If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. 2 Cor 5:17
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Go to the source! Discover what the Bible says about …
These pages are designed to aid study or investigation for Christian discipleship through individual Bible study, Cell groups, Home groups, or meeting one to one. The questions could be used alone allowing each person to use their own Bible.
Introduction
God has shown His love at significant cost. He loves us not because we are useful to His purposes, but because He is our Father, and as our Father he loves us without measure. He is overjoyed when in response to His love, we show that same kind of love to other’s of His children. In our culture everyone proclaims love, but who shows it? We live in a world where such words are cheap, our Father in heaven shows us what love is really like.
Bible Zone
The zone below looks at three passages.
- God’s love sent Jesus - Love must be shown and God has shown us His love.
- God’s love makes us alive - God in His love gives the gift of life..
- Show God’s Love - If God is in us, we show His love to others.
- Nothing separates us from God’s love - No matter the circumstances, God loves.
It is hard to see the love of the Father, who being Spirit cannot show us His love in ways that we can readily see. What He has given us is Jesus. Let us look at Jesus speaking of the Father sending Him, God’s Son. John 3.
- What is the purpose God has in giving His Son, Jesus to the world?
- How is this giving of His only Son a demonstration of Love?
- What responses are possible to Jesus, and what are the consequences?
John 3:16-19 16 "For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.17 God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.
18 "There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God's one and only Son.19 And the judgment is based on this fact: God's light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil.
With Christ in us, we have been given us new life. He has transformed us from death to life. This is a gift given to us through mercy, and not earned in any way.
- What does the passage tell us that God has done for us?
- How has God done this?
- How have you experienced God’s kindness in your life?
Ephesians 2: 4 But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much,5 that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God's grace that you have been saved!)6 For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus.7 So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.
8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God.9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.10 For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
Jesus loves us, and those who love us hold us to the highest. He desires that we love too. Have a look at the following text. 1 John 3
- What is the true motivation of love?
- How should our love be demonstrated?
- If others fail in their love to us, where does that leave us?
- In what ways might you need to be showing love to others?
1 John 3:16 -18 16 We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters.17 If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister* in need but shows no compassion—how can God's love be in that person?
18 Dear children, let's not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.
Nothing Separates from God’s love
God’s love for us is not like our love for others. His love is unquenchable. Nothing can remove it from us, so we are secure in that love!
- What situations could suggest that God does not love us?
- What does the Bible say cannot separate us from God’s love?
- How confident can you be in God’s love.
Romans 8: 35 Can anything ever separate us from Christ's love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death?36 (As the Scriptures say, "For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep."*)37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. 38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God's love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,* neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love.39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
When experiencing trouble, it is helpful to look outside the immediate source of trouble to see Jesus’ consolations. They often come from a completely different angle. - Example
GOD LOVES US
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