What Has God Done?

Go to the opening page of the That You May Grow Discipleship Series.

 

Introduction:

In order for you to grow as a Christian, it is essential that you know you are truly saved.  Therefore, the first lesson you will study is on the assurance of salvation.  In fact, this subject is so important that this lesson is divided into  four separate parts.  Remember, you will not be able to grow spiritually until you gain assurance of your salvation.

When it comes to the assurance of salvation, not all people think alike.  While some are confused about their salvation, others are confident about theirs. This lesson is designed to give you the assurance of your salvation.

Why are some confused about their salvation?  They are confused by Satan. The Bible says he is the author of confusion.  In fact, there are two ways Satan confuses people.  The first way he confuses many is by deceiving them. He causes them to think they are saved when they are not.  Though they believe they will one day go to heaven, they will not. 

• That is why Jesus warns of this deception saying, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.  Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils?  and in thy name done many wonderful works?  And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity” (Matthew 7:21-23). 

From this Scripture, you learn that not everybody expecting to go to heaven will go there!  The second way he confuses them  is to cause people who are truly saved to doubt their salvation. But, because they constantly doubt their salvation, they never grow spiritually.  Their doubt keeps them from becoming the mature Christian the heavenly Father desires them to be.  How can you serve God when you do not even know if you are really saved?  Through deception and doubt, Satan confuses many about their salvation.

However, you do not have to be confused about your salvation!  Like many others, you can be confident that you are really saved.  The purpose of Lesson One  is to help you gain the assurance of your salvation.  If you are deceived about your salvation, this lesson will guide you toward a saving experience with Christ.  If you are doubting your salvation, this lesson will help you to gain assurance.  If you are a new Christian, this lesson will help you to develop the assurance of salvation you need. 

This lesson on The Assurance of Salvation is divided into four parts.  Each part contains a question about salvation.  As you discover the answer to each question, you will gain  the assurance of salvation you need in order to grow spiritually.

 

WHAT HAS GOD DONE?

 

Text: Acts 2:1-11 (Be sure to read this text.)

Introduction:

Jesus had instructed his disciples to “wait for the promise of the Father” (Acts 1:4). Obedient to His instructions, they waited and prayed.  On the day of Pentecost, Almighty God sent the Holy Spirit as He had promised.  The Holy Spirit gave the disciples the ability to witness and preach in languages in which they had never spoken before.

Those who had assembled in Jerusalem for Pentecost were amazed.  They could not believe how these unlearned men could speak in those different languages.  They were even more amazed at what the men had said.  Those who had gathered in Jerusalem heard about “the wonderful works of God” (Acts 2:11).

Through many wonderful works, God has made it possible that man can be saved.  Concerning God’s desire that man be saved, Peter wrote, “The Lord is . . . not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2^nd Peter 3:9).  Because of God’s desire for you to be saved, He has done three wonderful things.

 I. Scriptures God Has Given

First, God has given mankind the Scriptures, the Bible, so that you might be saved.  Concerning the Scriptures, Paul wrote to Timothy, “And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus” (2^nd Timothy 3:15).  There are two benefits of the Bible you should consider.

 A.  Facts Presented

The first benefit of the Bible consists of the facts presented within its pages. The Bible contains the facts of salvation.  It is from this wonderful book that we learn about Jesus Christ.  God’s message of salvation is recorded in its pages.  Paul wrote of that message, “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel . . . By which also ye  are  saved . . . For  I delivered  unto  you . . . how  that Christ died  for our sins, according to the scriptures; and   that   he   was  buried,  and  that  he  arose  again . . .  according to the scriptures” (1^st Corinthians 15:1-4).  Even as Paul declared, God has recorded the facts of salvation in the Scriptures.

So important are these facts, God has given them  by inspiration to men who recorded them for us in the Bible.  Not only did He record them, but He also has preserved them in His Word down through the years for us.  It is from the Bible you learn how to be saved.  Had it not been for the Bible, you would have never known about salvation.

B.  Faith Produced

The second benefit of the Bible is the faith it produces.  Concerning this faith, Paul wrote, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8).  It is the Bible that causes us to have faith for salvation.  Again concerning faith, Paul wrote, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17).  Faith, which saves us, comes from hearing the Word of God.

Because God has written and has preserved His Word, you and I can be saved.

II.  Spirit God has Sent

When Jesus told his disciples that He must go away, He promised to send another Comforter to them.  The Greek word for “comforter” means “one called along beside to help.”  As to the identity to this Comforter, Jesus says, “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name . . .” (John 14:26).  God sent the Holy Spirit to help you be saved.

The Holy Spirit helps you in two ways.  Without His help, you could not be saved.

 A.  Convicting You of Sin

The first way the Holy Spirit helps you is by convicting you of sin.  Of this work of the Holy Spirit, Jesus said in John 16:8, “And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin . . .” As you learn of your sin from the Bible, the Holy Spirit causes you to experience “godly sorrow.” Without the Holy Spirit’s work of conviction, you would be unconcerned about your lost condition and your sin against God.

It is through the help of the Holy Spirit that you are able to confess to God that you are sorry for your sins.

B.  Converting You Into a Saint

The second way the Holy Spirit helps you is by converting you into a Saint.  Jesus said, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God” (John 3:5).  As you come to God, confessing your sins and trusting in Christ, the Holy Spirit spiritually births you  into a “new creature” in Christ.

Remember, there are two ways that the Holy Spirit helps you.  First, He helps you by convicting you of your sins so that you will come to Christ for salvation.  Secondly, after you come in faith, He transforms you into a born-again Christian.

III.  Son God Has Given

Most important of all, God has given you his Son so that you might be saved.  John 3:16 tells you, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”             In order for you to be saved, God’s Son became what was needed for your salvation.

A.  Sacrifice For Your Sin

The first thing that you needed was a sacrifice for your sin.  From Genesis, you learn about the first man’s sin.  After Adam had sinned, he made a covering of leaves for Eve and himself.  But God replaced their coverings with coats of skin.  From this, God began to teach man that He required a sacrifice for sin.  All throughout the Bible, animals, usually lambs, were slain to make a sacrifice for man’s sins. 

• The Book of Leviticus tells us, “For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul” (Leviticus 17:11).  Again, you find the necessity of a blood sacrifice as the writer of Hebrews says, “And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without the shedding of blood is no remission” (Hebrews 9:22).

When Jesus died on the cross, He became the sacrifice demanded by a righteous God.  His shed blood fully enabled a righteous God to forgive man’s sins.

B.  Substitute for the Sinner

The second thing that man needed was a substitute for the sinner.  Not only did Jesus become a sacrifice for your sin, but He also became a substitute for you as a sinner.  God’s just nature demanded that “The soul that sinneth, it shall die” (Ezekiel 18:20).  Paul wrote of sin, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God”  (Romans 3:23).  Though all have sinned, God’s merciful nature has allowed Jesus to die for sin in your place.

God did not ignore His own law; He invoked a higher law.  Through the law of substitution, He allowed his Son to die for your sin.

What has God done?  First, He has given you the Bible so that you might know how to be saved.  Secondly, He sent the Holy Spirit to help you to be saved.  But most important of all, He has given His Son that you might be saved.  No wonder those at the Pentecost marveled as they heard of the “wonderful works of God.”