DELIGHTS OF ELOHIM DISCIPLESHIP FAMILY/ BOOK ONE CHAPTER TWO by Alfayo Elias.

This is the second chapter of the book "Knowing God" which is the very first book of the material " growing in discipleship." The chapter discusses the nature of all human beings, their value before God and the problem that exists between them and God. It explains the perpetual position of a man in the eyes of God.
From this chapter we will get to understand why men are separated from God, we will also understand that men does not to sin for them to be called sinners but that men sin because they are sinners

We will also discuss the dual nature of human beings, that is the old or the nature nature and the new nature that men can acquire. The contention between these two natures will all also be discussed considering the examples from the bible.

1. DELIGHTS OF ELOHIM DISCIPLESHIP FAMILY BOOK ONE- KNOWING GOD CHAPTER 2 WHAT IS MAN LIKE? By: Alfayo Elias

2. INTRODUCTION Many people wonder, “who am I? what is your purpose? Can I find meaning in this life?” The bible provides answers to these questions as it reveals the true value, nature, and destiny of people. Begin by memorizing Isiah 59:2

3. Isa 59:2   But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. 

4. THINK ABOUT IT: Judging from your daily experiences, observations, and relationships, would you conclude that people are basically good or wicked?

5. MAN’S VALUE TO GOD

6. 1. What does the bible teach about your value to God and His care for you? Isiah 43:4

7. Isa 43:4   Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable , and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life. 

8. RESP I am precious and honoured in his sight. I am loved .

9. Mat 10:29   Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.   Mat 10:30   But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.   Mat 10:31   Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.  

10. RESP I am valued above other creation.

11. 2. Why did God make man? Acts 17:26-27

12. Act 17:26   And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;  Act 17:27   That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: 

13. RESP God made man so that he may seek Him , reach out for Him and find Him.

14. Isa 43:7   Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him. 

15. RESP God created man for His glory.

16. 3. According to Mathew 22:35-40, what does God say about your highest duty in life ?

17. Mat 22:35   Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying,  Mat 22:36   Master, which is the great commandment in the law?  Mat 22:37   Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.   Mat 22:38   This is the first and great commandment.   Mat 22:39   And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.   Mat 22:40   On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.  

18. RESP My highest duty is to love my God with all my heart, all my soul and with all my mind.

19. From God’s view , what then are the highest wrongs?

20. RESP Hating God. Hating your neighbor.

21. MAN’S NATURE People are very valuable to God, but we have a problem in our relationship with Him. Let’s look at this serious problem and its cause .

22. 4. Why are men separated from God? Isiah 59:2 Isa 59:2   But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. 

23. RESP Men are separated from God because of their iniquities.

24. Col 1:21   And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled 

25. RESP Men are separated from God because of their evil behavior or their wicked deeds.

26. What have men lost as a result of this separation? Ephesians 2:12 Eph 2:12   That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: 

27. RESP Men have lost hope and God. Men have lost their citizenship.

28. 5. Read Romans 1:21-32. How does the Bible describe peoples attitude towards God and behavior towards others?

29. ATTITUDE TOWARDS GOD BEHAVIOR TOWARD OTHERS Vs 21: Never glorified God nor gave thanks to Him . Vs 24: Do filthy and shameless things with their bodies. Vs 25: Exchanged truth about God and worshiped idols. Vs 26-27: Men lusted for one another , women for one another and exchanged natural relations with unnatural. Vs 28: They never retained the knowledge of God . Vs 29: Men are filled with evil, wickedness, depravity, envy murder, strive, deceit and malice. Vs 32: They deliberately disobeyed God though they knew Gods righteous decrees. Vs 30: men became slanderous, arrogant and boastful. Vs 31: No conscience, no kindness or pithy, break their promises.

30. 6. What did Jesus say is the source of our evil thoughts and actions? Mark 7:21-23 Mar 7:21   For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,   Mar 7:22   Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:   Mar 7:23   All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.  

31. RESP The source of our evil thoughts and actions is from within our hearts.

32. So our individual acts of sin reveal and comes from our basic sin nature. How does the Bible describe this sin nature? Psalm 78: 56-57

33. Psa 78:56   Yet they tempted and provoked the most high God, and kept not his testimonies:  Psa 78:57   But turned back, and dealt unfaithfully like their fathers: they were turned aside like a deceitful bow. 

34. RESP The sin nature is from our ancestry. We put God to test and rebel against Him just as our ancestors did.

35. Isa 53:6   All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. 

36. RESP All of us have sinned, gone astray and turned to our own ways.

37. 7. Read about Paul in Romans 7:15-20. How does he describe his struggle with his own nature? (vs. 15,18-19)

38. Rom 7:15   For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.  Rom 7:16   If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.  Rom 7:17   Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.  Rom 7:18   For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.  Rom 7:19   For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.  Rom 7:20   Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. 

39. RESP His own nature pushes him to do things he ( the new nature ) does not want to do always.

40. a. What does he identify as the cause of his struggle? (vs17and 20)

41. RESP The cause of his struggle is his sinful nature.

42. b. In what ways can you identify with Paul's struggle?

43. RESP My new nature is in constant contention with the natural sinful nature in me that causes me to do things I do not want.

44. MAN’S PROBLEM

45. 8. Man sins because he chooses to. But according to john 8:34, everyone who sins eventually becomes a ……………………………………… to sin. Joh 8:34   Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever commits sin is a slave to sin .  

46. RESP A slave to sin .

47. 9. Read James 4:1-2. How are our relationships with people affected by our evil desires? Jas 4:1   From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?  Jas 4:2   Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. 

48. RESP Our evil desires causes us to quarrel, fight and kill others so ruining our relationship with others .

49. 10. In this life sin separates us from God and damages our relationships with others. Read Hebrew 9:27 and Romans 6:23. what else does man face after he dies? Heb 9:27   And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:  Rom 6:23   For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. 

50. RESP Judgement. Eternal death (separation)

51. Do you think man will be found guilty or Innocent?

52. RESP Man will be found guilty .

53. What is the fare penalty (‘wages’) for our sins?

54. RESP The penalty for our sins is death.

55. MAN’S EXCUSES

56. 11. Man naturally wants to avoid God’s judgement, so we often try to justify ourselves with excuses. What does the bible say about these common excuses?

57. a. “ But I tried to keep the ten commandments (The Law).” Romans 3:20 Rom 3:20   Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. 

58. RESP No one will be declared righteous before God by the works of the law.

59. b. “But I have only done lots of good deeds (righteous acts).” Isiah 64:6 Isa 64:6   But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteous are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. 

60. RESP All of our best or good deeds are like filthy rags before God.

61. c. “But I have only committed a few small sins-not big ones.” James 2:10-11 Jas 2:10   For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.  Jas 2:11   For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.

62. RESP He that keeps the law but stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking the whole of it.

63. d. “ But I have gone to church and been very religious .” Ezekiel 33:30-32 Eze 33:30   Also, thou son of man, the children of thy people still are talking against thee by the walls and in the doors of the houses, and speak one to another, every one to his brother, saying, Come, I pray you, and hear what is the word that cometh forth from the LORD.  Eze 33:31   And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they shew much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness.  Eze 33:32   And, lo, thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument: for they hear thy words, but they do them not. 

64. RESP Though someone might be able to hear but he or she does not put His word into practice and obey Him .

65. e. What are the other excuses that people give?

66. RESP Others also give excuses like: But I have been raised in a Christian family. But I always read the bible and pray. I always give tithe. But I was baptized while I was still a baby. But I always dress well. But my parent is a pastor.

67. 12. Who is good enough to measure up to God’s standards? Romans 3:23 Rom 3:23   For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 

68. RESP No one. For ALL have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.

69. 13. How does God feel about the wickedness of those He created? Genesis 6:5-6 Gen 6:5   And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.  Gen 6:6   And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. 

70. RESP God regrets about the wickedness of those he created , that he made them. His heart is greatly troubled.

71. 14. Review what you have learned in this lesson. Write a short paragraph describing how God views mankind’s value. Also describe how God feels about mankind's rebellion and sinful nature, and the problems this creates for both you and God.

72. RESP ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

73. SUMMERY- STEP 2: MAN’S PROBLEM Man God Man’s problem religious Good deeds Morals prayerful Others Eternal death (Isiah 59:2) All sinned Sin’s penalty separation Judgement Every person has great value in God’s eyes. However, according to Isiah 59:2, sin has separated all of us from God. The Bible states that every person has chosen to give his own way apart from God. God views this attitude of independence and rebellion as sin. It traps us in patterns of evil behavior, in damaged relationships, and in not really caring about God and the things He cares about. In this separated condition, each person will be judged by God and required to face eternal death. No amount of religious activities or giving up certain bad habits is ever enough to urn us a pardon for this rebellion. Even at our best, all of us are imperfect and cannot attain on our own the perfection needed to bridge the gap between our holy God and us.