SAVED FROM SHAME –
honor instead of shame
• For Group-oriented People
• A relationship, shame & honor focus
• For Asian, African, Central & South American cultures
WHO IS CREATOR GOD?
What is God's very special relationship to you?
Is he not your Father, your Creator, who made you and formed you?
Creator God's own words from the Bible
Deuteronomy 32:6
In him we live and move and have our being. …We are his offspring.
Acts 17:28
What did God do in the beginning?
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
Genesis 1:1
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There is no one in the world who hasn't heard of him!
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. Without speech or language, without a sound to be heard, their voice has gone out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.
Psalm 19:1-4 (Berean Study Bible)
(Psalm 19:2-5 in New Interconfessional Bible – Japanese)
Every day the universe is telling us that Creator God exists!
Has there ever been anyone like Creator God?
[Creator God declares:] "Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me.
…Apart from me there is no Savior."
Isaiah 43:10-11
O Sovereign Lord, …what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do the deeds and mighty works you do?
Deuteronomy 3:24
Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him. You come to the help of those who gladly do right, who remember your ways.
Isaiah 64:4-5
Father God desires a personal relationship with you!
He first loved us.
1 John 4:19
So . . .
Come near to God and he will come near to you.
James 4:8
Why should I trust him?
Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.
Romans 10:11
WHO IS MAN?
The Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.
Genesis 2:7
Father God gave us a very special relationship with himself.
We are his offspring.
Acts 17:28
How precious we are to God the Father!
God gave man a very honorable status.
God said, “Let us make man in our image.” …So God created man in his own image... male and female he created them.
Genesis 1:26-27
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Of course, we are not God –
for we were created by God.
But we are similar to God in important ways:
He made us to communicate, create, and love in very sophisticated ways – far beyond animals.
And, unlike animals, we are able to have a personal relationship with him as our Heavenly Father.
God gave people prestigious responsibilities.
God said, "…Let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground."
Genesis 1:26
God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.
Genesis 2:15
God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.
Genesis 1:31
But there was one thing lacking in God's new creation.
For Adam no suitable helper was found [among the animals].
Genesis 2:20
The Lord God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him."
Genesis 2:18
So God gave us loving human relationships.
The Lord God caused the man [Adam] to fall into a deep sleep; and…he took one of the man's ribs… Then the Lord God made a woman [Eve] from the rib…and brought her to the man.
Genesis 2:21-22
The Creator…said, 'A man will…be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.'
Matthew 19:4-6
The first married couple was fully united – with nothing to hide or be ashamed of.
The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.
Genesis 2:25
Our human nature tells us something very important about God's nature.
[Since we are] God’s offspring, we ought not to think that …[God] is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man.
Acts 17:29
Do you want to shame Creator God, your Heavenly Father?
Can children create their own father?
Is our Heavenly Father less than what we are?
Did he come from our imagination?
Did we create him – or did he create us?
Or do you want to think of him as an inferior object?
Can he be represented by a statue of wood, stone or bronze?
Or, could Creator God be nothing more than an animating spirit within nature?
What is a majestic mountain, gorgeous tree or thundering waterfall?
These beautiful things are simply God's amazing art work!
How could they be Creator God?
That is why everything in the universe should praise him!
Praise the Lord from the heavens…
Praise him, all his angels…
Praise him, sun and moon,
praise him all you shining stars…
for he commanded and they were created.
He set them in place for ever and ever.
Praise the Lord from the earth,
you great sea creatures and all ocean depths,
lightning and hail, snow and clouds,
stormy winds that do his bidding,
you mountains and all hills,
fruit trees and all cedars,
wild animals and all cattle,
small creatures and flying birds,
kings of the earth and all nations…
young men and maidens,
old men and children.
Psalm 148:1-3, 6-12
How could any of these things contain God?
O Lord…there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth below. …The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you.
1 Kings 8:23, 27
THE WORLD WAS PERFECT
God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.
Genesis 1:31
Sin and evil had not yet entered the world and drastically impacted it.
So, there was no:
Death.
Shame.
Fear.
Guilt.
Suffering.
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BUT GOD GAVE JUST ONE RESTRICTION IN HIS PERFECT WORLD
In the middle of the garden were [1] the Tree of Life and [2] the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.
Genesis 2:9
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God commanded the man, “You must not eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.”
Genesis 2:16
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To disobey Creator God is sin – to ignore the Heavenly Father is sin.
Sin is the breaking of [God's] law.
I John 3:4
Holman Christian Standard Bible
If you do not obey the Lord, and if you rebel against his commands, his hand will be against you.
1 Samuel 12:15
[God says:] "If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect due me?
Malachi 1:6
Although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.
Romans 1:21
The consequences of not thanking our Heavenly Father, or ignoring him, or rebelling against him are very serious.
The wages of sin is death.
Romans 6:23
THEN SATAN CAME TO DRIVE A WEDGE BETWEEN MAN & GOD
[In the form of a snake] he said to [Eve] the woman, …"You will not surely die."
Genesis 3:1, 4
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So he called God a liar.
Then he questioned God's motives.
[Satan continued:] "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."
Genesis 3:4-5
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Satan implied:
God does not care about you –
God does not want what is best for you.
SoSatan tempted Eve:
Ignore your Heavenly Father and you will become “wise” and gain status and honor.
Would Eve honor her relationship with God her Father?
When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good…she took some and ate it.
Genesis 3:6
Eve followed Satan!
She violated her relationship with God her Father.
Which relationship would Adam honor? Which would he betray?
She also gave some to her husband [Adam], who was with her . . .
Genesis 3:6
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Would he accept her offer? Or would he be loyal to his Heavenly Father?
. . . and he ate it.
Genesis 3:6
He put a human relationship first.
Isn't this how we often betray the Heavenly Father?
Because …
[People] love…praise from men more than praise from God.
John 12:43
So Adam's dishonorable choice resulted in great disaster for all people after him.
WHAT IS THIS GREAT DISASTER?
It is Sin & Death.
Sin entered the world through one man [Adam], and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned.
Romans 5:12
Why did death come to all people? Because . . .
The wages of sin is death.
Romans 6:23
So today, sin and death are our greatest problems.
They are not natural.
They destroy everything.
They were not part of Creator God's original plan.
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HOW DID ADAM & EVE REACT TO THEIR SIN?
Sin resulted in great personal shame.
Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.
Genesis 3:7
They sensed something fundamentally wrong with themselves – not just with what they had done.
They could no longer be open and transparent with God and with one another.
How did sin affect Adam & Eve's father-child relationship with God?
Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden…, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden.
Genesis 3:8
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Are we any different from Adam & Eve?
Your iniquities [sins] have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you.
Isaiah 59:2
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What is sin?
Sin = bad thoughts / bad words / bad actions
Sin = disobeying God
BUT WHAT WAS GOD'S FIRST REACTION TO ADAM & EVE'S SIN?
But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”
Genesis 3:9
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Think how significant this is!
God did this on the very first pages of the 1,000+ page Bible!
What does God do throughout the whole rest of the Bible?
God calls us back to himself.
God's continual passion is to restore our broken relationship with himself.
BUT HOW DOES ADAM ANSWER GOD'S KINDNESS?
[Adam] answered [God], "I heard you in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked."
Genesis 3:10
In his shame and disgrace, Adam was afraid to be in God's presence.
WOULD GOD THEIR FATHER STILL SHOW THEM KINDNESS?
The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.
Genesis 3:21
Think how significant this is!
What did they deserve?
[God had said:] "When you eat of it you will surely die.”
Genesis 2:16
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They deserved instant death.
Instead, what did God the Father do for them?
He covered their shame – their nakedness.
This, too, happened in the very first pages of the Bible.
What does this tell us about God's intentions throughout the whole rest of the Bible?
God is love.
1 John 4:8
Love covers over a multitude of sins.
1 Peter 4:8
So, the Bible is the historical account of how God covers our shameful sin and brings us back to himself.
But, notice what had to happen to cover their shame.
God made garments of skin.
Genesis 3:21
Where did the skins come from?
An animal's life was sacrificed so that their shame could be covered.
(This sets a pattern throughout the whole Bible.)
For from the very beginning:
The wages of sin is death.
Romans 6:23
Something must die for sin!
SO ADAM & EVE ALSO EXPERIENCED DEATH
The Lord God said, "The man…must not be allowed to …take also from the Tree of Life and eat, and live forever." So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden.
Genesis 3:22-23
Adam suffered the shame of banishment . . .
. . . from the wonderful situation with which God had honored him –
and from the privilege of freely being in God's presence.
Worst of all, Adam lost the opportunity to live forever.
So, Adam & Eve immediately experienced spiritual death.
As Adam & Eve's children, this is also our experience.
You were [spiritually] dead in your…sins.
Ephesians 2:1
Adam also experienced physical aging and death.
Adam lived…and then he died.
Genesis 5:5
What a disgraceful ending for Adam!
To Adam…[God] said, "…You [will] return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return."
Genesis 3:17, 19
ARE WE ANY DIFFERENT FROM ADAM & EVE?
No, we have inherited the shameful nature of our first ancestor, Adam.
I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
Psalm 51:5
(Psalm 51:7 in New Interconfessional Translation – 新共同訳 & 聖書協会共同役)
Do our little babies sin?
Our little babies do not sin – just like little birds cannot fly.
But baby birds have "flying" in them – just like our little babies have sin in them.
So when our little babies turn 2 years old, watch out!
The sin in a 2-year-old comes pouring out.
And the bad thoughts, bad words and bad actions continue to come out of adults –
but we're just better at hiding it than a 2-year-old!
We have disrespected Creator God who made us.
They neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him.
Romans 1:21
We are completely unworthy to be in Creator God's presence.
All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
Romans 3:23
So we have caused God our Father anguish.
The Lord was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain.
Genesis 6:6
We have fallen into a very shameful position.
We know that…the whole world is under the control of the Evil One [Satan].
I John 5:19
But still, Father God's purpose is to lift us out of our shame and bring us back to himself . . .
To open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God.
Acts 26:18
SO GOD PRESENTS OPTION #1 FOR BEING ACCEPTED BY HIM:
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[Creator God said,] “Keep my decrees and laws, for the man who obeys them will live by them. I am the Lord.”
Leviticus 18:5
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The...commandment...was intended to bring [eternal] life.
Romans 7:10
So this is Option #1 –
Do good & Live forever.
• We must obey all of Father God's commands all of the time.
• Then we will live with him forever!
But is this even possible for us?
Can we even keep God's most important command?
Which is the greatest commandment in the Law?
Matthew 22:36
Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul …and with all your strength… and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment.
Matthew 22:37-38 • Luke 10:27
"And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"
Matthew 22:39
Jesus…[said], "Do this and you will live."
Luke 10:28
Do we even think seriously about the first and greatest commandment?
Rather, how often do we completely forget about the Heavenly Father?
But if we do think about Creator God, do we even come close to loving him with all our heart, soul, strength and mind?
Can anyone say that this is true?
But don't we get credit for loving some people some of the time?
We think: "I usually love my family. I usually love my best friends."
[Jesus said:] "If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the [sinners]…doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans [sinners] do that?"
Matthew 5:46-47
Besides, do we truly know what love is?
Each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor. …"In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry. Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up. …Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other.
Ephesians 4:25-26, 29, 31-32
This is genuine love!
Who can possibly do that?
Especially, who can do that all of the time?
There is no one righteous [good], not even one; there is…no one who seeks God. All have turned away.
Romans 3:10-12
So, trying to be acceptable to God by following Option #1 is hopeless.
Man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.
Hebrews 9:27
[Jesus said:] "This is how it will be at the end of the age. ...Throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
Matthew 13:49-50
SO OPTION #1 FAILED.
Whose fault is it that Option #1 failed?
God found fault with the people and said: "...They did not remain faithful to my covenant [Option #1]."
Hebrews 8:8-9
We are not faithful to Creator God who made us.
We have betrayed the Heavenly Father who loves us.
Like the rest, we were by nature children of [God's] wrath.
Ephesians 2:3
You …were far away [from God].
Ephesians 2:13
We are totally disgraced.
So we have no hope of ever returning to him on our own.
Yet God is not far from any one of us!
The God who made the world and everything in it…is not far from each one of us. "For in him we live and move and have our being."
Acts 17:24, 27-28
He himself gave all men life and breath and everything else…
Acts 17:25
(He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.)
(Matthew 5:45)
…God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him.
Acts 17:27
So is there any hope for us?
Yes, because . . .
God is love.
I John 4:8
The wages of sin is death [result of failing to keep Option #1], but the gift of God is eternal life [Option #2] through Jesus Christ.
Romans 6:23 (KJV)
We caused Option #1 to fail.
But God's . . .
Love never fails.
1 Corinthians 12:8.
Do you…not realiz[e]…that God's kindness leads you toward repentance?
Romans 2:4
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SO GOD PRESENTS OPTION #2 FOR BRINGING US BACK TO HIMSELF
Option #1 was still in operation.
But about 2000 B.C. Creator God set in motion a long process that could actually save the whole world.
God started by choosing one man Abraham.
God promised Abraham great blessing and great honor.
[God said:] “I will make you [Abraham] into a great nation and I will bless you; …and you will be a blessing. …And all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”
Genesis 12:2-3
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Think about this!
4,000 years ago, in blessing Abraham, God was also arranging for great blessing to come to you and your people.
What's more, this event happened on about page 10 of the 1,000+ page Bible.
Who was Creator God thinking about and including in his plan from the very beginning?
It was your people!
But Abraham, who was about 80 years old, had a big problem.
And to make his problem even worse –
his wife Sarah was about 70 years old.
Abra[ha]m said, "O Sovereign Lord, ...You have given me no children."
Genesis 15:2-3
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How could Abraham become the father of a great nation without any children?
Then Creator God made Abraham a promise.
Then the word of the Lord came to him: "...A son coming from your own body will be your heir." He [God] took him outside and said, "Look up at the heavens and count the stars. ...So shall your offspring be."
Genesis 15:4-5
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Then comes one of the most important statements in the Bible!
Abra[ha]m believed the Lord, and he [God] credited it to him as righteousness . . . and he was called God's friend.
Genesis 15:6 • James 2:23
Abraham's shame was removed because he believed God.
This is Option #2:
• Abraham believed God.
• God gave him a gift – this gift was righteousness [goodness] – this gift made him acceptable to God.
• So Abraham went from being an “object of [God's] wrath” to becoming “God's friend”!
No one in the Bible was ever accepted by God by following Option #1.
Abraham did not earn God's favor by trying hard to be a good person or by trying hard to obey God's Law.
He was only accepted by God because he believed and trusted God.
How, then, could God's blessing to Abraham come to all people?
Only through . . .
Jesus Christ… the son [descendant] of Abraham.
Matthew 1:1
2000 years after Abraham (about AD 1) Jesus Christ, the Messiah, was born in the country of Israel.
God would bless the whole world through Jesus Christ.
How can we receive this blessing from God the Father?
We receive the gift of righteousness the same way that Abraham did.
The words "it was credited to him [Abraham]" were written not for him alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness––for us who believe in him [God] who raised Jesus...from the dead.
Romans 4:23-24
Like Abraham, we too are made righteous by believing God [Option #2], not by trying hard to be a good person [Option #1].
We can only receive righteous as a gift – a gift from God.
We can only receive it by faith – by believing in God the Father and his Son Jesus Christ.
For it is by [God's] grace you have been saved, through [your] faith––and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God––not by [your] works.
Ephesians 2:8-9
But don't we have to do good things in order to get eternal life?
No! That is impossible. That is Option #1.
[We receive] a righteousness from God…a righteousness that is by faith from first to last.
Romans 1:17
No one will be declared righteous in his [God's] sight by observing the Law.
Romans 3:20
But what about doing good things?
Yes, that is very important, but look at the order in which they happen!
Obedience…comes from faith.
Romans 1:5
Which is first?
Our faith is first – then comes our obedience.
Real faith changes our spiritual identity – then we can produce good deeds by the Holy Spirit's power.
In order that the righteous requirements of the Law might be fully met in us, who…live…according to the Spirit.
Romans 8:4
So faith in Jesus comes first – then our actions show that our faith is genuine, not fake.
Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
James 2:17
THIS GIFT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS ONLY COMES TO US THROUGH JESUS
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son [Jesus the Messiah], that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16
Where was Jesus in the beginning?
In the beginning [Jesus]…was with God, and [Jesus]…was God.
John 1:1
[He is the] Son of the Most High God.
Mark 5:7
Why did Jesus leave heaven and come down to earth?
Jesus said…, "…[I] came to seek and to save what was lost."
Luke 19:9-10
We are the ones who are lost!
Why did he choose to do this?
Because . . .
We all…have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way.
Isaiah 53:6
Because . . .
The wages of sin is death.
Romans 6:23
So we humans deserve the death penalty because we betrayed our Heavenly Father who created us.
Have mercy on me, O God. …Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are…justified when you judge.
Psalm 51:1, 4
(Japan Bible Society Interconfessional Version – Psalm 51:3, 6)
But Jesus loves us, so he chose to become a human being and take our place.
He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree [the cross].
1 Peter 2:24
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He [Christ] suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.
Hebrews 2:9
It is the blood that makes atonement for one's life.
Leviticus 17:11
Jesus' gave his life to buy back our lives.
We are the ones who betrayed the Heavenly Father.
There is no one…who seeks [Creator] God. All have turned away.
Romans 3:11-12
And we have betrayed God's Son also.
He [Jesus] was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised . . .
. . . and we esteemed him not.
Isaiah 53:3
And we are the ones who are filled with shame.
I am too ashamed and disgraced to lift up my face to you, my God, because our sins are higher than our heads and our guilt has reached to the heavens.
Ezra 9:6
All worshipers of images are put to shame––those who boast in idols. Worship him [the Creator God], all you gods!
Psalm 97:7 (Berean Study Bible)
Yet for us . . .
Jesus…endured the cross, scorning its shame.
Hebrews 12:2
The Son of God…
came down to us…
became human like us…
suffered shame for us…
to bring us back to God the Father.
When we were [Father] God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son.
Romans 5:10
How could this possibly be?
Two Illustrations:
In Japan a mukoyōshi (婿養子), or adopted son-in-law, takes on his wife’s family name to continue her family line. His decision affects the identity of every one of his descendants after him, even though they were not around when the original decision was made. In this way, he acts on behalf of all his descendants for generations to come.
In America almost everyone’s ancestors left another country to come to the United States and become Americans. The ancestors’ decision to leave their original country changed the national identity of their descendants after them.
In the same way, what Adam did (when he sinned) affects the identity and destiny of every one of us: We are all his descendants, so we are all born with a sinful nature. But Christ came to earth to undo what Adam did. He died in our place to erase the terrible identity and destiny that we received from Adam. So in Christ, we can receive a new identity.
How does this happen?
JESUS IS OUR REPRESENTATIVE: SO WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM HAPPENS TO US . . .
. . . if we believe in him.
Since death came through a man [Adam], the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man [Jesus Christ]. For as in Adam all die [because of our sins], so in Christ all will be made alive.
I Corinthians 1:21-22
The God and Father…has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
Ephesians 1:3
So just as Jesus died and was raised from the dead, we die and are raised from the dead with him.
All of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death.
Romans 6:3
I have been crucified [on the cross] with Christ.
Galatians 2:20
If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection.
Romans 6:5
It is possible for us to be raised from the dead only because . . .
Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father.
Romans 6:4
Jesus is our representative: What happens to him happens to us!
How does this affect the shameful identity we inherited from Adam?
If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, and the new has come!
2 Corinthians 5:17
I [my old self] no longer live, but Christ lives in me . . .
Galatians 2:20
. . . The life I [now] live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Galatians 2:20
What is our glorious new identity?
To all who received him [Jesus Christ], to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.
John 1:12
You are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household.
Ephesians 2:19
You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his [Creator God's] own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him [God] who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
1 Peter 2:9
Do you realize how precious you become to your Heavenly Father?
I keep asking…God…the glorious Father…that…your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know…the riches of his [God's] glorious inheritance in…us who believe.
Ephesians 1:17-18
We become his treasure!
We are God's prize for his 1000s of years of love, effort and sacrifice to bring us back to himself.
Actually, God has loved us long before that . . .
The…Father…chose us in him [Jesus Christ] before the creation of the world.
Ephesians 1:3-4
Is this not an incomprehensible honor?
Think of where we started:
You were dead in your transgressions and sins.
Ephesians 2:1
To become God's inheritance is an honor beyond comprehension.
Of course, this affects how we live now!
Just as Christ was raised from the dead…we too may live a new life.
Romans 6:4
Therefore…offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness.
Romans 6:12, 13
Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God.
Romans 6:13
Will this cost us something?
In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.
2 Timothy 3:12
But can you choose to suffer for Christ if you . . .
…love…praise from men more than praise from God[?]
John 12:43
If we want the eternal honor that comes from Creator God, we must be willing to sacrifice the temporary honor and acceptance that comes from our group, and from our society, and sometimes even from our family.
That is why Jesus said:
"Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it."
Matthew 10:37-39
Does it mean that we shouldn't love our families?
Of course it doesn't mean that!
It simply means that Jesus, who gave his life for us, must always be number one in our lives and hearts.
If we desire to be honored by Jesus we must surrender our status to him.
[Jesus asked his disciples:] "What were you arguing about on the road?" But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest. …Jesus…said, "If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all."
Mark 9:33-35
How God determines our status is completely different from how our society determines status.
Jesus called them together and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles [who don't know Creator God] lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave."
Matthew 20:25-27
Why is that?
For even [Jesus Christ]…did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."
Mark 10:45
Do you want to be like Jesus?
[Jesus said:] "Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know…[God the Father] who sent me."
John 15:20-21
More than anything else, do you want to receive praise and honor from God the Father?
Do you want to receive his love and mercy?
Remember . . .
God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.
James 4:6
How does all this affect our eternity?
Happy is the one who endures testing, because when he has proven to be genuine, he will receive the crown of life that God promised to those who love him.
James 1:12 NET Bible
When your earthly life is over, don't you want to hear these words from your Heavenly Father?
"Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!"
Matthew 25:21
2000 years ago Jesus prayed this prayer for you (who believe in him):
"Holy Father, …My prayer is not for them [my disciples in the Bible] alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message [in the Bible]. …Father…may they also be in us. …I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one.
John 17:11, 20-22
Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world."
John 17:24
The Bible's final prophecy about this glorious future says:
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. ...And I heard a loud voice from the throne [of God] saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." ...Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true."
Revelation 21:1, 3-5
THE HEAVENLY FATHER GIVES US THIS CLEAR CHOICE:
He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.
1 John 5:12
And God gives us this unshakeable promise:
Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.
Romans 10:11
So . . .
We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God.
2 Corinthians 5:20
GOD THE FATHER IS INVITING YOU TO BELONG TO HIM!
But how do I do that?
Remember, it is impossible for you to belong to God by:
• Trying to be a good person [Option #1].
• Trying to fulfill all your obligations [Option #1].
• Doing religious rituals [Option #1].
Then what do I do?
If you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," . . .
– of the whole universe
– of all of your life …
. . . and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
Romans 10:9
This is Option #2.
So give yourself to the Heavenly Father alone.
I therefore urge you…in view of God's mercies, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices that are holy and pleasing to God, for this is the reasonable way for you to worship.
Romans 12:1 (International Standard Version)
THIS WONDERFUL PROMISE IS NOT ONLY FOR YOU.
The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off––for all whom the Lord our God will call.
Acts 2:29
So it is also available for your family.
[A man] asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved? They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved––you and your household.” …Then immediately he and all his family were baptized. …He was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God––he and his whole family.
Acts 16:29-34
Manga Vol. 5, page
Your belief in God the Father and in Jesus his Son can wonderfully impact your family – both now and for generations after you.
By God's grace and by their faith, your family can join you as part of Creator God's family – forever.