Discover The Keys To Staying Full Of God
Lesson 1 - Teacher's Guide
- The Gospel is more than just “good news”; it’s “nearly-too-good-to-be-true news” (Rom. 1:16-17). Christ’s message and the way He loved people unconditionally were both nearly too good to be true! (John 4:10, 8:10-11; and Luke 9:54-56). God’s goodness—not the fear of hell—is what leads people to repentance (Rom. 2:4). Through Christ’s atonement, everything we need for abundant life—both in heaven to come and on earth here and now—has already been provided. All we must do is believe and receive.
- “But what about the wrath of God?” (Rom. 1:18-19). The reason why we don’t have to preach the wrath of God is because people already know in their hearts that they aren’t in right standing with Him. There is a homing device—an intuitive revelation of the existence of God— on the inside of every human being who has ever breathed on this earth.
- No one will ever stand before God and say, “But I never heard. I never knew You existed!” (Rom. 1:20). Even if they haven’t heard a preacher preach to them, they’ve had this inner witness—and they’ll be accountable according to the revelation they have. This is true of every person.
- When a person gets still, they can hear this homing device (Ps. 46:10). Prior to salvation, no one likes to be still. Although they use many different terms to describe it— being “bored,” “lonely,” or something similar—this homing device in their heart is what’s speaking to them. What does it say? “You know this isn’t right. You shouldn’t be living this way. There has to be more to life than this. Where did I come from? Where am I going? Who created me?” They must constantly keep themselves busy with something, or this homing device will talk to them and convict them regarding their lifestyle.
- These four keys in Romans 1:21 describe the steps we take both to walk away from and to draw near to God.
Because that, when they knew God, [1] they glorified him not as God, [2] neither were thankful; but [3] became vain in their imaginations, and [4] their foolish heart was darkened.
Romans 1:21, brackets mine
These same four keys expressed positively are: Glorify God, be thankful, recognize the power of our imagination, and have a good heart. Depending on how we walk out these four progressive steps in our everyday life, we decide whether or not we will stay full of God!
Footnotes
| 1. | A. | According to Romans 1:16-17, what is the “nearly-too-good-to-be-true news”? (The Gospel) |
| B. | Read Romans 2:4. What is it that leads people to repentance? (God’s goodness) | |
| C. | What has already been provided through Christ’s atonement? (Everything we need for abundant life—both in heaven to come and on earth here and now) | |
| 2. | A. | Read Romans 1:18-19. Why don’t we have to preach the wrath of God? (People already know in their hearts that they aren’t in right standing with Him) |
| B. | What is it that’s on the inside of every human being who has ever breathed on this earth? (An intuitive revelation of the existence of God) | |
| 3. | A. | According to Romans 1:20, will anyone ever be able to stand before God and say, “But I never heard. I never knew You existed!” (No) |
| B. | What will they be accountable for? (The revelation they have—this inner witness) | |
| 4. | A. | According to Psalm 46:10, when is it that we can hear this homing device? (When we get still) |
| B. | What does it say? (“You know this isn’t right. You shouldn’t be living this way. There has to be more to life than this. Where did I come from? Where am I going? Who created me?”) | |
| C. | How do people avoid listening to this homing device convict them regarding their lifestyle? (They constantly keep themselves busy with something) | |
| 5. | A. | Read Romans 1:21. What are the four keys to staying full of God expressed positively? (Glorify God,be thankful, recognize the power of our imagination, and have a good heart) |
| B. | Who decides whether we stay full of God or not? (We do) |
