Preacher: Pastor Ray
True children of God manifest faith in the midst of suffering.
Discussion Questions
Read Rom 8:15.
– What causes a Romans 8 believer to fall back into Romans 7?
– What is the definition of fear? Why is fear the opposite of faith?
Read Rom 8:12-13.
– Fearfulness is an expression of fleshliness. Explain this statement in light of Rom 8:12-15.
– What does it mean to live according to the flesh?
– Your change is an evidence of salvation. Distinguish between salvation by works vs. works following salvation.
– What is the end result of those who continue living according to their flesh?
– If your concept of grace is that it’s a covering for sin and there is no expectation for true change over time, then how does this mindset turn grace into a license to sin?
Read Heb 3:7-19.
– What was God’s intention in bringing His people through the wilderness for 40 years?
– The people could not enter God’s rest because of their unbelief. Does this assessment of this generation shock you?
Rom 8:16-17 and Rom 8:31-35.
– True faith is a faith that endures testing and perserves to the end. Do you agree or disagree?
– What conditional clause do you see in Rom 8:17? How do we validate that we are in fact children of God, heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ?
– How does Paul define suffering? Compare your day-to-day “suffering” versus Paul’s examples of suffering.
– What did God reveal to Ananias about the future of Apostle Paul when he was Saul the believer, blind and awaiting further direction from the Lord?
– Do you agree or disagree that Christians in America as a whole have untested faith?
– Suffering is simply an opportunity to manifest faith. Explain.
Read Rom 8:35.
– What do you notice about the grammar of this verse?
– How is this verse related to spiritual warfare?
Read Rom 8:36-39.
– How does the world look at the Christian who is undergoing suffering?
– What is Paul’s answer to the question, Are we like “sheep to be slaughtered?
We are lamb-like in terms of our humility but lion-like in terms of our faith. We are made in the image of Jesus, who is both the Lamb of God and the Lion of Judah.
– Explain these statements above.
– Do you conceive of your identity in Christ as a victim or a victor?
Read Rom 8:31 – “…If God is for us, who can be against us?”
– If you lack faith, what is your answer to the question, “who can be against us?”
– If you have faith, what is your answer to that same question?
Read Rom 8:32 – let the truth of this verse minister God’s love into your heart.
Read Rom 8:33-34.
– Who is the one who brings a charge against you and brings condemnation to you?
– How do you answer in the midst of these spiritual attacks?
Read Rom 8:15.
– Read this verse without faith (ending the verse with a question mark) and read this verse with faith (ending with an exclamation point).
– Why is this verse the roar of faith?
– Recall the example from the movie, “Glory.” How does the final battle scene epitomize the life of faith and the transformation that occurs as we endure suffering?
