The Merritt’s

Scriptures

Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.

1 John 4:20-21

Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.

Galatians 1:10

As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies for your sake; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable. Just as you who were at one time disobedient to God have now received mercy as a result of their disobedience, so they too have now become disobedient in order that they too may now receive mercy as a result of God’s mercy to you. For God has bound everyone over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all.

Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable his judgments,
and his paths beyond tracing out!

“Who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has been his counselor?”

“Who has ever given to God,
that God should repay them?”

For from him and through him and for him are all things.
To him be the glory forever! Amen.

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Romans 11:28-12:2

LESSON:

It can be easy to read Romans 11:28 thru the end of the chapter and think that evil has won and everyone is disobedient to God’s teaching and God’s promise of salvation hasn’t been kept; however we haven’t seen the whole story yet. Yes there are alot of people living as enemies of Christ and a lot of disobedient people but that is what we were too. We were disobedient and enemies of Christ and yet mercy came down. And now in view of that mercy of God we are to now be transformed. To follow Jesus fully alive, no longer conformed to the ways of the world, or hating one another or trying to be a people pleaser. 

 1 John 4:20, Galatians 1:10 and Romans 11:28 through 12-2 all speak to the idea of following Jesus wholeheartedly without any regard to what anyone else thinks about it. Galatians says you’re not trying to please man, Roman says to be transformed and not look like the world and 1 John 4:20 says that we must love  our neighbors and if we don’t we can’t claim to love God. All those things essentially say your relationship with God is yours and no one else can affect that. 

Remember today to be yourself and what God has called you to do and don’t worry about what others think. If you are doing what God has called you to you will probably upset some people anyway! That’s what happens with a transformed life, it doesn’t make sense to lost people. 

Discussion Questions

1. Are you ever tempted to win the approval of man (Galatians 1:10), fall into the patterns of this world (Romans 12:2), or hate your brothers or sisters (1 John 4:20)?  
2. Who is someone that you have a difficult time getting along with that God needs to help you love? 
3. What’s the danger of trying to be a people pleaser? Does what people want always line up with what God wants?
4. Because of the mercy Christ offers we no longer have to be conformed to the ways of the world instead we can offer ourselves as a living sacrifice. What does it mean to be a living sacrifice? 
5. What area of your life most needs to be transformed to look more like Jesus and less about pleasing man?