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    Adult Christian Life: July- September 2019
    Adult Christian Life: July- September 2019
    Adult Christian Life: July- September 2019
    Ebook143 pages1 hour

    Adult Christian Life: July- September 2019

    By R.H. Boyd Publishing Corporation

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    About this ebook

    Adult Christian Life is a quarterly resource that is specially written for practical adult life experiences. These lessons provide clear, biblical interpretations and stimulating discussions for everyday living.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherR.H. Boyd Publishing Corporation
    Release dateJun 1, 2019
    ISBN9781681675381
    Adult Christian Life: July- September 2019

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      Book preview

      Adult Christian Life - R.H. Boyd Publishing Corporation

      BE THE DIFFERENCE

      RESOURCES: New National Baptist Hymnal 21st Century Edition, God’s Promises Bible, Boyd’s Commentary for the Sunday School

      KEY VERSE: Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. Matthew 5:16, KJV

      Intro

      We are not saved to sit idly on a church pew. We are saved to demonstrate love and to serve. Our love and service to God challenges us to offer our best and in turn help make the world a better place. In other words, we are called not only to make a difference in the world, but to be the difference that the world needs.

      This is the essence of Jesus’ intent when He talks of believers as salt and light. He calls us to demonstrate a life of true righteousness amid the stark contrast of unrighteousness and, even worse, the imitation of righteousness performed by many professing Christians today. The change we make in this world is measured by the change we first make in our hearts. To be the difference, like the title of today’s lesson suggests, starts with a heart sold out to Jesus Christ.

      As disciples, we are extensions of God’s mercy to heal a world suffering under the tyranny of sin, injustice, and hatred. Through the light of God’s love, we reflect the character of Jesus Christ and, as a result, provide the world with a cure for its sin-sick condition.

      We are in the world, but must not be of the world; we are called to be different. We are called to live a life consistent with the Gospel of Jesus Christ rather than what’s popular—a life that challenges societal norms, especially when the norms impede the freedom and dignity of the most vulnerable.

      Think About It

      To make a difference, we must be different. How does your uniqueness reflect the character of Christ?

      I. You Are Salt and Light (Matthew 5:13–16)

      Know It

      Salt preserves. Light illuminates. This is why Jesus uses the terms salt and light as metaphors in the Sermon on Mount. Jesus’ use of salt and light in the Sermon on the Mount, and His overall teachings to His disciples, are metaphors to describe the role followers are supposed to have in the world. His disciples are to preserve the way and illuminate truth. They are to live as Jesus modeled through His own life. As instructive metaphors, salt and light demonstrate, quite effectively, Jesus’ call for all believers to permeate society as redemptive agents of change.

      In antiquity, one of the most basic and yet practical functions for salt was to prevent, or at least slow down, the decay of meat. Before modern refrigeration, salt was used as a preservative more than it was used for the mere flavoring and seasoning of various foods. In verse 13, Jesus describes His followers as the salt of the earth. Just as salt prevents or kills the bacteria in food that causes it to decay, so too are the followers of Jesus Christ expected to confront and prevent moral decay in society caused by the evils in the world. Think of all of the difficult moral problems and questions currently facing our society. Followers of Jesus are supposed to be a counter-acting agent of moral authority and change over and against the immoral practices of the faithless and godless. Believers are to have a greater impact on the world than the world has on believers.

      When Jesus warned of salt losing its flavor, He was referring to us, His followers, losing our faith and, therefore, our ability to affect change in the world. Jesus warned us about losing the potency of our faith in Him because He was foretelling of time when many of His so-called believers and followers would fail to live according to their new nature of righteousness. Considering this fact more seriously, loses its flavor read more literally can be understand as, is defiled. This is to say those who claim to follow Christ have become defiled. This is not the scientifically impossible notion of salt actually becoming flavorless, but rather the common problem in the ancient world of salt being mixed with various impure substances. Once that happened and salt became worthless as a natural preservative, it was considered defiled and was used on the walkways to allow for ease of travel for people walking along the way. While the salt still served a useful purpose in such an instance, salt that had lost its ability to preserve was considered unproductive, and was then re-purposed to be something trampled under foot, which it never was meant to be.

      Next, in verse 14, Jesus’ followers are compared to the light of the world. Like salt, the believer, as light, is expected to improve the conditions of the world. By repelling darkness, light makes things better in the world. Different than salt, however, light as described in this verse denotes illumination that reveals as well as exposes. Jesus admonishes His believers to be the light of the world that both exposes hidden sin and, at the same time, enlightens the heart with divine revelation. This can be compared to 1 Peter 2:9, wherein the author refers to the distinctive character of the believer as the chosen generation who have been called . . . out of darkness into his marvellous light (KJV). When those who are living in darkness are called out and brought into the light of inspiration, it distinguishes us from those still in the dark. Just as salt was not intended to be used like compost trampled by the feet of travelers, light is not meant to be hidden. The light of the believer is only useful to the Kingdom of God when it shines. The light of the believer must be positioned in such a way that all persons can witness its divine influence in the world.

      2. Jesus and the Law (Matthew 5:17–20)

      The scribes and Pharisees believed Jesus’ teachings and actions were in opposition to the precepts of the Mosaic Law and the Prophets. So, by the change of discourse in verse 17, wherein He states, I did not come to destroy the Law, Jesus reassures both His followers and critics that He, like them, has the utmost respect and reverence for the Law. Jesus’ primary criticism of the Law, however, was that by itself, it is incomplete and unable to nurture a right relationship between the believer and God. By contrast, Jesus’ proclamation, I did not come to destroy but to fulfill, indicates to His listeners

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