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Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

No one is excluded.

Psalm 51:5  “Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.”

When Adam and Eve obeyed the devil, they became a conquered nation in slavery to the evil one. As a conquered nation, their children were also part of that conquered nation. When anyone is born, that person is born with a sinful nature. Only Christ can transform that sinful nature.

Romans 6:16-18 says, “Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness.”

That’s how it all started, but we can be transformed by yielding to God’s grace as God’s grace says God’s words and does God’s acts through us. The flesh dies a bit each time. Christ is more fully formed each time. It starts with God leading. We hear. Jesus Christ, God’s Word, authors faith in our hearts and then finishes it. Here’s how Christ finishes God’s faith in us. Faith gives us access to God’s grace. God’s grace does God’s work through us as we yield. We must yield and allow it. We can’t be headstrong to do our own will or figure out things for ourselves separate from God.

Remember the Parable of the Sower. The Bible says the seed is the Word. In another place, it says Jesus Christ is the Word. So the Seed is Jesus Christ. I don’t know that we can fully understand how the Word became flesh and dwelt among us any more than we can understand, that God said let there be light and there was light.

Ask God to answer these questions.

1. What does the Bible mean that all have sinned?
2. Why were you born with a sinful nature?
3. What does it mean to yield to God?
4. Adam and Eve enslaved humanity to sin. They became a conquered nation. How does this “conquered nation” analogy explain the sinful nature in every person who is born?
5. What is the deep meaning of the Parable of the Sower?

Bonus questions:

1. When you yield to God’s grace, how does that lead to your transformation and the death of your flesh?
2. What is the role of faith in accessing God’s grace and enabling God’s work in you?
3. What does the Parable of the Sower teach about the role of God’s Word (or Jesus Christ, the Seed) in your life?
4. Why can’t you figure out things for yourself separate from God?
5. How does the mystery of the Word becoming flesh (John 1:14) connect to God’s creative power in saying, “Let there be light”?

1. Pray for the Lord to protect you and keep you in His presence and His presence only.
2. Direct your mind toward the Lord only.
3. Ask God what He want’s to talk about.
4. You can ask God any questions. In all of this, be led by the Holy Spirit. God promises that He will answer you if you ask Him.
5. Do not edit or change what God says even if you don’t understand it.
6. Reject the lies and receive the truth.
7. Take notes.
8. Transfer your notes to your journal without editing what God said to you.

Keep in mind that God doesn’t want you to ever disconnect from Him. He wants to flow through you constantly in knowledge, wisdom, and love.

Activity Diagram Exercise

Create an activity diagram suitable for this unit. (Activity Diagram (UML Info)) Activity diagrams show the a sequence of activities. The first thing that happens is usually at the top. That is followed by the second thing, then the third, fourth, and so on. There can be dividing bars and decisions along the way. Let the Holy Spirit lead you in this. (Romans 8:14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.) Take what you learned, your notes or what you produced and videotape yourself. Be a kid influencer for Christ with your own social media platform by uploading your video as God leads.