Lesson 18: A Humanitarian by Giving Us a Wonderful Life Here and Now
Go Deeper
Study Guide Pages 139-147
More Key Bible Verses
Read the following verses that speak about our loving Heavenly Father.
Again, not everyone is naturally a child of God. Children of God are those who have been adopted into God’s family through faith in Jesus Christ.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will.
Ephesians 1:3-5
Because of his great love God seeks out the lost to bring them into his family.
Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
1 John 3:1
Heavenly Father cares for his children daily.
Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
Matthew 6:26
Read and study the following quotes from “A Humanitarian by Giving Us a Wonderful Life Here and Now,” chapter 18 of God—The Ultimate Humanitarian.
When a person is brought to faith, they immediately receive eternal life. This surprises many people because they automatically associate eternal life with heaven. Listen, however, to what Jesus said: “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life” (John 5:24). Jesus didn’t say a believer will have eternal life. He has it as soon as he believes. Already he “has crossed over from death to life.”
Obviously, this doesn’t mean believers are fully enjoying eternal life right now. The Bible uses the picture of God giving us the Holy Spirit as earnest money. “Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come” (2 Corinthians 5:5). What believers experience now is just a foretaste of what awaits them in heaven.
This, however, still translates into significant blessings already now. We have seen how totally engaged God was in saving us. From beginning to end, he did all the work. And he doesn’t disengage once we are saved. It is thrilling to see how involved God remains in believers’ lives.
God—The Ultimate Humanitarian, 126
More Questions to Consider
- Children of God already have the gift of eternal life. They “will not be judged” but “have crossed over from death to life.” How does this impact life in the here and now?
- What is the “deposit” or “foretaste” of eternal live that God promises to his children? (2 Corinthians 5:5)
- Why do we have such a hard time trusting that Heavenly Father has accomplished in Jesus Christ everything necessary to grant us eternal life in the presence of God?
- Explain: From the beginning to the end and everywhere in between God was “engaged” in saving us as the best father ever.
- What do you look forward to the most about eternal life?
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