Nigeria Baptist Convention Sunday School Outline : Preview For The Month of May
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SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON FOR YOUR PREPARATION
NBC SUNDAY SCHOOL OUTLINE
Theme for the Month:
“STANDING IN THE FAITH.”
PREVIEW FOR MAY
The theme for this month is “Standing in the Faith.” The texts shall be taken from Paul’s letter to the brethren in Rome. The focus of the lesson is Paul’s encouragement to believers in Rome to continue to stand firm in the faith. Other highlights of the lessons are as follows:
● The righteousness of God that comes through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe.
● An example of faith from the life of Abraham
● The meaning of being justified by faith.
● Faith that comes from hearing the Word of God.
● Encouragement to believers to confess, believe and live in the faith daily.
The lessons are expected to help the class members to reaffirm their faith in God because without faith, it is impossible to please God. As we study these lessons together, we pray that the Holy Spirit will help us to grow in the faith, and we will be able to please God always.
Suggested Teaching Methods: These suggested teaching methods can be used during the general opening or in the classes.
May 5 – Soliloquy: Let a class member soliloquise the words in the Golden Text twice while noltsvica to be standing in front of the class.
May 12 – Scripture Memorisation: Write the Golden Text (Romans 4:20-21) on a cardboard and encourage the class members to memorise it.
May 19 – Recitation: Class members should recite the Golden Text (Romans 5:1) repeatedly in unison until they have memorised it.
May 26 – Summarisation: Class members should read the Golden Text (Romans 10:9) from different versions of the Bible and summarise it in their own words.
DATE:
SUNDAY, 5TH MAY, 2024.
TOPIC: JUSTIFIED BY FAITH IN JESUS.
Devotional Reading:
John 3:1-8, 13-17.
Background:
Romans 3:21-30.
Lesson Scripture:
Romans 3:21-30.
GOLDEN TEXT:
“There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” Romans 3:22b-24
OBJECTIVES:
By the end of the lesson, class members should be able to:
● Discuss the doctrine of justification, according to the passage;
● Explain how God’s gift of salvation can be accessed by all;
● Make a commitment to live daily in obedience to God.
INTRODUCTION:
It was not too long after a pastor assumed the pastorate of a church that members of the church nicknamed him “Action Reverend”. The nickname was as a result of his wisdom, patience and ability to proffer solutions to some age-long and unresolved issues in the church. Until the pastor retired from the church, he was loved by all. This is a reflection of the nature of God who has solution to all the problems of humanity. When man sinned in the garden of Eden by eating the forbidden fruit, the entire human race lost the opportunity of constant fellowship with God. Considering the fact that God’s standard of righteousness is extremely higher than ours, human righteousness could no longer be accepted by God. The Scripture says, “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.” (Isaiah 64:6) However, even though humankind became separated from God, He never relents in showing them love. God found a way to restore the relationship that was lost in the garden of Eden.
In the previous chapters of the book of Romans, Paul underscored the fact that all (Jews and Greeks) are sinners in need of salvation. Thereafter, he emphasised God’s gift of salvation, which has put us right with Him (the doctrine of justification). This means that our response in faith through Jesus Christ, our Lord, determines our salvation and not mere adherence to the law, as some people believed in the Church in Rome. Therefore, the doctrine of justification by faith in Christ is important because it is the determining factor that we are approved by God, based on our faith in Jesus Christ and not by the works of the law. Today’s lesson focuses on how humankind can be reconciled to God by faith and enjoy fellowship with Him.
THE LESSON EXPLAINED…
A. JUSTIFICATION THROUGH FAITH
[Romans 3:21-24]
Paul made it clear in the preceding verse that no one will be declared righteous in the sight of God by merely obeying the Law. He said that one of the purposes of the Law is to make humankind see their state of sinfulness and the need for salvation (v. 20). God has revealed a new way of putting people right with Him without the law, even the law of Moses and the Prophets testified to it (John 5:46). According to Paul, in the text, the only way to be made right with God is through faith in Jesus Christ. He made it clearer in his letter to the Galatians when he said, “Know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified.” (Galatians 2:16) Those who are justified have been put right with God. By implication, through our faith in Jesus, the lost glory in the garden of Eden when Adam and Eve sinned has been restored.
According to Webster’s Clear Type Dictionary, justification means to be just, right, reasonable or to be pronounced free from guilt or blame. Biblically, justification is an act whereby we, as believers, are set free from condemnation as a result of our faith in Jesus Christ. Truly, believers have been justified and have obtained the righteousness of God through their faith in Jesus, whom God offered as the sacrifice for our sins (1 John 1:7). Though we were once guilty and liable to punishment but God has justified us (vindicated us) based on the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. Therefore, our justification is not by our works, circumcision or adherence to the Law; after all, no one has ever been righteous since the fall of man in the garden of Eden except Jesus Christ. Believers in Christ should remember that the foundation of their relationship with God is faith in the finished works of Christ (v. 24). Therefore, we must subject ourselves to the grace of God that comes only through Jesus Christ (John 1:17).
DISCUSSION TIME:
1. What are some steps believers can take to subdue the power of sin and live in the newness of life?
2. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Discuss.
B. JESUS’ SACRIFICE FOR THE SIN OF HUMANKIND:
[Romans 3:25-26]
God’s love for humankind was demonstrated through the sacrificial death of His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. God offered His Son to redeem humankind from their sins by shedding His blood on their behalf. By so doing, He became the medium through which the sins of humankind are forgiven. This process is known as “propitiation” or appeasement. It means that by the blood of Jesus Christ, the sins that separated us from God have been forgiven. This implies that our justification was perfected by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It was in Christ’s sacrifice that we became reconciled and are one with God (1 Corinthians 15:45). Every individual can access this justification by their faith in Jesus Christ. We should note that God chose to save humankind from the grip of sin and to justify those who have faith in Jesus (v. 26). The summary of the lesson is that Jesus alone possesses the authority to put right everyone who believes and trusts in Him.
Today’s passage reveals that God has solutions to all the problems of humankind. Right from the fall of humankind in the garden of Eden, the human race has been under the grip of sin and death. Nevertheless, because of the love God has for us, He chose to sacrifice His Son, Jesus Christ to atone for our sins so that we may be free from the wrath of God. This gives us an assurance that the shedding of the blood of Jesus on the cross is the provision for the forgiveness of our sins. As a result, this provision has opened a new chapter of life for us in our relationship with God.
DISCUSSION TIME:
1. Reflect on the demands that people often place on their offenders and compare it with God’s demand.
2. How do people usually feel when they are found guilty of an offence? What is the natural response when they are forgiven?
C. THE GOD OF ALL:
[Romans 3:27-31]
Paul concluded his teaching by asking two pertinent questions in verse 27. He said, “Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. Because of what law? The law that requires works? No, because of the ‘law’ that requires faith.” Paul directed the questions above to the Jews so that he could humble them and make them understand the fact that the only condition for anyone to be put right with God is through faith in Jesus Christ and not by doing what the law requires. By this, Paul meant that if God were to be the God of the Jews only, obedience to the law of Moses would have been the condition to be justified or put right with God. God is the God of all (both Jews and Gentiles), and He will justify both the circumcised and the uncircumcised by faith without prejudice (v. 30). the wh
Remarkably, the condemnation that was brought to humankind through Adam and Eve has been removed God has made provision for justification and redemption through faith in Jesus Christ. God’s gift of salvation for all was long predicted by both the law and the Prophets, when Jesus Christ would come as God’s plan to save humankind. At the appointed time, God set all things right for the salvation of humankind without any distinction between the Jews and the Gentiles. Therefore, the gift of salvation is for everyone who has faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
DISCUSSION TIME:
1. Differentiate between the Law that requires works and the Law that requires faith.
2. God is not the God of the Jews only. Discuss.
Fellowship and Ministry Building Activity:
● Nil.
Take Home: Write down three lessons you are taking home from today’s lesson?
● __________
● __________
● __________
Commitment:
● Based on today’s lesson, make a personal commitment to always appreciate God for the gift of salvation He has made available to all who believe in Him.
Happy Sunday in Advance.
Remain Inspired & Be Lifted!