C.A.C Sunday School Manual For December 20, , 2020 The Unity Of Brethren. Lesson Twelve : Topic – UNITED WITH CHRIST FOREVER
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CHRIST APOSTOLIC CHURCH WORLWIDE
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
THEME: THE UNITY OF BRETHREN
UNIT THREE: NOW AND IN ETERNITY
LESSON TWELVE
December 20th, 2020.
TOPIC: UNITED WITH CHRIST FOREVER
Memory Scripture
That in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth in Him
(Ephesians 1:10).
Sooner than later, Jesus is returning to establish God’s total and perfect rule over all, no longer by proxy. Will you be there? You must have given your life to Him, now.
BRIEF COMMENT
This memory scripture can be broken into three parts: 1. The dispensation of the fullness of time, 2. That He might gather together in one all things in Christ, and 3. Both which are in heaven and which are on earth in Him.
The dispensation of the fullness of time talks about when the old system of heaven and earth shall pass away and shall give way to the new system, where there is righteousness and the throne of God. It is talking about the end of this age cum the beginning of the government of God on earth. The second one refers to God’s unification exercise, which He shall execute in His Son, Jesus Christ. God will soon bring everything under the control and authority of Christ. He has made Jesus the Head of all things for the Church. The third point is talking about everything, both in heavens and on earth. What are those things under this classification: principalities, powers, throne government, authority, angels, etc. All these are under the authority of Jesus Christ, and very soon, God in His sovereignty, shall unify them under one government, the government of Jesus Christ, such that whatever that is not found in Him shall be doomed.
The Bible talks about the shakeable. The shakeable are those materials not found in Jesus, which the unshakable are those that are firm in Christ Jesus. This unification is not a mere thought, imagination, or an utopia idea. It is a programme of the unfailing, unwavering and unstoppable God. Who does not say a thing and claims He has not said it. Are you prepared for this? May the Holy Spirit help you to witness this reunion, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Devotional Bible Reading For Week One
Mon. 14: Accept The Helmet Of Salvation (Eph. 6:17)
Tue. 15: Accept Jesus And Be Baptised (Mk. 16:16)
Wed. 16: Our Salvation Is Nearer Than Ever Before (Rom. 13:11)
Thur. 17: Our Hope Is In Christ (1 Thess. 5:8-9)
Fri. 18: Obtain Eternal Salvation Through Christ (2 Tim. 2:10)
Sat. 19: Our Salvation, Eternally, Eternally Settled In Jesus (Heb. 5:9).
DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS
1. Soon and very soon, believers, in Christ shall be perfectly, fully and ultimately saved, and made to be with Christ in His eternal Kingdom. Are you ready!
2. Believers shall be with Christ eternally, any moment from now, in the kingdom of God. The preparation towards this is why Jesus had to go back to heaven, in the first place. He is coming back to take us to Himself (John 14:1-4).
BACKGROUND SCRIPTURES: Revelation 22:12-17
AIM AND OBJECTIVES
AIM: To show that sooner than later, God shall unite everything, both in heaven and on earth, with Himself in Christ, in His Kingdom, forever.
OBJECTIVES: At the end of the lesson, readers are expected to be able to:
i. show their deep understanding of the fact that our salvation is progressive and shall soon be perfected in Christ, in meaningful discussion of it;
ii. identify those things that put us at variance with the Lord and can constitute separation, eternally; and
iii. describe how God has chosen to unite the believers with Himself forever in Christ.
INTRODUCTION
TEXTUAL SOURCES: ROMANS 8:18-24; EPHESIANS 1:3-14, 2:1FF; 1 THESSALONIANS 4:13-18; REVELATION 22:1-5
We give glory, honour and adoration to the most High God for the wonderful privilege to be partakers of this series of the Sunday school. The Holy Spirit has richly blessed us. All the previous eleven lessons have been very wonderful, down-to-heart, and soul-nourishing. There is no doubt that the body of Christ has begun and continued to enjoy unbridled cohesion, cooperation and comforting that are all products of godly unity. Wherever we need to make amends, the Holy Spirit who knows all things, will help us to fish out those areas and make the necessary corrections. Lesson 11 has shown us the reward of unity. May we be divinely privileged to experience this. Amen.
This lesson is the last but not in any way the least, in this series. It carries the idea that salvation is a progressive programme of God. We are saved, we are being saved, and we shall be saved. All these stages of salvation reveal the progressiveness of God’s redemption and are unified in Christ Jesus. Therefore, we can talk of unity of salvation. In addition, salvation of humanity involves each of the three Persons of the Godhead — the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. All work in perfect unity to rescue the undeserving sinners.
The salient issues is how the believers can safeguard the salvation we have received by grace, now, so that he can be saved ultimately when Christ shall come to take us to the Kingdom of His Father. This necessitates that we should look at unity in Christ, now, and unity in Him,forever. “Now” connotes our present situation, while “Forever” speaks of the eternal future. We are saved but not yet perfected, or glorified. We and all the creation await when we (sons of God) shall be glorified. Till then, let us continue to work out salvation with fear and trembling.
May the Holy Spirit give us the grace to be hopeful and expectant as we await the glorious unification of God with the believers, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
INTRODUCTION TO EACH DIVISION
This is a one-week lesson, with just one division, which is divided into two sections, parts A and B.
DIVISION I: UNITED WITH CHRIST FOREVER
Man’s salvation is what God performed and perfected in Christ Jesus. It is very clear that man’s salvation is a function of God’s grace. God deliberately and painstakingly unified the depraved man with Himself through the sacrifice of Christ Jesus. That is redemption — the perfect Gift of God in Christ Jesus. This is the unity with Christ for now. United With Christ Forever is second aspect of the lesson and is the fulcrum. It refers to the glorious state when the true believers shall be in the Kingdom of God with the Lord in their resurrected body.
LESSON OUTLINE
I. UNITED WITH CHRIST FOREVER
A. UNITED WITH CHRIST NOW
B. UNITED WITH CHRIST FOREVER
LESSON EXPOSITION
I. UNITED WITH CHRIST FOREVER (Romans 8:18-24; Ephesians 1:3-14,2:1ff; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Revelation 22:1-5)
United with Christ forever is simply referring to the glorious state, when the true believers shall be in the Kingdom of God with the Lord in their resurrected body. It promises to be a great moment of incomparable reunion with God the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit and those of the triumphant Church. The members of the militant Church must be happy and comforted since their labour in Christ now is not in vain. Soon, those groaning and suffering shall be crowned with glory and Halleluyah.
A. UNITED WITH CHRIST NOW (Eph. 1:3-14, 2:1ff)
But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even if when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus (Eph. 2:4-6).
i. The issue of Salvation ID God’s prerogative. He has perfected the work of redemption and salvation of man even when man knew nothing about it (cf. Rom. 5:8).
ii. Eph. 1:3-6: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ… This in a way is rendering appreciation for the salvation God beings to us through His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Yet, can we thank God enough? We are products of God’s adoption programme.
iii. vv. 7-9: God’s grace brings salvation to man, not that man deserves it. We are saved by grace (cf. 2:8).
vv. 10-13: He might gather together in one all things in Christ… Through God’s offer of salvation, the depraved man is unified with Christ in one body. This was, is being and would be achieved, ultimately.
v. 2:1-5: And you, He made alive… together with Christ. We were dead in sin but God raised us up and imparted the life of Christ in us so that we are alive together with Christ. To be united with Christ is the hallmark of unity.
vi. vv. 6-10: That in the ages to come He might show… God has wonderful and great plan of salvation for man, which He is yet to show to man, but is being progressively revealed in Christ (Isa. 64:4, 65:17, 1 Cor. 2:9).
vii. In Christ Jesus, God chose to make the undeserving and depraved man to be one with Himself. No one could have imagined that the Just and Holy God would have had anything doing with the fallen and corrupted man again. However, God’s mercy and grace prevailed and man restored and fully reconciled.
B. UNITED WITH CHRIST FOREVER (Rom. 8:18-24; 1 Thess. 4:13-18; Rev. 22:1-5).
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord (1 Thess. 4:16,17).
i. Rom. 8:18-24: Of course, we have been saved. God has graciously united us with himself through Christ (salvation by grace). Still, we are not yet absolutely perfect. We still groan in the body and experience suffering. Of course, only relative perfection is possible here; absolute perfection is reserved for heaven (cf. 1 Jn. 3:2).
ii. Even the entire creation groans and eagerly awaits when the children of God shall be perfected — ultimately united with Christ forever.
iii. 1 Thess. 4:16, 17: The Lord himself will descend… This is a statement of the manner in which Jesus Christ will carry-out the everlasting unification of the believers (the sons of God… Rom. 8:19) with Himself.
iv. v. 17:…And thus we shall always be with the Lord. God is fully ready to take us to Himself and make us to be with Him always (… forever, NTL). We shall enjoy full and everlasting stay (Jn. 14:1-6).
v. Rev. 22:1-5: This is a description of how God plans to unite the believers with Himself eternally in His kingdom. The glamour is just too unimaginable. Just make sure you don’t miss it, by God’s grace.
vi. Preachers of utopia (here and now) need to correct such erroneous teaching with this wonderful description of God’s eternal unification programme. Our Master, Jesus, is coming to take us home to His eternal bliss. What a wonderful refreshing hope!
vii. It is not enough to be able to describe, or explain how the believers shall always be with the Lord in the Kingdom of God. The best thing is that you are a living witness of this glorious unification and reunion of the saints. Don’t miss the expected most glorious moment.
LESSONS DERIVED
1. We must eternally appreciate the salvation God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit perfected for us.
2. Our salvation is progressive. The saved ones here on earth will soon be unified with the Lord in God’s Kingdom above — eternal salvation. Don’t miss it.
QUESTIONS
1. Explain the roles played by God the Father, Son and Holy Ghost in man’s redemption.
2. What is the plan for the unification of the believers with Christ, ultimately?
SUGGESTED ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS
ANSWER TO QUESTION 1:
The roles played by God the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit in man’s redemption are too divine to explain, because of the limitedness of the human faculty in understanding and explaining the things of heaven. However, for knowledge’s sake, let us have this few points:
i. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are the three Persons (One in Three; Three in One) of the Godhead. These three is inseparable one living God of the Christians.
ii. Some other religions have fallouts with Christians on this issue of three Persons of the Trinity, claiming we serve three gods.
iii. That is far from the truth, Christians serve only one God, who functions or operates in three offices (As Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit). Just as it is not difficult for water to transform in three different states as liquid, solid and gas, so it is not impossible for for God to transform as He wishes according to His eternal purpose. Those who are confounded at this are myopic and do not know God’s work. Better wake up.
iv. The Father, in His prerogative, chose to reconcile the undeserving and depraved man to Himself and decided to use His Son to achieve this. We are talking of the Son who is the Lamb of God, slain before the foundation of the world.
v. The Son is not in any way inferior to the Father. In fact, God is inseparable. As the Son was finishing His part of the redemptive programme, during His earthly ministry. He practically handed over to the Holy Spirit to serve as the believers’ seal in the world, before the eventual unification in the Kingdom of God.
vi. The Holy Spirit, like the Father and the Son, is God. He is one with the Father and the Son. The spirit of a man is one with him, and any attempt to separate a man and his spirit means death. So, God is one with His Spirit and His Son. This unity makes man’s redemption possible.
vii. The Holy Spirit does the work of conviction (Jn. 16:8) as the Word of God is ministered to the sinner. He convicts the sinner, bringing Him to Calvary at the feet of Christ for salvation.
ANSWER TO QUESTION 2:
i. Refer to section B i-vi.
ii. Jesus made a promise, during His first advent: He promised that He is going to make a home for us in the Kingdom of God.
iii. He planned and promised to return: He said when He has gone, He would come back to take us to Himself.
iv. He did not just leave us, He sent the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, to be with us, guide, teach and empower us till His arrival.
v. The Lord will descend to take us away from this corruption in the world.
vi. On His appearance in the sky, all believers would be drawn or caught up (rapture) to Him in the sky, by the Holy Spirit. There, we would be with Him for seven (7) years.
vii. This would lead to the Millennial Reign of Christ with His saints here on earth.
viii.Immediately after this, we will be with the Lord in His Kingdom forever and thus we shall always be with the Lord.
LIFE APPLICATION
It was once said of how a dying father chose to greet his two sons differently. To the first, he said, “Goodbye” and to the second, he bade, “Goodnight.” The one to whom he bade goodbye was wondering why his father would bid him goodbye while bidding his brother goodbye. What did he mean? Knowing what was going on his mind, the father said. “Why are you amazed that I bid you goodbye and your brother goodbye? It is because you have chosen your path different from the Way of Jesus and have frustrated all efforts to make you accept His as your personal Lord and Saviour. Your brother is a child of God, through Jesus Christ. It is goodbye because I and your brother shall be forever separated from you while your brother and I shall be together on the glorious resurrection morning. Hence, I bid him goodnight.” On hearing this, the wayward young man broke down in tears, weeping bitterly for his sins. He eventually gave his life to Jesus.
What is your own condition? Are you in the shoes of the first brother, or the second? Whatever your spiritual circumstance is, think and make necessary amends before it is too late. Give your life to Jesus to enjoy an eternal unification with Him.
CONCLUSION
We have reached the end of the last but not the least lesson of this series. This would not have been possible but for the Lord who has been on our side. We are indebted to our Maker and Sustainer who chose to powerfully inspire, prepare and bless us through these wonderful, life-changing, hope-restoring, relationship-mending and thought-provoking lessons. The just concluded lesson has made us see the great work that is ahead of us, in that we have to make frantic efforts and strive to be united with Christ immediately and ultimately. Unity with Christ now must grow to unity with Him forever. That is what it should be. However, the believers must be determined, putting in all effort to make this work by trusting God’s grace for this final and ultimate reunification. May we not miss it. Amen.