This document discusses what it means to become a Christian. It explains that going to church does not make one a Christian, but that one must respond to Christ through repentance and faith. It outlines the gospel call, including explaining the facts of sin, death, and Jesus's sacrifice for sins. It emphasizes that believers are called to share the gospel with others, though it is God who makes the message effective. It also discusses justification as God declaring believers righteous through faith in Christ, rather than works, and adoption as believers becoming God's eternal children through salvation.

1. Welcome to Session 7

2. Chpt 13:
“What Does It Mean to Become a Christian?”

3. “Going to church doesn’t make you
a Christian any more than going to
McDonalds makes you a hamburger!”
Keith Green 1953-1982

4. The Gospel Call!
“Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming
the gospel of God, and saying, “The
time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of
God is at hand; repent and believe in
the gospel.” Mark 1:14-15

5. Gospel – Greek for “good news”

6. “To fully appreciate the “good news”
we must first understand the “bad
news” of our true condition before
God”
(ring)

7. 3 Elements of the Gospel Call:

8. 3 Elements of the Gospel Call:
1. An explanation of the facts concerning
salvation.

9. 3 Elements of the Gospel Call:
1. An explanation of the facts concerning
salvation.
2. An invitation to respond to Christ
personally in repentance & faith.

10. 3 Elements of the Gospel Call:
1. An explanation of the facts concerning
salvation.
2. An invitation to respond to Christ
personally in repentance & faith.
3. A promise of forgiveness and eternal
life!

11. An EXPLANATION of the facts:

12. An EXPLANATION of the facts:
1. All people have sinned. (Rom 3:23)

13. An EXPLANATION of the facts:
1. All people have sinned. (Rom 3:23)
2. The penalty for our sin is death. (Rom 6:23)

14. An EXPLANATION of the facts:
1. All people have sinned. (Rom 3:23)
2. The penalty for our sin is death. (Rom 6:23)
3. Jesus Christ suffered & died to pay the
penalty for our sins. (Rom 5:8)

15. Every Christian is called to share the Gospel (1 Peter 3:15)
God does all the “heavy lifting!”

16. “Election is God’s responsibility.
Evangelism is my responsibility.”

17. “Not all gospel calls are effective. The job
of believers is to share and explain the
Gospel message; it is God’s job to make
that message or call effective.”
Dr. Wayne Grudem, Christian Beliefs pg. 91

18. How a sinner comes to saving faith in Jesus:

19. How a sinner comes to saving faith in Jesus:
1st: The Gospel message is shared.

20. How a sinner comes to saving faith in Jesus:
1st: The Gospel message is shared.
2nd: God does a revealing & convicting work
on the sinner’s heart.
“And when the Holy Spirit comes, He will
convict the world of sin…” John 16:8
“No one can come to me unless the Father who
sent me draws him.” John 6:44

21. How a sinner comes to saving faith in Jesus:
3rd: The sinner must respond and receive
God’s free gift of Salvation! John 1:12

22. • God’s free gift of forgiveness of sins and
eternal life is received by repentance
and faith in Christ.
• Repentance: a conscience decision to turn
away from your sins in grief.
“For godly grief produces a repentance that leads
to salvation without regret, whereas worldly
grief produces death.” 2 Cor. 7:10

23. “Jesus said, “The time is fulfilled, the kingdom of God is
at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” Mark 1:15
(Peter proclaimed to the crowd) “Repent therefore, and
turn again, that your sins may be blotted out.” Acts 3:19
“I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that
was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house
to house, testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of
repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus
Christ.” Acts 20:20-21

24. Faith/Believe: (pistis) to lean on, to cling to, to depend on
“I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that
was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house
to house, testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of
repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus
Christ.” Acts 20:20-21

25. • This same pattern of repentance and faith that
brought us to salvation in Christ is also our pattern
for our daily sanctification in Christ!
“Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord,
so walk in him,” Colossians 2:6
“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

26. • When sharing the Gospel, give grace to the humble and give
the law to the proud!
“For by works of the law no human being will be justified
in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.”
Romans 3:20
“They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts,
while their conscience also bears witness,” Romans 2:19
Using God’s Holy Law in Witnessing:

27. • Chapter 14
“What Are Justification and Adoption?”

28. Justification: is an instantaneous legal act of God,
in which He thinks of and views our sins as forgiven
and thinks of and views Christ’s righteousness as
belonging to us and therefore declares us to be
“just and morally righteous” in His sight for eternity.
• Romans Catholicism
• Greek & Eastern Orthodox Church

29. The Great Exchange!
“For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin,
so that in him we might become the righteousness
of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:21

30. Justification comes by faith and repentance
NOT by doing good works!
“Yet 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
“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 2:8,9

31. “So where do good works fit in?”
“So also faith by itself, if it does not have
works, is dead.” James 2:17

32. “So where do good works fit in?”
• “Good works are the FRUIT of our
salvation, not the ROOT!”
Matt 3:8 “Bear fruit in keeping with repentance.”
Titus 2:11-12 “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing
salvation for all people, training us to
renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and
to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives
in the present age.”

33. Since God has declared us completely justified
in Christ, we will never again face:

34. Since God has declared us completely justified
in Christ, we will never again face:
 God’s condemnation against our sins.
Romans 8:1

35. Since God has declared us completely justified
in Christ, we will never again face:
 God’s condemnation against our sins.
Romans 8:1
 God’s holy wrath against our sins.
1 Thessalonians 5:9
(Rapture issue)

36. Justification vs. Sanctification
 Justification: a one time legal declaration
by God the righteous Judge, that He views
me and declares me as totally righteous
once and for all because I’m in Christ by
faith.
 Sanctification: an ongoing progressing work
of the Holy Spirit in every believer that
won’t be completed until heaven.

37. Justification: one party does it all! Jesus
Sanctification: two parties are involved.
The Holy Spirit initiates and empowers it,
and I must choose every day to surrender
to and cooperate with the Spirit’s work in
my life.

38. As God’s eternally, adopted children in Christ:
• We now address God as “Abba Father!”
• The Father loves us with the same love that
He loves Jesus!
• We are Co-Heirs with Christ and will receive
a full inheritance of the Father’s riches in the
New Heavens and New Earth!