By Edwin D. Roels


Introduction

In Lesson Four we learned about the wonderful things that Jesus Christ said and did while he was on earth. However, you may wonder what all this has to do with you. You may be asking: “Did Jesus die in my place? Can I find forgiveness for all my sins? Can I really be sure that I will live forever with Jesus in glory?” In this Lesson you will read the Bible’s answer to those questions.


1. What does it mean to be “saved”?

Being saved is not the same as being baptized or joining a church or making a public profession of faith. Being saved involves an inward change in a person’s mind and heart which is brought about by the work of the Holy Spirit in his life. A person who is saved sincerely trusts in Jesus Christ as the one who paid the penalty for his sins and accepts Jesus as the Lord and Master of his life. A saved person is therefore a child of God whose sins have all been forgiven and who has received the gift of eternal life.

Scripture References

To all who did receive him [Jesus], who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. (John 1:12)

The blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. (1 John 1:7)

 God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. (1 John 5:11)


2. How can God forgive us without punishing us?

God forgives us because Jesus Christ, the sinless Son of God, took on himself the punishment which we deserved. When we put our trust in Jesus and accept him as our Savior, he becomes our substitute. God accepts Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross in our behalf and declares us not guilty.

Scripture References

He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. (Isaiah 53:5)

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. (1 Peter 2:24)

All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. (Romans 3:23-25)


3. Is God actually willing to forgive all our sins

Yes, every one! There is no sin too great or too serious to be beyond God’s forgiving grace. However, we should remember that God’s gracious forgiveness does not always repair the harm that is done in this life because of our sins. The guilt of our sin is gone, but the consequences of our sin may continue in many different ways.

Scripture References

Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool. (Isaiah 1:18)

As far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. (Psalm 103:12)

He [God] will again have compassion on us; he will tread our iniquities underfoot. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea. (Micah 7:19)


4. What must I do in order to receive this wonderful salvation?

You must humbly repent of your sins and sincerely believe that Jesus died in your place. Faith is not simply a mental belief that Jesus died on the cross for “the sins of the world.” It is a sincere belief that Jesus died specifically for you. It also includes treasuring Jesus as supremely precious, desiring to have Jesus take control of your life, and sincerely committing yourself to please and honor him in all that you do.

Scripture References

The apostle Paul said: Testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. (Acts 20:21)

Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out. (Acts 3:19)

Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household. (Acts 16:31)


5. What does it mean to repent?

To repent involves honestly admitting that we have not lived the way God wants us to live, sincerely grieving over the ways we dishonor God and hurt others through our failures and sins, truly desiring to stay away from those sins in the future, and genuinely intending to live the rest of our lives the way God wants us to live. We may have to repent over and over again, but our sincere desire and intention is to increasingly do the will of God through the help of the Holy Spirit.

Scripture References

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions . . . wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow . . . Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me . . . Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. (Psalm 51:1,7, 9-10, 12)             

The apostle Paul said, “I declared that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds in keeping with their repentance.” (Acts 26:20)


6. Can’t we earn salvation by simply doing our best to live a good life?

No. If we do not truly love Jesus and put our trust in him, even our best works will merit nothing. Salvation is a gift of God’s mercy and grace. It is impossible to merit it or earn it. Besides, even if we committed only one sin (and we all commit far more), we would have to pay the penalty for that sin. And, the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23).

Scripture References

There is none who does good, not even one. (Psalm 53:3)

We know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified. (Galatians 2:16)

God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ . . . For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. (Ephesians 2:4-5, 8-9)


7. Is there another way to be saved if we do not believe in Jesus?

No. Many people have tried to find another way through punishing themselves, showing kindness to others, giving gifts to the poor, making some significant personal sacrifices, serving other gods, or simply doing the best they can. But none of these things will erase our sins or give us peace with God.

Scripture References

Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)

All the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him [Jesus] receives forgiveness of sins through his name. (Acts 10:43)

For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all. (1 Timothy 2:5-6)

There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. (Acts 4:12)

Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne concerning his Son. And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. (1 John 5:10-12)


8. What does the Bible teach about being born again?

No one can be saved unless he is born again. This involves a radical change in our lives which no one can accomplish by himself any more than a person can arrange for his own natural birth.

Scripture Reference

Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3)

You have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God. (1 Peter 1:23)


9. What does it mean to be born again

To be born again is to receive a new, inner spiritual life through the Holy Spirit. When that happens, the believer becomes a new creation in Christ and a child of God. (See Lesson Six for more information about the Holy Spirit.)

Scripture References

Jesus said, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’” (John 3:6-7)

To all who did receive him [Jesus], who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:12-13)

No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God. (1 John 3:9)

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God. (1 John 5:1)

If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come! (2 Corinthians 5:17)


10. Why is it necessary for someone to be born again in order to enter the kingdom of heaven?

Without the new birth, we are all spiritually dead, born under the sentence of death, and deserving of God’s punishment. Unless we are spiritually changed in our hearts and minds through the work of the Holy Spirit, we remain under the sentence of death.

Scripture References

Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. (Psalm 51:5)

You were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world . . . We all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. (Ephesians 2:1-3)

And you, who were dead in your trespasses . . . God made alive together with him (Christ). (Colossians 2:13)


11. What great blessings are given to everyone who is born again?

Everyone who sincerely repents of his sins and trusts in Jesus as Savior becomes a child of God. He receives the gift of eternal life and is no longer under the sentence of death because of his sins. He also is given a genuine desire to live for God in a way that pleases and honors him.

Scripture References

Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.” (John 5:24)

If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:9)

To all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. (John 1:12)

These are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. (John 20:31)


12. What is eternal life and when does it begin?

Eternal life is not simply a life that does not end. Eternal life involves a new relationship between a believer and God. It is a relationship of love, joy, and peace that begins the moment someone believes in Jesus and will never end. Through faith the eternal life of God enters into us as the Holy Spirit of God comes into our hearts.

Scripture References

Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life.” (John 6:47)

This is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. (John 17:3)

It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. (Galatians 2:20)

By this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us. (1 John 3:24)


13. If we believe in Christ, is it important for us to confess our faith publicly and also to be baptized?

Yes. Public confession of our faith in Jesus and water baptism are both very important. However, there may be times when a person chooses not to make a public profession of faith or be baptized immediately. This might be true, for example, when a public profession of faith would alienate family or friends whom the new convert is trying to reach with the Gospel. Or a public baptism might result in significant persecution which would remove a mother or father or young person from their home. It is important that we do not deny Christ, but we may have to be prudent in choosing a time and place for our baptism.

Scripture References

Jesus said, “Everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 10:32-33)

Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. (Acts 2:38)

When they believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. (Acts 8:12)

If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. (Romans 10:9-10)


14. Can we be absolutely sure that we are saved for eternity?

Yes. God’s promises are sure, so we never have to doubt them. Even when we fail at times to live the way God wants us to live (or fail to live as we ourselves want to live), we may be sure that God will continue to love us and forgive us when we truly put our trust in Jesus.

Scripture References

Jesus said: “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.” (John 10:28)

I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life. (1 John 5:13)

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39)

 

Last modified: Monday, August 6, 2018, 12:01 PM