BIBLICAL SALVATION

Lesson One

Memory Verse:  Matthew 4:4                                               Lesson Verse: 1 John 5:12

I.         Introduction

The decision to trust Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour is the greatest decision you could ever make! The purpose of this lesson is to explain briefly what happens when you got saved, and how the decision to trust Christ forever affects your relationship with God.

II.       The Requirement of Salvation

God’s salvation is not something imposed, or forced upon humanity. It is presented to us freely, requiring a committed choice on our part to become saved. To make that right choice, we have to have all the facts. Let us now look at the facts as presented by the Bible.

A.      The spiritual condition of every person is described as what? (look in Romans 3:10, and 23 ) ______________________.

B.       What does the Bible say “sin” is? (1 John 3:4 ) _______________________ _____________________. To “trans-gress” is to “cross a line” that God laid-out to show what is right and wrong. When we cross His laws (break through them), we sin. We call it “breaking God’s laws.”

C.       To be classified as a sinner does not only mean being a murderer, or a thief, but it means when a person does ANY sin (James 2:9,10 ; like stealing, cursing, rebelling, hating, dishonouring, coveting, etc.). Therefore, anyone who sins at all, is a sinner in God’s eyes, and needs to be saved.

D.      What is the penalty God places on our sin? (Romans 6:23 ) ________. “Wages” are what we earn - they are the result of our actions. Wages are the opposite of the “_____ of God” which cannot be earned!

E.       Is it possible for a sinner to save himself or herself from the penalty of their sin through good works?  (Ephesians 2:8,9 ; Titus 3:5 )  Yes or No?

1.        Notice that it is “not of _________, lest any man should boast.”

2.        Notice also that it is “not by works of ___________________…”

3.        It is only obtained by surrender - allow Jesus to do all the saving of your soul - no longer trying to do all the right things to earn heaven. Stop working at being good, and accept what Jesus did for you in your place.

F.       What did God provide for us when His Son died?

1.         “____________ life” (John 3:16,17 ).

2.        But to get it, we must be “born _______” (John 3:3,7 ).

G.       Is there any other way to heaven than through Jesus (John 14:6 )? ________

III.     Let's explore the two births the Bible talks about

A.      The first birth is your PHYSICAL birth (John 3:1-7 ):

1.        This is a water birth (John 3:5 ). It is not baptism. We start in water. Every human is born out of a water sack in the womb.

2.        Your first birth comes from your physical parents. Their “flesh” produced your _________ (John 3:6 ).

B.       The second birth is your SPIRITUAL birth (John 3:5,6 ):

1.        This birth can only come from God. John 4:24  says that “God is a __________.” He is not flesh like we humans are. According to John 3:6, His Spirit will produce _________ in the life of a sinner if they would just fully believe on His Son, Jesus Christ!

2.        The second birth involves trusting God’s ________  to be true (1Peter 1:23 ). You can fully and completely trust the death of Jesus Christ to be your payment for your sin, because God said in His word you could, and that He would give you as a free gift, eternal salvation - eternal life!

C.       There are only two “births” that a person can experience. The first birth gives only temporary life - it came from temporary parents. It ends in death because of sin. The second birth is only experienced by a person who turns to Christ for salvation from sin. It never ends because it is eternal - it came from an eternal Parent.

D.      The first birth makes you physically a child of your parents. The second birth makes you spiritually and eternally a child of ____ (John 1:11,12 ).

E.       A person desperately needs Jesus Christ, because without Him, there is no other _______ to God (John 14:6 ).

1.        Sin _____________ all of humanity from God (Isaiah 59:2 ).

2.        If a person dies without having their sin paid-off by faith in Jesus Christ, there is only one other destiny for them (John 3:36 ; Matthew 23:33 ; Matthew 25:41 ; Revelation 20:10-15 ).

a.        What is that destiny? _____________________________

b.       There is no such thing as “purgatory,” or limbo.

F.       Salvation is NOT a "process" - it is instantly given (Luke 18:9-14 ). There is always a process to the humbling of a person, but when they know they are lost, and in need of forgiveness, once salvation is asked for, it is instantly, and totally given by God – because of Christ!!!

G.       What must a person do in order to be saved, or born again?

1.        ______________ (Acts 20:20,21 ; 2 Peter 3:9 ). Repentance  is a determined choice to turn away FROM sin, and turn TO Jesus Christ for salvation. It is being very sorry for your sin, and hating it! This is different from “penance” which is you trying to PAY for your sinfulness. You cannot do anything to pay for sins - only Jesus can!

2.        ______________ (John 1:11,12 ; John 5:24 ).

a.        What does it mean to “believe on Jesus?”

1)       Not to just agree with the Bible with our head (even the devils ‘believe’; James 2:19 )

2)       But to understand from the heart that the only payment that God will accept for your sins is the death of Jesus Christ in your place (1 John 2:2; 5:4,5 ). Accept His payment for you!

b.       The word “propitiation ” means “full payment.” God had to do more than just “forgive” sins, He had to completely pay-off all the broken laws that had mounted up against us, and that is what Jesus’ death did - it paid in full all our sin debt!

H.      Can you be sure Christ will save you if you ask Him to do so? Yes, or  No

1.        Read carefully Romans 10:13,17. God said it -- that should settle it.

2.        Faith is “confidence” in God’s promise, that He will never lie to you! He promises in His word over and over that He can and will save you!

IV.     The Four ‘R’s of Salvation - Learn these well!

A.      Realize you are a sinner, and without the necessary righteousness to earn your entrance into heaven (Romans 3:23). None of us are good enough to go as we are! We have to be changed from condemned to forgiven.

B.       Recognize that you cannot save yourself, and that you need God's specific intervention (Titus 3:5). None of us have the ability to pay off our sins, no matter how much we try! No one can ever be "good enough!"

C.       Repent of your old life, and all the sin that filled it (become disgusted with your sin and flee from it to God), and give all that you are to the One who loves you and gave Himself for you on the cross (2 Corinthians 7:10). You can’t truly repent unless you see yourself as a sinner separated from God by your own sin, and realize the only eternity for you is in hell (John 3:36).

D.      Once you have repented, you are then empty, and ready to Receive the free gift of eternal life from God by faith specifically asking in prayer for God to save you because of Jesus (Ephesians 2:8,9; Romans 10:13)! You need to ask specifically to be saved - don’t be vague or shy with God! And remember: you can ask simply because Jesus Christ paid for it, for you!

V.      The Completion of A Person’s Salvation

A.      Is salvation dependent upon our ability to live perfect and holy lives? (Galatians 3:11) Yes or No? Remember, salvation is NOT a “continual” process, but rather a one-time event, that changes your destiny forever! Just like your first birth was a one time event, so also is your second birth!

B.       Who intercedes (helps us) with God on behalf of a Christian who yields to temptation in a time of weakness? (1 John 2:1,2) _________. Even a Christian can sin. A Christian is not perfect, only forgiven.

C.       We therefore can never lose our salvation once we have been born again! (Romans 8:37-39; John 10:27-29; Jude 24) Let’s examine why not!

1.        Because we have been Adopted into God’s family - taken from being condemned sinners, and made into children of God, and heirs of everything that God has (Romans 8:15-17)! We are in God’s family now!

2.        Because we are Forgiven - all our sins (past, present and future) were paid for completely at the cross by Christ! There is NO further payment necessary for us to pay (Ephesians 1:7; Acts 26:18)!

3.        Because we have been Justified - we exchange our sinfulness for the righteousness of Jesus Christ (Acts 13:38,39; 2 Corinthians 5:21)!!!

VI.    Dealing With Sin Once You Are Saved

A.      Can a Christian be happy while disobeying God? Yes or No? Notice how it will affect us (Psalm 32:2-5; Hebrews 12:5-11). God always endeavors to make us mature, and holy in our lives by correcting us when we sin.

B.       What should a believer do when they sin? (1 John 1:9; Proverbs 28:13) ___________________________________________________________.

VII.  Concluding Questions - Fill in these questions from memory.

A.      The Bible was written for us to know that we are _________, and that as sinners we needed God to reach down to us (not for us to reach up), and to save us from ________.

B.       The theme of the Bible from start to finish is all about “the _________ of God which taketh away the _______ of the world”

C.       God has revealed truth through the _________ alone.

D.      Our salvation depends only upon whether we are willing by faith to let the _______ of Jesus Christ be sufficient to pay off all our sin-debt to God, instead of trying to pay it off ourselves with our own good works.

E.       The term “born again” refers to what? An external birth, or an internal birth? (Circle one).

F.       When Jesus died, whose place was He taking? _______________

G.       When a person repents of their sins, and calls upon Jesus Christ to save them from hell, how long does it take before they are forgiven of all sins, past, present, and future? _______________________________________

H.      Have you let Him take your place, and been born again? Yes or No