<h1>LOVE FOR ONE ANOTHER</h1> BIBLICAL REFERENCES: John 4:7-8, 1 cor. 13:1-13. Jn. 3:17-18 CONTENT <ol> <li>To Know God is to Love One Another (John 4:7-8,21)</li> <li>The Qualities of Love (1 Cor. 13:1-13)</li> <li>Various Ways to Demonstrate Love for One Another (John 3:17-18)</li> </ol>   <h2>To Know God is to Love One Another (John 4:7-8,21)</h2> John in his message encourages us to love one another because this was commanded by Jesus. (John 13:34-35). When we love others, people will believe that Christians are true disciples of Christ, because He who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. Abiding in God’s love destroys fears of His punishment, because the relationship with God is supposedly perfect and cordial. EVALUATION <ol> <li>What does it mean to know God?</li> </ol>

<h1>JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH</h1> BIBLICAL REFERENCES: Rom. 3: 23; Gal. 3:19-21, Rom. 4:1-5; Gal. 2;16-21, Rom. 1:16-17 ; 4:1-5, Gal. 2:19-21; 5:22 CONTENT <ol> <li>Meaning and Need for Justification (Rom. 3: 23; Gal. 3: 19-21)</li> <li>Work and Law do not Justify Anybody (Rom.4:1-5; Gal.2: 16-21)</li> <li>Faith in Jesus as a Condition for Justification (Rom. 1:16-17; 4:1-5)</li> <li>The Fruit of Justification (Gal. 2:19-21; 5:22)</li> </ol>   <h2>Meaning and Need for Justification (Rom. 3: 23; Gal. 3: 19-21)</h2> Justification means to be found innocent of a charge. It is to be declared guiltless or acquitted. Biblically, justification means getting into right relationship with God. According to Paul, the Jewish religious law in the Old Testament served the purpose of presenting side by side God’s holiness and man’s sinful nature, which constantly reminded man of his inability to keep the law. Thus, on his own or by his own effort, man cannot keep God’s law thereby removing that barrier between him and God. The law therefore only brought light to the sinful nature of man. Paul argues that a man is not justified by obeying or keeping the law but through the righteousness of God, now offered to all men who have faith in Christ whether Jew or Greek. He pointed out that man is naturally sinful, <em>"<strong>All have sin and fall short of the Glory of God</strong>",</em> hence the need for justification by faith in the atoning blood of Christ. EVALUATION <ol> <li>State the meaning and need for justification.</li>

<h1>NEW LIFE IN CHRIST</h1> BIBLICAL REFERENCES: Gal. 5:19-21, Col. 3:5-7 CONTENT <ol> <li>Meaning of Old Life as Living in Sin</li> <li>Characteristics of the Old Life (Gal. 5:19-21, Col. 3:5-7)</li> </ol>   <h2>Meaning of Old Life as Living in Sin</h2> The old life is a lifestyle that is against God’s will. It is a life full of sin in accordance to the dictates and passion of the flesh.

<h1>NEW LIFE IN CHRIST</h1> BIBLICAL REFERENCES: Rom. 6:1-4; 15:18-19 CONTENT <ol> <li>Meaning of New Life in Christ</li> <li>The Need for Change (Rom. 6:1-4; 15:18-19)</li> <li>Characteristics of the New Life</li> <li>The Need to Stick to the New Life</li> </ol>   <h2>Meaning of New Life in Christ</h2> New life is a lifestyle that pleases God. It is a life that is built on the fear of God.   <h2>The Need for Change (Rom. 6:1-4; 15:18-19)</h2> According to Paul, anyone who has acquired a new life in Christ will have some virtues that distinguish him from others still in the old life. He also lay emphasis on the sacrament of baptism, a rite during which the convert declares publicly his union with Christ. Paul asks: <em>“do you know that all of us who are baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into his death, so that as Christ was raised from the death by the glory of the father, we too might walk in newness of life”. (Romans 6:3-4)</em> <strong>Baptism</strong> is a sacrament which marks the transition from the old life of sins to the life of holiness. It is done by immersion indicating that one is buried with Christ and by bringing one up from under water, he resurrects with Christ. This is what baptism by immersion symbolizes. The new convert, after being baptized, begins a phase of entirely new life, cutting himself totally from former lifestyles and assuming a new pattern of life modeled after Christ.

<h1>SONSHIP</h1> BIBLICAL REFERENCES: Rom. 8:3, 17, 32; 8:1-39, 4:6,7; Eph. 5:3 CONTENT <ol> <li>Jesus Christ the Son of God (Rom. 8:3, 17, 32)</li> <li>Christians are Also Children of God (Rom. 8:1-39, 4:6, 7; Eph. 5:3)</li> </ol>   <h2>Jesus Christ the Son of God (Rom. 8:3, 17, 32)</h2> Jesus Christ the son of God is the foundation of the Christian faith. Jesus’ sonship of God sets Him apart from the other messengers of God, such as Elisha, Amos, Hosea, and Isaiah. During the annunciation as recorded by St. Luke, the Angel revealed to Mary that the child to be born will be called the son of the Most High (Luke 1:32). At the baptism of Jesus, a voice from heaven introduced Jesus as the son of God. This was repeated at the transfiguration. Jesus also recognized himself as the son of God and on many occasions referred to God as His father. At the raising of Lazarus from the dead, Jesus referred to God as His father (John 11: 45). Also at Gethsemane during his prayer of agony, Jesus called God His father. In the same way on the cross, He referred to God as his father ‘Father into thy hand I commit my spirit’ (Luke 23:46). The gospel of John started with the emphasis on Jesus as the son of God. ‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God ...’ This means that Jesus existed as the son of God before incarnation. EVALUATION <ol> <li>Using biblical passages, show how Jesus portrayed Himself as the son of God.</li> <li>Describe the event in Gethsemane in which Jesus called God His father.</li> </ol>