JUSTI(FIED)

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Opening:

Last week we began to tell some of our "rebirth" stories. Continue to share where you are at in this journey of regeneration.

Digging Deeper:

While simplified, we are looking at the following trajectory of salvation

Regeneration- Repentance/Faith- Justification- Sanctification- Glorification

Now we examine our next step in the process of our salvation- Justification.

Simply defined, it means to "make just." Biblically, it is God's act of declaring us not guilty of our sins. Discuss this concept– what does it say about us, what does it say about God, what des is say God offers us, what difference does this make in our life here, what difference does it make for our eternity?

Read Romans 5: 1-11. How does this enlighten our understanding of justification? Who are the unrighteous? What does it mean that Christ died for the unrighteous?

It appears in scripture that a very real "fruit" of faith is this justification. What is the role of faith in the Christ-followers life? Read Matthew 8:5-10 and discuss this story. What would it look like to have an "astonishing" faith? What would you do with an astonishing faith?

Closing:

If you had faith, real faith in the promises of the Bible, how would that begin to effect your life? What might you attempt to God?

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Romans 5: 1-2
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.

Matthew 8:5-10
5When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. 6"Lord," he said, "my servant lies at home paralyzed and in terrible suffering."
7Jesus said to him, "I will go and heal him."
8The centurion replied, "Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and that one, 'Come,' and he comes. I say to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it."
10When Jesus heard this, he was astonished and said to those following him, "I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.