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Better With Time
Steps to Christ, p.67
- What are people who have just been converted to Christ compared to? (par. 1)
- Why are illustrations from natural life taken to describe spiritual life? (par. 1)
- How can man have spiritual life? (par. 2)
- What does paragraph 3 (continued on page 68) tell us about spiritual growth?
2 Peter 3:17, 18 (Contemporary English Version)
“My dear friends, you have been warned ahead of time! So don't let the errors of evil people lead you down the wrong path and make you lose your balance. Let the wonderful kindness and the understanding that come from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ help you to keep on growing. Praise Jesus now and forever! Amen.”
“It is the privilege of the young, as they grow in Jesus, to grow in spiritual grace and knowledge. We may know more and more of Jesus through an interested searching of the Scriptures, and then following the ways of truth and righteousness therein revealed. Those who are ever growing in grace will be steadfast in the faith and moving forward” (Amazing Grace, p. 284).
Philippians 1:6 (Contemporary English Version)
“God is the one who began this good work in you, and I am certain that he won't stop before it is complete on the day that Christ Jesus returns.”
BETTER WITH TIME
“Oh no! I can’t find it,” Chris exclaimed.
How could Chris lose such a precious thing as his salvation?
He knew that he must find it quickly, so he decided to retrace his steps. He would go to all the places where he might have lost it.
First, Chris went to the video arcade. He was there earlier that day. He was playing video games, and when he would lose, he said a bad word or two. He thought that is where he could have lost his salvation. He looked, but it wasn’t there.
Perhaps Chris left it at school. He walked back to the lunchroom. He went to the very seat where he had sat with his friends and made fun of people whose clothes were out of style. Still, there was no salvation.
Maybe it is in the library, he thought. Monday he had forgotten to do his homework, so he had copied his best friend’s math problems. He searched all over the library, and it wasn’t there.
By now Chris was distraught. He went over the week in his mind. The last place he could remember having it was in church, so he decided he should go see if his salvation was there.
When Chris got to the church, he knocked on the door. The pastor answered it with a smile.
“Hey, Chris. How can I help you?”
“Pastor, I can’t find my salvation,” Chris confessed. “I went to all the places I could have lost it, you know, places where I did bad things; but it wasn’t in any of those places. The church was the last place I know I had it, so I decided to come and look to see if it is here.”
“Chris, I don’t think your salvation is lost,” the pastor reassured. “You are probably looking in the wrong places. You are looking for it in outside places, when you should be looking for it in inside places. When you accepted Jesus as your Savior, He saved you. As you go through your day, as long as you are still walking with Jesus, you do not lose your salvation every time you do something wrong. God knows that you make mistakes, but as long as you confess them and keep walking with Him, you are still on your way to glory—salvation intact.”
Chris thought, as many people think, that salvation is based on what you do, and when you mess up, God just throws you out until you make it right. That is not the way God is. God keeps us and works with us while we are becoming right. He knows we mess up; that is why He is there to pick us up. We have to remember, though, when we are down, to get back up again and keep going in the God-direction.
John 3:14-17 (New International Version)
“Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.
“‘For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.’”
“In the matchless gift of His Son, God has encircled the whole world with an atmosphere of grace as real as the air which circulates around the globe. All who choose to breathe this life-giving atmosphere will live and grow up to the stature of men and women in Christ Jesus.
“As the flower turns to the sun that the bright beams may aid in perfecting its beauty and symmetry, so should we turn to the Sun of Righteousness, that heaven's light may shine upon us, that our character may be developed into the likeness of Christ.
“Jesus teaches the same thing when He says, ‘Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in Me. . . . Without Me ye can do nothing.’ John 15:4, 5. You are just as dependent upon Christ, in order to live a holy life, as is the branch upon the parent stock for growth and fruitfulness. Apart from Him you have no life. You have no power to resist temptation or to grow in grace and holiness. Abiding in Him, you may flourish. Drawing your life from Him, you will not wither nor be fruitless. You will be like a tree planted by the rivers of water.
“Many have an idea that they must do some part of the work alone. They have trusted in Christ for the forgiveness of sin, but now they seek by their own efforts to live aright. But every such effort must fail. Jesus says, ‘Without Me ye can do nothing.’ Our growth in grace, our joy, our usefulness,—all depend upon our union with Christ. It is by communion with Him, daily, hourly,—by abiding in Him,—that we are to grow in grace. He is not only the Author, but the Finisher of our faith. It is Christ first and last and always. He is to be with us, not only at the beginning and the end of our course, but at every step of the way. David says, ‘I have set the Lord always before me: because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.’ Psalm 16:8” (Steps to Christ, pp. 68, 69).
HERE’S WHAT I THINK
Dear Jerryel,
I have been caught. Mr. Drummond found out I changed the grades on the computer. He was so mad! He wants to kick me out of school. I am going to save him the trouble. I am leaving. I don’t want people to keep looking down at me—the church members, my family, God. I messed up, and when I can fix things, maybe I will try to come back. I am going to miss you. I will stop by on my way out.
Love, Jordanne
What would you say to Jordanne when she came to visit? How would you convince her to stay?
Log on to www.guidemagazine.org/rtf to post your responses. Be upfront and honest. Say what you think. You can use the lines below to record your thoughts so that you can share them with your thoughts later.
Quotations for today’s lesson are taken from Christ Object lessons, p.198-211.
The parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the prodigal son bring out in distinct lines God's pitying love for those who are straying from Him. Although they have turned away from God, He does not leave them in their misery. He is full of kindness and tender pity toward all who are exposed to the temptations of the artful foe.
Luke 15:11-32 (Contemporary English Version)
Two Sons
Jesus also told them another story:
“Once a man had two sons. The younger son said to his father, ‘Give me my share of the property.’ So the father divided his property between his two sons.”
“This younger son had become weary of the restraint of his father's house. He thought that his liberty was restricted. His father's love and care for him were misinterpreted, and he determined to follow the dictates of his own inclination” (Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 198).
“Not long after that, the younger son packed up everything he owned and left for a foreign country, where he wasted all his money in wild living. He had spent everything, when a bad famine spread through that whole land. Soon he had nothing to eat.
“He went to work for a man in that country, and the man sent him out to take care of his pigs. He would have been glad to eat what the pigs were eating, but no one gave him a thing. Finally, he came to his senses and said, ‘My father's workers have plenty to eat, and here I am, starving to death! I will go to my father and say to him, “Father, I have sinned against God in heaven and against you. I am no longer good enough to be called your son. Treat me like one of your workers.”’
“The younger son got up and started back to his father. But when he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt sorry for him. He ran to his son and hugged and kissed him.
“The son said, ‘Father, I have sinned against God in heaven and against you. I am no longer good enough to be called your son.’
“But his father said to the servants, ‘Hurry and bring the best clothes and put them on him. Give him a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. Get the best calf and prepare it, so we can eat and celebrate. This son of mine was dead, but has now come back to life. He was lost and has now been found.’ And they began to celebrate.”
“The love of God still yearns over the one who has chosen to separate from Him, and He sets in operation influences to bring him back to the Father's house. The prodigal son in his wretchedness ‘came to himself.’ The deceptive power that Satan had exercised over him was broken. He saw that his suffering was the result of his own folly, and he said, ‘How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to may father.’ Miserable as he was, the prodigal found hope in the conviction of his father's love. It was that love which was drawing him toward home. So it is the assurance of God's love that constrains the sinner to return to God. ‘The goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance.’ Romans 2:4. A golden chain, the mercy and compassion of divine love, is passed around every imperiled soul. The Lord declares, ‘I have loved thee with an everlasting love; therefore with loving-kindness have I drawn thee.’ Jeremiah 31:3.” (Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 202).
“In the parable there is no taunting, no casting up to the prodigal of his
evil course. The son feels that the past is forgiven and forgotten, blotted out forever. And so God says to the sinner, ‘I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins.’ Isaiah 44:22. ‘I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.’ Jeremiah 31:34. ‘Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.’ Isaiah 55:7. ‘In those days, and in that time, saith the Lord, the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall be none; and the sins of Judah, and they shall not be found.’ Jeremiah 50:20.” (Christ’s Object Lessons, pp. 204, 205).
“The older son had been out in the field. But when he came near the house, he heard the music and dancing. So he called one of the servants over and asked, ‘What's going on here?’
“The servant answered, ‘Your brother has come home safe and sound, and your father ordered us to kill the best calf.’ “
“One son had for a time cut himself off from the household, not discerning the father's love. But now he has returned, and the tide of joy sweeps away every disturbing thought. ‘This thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found’” (Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 209).
“The older brother got so angry that he would not even go into the house.
“His father came out and begged him to go in. But he said to his father, ‘For years I have worked for you like a slave and have always obeyed you. But you have never even given me a little goat, so that I could give a dinner for my friends. This other son of yours wasted your money on prostitutes. And now that he has come home, you ordered the best calf to be killed for a feast.’
“His father replied, ‘My son, you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we should be glad and celebrate! Your brother was dead, but he is now alive. He was lost and has now been found.’”
“When the ice of selfishness is melted from your hearts, you will be in sympathy with God, and will share His joy in the saving of the lost” (Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 211).
“The elder son, in his selfishness and jealousy, stood ready to watch his brother, to criticize every action, and to accuse him for the least deficiency. He would detect every mistake, and make the most of every wrong act. Thus he would seek to justify his own unforgiving spirit. Many today are doing the same thing. While the soul is making its very first struggles against a flood of temptations, they stand by, stubborn, self-willed, complaining, accusing. They may claim to be children of God, but they are acting out the spirit of Satan. By their attitude toward their brethren, these accusers place themselves where God cannot give them the light of His countenance” (Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 210).
“It is true that you claim to be a child of God; but if this claim be true, it is ‘thy brother’ that was ‘dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.’ He is bound to you by the closest ties; for God recognizes him as a son. Deny your relationship to him, and you show that you are but a hireling in the household, not a child in the family of God” (Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 211).
- As you read this parable (or story) that Jesus told, can you explain what Jesus was telling the people he was talking with?
- Do you have to be the lost brother in order to need Jesus? Explain.
- Do you know Jesus love you? Do you accept His love for you? Have you told Him? Why not tell Him right now? You can write your prayer or just bow your head and talk to Jesus the same way you would talk to your best friend.
Isaiah 1:18 (New International Version)
“’Come now, let us reason together,
says the LORD.
‘Though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red as crimson,
they shall be like wool.’”
“The humble and broken heart, subdued by genuine repentance, will appreciate something of the love of God and the cost of Calvary; and as a son confesses to a loving father, so will the truly penitent bring all his sins before God. And it is written, ‘If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.’ 1 John 1:9.” (Steps to Christ, p. 41).
SO WHAT?
Deciding whether or not to accept Jesus’ offer of salvation is the most important decision you will make in your life . . . ever. It determines not just how you will spend your life in the sweet by and by but also in the here and now.
How do you become saved? Understand that you are a sinner and are in desperate need of a Savior. Accept Jesus as your Savior, and give Him control of your life.
If you haven’t accepted Him yet, pray this prayer: “Father, I know that I am a sinner and that I am messed up, but I know that You can clean me up and make me new. Right now, I accept Jesus as my Savior. Come live in my heart and take control.”
If you meant that prayer, God will honor it and receive you into His family. In a family, people make mistakes all the time. When you break a dish or miss curfew, you don’t worry about being kicked out of the house. You know that you are safe because you have a relationship with your parents. And they love you.
It is the same with God, except His love for you is multiplied times a million! When you mess up, you will not be thrown out of the family of God. You will not become unsaved as long as you are in relationship with the heavenly Father. And you have a chance each day to commit to that relationship, the more like Jesus you will become.
As His child, God knows you have some growing to do. God is patient, long-suffering, and forgiving, and if you stick around Him long enough, you will be, too!
Match the text with the verse.
- Psalm 37:23, 24 (NKJV)
- Romans 13:13 (NCV)
- Philippians 1:6 (NCV)
- Ecclesiastes 12:1 (NKJV)
- Joshua 1:8 (NLT)
- Psalm 119:9-11 (NIV)
- Romans 12:1 (NLT)
- __________ “Let us live in a right way, like people who belong to the day.”
- __________ “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord. . . .”
- __________ “Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth. . . . “
- __________ “God began doing a good work in you. . . .”
- __________ “And so, dear brothers and sisters. . . .”
- __________ “How can a young man keep his way pure?”
- __________ “Study this Book of Instruction continually.”
Romans 8:1-3 (Contemporary English Version)
“If you belong to Christ Jesus, you won't be punished.The Holy Spirit will give you life that comes from Christ Jesus and will set you free from sin and death. The Law of Moses cannot do this, because our selfish desires make the Law weak. But God set you free when he sent his own Son to be like us sinners and to be a sacrifice for our sin. God used Christ's body to condemn sin.”
“Some seem to feel that they must be on probation, and must prove to the Lord that they are reformed, before they can claim His blessing. But they may claim the blessing of God even now. They must have His grace, the Spirit of Christ, to help their infirmities, or they cannot resist evil. Jesus loves to have us come to Him just as we are, sinful, helpless, dependent. We may come with all our weakness, our folly, our sinfulness, and fall at His feet in penitence. It is His glory to encircle us in the arms of His love and to bind up our wounds, to cleanse us from all impurity.
“Here is where thousands fail; they do not believe that Jesus pardons them personally, individually. They do not take God at His word. It is the privilege of all who comply with the conditions to know for themselves that pardon is freely extended for every sin. Put away the suspicion that God's promises are not meant for you. They are for every repentant transgressor. Strength and grace have been provided through Christ to be brought by ministering angels to every believing soul. None are so sinful that they cannot find strength, purity, and righteousness in Jesus, who died for them. He is waiting to strip them of their garments stained and polluted with sin, and to put upon them the white robes of righteousness; He bids them live and not die.
“God does not deal with us as finite men deal with one another. His thoughts are thoughts of mercy, love, and tenderest compassion. He says, ‘Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.’ ‘I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins.’ Isaiah 55:7; 44:22.”
- How can we know that we are forgiven? What proof do we have?
- Are God’s promises meant for you? Explain.
- When God makes a promise can you believe Him? Explain.
WHAT DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH ME?
Part of the joy of being a Christian is getting to know Christ. As you find out who God is, you will find that He is all-knowing—that means He already knows the good and the bad about you. He knows the mistakes you have made and will make tomorrow, but He still loves you.
God is also all-powerful enough to change you into the Christian He wants you to be. He could do it quick, fast, and in a hurry as He did when He created the earth, but He waits for you to make the choices that help you to grow. Just as parents and teachers enjoy watching you grow, so does God.
God knows that this will be a process and that you will fail sometimes. You just need to know it! When you fall down, make sure you get back up! God does not count you out, so don’t count yourself out either. You don’t have to change to be accepted by God. He loves you just the way you are. He also loves you too much to let you stay the way you are. Don’t worry; He has taken responsibility for your growth.
“Consecrate yourself to God in the morning; make this your very first work. Let your prayer be, ‘Take me, O Lord, as wholly Thine. I lay all my plans at Thy feet. Use me today in Thy service. Abide with me, and let all my work be wrought in Thee.’ This is a daily matter. Each morning consecrate yourself to God for that day. Surrender all your plans to Him, to be carried out or given up as His providence shall indicate. Thus day by day you may be giving your life into the hands of God, and thus your life will be molded more and more after the life of Christ.
“A life in Christ is a life of restfulness. There may be no ecstasy of feeling, but there should be an abiding, peaceful trust. Your hope is not in yourself; it is in Christ. Your weakness is united to His strength, your ignorance to His wisdom, your frailty to His enduring might. So you are not to look to yourself, not to let the mind dwell upon self, but look to Christ. Let the mind dwell upon His love, upon the beauty, the perfection, of His character. Christ in His self-denial, Christ in His humiliation, Christ in His purity and holiness, Christ in His matchless love—this is the subject for the soul's contemplation. It is by loving Him, copying Him, depending wholly upon Him, that you are to be transformed into His likeness. . . .
“When the mind dwells upon self, it is turned away from Christ, the source of strength and life. Hence it is Satan's constant effort to keep the attention diverted from the Saviour and thus prevent the union and communion of the soul with Christ. The pleasures of the world, life's cares and perplexities and sorrows, the faults of others, or your own faults and imperfections—to any or all of these he will seek to divert the mind. Do not be misled by his devices. Many who are really conscientious, and who desire to live for God, he too often leads to dwell upon their own faults and weaknesses, and thus by separating them from Christ he hopes to gain the victory. We should not make self the center and indulge anxiety and fear as to whether we shall be saved. All this turns the soul away from the Source of our strength. Commit the keeping of your soul to God, and trust in Him. Talk and think of Jesus. Let self be lost in Him. Put away all doubt; dismiss your fears. Say with the apostle Paul, ‘I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me.’ Galatians 2:20. Rest in God. He is able to keep that which you have committed to Him. If you will leave yourself in His hands, He will bring you off more than conqueror through Him that has loved you” (Steps to Christ, pp. 69-72).
HOW DOES IT WORK?
To guard you relationship with God, you have to develop habits that will help keep your heart and mind focused on Him. These habits, such as worship, prayer, Bible study, and serving others, are called spiritual disciplines.
The key word is habit—something you do again and again. Write a prayer to God asking Him to help you develop habits that will strengthen your relationship with Him. Don’t forget to mention some specific habits you want Him to help you develop (or break) to become a stronger Christian.