Since Christmas was around the corner, we decided to have a special Bible study. We had a short devotion, exchange of gifts, and a bonfire with smores.

Thanks to all the parents for bringing the youth and the food! Special thanks to Tita Gerrie, Tito Jojo, Tito Dennis, Tita Jean, Tita Eva, Kuya Jaymer, Kuya Jerome, and Ate Venia for all your help! PC: Kuya Jerome

Merry Christmas!

Below are the lesson notes:

Do you guys know what the meaning of Christmas is?

• It's a celebration of the birth of Jesus

Who celebrates Christmas?

• Christians
• Non Christians

Why do you think non Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus?

• Cultural
• Christmas has been redefined by American culture.
• We see Americans do a lot of this.
  • Redefinition of marriage
  • Redefinition of morals
  • Redefinition of where we should find fulfillment

Why do we redefine a lot of things?

• Because of our experiences
• We base it off of the way we think

Based on Romans, how do we think?

• In selfish ways
• We twist what God has given to us to glorify Him. In order to glorify ourselves.
• We change definitions that are given in the Bible to define them in a way to suit our needs

Take Christmas for example:

• Santa - a way to get children to behave
• Stores commercialize it to make profit
  • They say you want to know what you can give for Christmas? Give this.
• Movies released at Christmas time to make profit
  • Star wars
• Have you guys ever wondered why we give gifts to people when it's Jesus' birthday?
  • Nikki and Paulines birthdays. Can you imagine if we went to their parties and instead of celebrating them, we made the party about ourselves?

But how about in our own lives? How have we twisted what God has given us to satisfy ourselves?

• One thing that always bothers me is when people talk about love and relationships. I would argue that the ultimate purpose of relationships aren't for the other person to make you happy. But in Eph 5 we see that one of the main purposes of marriage is to put the gospel on display.
• Church. We have twisted the purpose of church in our lives. When I was growing up, the main reason why I went to church was to see my friends or to see the girl I liked. When the purpose of church isn't to be with friends but to commune together and learn about God.
• God. We have twisted the purpose of God in our lives. When do you go to God? When do you pray? Why did you want to become a Christian? Because you saw God as a means to an end. You think if you believe in God, everything in life will go fine. If you believe in God, you will go to heaven. If you believe in God, God will provide everything you need. How different is your belief in God to that of Santa Claus? If you're good, you will get this. Do you see how twisted we are?

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We are twisted people. And this is why we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Because while we were yet sinners. Christ died for us. While we were twisted and selfish people, Christ died for us. God sent His own son to die on our behalf. So instead of looking at you and seeing the selfish twisted person that you are. When you put faith in Christ, God sees the perfect life of Jesus. Isn't that good news?

Turn with me to Matthew 1: 18-25:

Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:
“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall call his name Immanuel”
(which means, God with us). When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.
(Matthew 1:18-25)

Who is Jesus Christ? He was born to "save people from their sins". He is "God with us". Isn't that amazing?

Recap:

• What is righteousness?
  • In the Bible, it not only means being morally right, but also has to do with acceptance and favor.
• What does it mean to seek after our own righteousness?
  • when we try to live up to other’s or our own expectations
• Credited righteousness by faith in Jesus Christ
• “All other religions say ‘live as you ought, and God will accept and bless you’. But Christianity says, the gospel says, ‘no no, accept God’s acceptance and blessing, receive His acceptance and blessing as a gift through what Jesus Christ did on the cross, and then and only then, will you live as you ought.’ Not live as you ought and get the blessing. Get the blessing through Jesus Christ as a free gift and then live as you ought.” - Tim Keller
• Illustration from Tim Keller: Old TV show called NCIS, detective show.
  • broken down man in his 80’s, fought in WWII
  • accused of a crime -> navy took him
  • navy guys, big policemen, snarling about to take him into custody
  • one of his friends opens up his shirt, underneath is a congressional medal of honor for his heroism in Iwo Jima
  • when they see that medal of honor, they immediately have to snap to attention and salute.
  • When you receive Christ, God accepts you and treats you as if you had done what Jesus had done. You’re covered with his medals

v1-11

• When we are counted righteous by faith, what else do we have?
  • We have peace, access into grace, the Holy Spirit, joy
  • Forgiveness - "you may go, you have been let off your penalty"
  • Justification by faith - “you may come and you are welcome to all my love and presence"
• How do you treat others? At what point do you decide that you like them and want to be friends with them? When you meet someone new, how do you treat them? Or is there anyone in your life who you just don’t like but they keep coming to you for help or to be friends but you just don’t like them?
  • In Christ, God doesn’t use a measurement that is based on what you do to decide whether or not to accept you.
• Without Christ, who are we before God?
  • Weak, ungodly, sinners and enemies, this is what Paul has been talking about for the past few chapters.
  • Illustration from Paul Washer: Projector, who are you when no one is looking?
  • Baltimore riots, 
  • Have you been brought to this understanding of who we are without Christ?
  • Return to previous question and show how no matter what we do, we can still be sinful.
    • If you don’t try to get to know them, are you doing it to avoid being looked at as weird?
    • If you do try to get to know them, are you doing it to avoid being looked at as unsociable?

v12-21

• Who is Adam a type of? (14)
  • Jesus
    • Jesus is the second Adam
• How is Jesus and what He did like Adam?
  • Illustration: Dwight and Northwest/Wizards, Judah and RM
  • Father representing His family, the church is the bride of Christ

Conclusion:

• We rejoice!
  • in the hope of glory of God (v2)
  • in our sufferings (v3)
  • in God (11)
• Do you rejoice? The gospel should excite you.
• What happens when a guy after his first date with a girl that he likes? He rejoices! Now we have been accepted by God. He has paid our debt. We are free.
• What happens when a team wins a competition? They celebrate! Why?

Testimony: Trisha
Bibliography

• Tim Keller’s illustration on "Justification by faith”
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=280nS1_p2Kk
• Friend, Trisha
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apVoyEkKz78

Recap

• In Romans 1-3, Paul built up this main point that all people, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin.
  • This is a problem because God is holy and righteous and cannot affiliate with anything that is unclean and sinful. Like light. Light cannot mix with darkness. Light overcomes and overpowers it. We are kinda like vampires. When the sun shines on us, you know it's over.
• From this, Paul moves onto his next point that we are not counted righteous by works, but by faith.
  • this is counterintuitive isn't it? How many of us grew up thinking that in order to go to heaven all we have to do is be good people?
  • To make his case, Paul brings up someone important, their father Abraham.
    • If someone was talking to you about how to find success and change the world and ended their talk or developed their talk around a quote by Steve Jobs, they would probably convince you right? Paul is doing something similar here by bringing up an important figure to make his point.

Who is Abraham?

• A forefather of the Jews whom God made promises with.
• God promised him that he would be the father of many nations

v1-12
Abraham justified by faith

• How was Abraham counted as righteous?
  • By believing God v3
  • Illustration: If you know the president, you can get into the white house
  • Do you see how in this case, you could not boast about anything you have done? You are only accepted based on affiliation. v2
  • The ability to enter is a gift and it's not something you earned. v4
  • Courtroom example, Jesus taking the punishment
• Paul also brings up David as he tries to make his point. David refers to this idea of being counted as righteous as a blessing (v7-8). Have you ever thought of this as a blessing?
  • Some of us would consider being smart as a blessing. Or having caring parents. Or having good friends. Or good social skills. Or good basketball genes. But what about being counted as righteous? Most of you probably don't think much about it. But a lot of times during the week, you would think things like, "if only I had friends like that, if only I could shoot the basketball like Curry, if only I had parents who cared, if only I had parents who would let me do what I want". Let me suggest to you why being counted righteous is the greatest blessing of all.
  • One of the greatest blessings. Why?
    • First, what is righteousness?
      • righteousness is a very unclear word in our culture
      • I said before to think of Jesus, someone who is perfect, someone who lived a right life
      • but it is more than that. In the Bible, it relates to acceptance and favor.
      • These ideas can be found in our culture all the time.
        • the voice - "I want you"
        • school auditions, college applications, basketball tryouts
        • why are you guys scared of trying new things, or meeting new people, or things getting awkward?
        • standards of acceptance for others and for ourselves
        • when we "pursue our own righteousness", there's a sense of rejection, anger, or anxiety
          • the voice
          • article about breakups
    • It removes rejection. We have acceptance. Our inner desire to be loved and accepted is fulfilled.
    • It is sure/it removes anxiety. In Jesus, you are counted righteous and that's that. You don't have to worry about your past sins or your future sins affecting that. With friends you have to worry about keeping them. That's why some of us like to be quiet. Because we think if we don't say anything, we won't make a mistake. We only like to say things when we're sure that it will illicit a favorable response. Or that's why some of us are loud, because were scared that if we don't talk, our friends will get bored of us. In Christ, we are counted righteous no matter what we do. Why? Because a righteousness by faith doesn't depend on what you have done or will do, but rather on what Christ already did.
    • It is gives you freedom. Illustration: If your school gave you all A's for semester.
    • The gospel is like that, before God we are seen as righteous, and because of that we live like righteous people.
• Who is Abraham the father of?
  • Connection to church and baptism
    • A lot of us think that just because we go to church or were baptized, we are Christian.
  • Abraham is the father of all who follow in his footsteps of faith
  • Are you his child?

v13-25
The promise realized through faith

• Paul makes a reference to when Abraham and his offspring were promised to be heir of the world. His claim is that the promise came by faith and not by the law.
• What is Paul's argument for why the promise came by faith?
  • law brings wrath
  • in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to...the one who shares the faith of Abraham
• What kind of faith is a faith where we are counted as righteous?
  • "being fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised"
  • Abraham was promised to the "father of many nations". How did Abraham respond?
  • in connection to what we said earlier, it is a faith where stop looking to other things for our righteousness/acceptance, but turning to Christ.
  • "for us to become Christians, it’s not about confessing everything I’ve done wrong, but it’s confessing what forms the basis of [my] righteousness" - Paul Jeon
  • Have you repented/or are you repenting of this? Are you following in Abraham's footsteps of faith?

Bibliography:

• http://newcityva.org/pages/page.asp?page_id=217064&programId=152890