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By eating fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, Adam and Eve were able to see God's perfection and instead decided to go their own way (Gen 2-3). Human redefining of God's boundaries and purposes always results in sin. The creation that was made to find fulfillment in God instead looked elsewhere for pleasure. Evil, pain, and death are now to be expected in this world.

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People are made in the image of God (Gen 1:27), and thus they reflect qualities of God, though to a lesser extent as quality.

The moon does not shine its own light, but rather naturally reflects the light, the glory, of the sun.

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The purpose of creation is to bring glory to God (Is 43:1-7). The holiness of God necessitates worship (John 4:24) and glory (Rev 4:11).

God created in order to bring glory to himself through obedience (Matt 5:16; 1 Pet 2:12), worship (Is 42:12), and in everything else (1 Cor 10:31; Col 3:17, 23-24).

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Since humans are the image bearers of God, they possess the power and ingenuity to create as well. God gave humanity this power as well as the choice to obey (Gen 2:16-17). This freewill makes the glory God receives more valuable, since humans have the option to follow God or not.

As a result, humans can use the gifts of love, power, creativity, reason, and others as God intended, or they can be perverted to serve ungodly purposes.

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Sin has totally pervaded into the hearts of humans (Jer 17:9; Rom 8:8), so all have turned their own way (Is 53:6). There is no one who is righteous and can follow the morals of God perfectly, not even one (Ps 14:1-3; Rom 10-12, 23).

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The human qualities and desires given by God that bear His image have thus been corrupted. The nature of humanity is now one of selfishness instead humility and generosity. The purpose of humanity to glorify God is difficult if not impossible since people may not choose to follow God, and because God cannot be in the presence of evil.

Being a God of justice, God cannot tolerate sin and must punish sinners justly. Sinning against God is so scandalous because God is so holy, so the punishment is similarly severe: eternal separation from God (Rom 6:23a).

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As it stands, there is nothing man could do to be perfect enough to avoid eternal punishment. No man could ever live a perfect life and gain everlasting life.

"'With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible'" (Matt 19:26). God in His infinite love and overflowing mercy allowed the death of His son upon the cross atone for all of our sins (John 1:29; 1 Cor 15:3).

In Christ we have been forgiven. In Him we have been redeemed, reconciled to God (Rom 3:25; Eph 1:7; Heb 1:3; 1 John 2:2). Through Jesus' redemption, anyone and everyone can once again be with God.

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Christ's redemption allows us to return to our purpose, and to do so with the help of the Holy Spirit which fights against our sinful heart and desires.

As our hearts and wills are aligned with God's, we live and act more like Christ did. One of the most significant examples of this Jesus' parable of the unforgiving servant in Matthew 18:21-35. It teaches to forgive others as we have been forgiven before God just as in the Lord's prayer (Matt 6:9-13).

Through Christ's redemption of us, we can forgive and redeem others.

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God has promised to redeem all things for His glory. In His perfect time, God will make all things new (21:1). He will restore humanity and completely vanquish sin and evil. God has redeemed us and will redeem all things (Rev 21-22).

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With a sober recognition of the fall and its consequences, we must accept that our hearts will wander from the will of God. We, by our sin nature, will desire what is contrary to God (Gal 5:17).

We need discipline. We need correction and discipline and rebuke and instruction that is all possible through the Word of God (2 Tim 3:16).

Our students need discipline and we can do so gently and firmly. Students can learn valuable lessons about life and God through godly discipline in the classroom (Prov 22:6, 23:13-14; Gal 6:1).

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Only by the dramatic intervention of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God can we be disciplined and trained to follow God (Heb 12:11). Discipline may be difficult or unpleasant, but it helps one grow in the Lord and in life (Prov 6:23; Eph 6:4).

Discipline should acknowledge the sin and seek to restore and redeem what has been lost. We want to show our students what it means to live a godly life (Eph 5:2).

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religion / christian living / personal growth

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religion / christian living / spiritual growth

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religion/christian living - personal growth

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religion/christian living - spiritual growth

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relationship with god; spiritual growth; holiness of god; christian teachings; holiness; connection with god; holy; responsibility; religious readers; christian readers; christianity; spirituality; christian living; religious study; study guide

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religion / christian living / personal growth

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
religion / christian living / spiritual growth

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
religion/christian living - personal growth

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
religion/christian living - spiritual growth

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The Pursuit of Holiness [Bridges, Jerry] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. The Pursuit of Holiness

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As a result of our redemption, we seek to discipline and restore our students in a way that honors God. We want to share how God has redeemed us and how God can redeem broken people and circumstances for His glory. God delights in the one lost sheep that He finds (Luke 15:3-7). By loving and abounding in grace and mercy like the God who redeemed us, we can forgive and redeem our students. Christ's redemption allows us to welcome home our prodigal sons and daughters in the classroom.