March 27, 2020
Hello.
When I go on a vacation, or when I have to go out of town, I ask the Lord to show me something special during my time of Bible reading. Each time He has answered my prayer in this, and the spiritual growth I found was very encouraging. “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.” Jeremiah 33:3
So for all of us, I want this time of shutdown to be a time of growth in the Lord. Proverbs 6:10-11 warns us, “Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man.” I certainly don’t want us to become poor when it comes to our walk with God!
I want us to focus on three things during our time apart from one another: (1) The Bible; (2) Family Time; (3) Prayer.
To start this going, I am including with this letter a simple Bible study. I think that often the simple things are the best, and so I would like us to all go back to the basics for a time, and refresh ourselves in things we already know, or in things that we thought that we knew, or in things that we might be a little bit rusty. These are nice fill-in-the-blank studies. I want each of you to work on them, and save your paperwork, and then when we all get back together again, we can see how much we have grown.
The first study that I’m sending is on The Assurance of Salvation. My family and I will be going over these together in our nightly Bible time. I recommend you do the same, which brings us to Family Time. During this shutdown, we need to focus on godly husband and wife relationships, godly parenting, and family Bible time together.
Then, let’s focus on Prayer; praying for our government leaders to make good decisions, and praying that when this lockdown is lifted, we may speak of the hope in Jesus Christ that we have for forgiveness of sins and eternal life. Many are fearful in this time, and when Christians show that they are resting in God’s mercy whether in life or death or sickness, then they will see us as the light in the world that God intended us to be.
Let me know how it is going!
Psalm 91:14-15 – Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.
Pastor Brian
ASSURANCE OF SALVATION
Many new Christians are surprised to find that shortly after they receive Jesus Christ as Savior, doubts begin to arise in their minds. They soon begin to wonder if God has really forgiven them, and if they are truly are on their way to heaven. Let me assure you that these doubts are common to most every new believer. Satan is our enemy who will do his best to raise all kinds of questions. He most often will try to cast doubt upon the work the Holy Spirit has done in your heart and life when you accepted Jesus Christ.
Your only hope of successfully resisting Satan's attack is to go to the Word of God, the Bible. The Bible very clearly says that if we believe in the name of the Son of God, we can know that we have eternal life.
1. The Problem concerning Sin.
A. The fact of sin.
(1)There are many different words in the Bible that God uses to describe sin.
The Bible speaks of wickedness, iniquity, lawlessness, unrighteousness, and ungodliness. These are just a few of the many words for sin in Scripture.
There are two kinds of sins mentioned in the Bible: sins of commission (wrong things we do), and sins of omission (right things we don't do).
(2) In the following verses, how does the Bible define sin?
1 John 3:4
James 4:17
(3) Who does the Bible say is guilty of sin?
Romans 3:23
1 John 5:19
(4) What is the main result or consequence of sin?
Romans 5:12
Romans 6:23
James 1:15
B. The failure of the sinner.
(1) The Bible clearly teaches that a person cannot save himself. What do the following verses tell us concerning how a person is NOT saved?
Ephesians 2:8-9
Titus 3:5
(2) What do these verses tell us concerning how a person IS saved?
Ephesians 2:8-9
Titus 3:5
(3) What does the Bible say concerning our own self-righteousness in the light of God's holiness and perfection?
Romans 3:10
Isaiah 64:6
2. The Promise Concerning Salvation
A. Salvation is a free gift.
(1) For something to be a true gift, it must be free.
(a) Who does the Bible say is the giver of eternal life?
1 John 5:11
(b) Where does the Bible say that eternal life is found?
1 John 5:11
(2) It is clear from the Bible that there are some who have eternal life, and some who do not have eternal life.
(a) Who according to the Bible has the gift of eternal life?
1 John 5:12
(b) Who according to the Bible does not have eternal life?
1 John 5:12
(3) How does a person receive this gift of eternal life?
John 3:14-16
John 6:47
B. Salvation is eternal.
(1) What three things did Jesus promise to those who hear His words and believe? (John 5:24)
Promise 1
Promise 2
Promise 3
(2) What two things did Jesus promise would never happen to those who belong to Him? (John 10:27-28)
Promise 1
Promise 2
How long is eternal?
3. The Privilege Concerning Assurance.
A. We can know that we are saved through the witness of God's Word.
(1) Our assurance is based upon the Bible. (1 John 5:13)
(a) Who does John say he is writing to?
(b) What did John say they could know?
(2) We can know beyond any doubt that we are saved.
(a) An old preacher was once asked if he felt that his sins had been forgiven. "No," he replied, "I do not feel that my sins are forgiven. I know my sins are forgiven because the Word of God says so!"
(b) Our salvation is not some hope-so salvation. Our salvation is a know-so salvation.
B. We can know that we are saved through the witness of God's Spirit. (Romans 8:16)
(1) The Holy Spirit gives assurance of salvation.
(a) What does the Spirit do with our spirit?
(b) What does the Spirit help us to know?
(2) When a person becomes a child of God, he not only receives Christ within, but he is placed in Christ.
(a) What is said to take place when a person is placed in Christ? (2 Corinthians 5:17)
(b) Which of the following changes have you experienced in your life since you trusted Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord?
-- Inner peace and joy
-- New awareness of sin
--Victory over sin
-- Growing love for God
-- Desire to read the Bible
-- Regular time of prayer
-- New outlook on life
-- Better attitude
-- Sense of forgiveness
-- Desire to see others saved
Conclusion: Meditate on what you have studied throughout this lesson and consider how that you might apply it to your life. Memorize 1 John 5:11-12