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Failure and Restoration
Discerning God's Voice
When God speaks to us about our sin it is with the purpose of bringing us to repentance and the freedom that comes from being unburdened of sin. In the last lesson we saw the powerful effect God's word had on David. There are other voices, however, that are eager point out our sin.
1) In Revelation 12:10 Satan is identified as the accuser of the brethren (Christians). What else do you learn from the following passages about Satan and his purposes? John 8:44, 10:10; 2 Corinthians 11:14; 1 Peter 5:8.
Satan points out our sins to accuse us and make us feel that God hasn't truly forgiven us and that we are disqualified from God's acceptance. His is the voice of condemnation, but the voice of the Lord is much different.
2) John 16:8 tells us that the Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin. What do you think is the difference between conviction and accusation?
3) Remembering what the above passages revealed about the enemy of the saints, look up the following passages about the Holy Spirit and write what you learn about his person and ministry. John 15:26, 16:13; Romans 8:26
Jesus said in John 10:3 that his sheep hear his voice. When God confronts us with our sin, it is never for our harm, but for our healing and health. As we grow in Christ we learn to hear his voice. We also learn to distinguish his voice from others. To put it simply, the voice of conviction is from the Lord; the voice of condemnation is from the Liar.
James instructs us to submit to God and resist the devil. He also tells us that if we do not obey the word, we deceive ourselves. When God convicts us, we must act on the conviction and conform ourselves to his word.
4) Is there anything in your life God has been convicting you about?
When God convicts us, we are offered the hope that he will work in us in that area. We are his workmanship and when he gets into our hearts and minds to fix what has been damaged by sin, it is a great kindness.
5) But what about the other voices? Satan is the father of lies and is the ultimate source behind all falsehood. The world may tell many lies, but Satan is the world's god and ruler (2 Cor. 4:4, John 16:11) . Are there any lies you have been believing?
If you are discouraged in your faith, or have been robbed of hope, you are believing a lie. Identify it and confess it. Ask God to reveal the truth to you then cling to it. In the next lesson we will look at promises of Scripture to learn of God's good intention toward us.
And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. John 8:32 (ESV)
Copyright © 2007, Carol Duffy. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Failure and Restoration
Discerning God's Voice
When God speaks to us about our sin it is with the purpose of bringing us to repentance and the freedom that comes from being unburdened of sin. In the last lesson we saw the powerful effect God's word had on David. There are other voices, however, that are eager point out our sin.
1) In Revelation 12:10 Satan is identified as the accuser of the brethren (Christians). What else do you learn from the following passages about Satan and his purposes? John 8:44, 10:10; 2 Corinthians 11:14; 1 Peter 5:8.
Satan points out our sins to accuse us and make us feel that God hasn't truly forgiven us and that we are disqualified from God's acceptance. His is the voice of condemnation, but the voice of the Lord is much different.
2) John 16:8 tells us that the Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin. What do you think is the difference between conviction and accusation?
3) Remembering what the above passages revealed about the enemy of the saints, look up the following passages about the Holy Spirit and write what you learn about his person and ministry. John 15:26, 16:13; Romans 8:26
Jesus said in John 10:3 that his sheep hear his voice. When God confronts us with our sin, it is never for our harm, but for our healing and health. As we grow in Christ we learn to hear his voice. We also learn to distinguish his voice from others. To put it simply, the voice of conviction is from the Lord; the voice of condemnation is from the Liar.
James instructs us to submit to God and resist the devil. He also tells us that if we do not obey the word, we deceive ourselves. When God convicts us, we must act on the conviction and conform ourselves to his word.
4) Is there anything in your life God has been convicting you about?
When God convicts us, we are offered the hope that he will work in us in that area. We are his workmanship and when he gets into our hearts and minds to fix what has been damaged by sin, it is a great kindness.
5) But what about the other voices? Satan is the father of lies and is the ultimate source behind all falsehood. The world may tell many lies, but Satan is the world's god and ruler (2 Cor. 4:4, John 16:11) . Are there any lies you have been believing?
If you are discouraged in your faith, or have been robbed of hope, you are believing a lie. Identify it and confess it. Ask God to reveal the truth to you then cling to it. In the next lesson we will look at promises of Scripture to learn of God's good intention toward us.
And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. John 8:32 (ESV)
Copyright © 2007, Carol Duffy. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
