Recognizing Separation from God

Here are three ways we discover that we are separated from God:

1.  Read 2 Corinthians 4:16.  Apart from God, the author described his life as (1)_______.  Others experience loneliness, lack of purpose, or emptiness. 

2.  Read Titus 3:3.  Sometimes others do bad things to us, such as (2) (2) ____.  Read 2 Corinthians 1:8-9.  When we experience suffering and violence because others are bad to us, it can move us to (3) _____ on God.

3.  Read Romans 3:20.  What word here means disobedience to God? (4)_____ What shows us the ways we have disobeyed God?  (5) ____

MORE ABOUT SIN
Sin means disobedience, not just weakness or immaturity.
Because we sin, we know that we are sinners.
Sin includes doing what God forbids, and refusing to do what God commands.

Read Mark 10:19.  Here Jesus quotes some of the Ten Commandments, which are found in Exodus 20.  In which one does God command us to do something? (6) _____

THE PURPOSE OF GOD'S LAWS

God's laws are found throughout the Bible.  Their purpose is clear:

1.  Read Galatians 3:11.  The word "justify" here means that the law's purpose is NOT to be a basis for us to be accepted by (7) _____  According to Romans 3:20, the purpose of the law is to show our (7a) _____.

2.  Read Galatians 2:16.  The purpose IS to show us that we can be accepted by God only if we (8) ______ in Jesus.

THE SCOPE OF GOD'S LAWS

1.  Read Matthew 5:21-22.  Jesus makes clear that sin is not only what we do, but also what we (9) _____

2.  Read 1 John 3:15.  Sin is not only what we say, but also what we (10) _____

EXAMPLES OF BREAKING GOD'S LAWS

1.  Read Galatians 5:19-21.  List one that is very common.  _____

2.  Read Romans 1:20-32.  What was the first, basic sin? (11) _____  Again, list one of these sins that is very common.

CONCLUSIONS

1.  Read Romans 3:23. The laws are meant to show that how many of us are sinners? (12) _____

2.  Read Romans 3:19.  Because of sin, God holds us (13) _____

3.  Read Romans 6:23.  What is the punishment for sin? (14) _____  We can avoid this punishment through whom? (15) _____

The next page gives more detail about Jesus the savior.

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