Understanding Your Religion
7 Major Doctrines that Define Christianity
God's Method of Reconciliation
The Sub-doctrine of Atonement - Part 1
Stratégie d'enseignement
The focus of this lesson is a review of God’s plan for our reconciliation to Him. Of special note in this lesson is the role Jesus plays in God’s plan and the response God desires of us.
Résultats de l'apprentissage des étudiants
- Know: Understand how Christ’s sacrifice satisfies the requirements of God’s justice and love.
- Feel: Appreciate the love God has for us.
- Do: Seek to live faithfully to God’s will.
Corps de la leçon
Questions à discuter
Vous trouverez ci-dessous des suggestions de questions à utiliser pendant la partie de la leçon consacrée à la discussion guidée. Vous trouverez également des suggestions de réponses aux questions pour aider les élèves à saisir les différents concepts. Ces réponses sont fournies pour faciliter la discussion et ne sont pas considérées comme des réponses "justes ou fausses".
Reconciliation is God restoring man to Himself through Jesus Christ.
- The problem (Isaiah 59:1-2) – What sin produces
- The extent (Romans 3:23; Romans 5:12-14) – Sin is universal
- The result (Romans 6:23) – Man separated from God
- The solution (Romans 5:6) – Reconciliation with God
This question is intended to clarify for the learner how God forgives our sins and reconciles us to Him through Jesus. Jesus' perfect life is the payment (atonement) that pays the moral debt produced by our violations of God's laws (sin).
Each of us is personally responsible to respond to God's plan for our atonement. God requires a sinless life, not a "pretty good" life. Since we are unable to offer that to Him, we must go through His plan and process for atonement found only in Jesus.
We must understand our condition and the resolution found only in Jesus. A good example of this is found in Acts 2. Peter lays out the case that the Jews had killed Jesus and were personally responsible for His unjust death. Upon realizing their guilt and acknowledging their belief in who Jesus really was, they cried out what must be done to make amends for this evil act. Peter responds that they must express their faith through repenting and being baptized for the forgiveness of their sins.
Upon that, God restores them to a relationship with Him and provides the Holy Spirit to live in them and guide them in their efforts to live faithful lives.
That situation and resolution is still true today. It was for our sins that Jesus died, and it is only through Him that we find forgiveness in the same way as the early Church.