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Q17. (Matthew 13:47-50) What is similar about the Parable of the Weeds and the Parable of the Net? What belief are these two parables meant to counter? How does a belief in the ultimate triumph of righteousness encourage Christians? In both parables the main point is that both good and evil exist together. The kingdom is ruled by Satan and is corrupt, but this is only temporarily until the end of the age. The kingdom still belongs to God who created it, and one day the good and evil will be separated and judged by Him. The ungodly somehow think they will escape judgment - the fact that they are still alive helps them believe they will get away with their evil deeds. Also, by intermingling with believers they think they are not so noticeable. In this life it seems they are getting all the attention while the believers are despised and humbled. But there will be separation and judgment. This is a great warning to the unbeliever and a great encouragement to His disciples – righteousness will ultimately triumph. The good are headed for glory while the evil are headed for hell.

Q16. (Matthew 25:31-46) What are the "sheep" complimented for? What are the "goats" condemned for? Is this salvation by works? If no, why not? How does Jesus identify Himself with "the least of these My brothers"? Why did Jesus tell this parable to His disciples? What do modern-day disciples need to learn from it? How should this parable motivate missions to aid immigrants, the poor, and the homeless? The sheep - for putting their trust and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. They are the elect of God; all true believers; the sheep the Father gave His Son; the sheep Jesus laid down His life for; the sheep who know His voice. No one can earn a place in the kingdom - entry is based solely on their trust in Christ. The goats – for refusing to believe. They are not condemned because they refused to serve Jesus, but because they have rejected Him as their Lord and Saviour. No, this is not salvation by works. This is done in obedience to God’s Word and for the love of others. Jesus identifies Himself mostly with His Church, His disciples, and those in need. In His infinite love and grace, Jesus warns His disciples and all unbelievers that He does not want any to perish. We need to be aware that time is running out and the goats will face spiritual death and eternal damnation. There is an urgent need for them to hear the gospel and for them to get right with our Lord before it’s too late. True faith produces good works. Our love for the disadvantaged should be motivated by our love for Jesus. Our kindness not only reflects this love, but also glorifies our Heavenly Father.

Q15. (Luke 16:19-31). What was the Rich Man's sin that landed him in hell? Since it isn't stated explicitly, what must it be? In hell, what is the Rich Man's attitude towards Lazarus? What is the main point of the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus? What are you and your church doing to aid the very poor in your area? In the world? Although being extremely rich, his lack of compassion; casual indifference to the poor; his refusing to feed or care for Lazarus who was sitting outside his gate; his hard-heartedness and love of money; all landed him in hell. He lived for self, satisfying his bodily pleasures and appetites. This attitude showed he had no love of God in him. This is a warning to us to determine our attitude toward our money and possessions. Are we caring towards others, using our resources to help others and not selfishly hoarding. All of us are stewards of what we have, and we are to use it to bless others, to bring life, to bring health and hope and joy. This is a test of our faithfulness in stewardship. To whom much is given, of him will much be required. Despite his dire situation he still regarded Lazarus as a servant - having no respect for him as a person. Our church is actively involved in supporting a church in a poor rural area. Visiting, supplying food parcels, clothing and various urgent needs. In the word. We support financially 5 missionary couples over 3 countries – excluding ours.

Q14. (Matthew 7:3-5) What is humorous about the Parable of the Speck and the Beam? How can we get to a place where we can see with clear spiritual eyes? Why does Paul insist that "spiritual" members correct sinning Christians with gentleness? What does judgmentalism have to do with hypocrisy? It’s funny in that the person with the plank in his eye is the one trying to remove a speck from the other person’s eye. Not noticing his own condition, and that in actual fact he is the one needing help. Because of the plank, he can’t even get close enough to examine. This is often the case; the traits that bother us in others are often the habits we have ourselves. Our self-righteousness blinds us to our own sinfulness. To be able to see with clear spiritual eyes we need to first seek His kingdom and His righteousness (Mat 6:33). There needs to be a self-examination, asking the Holy Spirit to clean up our hearts. Get rid of our own sins first, repent, humbly asking our Lord forgiveness for all the times we focussed on the sins of others, and not seeing or ignoring our own. Jesus also mentioned that the eye is the lamp of the body (Mat 6:22-23), which will tell us about our spiritual condition. We expose our hypocrisy when we judge the shortcomings and faults of others, while we are blind to our own sin. We must not forget the way we judge others is the way we will be judged.

Which son represents the tax collectors and prostitutes? Why do you think so? Why is it harder to actually obey, rather than just mouth the words? How is the lesson of this parable similar to the lesson of the Parable of the Wise and Foolish Builders? (Matthew 7:24-27) Why is actual obedience essential to true discipleship? The first son represents the tax collectors and prostitutes. They, like this son, initially refused to obey, but later regretted not doing so, and changed their mind. Being counted as the worst of sinners, they could repent and accept Jesus as their Saviour. Therefore, living a life of obedience they would be allowed entrance into the kingdom of God. The religious leaders who did not repent and believe would be denied entrance. They stood condemned, and must have been stunned on hearing that despised, immoral people such as tax collectors and prostitutes were entering the kingdom and they, the religious leaders, were not! It is much easier to give a false impression of obedience than actually obeying commandments. In the same way the Foolish Builders make promises but had no intention of carrying them out. True repentance results in obedience to the gospel and to our Lord Jesus which is a distinctive feature of a true disciple.

Q12. (Matthew 7:13-14) Why is "seeking" necessary to "find" the narrow gate? Why do you think Jesus concludes this brief parable with the phrase, "and only a few find it"? How is this parable designed to strengthen disciples to be willing to go against the flow, to be different from others in the culture? Compared to the wide gate the narrow gate, being much smaller, would require one to earnestly search for it. It is only by repenting, putting our faith in Jesus, and studying the Gospel that we will come to the realisation that no one comes to the Father except through Him, and that He is the way, and the truth, and the life (John 14:6). This would be a narrow and difficult way, since to follow our Lord would require faith, discipline, obedience, and endurance. Each day we must diligently follow the Word of God - in the steps of our Lord and Saviour Jesus. It will be worth living as it is the only way to eternal life. Jesus warns us that “only a few find it,” meaning that on our own strength it would be difficult. We will need the wisdom and power of the Holy Spirit to help us find it. We will have to seek and keep on seeking, pray and keep on praying. Seek and you will find (Mat 7:7). Once we have found the narrow way, we will know that the crowd are on the wide way, living a life of self-indulgence and pleasure which can only lead to destruction. We must be careful not to follow the herd instinct and do it because other people are doing it. It is only natural to follow the crowd rather than the few. It is also natural to prefer the wide and broad, ease of access, to what is narrow and restricted.

Q11. (Matthew 7:24-27; Luke 6:47-49) Why does Jesus focus the Parable of the Wise and Foolish Builders on "putting into practice" rather than in "believing"? How can you help young Christians move from believing to true discipleship? It’s not enough to believe in our Lord Jesus Christ. A believer must listen to His Words and obey them; that is put into practice what He says. In this parable we see the wise man who believes in Christ, who hears His sayings, and who obeys them. He is the one who builds his life on Christian principles. The foolish man also believes but fails to follow Jesus’ teachings. We can help our young Christians move to true discipleship by getting them to realise the importance of having a solid foundation, one that is built on Christ, the solid Rock. Tests and crisis in life are unavoidable, they come suddenly and in many forms. It’s best to be prepared for this. The only way to survive, is to regulate their life earnestly and prayerfully, that it is in harmony with the words of Jesus, as revealed in Scripture. The foolish builder goes his own way.

Q10. (Matthew 5:23-26) Why did Jesus tell the Parable of the Guilty Defendant? How do people we have wronged and to whom we have not kept our promises get in the way of us worshipping God properly? In what ways is it hypocritical not to address these matters to the best of our ability? Jesus was using a law court as an illustration of the urgency of getting things right with God before it is too late. Here on earth, it makes sense to try and be reconciled as soon as possible with an opponent that you have wronged. That is before he takes you to court and you find yourself being thrown into prison. How much more important is it for us as sinners to be reconciled with our Lord. Here we are given every opportunity to be saved, and this must be done rather sooner than later. If not, we would find ourselves standing before God as our Judge. If we are found guilty and condemned for our unbelief, we stand the risk of being thrown into eternal punishment, with no hope of ever getting out. The urgent message is for us to get right with God by repenting of our sins and by committing ourselves to Jesus Christ in full surrender. By being at enmity with others we are not walking in the light, we are not having fellowship with one another (1 John 1:7), and cannot claim to be without sin (1 John 1:8). It is this sin that prevents us from worshipping God properly, since it interferes with our fellowship with God. Jesus teaches us that we should make an extra effort to restore our relationship with the person we have wronged. We have to remove whatever is the cause of the enmity. When we have offended others, or when someone has offended us, we should work tirelessly for a peaceful resolution of the matter (Rom 12:18). We have to replace our sinfulness with the righteousness of Jesus. We should love peace, make peace, and be at peace. It would be hypocritical if we don’t first reconcile with another before we serve the Lord in any way. The problem causing the separation, enmity must first be removed. This problem applies of course to home and family as well.

Q9. (Mark 7:14-23; Matthew 15:10-11, 15-20) What does Jesus teach about the heart of man? What does Jeremiah 17:9 tell us about the heart of man? Why do we try to look good on the outside, but resist letting Jesus change us on the inside? Why is repentance necessary for an outwardly "moral" person in order to be saved? Jesus teaches us that it is out of the heart that all evil proceeds. This includes all our evil thoughts, evil deeds, evil deceit, including our attitudes, motives, and desires. As well as envy, slander, pride and foolishness. That all external sins are initially conceived in the heart, and it is not the fault of external factors that we sin. We love to blame our education, our childhood, our financial circumstances, or any other external excuses for our sin. But Jesus tells us that the problem of sin is internal. In 1 Sam 16:7 we read, “Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." Jer 17:9 tells us that the heart is deceitful. It continually lies to us. Telling us what we want to hear, not what we should be hearing from God. Not only will it deceive us, our hearts are totally depraved, corrupt, sick, and beyond cure. Unbelievers will not understand it. As believers we might be aware of our deceitfulness and wickedness, but God knows our hearts fully (1 Cor 2:11). Prov 28:26 tells us that whoever trusts his own heart is a fool. The Word of God can disclose our own hearts to us so that we can see and not be fooled by the deceit and wickedness that is hidden in our own hearts. We learn this from Heb 4:12 which tells us that the Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. It discerns what is within us, both good and evil. We resist Jesus changing us on the inside because we like what our deceitful hearts are telling us. How great we are, how successful, whatever. All lies. Our focus in on self, whereas it should be on Jesus. These are some of the verses that help me to remain focused on the Lord. Psalm 119:11, “I have hidden Your word in my heart that I might not sin against You.” Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” A person is defiled morally by what he thinks in his heart even though he may be careful to be obedient to the Word of God. We need to have a clean heart and for this to happen we need a new heart. Only the Holy Spirit can give us a new birth and a new clean heart. We need to be regenerated, born again, made a new creature by repenting and by putting our faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, trusting Him as our Saviour.

Q8. (Matthew 21:33-46) Who do the servants sent to collect the landowner's share of the crop represent? What happened to Israel who rejected God's servants and Son who were sent to them? This is a parable about resisting those whom God sends to us to help us. Have you ever seen a church reject a pastor or leader that God sends to help them? Why is supporting our pastors and leaders important to God's plan for the church? (Hebrews 13:7, 17). In the Beatitudes, how does Jesus encourage those who are rejected and persecuted? (Matthew 5:10-12)? The prophets, messengers, and finally His Son, Jesus Christ, were the servants God (the landowner), sent to collect His share of the crop. In this parable Jesus was speaking of the nation of Israel that had been carefully prepared by God to be His fruitful vineyard (Isa 5:1-7). And the care of this vineyard (Israel) was to be done by the nation’s religious leaders, but they would not acknowledge God’s right over them and had the prophets and messengers (servants) badly treated. Ultimately, they would even kill His Son. Israel paid a horrible price for killing the Son of God. About 40 years after the crucifixion the Roman army utterly destroyed the city of Jerusalem. A great number of people were killed and enslaved. The destruction is certainly great, and the judgment might seem severe, but then the sin was also great, so the judgment fits the sin. It is better to build our church upon the solid rock of Jesus Christ. This parable teaches us that we need to be careful in resisting or rejecting, for example, those God sends to help us. Any indifference or opposition may result in the Gospel being taken away. Our spiritual health suffers. Supporting our pastors and leaders in their shepherding roles is important in that they are representatives of God in the church. Authority has been given to them and it is up to us to obey them. Remember they will have to give account to God. Their task is to help us grow spiritually in Christ, and to teach us His Word and how to live a life of faith. From 2 Tim 3:12 we can know that all who live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, but Jesus encourages us in that all who are rejected or persecuted for His sake will be greatly rewarded in heaven.

Q7. (Matthew 22:1-10; Luke 14:15-24) In Jesus' Parables of the Wedding Banquet (Matthew) and the Great Banquet (Luke), who are the people represented by those recruited from the streets and lanes of the city? From the highways and hedges? Who do the servant-recruiters represent? How diligent are you and your church in recruiting those who are of a lower class than others in your congregation? What keeps you from this Kingdom task? How might your church fulfil it? Those of the streets and lanes of the city would be the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame (14:21). The common people, the ceremonially unclean. The people from the highways and hedges would be those from outside the city. The outcasts, the undesirables, the untouchables, and the Gentiles. Today this would include all people who are spiritually destitute. Sinners who are aware of their uselessness, hopelessness, and unworthiness. It will also include God’s chosen ones - the humble, the poor, the base, the lowly, and the nobodies. All can come and believe. A lame man can believe, a blind man can believe, a deaf man can believe, a dying man can believe. The young and the old, the wise and the foolish, the rich and the poor, they can all believe if they will. The servant-recruiters would be the servants who are told to seek, urge, and persuade to accept the invitation. Today this would describe us as believers who are given the task of spreading the good news of the Gospel and Jesus; seeking and inviting lost sinners to repent and put their faith in our Lord and Saviour. This would be done with loving kindness and persuasion. Up to now as a church we have not been very effective. But we do try. Coincidentally, our church has started about a few months ago with a concerted effort, to spread the news about Jesus in our community. The whole congregation are tasked with making a real effort in obedience to our Lords’ command. With the help of the Holy Spirit, we are determined to fulfil this commission.

Q6. (Matthew 22:1-10; Luke 14:15-24) Who do the excuse-makers represent? What are the potential results of excusing ourselves from carrying out God's will as we know it? Each of these excuse-makers had already agreed to attend this banquet. On the second invitation they insulted the host by refusing to attend and all gave very feeble excuses for not attending. This parable was a special message to the Pharisees, the Scribes, and most of Israel, who rejected outright our Lord Jesus and His invitation. They were the seed of Abraham; they had Moses and the Law; therefore, they had no need of the pardoning grace of God that Jesus had come to bring. They were so sure of their own self-righteousness. However, this invitation applies to lost sinners today as well. God calls them. All things have been prepared – Jesus has finished the work of redemption when He died for sinners on the cross, and arose from the dead. The love of the world, the love of the flesh, the love of self, keeps them resisting or delaying their response to the invitation. All sorts of weak and feeble excuses are also used. What is tragic is the fact that many have had the privilege of having heard the Gospel over and over, but have not accepted. At the time they don’t realise that this invitation is the most important event in their life. This is an invitation to spend eternity with Jesus. Now is the time to accept as a second invitation might never come!

Q5. (Luke 13:6-9) What caused Israel's barrenness in Jesus' time? What keeps the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) from growing and maturing in our lives? What can we disciples learn from the Parable of the Barren Fig Tree? The fig tree can be seen as a picture of Israel - a very privileged nation who turned their back on our Lord Jesus Christ. We see this in their religious leaders – especially the Pharisees and the teachers of the law. Their hatred of the Son of Man was the result of their evil hearts, as evidenced by their blasphemy, bitterness, hypocrisy, pride, and abuse. Jesus Himself called them a brood of vipers (Mat 12:34), and a den of robbers (Mat 21:13). Our gracious Lord was patient with the nation, waiting three years during our Lord’s earthly ministry, but the nation was barren, producing nothing of value. After another forty years He allowed the Roman armies to destroy Jerusalem and the temple. Finally, the tree was cut down. This parable also applies to us. We see a God full of love, who is patient, not wanting any to perish (2 Peter 3:9). He desires that all should come to repentance, so He purposely extends the time of grace so that all might have every opportunity to be saved. He delights in showing mercy, and encouraging us to repent and bear fruit (Mat 3:8). Is there proof by the way we live that we have repented of our sins? Do our actions match our words? We often take life for granted with no consideration to thank Him. We should be living a life of righteousness with visible fruit of the Spirit - a life that brings glory, honour and praise to our heavenly Father. God is seeking fruit, as He judges our words by our actions that accompany them. He has spared us up to now, but He has every right to cut us down. We must not make the mistake that His kindness, mercy, and grace will carry on forever. The day of judgment will eventually come. The time to repent is NOW.

Q4. (Matthew 18:23-35) In the Parable of the Unmerciful Servant, where do you see justice? Where do you see grace? Where do you see greed? Where do you see unforgiveness? What lessons from this parable are disciples to incorporate into their lives? I see justice exercised by the king. One would have thought the servant would have been grateful for having been forgiven and would therefore forgive his fellow servant. Instead, he applied justice by having his friend cast into prison. This caused the king to apply this same justice to the servant. He got what he deserved and was cast into prison. I see grace shown by the king. We know the servant stole the money and was not sorry for what he had done, he only regretted being caught. He did not deserve this forgiveness, it was purely an act of love, mercy, and grace on the part of the king. I see greed in the servant who was given much, was unwilling to forgive. Pure greed, no consideration or compassion for others. He wants it all. I see unforgiveness in the servant. Having received forgiveness, he was unable to share forgiveness with those who wronged him. He was living only according to justice; always seeking to get what is his. Jesus warns us that we cannot forgive if we do not have humble and repentant hearts. Where there is pride and a desire for revenge, there can be no true repentance. It is not enough to receive God’s forgiveness; we must experience that forgiveness in our hearts so that it humbles us and makes us gentle and forgiving toward others. Ephesians 4:32 tells us to “be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” It is because of His great mercy that we are forgiven, and having experienced this mercy we will want to forgive others.

Q3. (Luke 7:41-43, 47) According to Jesus' Parable of the Two Debtors, do you think the woman was saved prior to the dinner or during the dinner? How effusive is your love for Jesus? How should we as disciples express our gratitude for salvation? I’m sure she must have been saved prior to this dinner. The reason being that just before this event there was Jesus’ gracious invitation in Mat 11:28, “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” This is shown in the Harmony of the Gospels - the order in which these events occurred are: first, we have Jesus easing John's doubts as in both Matthew 11:1-19 and Luke 7:18-35; then we have Jesus promises rest for the soul in Matthew 11:20-30, and finally, our parable - a sinful woman anoints Jesus' feet in Luke 7:36-50. I think she must have heard Jesus speaking about being burdened by the weight of sin, and the forgiveness He offers to those who come to Him in faith (Mat 11:25 -30). So, this would have been the time when this woman repented and turned away from her sin and put her trust in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Her overflowing love as shown by her tears, her humble attitude, and her expensive gift is the natural response to a changed heart and the forgiveness she received. Initially I never took my sins seriously – there were many so called little sins. It was only when I came to realise the magnitude of my sin and forgiveness that my response is very similar to the woman’s in our parable. All I deserved was eternal punishment, but Jesus died on the cross for my sins, past, present, and future. Then there is the promise of eternal life (John 3:15) - whoever believes in the Lord Jesus Christ receives eternal life as a free gift. The only way I can try and express my gratitude is by wanting to do something for Him, which I know will be inadequate. But still, I want to worship Him, I want to adore Him, I want to praise Him, I want to thank Him, I want to honour Him, I want to glorify Him, I want to serve Him, and I want to be obedient to His Word.

Q2. (Luke 15:11-32) What does this parable have in common with the Parables of the Lost Sheep and Lost Coin? What does the parable tell us about our Father's way of operating and His values? In what ways does the older son hold his father's values? In what ways does he lack them? What should disciples learn from this parable to equip them for ministry? In all three parables we notice the joy and pleasure God receives when sinners repent - are found. We also notice His love not only for all humanity, but for each one of us personally – not wanting any to perish. In this parable our Heavenly Father treats each one of us as a person with a will of our own. He does not force us to come to Him but waits patiently as we come to our senses. His love is constant and patient as we repent and put our trust in His Son, Jesus Christ, for our salvation. The elder son continues to support his father and runs the farm loyal to his father’s values of hard work and patience, and is not distracted by worldly standards like his brother. However, there is a dark-side to him. He despises the fact that his younger brother is forgiven, and refuses to participate in the celebration. Very much like the Pharisees. They resent God showing mercy to disgraceful sinners. This shows us that his relationship with his father, very much like the Pharisees, is not based on love but on works. As believers we can learn to forgive others, no matter what they have done to us. Also, to forgive others who repent after having lived sinful lives. Love them, support them, encourage them, and rejoice with them as they grow in their walk with Jesus.

Q1. (Luke 15:1-10) What do the Parables of the Lost Sheep and the Lost Coin teach disciples about God's heart? In what way do these parables represent a contrast to the murmuring of the Pharisees? How should a disciple implement Jesus' value of seeking the lost in his or her own community? We see a loving God who deeply cares for each sinner who is not saved. A God who actively seeks the lost, who grieves over every person lost, and who rejoices when they are found. So much so that their conversion and salvation bring great joy to His heart (Isa 62:5). This is a God full of love, full of mercy, full of grace, and full of tender kindness; a God who forgives sinners who repent and put their faith in His Son. The Pharisees could not take it or understand Jesus’ love and concern for these outcasts. They criticised Him for the fact that He went about diligently seeking them and becoming actively involved with them. He mixes with them, He eats with them, He loves them, He does not look down upon them, and He comes to offer them salvation. This was too much. They did not see themselves as sinners in need of salvation, and here was Jesus polluting their holiness. So, we see these proud, disrespectful, self-righteous Pharisees withdrawing from the Lord. In contrast to our Lord Jesus, they were always avoiding any contact with certain classes of people, the social and moral lepers, or anything unclean in accordance with the OT laws of uncleanness. They went about murmuring/complaining that “this man receives sinners and eats with them” (15:2). This of course was true, as this was the very purpose for which our Lord came into the world. Jesus teaches us that we are to follow His example in seeking the lost. Jesus shows that He associates with all kinds and groups of people, irrespective of status, or race. He loves everyone equally, and it is up to us to do the same. We are to seek the lost and lead them to Jesus Christ for salvation, especially those we might feel uncomfortable with like the destitute and homeless.

Q38. (1 Peter 5:5-6) Why is prideful living incompatible with showing grace? Why do you think God opposes the proud? What does humility have to do with repentance to enable us to receive God's grace? How does pride prevent us from showing grace? Prideful living is living for self, and as such it has no consideration for others. It is incompatible with showing grace since grace demands thinking of others, and their needs; often putting their needs before our own. Pride is a sin we all battle with, a sin we are not always aware of. In the world today we are concerned with our position and status. We hunger for recognition, for success, for power, and for wealth. There is no time for God. God can never be supreme in the lives that are dominated by self. Even believers battle with pride as it negatively affects their fellowship with God; replacing His rightful place by placing themselves first. It is when we repent of our self-centredness, of our selfish demands and place God as Lord of our lives, we humble ourselves and we know God who opposes the proud gives grace to the humble. It is only when we humble ourselves that we will experience God’s grace and the rewards He promises us – pride will prevent this happening. Jesus Himself said “For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted" (Luke 14:11).

Q37. (2 Corinthians 9:6-9; 8:9; Luke 6:37-38) Is it possible to be grace-filled and stingy at the same time? Why is this so? What is the relationship between forgiving and giving generously? In 2 Corinthians 8:9 we see that grace has an unmistakable meaning of generosity. Jesus was so generous that He gave all He had for our sakes, and that through His poverty we might become eternally rich. Coming down to earth in this manner He poured out generously His grace to us through His sacrifice, kindness, mercy, goodness, compassion and love. Knowing this, our greatest joy should be to give all that we are and have to Him. There’s no room for being stingy or miserly. Out of gratitude for our Saviour we should be living a grace-filled life. We should be giving generously taking into account the needs of others, perhaps focusing more on the needs of our church congregation. God loves a cheerful giver and does not look at the size of the gift but at the attitude of the heart. He loves to see a Christian so filled with joy that they want to share what they have with others. Every blessing we receive from God comes as a gift. Forgiveness is never granted because we have earned it or deserved it. No, it is a deliberate act of love, mercy, and grace. When Jesus forgives us our sins, our trespasses, our iniquities, and our transgressions they are all deleted not to be remembered anymore. This is a generous act of grace on God’s part. In the same way we are to be kind to one another, forgiving each other (Eph 4:22), which is an act of grace on our part. As we read in Luke 17:3-4 we are to extend our forgiveness to others generously. We are to give freely, since we have received freely.

Q36. (Colossians 4:5-6; 1 Peter 3:8-9, 15; Ephesians 4:29-32) What would be the characteristics of a conversation with an unbeliever that might be termed "full of grace"? What guidelines should rule our ways of speaking? How can we avoid the bad examples set for us by leaders of our culture and our world? In our conversation with unbelievers, we should make the most of the opportunity to tell them the Good News of salvation. This must be done gently, courteously, respectfully, and humbly. We can tell them about the great things the Lord has done for us. But, when speaking about our Saviour and Lord there should be no trace of harshness or bitterness; rather our conversation must be honest and without hypocrisy – always full of grace. If not, this can result in just the opposite desired effect by turning unbelievers away from Christ. We should always be ready to encourage one another and build each other up. There is no room in our conversation for resentment, unwillingness to forgive, burst of rage, anger, hostility, insulting language, slander, abusive speech, meanness or wishing evil on others. Just the opposite should characterise our speech. Being creatures in Christ we should be displaying supernatural virtues of kindness, tender-heartedness, and forgiveness. We should never forget the work of Jesus Christ at Calvary – the abundant grace He showers on us. Being believers, we have received a new heart (2 Cor 5:17), and our nature has given way to living a life of harmony, compassion, love, and humility. We avoid the bad examples our leaders have shown us. Gone are our old self of self-centredness, our aggressive behaviour, our retaliation of evil with evil, and insult with insult. Instead, we bless those who mistreat us, and repay insult with kindness. We now have a heart sensitive to the needs and feelings of others, even looking for opportunities to help them.

Q35. (Luke 6:27-36; Romans 12:12-21) What is the difference between ethical behavior and grace? What is so radical about Jesus' teaching about loving one's enemies? What illustrations does He use of this outrageous grace? Ethical behaviour is treating others in a proper, just, or moral way. Grace is treating people, who don’t deserve this treatment, in the same way. It is where we repay evil with good. Jesus’ teachings about our behaviour towards our enemies is considered radical in that it is not our natural reaction. To love those who despise you, to do good to those who hate you, to bless those who curse you, to pray for those who are nasty to you, all requires supernatural powers. We love our enemies in that by our actions we may bring some to salvation. Also, it is difficult to hate someone we are praying for. On the cross Jesus Himself forgave those that committed the greatest crime in all of human history. Loving our enemies also demonstrates that we are His children (John 1:12), and we seek to be imitators of our Heavenly Father. We treat others with the same kindness and consideration we would like to receive.

Q34. (1 Corinthians 15:10) How does your openness to God's grace define your persona, who you actually are? How does your willingness to dispense God's grace to others mould you into who God has designed you to be? Before I received God’s saving grace, Gal 5:19-21 reminded me of my previous depraved condition. There was no love in me of others. no love of God, only a selfish love of self. There was my sinful nature and my slavery to sin. And how by grace God totally changed me. I see this as the dying away of my old self and the coming to life of the new me. I was brought out of death into life, out of darkness into light. I am not what I used to be. Being renewed daily. Grace is the source of all my present blessings, and it is God’s power operating in me that defines who I actually am (1 Cor 2:4-5). Now I begin imitating my Lord Jesus Christ and the fruit of the Spirit starts slowly becoming more and more of a reality and more obvious (Gal 5:22-23). I like to think I’ve been given a unique spiritual gift composed of various percentages of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. And our Lord gives me the willingness and power to dispense these graces to others. By doing this I bring glory to my Heavenly Father, and build up the church. Now, by the grace of God, I am what I am.

Q33. Why are God's gifts of grace an immensely greater blessing to those who attend church and are a functioning part of a congregation? How can isolating yourself from the Christian community involve selfishness and fear? How can it impoverish you? The whole purpose of these gifts of grace that God gives us, is to edify and mature the church, to glorify God in blessing and serving others. Of course, this cannot happen when people don’t attend church – it can only function in a congregation. Selfish, self-centred believers use these gifts to draw attention to themselves and to edify themselves – to the detriment of the church. When we isolate ourselves from the Christian community, not only is it difficult to use and apply these gifts but also to receive blessings from others. So, we are the losers – we deprive ourselves of the blessings we have been given.

Q32. (1 Peter 4:10) We are stewards of God's grace. What are the responsibilities of a steward or trustee? In what way do we act as trustees of what belongs to God? In what way are spiritual gifts or the message of the gospel part of this trust we have been given? Our responsibilities are to faithfully use our gifts of God’s grace to serve others, and not only for our own purposes. We act as trustees of these gifts in that we are intended to be administrators or managers through which these blessings/graces can flow to others. They are given to us but should not end with us, in that they should be passed on to others. We are trusted to manage these riches but they don’t belong to us, they are used to bring glory to our Heavenly Father and to benefit and build up His church.

Q31. (Ephesians 4:7; Romans 12:6; 1 Corinthians 12:1, 4-6) Why is there such a close relationship between "grace" (charis) and "gifts" (charisma)? What is the chief characteristic of a generous person? In what ways do spiritual gifts channel God's grace? The term charisma (gifts) found in Rom 12:6 and 1 Cor 12:1, and in numerous other verses, are closely related with spiritual gifts, and has a meaning of “graces” or “gifts of grace”. Both can be defined as favour bestowed, gifts freely and graciously given. The chief characteristic of a generous person, is that they give generously to the needs of others. Their motivation is that their generosity may build up the body of Christ, the church (Eph 4:12). It is never done for personal gain, glory or recognition. Each believer receives a gift from God, as an act of grace. They are there to manifest the attributes of our Lord Jesus Christ. There is not one believer who does not have a gift, and each gift is unique and is made up of a combination of different attributes and abilities. In other words, God's grace deals out differing gifts to different people. They differ in nature, power, and effectiveness according to the graces He has given us, and according to His wisdom and graciousness, not according to our faith. On top of this He also gives the necessary strength or ability to use and apply whatever gifts we have. Since as believers, we all are in Christ we are given these gifts to strengthen the whole church. Enabling the body of Christ to grow spiritually and numerically.