Oras ng Pag-aaral | Lesson 1 | Bahagi ng Sambahayan ng Diyos | 2023

A SUMMARY OF LESSON 1/ 1st Qtr, December 31-January 6, 2023

by Don Leo M. Garilva, DMin

PART OF GOD’S FAMILY

Memory Text “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!” 1 John 3:1, NKJV

INTRODUCTION: In this week’s study, we have explored the PRIVILEGES and RESPONSIBILITIES of being a PART of the FAMILY of GOD. Here are the THREE POINTS that SUMMARIZE our lesson this week:

1. GOD’S FAMILY AND HIS PROPERTY (SUNDAY & MONDAY) Because we have the SAME FATHER as Jesus, He is our Brother, and we are all brothers and sisters in the Lord. Jesus became a member of the EARTHLY FAMILY so that we could become members of the HEAVENLY FAMILY. Ellen White states, “The family of heaven and the family of earth are one.” DA 835.2. Scripture teaches that God exists, and that He also loves us and relates to us in such a loving manner that the imagery of FAMILY is often used in Scripture to depict that relationship. Furthermore, because God made everything in the beginning (GEN. 1:1), He is truly the RIGHTFUL OWNER of all that exists, including whatever we possess—no matter how hard and diligently and honestly we have worked for it. If not for God and His grace, we would have nothing, we would be nothing; in fact, we wouldn’t even exist. Thus, we must always live with the realization that, ultimately, GOD OWNS ALL, and by praising and thanking Him for His goodness to us, we can keep this important truth before us.

2. GOD’S RESOURCES AND OUR RESPONSIBILITY (TUESDAY & WEDNESDAY) God’s GREATEST GIFT to His children is JESUS CHRIST, who brings us the peace of forgiveness, grace for daily living and spiritual growth, and the hope of eternal life. Foremost, then, we must always keep the gift of the gospel; that is, CHRIST and HIM CRUCIFIED (1 COR. 2:2), at the center of all our thoughts. SALVATION, then, is the FOUNDATIONAL GIFT because, without this gift, what else could we get from God that in the long run would really matter? And yet, along with salvation, God gives us so much more. To those who were concerned about their food and clothing, Jesus offered comfort by saying, “ ‘Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you’ ” (MATT. 6:33, NKJV). We all enjoy the spiritual and temporal blessings that God gives us. How comforting to know, too, that we are “part of the family.” What then is OUR RESPONSIBILITY as part of God’s family? MATT. 22:37 records Jesus’ response: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.” So, how should we do that? The Bible gives the answer. DEUT. 10:12, 13 says: “. . . what doth the Lord thy God require of thee . . . . To keep the commandments of the Lord . . . .” For many Christians, obeying the law is legalism. But God is clear: we reveal our love to God and to our neighbors by OBEYING HIS COMMANDMENTS: “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments” (1 JN. 5:3, NKJV).

3. GOD’S RICHES IN HIS TREASURY (THURSDAY) Jesus delineates in MATT. 6:19-21 where our TREASURES should be: “ ‘Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth . . . but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven. . . . For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also’ ” (NKJV). So, what crucial truths is Jesus speaking here? Scripture never tells us it’s wrong to be rich or to amass wealth; instead, in these verses Jesus warns us to keep it all in perspective. What does it mean then to lay up your TREASURES IN HEAVEN? It means MAKING GOD and HIS CAUSE FOREMOST in your life, instead of making money foremost. It means using what we have for the work of God, for the ADVANCEMENT of HIS KINGDOM, for working on behalf of others, and for being a blessing to others.

CONCLUSION: An amazing feature about our RELATIONSHIP with GOD is that He trusts us to MANAGE HIS AFFAIRS on the earth. He also blesses us with RESOURCES, but we are the ones He has entrusted to manage them. But God holds us accountable of the way we spend the resources He has given to us for our own needs, for the needs of others, and for the ADVANCEMENT of HIS WORK.