Living in the Image of God M07S03

The bible at John 3:16–21 describes two interdependent conditions for human relationship with God. The first is believing in God, salvation, and eternal life; through Jesus Christ the Son. The second is Living by the Truth of God, that is, Living according to God’s purpose for human interactions and relationships. The two conditions are interdependent and interwoven: believing in God calls for commitment to Living by the Truth of God, which, in turn, requires believing in God. The first condition defines the requirement for receiving the gift of God. The second defines commitment to using the gift of God toward accomplishing his purpose. This bible study discusses Christ teaching that God judges every person based on performance in the second condition. He uses the first condition to provide resources needed for the second; then, he judges every person based on their performance in the second, i.e., using the gift of God towards fulfilling God’s purpose for human interactions and relationships.

This bible study is anchored on John 3:16–21, which describes two interdependent conditions for human relationship with God. The first is believing in God, salvation, and eternal life; through Jesus Christ the Son: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” [John 3:16]. The second is Living by the Truth of God, that is, Living according to God’s purpose for human interactions and relationships: “But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God” [John 3:21].

The two conditions are interdependent and interwoven: believing in God calls for commitment to Living by the Truth of God, which, in turn, requires believing in God. The first condition (believing in God) defines requirements for accessing resources that God provides to enable a person perform the second condition (Living by the Truth of God).

Christ teaching conveys a message that God judges every person based on their performance in the second condition—toward fulfilling God’s purpose for human interactions and relationships. We discuss his teaching regarding the requirement for receiving eternal life in the Kingdom of God. Also, we discuss his teaching regarding God’s binary categorization of people as righteous or wicked based on having shown themselves fit or unfit for his purpose in human interactions and relationships. Christ describes the categorization using the Parable of the Net, Parable of the Weeds, and Parable of the Sheep and the Goat.