<h1>GOD’S LOVE FOR MAN</h1> BIBLICAL REFERENCES: John 3:16 CONTENT <ol> <li>Meaning of Love</li> <li>Types of Love</li> <li>Demonstration of God's Love to Human Beings</li> <li>The Need for Human Beings to Respond to God's Love</li> </ol>   <h2>Meaning of Love</h2> Love is a deep and strong feeling of affection one has for another. It is natural and difficult to comprehend. It is caring, gentile, kind, enduring, patient, not jealous, etc. God has great love for man. This love which is so real, made God send his son to redeem man after the fall of man into sin.   <h2>Types of Love</h2> The types of love are as follows: <ol> <li>Platonic love: Affection between friends is known as platonic love. it does not involve any sexual relationship</li> <li>Philia love: The love between friends that share the same interest and opinion is called philia love.</li> <li>Storge love: This is the natural love among family members due to family ties.</li> <li>Erotic love: Sexual love between people of opposite sex is called erotic love.</li> <li>Agape love: Agape love is an unconditional love without any attachment. It is also known as selfless love. This is the type of love God has for mankind.</li> </ol>   EVALUATION <ol> <li>Define love.</li> <li>Explain God’s love for man.</li> <li>Mention the types of love.</li> <li>What type of love does God have for man?</li> </ol>

<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.