Know: Understand that the righteous live by faith and what it means to be indwelt by the Spirit.
Feel: Find hope in the constant companionship available from Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit.
Do: Discover and live in ways that build a friendship with God.
Learning Outline:
Know: The Righteous Live by Faith.
How do we live by faith? B What does it mean to walk according to the Spirit? C What does it mean for the Holy Spirit to dwell in us? D How does the indwelling of the Spirit change who we are?
Feel: Hope in the Friendship of the Holy Spirit
When are the times that you feel the loneliest? B What do good friends bring into your life? C How would it help you to know that the God of the universe is willing to be your constant companion?
Do: Build a Friendship With God.
What would you be willing to do to develop a friendship with Christ?
What are some of the ways in which you can dwell on who Jesus is?
What are the key moments in life when you have noticed the companionship of the Holy Spirit?
What has thinking about who Christ is accomplished in you personally?
Summary: When we understand that being indwelt by the Holy Spirit means that we have a devoted friendship with Christ, we will find hope and transformation in His companionship.
Learning Cycle
STEP 1—Motivate
Spotlight on Scripture: Romans 8:1
Key Concept for Spiritual Growth: Dwelling on the things of Christ, in both our thoughts and in our way of life, builds a friendship with God through the work of the Holy Spirit.
Just for Teachers: Help your Sabbath School group to understand that it is the sacrifice of Christ that has removed condemnation. There is nothing that we can do to earn our salvation or free ourselves from condemnation. Now that we have been freed from condemnation and we are free to choose the life according to the Spirit rather than the life according to the flesh, we can shift our minds to Christ and build a friendship with Him through our relationship with the Holy Spirit. Keeping the idea of friendship in mind will help to explain best what the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is.
Opening Discussion: Have you ever noticed the way that our different friends affect us? Depending on those with whom we are spending time, our activities, our personality, our vocabulary, the way we treat others, and our moods seem to change.
When Cory was growing up, he had several different friends with whom he liked to spend time. One guy was the gang leader, literally; he was trying to start a gang in their little town. Cory’s dad warned him about spending time with this friend, declaring that it wouldn’t turn out well. Cory didn’t believe his dad. And, at 12 years old, he found himself getting arrested for shoplifting at his local grocery store—all because he was trying to impress this “friend.”
Cory had other friends who liked to sneak out in the middle of the night. So, when they spent the night at Cory’s house, the boys would sneak out of his family’s barn and walk 3 miles into a town with a population of 2,500, where nothing was happening.
But Cory also had a friend, Kelly, who didn’t see the point of sneaking out and didn’t think stealing was a good idea either. In fact, Kelly invited Cory to the youth group at his church. When Cory spent time with Kelly, his thoughts were in a better place, his actions were more positive, and his character was being formed in a more righteous direction.
Questions for Discussion:
Why are we influenced by the friends with whom we spend time?
What needs are met by friendship?
In what ways can you imagine a friendship with God and how it would affect your life?
STEP 2—Explore
Just for Teachers: Romans 8 contains a lot of information, too much information to cover in one class. We will therefore focus on the first 11 verses. It will be most helpful to focus on the three points in this lesson and not let your class get too distracted by questions of Christology, propitiation, and so on, that can be found in this chapter. Keep bringing the class back to the idea of friendship with God.
Bible Commentary
Introduction: (Briefly review by doing a quick overview of Romans 1:16, 17 and Romans 5–8.)
In chapter 5 of Romans, Paul has developed the case of sin taking over this world. Then he sets forth in chapter 6 death to sin and newness of life that are needed and represented by baptism. In chapter 7, he expresses the nature of indwelling sin (Rom. 7:22, 23). In chapter 8 of Romans, Paul continues the development of the gospel, which reveals the righteousness of God, “a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: ‘The righteous will live by faith’ ” (Rom 1:17, NIV). He now transitions into what it means to live by faith, which is to be living in Christ by the indwelling of the Spirit, rather than the indwelling of sin (Rom. 8:1–11).
Consider This: What are the chief implications of justification by faith that will undergird our walk with God through our subsequent life in the Spirit?
I. The Righteous Will Live by Faith. (Review Romans 8:1–11 with your class.)
The phrase at the beginning of this chapter and our key text starts with the word now. This word is a transitional device, similar to saying “therefore.” Paul has built up the case for the devastation that sin has brought into the world, and he brings the argument to a climax here, especially with the exclamation of Romans 7:24, “Who will deliver me from this body of death?” (NKJV). The answer, of course, is Jesus Christ, the Deliverer. Therefore, because Jesus has delivered us from the “body of death,” there is no longer any condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. This is important because Paul has, thus far in the letter, been talking about what such condemnation looks like and the wretched condition in which all members of humankind have found themselves entrapped. He now transitions to the life of faith, for the righteous not only receive justification by faith but also live by faith according to the Spirit.
Just as justification was given as a gift to the believer, so the righteous life is also given to the believer through faith. Paul clearly reminds his readers that it is because Jesus came in “the likeness of sinful flesh” and was given as a sin offering (thereby fulfilling the justice of the law) that the believer is able to live in freedom through the Spirit (Rom. 8:2–4, NKJV).
Consider This:
What does the death of Jesus have to do with our being able to live a righteous life?
How does Jesus fulfill the law?
How does Jesus’ fulfilling of the law give believers freedom to live?
II. Live According to the Spirit. (Review Romans 7:22, 23 and 8:9–11 with your class.)
To walk according to the “Spirit,” rather than according to the “flesh,” is a phrase in Greek that means to conduct your life in a certain way. In the same way that the sinner submits his or her will and way of life to sin so thoroughly that he or she is indwelt by sin (Rom. 7:22, 23), one can submit his or her will and way of life to the Spirit so thoroughly that he or she is indwelt by the Spirit (Rom. 8:9–11).
What does it mean then to be indwelt by the Spirit? It means that one’s mind is fixed upon the things of the Spirit rather than on the things of the flesh. As we dwell upon the things of the Spirit and live according to the Spirit, we are indwelt by the Spirit. It does not mean that Spirit is enmeshed with our being any more than a being of sin is enmeshed with our being in Romans 7. To be indwelt by the Spirit means that we are friends with the Spirit, no longer hostile to God, as the mind that was focused on flesh once was (Rom. 8:7).
Consider This:
What kinds of “death” could focusing on the flesh bring into the life of an individual? What are some examples of spiritual, emotional, or social death?
What does it look like to live according to the Spirit? When have you seen someone living according to the Spirit in a concrete way? What did that look like?
III. Indwelling as Friendship (Review John 17:20–23 with your class.)
Think of the indwelling as a deep friendship. When we live in community with our friends, what they say and who they are rub off on us. We begin to think, speak, and act like them. And we have the same influence on them. If we came to the place where we fully submitted to the will of our friend, turned our mind and will completely over to what he or she willed and desired, we could say that we were “indwelt” by that friend. In the same way, Jesus prayed in John 17:20–23 that the disciples would be one as He and the Father are one. The disciples were not able to enmesh their beings with one another anymore than we can; and yet, they are to be one with one another and with Jesus in the same way as Jesus is one with the Father. This oneness is the sharing of mind, will, and purpose.
Consider This:
When was a time you were so close to another person that you began to think alike?
When was a time the Word of God came to your mind when you needed it?
STEP 3—Apply
Just for Teachers: Continue to help your class think about friendship with God. Emphasize that communication is a big part of friendship and help the class to realize that dwelling on the things of the Spirit is the same as listening to what He has to say to us in Scripture.
Application Questions:
How do you build a strong friendship with a person?
What are some ways that you could build your friendship with God? How might you dwell on the things and words of the Spirit?
STEP 4—Create
Just for Teachers: Help your class to think of ways in which they could turn their minds more creatively toward a friendship with the Spirit.
Activities:
Memorize a passage of Scripture that directly speaks to one of the challenging places in your life.
Create an artistic representation of a friendship with God through song, drawing/painting, collage, sculpture, and so on.
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Key Text: Romans 8:1
The Student Will:
Learning Outline:
Summary: When we understand that being indwelt by the Holy Spirit means that we have a devoted friendship with Christ, we will find hope and transformation in His companionship.
Learning Cycle
STEP 1—Motivate
Spotlight on Scripture: Romans 8:1
Key Concept for Spiritual Growth: Dwelling on the things of Christ, in both our thoughts and in our way of life, builds a friendship with God through the work of the Holy Spirit.
Just for Teachers: Help your Sabbath School group to understand that it is the sacrifice of Christ that has removed condemnation. There is nothing that we can do to earn our salvation or free ourselves from condemnation. Now that we have been freed from condemnation and we are free to choose the life according to the Spirit rather than the life according to the flesh, we can shift our minds to Christ and build a friendship with Him through our relationship with the Holy Spirit. Keeping the idea of friendship in mind will help to explain best what the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is.
Opening Discussion: Have you ever noticed the way that our different friends affect us? Depending on those with whom we are spending time, our activities, our personality, our vocabulary, the way we treat others, and our moods seem to change.
When Cory was growing up, he had several different friends with whom he liked to spend time. One guy was the gang leader, literally; he was trying to start a gang in their little town. Cory’s dad warned him about spending time with this friend, declaring that it wouldn’t turn out well. Cory didn’t believe his dad. And, at 12 years old, he found himself getting arrested for shoplifting at his local grocery store—all because he was trying to impress this “friend.”
Cory had other friends who liked to sneak out in the middle of the night. So, when they spent the night at Cory’s house, the boys would sneak out of his family’s barn and walk 3 miles into a town with a population of 2,500, where nothing was happening.
But Cory also had a friend, Kelly, who didn’t see the point of sneaking out and didn’t think stealing was a good idea either. In fact, Kelly invited Cory to the youth group at his church. When Cory spent time with Kelly, his thoughts were in a better place, his actions were more positive, and his character was being formed in a more righteous direction.
Questions for Discussion:
STEP 2—Explore
Just for Teachers: Romans 8 contains a lot of information, too much information to cover in one class. We will therefore focus on the first 11 verses. It will be most helpful to focus on the three points in this lesson and not let your class get too distracted by questions of Christology, propitiation, and so on, that can be found in this chapter. Keep bringing the class back to the idea of friendship with God.
Bible Commentary
Introduction: (Briefly review by doing a quick overview of Romans 1:16, 17 and Romans 5–8.)
In chapter 5 of Romans, Paul has developed the case of sin taking over this world. Then he sets forth in chapter 6 death to sin and newness of life that are needed and represented by baptism. In chapter 7, he expresses the nature of indwelling sin (Rom. 7:22, 23). In chapter 8 of Romans, Paul continues the development of the gospel, which reveals the righteousness of God, “a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: ‘The righteous will live by faith’ ” (Rom 1:17, NIV). He now transitions into what it means to live by faith, which is to be living in Christ by the indwelling of the Spirit, rather than the indwelling of sin (Rom. 8:1–11).
Consider This: What are the chief implications of justification by faith that will undergird our walk with God through our subsequent life in the Spirit?
I. The Righteous Will Live by Faith. (Review Romans 8:1–11 with your class.)
The phrase at the beginning of this chapter and our key text starts with the word now. This word is a transitional device, similar to saying “therefore.” Paul has built up the case for the devastation that sin has brought into the world, and he brings the argument to a climax here, especially with the exclamation of Romans 7:24, “Who will deliver me from this body of death?” (NKJV). The answer, of course, is Jesus Christ, the Deliverer. Therefore, because Jesus has delivered us from the “body of death,” there is no longer any condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. This is important because Paul has, thus far in the letter, been talking about what such condemnation looks like and the wretched condition in which all members of humankind have found themselves entrapped. He now transitions to the life of faith, for the righteous not only receive justification by faith but also live by faith according to the Spirit.
Just as justification was given as a gift to the believer, so the righteous life is also given to the believer through faith. Paul clearly reminds his readers that it is because Jesus came in “the likeness of sinful flesh” and was given as a sin offering (thereby fulfilling the justice of the law) that the believer is able to live in freedom through the Spirit (Rom. 8:2–4, NKJV).
Consider This:
II. Live According to the Spirit. (Review Romans 7:22, 23 and 8:9–11 with your class.)
To walk according to the “Spirit,” rather than according to the “flesh,” is a phrase in Greek that means to conduct your life in a certain way. In the same way that the sinner submits his or her will and way of life to sin so thoroughly that he or she is indwelt by sin (Rom. 7:22, 23), one can submit his or her will and way of life to the Spirit so thoroughly that he or she is indwelt by the Spirit (Rom. 8:9–11).
What does it mean then to be indwelt by the Spirit? It means that one’s mind is fixed upon the things of the Spirit rather than on the things of the flesh. As we dwell upon the things of the Spirit and live according to the Spirit, we are indwelt by the Spirit. It does not mean that Spirit is enmeshed with our being any more than a being of sin is enmeshed with our being in Romans 7. To be indwelt by the Spirit means that we are friends with the Spirit, no longer hostile to God, as the mind that was focused on flesh once was (Rom. 8:7).
Consider This:
III. Indwelling as Friendship (Review John 17:20–23 with your class.)
Think of the indwelling as a deep friendship. When we live in community with our friends, what they say and who they are rub off on us. We begin to think, speak, and act like them. And we have the same influence on them. If we came to the place where we fully submitted to the will of our friend, turned our mind and will completely over to what he or she willed and desired, we could say that we were “indwelt” by that friend. In the same way, Jesus prayed in John 17:20–23 that the disciples would be one as He and the Father are one. The disciples were not able to enmesh their beings with one another anymore than we can; and yet, they are to be one with one another and with Jesus in the same way as Jesus is one with the Father. This oneness is the sharing of mind, will, and purpose.
Consider This:
STEP 3—Apply
Just for Teachers: Continue to help your class think about friendship with God. Emphasize that communication is a big part of friendship and help the class to realize that dwelling on the things of the Spirit is the same as listening to what He has to say to us in Scripture.
Application Questions:
STEP 4—Create
Just for Teachers: Help your class to think of ways in which they could turn their minds more creatively toward a friendship with the Spirit.
Activities: