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Q17. (Romans 3:24; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; 1 Peter 1:17-19) In what sense have we been redeemed from slavery? What slavery have we been freed from? What was the price of our manumission or freedom? In what sense are we free? In what sense are we still slaves? Christ redeemed us by dying in our place, enduring the dreadful wrath of God against sin. He paid a ransom; a ransom price which satisfied our holy and just Heavenly Father. His death on the cross was the payment for our sin, a payment that secured our release from the bondage of Satan and sin. Once we come to Christ in repentance and receive forgiveness for sin, we are empowered by the Holy Spirit who comes to live within us. We have been freed from our slavery to sin. The price of our freedom was His precious blood. We are free in the sense that we are no longer bound to the penalty and power of sin. It is by His power that we are able to resist sinning and become slaves of righteousness. But now instead of slaves to sin we become slaves to righteousness, and from now on we experience complete peace and true freedom. Out of gratitude to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ we humbly serve Him.

Q16. (Romans 3:22-23; Romans 5:12-14; Isaiah 64:6; Jeremiah 17:9) Is humankind basically "good" because of the image of God in us? Or basically evil because of deceitful hearts and our corrupt nature ("flesh") that is "bent to sinning"? Psalm 12:2-3 answers the question: “The LORD looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. All have turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is no-one who does good, not even one”. Although we were made in the image of God, this image has been mostly corrupted by our inherited sin, and there is now no-one who does good. Even our best efforts are still infected with sin, so much so that our righteousness is but filthy rags compared to God’s infinite righteousness. Our deceitful hearts and desperately wicked nature shows that we are basically evil, and we deserve only God’s wrath (Eph 2:3). Our hearts often deceive us, by leading us astray to rebel, to disobey, to sin, and to demand things we don’t need; leading to great sorrow by giving us false keys to happiness. Even to not fully understanding our own heart. We are dead in our sins (Eph 2:1). Fortunately, because of God’s great love for us we are made new creations in His likeness through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ (2 Cor 5:17). We repent and put our trust in Him - are forgiven and receive eternal life. "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

Q15. (Luke 18:18-27) How does the story of the rich young ruler show the impossibility of salvation without a miracle of God? Why does Jesus use a rich and outwardly righteous man to make this point? Where does grace show through? We know that salvation is not inherited, and it is not gained by doing good works. James teaches us that we must keep all the law, all God’s commandments, perfectly to gain entrance to His kingdom, eternal life (James 2:10). To break one part of the law is to be guilty of all. God does not allow us to keep the laws we like, and break others. By breaking just one law, we are sinners. So, by our own efforts we cannot be saved, it is only by the miracle of divine grace that we can be saved, only by grace can our hearts of stone be changed to repent and accept Jesus as our Saviour and Lord. Jewish people believed that riches was a sign of God’s blessing (Deu 28:1-8). So, they would ask the question if rich Jews aren’t saved who can be? That is why Jesus used the rich man to show 'what is impossible with men is possible with God” (Luke 18:27). He did not rule out all wealthy people from salvation, but wanted us to note that God can do the impossible. He can by grace take a greedy, materialistic person, and remove his love for possessions and substitute it for true love of the Lord. More grace! Grace upon grace.

Q14. (Luke 23:39-43) How does the story of the thief on the cross illustrate salvation by faith? How does it show the triumph of grace over sin to those who don't deserve it? This story of the thief on the cross teaches us that salvation is by grace through faith alone. The thief is transformed by the Holy Spirit from a blasphemer to the understanding that Jesus is the Messiah. This is a massive transformation. All of a sudden the thief becomes very aware of God and the fear of God. He openly admits his own sin, and recognises Jesus for who He is. Jesus is no ordinary man, He has the power to forgive sins, and is the thief’s only hope. He knows that he is in urgent need of mercy and grace, nothing else can save him. He is about to die, so, he decides to throw himself at Jesus’ mercy, and turns in true repentance to Jesus for forgiveness. "Lord, remember me. Have mercy upon me." In the same way, when we as a sinner realise that we are lost, that we are helpless, that we are hopeless, and that we are hell-bound; there is only one thing left for us to do and that is to repent and put our faith in Christ as Lord and Saviour. Once we come to the fear of God, His wrath, and our sinfulness, the only thing left for us to do is to repent and put our faith in Jesus. This is all the result of the miraculous work of the Holy Spirit on our dark heart. Salvation is so clearly by grace through faith, and not of works. Faith alone in Christ alone - nothing more, nothing less. The gospel is so simple, and that is what offends us because it does away with our pride and power. The Cross affords no possibility of pride in earning salvation, and no potential for power in manipulating one's way into the kingdom. This thief was guilty and all he deserved was death: “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom 6:23). A classic example of God’s grace, mercy, and forgiveness - grace that is neither earned nor deserved.

Q13. (Luke 15:11-31) What does the Parable of the Prodigal Son teach us about God? About repentance? About grace? We learn about God as a loving Heavenly Father who is also gracious, wise, compassionate, kind, and patient. He will not force His will on us, but will give us opportunities to respond to His love. He gives us the freedom to make choices, but of course not the consequences. He waits patiently for us to come to our senses. This teaches us that God will accept us as sinners wholeheartedly when we repent, acknowledging our sin, and seeking pardon. We receive full forgiveness and restoration – grace that is truly undeserved and unmerited! He will support us and encourage us as we grow in Christ, and surrender our will to His. I think of all the angels in heaven that are rejoicing when an unbeliever repents and turns to God.

Q12. (Matthew 18:21-35) In what way does the king show grace in this parable. How does the forgiven servant withhold grace? Can we call ourselves Jesus' disciples if we withhold grace according to Matthew 18:35 and Matthew 6:12-15? The king shows grace in the forgiving of an immense debt owed by one of his servants. He knew that this was such a huge debt and the servant would never be able to repay it. But when he saw that the servant promised to pay if given the chance, as well as the repentant attitude shown, he forgave the servant the entire amount. We see the king taking pity on the servant, cancelling the debt, and setting him free; a massive display of grace. This same forgiven servant was owed a much smaller amount by a fellow servant. Even after pleading for an extension, he was still thrown into prison. Instead of forgiving him, as he had been forgiven, he demanded payment in full, thereby withholding any grace. As a disciple of Jesus, we have had all our sins forgiven, how can we therefore be unwilling to forgive those who wrong us? Having received grace in the form of forgiveness, we will want to pass it on to others; if not then we have not been united with Christ and cannot be called a Jesus disciple.

Q11. (Luke 10:25-37) Why do you think Jesus sets up the hero of the parable as a Samaritan? How does the Samaritan show undeserved favour? In your community, who are the "neighbours" that are resented? In what ways can you and/or your Christian community show God's grace to them? In this parable the hero is a despised Samaritan - people who have been for centuries the enemies of the Jews. Jesus wants to highlight who is a true neighbour. The one who shows compassion and mercy to others; the one who goes the extra mile to serve others; the one who even includes the despised. The Samaritan shows underserved favour by the actions he takes. Using strips of his own clothing; pouring his wine on the wounds to clean them; using his olive oil as a healing balm; placing the man on a donkey and booking him into an inn; paying the innkeeper for up to 3 weeks until he returns insuring that the man recovers; and finally promising to return and paying any outstanding expenses. Underserved grace indeed! In our community the neighbours who are resented are the poor, the down and out, the widows, those who have no status and are looked down upon. The ultimate Neighbour was Jesus, whose compassion contrasted with the Jewish religious leaders who had no compassion on those who would die in their sin. He has blessed me abundantly and as a Christian I should emulate Him by loving my neighbour, having mercy, and showing compassion as needed. God has brought to my attention the self-centred selfish life I live, and that I need to start putting other people’s needs before my own. In this passage He has taught me that I should be a neighbour to anyone I meet who has a need that I can satisfy.

Q10. (John 3:16) How does John 3:16 display "favour that is neither earned nor deserved" without using the word 'grace'? What is the relationship between grace and giving? What motivates the gift in this verse? How does this relate to grace? God’s supernatural love is expressed in the giving of His most precious gift – His one and only Son. This gift demonstrates His grace, and is clearly shown to us by this sacrifice of Jesus. A grace that is shown through His love for mankind, to sinful people who don’t deserve it, and Him not wanting any to perish. By this sovereign grace we now have the gift of eternal life! – a gift, a grace that is given generously! The motivation for this gift is God’s love for us, a love that Jesus revealed to us by His death on the cross for our sins, and this while we were still sinners – a grace that is neither earned nor deserved. There can be no greater love than this. Jesus proves His infinite grace towards us by taking upon Himself all our sins, past, present, future, and transferring His righteousness upon ourselves.

Q9. According to Bonhoeffer, what attitudes cheapen the understanding of grace in Christians? Does "costly grace" mean we have to work for it? What is costly about grace? In his book, The Cost of Discipleship, Bonhoeffer mentions that grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, and grace without Jesus Christ, all cheapen the understanding of true grace. And goes on to define cheap grace as the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, and communion without confession. It’s like having our bread buttered on both sides; we make a profession of faith and are saved. We think God’s grace is enough to cover all our sins so we carry on living as usual – thinking we are locked in to Jesus and have free will to do what we want. There is no need to live in total obedience to our Lord Jesus. Jesus is our Saviour but not the Lord of our life. A type of self-righteousness. However, true salvation involves us becoming a new creation. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Everything will change - old ways of thinking, old habits, and evil thoughts will change as we become more and more like Jesus Christ. We have a new mindset, and we learn to walk in the light. I think of Psalm 119:11: “I have hidden Your Word in my heart that I might not sin against You”. I would not call it work; we do it out of gratitude once we recognise the magnitude of the ultimate sacrifice Jesus Christ made for us. Costly grace is responding to the call of Jesus Christ and living in total obedience to Him. Jesus is now Lord of our life; He is our Saviour and Master and we submit to Him in all things. Submitting to Him will be our heart’s desire and our practice. We willingly want to be inwardly transformed by Him, to exchange our sinfulness for His holiness, to surrender our bondage to sin, and to change our destiny from eternal death to eternal life. Of course, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ paid the ultimate price, costing Him His life, and our Heavenly Father the death of His One and only Son.

Is there good in humankind? Are humans basically good or basically bad? Or both? What are some of the ways a "deceitful heart" shows up in our lives and motivations? If the heart is the innermost person, how does a "deceitful heart" corrupt us in a pervasive way? Jesus Himself said “No-one is good - except God alone” (Luke 18:19). All of mankind live in a state of depravity and have turned from righteousness to sin. We are all born sinners with a sinful, selfish nature, who fall short of God’s glory (Rom 3:23). Psalm 14:2-3 says it all: “The LORD looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God. They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one”. We might be capable of doing some good things, like being kind to others or even caring for the needy, but even these things have sinful motives behind them. “… All our righteous acts are like filthy rags …” (Isa 64:6). Our hearts are so deceptive, and in our corrupt and fallen state may even be more wicked than we are aware of. One of the ways we could be deceived is by believing that being a good person will get us into heaven. Since no-one is good, and that we are all sinners, as well as the fact that the wages of sin is death (Rom 6:23) - there is no way we are going to heaven by our own means. Our hearts deceive us and we falsely believe that a good person is able to earn their way into heaven. However, the gospel teaches us that we can never be good enough to get to heaven - the only way is through Jesus Christ our Lord (John 14:6). We repent of our sins and place our faith and trust in Him. Even though in Christ we are a new creation, we still have to distrust our hearts because of the remnants of our old flesh that still cling to us and deceive us. We are still subject to our carnal desires. Jesus Himself said in Mat 15:19 “for out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, thefts, false witness, slander” (Mat 15:19). As James mentions “each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed” (James 1:14).

Q7. (Ephesians 2:1-3) What do these verses teach us about humankind's fallen nature? What motivates our actions before we come to Christ? Which of these motivations might be conscious? Which might be unconscious? Humankind without Christ is spiritually dead, living as if God does not exist, and the cause of this death are our transgressions and sins. We are totally corrupt and immoral, obedient to the god of this age (Satan), walking according to the ideology of the world – a world of deceit, immorality, ungodliness, selfishness, violence, and rebellion – living in total disobedience to God. Being energized by Satan we willingly defy, dishonour, and disobey our Lord. Being dead means that on our own there is no way we can come to repentance and faith in Christ. We need the Holy Spirit to melt the hardness of our hearts, to be made alive to spiritual things; we need to hear the Word proclaimed, we need mercy and grace. "How are they to believe in Him of whom they have never heard?" (Rom 10:14). Unless God works in our hearts to make the proclamation of the gospel effective, there will be no genuine saving response. Jesus said, "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him" (John 6:44). All of God’s elect on hearing the Word, will eventually make the conscious decision to put their faith in Jesus Christ for salvation. Of course, not everyone else who hears the gospel message will respond. In actual fact few respond – “small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it (Mat 7:14). But fortunately, there will be some who will consciously respond to come to Christ, and be saved. I feel God will give everyone the opportunity to make a conscious decision about coming to Christ. He is patient, full of grace and compassion. He does not want any to perish so He purposely extends the time of grace. Hereby giving us the chance to come to repentance and be saved (2 Pet 3:9). There is no need for any to perish (John 3:16).

Q6. (Romans 5:6-8) What do verses 6-8 say about humankind's situation? What is so remarkable about Christ's death for us? What motivates that sacrifice? Our situation is one of total depravity. Sin has affected every aspect of our being: our body, our soul, our mind, our will, and so forth. So much so, that we are morally bankrupt and powerless, ungodly and wicked sinners by nature. On our own, we do not have the ability to think, to believe, to know, or even to reach out to God. John 6:44a "No-one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him.” The remarkable thing about our Lord dying for us, is that He died while we were still sinners. Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, motivated by sovereign love and not by any human merit or achievement, died for us, the ungodly. This is a godly love which is beyond our scope and understanding - not the sinful, selfish human love. Salvation is totally unconditional towards us; there is nothing in us, nothing about us, nothing we do, can do, or will do that will motivate God to love us. No one can separate us from this love of Christ (John 10:29), and there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Rom 8:1).

Q5. (Romans 5:1-2) What does it mean to be in a state of grace? According to the text, what is the role of faith in this? What is the opposite of "peace with God"? Having been justified by faith we are now righteous before our Heavenly Father. We put our faith in Jesus Christ, and receive access to the realm of grace. We now live in grace, stand fixed in grace, grounded in grace, and are in a permanent condition of grace. A condition of unmerited favour by which He saves us, makes us righteous, and keeps on cleansing us from all sin. It is a grace that forgives, and forgives and forgives. We are in a state of grace! In the same way, having been justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. The opposite of peace with God, is war with God. God hates sin and all unbelievers are ungodly, wicked sinners, and enemies of God. However, Jesus has paid the price for our sins by His death on the cross, and we are clothed in His righteousness. The war is over, God is no longer our enemy, no longer promising judgment, death and hell. By grace all our sins are forgiven – past, present, and future. 1 John 1:9 – He keeps on cleansing us from all sin. We have peace with God – we have been changed and are no longer enemies of God, and by the miracle of grace are now His children. This peace is not about how we feel; it’s about our actual status, our relationship with God.

Q4. (Hosea 1-3) Why does Yahweh tell His prophet to marry a girl of ill repute? What does the story of Hosea and Gomer teach us? How does the story illustrate God's relationship with Israel? What does it teach about grace? To illustrate God’s loving grace towards Israel and of course us as well. In Scripture Israel is often depicted as Yahweh’s wife; a wife who has frequently prostituted herself by turning her back on the true living God and worshipping false gods. Here Gomer is an allegory of unfaithful Israel. This story illustrates Israel’s unfaithfulness, the certainty of their judgment, and the ultimate restoration of the nation. Israel is guilty of adultery and rejection of the Lord. Hosea’s marital experiences go from the heartbreak caused by his wife’s unfaithfulness to the joy of their renewed relationship, mirroring God’s experiences with an unfaithful Israel. Hosea’s marriage to his unfaithful wife depicts Israel’s rejection of the Lord, and the certainty of their judgment. Their first child was a son named Jezreel (meaning God will scatter), an indication of what the Lord was about to do to the nation of Israel (1:4). The second child, a daughter, received the name Lo-Ruhamah, which means “she is not loved”, an indication that the Lord’s love for Israel would be cut off for a time (1:6-7). The third child, a son, was named Lo-Ammi (meaning not My people), an indication of the rejection of Israel as being God’s chosen people (1:8-9). Now comes the ultimate restoration (3:1-5). Hosea is told to demonstrate his love to his adulterous wife once more. The recovery of Hosea’s unruly wife depicts the Lord’s love and grace towards the restoration of Israel, despite her gross unfaithfulness. How gracious is our Lord!

Q3. (Exodus 34:7) What sins will Yahweh forgive those who repent? How might the sin of rebellion find its way into a believer's life? Why doesn't God forgive those who refuse to repent and surrender to Him? I think iniquity and transgression and sin are all mentioned so that no one would think there were some types of sin God cannot forgive. Today, there is no sin God is unable to forgive. Whatever the seriousness of the sin, once we have repented and put our trust in Jesus Christ as our Saviour, all our sins past, present, and future are forgiven. The penalty for sin has been paid. Thank You Lord Jesus! In this life, once we become so-called successful, powerful, and wealthy, we can easily be so self-centred that we have no need for God. We rebel against Him, turn our back on Him. Afterall we can do it all! It is all about us, therefore there is no need for prayer or fellowship with our Lord. God is not mean-spirited or looking for an excuse to condemn His creatures, on the contrary He is a loving forgiving God, but being a just God, He demands a penalty for unforgiven sin. So that when we refuse to repent and surrender to Him - not to accept the free gift of eternal life in Jesus Christ - He has no other option but to allow them the wages of their sin – which is death (Rom 6:23).

Q2. (Exodus 34:6) What do we learn about Yahweh's character in His self-revelation to Moses on Mount Sinai? What does this have to do with grace? In passing God calls out His name, Yahweh, Yahweh which Moses already knew (3:14), as Jehovah, the LORD, the great I AM, the self-existent, self-sufficient, eternal, and sovereign God; together with a list of attributes. Compassionate, merciful, gracious, slow to anger, longsuffering, loving, loving-kindness, and faithful. Suggesting a close relationship with His people. The attributes listed here emphasize God’s kind, caring, and benevolent character. His whole being includes all of His attributes: He is entirely merciful, entirely loving, and so forth. All these attributes, and more are contained in the word grace.

Q1. (1 Peter 5:10) How does grace (Greek charis) differ from earning wages? From earning favour by being good? What is a helpful working definition of Biblical grace? In what way does grace characterize "the God of all grace"? We work to earn our wages. Grace is different in that grace cannot be earned - we cannot work to earn grace. In the same way, we don’t deserve anything by being good and obedient to the Lord’s Word. Whatever we do, we cannot earn favour/grace by being good – it’s not based on reward or worthiness. God’s grace (charis) is never earned or deserved. It is freely given to us, sinners, solely out of His love and goodwill towards us. A working definition of Biblical grace is: "Grace is favour that is neither earned nor deserved." Another one I’ve come across: “Grace is God’s sovereign, unmerited favour, given to those who deserve His wrath.” Grace, His love, His goodness, and His loving-kindness characterizes our Heavenly Father. 1 John 4:16 tells us that God is love – with such a wonderful love God loves us. God is the God of all grace, grace that is rich and varied (1 Pet 4:10), grace that can meet every need and prevail in every situation. It is freely shown toward guilty sinners like us, who have repented and put our trust in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Showing favour to all of us who only deserve to be treated severely.

Q31. What was Elijah's primary mission? How successful was he at this mission? How can we measure success in ministry? What are the dangers of self-assessment? When can an accurate assessment be made? His primary mission was to turn the hearts of the people to the true living God. They were to repent and put their faith in Him, and He will forgive them their sins. That they as a nation, will again confess that "Yahweh, He is God! Yahweh, He is God!" (1 Kings 18:39). As far as we can determine he was partly successful. But it is not possible for us to measure the true success of Elijah's ministry, or even our own ministries. Only God knows a person’s heart. The only accurate assessment will be known to us after our Lord Jesus returns (1 Cor 4:3-5).

Q30. (James 5:16-18) Elijah is James' example of an ordinary man who did extraordinary things through believing prayer. Do you believe God can use you in extraordinary ways? Why? or Why not? What keeps us from being used effectively? Yes, I believe that the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective, and can be used by God in extraordinary ways. We don’t have to be some super human for God to allow great things to happen through our prayers. As James mentions, Elijah was a mere man, subject to the same weaknesses as we are. Yet, we know what he achieved through earnest prayer! As long as I’m in a right relationship with my Heavenly Father, I know He can use me in powerful ways. I have to trust Him, and lean not on my own understanding (Prov 3:5). Once we put our trust in our Saviour Lord Jesus Christ, we can approach God with confidence in prayer. And if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us, and if we know He hears us, we know He will grant us our prayers (1 John 5:14-15). His will is revealed to us in His Word. We will never know while here on earth how effective our prayers are. But I’m sure that by studying the Scriptures we will know His will, and our prayers will be very effective.

Q29. (Malachi 4:5-6; Luke 1:17) In what ways did Elijah's ministry and calling have similarities with John the Baptist's ministry and calling? Was John the Baptist actually Elijah reincarnated? John the Baptist was a type of Elijah in that there were many similarities between the two. Both had to deal with Israel in a state of apostacy, idolatry, and false teachings, and both pointed the nation towards the true living God. Both were bold in their ministry, preaching the gospel of repentance, and seeking to bring the people into a right relationship with God. Their similarities even extended to their dress code (2 Kings 1:8 and Mat 3.:4). No, John the Baptist was not Elijah reincarnated - he himself denied this (John 1:21). Elijah did not die, but was taken up into heaven in a whirlwind, and I think before our Lord Jesus comes again, Elijah will physically return to earth from heaven, as Elijah the great prophet. So, Elijah is Elijah, and John the Baptist is John the Baptist. However, John the Baptist did come in the spirit and power of Elijah (Luke 1:17), as the Lord’s forerunner, preparing the people for the Lord. That is why Jesus called John the Baptist a type of Elijah – meaning that they were similar in their ministry and calling.

Q28. (2 Kings 2:9-11) Why does Elisha ask for a double portion (or full first-born's inheritance) of Elijah's spirit? Is he greedy for power? Is it right to long for a greater presence and power of the Holy Spirit? How should we seek this? Elijah was going to be taken to be with the Lord that day, and all the responsibilities would now fall on Elisha, and having worked as Elijah’s assistant, for eight to ten years, He knew something of what would be required of him. The responsibilities he would have to bear for the Lord. When asked the question what do you want or desire. He could have asked for anything but immediately without hesitation asks for a double portion of the Spirit. Not protection, not skills, not wealth, not personal comforts; no but a double portion of Spirit to be able to do God’s work and bring glory to our Lord. He knew from his time with Elijah the enmity, aggression, hostilities, death threats, false teachings, idolatry, false deities, and other things he would face, and without the power of the Holy Spirit it would be impossible to be successful in doing the work God would require of him. His foremost priority was not personal fame, popularity or wealth. He desired spiritual greatness to bring glory to God only. He is looking to God to provide for his needs. No, Elisha is definitely not greedy for power, rather he being completely submissive to being God’s prophet without any consideration about his wellbeing. It was all about God and not himself. Yes, we should all be asking for a greater presence and power of the Holy Spirit – a double portion. The result would be greater disciples for our Lord Jesus. But we should not take this request lightly, we must be able to live with the consequences, for God might mightily call us into an unexpected ministry. Perhaps even completely out of our comfort zone.

Q27. (2 Kings 2:2-6) Why do you think Elijah discourages Elisha from following him at the end? What is Elisha's response? What kinds of discouragements have you faced that made you wonder if you should keep on following the Lord? I think Elijah was testing Elisha’s commitment. The younger Elisha had been Elijah’s trainee for about 8 years. During this time Elijah was very active and he must have learnt a lot from his master. We remember when called, Elisha went immediately after Elijah and was willing to be taught and to learn. This was all a period of preparation and training. They all knew that he was going to be taken to be with the Lord that day, and a decision had to be made. Being the last day Elijah needed to know for certain that Elisha was prepared for God’s work, and that he will persevere and commit himself wholly to a life of serving and bringing glory to the Lord. Elisha showed his zeal by each time refusing to leave Elijah. He was determined to follow in Elijah footsteps at all costs stating three times “I will not leave you”. Like all of us I have faced trials and tribulations, but I cannot recall ever having being discouraged. This was and is only by the grace of our Lord.

Q26. (2 Kings 1) Why is Yahweh offended by Ahaziah's consulting Baal rather than Israel's own God? What are modern-day applications of this sin? Have you ever made important decisions without seeking God's wisdom? Why? God’s superior power had been displayed to Ahab and his family, including Ahaziah, and the people of Israel many times. The contest on Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18:20-40), the two wars with Aram (1 Kings 20) in which, with the help of God, his father had been successful. This alone should have convinced Ahaziah to consult Yahweh, the true and living God, yet he sends a messenger to consult Baal-Zebub. What an insult. But it also shows the extent of his and Israel’s unbelief. Today people often resort to other means of seeking advice in decision making. Often paying huge fees to ungodly people. This shows a mistrust in the Lord. We have an all-knowing living God, who is sovereign and knows the beginning from the end. It makes sense to go to Him knowing He has our best interest at heart. One of my very favourite verses is Proverbs 3:5-6. “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths.” We must trust Him not only for our salvation but also for the direction of our lives. It must be a total commitment without reserve. Yes, I made a decision early in my Christian walk to go into business with people who I later found out were unbelievers. On top of this, it was a completely new type of business of which I had no previous experience. I did this without consulting my Heavenly Father, and it is only by His mercy and grace that I escaped this episode in my life with minimum financial damage. Very blessed indeed! Why? Even thinking of it today I cannot believe how stupid I was. Here I had learned a great lesson: never ever make quick decisions or a decision without first coming to the Lord in prayer and getting His advice. In decision making we should pray for wisdom; with patience and repeated prayer we will get His answer and help. He will provide the necessary knowledge we need to make wise choices.

Q25. What is the danger of Christian leaders identifying themselves too closely with political leaders? What do the Christian leaders hope to gain from the association? What do the political leaders hope to gain? What is the effect on the church and Christ's work if these political leaders are ungodly men? How can Christians work for good through politics without being corrupted by a quest for power? In the presence of political leaders, it is difficult to oppose them, the natural tendency would be to mostly agree with what is said. The danger to Christian leaders then is that the true Word of God might not be spoken in case it might offend some. By not confronting political leaders, the Christian leaders might hope to receive favourable treatment for their church and their congregation. This actually occurred in my country to such an extent that most top government appointments came mostly from the one favoured denomination. Political leaders are of course only interest in votes – this brings them the power they seek. Ungodly political leaders, are by definition, haters of our LORD, and will lead the nation astray; Ahab is a good example of this. In this political system there will be no room for God or His Son. The name of Jesus Christ will be unwelcomed or even forbidden. All this will adversely affect the church and the work of our Saviour Jesus. James 4:4 teaches us an important lesson that friendship with the world is enmity with God. There is to be no alliance with corrupt or ungodly politicians. Of course, we are to obey the laws and be good citizens (Rom 13:1-2). We read in 2 Cor 6:14 not to be yoked together with unbelievers. We are to be extra careful not to compromise our faith, not to be led astray. We must maintain this sincere and pure devotion to Christ (2 Cor 11:3). We have all heard that “religion and politics don’t mix”, but obviously, we cannot have no contact with them. We must be extra cautious not to associate too closely with them, and thereby making ourselves vulnerable to their corruption or quest for power. In the end, we must remember that God is Sovereign and that “we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose” (Rom 8:28). He is in control.

Q24. (1 Kings 22:29; 2 Chronicles 19:2) Why do you think Jehoshaphat goes into battle alongside Ahab, even after he hears Micaiah's prophecy? What kind of weaknesses in Jehoshaphat's character does this decision suggest? It’s difficult to understand why Jehoshaphat, who was a godly king who worshipped Yahweh; who even after hearing Micaiah’s prophecy, still goes into battle with Ahab. He had heard that Israel would lose the battle and that Ahab would die. Yet he carries on this alliance with Ahab and joins him in battle. He must have known all about Ahab’s and Jezebel’s Baal worship and evil deeds, which had led Israel astray and away from the Lord. Him being a godly leader, should have known better than forming an alliance with such pagan worshippers. Could it be a moment of weakness, or lack of discernment? Then again, perhaps he might have had in mind to unite both Judah and Israel under the true God. Seeing himself as being the one who would be able to achieve this. Maybe the fact that his son, Jehoram was married to Ahab’s daughter, Athaliah, had something to do with it. However, on his return to Judah he was rebuked for this ungodly relationship with Ahab. He must have repented and recognised the error of his ways.