BIBLE 501 HOW OTHERS LIVED FOR GOD

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2 BIBLE 501 HOW OTHERS LIVED FOR GOD CONTENTS I. BELIEVERS IN GOD Believers, Fellow-Laborers With God Abraham, Man of Faith David, a Man After God s Heart II. SERVANTS OF GOD Paul, More Than a Conqueror John, Apostle of Love III. FOLLOWERS OF JESUS Five Bible Co-Workers With God A Great Cloud of Witnesses Author: Editor: Illustrators: Barry G. Burrus, M.Div., M.A. Steven Henderson, B.A. Kyle Bennett, A.S. Karen Eubanks, B.A. Melissa Evers Mark Nuñes 804 N. 2nd Ave. E., Rock Rapids, IA MMII by Alpha Omega Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. LIFEPAC is a registered trademark of Alpha Omega Publications, Inc. All trademarks and/or service marks referenced in this material are the property of their respective owners. Alpha Omega Publications, Inc. makes no claim of ownership to any trademarks and/or service marks other than their own and their affiliates, and makes no claim of affiliation to any companies whose trademarks may be listed in this material, other than their own.

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4 HOW OTHERS LIVED FOR GOD THE PANOPLY OF SCRIPTURE: THE CREATION, FALL, REDEMPTION, AND THE MINISTRY OF GRACE a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus (Romans 3:23 26). Praise God that He didn t abandon us when Adam and Eve fell into sin, dragging the rest of mankind with them. God created all people for His own glory. One way people glorify God is through loving and serving Him and others. Although people have not always been faithful to Him, God has always been faithful. King David wrote, The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one (Psalm 14:2 3). The apostle Paul echoed King David s words when he wrote, For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be In this LIFEPAC you will examine the lives of believers whom God chose and used to bear witness of His goodness and faithfulness to the world. They were sinners, just like anyone else, and occasionally lacked faith in Him. Even then, 1

5 God forgave their sins and lack of faith, and He strengthened them for the work he set before them. God doesn t need people to work for Him, but God chose to make the world this way. God used these godly people to bring glory and honor to Himself and His Kingdom. As you study their lives, God can develop your talents and use you to bring honor and glory to His Kingdom. OBJECTIVES Read these objectives. The objectives tell you what you should be able to do when you have successfully completed this LIFEPAC. When you have finished this LIFEPAC, you should be able to: 1. Describe what it means to be chosen by God to be a believer. 2. Define what faith is. 3. Explain some of the ways that God used two important Old Testament believers, Abraham and David, to help Him, and identify some characteristics of their lives. 4. Explain ways that God used two New Testament Apostles, Paul and John, to serve Him and how they lived for Him, and identify some characteristics of their lives. 5. Explain how God used Noah, Ruth, Hannah, Jonah, and Peter to help Him do His will in the world. 6. Explain why Hebrews 11 can be called the Hall of Faith and how God developed these believers to serve Him in order to be listed there. 7. Explain how the Christian life is like a race. VOCABULARY Study these new words. Learning the meanings of these words is a good study habit and will improve your understanding of this LIFEPAC. ability (u bil u tē). The skill or power to do something. accomplish (u kom plish). To bring to a successful conclusion or carry to completion. acknowledge (ak nol ij). To admit that someone or something is true. ancestor (an ses tėr). A person from whom a person is descended. attitude (at u tüd). A way of thinking or feeling. character (kar ik tėr). The special ways a person feels, thinks, and acts. characteristic (kar ik tu ris tik). Something that makes a person different from others. commerce (kom ėrs). The buying and selling of goods among different places. consent (kun sent ). To agree or give permission to someone. conversion (kun vėr zhun). A change from unbelief to faith in Christ. corrupt (ku rupt ). Evil or wicked. deed (dēd). An act or action done by someone. defy (di fī ). To resist or be set against something. 2

6 descendant (di sen dunt). A person born to a certain family. devastate (dev u stāt). To ruin; to destroy. enthusiasm (en thü zē az um). The strong feelings or interest a person has in something. exile (eg zīl). A person sent away from his country for punishment. famine (fam un). A lack of food in a certain place. Gentile (jen tīl). A person who is not of the Jewish race. glean (glēn). To gather stalks of grain left in the field by reapers. honor (on ėr). To give glory, fame, or credit to a person. industrial (in dus trē ul). Having trades or factories. laborer (lā bėr ėr). A person who does work. martyr (mär tėr). A person who is put to death because of his beliefs. missionary (mish u nãr ē). A person who goes to another place to witness for his faith. momentous (mō men tus). Of utmost importance; of outstanding significance or consequence. Moslem (moz lum). A believer in a religion started by a man named Mohammed. ordain (ôr dān ). To appoint or set someone apart as a minister. persecution (pėr su kyü shun). Injury to or cruel treatment of people whose beliefs are different. personality (pėr su nal u tē). The personal quality that makes one person different from another. rabbī (rab ī). A teacher of the Jewish law and religion. repent (ri pent ). To turn from sin and turn toward God. Resurrection (rez u rek shun). Jesus coming to life from the dead. righteous (ri chus). Having a right standing before God. Tabernacle (tab ėr nak ul). The movable tent used by Israel as a place of worship. testify (tes ti fī). To express or declare a strong belief, especially to make a declaration of faith. tragedy (traj u dē). A very sad or terrible event. violence (vī u luns). A rough or harmful action. warrant (wôr unt). A court order that authorizes an officer to make a search, seizure, or arrest, or to execute a judgment. zeal (zēl). An eager desire or effort. Note: All vocabulary words in this LIFEPAC appear in boldface print the first time they are used. If you are unsure of the meaning when you are reading, study the definitions given. Pronunciation Key: hat, āge, cãre, fär; let, ēqual, tėrm; it, īce; hot, ōpen, ôrder; oil; out; cup, pu. t, rüle; child; long; thin; /T-H/ for then; /zh/ for measure; /u/ represents /a/ in about, /e/ in taken, /i/ in pencil, /o/ in lemon, and /u/ in circus. 3

7 I. BELIEVERS IN GOD INTRODUCTION In this section of the LIFEPAC, you will study how God chose Abraham and David to bring glory into His Kingdom. As you read and think about Abraham and David, you will learn about how God used them for His purpose. You will see how He changed their lives and used them to glorify Him. You will learn about how God developed their character as He helped them live their lives for Him and to show faith in Him. He blessed them and used them in His Kingdom. God is blessing you and wants to reveal Himself to you. In Jesus, He forgives all of your sins. He wants you to live for Him. By studying the lives of Abraham and David and some of their characteristics, you can learn how you can love and serve God and your fellow believers. God loves you. He will develop your ability to love, honor, worship, and serve Him. Review these objectives. When you have finished this section, you should be able to: 1. Describe what it means to be chosen by God to be a believer. 2. Define what faith is. 3. Explain some of the ways that God used two important Old Testament believers, Abraham and David, to help Him, and identify some characteristics of their lives. Restudy these words. acknowledge ancestor attitude character characteristic commended deed descendant defy famine honor laborer Moslem righteous Tabernacle Hebrews 11:1 2 and 1 Corinthians 3:6 15. BELIEVERS, FELLOW-LABORERS WITH GOD God calls people to believe in Him, to have faith in Him, and to work for Him. To have faith is to be sure about what God has said about Himself, although we don t fully understand Who He is, what He is doing, and what He has already done for us. The Bible says that Old Testament believers were commended by God because of their faith in Him (Hebrews 11:2). In this section, you will learn about Abraham and King David, two men of faith from the Old Testament. Later in this LIFEPAC, you will learn about other believers from the Old Testament who believed in God and had faith in His promises to them. God uses Abraham, King David, Paul, and other believers to build His Kingdom on earth. Paul 4