hanks

Q4. (Hebrews 13:15-16) Though the sacrifice for atonement has been completed in Christ, what kinds of sacrifices or offerings are Christians called upon to make? What effect do these offerings have on God? Our entire life ought to be a song of adulation expressed in words and deeds. This we can do by living a holy life, loving the Lord with heart, soul, and mind, and of loving one's neighbour as oneself. When we say that we love the Lord, we must be ready to help our neighbours in need. We are to offer Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise. Since there is nothing we can do to earn God

Q3. (Ephesians 1:4) What does it mean to be "holy"? In what sense can you stand "blameless" before God?To be cleansed from all sin and separated entirely to God and His service. Faultless, without any blemish,

Q3. (1:6) What does Paul expect God to do for the Philippian believers? Why does he expect God to do this? What is the basis of Paul's confidence? On what basis can we expect God to do this for us? Paul was certain that God who launched a good work in the Philippians would continue it. When God begins the work of salvation in us he will finish it. God never starts anything that he cannot finish. God will either work in us or he will work on us but he will finish the job. It was this confidence that gave Paul joy, for Paul had faith in God's ability and promises.

Q3. (Hebrews 13:8) What is the significance of this verse for the original readers? For you? For understanding just who Jesus is? For believing in the power of God for today? All that Jesus had done on earth and all the promises He made then, He still does. We know that presently He intercedes in heaven on our behalf

Q2. (Ephesians 1:4-5) What is scary about predestination? What is comforting? Why does Paul bring up predestination? Why do you think he is praising God for it in the "hearing" of the Ephesians? It is scary to think if I had been left alone to do my thing I would have been lost to eternity. When I read that God, in love, adopted me as His son through Jesus Christ, words of gratitude fail me. I cannot even try to express my thanks for His wonderful love! We read that God "chose us" in other words, our salvation depends totally on God, and we are not saved because we deserve it but because God is gracious and merciful. We did not influence God's decision to save us; he saved us according to his plan. Paul starts by telling us about God

Q2. (1:6) When we become financial "partners" with a Christian missionary, minister, ministry, or church, what do we receive out of the partnership? What other kinds of support might we offer beyond financial? God does supply all the needs of His people; but we are given a specific promise that if we are faithful and devoted in our giving to Christ; we will never lack anything. We can support Christ

Q2. (Hebrews 13:5-6) How can we recognize greed in ourselves? What will be the signs? What is the antidote for greed in our lives? What would be the earmarks of a greed-free life? If not money, what should be the basis of our security for the future? What promises do you find in verses 5 and 6? We can recognize the signs of greed in ourselves when having all the things we will ever need; we still have this selfish desire for much more. We find ourselves not happy and content, but living in a state of anxiety. The only antidote is to trust God to meet all our needs. We are to be content with our present situation acknowledging that God has blessed us abundantly. As Christian we are to get rid of the love of money, knowing that it leads to all kinds of evil,

Q1. (Ephesians 1:3) What does it mean to you to be "in Christ" -- incorporated into Christ? What are the implications of this for your life? At the time of our salvation we enter into a spiritual union with Jesus Christ. We are in Christ, Christ is in us, we are like Christ, and we are with Christ. These are the different relationships between us as believers and Christ, through which we receive every benefit of salvation. This union with Christ makes available to us as believers a great number of spiritual benefits; benefits which can be used and enjoyed continuously during our remaining lifetime and also into eternity.

Q1. (1:1) What is the basic idea of "slave"? What is the root idea of "saint"? In what way are these words saying the same thing about a Christian's relationship to God? (Note: to answer this question correctly you'll need to refer to the notes on the precise word meanings.) Slave

Q1. (Hebrews 13:1-3) How do hospitality to strangers and visiting prisoners relate to brotherly love (Philadelphia)? Where are you strong in brotherly love? Where are you weak? We, as believers, all belong to one family, God

Q5. (Hebrews 12:25-29) Is a fear of God healthy? If so, how? When does fear of God become unhealthy? How does the fear of God fit with 1 John 4:18? Yes we need to fear God, but this is more out of reverence. We respect Him for who He is

Q4. (Hebrews 12:14-17) Is the writer of Hebrews teaching salvation by being holy? Why or why not? 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 and Galatians 5:19-21. Can habitual sin deprive us of heaven? If so, how? No we cannot earn our salvation. When we were born again, we were set apart to God from the world and automatically sanctified. By virtue of our union with Jesus Christ we are sanctified forever. Christ is our holiness, that is, as far as our standing before God is concerned. The writer of Hebrews is saying that we should separate ourselves from every form of evil, on a daily basis. Our holiness should be progressive, that is, we should be growing more and more like the Lord Jesus all the time. We do not earn the right to see God by living holy lives; Jesus is our only way to heaven. There must however, be proof of a new life within; if we not growing more holy, we are not saved. When the Holy Spirit indwells a person, He manifests His presence by a separated life. This holiness is not the state of perfection but refers to the sanctifying process that occurs in the life of the believer. As the writer of Hebrews says, Jesus is the one who makes the believer holy

Q3. (Hebrews 12:5-7) I've sometimes heard, "God never punishes anyone." Is that true according to these verses? If so, how does punishment fit into the larger overall concept of discipline and child-rearing? What is the purpose of God's discipline? It is when we read Proverbs 3:11-12 that we realize God

Q2. (Hebrews 12:5-11) How does it help when you to look at your struggles and hardships as the Father's discipline and training? What are the benefits of such discipline to the Christian? I think nothing happens by chance to us as Christians. When we experience persecution, testing, sickness, pain, sorrow or trouble - we should look upon them as blessings in disguise. These do not come from God; He allows them, and then overrules them for His glory, or for our good, or even for the blessing of others. We know He is allowing these adverse circumstances of life to conform us to the image of Christ. It is perhaps a thought that we might not be one of His children if we are not chastised

Q1. (Hebrews 12:3-4) Spiritual warfare can be lost by weariness. Why is spiritual warfare so wearying? Why must we continue to resist, on and on? Have you ever been overcome by Satan because of weariness? Whenever we have a tendency to grow weary and discouraged, we should think of what our Lord and Saviour Jesus went through. We will discover that our trials will seem negligible by comparison. If we continue to reflect on our trials and tribulations, we can become spiritual weary and discouraged. It is only by focusing on Jesus that we renew our strength and boost our courage. When we as Christians realize that Jesus withstood the hatred of sinful men for the sake of us, that we become encouraged; our own problems become easier to bear, and we, too, will be able to continue and eventually complete the race marked out for us. We all must have experienced a certain degree of weariness during our life

Q5. (Hebrews 12:1-2) Who are the "great cloud of witnesses" mentioned in 12:1? What analogy to the life of faith is offered in 12:1? In what way is Jesus the "author" or "pioneer" of our faith? How did he live by faith? In what way is he the "finisher" or "perfecter" of our faith?All the thousands of God's faithful people, now dead, who sufferedseverely as a result of their loyalty to the Lord, are the great cloud of witnesses mentioned in 12:1. They witness to us by their lives of faith and endurance and they set a high standard for us to try and copy. If they could maintain their brave perseverance with much lesser privileges, how much more should we, to whom the better things of Christianity have come. Jesus is the author, or pioneer, of our faith in the sense that He has provided us with the only perfect example of what the life of faith is like. He is also the finisher, or perfecter, of our faith. He not only began the race but finished it triumphantly. We can see His race went from heaven to Bethlehem, then on to Gethsemane and Calvary, and finally from the tomb and back to heaven. At no time did He falter or turn back. He kept His eyes fixed on the coming glory when all the redeemed would be gathered with Him eternally. This enabled Him to think nothing of shame and to endure suffering and death. Today He is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Throughout the race, we should look away from every other object and keep our eyes riveted on Jesus. A>B>Bruce comments:

Q4. (Hebrews 11:8-31) What was the powerful motivating factor behind the actions taken by the people mentioned in these verses? What was this faith based on? At the Red Sea, how did the Israelites' faith differ from that of the Egyptian army? Did Rahab have real faith or was she a shrewd opportunist -- or is there a difference? Their lives were regulated by the firm conviction that God would fulfil the promises he had given them. The Israelites

Q3. (Hebrews 11:23-28) How did Moses' faith affect his willingness to suffer? What kind of vision did faith create for Moses? What kind of vision does faith create for us? Yes, he turned his back on the treasures of Egypt; being the adopted son of Pharaoh's daughter, he was assured of a place in the social elite. But he made his choice; he renounced the pleasures of Egypt and associated himself with the suffering people of God. It was his faith that enabled him to see that the fabulous treasure houses of Egypt were worthless in the light of eternity. So he chose to suffer the same kind of reproach as the Messiah would later suffer. Loyalty to God and love for His people were valued by him more that the combined wealth of Egypt. Just as we should; he kept his eyes on

Q2. (Hebrews 11:13b) In practical terms, what would be the characteristics of a believer who lived his life as an "alien" and "stranger" here on earth? What is the balance between "in" the world but not "of" it? (John 15:19; 17:13-16; 1 John 4:4-6). A believer regards him/her as a foreigner. Since this world is not our home we are not to become too attached to earthly desires and possessions. As pilgrims we are travelling through this world to our eternal home

Q1. (Hebrews 11:8-19) Abraham was on a faith-quest, looking for a city (verse 10) and a country (verses 14-16). How does his faith-journey encourage yours? In Scriptural typology, what is the final "city" which we shall see? (12:22) What is the final country of which we are citizens? (12:28) We know all God

Q4. (Hebrews 11:11). Which part of faith is related to (1) the depth of Abraham's confidence in God? Which part of faith is related to (2) the real existence and power of such a God? How would you describe a faith that lacks either element? Based on verse 11 (not on verses 1-2), formulate in your own words a definition of faith. Faith is confidence in the trustworthiness of God. It is the conviction that what God says is true and that what He promises will come to pass. Faith not only believes that God exists, but it also trusts Him to reward those who diligently seek Him. There is nothing about God that makes it impossible for men to believe. The difficulty is with the human will.

Q3. Every religion has its own kind of faith. What is the content of the Judeo-Christian type of faith that sets it apart from any other? The Old Testament saints and the readers of this epistle share a common faith and together reap the benefits of a fulfilled promise. We as believers are made perfect through the work of Christ. What is the basis of Noah's faith (11:7)? The faith of Noah was based on God's warning that He was going to destroy the world with a flood. There had never been a flood in human experience yet Noah believed God and built an ark, even though he was probably very far from navigable waters. What is the basis of our faith? Jesus Christ. How does faith grow (see Romans 10:17)? We read in Romans 10:17,

Q2. (Hebrews 11:6) The first element of faith is belief in God's existence. Why is the second element just as essential to true faith? What does it mean to "seek" God? What difference does it make whether or not you believe God will reward seekers? We seek God by prayer; by praying earnestly, and in full confidence! God invites us to come to him in full assurance that he will hear and answer prayers. We will receive pardon, mercy, and peace. Rewards can never be earned. In his sovereign goodness, God grants rewards not in terms of payments, but as blessings on his people. God grants us the gift of life eternal.

Q1. Using Hebrews 11:1-3 as your source, how would you put in your own words what faith is and does? It is a gift from God and it gives me the confidence to carry on regardless, knowing that I belong to God

Q4. (Hebrews 10:35-36) Why is perseverance in faith hard sometimes? Why is perseverance so important? How is Christian fellowship important in perseverance? (3:12-14) What can we do to encourage other Christians in this sometimes difficult journey? By perseverance I think we do not mean only living a certain kind of life that is always regarded as a good life; I think it means more