Dangerously Divided: Week 3
Rev. Pete Stearns continues our new series called Dangerously Divided: Conformed to the Pattern of This World. Through Paul’s letter to the Romans, we will explore how the Church today can and must learn to bring the light of Christ into our increasingly divided and divisive world.
1. Read Romans 13:8-10 in the Message translation.
Discuss your thoughts on Paul’s comment that all the commandments of the law boil down to loving your neighbor (“love is the sum total of the law”). Do you feel any tension here? Does this seem too simple? What does this look like in practice?
2. Discuss the following quote from Pete’s sermon:
“The debt of love that we have is far greater than any debt we could ever repay…the good news is that God doesn’t call us to repay it in full, instead he invites us to offer our payment to those around us!”
Are you feeling grateful for, or encouraged by, this? Is there a part of you this resists, or thinks it sounds too good to be true?
3.What do you make of the first circle, below on the left, that Pete used to describe mentality that we must earn our salvation through our actions or behaviors?
4.Compare and contrast the two circles above. Is there one you tend to gravitate towards? What is the problem with these two ways of understanding sanctification and salvation?
5. Discuss the circle below showing a Christ-centered model of sanctification. What is the major difference from the two models above? What are the benefits of living in this way? What are the challenges?
6. Finally, talk about what it means to “clothe yourself with the Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 13:14). How does this connect to the image above?
