Who Does God Say I Am? Week Three

Relationship-Not Rules 

Bible Study Week 2 Questions and Verses

• Galatians 5:18

• 1 John 3:1 

• Ephesians 1:13-14

• Colossians 1:7-9 

• 2 Timothy 1:7-9

• Romans 8:38-39 

• What does spiritual rest look like for you? How is this different from your spiritual striving?

• Do you feel duty instead of delight when it comes to reading the gospel?

• How do you feed your spirit?

• What is your response when you fail spiritually? 

• How do you discern the difference between conviction from the Spirit and condemnation from shame?

Journal: How can you cultivate delight in your spiritual walk this week? What is holding you back?

“But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.”

-Galatians 5:18

When it comes to religious practices and talking about divine authority, it can be intimidating. It is important for us to realize that God does not want compliance and obedience to nothing but laws and rules. His authority is not imposed on us but rather flows through us. His commands are an invitation to live full and freely. Not to be locked down under shame and reprimand. 

We have been talking over the last few weeks about who God says we are. Our identity is important to understanding why a relationship with Jesus is vital and not strict. I always thought relationships were conditional and controllable but this was not the case. Not with Jesus. 

“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.”

-1 John 3:1 NIV

We are children of God. What does this really mean? We hear it all the time but what does this mean for who I am as an individual? It starts with acceptance. I rejected this idea for so many years because, I, myself do not have parents and were not raised by my parents. I was left to raise myself until I was adopted at seventeen. Accepting your role as a child of God is the first major step to understanding the privileges and promises that come with it. Love is unconditional when it comes from the Lord. There is no wrong-doing that will ever make Him think differently of us. This is different from our earthly parents and loved ones who always have something negative to say about what we do with our lives. God just wants us to know Him. And there is nothing we can do that will separate us from Him. (See week two). 

“Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.”

-Ephesians 1:4-5 NLT 

We were chosen by hand to be a part of this wonderful family. This makes it easier for me to understand the delight in the things we go through instead of feeling a sense of duty to follow laws and rules. I feel delighted because I know I was chosen. It’s not always easy though. It is easy to feel shame when we mess up but we should feel a sense of determination instead. 

“For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

-Colossians 1:13-14 NIV

I love this verse because it constantly reminds me that I don't have to live in shame and fear when I mess up. Our souls were already in good standing with God and on top of that, He is a loving father who helps us when we mess up. Not punish us. We are encouraged through the hard time, not condemned to it. 

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. So never be ashamed to tell others about our Lord. And don’t be ashamed of me, either, even though I’m in prison for him. With the strength God gives you, be ready to suffer with me for the sake of the Good News. For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time—to show us his grace through Christ Jesus.”

-2 Timothy 1:7-9 NLT

We are empowered even when we face times of trouble. These uncertain times aren't necessarily always a trial of our faith but rather life just being hard. We get to choose if we want to strengthen our spiritual walk by being empowered to trust God through these difficult seasons. You get to choose how you feel and react to your own circumstances. No matter what we choose, God stays by our side. Always. 

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

-Romans 8:38-39

 We can rest easy knowing we are secured. This allows us to take necessary steps toward personal growth. We no longer have to live in fear of what might happen next. Week four we are going to explore guidance during uncertainty. 

Journal: How can you cultivate delight in your spiritual walk this week? What is holding you back?