People Of God

1 Peter 2:10-11 - Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.

Hosea 2:1,23 - "Say of your brothers, 'My people,' and of your sisters, 'My loved one.'…I will plant her for myself in the land; I will show my love to the one I called 'Not my loved one.' I will say to those called 'Not my people,' 'You are my people'; and they will say, 'You are my God.' "

1 Corinthians 10:14 - Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry.

Romans 13:14 - Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.

Galatians 5:16 - So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.

Conclusions:

• The people in Hosea 2:23 respond to God’s graciousness
• Hosea 2:23 is applied to Gentiles coming into the church
• In Hosea 2:1, the negatives associated with the names of Hosea’s children are dropped
• As aliens and strangers on earth, whose citizenship is in heaven, they are to be separated from the corruption of the world, not yielding to its destructive sinful desires
• Corinthian Christians had come out of a background of paganism
• Temples for the worship of Apollo, Asclepius, Demeter, Aphrodite and other pagan gods and goddesses were seen daily by the Corinthians as they engaged in the activities of everyday life
• The worship of Aphrodite, with its many sacred prostitutes, was a particularly strong temptation
• Paul exhorts believers to display outwardly what has already taken place inwardly—including practicing all the virtues associated with Christ
• Go on living by the Spirit
• Living by the promptings and power of the Spirit is the way to conquering sinful desires

Application:

• Do I respond to God's graciousness?
• Are my brothers my people?
• Am I separated from the corruption of the world?
• Do I flee from idolatry?
• Do I practice all the virtues associated with Chrsit?
• Do I live by the prompting and power of the Spirit?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

Atoning Sacrifice For Our SIns

1 John 4:10-11 - This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

Romans 5:10 - For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!

1 John 2:2 - He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.

1 Corinthians 10:14 - Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry.

John 3:16 - "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.

Conclusions:

• Man is the enemy of God, not the reverse
• The hostility must be removed from man if reconciliation is to be accomplished
• God took the initiative in bringing this about through the death of His Son
• To reconcile is to put an end to hostility, and is closely related to the term justify
• “Saved through this life” is a reference to the unending life and ministry of the resurrected Christ for His people
• Since we were reconciled when we were God’s enemies, we will be saved because Christ lives to keep us
• God’s holiness demands punishment for man’s sin
• God, out of love, sent His Son to make substitutionary atonement for the believer’s sin
• In this way the Father’s wrath is satisfied; His wrath against the Christian’s sin has been turned away and directed toward Christ
• Forgiveness through Christ’s atoning sacrifice is not limited to one particular group only; it has worldwide application
• Forgiveness must be received by faith
• 1 John 2:2 does not teach that all people ultimately will be saved, it teaches that God is an impartial God
• Corinthian Christians had come out of a background of paganism
• Temples for the worship of Apollo, Asclepius, Demeter, Aphrodite and other gods and goddesses were seen daily by the Corinthians as they engaged in the activities of everyday life
• The worship of Aphrodite, with its many sacred prostitutes, was a particularly strong temptation
• God so loved the world is the great truth that motivated God’s plan of salvation
• Although believers are also called sons of God, Jesus is God’s Son in a unique sense

Application:

• Have you been reconciled?
• Have your sins been atoned for?
• Do you flee from idolatry?
• Are you a son of God?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

New Command

1 John 2:6-7 - Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did. Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command but an old one, which you have had since the beginning. This old command is the message you have heard.

1 Corinthians 10:14 - Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry.

1 John 3:23 - And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.

John 13:34-35 - "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

Leviticus 19:18 - " 'Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.

Conclusions:

• Corinthians Christians had come out of a background of paganism
• Temples for the worship of Apollo, Asclepius, Demeter, Aphrodite and other pagan gods and goddesses were seen daily by the Corinthians as they engaged in the activities of everyday life
• The worship of Aphrodite, with its many sacred prostitutes, was a particularly strong temptation
• God’s command has two parts: (1) Believe in Christ, and (2) love each other
• In a sense a new command was an old one, but for Christ’s disciples it was new, because it was the mark of their brotherhood, created by Christ’s great love for them
• Our standard is Christ’s love for us
• Love is the distinguishing mark of Christ’s followers
• Love your neighbor as yourself is quoted by Christ, Paul and James
• The stricter Pharisees added to this command what they thought it implied: Hate your enemy
• Jesus reaction, “Love your enemies,” was in line with true Old Testament teaching and was more in agreement with the middle-of-the-road Pharisees
• Rabbi Nahmanides caught their sentiments: “One should place no limitations upon the love for neighbor, but instead a person should love to do an abundance of good for his fellow being as he does for himself.”
• Neighbor does not merely mean one who lives nearby, but anyone with whom one comes in contact

Application:

• Do you flee from idolatry?
• Do you believe in Christ? Do you love others?
• Is your standard Christ's love for you?
• Is love one of your distinguishing marks?
• Do you love to do an abundance of good for your fellow being?

All Scripture references taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible