NASHVILLE (BP) – This weekly Bible study appears in Baptist Press in a partnership with Lifeway Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Through its Leadership and Adult Publishing team, Lifeway publishes Sunday School curricula and additional resources for all age groups.
This week’s Bible study is adapted from the MasterWork curriculum.
Bible Passages: 2 Corinthians 7:1; Genesis 39:6-10
Discussion Questions:
- How had Joseph been humbled before he ended up in Potiphar’s house? How does our own humbling lead us to respond obediently and reverently to God?
- According to 2 Corinthians 7:1, what would Paul say our response to God’s grace should be? What are daily disciplines that would keep God’s promises in our hearts and minds?
Food for thought:
When Potiphar’s wife tried to tempt Joseph to commit immorality, his response was, “How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” (Genesis 39:9). He did not calculate the possible wrath of Potiphar or the forfeiture of God’s blessing. He was motivated by reverence for God. He was concerned about disobedience to a sovereign, holy God, even though that God had allowed him to be sold into slavery by his own brothers.
The apostle Paul combined these two elements of a God-ward motivation – gratitude and reverence – when he wrote to the Corinthian believers, “Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God” (2 Corinthians 7:1). Paul referred to the promises that God would be our God and Father and would make us His sons and daughters.
Here again we see that promises come before duty and duty flows out of a heartfelt response to the promises of God. But Paul went on to say, “out of reverence for God.” Reverence is a sense of profound awe, respect and devotion. It is a recognition of God’s intrinsic worthiness, the infinite majesty of His being, and the infinite perfection of His character. God is worthy of my loving obedience because of who He is, not because of what He does.
The term growing in grace is most often used to indicate growth in Christian character. While I think that usage has merit, a more accurate meaning is to continually grow in our understanding of God’s grace, especially as it applies to us personally. To grow in grace is to become progressively more aware of our own continued spiritual bankruptcy and the unmerited, unearned and undeserved favor of God. As we grow in grace this way, we will grow in our motivation to obey God out of a sense of gratitude and reverence to Him.
So don’t be discouraged if you realize your motives have been largely merit oriented. Just begin now to move toward grace motives. Begin to think daily about the implications of the grace of God in your life.
When you recognize merit-oriented motives at work in you, denounce them and cast yourself completely on the grace of God and the merit of Jesus Christ. As you grow in grace in this way, you will indeed discover that His love compels you to live, not for yourself, but for Him who died for you and was raised again.
MasterWork
MasterWork is an ongoing Bible study curriculum based on works from a variety of renowned authors and offers pertinent, practical messages that adults will find uplifting and enriching. The list of authors and their books to be studied in upcoming months can be found at Lifeway.com/masterwork.
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