Lesson One: GOD LOVES FREELY
Introduction: God freely loves everyone more than we can possibly imagine. His love is utterly generous and merciful, as He voluntarily chooses to reveal His sacrificial love, even when people are unfaithful.
Memory Text: Hosea 14:4(NKJV)
“I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely, For My anger has turned away from him.
SABBATH; Just as Jesus Christ predicted that Simon Peter would deny Him three times, it was fulfilled. However, this was not the end of the story. Thrice, Jesus asked Peter is he loved Him, and thrice, Peter replied that he loved Christ. By this, Jesus Christ restored Peter three times. In as much as our circumstances may differ from Peter’s, the same crucial question is posed to us as it was posed to him by Christ, “Do you love me?.” Everything depends on our answer to that question.
SUNDAY; God loves each of us, more than we can imagine and we see this by the history of His people. The Israelites disobeyed God by worshipping the golden calf. By this, they had shut down any right to the covenant privileges and blessings that God had bestowed on them. However, despite their unworthiness, God still chose to continue in a covenant relationship with them. The words in Exodus 33:19, being the Creator, God has the authority to grant grace and compassion freely to even the most undeserving people. The same grace is there for us today too.
(READ Exodus 33:15-22)
MONDAY; At the command to take an unfaithful wife unto himself by God, Hosea shows God’s love for Israel despite their continuous unfaithfulness and idolatry. Their deeds were seemingly beyond repair, but God shows amazing commitment and compassion for His people. God of His own free will continued to bestow His love on them without any compulsion, moral or otherwise, despite how undeserving they were.
(READ Hosea 14:1-4)
TUESDAY; Just as the Israelites, we too, are undeserving of God’s love and there is nothing we can ever do to earn His love. God is worthy of all glory, honour and power for He freely created this world, therefore, He did not need anything from us created beings as existence of His love. Instead, creation was a voluntary activity that resulted from the freedom of His eternal love. This love is further manifested after the fall of man in Eden, in that He offered salvation through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, which is present for us today as well.
(READ Revelation 4:11; Psalms 33:6; John 17:24; Hebrews 1:3)
WEDNESDAY; God not only loves people of His own free will, but He also invites them to love Him in return. As the parable of the wedding feast entails, God invites everyone to the wedding banquet. Many are invited, however, some refuse to come and others who do come, represented by the one who came without a wedding garment in the parable, refuse to submit to the norms of the kingdom and are therefore rejected. Therefore, those who remain are called the “chosen.” Our ability to choose to freely accept this invitation is another indication of God’s love, which is open to truly free reactions of acceptance or resistance.
(READ Matthew 22:1-14 )
THURSDAY; Jesus Christ, wanted to save humanity from eternal perishing, therefore, He voluntarily lay down His life at the cross. This was the plan of redemption that was before the foundation of this world because God and Jesus foresaw the fall of man through the deceptive power of Satan and prepared an emergency which was, by God’s great love-the sacrifice of Jesus Christ at Calvary. In as much as God invites everyone into a love relationship with Him, only those who freely accept the invitation enjoy the eternal results.
(READ Matthew 22:3; John 10:17&18; Galatians 2:20; Romans 16:25)
FRIDAY; The misinterpretation and misunderstanding of God’s character is filling this world. Men are losing their knowledge of His character. Therefore, the message of light about God’s character is to be shared at this time that it may be known. God’s children are to manifest His glory in their own life and character and they are to reveal what the grace of God has done for them.
(READ “To Meet the Bridegroom” pp 405-421 in Christ’s Object Lessons by Ellen G White)
CAPTIONS:
SUNDAY; Beyond reasonable expectations
MONDAY; Unrequited love
TUESDAY; Love freely given
WEDNESDAY; Many are called, but few are chosen
THURSDAY; Crucified for us
FRIDAY; Further thought
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS;
- What does the fact that God continues to bestow love on this world, despite its fallenness and evil, tell us about His love and character? How should this truth cause us to love Him in return?
- In what practical ways can we, unfortunately, resist God’s love?
- Considering that God’s love does not employ coercion, what should we learn from this love, as we think about the ways in which we, as Christians, may love others more authentically?
- Talking about God’s love is one thing. Revealing and reflecting that love in our lives is another. What “deeds of holiness” might reveal God’s love to those around us?
