ASSEMBLIES OF GOD ADULT SUNDAY SCHOOL FOR NOVEMBER 5, 2023

Memory Verse: Galatians 5:25 – If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit (KJV).

Lesson Bible Text:

Galatians 5:16-26; 1 John 3:1-10; 4:7-21.

Lesson Central Truth:

Disciples of Christ manifest Christlike characteristics.

There are clear descriptions in the Scripture of what it means to be a follower of Christ. At the foundation of these descriptions is a close, personal relationship built on faith in and submission of God. Such a relationship is clearly described in the Scripture. The life of a Christian disciple is a life guided by the Holy Spirit–life that resists and rejects sin in favour of God’s leading, and a life that is marked by love for God and others. The lifestyle of a disciple is a life patterned after the Master. Note that as Christian disciples, anything that is not found in Jesus shouldn’t be found in us.

Today’s lesson examines that life from the standpoint of Scripture.

Galatians 5:16-26

God is a spirit and His followers must walk in spirit. To walk in spirit means to walk as Jesus walked. The heart desire of our Master is for His disciples to be like Him in all ramifications. Holy Spirit helps us to walk in spirit. To walk in spirit means that the Holy Spirit lives in us. To walk in spirit as a disciple is to be holy and separated from flesh. A life in the spirit is a life of faith and love that every disciple must live. But in contrast, a life that is being controlled by the flesh leads to death. The works of the flesh are manifested through the desires of the flesh.

There is no way anyone can fulfill the lust of the flesh as he or she walk in the Spirit. The Holy Spirit doesn’t move in us to gratify our fallen desires and passions, but to teach us about Jesus and to guide us in the path of Jesus. This is the key to righteous living–walking in the Spirit, not living under the domination of the flesh. Note that anyone who lives in the flesh cannot inherit the kingdom of God.

Jesus is a true vine and we as His disciples–the vine branches are expected to bear good fruit because our source of fruitfulness is from Him alone. Note that tree don’t go to market, but it’s fruit do. By the kind of fruit you bear will explain who you are. What kind of fruit are we expected to bear as disciples? The nine functional fruit of the Spirit as recorded in Galatians 5:22-23 is the kind of fruit expected by God for you to bear as a Christian disciple at all time regardless the condition or challenge you found yourself.

Holy Spirit is given to us to manifest the various fruit of the spirit. Holy Spirit helps to produce Christlike virtues in the life of a disciple. When the fruit of the spirit is formed in us through the power of Holy Spirit, we will become spiritually mature and grow in Christ likeness. The fruit of the spirit are nine, but they are inseparable. As disciples, we don’t have the option to pick or choose which kind of fruit we wish to have or bear. We must choose each moment to yield to the Spirit of God.

1 John 3:1-9

John draws our minds to behold the wonderful love that our Father has bestowed upon us that we are now called children of God. Before now, we weren’t called His children because of sinful nature in us, but glory be to God we are redeemed through Jesus Christ. “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). We become God’s children through salvation, and only God’s children will enjoy eternal life with Him.

Living in sin is a reflection of one’s spiritual state. Every human being is either a child of God or a child of the devil. As children of God, we must reflect the characteristics of our Father. Having in mind that we have eternal destiny with our Father, we must purify our lives to become more like Him. The ultimate purpose of Jesus’ death is to free people from sin. As believers, our lives must convey the true transformation that is possible through Jesus’ death resurrection.

Make sure no one deceive you with their self-made doctrines. False teachers are everywhere today teaching heresies like the time of John, they put up core teachings that sins committed by our physical bodies are unimportant and don’t count. John squashes this teaching by saying that the person who practices righteousness is of God and the person who practices sin is of the devil. He doesn’t mince words at all. People who are settled in habitual sin are not the children of God–they are of the devil, and Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil and free us from our bondage to the devil. No child of God should continue in habitual sin.

The Holy Spirit in us will always convict us whenever we sin. But remaining in sin all the time is the true nature of God’s children. Since we are saved, we are adopted into His family. He has given us new life, spiritual life. Because we are His children and have been born again into His family, we will naturally hate sin and not want to practice it. We must examine to see if our heart truly belongs to God. If we find that we are practicing sin, we must fall on our knees before God, repent, and stop practicing sin.

1 John 4:7-21

John tells his readers to love one another. But we can notice that John practices what he preaches. He calls them “beloved” many times as well as “little children.” He had great affection for them and devoted his life to teaching them the truth. God is the source of love. He loved us. If we want to love others we must learn how to from God and be strengthened to by God. The great love of God is the true mark of a disciple. Those who are born again will love others.

This is our distinguishing mark. Is that what people see when they look at your life? Love means Who God is ie the very character of God. John stated that God showed His love for us through His gift of Jesus Christ, His Son, as the sacrifice for our salvation. Such a gift was given because He loved us, not because we love Him. God desires that His followers become beacons of love that will illuminate a path toward Him. God expresses His love through us as we love those around us.

When people respond to Jesus in faith and become His followers, God gives them “His Holy Spirit as proof that we live in Him and he in us” (1 John 4:13, NIV). The Spirit reminds the Christians of God’s love, which ought to naturally flow from their lives and He helps them walk in that love. John went on to inform us that We can have confidence in the day of judgment because God has forgiven us of our sins. His greatest demonstration of love ever (the cross) has taken away our sins and made us “positionally” holy.

Love drives out fear. An opposite example would be that hate stimulates fear. God’s love casts out our fear. He has adopted us as His sons and daughters and loves us accordingly. We love each other because He loved us first. His love has changed us. His love empowers us to love others as well. If we didn’t experience God’s true love, we wouldn’t be able to love others truly either. We don’t need to be afraid of the future because He is with us. Nothing can separate us from His love.

Lesson Action Word

Father, make us a true disciple of Christ, in the matchless Name of Jesus. Amen!

Remain blessed as you join us in our Sunday school both online and at any Assemblies Of God Church close to you as we study together under the Feet of the Master.

Share your contribution and as well ask your question from the lesson.

Shalom!