Living in the Image of God, What The Lord Has Given Us

Understanding Communal Purpose of Individual Blessing

Living in the Image of God M06S06

We learn from the life of Joseph (the 11th son of Israel) that understanding the communal purpose of individual blessing may entail lengthy and at times complicated human interactions with careful attention to the living experience of others. Joseph was blessed that he could bless his extended family. From a lowly position in his family in Canaan, he progressed to a position of highest executive authority in Egypt, second only to Pharaoh. He performed his responsibilities and accomplished the direct goals of his position. However, he did not know the purpose of his position and power in relation to his extended family in Canaan, until his brothers arrived in Egypt to buy food. Through lengthy and complicated interactions with them, he later understood that his individual blessing was a means to a great purpose for his extended family. He used his position in Egypt and good relationship with Pharaoh to protect his family (the young nation of Israel) from a severe and lengthy famine that ravaged the world. The events convey a message that understanding the communal purpose of your individual blessing would require human interactions with others, including sensitivity to needs of others; compassion; and a discerning mind to recognize when and how to intervene in events around you.

This bible study uses the life of Joseph (the 11th son of Israel) to learn that understanding the communal purpose of individual blessing may entail lengthy and at times complicated human interactions with careful attention to the living experience of others. Interactions with other people provide opportunities to understand them better, understand their needs and what you could do to alleviate the needs, and recognize when and how to intervene as determined by your capabilities and assessment of their capability to receive and positively utilize any favors extended to them.

The bible account of Joseph from his childhood in Canaan through the relocation of his extended family to Egypt tells of his incidental rise from a lowly position in his family in Canaan, through a position of highest executive authority in Egypt, second only to Pharaoh. He was appointed to the position to run a program of grain collection and preservation during a period of abundance, and distribution during a following period of severe famine. The appointment was based on his interpretation of Pharaoh’s dreams regarding a seven-year period of abundance followed by a seven-year period of severe famine. He performed his responsibilities and accomplished the direct goals of his position. He had great power and personal wealth in Egypt but did not know the purpose of his position and power in relation to his extended family in Canaan, until his brothers arrived in Egypt to buy food.

Through lengthy and complicated interactions with them, he later understood their need and what he could do to alleviate the need. He understood how to harness his individual blessing to benefit his extended family. He used his position in Egypt and good relationship with Pharaoh to protect his family (the young nation of Israel) from the famine. The bible declares his understanding as follows [Genesis 45:4–7]: “Then Joseph said to his brothers, ‘Come close to me.’ When they had done so, he said, ‘I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will be no plowing and reaping. But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.’”

The life of Joseph and his interactions with his brothers in Egypt convey a message that understanding the communal purpose of your individual blessing could entail lengthy and at times complicated human interactions with others. The interactions would require sensitivity to needs around you; compassion, that is seeking to do something to alleviate the suffering of others; and a discerning mind to recognize those that could be relied upon to utilize positively the blessing extended to them, in order to prioritize to reach those more likely to advance the fulfillment of God’s purpose.

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Living in the Image of God, What The Lord Has Given Us

Custodians of Good News

Living in the Image of God M06S05

An angel’s interactions with night-shift shepherds regarding the birth of Jesus conveys a message of the individual responsibility regarding the communal purpose of individual blessing. The shepherds were each given information that is of great communal value but were not told what to do with the information. The angel promised to deliver to them “good news that will cause great joy for all the people,” delivered the news as promised, but did not tell them what they should do with the news. Based on the interactions, we learn that God may choose any person to receive individual blessing of any communal value; provides the recipient sufficient understanding of the communal value; and assigns to the recipient the authority to determine how to interact with others regarding the blessing he or she received: that is, regarding “what the Lord has given us” that is under the recipient’s control.

God chose a group of night-shift shepherds to receive a blessing that is of great individual and communal value to all people, revealed to them the blessing and its great value, but did not tell them what to do with the blessing or how to propagate its value. The shepherds were visited by an angel while they were tending their flocks at night at about the birth time of Jesus. The glory of God that presented with the angel confirmed to them that he was a messenger of God. They were terrified. The angel calmed their fear and explained he brought them good news for all people: “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.”

The angel was there to provide the shepherds with information that will be of great value to them, others, and the community (good news that will cause great joy for all the people). The angel proceeded to deliver the information and left thereafter. He did not tell the shepherds what to do with the information. After the encounter, the shepherds, on their own decision, went to Bethlehem to verify the information and shared what they were told with as many people as they could reach.

This bible account conveys a great message regarding the communal value of individual blessing. First, God can choose any person to receive individual blessing of any communal value. He chose the night-shift shepherds as custodians of “good news that will cause great joy for all the people.” This kind of information would have been expected only from “high-caliber and high-influence people of God” but was instead provided to ordinary night-shift shepherds. Second, God will choose a way to reveal to you the value of any blessing that he has given you: value to you as a person, to other individuals around you, and to your community. Third, he will grant you full authority and freedom to decide how you interact with others regarding your individual blessing—“what the Lord has given us” that is under your control. You have full ownership, authority, and God mandate to determine when, where, and how to apply your individual blessing towards the needs of self, others, and community.

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Living in the Image of God, What The Lord Has Given Us

Opportunity for Positive Impact—Peter and John Heal Lame Man

Living in the Image of God M06S04

We discuss Peter and John interactions with a lame man at the Temple gate, to understand recognizing a need and an opportunity to make positive impact by addressing the need; assessing your capabilities to provide goods or service to address the need; and preparing the beneficiary to understand what you can offer them and how the offer will address their need. Your capabilities are “what the Lord has given us” that you control: to serve the benefits of self, others, and community by addressing needs that God will show you. Peter and John recognized that the lame man presented them an opportunity to make positive impact using their capability to heal the sick. The man had asked for money but they offered him healing instead, to make lasting positive impact on the healing recipient and others that may witness the events or learn about them later.

This bible study discusses Peter and John interactions with a lame man at the Temple gate. The man was lame from birth and was carried and placed at the temple gate daily to beg from people going into the temple courts. Peter and John recognized the need and cared about the lame man. They assessed the need and their capabilities and recognized an opportunity to make lasting positive impact on the man and others that may witness the events or learn about them later. They recognized they could make such impact by healing the man, thus making him a visible beneficiary of their healing capability.

Their healing capability, after all, was a gift of God, given to each of them for the benefit of others: that is, a special case of “what the Lord has given us” that you control. In general, your capabilities—physical, mental, and spiritual—are “what the Lord has given us” that you control: to determine how to respond to needs that God will show you—to choose when and how to address the needs—needs of self, others, or community. In choosing to heal the lame man instead of giving him money, Peter and John illustrate that a person presented with a need can choose how to address the need, based on understanding what is needed and assessing his or her capabilities to provide for the need.

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Living in the Image of God, What The Lord Has Given Us

Communal Purpose of What the Lord Has Given Us

Living in the Image of God M06S03

David introduced the phrase what the Lord has given us to settle a developing dispute among his followers regarding the distribution of battle proceeds. His ruling conveys a message of the communal purpose of God’s blessing and individual responsibility to honor the communal purpose. Through his declaration that all will share alike, he proclaims the right of individual access to communal property, irrespective of contribution. Further, by giving gifts to others from the portion of the battle proceeds he controlled, he proclaims the individual responsibility to recognize and honor the communal purpose of individual blessing.

In this bible study, we discuss David’s interactions with his followers and others regarding the distribution of battle proceeds: to understand his message regarding the communal purpose of every blessing from God and the responsibility of every individual to recognize and honor the communal purpose. The events occurred as a response to his base being raided and plundered. A group of Amalekites had burnt David’s base at Ziklag and captured livestock and people (women and children). David and his followers were at the Philistine battlefield trying to enlist as foreign fighters with the Philistine army in a battle against Israel. They were rejected by the Philistine army. Thereafter, they returned to their base and found the base destroyed by the Amalekites.

David pursued the raiders with four hundred of his followers while the other two hundred chose to stay back at the base. They caught up with the raiders, defeated them in a fierce battle that lasted over twenty-four hours, recovered their livestock and people, and took large additional livestock as plunder. When they returned to Ziklag, some troublemakers among the four hundred grumbled that the other two hundred will not share in the plunder (1 Samuel 30:22). David responded that the plunder is what the Lord has given us and the share of the man who stayed at the base is to be the same as that of him who went to the battle—all will share alike (1 Samuel 30:22–24). After the equitable sharing, he gave gifts from the portions he controlled to several people that were not part of his base (1 Samuel 30:26–31).

Through his declaration of all will share alike from what the Lord has given us, David conveys a message that every person is entitled to receive relief from the facilities of society (i.e., things of communal ownership), irrespective of their contribution. Also, by giving gifts to others from the portion of the plunder he controlled, he conveys a message of generosity by the owner of any blessing of God (what the Lord has given us). As we discussed previously (M06S02), the owner has full authority to determine when, where, and how to provide relief to others from the blessing he or she controls (what the Lord has given us). So, David chose to send gifts from the plunder to his friends and other acquaintance in different places outside his base.

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Living in the Image of God, What The Lord Has Given Us

Distribution of Resources to Points of Need

Living in the Image of God M06S02

A prominent practice of the early church did not survive the disintegration and rebirth of the church. The early church vested itself with the authority to distribute resources to the points of need; a practice that led to the demise of the church and did not survive the rebirth of the church through evangelism following the martyrdom of Stephen. The fact that the practice did not survive provides a basis for understanding God’s purpose that the authority to distribute resources belongs to the owner. Every gift of God to an individual comes with full authority to determine when, where, and how to use “what the Lord has given us.” Whatever is in your possession—physical and mental resources—has been given to you by God, with a mandate and purpose to address the needs around you: needs of self and needs of others; and full authority to choose the needs to address; when, where, and how.

This study discusses a prominent practice of the early church that did not survive the disintegration and rebirth of the church. The early church in Jerusalem practiced communal control of the distribution of resources to points of need: “All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had” [Acts 4:32]. And the church leadership handled the sharing and demanded total surrender of the proceeds of individual ownership. Ananias and wife Sapphira received the ultimate punishment for disobeying.

However, the resource distribution function led to problems that the church leadership tried to solve by handing over the function to a new arm of leadership; the deacons, led by Stephen: “In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food” [Acts 6:1]. The church leadership responded by getting the church to appoint the deacons. Subsequently, any dissatisfaction with the distribution function fell squarely on the shoulders of Stephen and created opening for the enemies of the church. The martyrdom of Stephen and subsequent persecution of the Christians led to disintegration of the church. The Christians scattered far and wide and continued with evangelism wherever they were. Their evangelism led to rebirth of the church in several places. The church thrived, but the practice of exclusive resource distribution authority by the church did not survive.

The fact that the practice did not survive constitutes a basis for understanding that the authority to distribute resources belongs to the owner. Therefore, we learn that every gift of God to an individual comes with full authority to determine when, where, and how to use the resources. The understanding is an important step in learning and sharing God’s purpose for “what the Lord has given us.” We will understand that whatever is in your possession—physical and mental resources—has been given to you by God, with a mandate and purpose to address the needs around you: needs of self and needs of others; and full authority to choose the needs to address; when, where, and how.

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Living in the Image of God, What The Lord Has Given Us

Are You My Neighbor: Individual Responsibility in Call for Assistance

Living in the Image of God M06S01

This study begins a series on understanding God’s intentions for “what the Lord has given us.” We will learn through the series that every gift of God comes with three attributes: full ownership, total control, and a mandated communal purpose. We begin with a discussion of Christ teaching on the individual responsibility regarding a neighbor’s call for assistance, whereby God transmits a call to compassion via a human channel to a human recipient. He informs the recipient regarding circumstances of a person needing goods or service that they cannot provide for themselves. The call recipient is to use what God has given him or her to provide assistance to the needy. God charges the recipient to recognize the need and needy; care about the needy; commit to doing what you can; and, motivated only by care, persevere in seeking to alleviate the need. We discuss the Parable of Good Samaritan to understand the individual responsibility to recognize and respond to a neighbor’s call for assistance.

This study begins a series focused on understanding God’s intentions for “what the Lord has given us.” We will understand through the series that God’s gift to every person comes with three attributes. The first attribute is full ownership: that is, every person has full ownership of what God has given him or her. The second is full control: that is, every person has full authority to determine when, where, and how to use what God has given to him or her. The third is a mandated communal purpose: that is, every gift of God comes with a mandate to understand the value and purpose of the gift regarding the needs of others and needs of the community; and use the understanding to determine when, where, and how to use “what the Lord has given you.”

A gift of God could come to a person as an increase in his or her physical or mental resources. The purpose of the study series is to understand that God calls every person to recognize and honor the communal purpose of what God has given to him or her. We will provide the study in ten sessions: one session every month in February through November of 2025.

In this session of the series, we discuss Christ teaching on the individual responsibility regarding a neighbor’s call for assistance, through the Parable of Good Samaritan. Are you my neighbor? This question announces God’s call for a person to recognize circumstances of another person needing assistance from others. God calls every person to recognize a neighbor’s call for assistance and respond positively. Christ provides a deliberate teaching to prepare every person to recognize a neighbor’s call for assistance and respond effectively using “what the Lord has given us.” We describe the Parable of Good Samaritan in detail to understand the teaching.

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Individual Responsibility, Living in the Image of God

Sharing Things

Living in the Image of God M05S21

The study discusses the message of sharing from Isaiah, John the Baptist, and Apostle Paul to understand that sharing involves sacrificing something to benefit others in need. Sharing means caring for self-interest and the interest of others simultaneously, by recognizing that two or more can benefit from a supply of goods or service, either owned individually or collectively. Consistent with Christ teaching on compassion, a person earns blessing by giving up something to provide for others in need; that is, blessing through sharing by accepting less to accommodate the interest of others. Thus, sharing breeds goodwill because God blesses those that sacrifice something to benefit others in need. Therefore, a person that provides something for people to share has provided them an opportunity to share goodwill. This philosophy of goodwill by sharing is captured by a saying among Ndigbo of Nigeria that he who brings kola brings life. Life comes from sharing kola because of goodwill that comes from each participant accepting less so that others may get a share.

Sharing Things 20:43

This study seeks better understanding that God associates sharing with sacrifice and compassion. Sharing means caring for self-interest and the interest of others simultaneously and often involves accepting less so that others may get a share, from a supply of goods or service owned collectively or individually.

We discuss God’s message regarding sharing from Isaiah, John the Baptist, and Apostle Paul: to understand that God blesses those that share what they have to benefit the interest of others. Sharing is equivalent to sacrificing something in order to provide for the need of others. Therefore, consistent with Christ teaching on compassion, God blesses those that share what they have to benefit others in need.

Sharing breeds goodwill, because people provide mutual opportunities to earn blessing when they share things. Thus, a person that provides something for people to share has provided them an opportunity to share goodwill. This philosophy of goodwill by sharing is captured by a saying among Ndigbo of Nigeria that he who brings kola brings life. Each participant in sharing kola often accepts less so that others may get a share, which means the participants make mutual sacrifice to extend the benefits to others. Life comes from sharing kola because of goodwill that comes from sharing.

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Individual Responsibility, Living in the Image of God

Sharing Benefits of Food

Living in the Image of God M05S20

We discuss God’s purpose for food, which includes direct benefits of nourishment of the body and soul to perform functions of living and indirect benefits to others through human interactions. Because the benefits of food can extend to numerous people beyond the person that consumed the food, there are individual responsibilities regarding food consumption and potential blessings by sharing food with others. The responsibilities include appreciation of the human provider and appreciation of God for empowering the human provider and propagating the benefits of food through human interactions. We earn blessings by sharing food because of enabling the recipient to perform their functions of living among a human interactions network.

Sharing Benefits of Food 19:19

This bible study begins with understanding that God granted explicit authority for people to draw food from plants and other animals, with limitations against eating live blood or eating your own kind. His purpose for food includes nourishment of the body and soul to support the functions of living. Through human interactions, others benefit from functions of living performed by the consumer and transmit the benefits to others and chains of more others. The study focuses on understanding that food provides direct benefits to the person that consumed the food and indirect benefits to others through human interactions.

Food provides direct benefits to the consumer and indirect benefits to others that interact with the consumer and those that interact with them. The indirect benefits are reciprocal, in that any given pair of persons benefit from each other’s food consumption through interactions among them. Further, the indirect benefits propagate through the human interactions network because each person in the network transmits benefits of food consumption by self and others through interactions among them.

In human interactions involving two persons A and B, person-A benefits from food consumed by person-B while person-B benefits from food consumed by person-A. Additionally, person-A benefits from person-B due to food consumption by others that previously interacted with person-B; and vice versa. Thus, the benefits of food eaten by a person can propagate through an extensive network of people, because of human interactions among them.

The study discusses the direct and indirect benefits of food, how the indirect benefits propagate through others by human interactions, individual responsibilities regarding food, and earning blessing by providing food to others to enable their functions of living among an expanding human interactions network.

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Individual Responsibility, Living in the Image of God

Letter on Christian Living—Paul to Ephesians

Living in the Image of God M05S19

Paul’s letter to Ephesians regarding Christian living provides a three-part message. The first part is a call to Christian living, where he calls every person to depart from sin and turn to Living in the Image of God. Christian living is based on the understanding that God creates every person to represent him in human interactions with others: to interact with others as God would interact with them if he lived in human form among them. The second part of the message declares that the Holy Spirit is our partner for Christian living and enables a person to receive and follow God’s guidance to fulfill his purpose for you in every situation. Paul provides advice on being filled with the Holy Spirit, to understand God’s purpose for you in interactions with others. The third segment of the message provides examples to illustrate the individual responsibilities in human interactions for Christian living; specifically, regarding compassion, peace, mercy, and motivation for and practice of righteousness.

Letter on Christian Living—Paul to Ephesians 22:23

In this bible study, we discuss a section of Paul’s letter to Ephesians, where he provides a three-part message regarding Christian living. The first part of the message is a call to Christian living. Paul calls every person to depart from sin and turn to Living in the Image of God: “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” [Ephesians 4: 22–24].

The second part of the message explains that God provides the Holy Spirit as partner in Christian living [Ephesians 5:17–19]: “Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit.”

In the third part of the message, Paul provides examples to describe the individual responsibilities in human interactions for Christian living. The examples include compassion, peace, mercy, motivation for righteousness, and several examples regarding practice of righteousness [Ephesians 5:4–5]: “Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.”

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Individual Responsibility, Living in the Image of God

Accountability of Leadership Based on Samuel and Paul

Living in the Image of God M05S18

We discuss Samuel’s address at the inauguration of the first king of Israel and Paul’s farewell address to Ephesian elders: to understand the source of leadership authority and power, and the rights and responsibilities of the people regarding their leadership. Because the authority of government is mandated by God and belongs to the people, the power of leadership based on the authority is exercised on behalf of the people. Samuel gave account of his state leadership and called on the people of Israel to evaluate his performance regarding the state functions. He highlights the individual responsibility to hold government leadership accountable and evaluate the leadership individually and collectively, in the practice of democracy according to God mandate. Paul extended the principle to non-governmental leadership through his address to church elders in Ephesus. He recognized that the authority and power of leadership of a religious organization belong to the members, the same way that government authority and power belong to the people. Like Samuel, Paul highlights the individual responsibility to hold leadership accountable and evaluate leadership performance for the practice of democracy according to God mandate.

Accountability of Leadership Based on Samuel and Paul 21:03

In this bible study, we discuss two events from the bible to understand the source of leadership authority and power. Also, we discuss the rights and responsibilities of the people regarding their leadership. First, we discuss Prophet Samuel’s address at the inauguration of Saul as the first king of Israel. Second, we discuss Apostle Paul’s farewell address to Ephesian elders as he prepared to depart from Ephesus.

Prophet Samuel’s address at the inauguration of King Saul leads to the following understanding.
The authority of government is mandated by God and belongs to the people. The power of state leadership is based on the authority of government. Potential abuse of power could consist of an unfair application of power against the people; which could manifest as corruption, extortion, or bribery.

In his transfer of state authority and functions to Saul at the first separation of state and worship, Samuel called on the people of Israel to evaluate his performance regarding state leadership [1 Samuel 12:3]: “Here I stand. Testify against me in the presence of the Lord and his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Whom have I cheated? Whom have I oppressed? From whose hand have I accepted a bribe to make me shut my eyes? If I have done any of these things, I will make it right.” Through the interaction, Samuel highlights the individual responsibility to hold state leadership accountable regarding possible abuse of power.

Apostle Paul’s farewell address in Ephesus extends the principle to non-governmental leadership. He called on the church elders to assess his leadership, based on understanding that leadership authority and power belong to the church membership and are exercised on their behalf. Like Samuel’s earlier address to the people of Israel, Paul’s address to the church elders highlights the individual responsibility to hold leadership accountable against possible abuse of power.

The two events recognize the rights and responsibilities of a people regarding their leadership. The authority and power of leadership belong to the people and are exercised on their behalf. Through the interactions, Samuel and Paul highlight the individual responsibility to hold leadership accountable, evaluate leadership performance, and apply the information toward a collective assessment to determine subsequent actions in the practice of democracy according to God mandate.

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