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"And this is the way to have eternal life—to
know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the
one you sent to earth."
— New Living Translation
What do you think?
- What is the most important decision you’ve
ever made?
- Do you ever think about what would happen to
you when you die?
-
Do you believe your life has a purpose? If so,
what is it?
What does God think? Four Foundational Facts:
- God loves you and created you to have a personal,
loving relationship with him.
Read 1 Tim. 2:4; 2 Pt. 3:9. You are not an accident
of "mother nature." Instead, you were created
by God to have a lasting relationship with Him.
Read Jn. 3:16. God’s love makes it possible
to realize your purpose for living. God did not make
you like a puppet so that, if He wanted your love,
He could just yank your string. Rather, God wants
you to freely love him.
- Yet, your own sin makes it impossible
for you to have a personal relationship with God.
Read Is. 59:2; Eph. 4:18. How does your sin separate
you from God? Physically separated? Relationally separated?
Read Rom. 3:23; 6:23. God declares that your sin
makes you g __ __ __ __ __ before Him and deserving
of d __ __ __ __.
Read Eph. 2:1-3; 2 Cor. 4:4. How does your sin affect
your spiritual life and ability to respond to God?
PROBLEM? Fact #1 says God wants to have a loving
relationship with you. Fact #2 says it’s impossible
for you to have a loving relationship with God. He
wants to forgive your sin, but God requires that your
sin be punished because He’s just and fair. WHAT’S
THE SOLUTION?
- Because of Jesus, we can have a personal,
loving relationship with God.
Read 2 Cor 5:21; 1 Pt. 3:18. What was God’s
solution to this problem?
Read Rom. 5:8; Eph. 2:4-5; Heb. 9:26-28. What did
Jesus’ death accomplish?
Read Rom. 6:9-10; 1 Cor. 15:54-57. Although Jesus
died for your sin, he did not stay dead. His resurrection
broke the power of sin, death, and hell over us.
Therefore, on the basis of Jesus’ life, death,
and resurrection, God can now freely forgive us, for
our penalty for sin has been paid in full by God Himself!
- A personal relationship with God occurs when we
receive Jesus as Savior and lord.
Read Jn. 1:12; Rom. 10:9-13. When you receive Jesus,
you are accepting as true what the Bible says about
yourself and Jesus.
Read Rom. 8:9-12. When you receive Jesus, you are
really receiving His Spirit Who enters your heart
and begins to change you from the inside out. Three
things occur when the Holy Spirit enters your life:
-- You are "born again" into
a new life (Jn. 3:3-8; 1 Pt. 1:23).
-- You are forgiven all your sin (Eph. 4:32;
Col. 2:13; 1 Jn. 1:9).
-- You begin a personal, loving, and lasting
relationship with God (Jn. 6:39; Rom. 8:15-16;
1 Jn. 3:1)
There are 2 conditions for becoming Christian:
-- Repentance: A sincere sorrow for your
sin and a firm decision to change (Mt. 21:32; Acts
2:37-38; 2 Cor. 7:10).
-- Faith: A wholehearted trust and commitment
to Jesus.
To Consider: Since eternal life is a gift to be received,
not a reward to be earned, repentance and faith are
not activities we accomplish on our own (Eph. 2:8-9;
Tit. 3:5). They are our response, enabled by God,
to His free offer of eternal life (Acts 5:31; 11:18;
2 Tim. 2:25).
Now that you know these things . . .
- Is there anything hindering you from accepting
the gospel?
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If you are unsure about whether or not you’re
a Christian, GO FOR IT! Make the commitment.
You’ve got nothing to lose and everything
to gain!
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Have you seen a radical change in your life
after becoming a Christian? Explain.
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Practice improving your sharing the gospel
with another.
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