What Must I Do to Be Saved?

Lesson

Have you come to the place in your live where you know for certain that you have eternal life?

Suppose you were face to face with Christ. If He were to ask you,

“Why should I let you into My kingdom?” what would your answer be?

1. What are the wages of sin? Romans 6:23

____________death_______

Sin is defined as transgression of the law (1 John 3:4) All laws have two demands -- either

100% obedience or a penalty. The penalty for breaking the Law of God is death.

2. How many have sinned? Romans 3:23

______all of us have sinned___________

Romans 3:10to19 tells us that there are none who are without sin (see also 1 John 1:8). We

all deserve death. As descendants of Adam, we belong to a race that has plunged into suffering,

guilt, and death (Romans 5:12). But the Bible talks about a second Adam. His name is Jesus.

3. Seeing our dilemma, what did God’s love compel Him to do? John 3:16

_________gave his Son for whosoever will believe in Him___________

The gift of Jesus was much more than most think. Every spiritual blessing is in Christ

(Ephesians 1:3). This includes salvation (1 John 5:11,12). In giving us His Son, the Father emptied Heaven! This gift the Bible calls Grace.

4. To how many has this gift been given? Ephesians 4:7; Titus 2:11; John 3:16

___to every one of us, all men, the world______

Jesus has been given to everyone. God’s plan of salvation embraces us all! He has wrought

out our salvation and has placed it in our hands. The decision is ours. Will we receive the gift and enter into the experience of salvation or will we throw it all away?

5. According to the Bible, how can we respond to this gift? John 3:16

__________receive it and believe on Him______________

Our best efforts to save ourselves will not do. Our attempts to earn salvation by a “good life” will end in failure. The only thing we can do is to receive the Gift given so freely.

Receiving Christ is what the Bible calls Faith ( John 1:12, Ephesians 3:17). It is not just a belief in God. It involves a submission of our will to the Gift of Jesus Christ. If anyone is not experiencing salvation given us in Christ it is either because they have never, by faith, received the gift, or because they are deliberately throwing it away for a life of sin.

6. What will always accompany true faith? Acts 20:21

_____testifying to others, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus____

Repentance is a godly sorrow for sin, that will cause us to confess and forsake our sin (see

2 Corinthians 7:9; Proverbs 28:13). True faith makes repentance a necessity. We must let go of our sin in order to receive Christ, because Christ takes the place of sin in our hearts.

We cannot take hold of life while we still hold on to death. Yet the moment we give up sin and take Christ instead, we have all that Christ has to give.

7. When we believe what will our faith establish? Romans 3:31

____the law__________

Faith establishes the law of God in our hearts (Hebrews 8:10) because when we believe, we receive Jesus into our hearts. He then lives His life of Righteousness through us (Galatians 2:20),making us obedient to all of God’s law. The law we were once guilty of transgressing, we now obey as a natural result of faith (Galatians 5:6).

Yet we are not saved by the “good works” are only the evidence that we have been saved

through faith in our Savior, Jesus Christ.

8. What does the Bible call a person who has believed in Christ? 2 Corinthians 5:17

_______new creature_______________

In looking at how God created the world we can see how He recreates us.

Jesus creates through His creative word (Psalms 33:6,9). His word has the power to bring into existence that which is spoken (Isaiah 55:11; Matthew 8:1to3). Therefore, when Jesus

declares us righteous, He not only clears us from past guilt, but the power of His creative word

actually makes us righteous.

Christ’s pardon radically changes the life of the believer. This will bring many wonderful

changes into our lives. The only way to find true happiness is by allowing God to change us, as will as the lives we live.

The word of God not only creates -- it also upholds the world it created (Hebrews 1:3). So, likewise, Jesus’ creative word not only makes us righteous; it upholds us in righteousness. In

short, as we depend upon the word of God, and the word of God only, the creative power of God’s word will keep us from falling back into sin (Jude 24). Some have called this “standing on the promises of God’s word!” Psalm 119:11

9. What did Jesus say about the faith of a Roman centurion? Matthew 8:5to10

___I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.

This centurion’s dependence was on the word of God and the word of God only to do what it said it would do (verse 8). When Jesus saw the centurion’s dependence, He marveled and said that this man had the greatest faith in all Israel!

Faith is not just a one - time acceptance of Jesus. It is more than that. Faith is a daily trust, a continual submission, a constant dependence upon Jesus and the power of His creative word only, to accomplish what it says it will do. This type of faith enables Jesus to keep us from sinning (1 John 5:1; 3:9). This type of faith will give us victory over the sin that Jesus came to save us from (Matthew 1:21). (Gen. 1:3,24; Isa. 1:18,19)

10. Paul sums up how we are saved in Ephesians 2:8to10. Place a check before each one that you find the statement to be true:

____ “For by grace are you saved” (see questions 3&4)

____ “Through faith” (see questions 5&6)

____ “It is the Gift of God” (see questions 3&4)

____ “Not of works, lest any man should boast” (see question 5)

____ “For you are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus” (see question 8)

____ “Unto good works” (see questions 7,8,& 9)

Let’s review this wonderful Good News: (Gospel)

1. God’s salvation is a free gift.

2. We experience it by faith (receiving) in His grace (the gift).

3. God’s salvation is not by works, but receiving will lead us unto good works.

Our eyes were opened in our last lesson as we saw Christ crucified for our sins. During that time on Calvary, He saw your life in the balance and was motivated to give up His life to save you.

Now picture Jesus in your mind. Suspended between heaven and earth, He is dying there for you. He cries out, “My God ... My God ... Why ... have You forsaken me?!” His voice echoes in the darkness, but no answer is given. You sense that you should be there instead of Him. It’s your sins that are causing His suffering. It’s your pardon He is obtaining ...

Today He is offering you the pardon it took so much to obtain. He is here right now pleading with you to receive His free gift.

Jesus has given Himself for you. Will you, right now, allow Him to take you?

From the study of the last two lessons, have you experienced sorrow for what your sins

cost Jesus? ______________

In response to this sorrow is it your desire to confess and turn away from your sins?

_____________

Would you like to ask Jesus into your heart today? _______________________

If the answers for these three questions were “yes”, tell Jesus about your decision and ask Him to come into your heart today. The following prayer is one that you may want to use.

After you have prayed, BELIEVE that He has answered your prayer and has come into your

heart!

This is your first step into a whole New Life!

“Lord, take my heart, for I cannot give it. It is thy property. Keep it pure for I cannot keep it for you. Save me in spite of myself, my weak unChrist - like self. Mold me, fashion me, recreate me in Your image. I confess my sin. Please come into my heart today.”

What assurance does God’s word now give you? 1 John 5:11,12

_____He that hath the Son hate eternal life______