HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS

Lesson Twenty-Three

GOD-FEARERS (3)

GOD WANTS TO RESTORE

PROPER RELATIONSHIPS

Burden to Impart:

Our God is the God of peace (Rom. 16:20). He desires us to live peacefully together with others (Rom. 12:18) and in a good relationship with others. God's Word, our inner feeling, the children's meetings, and the church life all help us to learn to live a proper human life in a good relationship with those whom God has placed together with us in His arrangement.

Memory Verse: "Pursue peace with all people..." (Hebrews 12:14).

Facts to Teach:

  1. Since our God is the God of love and of peace (1 John 4:16; Rom. 16:20), He desires to see us live and behave in like manner. As we live in such a way God is able to restore proper relationships with ourselves and those we are involved with each day. In a small way God is then able to undo Satan's work of destroying proper human relationships.
  2. God tried to rescue Cain from his jealousy and hatred toward his brother by warning him (._Gen. 4:5-8). Cain would not listen to God.
  3. God also warns us concerning our relationships with others by the feeling in our heart (our conscience). When we are wrong in any way with others we do not feel happy or right in our heart.
  4. God also warns us concerning our relationships with others in His Word, the Bible. We cannot just speak and do as we please, for we are not the center of the universe. We must take our proper place in all of our relationships with others, for this is God's arrangement. The Bible shows us how God has placed us all under His arrangement: husbands, wives, parents, children, workers, bosses, men, women, etc.
  5. We receive much help from the Lord in the children's meetings and in the church. Here we hear the Lord's Word and can get to know Him and His desires. Here He can speak to us, and strengthen and encourage us to live peacefully and properly with everyone else. We all receive much help through the church life to continually restore proper relationships with all.
  6. We can only have proper relationships with others if our relationship with God is right:
    1. Believing that God, made us, that we are His creatures (Psa. 100:3).
    2. Believing that God s arrangements are best (Rom. 8:28).
    3. Believing that God will help us every day if we trust in Him (Prov. 3:5-6).
    4. Believing that if we fear God and do right, God is pleased (Acts 10:34-35).