Bible study n4

WHO ARE WE?

Introduction:

What person has never questioned who we are, or why we were born in this family, or what we will be when we grow up? These are questions made by humans only, no other animal, vegetable or mineral; only humans question their existence. This is because when God created the world He saw that everything was good, but He was only truly happy when He created the man, for God could talk to man, He could have a relationship with man that was not possible with animals. We are special beings, made with perfection by God, thought of since the beginning, we have always been part of God’s plans. God loves us as we are for He was the one who made us! Therefore, the only thing we can do is to live a life that is good for the Creator, for this amazing God! But how can we do that? How to live a happy life according to God’s wishes if very often we catch ourselves wondering why we are like ‘this’ or ‘that’?

Let us go to the Word of God to find out!!! This is the best way to get the real answer about WHO WE ARE.

1) We are creatures of God

The Bible teaches us, in Genesis, about the creation of the world and everything in it. (Genesis 1 and Genesis 2:1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6) Through the word of God, He made everything, water, earth, sky, day, night, animals, vegetables, minerals, etc. These verses teach us that there was no rain yet, only dew, and there was also no one to take care of the land. That was when God made his masterpiece: YOU!!!

1.1) THE MAN - Genesis 2:7 – “The LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.”
This is fantastic!!! God saved the best for last, and through His power he gave life to man.
God gave man this beautiful garden to look after: Genesis 2:15 - “The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.”
And so it was official, the first human job: Gardener and Garden’s Keeper.


1.2) THE WOMAN – Genesis 2:18 – “The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him."
God loves the Man so much that He realized it would be much better if he was not alone, so He decided to create someone to help him, a partner, a woman. But note that God did not make the woman from parts of the man’s feet, so she wouldn’t be subdued by him; or
from parts of the man’s head, so she wouldn’t feel superior. God is perfect and knows us VERY well. Read what the Bible teaches us about the creation of the woman:

Genesis 2:21,22 e 23 – “So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and closed up the place with flesh. Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. The man said, ‘This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called woman, for she was taken out of man.”
Wonderful!!! We are God’s masterpiece; we were created with a purpose, with perfection! So you should never think you are ugly, or unimportant, for God loves us as we are, He would never make something ugly, despicable or wrong. We are creatures of God!

2) We are Children of God

All men and women are Creatures of God, but not all of them are Children of God. It is very common to hear people saying “We are all children of God”, but the Bible teaches the following:

John 1:12 and 13 – “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.”


These verses teaches us that all men and women who have received Jesus as their only Savior, these people only, receive the privilege of becoming Children of God!
We are all children of God, brothers and sisters of Jesus, co-heirs of the Christ. Our adoption was official, final, nobody can argue, and that is why we will receive our father’s inheritance.

Romans 8:12-17 – With these verses we may clearly understand that some do not become children of God and, for their own choices, they live according to their own will and the consequence will be death, being apart from God. However, we can see there is another group of men and women who have decided to follow Christ, to live in the Spirit, obeying the Holy Spirit. These are called Children of God, who will not die, will not be apart from God in eternity (after this life), who will enjoy eternal life with Christ.

Vr.14: “because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.”

Oh, such a great feeling! Those who have received the Spirit of God, the children of God, did not live in slavery of spirit and should not be scared, for they received the spirit of ADOPTION, and can call God Father!!! (Vr.15).


How can we be sure we are in group 1 (Creatures of God) or in group 2 (Creatures and Children of God)? Take a look at verse 16: “The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.” Notice that inside of us the Holy Spirit shows us and teaches us, daily, how to have a life as children of God, and not only as His creatures.
Therefore we are co-heirs with Christ. Take a look at verse 17: “Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.”
That’s awesome!! We are children and heirs of God! That is why we should live a life that is worthy of the sons and daughters of the King, the Almighty God!


3) We have a special purpose in life

We’ve seen we were created by God and through Jesus Christ, through his sacrifice, death and resurrection, we were made children of God. But God didn’t make us ‘just because’, with no purpose or reason in life. His Word shows us in several verses that He created us to be something special. The most incredible thing is that once we realize this we start living the life He planned for us. We live a life of abundant joy, joy that nothing else in the world can provide. Thus, we discover our reason to live.

My personal testimony is that when I am playing at church, or teaching music to children, teenagers or adults, or even when I am studying the Bible and writing these studies, I feel such a great happiness that no other drug or medicine can provide. So I stop and think, ‘God has made me so I can be one of His servants, teaching others about His Word, showing Jesus through my gifts’. That’s wonderful!
This can also happen to you! I’m not better or worse than anyone! You are as special as I am! If you haven’t discovered the purpose God has for your life yet, stop for a moment, look around you, watch the people who have found Jesus because of something you did, analyze your talents, for God gave special talents to everyone! You have something different that nobody else has! If you use your talent for God, to take Jesus to other people, you will be the happiest person in the world! Just like me!

Take a look at some verses that will help you with this analysis.


* Ephesians 2:8-10 – “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

* Philippians 3:12-16 – “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in
Christ Jesus. All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already attained.”

* 1 Timothy 4:12-14 – “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through prophecy when the body of elders laid their hands on you.”

* 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 – “Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit. There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.”

Conclusion:

We were made by God, wonderfully. And we were loved by God so much that He gave his only son to die for us, so we can be made children of God. Therefore, we should live with the purpose of pleasing God! Wonderful!!! Do not let yourself get down, sad, for any reason, for we have plenty of reasons to rejoice in our Lord Jesus Christ!!!