Holy Ghost, whom the
Father
will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all
things to your remembrance, whatsoever 1 have said unto you.”
Praise God, the Holy Spirit will teach us.
I John 2:27—”But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth
in
you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same
anointing teacheth you of all things and is truth, and is no lie,
and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.”
In I John 2:27 the “anointing” is referring to the Holy Spirit’s
ministry in our lives. He is our teacher and will make the Word of
God a reality to us. We must daily believe that the Holy Spirit will
teach us, guide us, lead us, and keep us close to Christ.
We have an advocate before God.
I John 2:1-2— “My little children, these things write I unto you,
that ye sin
not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father Jesus
Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and
not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.”
An advocate is one who pleads our case. Praise God, today our Lord
Jesus Christ is at the right hand of God pleading our case before
the Father.
Colossians 3:1—”If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things
which are
above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.”
Hebrews 7:25—”Wherefore he is able also to save them to the
uttermost that
come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession
for them.”
Satan has access before God to accuse us.
Revelation 12:9-1O—”And the great dragon was cast out, that old
serpent,
called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was
cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. And
I heard a loud voice saying in heaven;. . for the accuser of our
brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and
night.”
Job 1:6-11 — “Now there was a day when the sons of God came to
present
themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them.. . Then
Satan answered the Lord and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? Hast
not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house.. . But put
forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath and he will curse
thee to thy face.”
Praise God, when Satan comes before God to accuse us, we have
Christ, our High Priest, seated at God’s right hand to be our
Advocate before the Father, and thus to plead our case. The reason
that we are kept, never to be lost again, is that we have Him as our
Advocate. We can confess sin as children of God and continue to walk
with the Lord, knowing that He, as our Advocate, is pleading for us
before the throne of God.
The Holy Spirit indwells us and cares for God’s interest in us. The
Lord Jesus Christ sits at the right hand of God and cares for our
interests before the Father. Christ pleads our case and our cause
when we fall into sin. He is our able Representative before the
Father’s throne. Thus we have the blessed privilege of immediately
confessing sin and knowing His cleansing and continued fellowship.
He paid the price for our sins and does cleanse.
I John 1:9—”If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to
forgive us our
sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
We have personal promises.
II Peter 1:4—” Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and
precious
promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature,
having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”
By claiming the seven promises listed below (and many more we cannot
list), we enter into the power of the divine nature upon our lives.
Thus we can experience God’s victory in daily life. We must try
these and prove them in daily application.
1. His sustaining power in temptation and trials (I Corinthians
10:13; James
1:2-12)
2. His continual presence (Hebrews 13:5-6)
3. His sufficient grace (II Corinthians 12:9)
4. His promised work in our lives (Philippians 1:6; 2:13)
5. His promised good for our lives (Romans 8:28, 32)
6. His promised security for all of life—eternal security of the
believer
(John 6:37; 10:27-28; 5:24)
7. His promise of daily victory (II Corinthians 2:14; I Corinthians
15:57)
We have the promise of reward in labor.
I Corinthians 15:58—” Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stead-
fast,
Unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as
ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”
Isaiah 40:10—”Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand and
his
arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work
before him.”
Colossians 3:24—”Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the
reward of
the inheritance.”
Every Christian can rejoice that in the midst of labor for the Lord,
God will reward the faithful servant. He calls for our faithfulness,
but He also promises the remuneration of service (II Corinthians
5:10). Someday we will all stand before Him at the “judgment seat of
Christ” to receive reward or loss, according to what we have done in
our bodies since our salvation. When we serve Him because we love
Him, our gracious and loving God will reward such service (I
Corinthians 3:14). One day we will stand before the throne of Christ
and will cast our crowns (rewards) at His feet (Revelation 4:10).
What a privilege that will be! Therefore, what we are doing in this
life for His glory is very important (cf. I Corinthians 3 :11-15).
We know He is coming again for His own.
John 14:3—”And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come
again, and
receive you unto myself; that where I am there ye may be also.”
Today Christ is in Heaven, interceding for us and preparing a place
for us. He is coming again to take us to be with Him. The Christian
has the hope of going into Christ’s presence either because of death
or because of the soon return of the Saviour for His own (cf. II
Corinthians 5:8; Philippians 1:21-23.) Physical death should have no
terror for the saved; it is the portal into God’s presence. It is a
joyful privilege and a blessed responsibility to lead others to
Christ!
I Thessalonians 4:16-17—”For the Lord himself shall descend from
heaven
with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of
God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are
alive
and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to
meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”
In the two verses quoted above we see that at His coming, Christ
will raise the believers who have died and will translate the living
believers to be with the Lord. Verse eighteen then states that this
truth of His coming again should be a comfort to every believer. I
Thessalonians 5 continues with the truth of His coming again. Verse
eleven again states that believers should be comforted and edified
with this truth.
LESSON 8—ASSIGNMENT
1. Memorize Romans 8:32. Also, we suggest you memorize John 1:12.
2. Read John 8—14. Note at least one reference per chapter that
reveals Jesus
Christ is the Son of God. Record this information under “NOTES” on
pages 60
62.
3. Answer the following questions in your own words:
1. What has Christ shared with us as His friends? (John 15:1 Sc)
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
2. According to John 15:16, what has Christ chosen for us as His
friends?
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
3. What is our relationship as sons? (Galatians 4:6-7)
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
4. Name three or four things the Holy Spirit does for us. (John
16:13-14)
a. ____________________________________________________________
b. ____________________________________________________________
c. ____________________________________________________________
d. ____________________________________________________________
5. What is our right before God since Christ is our High Priest and
Advocate?
(Hebrews 4:15-16)
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
6. What encouragement does God give about our labor? (1 Corinthians
15:58)
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
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______________________________________________________________
7. How are we to labor for the Lord? (I Corinthians 15:58)
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
8. List the order of events in I Thessalonians 4:14-17.
a. ____________________________________________________________
b. ____________________________________________________________
c. ____________________________________________________________
d. ____________________________________________________________
NOTES:
1. A blessing I received each day as I read John 8—14:
Day 1—John 8 ____________________________________________________
Day 2—John 9 ____________________________________________________
Day 3—John 10 ___________________________________________________
Day 4—John 11 ___________________________________________________
Day 5—John 12 ___________________________________________________
Day 6—John 13 ___________________________________________________
Day 7—John 14 ___________________________________________________
2. People to whom I have witnessed this past week:
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
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3. My check list on my personal spiritual growth:
1. Am I taking time daily in the Word of God?
______________________________________________________________
2. Am I spending time daily in prayer?
______________________________________________________________
3. Have I been faithful in witnessing to others?
______________________________________________________________
4. Have I begun tithing on a regular basis?
______________________________________________________________
5. Do I give offerings beyond my tithe to the Lord’s work?
______________________________________________________________
4. Below I note all of the references I found in John 8—14 revealing
that Jesus
Christ is the Son of God:
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
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