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The Central Conflict in our Story ­– Sin
LIke many people, I love The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Although it has great special effects,
beautiful scenery, good acting, and epic battles, what I really like about it is that it connects
me with a sense of life’s meaning and significance.
Through the significant temptations and dangers that Frodo and his companions face, we
are able to see our own battles with temptations and dangers more clearly. Questions about
power, friendship, beauty, and honor confront Frodo, and thereby, us. Along the way he and
his companions grow in courage, loyalty, and faith.
The most notable growth occurs in Samwise Gamgee. A simple gardener back in the Shire,
Sam becomes an equal hero to Frodo as they journey to Mt. Doom. In their darkest moments,
Sam recounts memories of the Shire, where they have known deep goodness. Through his
bright descriptions, he finds enduring strength, and we are reminded that evil is overcome by
the vision of the Good.
We will never face a quest as difficult and as important as Frodo and Sam’s, but we have
all faced situations that felt deeply dangerous, when we were tempted to despair, and yet
somehow were able to press through. As we watch Frodo and Sam walk through their
challenges, we are inspired to face our own difficulties with greater courage and hope. Just as
the vision of the Shire sustained them, so the vision of the New Jerusalem sustains us.
Good stories do this for us. They are filled with deep tensions, significant conflicts, and
profound hope. Through them we get glimpses of what it means to grow in courage, joy,
peace, and strength. They provide light on life’s meaning and beauty.
The Plot Thickens!
One of the key elements in any good story is the “critical juncture.” It is that moment when
the main character is confronted with a change in their path or outlook.
Frodo’s critical juncture à he was entrusted with the ring by Bilbo (and Gandalf).
Whatever Frodo had in mind regarding his future in the Shire, his life was radically changed
when Bilbo decided to leave and entrusted all his possessions, including the Ring, to Frodo.
From that point on, his life would never be the same.
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We have all faced critical junctures in our life: our parents’ decisions to move or change
schools for us, a friend who tells us about Jesus, a man or a woman who sweeps us off our
feet (or breaks our heart), a book we read which revolutionizes our understanding of life, or a
job offer out of the blue. These may not be quite as dramatic as being entrusted with a Ring
of Power, but they can have a big impact in each of our stories.
• Take a moment to think about your life. Brainstorm for 3-5 minutes and write down all
the critical junctures in your life that you can think of, moments where an event took
place that changed the direction you were headed in a dramatic way. (If it helps, think
of the major changes in your life, and then discern what events/people/ideas caused
those changes).
• After you have come up with as many as you can think of, circle the 4-5 you consider
to be the most significant. If you haven’t already, write them into your story line from
chapter 1 (use some of the space on the bottom).
These critical junctures in our life play a significant role in shaping our story. They remind us
that we are not “masters of our own fate” because there are many things that happen to us
that are beyond our control.
And yet, we are not mere leaves floating downstream. We have the ability to respond to the
events of our life, both the big critical junctures and the everyday mundane things. We are
participants in the writing of our story. And how we respond plays a large role in who we
become, the character we develop and the impact we have on others. When tragedy strikes,
we can become miserable, or walk through it with hope and strength. When successes are
achieved, we can become more self-sufficient or more deeply grateful. Our character is
forged as we respond to the events of our life.
• As you look back at the 4-5 most significant critical junctures in your life, can you see
any particular ways you were shaped by them? How did you respond, both for the
good and for the ill, and how did your character develop as a result?
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Exploring God’s Story
In chapter 2 we introduced the idea of a ‘script’ for our life: people around us, particularly
parents and other authority figures in our life, tend to have ideas as to what our life ought
to look like. These scripts are written in pencil I suggested, meaning that they can be
overridden. We can ‘go our own way’ (and often do).
God also has a script for our life. This pertains not so much to the details of whether we go
to this school or that, work at this job or that one, but rather to the ways in which we live in
regards to purpose and ethics. Fundamentally, he wants us to be like him, full of love, joy,
peace, self-control, generosity and so on.
But, amidst the challenges of life, we often chose our own way. We go off script. And,
because it is one thing to reject the script of our parents, and a whole different thing to reject
the script of the God who created the universe, the results of our independence are truly
devastating.
We see this right at the beginning of the Bible when Adam and Eve face a critical juncture
and respond poorly…
The Story of Scripture. – Adam and Eve
Back in Genesis 1:26, we saw that Adam and Eve were created in God’s image in order that
they might be “like him.” But then, in Genesis 3:1, Eve meets a cunning and devious serpent.
This moment presents her, and later Adam, with a critical juncture: The serpent invites her to
eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, a tree from which God had forbidden
them to eat. The serpent tells her that she will “become like God” if she eats it (3:5). Notice
the irony: the serpent is encouraging her (and Adam) to take matters into her own hands and
‘take’ what God had already promised to ‘give’ (being like God).
Unfortunately, at this critical juncture, Adam and Eve failed. They chose poorly. And when
God came looking for them a short time later, they tried to run and hide (3:10). They knew
they had made a mistake. They were ashamed. But instead of owning up to their sin, they
turned to blaming (3:12-13).
Adam and Eve’s failure marked the beginning of a tragic and dramatic downward spiral for
the earth and its inhabitants.
The rulers of creation had become corrupt.
The image-bearers turned away from their source and sought to rule independently.
The significance of this event is captured at the end of chapter 3: Adam and Eve are exiled
from the Garden. They are cast out from the place of full goodness, the place where they
once walked with God in the cool of the day. They are separated from the abundance they
were meant to enjoy, and from God himself in a profound way.
This image of exile haunts the scriptures. It reflects the basic reality of humanity. We live
outside of Eden, distant from God in heart and mind and soul.
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• Take a moment to think about your life. In what ways do you feel “exiled,” meaning,
where do you have a sense that life is not what it ought to be? Describe your sense
of where things are “wrong” in your life: at work, in your relationships, in your sense of
your self, in your body or mind or heart. What are some of the ways you feel your life is
less than “Edenic.”
Despite all our best efforts, we cannot return to Eden, fix the problems of the world or even
our own life, and be restored in a close awareness and enjoyment of God’s Presence. The
truth is that we all have followed the pattern of Adam and Eve, the way of sin. We can no
longer fulfill the script God wrote for us. We are all “exiled,” unable to live the life we were
meant to live.
Just as the serpent lies to Eve (that she will become like God and that she will not surely die)
and Eve begins to form falsehoods in her mind as well (that God told them to not even touch
the tree), so we all have become stuck in lies of all sorts: lies of the media, of our parents and
teachers, and lies of our own inner voice. As a result, our vision of God, ourselves, and our
world are distorted.
Everything was created by the power of God’s Word (“God said…and there was”). When
we turn from God’s Word, we turn away from the goodness of creation, and move towards
the formless void (see Genesis 1:2). Turning from God’s Word, away from his script, is utterly
destructive: it produces decay and death.
Indeed, lies have born bitter fruit in all of us.
Although the varieties of sin are legion,
in the story of Adam and Eve a few overarching patterns emerge.
First, there is self-righteousness. Eve eats the fruit in order to become like God through
her own effort. She is trying to establish honor and significance for herself apart from
God. Likewise, when Adam and Eve are caught in their sin, they resort to blaming. Adam
blames Eve. Eve blames the serpent. They are trying to justify their actions rather than taking
responsibility. Any time we want to justify ourselves in thought, word, or deed, we are in
danger of self-righteousness.
• How do you struggle with self-righteousness? You may struggle with judging or
blaming others, pride, low self-esteem (inverse pride), anger/bitterness vanity,
argumentativeness, legalism, or anything that involves justifying yourself.
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Likewise, there is the problem of ingratitude. God gives Eve all the plants of the entire
garden, and tells her not to eat of just one tree. But, she gets stuck focusing on the one thing
that is forbidden. Instead of recognizing and delighting in the gift (that they were created in
God’s likeness), they seek to become like God through their own effort. This is the pattern of
ingratitude: we fail to give thanks for what we have been given and become focused on what
has been withheld instead.
• What patterns of ingratitude do you see in your life? This might take the form of envy,
anxiety, selfish ambition, discontentment, impatience, greed, or any attitude that is
rooted in seeing ourselves as lacking rather than as blessed.
Then there is disordered desire. Eve eats the fruit because she sees that it is “good for food,
and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise”
(3:6). Desire is a good thing. But, it is easily corrupted and turned towards that which is not
good for us. Humans are constantly seeking to enjoy that which they are not meant to enjoy.
If we are honest, we all have things we want too much, in unhealthy ways, or things we want
that God has told us not to pursue.
• What patterns of disordered desire do you see in your life? You may struggle with
lust (which can take forms other than sex), gluttony, addictions, excessive debt, or any
pattern of desire that is excessive or displeasing to God.
Finally, the passage points to the sin of apathy. At the end of 3:6, we discover that Adam was
with Eve through the whole temptation, but did nothing. He goes along without resistance.
We tend to think of sin as what we do. It can also be what we fail to do. It is easy to be
overwhelmed by the enticements and powers of evil. Fighting evil is hard work. Sometimes
we would rather not invest the effort.
• How do you see apathy expressed in your life? Sloth or laziness, despair, cowardice,
passivity, or any pattern of failing to resist evil or unwillingness to make needed changes
is an expression of apathy. Are there particular things that you are most prone to be
apathetic towards (relationships, job, chores, spiritual growth, etc.)
• Which of these four areas do you struggle with the most? Why?
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At Advent, we have developed a set of images to help us visualize what it means to be a
follower of Christ. We will explore some of these over the next few weeks.
The first image is one that reflects the realities we have been discussing today, our “exile” in
the place of sin. It is a picture of a box, a room without doors (Four walls). The box represents
all the ways we are cut off from the life God desires for us, it is the life we sometimes feel
“trapped” in.
On the floor we write “lies” because we realize that we are all stuck in patterns of falsehood.
The four types of sin listed above form the four walls. These sins “box” us in and cut us off
from God and from his good purposes for us. They “exile” us.
As we have discussed, there are a host of sins that fit within each larger category/wall. Take a
look at the diagram below. We encourage you to write the sins you recognized above in the
wall that that sin is connected to.
• As you look at some of your sins, choose one or two, and consider the following
questions: how have you tried to address this sin in your life? Have you found much
success in combatting sin in these ways?
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Return of the Exiles!
Our sins, everything that boxes us in, are an important part of our story. They affect us, and
the people around us deeply. It is hard to take a deep look at them.
Thankfully, however, we are not the final authors of this story. Our decisions matter, but it is
God who determines their outcome, and he is at work in human history and in our lives to
turn this tragedy into a comedy (give it a “happily ever after” ending). He is not willing to
leave us stuck in our exile within a world of sin and death. He will bring us back to Eden,
indeed, to an Eden filled with glory, the New Jerusalem (see Revelation 22:1-5)!
Sin is certainly part of our story, but it is not the most important part.
Grace is!
In Christ, God is re-writing our story. The coming of Jesus into the world was history’s critical
juncture…an event that changed everything! Jesus entered our exile, overcame our sin,
and broke down the doors of hell for us. In the next lesson we will discuss and celebrate this
wonderful good news more fully. But, we want to end this lesson in the place of hope and joy,
so we invite you to do something that flows from the gospel: confession.
Through confession we acknowledge the ways we have followed our own script rather than
God’s. We acknowledge the ways we have followed Adam and Eve in pursuing the wrong
road at the critical junctures of our life (in big and small ways). We return to God, asking for
and receiving the forgiveness he has provided in Jesus.
Confessing to another person is a particularly powerful way to express this. And, in fact, it is
something the Bible commends to us (see James 5:16a). When we confess to each other, we
also get to proclaim the good news of Jesus to each other. The power of sin is broken as we
walk in the freedom and joy of God’s forgiveness.
You may not feel entirely comfortable sharing all of this with your guide. That is fine. Share the
pieces you are comfortable sharing. Your guide is there to support and encourage you. There
is freedom and joy in bringing things into the light (see 1 John 1:7-9), but we fully understand
that trust develops over time.
• As you look over your sins you recognized today, rejoice that you can confess your sins
to Jesus and he will forgive you. Through his death and resurrection you are cleansed,
reconciled to God and restored in his goodness and grace.
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Chapter 4
Jesus Knocking­—Reconciliation
If you want a job done right, do it yourself.
Work hard. Play hard.
Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.
Laughter is the best medicine.
We are exposed to countless words and phrases like these throughout our lives. Some are so
ingrained in our family, among our friends, or at our workplace that they become personal
“mottos” or “slogans” for us. These mottos can influence us significantly. They can come to
define our sense of what is good and right in life.
• Take a moment to think through some of the “mottos” that have been embraced
in your family, among your friends, or at your workplace. (They may be spoken or
unspoken, and they may not be popular phrases…just patterns of thought that were/
are significant). Write down at least three.
We are not only influenced by mottos, but also by the ways we are described by other
people. We might be told often how beautiful we are, or how stupid. We might be
encouraged to see ourselves as athletic or as lazy. Whatever people say about us profoundly
affects our sense of self, our identity.
• Write down 4-5 words or phrases that have shaped your sense of identity.
Recognizing the messages that have been spoken over us is important. Despite what we were
told as kids, words really can hurt us. They can warp our vision of life and of our identity. But,
words can also do us real good. Indeed, they can change our life. In this lesson and the next
we will explore words that redefine and reorient everything: the story of God’s work to save
the world, the gospel of Jesus Christ.
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The Gospel of Jesus Christ
The gospel is more than something we profess faith in at one point in our life. We never grow
beyond the gospel. Our whole life from beginning to end is defined by it.
At its most simple, the gospel can be reduced to four words: “Jesus Christ is Lord.” The
gospel is all about Jesus, who he is and what he has done for us in the past, is doing in us in
the present, and will do for us in the future. It is not about who we are and what we do, but
about him (see 2 Corinthians 4:4-5).
In the Old Testament God promised to send an anointed one to save his people (a “Christ”).
Jesus came into the world in accordance with God’s eternal plan. He is the fulfillment of the
larger story of God that begins in Genesis with the creation of the world and concludes in
Revelation with the re-creation of the world. And God’s eternal plan is salvation through his
grace (good given beyond what is deserved). In Jesus, this grace is put into action. His life,
death and resurrection bring the story of sin and death to an end and open up a new story,
the story of reconciliation (forgiveness and healing of relationship) and restoration (making
things new—particularly the image of God in humanity and setting things right in the world).
We are saved by his life:
Where we sinned, corrupting our dominion over creation and separating ourselves
from God, Jesus remained faithful. He lived the life we were meant to live by remaining
obedient to God in all he said and did (Philippians 2:5-8). In him, God’s righteous
expectations for humanity are fulfilled.
We are saved by his death:
As the Son of God who took on human flesh, Jesus took our sin upon himself, letting the
crushing weight of our sin fall upon him. Dying the death we deserved to die because
of our sin, Jesus broke the power of sin by taking the consequences of our sin on himself
(Romans 5:8-10). In him we are forgiven.
We are saved by his resurrection:
on the third day, Jesus returned from the land of shadows, the dark valley of death. Death
could not hold him, because he did not deserve to die. And in opening up the tomb,
Jesus opened the way to eternal life (Romans 6:23). In him, we will be raised to eternal
life as well.
All of this is why we call Jesus “Lord.” In fulfillment of God’s eternal plan, through his life,
death, and resurrection, Jesus has been given all authority in heaven and earth (Matthew
28:18). In him, through his gracious rule, all things are made new.
Although, because of our sin
we have been separated from God and
we no longer exercise dominion over creation properly as image bearers,
through God’s grace, revealed and fulfilled in Jesus’ life, death and resurrection,
we are reconciled to God (forgiven and accepted) and
we are restored as rulers over creation.
This is just a thumbnail sketch of the gospel. But, with this basic understanding in view,
we are going to explore the significance of the gospel for our lives. This lesson focuses on
reconciliation and the next on restoration.
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The Gospel: Reconciliation
We all long for people with whom we can let down our guard, laugh deeply, or shed tears.
We treasure the experience of knowing and being known. To know ourselves through the
eyes of someone who loves us is life-altering. When we are with such people life is good.
When we think of them, we may smile without thinking about it.
God created us to know and enjoy him deeply as well. In the book of Revelation, Jesus tells
John to write letters to seven churches. The last of these letters is written to the church in
Laodicea. Here is part of what he has to say: “Listen! I am standing at the door, knocking; if
you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to you and eat with you, and you with
me” (Rev. 3:20).
Some of our best memories happen around a table, eating with friends and family. Jesus
uses this image because he wants to enjoy a close relationship with us, the kind that involves
connecting around a kitchen table. This is God’s heart, which is expressed in one of the titles
for Jesus: “Immanuel” (God-with-us).
When you hear the phrase “personal relationship with God” what comes into your mind?
To what degree do these thoughts reflect your experience?
As we have discussed, we do not naturally enjoy a close relationship with God. We are
isolated and cut off from him by our sin (as the four walls illustration from last lesson reminds
us). We struggle to know and love and obey him. One key component of the gospel
addresses this problem: reconciliation.
Reconciliation involves the renewal of relationship through mercy and grace. Through the
gospel we are able to know, and love, and obey the God who spun off galaxies and yet
cares for each hair on our head. And Jesus is the means by which we know God and are
reconciled to him. Two images in the New Testament give vivid expression to the glories of
our reconciliation to God: union and adoption.
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Union
When we unite two things together, we make it possible for an exchange and co-mingling to
take place, like when we unite people in marriage or plunge iron in fire. When such a union
takes place, a real change happens. Married couples intertwine their lives, their property, their
relationships, in ways that profoundly affect both parties. When iron is plunged into fire, it
takes on the heat, and even the color of the fire. It is changed, and becomes moldable.
Likewise, the gospel proclaims that a real union has taken place between God and humanity.
Our reconciliation with God begins in the womb of Mary, where God is united with humanity
in his very being. In time and space, God became one of us. In Jesus, God and humanity are
already reconciled, united, never to be separated.
Not only does God unite himself with humanity in Jesus, but through the Holy Spirit, he
unites himself with us personally as well. This union is tangibly expressed in baptism. Just as a
couple is united through a wedding, so those who trust in Christ are united with him through
baptism. “We have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was
raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we might walk in newness of life.
For if we are united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in
a resurrection like his” (Romans 6:4-5).
Through union, Christ does not stand apart from us, someone we merely admire or seek to
emulate. Christ has united himself with us, such that who he is and what he has done is ours,
not just on paper, but in reality. We are irons plunged into his fire. Our identity and nature
is transformed. What is his has become ours and what is ours has become his. Because he
is united with God, we are united with God. His life is our life. His death is our death. His
resurrection is our resurrection. In him, we are forgiven. “If anyone is in Christ, there is a new
creation!” (2 Corinthians 5:17)
If what is Christ’s has become yours and
what is yours has become Christ’s…
What aspects of your life (sin, weakness,
confusion, wounds, etc.) do you want to give
over to him today?
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What realities of his life (righteousness,
strength, peace, love, joy, etc.) do you want
to receive from him today?
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Adoption
When a child is adopted, their identity and their future are changed. They receive a new
name, enter new relationships and are given new opportunities. An orphan’s whole world is
affected: their beliefs, values, hopes; their very sense of themselves. Through our sin, we have
become estranged from God. We have lost connection with our Father. Jesus came to give us
a home. In him, we are adopted into God’s family.
As God’s Son, he fulfilled the intimacy we were meant to have with God. Throughout his life,
he knew the intimacy of a Son with his Father, without any trace of discord or sin. And through
Jesus we are adopted into the Father-Child relationship God the Father and God the Son
have known and enjoyed through all eternity. Look at Galatians 4:4-7:
But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son… so that we might receive
adoption as children. And because you are children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into
our hearts crying, “Abba, Father!” So you are no longer a slave but a child, and if a child
then also an heir, through God.
Having been united with Christ, we get to participate in Jesus’ relationship with the Father. He
sees us the same way he sees Jesus, with the same love, the same joy, the same care. We are
now heirs: the riches of all God’s house belong to us as his children. What Jesus is by nature
(Son of God) we have become by grace (adopted children of God). Jesus’ intimacy with God
has become our intimacy with God.
What all this means is that our hope and our standing before God is not dependent on our
actions, emotions, or thoughts. It is dependent on his grace. He has united himself with us.
We can no longer be separated from his love. He has adopted us. We will not be abandoned.
• What does it mean to be someone’s child? To be God’s child?
In what ways have you been living and
thinking like a child of God?
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In what ways have you been living and
thinking more like an orphan?
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Our Struggle to Believe:
Our Ongoing Experience of Separation
Believing the gospel does not mean we will always feel close to Jesus. Earlier, we considered
the good news of Jesus knocking on the door in Revelation 3:20. And yet, this verse
addresses a problem: Jesus is outside. Look at the preceding verses:
I know your works; you are neither cold nor hot. I wish that you were either cold or hot.
So, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I am about to spit you out of
my mouth. For you say, ‘I am rich, I have prospered and I need nothing.’ You do not
realize that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind and naked. Therefore, I counsel you
to buy from me gold refined by fire so that you may be rich; and white robes to clothe
you and to keep the shame of your nakedness from being seen; and salve to anoint
your eyes so that you may see. I reprove and discipline those whom I love. Be earnest,
therefore, and repent. (Revelation 3:15-19)
• What are some of the most profound challenges you face in your relationship with
God—questions, feelings, experiences that make you feel disconnected?
Unfortunately, this passage is often poorly understood. People think the Laodiceans’ (and
therefore, us) simply need to get “hot,” that is, “passionate” or more fully “committed.” But,
this is not what Jesus says.
Certainly, their temperature is a problem. They are lukewarm. When you are cold or hot,
you are different from the surrounding environment. Something has affected you. When you
are lukewarm, you are “room temperature,” unaffected. But, notice, Jesus does not tell them
to become hot. He is good with them being hot or cold. He just wants them to be changed,
whether by becoming cold (deeply peaceful) or hot (emboldened with hope and desire).
Their temperature signifies a deeper problem. The Laodiceans’ say, “I am rich, I have
prospered and need nothing.” But, Jesus counters, “You do not realize that you are
wretched, pitiable, poor, blind and naked.” Their real problem is they are stuck in lies of selfrighteousness and ingratitude. They are not trusting in Jesus, but themselves.
Like the Laodiceans, we can easily forget how utterly dependent on Jesus we are. As the
image of the four walls that we considered in the last lesson reminds us, we can become
stuck in lies that blind us to the truth of the gospel too. The words and phrases that we hear
regularly from people we love and trust play a big role in the way we see God, ourselves and
the world. Any thought or feeling that does not align with who we are in Christ is a lie. Some
may be mere temptations, meaning they pop up in our head, but we do not really believe
them. Others may take root and cause us to have a hard time believing the gospel.
Notice what Jesus actually calls the Laodiceans to do in Revelation 3—to stop trusting in
themselves and trust in him. He calls them to receive from him the “gold” (riches of salvation),
“white robes” (forgiveness), and “salve” (the healing of sight that enables us to know the truth)
that they need. Or to use the vivid imagery Jesus employs: they are to turn away from their
self-deception and trust him by opening the door to him. This image, “The Door” is our
next image of the Christian life.
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God’s Plan:
Jesus
Restoration
Reconciliation
Grace
This image combines the door from Revelation 3 with the
basic elements of the gospel because, in inviting them to
open the door, Jesus is calling the Laodiceans to believe
the gospel again. It is the truth of who Jesus is, and who we
are in him that sets us free from the lies and deceptions that
bind us.
Reflect upon any lies that you have come to realize are
hindering your trust in the gospel. Give particular attention
to the mottos and identity-forming words and phrases you
identified at the beginning of this lesson, but don’t stop
there. Write down all the lies and distorted ideas (or even
feelings) you recognize are affecting you in the space below.
Lies and Distortions
Gospel Truth
Our Sin
Jesus saw beyond the lies of the Laodiceans; he knew the depths of their sin, their pride,
their shame; and he still wanted in! We do not need to “pretty ourselves up” for Jesus. He
wants us as we are. He wants in on all our mess and weakness and struggle. Wherever we
are, whatever we are doing, he stands at the door and knocks. This is what the Christian life
boils down to: welcoming Jesus into our thoughts and desires, our struggles and fears, our
ambitions and our actions, again and again by trusting in who he is, what he has done, and
what he has promised.
• Next to each lie above, write the truth of the gospel, focusing on the truth of who
Christ is and who you are in him. As you trust in the truth of the gospel, you are
opening the door to Jesus and letting him be for you who he truly is.
Truly, the gospel is good news: We have been eternally united with God in Christ. We are
God’s adopted sons and daughters. We are not prodigals or orphans. We shall not be
abandoned. Indeed, nothing can separate us from God’s love in Christ Jesus our Lord (see
Romans 8:37-39). Lord, we believe. Help our unbelief!
• As you look at your life today, what affect is the gospel having on you? Are you hot
(stirred up), cold (moved to deep rest and contentment) or lukewarm (unaffected)?
Why?
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