Righteousness and Grace

Righteousness and Grace

COURSE OBJECTIVES

  • Understand the nature and character of God, as well as how His plan of redemption was prepared from the very beginning of human history

  • Understand why righteousness is received by grace and not through personal effort

  • Understand that their new identity in Christ, through Grace and the Blood of Jesus, brings freedom, peace, security, righteousness, holiness, boldness, abundance, and love; in contrast to what the Law offers: bondage, condemnation, guilt, judgment, shame, and lack

  • Understand how to apply this new identity in Christ: how to walk daily in righteousness and grace, manifesting the Word of God in relationships and in everyday decisions

  • Understand the difference between the gifts of the Spirit and the fruit of the Spirit, and to learn how love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control become the natural expression of Christ’s life in us

LESSON OBJECTIVES

Week 1: The Nature of God
  • At the end of these lessons, students will be able to:

    • know that God is righteous, and that without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sin
    • understand what the sinful nature is
    • understand the purpose and benefits of the Law
Week 2: Righteousness by Grace – Part I
  • At the end of these lessons, students will know that:

    • no one can be justified by the works of the Law because the Law cannot bring anyone into a relationship with God
    • the Old Covenant did not bring forgiveness, but death and condemnation because the Law was powerless due to the sinful nature of man
    • the true image and love of God are revealed through the Blood of Christ in the New Covenant
    • the New Covenant brings life, not condemnation. It provides God’s solution of salvation for all mankind, transforms people from the inside out, makes them perfect, and is received by faith
Week 3: Righteousness by Grace – Part II
  • At the end of these lessons, students will know:

    • what it means to be righteous in their relationship with God, sharing in His nature and character
    • the difference between mercy and grace
    • who Grace is, how Grace is manifested, and how we can be pleasing to God
    • the difference between works of faith and works of the Law
    • that Grace (not our actions) secures our position, while Love motivates the way we live
    • how to overcome shame, guilt, and condemnation
    • how to distinguish between correction and accusation
    • how to walk in victory over sin
Week 4: Righteousness in Practice
  • At the end of these lessons, students will know:

    • how to discern between the two realms of existence and the two seeds—Adam and Christ—and understand the identity of the new creation
    • how to apply righteousness in relationships by living from identity as sons of God, reflecting the Father’s character in relationship with others
    • how to be free from habits rooted in sin and from addictions, relying on the righteousness received by faith and on the power of the new life in Christ
Week 5: Grace in Practice
  • At the end of these lessons, students will learn:

    • how Grace and Truth work together
    • practical examples from Scripture that demonstrate how Grace is manifested, and how to receive Grace
    • how to walk in boldness in their relationship with God
    • how to live daily in the realm of Grace
Week 6: Grace as Lord
  • At the end of these lessons, students will learn:

    • what their relationship with Grace is
    • that a position without a genuine relationship with Grace produces isolation, pride, and ultimately leads to death
    • how to cultivate a relationship of unity and harmony with God
    • how to reign over the soul through Grace
    • How the war can be won before the battle even begins
Week 7: The Fruit of the Spirit – Part I
  • At the end of these lessons, students will know:

    • how to live naturally according to who they are in the Spirit
    • the difference between the gifts of the Spirit and the fruit of the Spirit
    • about the fruit of the Spirit within: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience (Longsuffering)
Week 8: The Fruit of the Spirit – Part II
  • At the end of these lessons, students will know:

    • how to walk in the Spirit according to who they are in Christ
    • that the fruit of the Spirit has the same quality whether it is small or great
    • about more of the fruit of the Spirit within: Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control