Today’s post is from the Sharing God’s Story with Disney’s Frozen bible study.
This movie based bible study uses Disney’s Frozen and therefore contains spoilers.
Be sure to check out our Frozen page for more ways to share God’s story with Disney’s Frozen.
Early in Frozen we are told that,
Only an act of true love can thaw a frozen heart.
This is a very powerful – and biblical – idea.
Our frozen hearts separate us from God. But God demonstrates His love for us by chasing us down.
Our hearts are frozen because we are under a curse. But like in Frozen, there is someone who can break that curse and thaw our hearts!
Anna chased after Elsa like God chased after Adam and Eve and chases after us!
This is because Anna loved Elsa like God loves us.
Knowing this, and knowing that Anna is the one that loved Elsa so much that she went looking for her, what role might Anna play in Elsa’s redemption?
But God demonstrates his own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)
Not only did Anna go out and find Elsa but she demonstrated her (agape) love for Elsa by sacrificing herself to save her.
Anna demonstrated her love for Elsa by dying for her, by dying in her place.
Anna, who did nothing wrong, died to save Elsa.
Anna certainly did not deserve to die. She didn’t freeze the kingdom. She didn’t leave her sister, her home, and her kingdom.
She didn’t do anything wrong. Elsa did.
But Anna died.
Why?
Because she loved Elsa the way Jesus loves us.
Instead of being motivated by selfish ambition or vanity, each of you should, in humility, be moved to treat one another as more important than yourself. Each of you should be concerned not only about your own interests, but about the interests of others as well. Philippines 2:3-8
This very much describes Anna!
If she had stayed in Arendelle then SHE would have been the queen! But instead of looking out for herself (selfish ambition) or her position (becoming Queen) she humbled herself and went out to find – and save – Elsa.
You should have the same attitude toward one another that Christ Jesus had, who though he existed in the form of God did not regard equality with God as something to be grasped, but emptied himself by taking on the form of a slave, by looking like other men, and by sharing in human nature. He humbled himself, by becoming obedient to the point of death – even death on a cross!
She had the same attitude towards Elsa that Christ has towards us. She left her glory (her kingdom where she would have become the queen) and went out looking for Elsa so that she could save her.
And in the same way that Christ humbled himself to the point of death, so did Anna! As we already stated Anna humbled herself to the point of death so that she could save Elsa.
In this Reel Parable, we are Elsa, separated because of our actions and in need of help Anna is Jesus, the one who sacrificed himself so we can have eternal life.
Why did Anna save Elsa?
Did Anna deserve to die?
Why was this an act of “true love?”
How was this act of true love (agape) different from a simple “true love’s (Eros) kiss?” What’s the difference between the two?
If you are not a Christian, what actions separate you from God?
If you are a Christian, what actions negatively affect your relationship with God?
Who deserves to be punished for those sins?
Why would Jesus take the punishment – die for – your actions?
Why would Jesus love you that much?
Have you confessed those actions (and your sinfulness in general) to God?
Remember 2 Peter 3:9 and I John 1:9:
The Lord is not slow concerning his promise, as some regard slowness, but is being patient toward you, because he does not wish for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9)
You are not getting away with anything. You may not have been caught yet, but you are not off the hook. Someday you will give an account for your sins. Some of you may feel that you are doing that now (sin does, after all, affect relationships) and some of you may feel like you are getting away with something. Please know that God will make all of us give an account.
God is patient so that you will repent.
Justice will be served. Please, I beg you, don’t take God’s patience as a sign that you are getting away with it. God’s patience towards you is so that you will repent – turn from your sins and turn towards God – and “get right” with God.
The goal is not to “get away” with it, the goal is to “get right” with God. Repent while God is still showing His patience.
That’s where the confession comes in for both Christians and non-Christians.
But if we confess our sins, he (God) is faithful and righteous, forgiving us our sins and cleansing us from all unrighteousness. (I John 1:9)
In the same way that an “I’m sorry” can restore a broken human relationship, an “I’m sorry” can also restore a broken relationship with God.
If you are not a Christian then this is an act of faith; Repent (turn from your sin and turn towards God) and confess your sins to Him.
As Christian, we will still sin. Although our sins have been forgiven (justice already served!) they can still negatively affect our relationship with God. Some people will say it like this; sin breaks our fellowship with God. We don’t lose our salvation, but we can break our fellowship with God.
And because God knows that we will still sin this applies to Christians also. We need to restore that fellowship by confessing our sins. This is our “I’m sorry” to God.
When Elsa was out of fellowship with Anna, Anna chased her down.
God has done the same for us.
Notice also that Elsa apologizes to Anna, the one whom she has sinned against.
We need to do the same with God. We need to apologize (repent and confess) for our sins so that we can restore our relationship (fellowship).
Like this? Be sure to head on over to Amazon and check out Sharing God’s Story with Disney’s Frozen!
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SharingGodsStorywithFrozen (Frozen and the “Romans Road”)
SharingGodsStorywithDisneysFrozenandtheWordlessBook (Frozen and the Wordless Book)
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Until next time, God bless.
Simon L Smith