Christian Principles

CHRISTIAN PRINCIPLES

INTRODUCTION: These lessons include only a few of the basic principles that Christians must have in their lives. There are many more principles which are taught in the Bible that are just important as the ones discussed in the lessons here.

I. LOVE

Love is defined as a person’s character and attitude of good will and kindness. It is recognizing how valuable, priceless, and precious an object is.

1. God is love. (I John 4:7-12, 16)

2. God’s love is shown to us in His redemption plan. Jesus died as a sacrifice on the cross for our sins. (Ephesians 2:4-7; Romans 8:32)

3. Real love is expressed in service. It requires action; rather than just saying I love. (I John 3:18)

4. Real love lasts forever and never ends. (I Corinthians 13:7-8) Nothing can separate us from God’s love. (Romans 8:33-39)

5. Jesus gave a new commandment, that we love one another even as He has loved us. (John 13:34)

B. How is our love for God measured?

1. Our love for God is measured by our obedience to God’s word.(John 14:15,21,24; I John 5:3; II John1:6)

2. Our love for God is measured by how much we love our brother and fellow man.(I Peter 2:17; I John 3:10; 4:7-8; 11:20-21)

C. Why should I love other people?

1. I should love other people because God first loved me and gave Christ to die for my sins. (John 3:16-21; II Corinthians 5:14-15; 8:8-9; I John 4:9-10,19)

2. Without love for other people, anything else we do is vain and worth nothing. (I Corinthians 13:1-3)

3. Without love we cannot abide in God. (I John 4:16-17)

4. Without love we cannot be followers of Christ. (John 13:31-35; 15:12-17; Romans 8:28)

5. If we do not love our neighbor or brother, we cannot love God. (I John 4:20-21)

6. Love causes us to seek good for our neighbor. (I Corinthians 10:24)

D. Who is my neighbor? (Luke 10:29-37; John 4:7-10)

1. My neighbor is not just the person who lives in the house next to me.

2. My neighbor is not just a person who lives in my own village.

3. My neighbor is anyone I meet in need whom I can help.

A. My neighbor is the man sick and in need whom I can help.

B. My neighbor is the orphan or widow in need whom I can help.

C. My neighbor is my enemy when he is hungry, thirsty, or in need. Christ tells us to love our enemies at all times. (Romans 12:20; Matthew 5:43-48)

D. Love will not let me hurt other people. (Romans 13:8-10)

E. We are to love our enemies. (Matthew 5:38-46; Luke 6:27-37; Romans 12:14-21; Proverbs 19:11; 24:17, 29; 25:21-22)

1. If we love our enemies, we will forgive them and not hold grudges against the. (Luke 6:27-37; Matthew 5:7)

2. Christ forgave His enemies when they were killing Him. (Luke 23:34)

3. Stephen forgave his enemies when they were killing him. (Acts 7:54-60)

F. Review questions

1. What is love?

2. How is the greatest commandment in the Bible?

3. What is the greatest commandment in the Bible?

4. Who is your neighbor? Discuss in detail.

5. How can we love our enemies?

II. HUMILITY

A. Humility is defined as the absence of haughtiness or pride of spirit. A humble person is not puffed up with self-importance.

B. Humility means to be willing to become the servant of other people. (Matthew 23:11-12; Mark 9:33-35)

1. Jesus did not come to earth to please Himself. (Romans 15:1-3)

2. Jesus became a servant and obeyed God. (Philippians 2:3-8)

3. Jesus served His disciples and washed their feet. (John 13:1-17)

4. Jesus became a servant so that we could have all spiritual blessings. (II Corinthians 8:9;4-5)

5. We should be servants to other people. (I Corinthians 9:18-23)

6. We should do good to all men. (Galatians 6:10)

7. For us to be first or great in God’s kingdom or church today, we must be servants of other people. (Matthew 20:20-28; Mark 10:35-45)

C. Humility is unselfishness. It seeks to do good to other people, not just to seek pleasure and good things for ourselves. (I Corinthians 13:4-5; Romans 12:10)

D. Why should a man be humble?

1. God is against the proud but is in favor of the humble. (I Peter 5:5-6; 3:8; James 4:6-10; Proverbs 3:34)

2. God hates pride in a man. (Proverbs 8:13; 6:16-19; 16:5; Psalms 12:3-4; 73:1-28; 101:5)

3. Pride will destroy a man. (Proverbs 18:12; I Corinthians 10:12)

4. Pride is a sin.(II Timothy 3:2-9)

5. Pride will cause a man to teach things that are not in God’s word, the Bible. (I Timothy 6:3-10)

6. We are not to puff ourselves up, be high-minded, or think of ourselves as being better than other people. In God’s sight we are all equal. In God’s sight we are all the same. (Acts 10:34-35; Romans 12:3-19; I Corinthians 4:6-7; 5:2,6; 10:12-13,17-18; Colossians 3:25)