Here is a sample lesson from the upcoming Why Do Bad Things Happen? Family Bible Study. If you’re short on time, jump down to the Bible Lesson, Part 2. I’d appreciate your feedback as I’m editing this study.
Unit 4, Lesson 1: Free Will, Original Sin, and Predestination
Teaching objective: By the end of this lesson, families should be able to define “free will.”
Biblical texts: Gen. 3; Rom 7:18-20; 8:2; 1 Cor. 10:13; Eph. 1:4-5; Jn. 6:44.
Supplies needed: a Bible (or Bible app)
Optional Time-Savers & Helps:
- Cue up the “Review with Music” song on YouTube.
- Collect pictures.
- Bookmark the Bible verses used in today’s lesson (Gen. 2:15-17; 3:7, 14-19, 21-24; Rom. 7:18-20; 8:2; 1 Cor. 10:13; Eph. 1:4-5; Jn. 6:44). The benefit of this is saving the time spent looking them up. The drawback is that family members don’t get to practice their Bible skills. It’s your call.
Introduction
If you could choose any food, what would you eat for lunch? (Allow the family to answer.) What would you do if you could choose anything to do next weekend? (Allow the family to answer.) If you could go anywhere you want, where would you go? (Allow the family to answer.) It’s fun making choices! That’s what we’re talking about today: choices. First, let’s pray.
For younger children: Fold your hands and close your eyes. We’re going to talk to God. Lord, thank You that we can make choices. Please help us to make choices that obey You. We love You, Lord. In Jesus’ name, we pray, amen.
For older children: Lord, we love You. Thank You for giving us the gift of choice and free will. Teach us what it means to obey and honor You. Open our hearts today, Lord. We love You. In Jesus’ name, we pray, amen.
Bible Lesson, Part 1
In unit 1, we learned the overarching storyline of the Bible. Say it with me: “Creation. God made the world. Fall. Sin broke the world. Redemption. Jesus is the only way to be saved. Glorification. Believers get to live with Jesus!” Now we’re looking at some things that describe who God is. We’ve already learned that God is omnibenevolent, wholly good, and omnipotent, all-powerful. In this unit, we’re focusing on the choices human beings make. This ability to make choices is called “free will.” Today we’re going to define what “free will” means.
Free will is the ability to make choices. God gave us this gift. When we choose not to obey God, that is called sin. The first sin recorded in Scripture and its consequences is called “original sin.” Let’s see what happened.
Read Genesis 2:15-17. What did God tell Adam not to do? (Allow the family to answer.) If someone breaks that rule, what is the consequence? (Allow the family to answer.)
Read Genesis 3:6. What did Adam and Eve do? (Allow the family to answer.) Let’s look at the consequences.
For younger children: Read Genesis 3:17-19.
For older children: Read Genesis 3:7, 14-19, 21-24.
For everyone: What were the consequences of Adam and Eve’s sin? (Allow the family to answer. It’s OK if they don’t catch everything.)
Sin broke the world. Now we need to cover up our nakedness. Life is hard, not just for humans but for all of creation. Now there are thorns, bee stings, and other ways to get hurt. Sin messed up our relationships with other people. Worst of all, now humans can’t live forever. That is the death God warned Adam and Eve about in Gen. 2:17. There was one more consequence.
Read Romans 7:18-20.
Because of the original sin in the Garden of Eden, every human being now has what the Bible calls a sinful nature. That means there’s a desire, a pull within us, to disobey God and sin. We see this all around us. All your life, you will feel pressure from people around you and even from in your own heart to disobey God and sin. That’s a big problem because sin separates us from God.
Read Romans 8:2. How can we be set free from this pull to sin? (Allow the family to answer.)
When we confess our sin, tell on ourselves to God, and trust in Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we are set free and get to live with God forever. Then the Holy Spirit comes to live inside of us.
Read 1 Corinthians 10:13. God is more powerful than sin. Whenever we have that desire to sin and pull to disobey God, the Holy Spirit is there to show us the better choice. Thank You, God, for setting us free through faith in Jesus Christ!
Break: Review with Music
Let’s take a break and sing a song. (Encourage more active children to dance, sway, or move around during the song. Choose one of the following to sing together.)
- “O Be Careful Little Eyes What You See” (younger children)
- “Whom Shall I Fear (God of Angel Armies)” by Chris Tomlin (praise & worship)
- “Amazing Grace” (hymn)
- Your favorite song about God’s protection or God’s forgiveness.
Bible Lesson, Part 2
We’ve learned that free will means we have a choice. God gave us this gift. When we choose not to obey God, that is called sin. The first sin recorded in Scripture and its consequences is called “original sin.” When we trust Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we are set free from sin and death. The Holy Spirit comes to live inside us, and we get to live with God forever.
For younger children: Skip ahead to the Discussion Questions.
For older children: The Bible also talks about things like predestination and God’s providence. This means that God is in charge of everything and everyone. He knows what is going to happen in advance, and He also guides our steps. Read Ephesians 1:4-5; John 6:44.
How does predestination work with free will? We don’t know. That is one of the things that God knows, and we can’t fully understand (Isa. 55:8). Here’s what we do know. The Holy Spirit works in our hearts even before we ask Jesus to be our Lord and Savior. He helps us to understand, convicts us of sin, and draws us to the Father. We also know that God has a plan for each of us and has chosen who will come into a saving relationship with Him (Rom. 8:29). God knew everything that would happen in your life, every choice you would make, even before you were born (Ps. 139:16). At the same time, we are responsible for the choices we make (Eccl. 12:13-14; Josh. 24:15; Deut. 30:19; 1 Cor 10:13; 1 Jn 1:9; Rom. 6:23).
How do we deal with a Bible teaching that seems to contradict itself? First of all, never assume you fully understand exactly how it works. Faithful Christians in their 90s who have read and studied the Bible since they were children still learn new things. Second, pray and ask God to teach you and help you to understand. God is not afraid of your questions or uncertainties (John 20:24-31). Keep reading and studying the Bible as you look for the answer. Third, ask trusted teachers, but always check what they say with the Bible to see if they are correct (1 Thess. 5:20-22; Acts 17:11). Finally, be humble enough to acknowledge that you are not God. You won’t understand everything He does and says. Some things are just a mystery (Ps. 139:6; Rom. 11:33; Job 42:3; Ps. 19:12; Ps 131:1; Job 11:7-9). When I get frustrated about something I don’t understand, I read Job 38-42. It helps me get my heart right before I continue seeking to learn and understand.
Discussion Questions
Let’s see how well you listened and think about what we’ve learned.
- What does free will mean? Free will means we have a choice.
- What is sin? Sin is when we disobey God.
- What is original sin?
- Describe some of the consequences of our wrong, sinful choices.
- For older children: What is predestination?
- For older children: What should we do when the Bible seems to contradict itself?
Memory Verse
This week’s verse is long, but you can do it! Memorize the first part of this week’s memory verse together. First Corinthians 10:13 (NIV; Feel free to use a different version if you prefer.) “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind.” 1 Cor. 10:13. Like we’ve learned today, we all have a choice. Temptation is when we have the pull to do the wrong thing. For example, if I see a plate of freshly-baked cookies sitting on the counter, I want to take one and eat it. Then another one. Then another one, and more, until I’ve eaten every single cookie. That pull, that “want” to do what I know isn’t right, is called temptation. When you say “temptation,” pretend to reach for a cookie. Say the first part of 1 Cor. 10:13 again. “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind.” 1 Cor. 10:13. That verse means everyone experiences temptation. You’re not the only one with a “want” to do the wrong thing. BUT, we don’t have to give in and do it. We’re not stuck in these situations. The rest of this verse explains the way out. We’ll look at that next time.
Bible Skills
What is the very first book in the Bible? Practice finding Genesis without using the Table of Contents. What book is in the middle of the Bible? Practice finding Psalms. What are the first four books in the New Testament? What are they called? Practice finding the Gospels. Locate the Table of Contents in a Bible. [If you’re using a Bible app, find the list of Bible books.] What is the last book of the Bible? Revelation is the book of New Testament Prophecy. Revelation tells about when Jesus comes back again. Say that with me. “Revelation tells about when Jesus comes back again.”
Optional Challenge: What is the first book of the Bible? What are the other books of the Law? Practice finding Genesis without using the Table of Contents. Practice saying the books of Wisdom. Practice finding the book of Psalms without using the Table of Contents. Practice saying the books of the Major Prophets. Practice finding Isaiah without using the Table of Contents.
Revelation is the book of New Testament Prophecy. It is the last book in the Bible. Find the book of Revelation.
Revelation was written at a time when Christians were being severely persecuted. If someone found out you were a Christian, you would be put to death. The book of Revelation is a book of warning but also a book of hope. Its purpose is to encourage Christians not to give up when things get bad (because they will). Yes, things will continue to get worse and worse, but that won’t last forever. There will come the point where God will say, “Enough,” and Jesus will come back again. This world and all its bad things will be thrown into the eternal fire, and God will make all things new. When that happens, every person who has ever lived will face the Lord’s judgment. Those who have trusted Jesus as their Lord and Savior will get to live with Him forever. Those who have not will be cast into the lake of fire (Rev. 20:11-15). Then, for the rest of eternity, we will live in God’s creation as He first designed it: holy, good, and perfect (Rev. 21-22).
Quick Summary & Peek At Next Time
Today we learned what free will means. Free will means we have a choice. We also learned that sin is when we choose to disobey God. Next time we’ll look at what would have happened if God hadn’t given us free will.
Optional Further Reading:
Rom. 5-8
Additional Resources:
- Bridges, Jerry. Trusting God: Even When Life Hurts. Colorado Springs: NavPress, 1988.
- Crain, Natasha. Keeping Your Kids on God’s Side: 40 Conversations to Help Them Build a Lasting Faith. Eugene, OR: Harvest House Publishers, 2016.
- Lewis, C.S. The Problem of Pain. New York: HarperOne, 1940.
- Write, N.T. Evil and the Justice of God. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2006.
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