The Gospel for Believers

It’s not just
for non-
Christians
THE GOSPEL FOR
BELIEVERS

 In Paul’s letter to the church in Rome he said he is
eager to come and proclaim the Gospel to them
(Romans 1:15)
 Christians may have come to think of the Gospel as a
brief message proclaimed only to non-believers
 E.g., “Romans Road” (Romans 3:23, 6:23, 5:8, 10:9-10)
 The Gospel in its fullness includes everything that
God has accomplished for us through Christ, who we
are in Christ and what we possess in Christ
 Once we fully understand the Gospel, then the
answer to the question, “How should we then live?”
becomes clear
WHY PREACH THE GOSPEL TO
BELIEVERS?

 The Gospel is the basic, central message of
Christianity
 It is what make Christianity unique
 We absolutely need to get it right!
 Gal 1:8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to
you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to
be accursed!
 2 Cor 11:3 (NASB) But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived
Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the
simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.
 2 Tim 2:15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a
workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling
the word of truth.
WHY STUDY THE GOSPEL?

THE GOSPEL IS VAST
The Gospel presented
to unbelievers
The Gospel that
Christians need to
study and be
constantly reminded
of
“We can spend the
rest of lives studying
the Gospel and never
fully plumb its
depths” Paul Lasher

THE GOSPEL IS MULTIFACETED
Forgiveness
Regeneration
Justification
Righteousness
Propitiation
Reconciliation
Eternal life
In Christ
Redemption
Sanctification

The Objectives of this presentation are:
 To summarize the fullness of the message of the Gospel
 To produce a sense of awe, wonder and amazement at the
wisdom, power and love of God in what He accomplished
for us through the cross of Christ
 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom
and the knowledge of God! How unsearchable
His judgments and untraceable His ways! Romans
11:33 (HCSB)
 To present precise definitions of the theological concepts
within the Gospel
 To provide a basis for addressing the next question, “How
should we then live?”
PURPOSE OF THIS PRESENTATION

 Gospel means “good news”
 Historically, the Greek word meant a message of victory, or
good news from the battlefield
 The Gospel is proclaimed throughout Scripture
 Gen 3:15 “He shall bruise you on the head”
 Gen 18:18, as referenced by Gal 3:8
 The Gospel of the Kingdom in the four Gospels
 The seventeen different Gospel presentations in Acts
 The epistle to the Romans, and as elaborated on in the
remaining epistles
 Summarized in 1 Cor 15:3-4
 Key passages: Rom 3:21-26, Eph 1:3-14
 Will be proclaimed to everyone on earth, Rev 14:6-7
THE GOSPEL

A simple definition of the Gospel: the Person
and Work of Christ
The Gospel in its fullness includes Who God is
and What God has done for us in and through
the Lord Jesus Christ (and is doing and will
do), who we are in Christ, what we possess in
Christ, including the gifts He has given us, and
the promises for what is yet future for us
THE GOSPEL

 There is a God who eternally exists and has created everything,
including every person
 Although man had perfect fellowship with God, man rebelled and
was plunged into darkness, sin, rebellion and hopelessness
 Although God would have been just in separating man from
Himself eternally, but because of His great love for us, He sent
His one and only Son, Jesus, the prophesied Messiah, fully man
and fully God, to die for our sins in order to purchase us for
Himself
 God raised Christ from the dead demonstrating His complete
satisfaction of His just wrath against sin as satisfied in Christ’s
sacrificial death
 In Acts 17:30 God commands all men everywhere to repent
(change your direction, how you think about God and Jesus
Christ, who He is and what He has done)
 In Mark 1:15 Jesus commanded to believe in the Gospel (in His
complete provisions for you in His death, burial and resurrection)
 In Acts 2:38 we are commanded to be fully identified with Christ
in His suffering, death and resurrection for you!
THE GOSPEL – A BRIEF SUMMARY

 The facets of the Gospel are only good news in that “they
bring us to God for our everlasting enjoyment of Him”*
 The facets of the Gospel show how God removed the barriers
that separated man from God
 The good news of the Gospel and the ultimate end of the
Gospel is our eternity of intimate fellowship with God
 “Then I heard a loud voice from the throne: Look! God’s dwelling is
with humanity, and He will live with them. They will be His people,
and God Himself will be with them and be their God.” Revelation 21:3
(HCSB)
 “… His servants will worship him, and they will see his face, and his
name will be on their foreheads.” Revelation 22:3-4 (NET1)
 Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with
them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always
be with the Lord. 1 Thessalonians 4:17 (NASB)
*For more, read “God is the Gospel”, by John Piper
THE GOSPEL IN CONTEXT

 The facets of the Gospel are a reflection of Who God is—God
did what He did because of Who He is, for example:
 Redemption reflects the love of God the Father, who was willing to
sacrifice His One and Only Son, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who
willingly suffered and died for us
 Justification reflects the justice of God and righteousness of God—
God is righteous in making us righteous and declaring us to be
righteous
 Regeneration reflects the power of God in raising us all from the
dead when He raised Christ from the dead
 Reconciliation reflects the goodness of God in doing whatever it took
to restore eternal fellowship with Him
 Propitiation demonstrates His just wrath against sin and His mercy
for not giving us what we deserve
 Salvation reflects God’s grace in giving us what we don’t deserve

 The Gospel is the ultimate expression of the ultimate purpose
that God had in creating, which includes:
 To show His wrath against sin: Rom 9:22
 To make His power known: “But what if God, willing to demonstrate
his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much
patience the objects of wrath prepared for destruction? Rom 9:22
 To show the riches of His glory: “And what if he is willing to make
known the wealth of his glory on the objects of mercy that he has
prepared beforehand for glory” Rom 9:23
 To show the riches of His grace: “to demonstrate in the coming ages
the surpassing wealth of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ
Jesus. Ephesians 2:7 (NET1)
 To show the manifold wisdom of God: “The purpose of this
enlightenment is that through the church the multifaceted wisdom of
God should now be disclosed to the rulers and the authorities in the
heavenly realms” Eph 3:10

 The Gospel is a key part of God’s eternal decree. That decree
included:
 Creation: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”
Genesis 1:1 (HCSB)
 The presence of sin: ”You said to yourself: “I will ascend to the heavens;
I will set up my throne above the stars of God. I will sit on the mount
of the ⌊gods’⌋ assembly, in the remotest parts of the North.” Isaiah
14:13 (HCSB)
 The Lord Jesus Christ incarnate in human flesh ”See, the virgin will
become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they will name Him
Immanuel, which is translated “God is with us.” Matthew 1:23 (HCSB)
 His vicarious suffering and death: “Christ died for our sins…”
 His resurrection from the dead: “He rose from the dead the third day…”
 The consummation of all things brought together in Christ: “That in the
dispensation of the fullness of times He might gather together in one all
things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even
in Him” Ephesians 1:10

One
Gospel,
Many
Facets
FACETS OF THE GOSPEL

 Redemption
 Righteousness
 Justification
 Regeneration
 Reconciliation
 Propitiation
 Substitution
 Sanctification
 Forgiveness
 Eternal Life
 Adoption
 Inheritance
 Washed
FACETS OF THE GOSPEL
 Made Holy
 Set Free
 Rescued
 Saved
 Access
 Peace
 Rest
 Joy
 Faith
 Hope
 Loved
 Truth
 Sealed
 Secure
 Called
 Chosen
 Foreknown
 Predestined
 Appointed
 Glorified
 Saints
 In Christ
 Under Grace
 The New Man
 Our Certain Future
 The Christian Life

 Redemption
 “To secure the release of someone from slavery or captivity by the
payment of a ransom”
 The “ransom” is the payment (price) paid (Mark 10:45)
 The price paid to redeem us was the blood of Christ (1 Peter 1:18-19)
 The result is “redemption”, set free from slavery
 Consider the parables of the hidden treasure and the pearl of
great price in Matthew 13:44-45
 We are the hidden treasure and the pearl of great price
 God gave everything he had (His one and only Son) to purchase us
 The Bible is a story of redemption
 God redeemed Israel from bondage in Egypt
 Consider the Kinsman Redeemer in Lev 25 and Book of Ruth
 Lord Jesus Christ, our Kinsman Redeemer, redeemed us
REDEEM, REDEMPTION

 Summary
 When you see “redeem” or “redemption” in Scripture, think about
God paying a high price to purchase us out of slavery, setting us free
 In redeeming us, God paid an infinite price in the shed blood and
death of His one and only Son
 The price paid was the price demanded by God’s perfect justice
 Our redemption was done once, we are His prized possession, never
to be sold again
 Our redemption cost us nothing but cost God everything in sacrificing
His one and only Son
 To relate in some way to what our redemption cost God,
consider the narrative in Genesis 22 regarding Abraham’s
sacrifice of Isaac
 We can only imagine what must have gone through Abraham’s mind
when God told him to go and sacrifice his only son
REDEEM, REDEMPTION

 Righteousness – the aspect of God’s character where He only
does what is right, just and equitable
 The one who is righteous does righteousness (1 John 3:7)
 Only God is righteous (Rom 3:10)
 Jesus Christ the Righteous One (1 John 2:1) (1 Pet 3:18)
 The Gospel demonstrates God’s righteousness (Rom 3:21-26)
 Man attempts to establish his own righteousness by works but
fails (Rom 3:20)
 In Christ God has made us righteous
 Rom 5:19 For just as through one man’s disobedience the many were
made sinners, so also through the one man’s obedience the many
will be made righteous. (HCSB)
 2 Cor 5:21 He made the One who did not know sin to be sin for us, so
that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (HCSB)
RIGHTEOUSNESS

 Justification and righteousness are closely related, coming
from the same Greek root word (the adjective for righteous)
 To “justify” means either to declare or show to be righteous
 1 Cor 6:11 And some of you were these things, but you were washed,
but you were sanctified, but you were justified (declared righteous) in
the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God
 James 2:24 You see that a man is justified (shown to be righteous)
by works and not by faith alone. (HCSB)
 How can God be righteous in calling us righteous if, in fact, we
are unrighteous?
 Prov 17:15 He that justifies the wicked, and he that condemns the
just, even they both are abomination to the LORD
 Exodus 23:7 …for I will not justify the wicked. (NET1)
 The answer is that He first made us righteous before declaring
us righteous (Rom 5:19, 2 Cor 5:21)
JUSTIFICATION

 When we were crucified with Christ, our old man, who was
unrighteous, was put to death
 Rom 6:7 For the one that died has been justified from sin. (LITV)
 When we were raised with Christ, God made our new man
righteous
 Eph 4:24 and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been
created in righteousness and holiness of the truth
 1 John 2:29 If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone
also who does righteousness is born of Him
 1 John 3:7 Little children, make sure no one deceives you; the one who
does righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous;
 1 John 3:9 Everyone who has been born of God does not sin, because His
seed remains in him; he is not able to sin, because he has been born of
God
 Righteousness is a gift that we receive
 Rom 5:17 For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through
the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of
the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ
JUSTIFICATION/RIGHTEOUSNESS

 Believers are 100% justified and 100% righteous
 We have been made God’s righteousness in Christ (2 Cor 5:21, Rom
5:19) “and be found in him, not because I have my own righteousness
derived from the law, but because I have the righteousness that comes
by way of Christ’s faithfulness – a righteousness from God that is in
fact based on Christ’s faithfulness.” Phil 3:9 (NET)
 God’s righteousness can not be improved upon
 We can not add our righteousness based on works to His righteousness
 God’s righteousness can not be tarnished or diminished
 The opposite of justification is condemnation and there is NO
condemnation for believers
 Rom 8:1 Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in
Christ Jesus.
 There is ZERO condemnation for believers, not even a little
 Justification is not being made righteous. God made us righteous
in regeneration (see next slide)
JUSTIFICATION/RIGHTEOUSNESS

 When we were dead in our sins, God made us alive
 Col 2:13 And when you were dead in trespasses and in the
uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive with Him and forgave
us all our trespasses
 When God made us alive He made us righteous
 Our new man is righteous (just as our old man was unrighteous)
 “and to put on the new man, which according to God was created in
righteousness and true holiness.” Ephesians 4:24 (LITV)
 Regeneration includes the old man being put to death with
Christ, and our new man being raised with Christ
 Rom 6:4 Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into
death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of
the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.
 Regeneration and Sanctification in the same verse
 “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work
in you [regeneration] will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.
[sanctification]“ Philippians 1:6 (NASB)
REGENERATION

 Characteristics of the one having been born* of God
 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Messiah has been born* of
God, and everyone who loves the Father also loves the one born of
Him. 1 John 5:1 (HCSB)
 If you know that He is righteous, know that everyone doing
righteousness has been born* of Him. 1 John 2:29 (LITV)
 Everyone who has been begotten* of God does not sin, because His
seed abides in him, and he is not able to sin, because he has been
born* of God. 1 John 3:9 (LITV)
 Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God, and
everyone who loves has been born* of God, and knows God. 1 John
4:7 (LITV)
 We know that everyone having been born* of God does not sin, but
the one born of God keeps [him], and the evil does not touch him. 1
John 5:18 (LITV)
 Because everything having been born* of God overcomes the world,
and this is the victory overcoming the world, our faith. 1 John 5:4
(LITV)
REGENERATION

The old (creation) A new creation
The Old man The New man
A deceptively wicked heart A New heart
Dead in our sins Alive unto God and righteousness
Sinners that sin He that is righteous does righteousness
Our old man - crucified We have been raised to new life
From the realm of the flesh To the realm of the Spirit
From the realm of earth To the realm of Heaven
From the realm of sin To the realm of righteousness
From the realm of Law To the realm of Grace
From the realm of Adam To the realm of Christ
REGENERATION
Before Regeneration After Regeneration

 Reconciliation: Restoration to a previous harmonious
relationship
 God has reconciled us to Himself. (He didn’t need to reconcile
Himself to us)
 Col 1:21-22 Once you were alienated and hostile in your minds
because of your evil actions. But now He has reconciled you by His
physical body through His death, to present you holy, faultless, and
blameless before Him—
 2 Cor 5:18 Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to
Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation,
 Rom 5:10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God
through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we
shall be saved by His life
RECONCILIATION

 Propitiation: The satisfaction, or turning away, of God’s just
wrath against our sin
 God’s righteous anger against our sin was satisfied by the
blood shed on the cross by the Lord Jesus Christ, as He
received the just punishment for our sin, in our place
 Note: “Expiation” is spoken of in the Bible but typically does
not occur in English translations. Expiation is the cancellation
of sins, contrasting with propitiation, which is the appeasing
of divine wrath.
 Propitiation and expiation are both illustrated in the Day of
Atonement in Leviticus 16 where Aaron takes two goats and
casts lots for them, one for the Lord and the other for the
scapegoat
PROPITIATION

 The goat for the Lord is a sin offering. He slaughters the goat
and sprinkles its blood on the mercy seat (See Lev 16:15)
 The first goat symbolizes Christ’s work on the cross: an innocent
victim taking the place of the offending sinner, bearing the penalty of
the sin they deserve
 Jesus exhausted the wrath of God (propitiation) that we deserve
 As all the people watched the High Priest would lay his hands
on the scapegoat’s head and he would confess the sins of the
people of Israel. They would watch as he released the
scapegoat into the wilderness, never to be seen again -
expiation (See Lev 16:20)
 The sins of the people were transferred to the scapegoat and were
carried away from the presence of the Lord and the people
 “As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our
transgressions from us.” Psalm 103:12 (NASB)
PROPITIATION

 The Lord Jesus Christ died in our place
 1 Cor 15:3-4 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also
received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and
that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day
according to the Scriptures
 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father — and I lay down
my life for the sheep. John 10:15 (NET1)
 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were
yet sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8 (NASB)
 In the above verses the word “for” is translated from the Greek ὑπέρ
huper, a preposition meaning “on behalf of”, or “for the sake of”
 Sometimes referred to as the vicarious suffering of Christ
 No one has greater love than this, that someone would lay down his
life for his friends. John 15:13 (HCSB)
 For you were called to this, because Christ also suffered for you,
leaving you an example, so that you should follow in His steps. 1
Peter 2:21 (HCSB)
SUBSTITUTION

 Sanctification: to be set apart for God’s holy purpose
 We were sanctified
 Heb 10:10 By this will (God’s will) we have been sanctified through
the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all
 1 Cor 6:11 Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you
were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus
Christ and in the Spirit of our God
 We also participate in sanctification
 1 Thess 4:3 For this is God’s will, your sanctification: that you abstain
from sexual immorality
 2 Cor 7:1 Therefore, dear friends, since we have such promises, let us
cleanse ourselves from every impurity of the flesh and spirit,
completing our sanctification in the fear of God
 Heb 12:14 Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without
which no one will see the Lord
SANCTIFICATION

 God has forgiven us all our sins
 Eph 4:32 Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each
other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you
 Col 2:13 When you were dead in your transgressions and the
uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him,
having forgiven us all our transgressions,
 1 Joh 2:12 I am writing to you, little children, because your sins have
been forgiven you for His name's sake
 All of our sins are forgiven, once for all, past, present and
future
 Heb 10:12-14 but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all
time, SAT DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD, waiting from that time
onward UNTIL HIS ENEMIES BE MADE A FOOTSTOOL FOR HIS FEET. For
by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified
 Rom 6:10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but
the life that He lives, He lives to God.
FORGIVENESS

 Forgiven: “I am writing to you, little children, because your sins
have been forgiven because of Jesus’ name.” 1 John 2:12 (HCSB)
 Forgotten: “It is I who sweep away your transgressions for My
own sake and remember your sins no more. Isaiah 43:25 (HCSB)
 Removed: As far as the east is from the west, So far has He
removed our transgressions from us. Psalm 103:12 (NASB)
 “… It is You who has kept my soul from the pit of nothingness,
For You have cast all my sins behind Your back.” Isaiah 38:17
(NASB)
 “He will again have compassion on us; He will tread our iniquities
under foot. Yes, You will cast all their sins Into the depths of the
sea.” Micah 7:19 (NASB)
 "Come now, and let us reason together," Says the LORD, "Though
your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow; Though
they are red like crimson, They will be like wool.” Isaiah 1:18
(NASB)
FORGIVENESS

 Eternal Life: Life forever with God, in His presence
 John 5:24 "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and
believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come
into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.
 John 10:28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish—
ever! No one will snatch them out of My hand.
 John 17:3 This is eternal life: that they may know You,
the only true God, and the One You have sent—Jesus Christ.
 Acts 13:48 When the Gentiles heard this, they rejoiced and
glorified the message of the Lord, and all who had been
appointed to eternal life believed.
 Rom 6:22 But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to
God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the
outcome, eternal life.
 1 John 5:13 I have written these things to you who believe in the
name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have
eternal life.
ETERNAL LIFE

 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to
Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the
praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on
us in the Beloved. Ephesians 1:5-6 (NASB)
 Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son
into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!" Therefore you are no
longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through
God. Galatians 4:6-7 (NASB)
 See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we
would be called children of God; and such we are. For this
reason the world does not know us, because it did not know
Him. 1 John 3:1 (NASB)
 For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God through faith.
Galatians 3:26 (NET1)
ADOPTION

 The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God,
and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if
indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.
Romans 8:16-17 (NASB)
 In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of
your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the
Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with
a view to the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of His
glory. Ephesians 1:13-14 (NASB)
 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will
know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of
His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of
His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the
working of the strength of His might Ephesians 1:18-19 (NASB)
 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according
to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope
through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an
inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away,
reserved in heaven for you, 1 Peter 1:3-4 (NASB)
INHERITANCE

 (John 13:8) “You will never wash my feet—ever!” Peter said.
Jesus replied, “If I don’t wash you, you have no part with Me.”
(9) Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, not only my feet, but also
my hands and my head.” (10) “One who has bathed,” Jesus
told him, “doesn’t need to wash anything except his feet, but
he is completely clean. You are clean, but not all of you.”
 (John 15:3) You are already clean because of the word I have
spoken to you.
 (1 Corinthians 6:11) And some of you used to be like this.
But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified
in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our
God.
 (Titus 3:5) He saved us— not by works of righteousness
that we had done, but according to His mercy, through the
washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit.
WASHED

 (1 Corinthians 3:17) If anyone destroys God’s sanctuary, God
will destroy him; for God’s sanctuary is holy, and that is what
you are.
(Ephesians 1:4) For He chose us in Him, before the
foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in His sight.
In love
 (Ephesians 5:27) that He might present to Himself the church
in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing;
but that she would be holy and blameless.
 (Colossians 1:22) But now He has reconciled you by His
physical body through His death, to present you holy,
faultless, and blameless before Him—
 (1 Thessalonians 5:23) Now may the God of peace himself
make you completely holy and may your spirit and soul and
body be kept entirely blameless at the coming of our Lord
Jesus Christ.
MADE HOLY

 John 8:36 "So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.
 Rom 6:6-7 knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him,
in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we
would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed
from sin.
 Rom 6:14 For sin will not rule over you, because you are not
under law but under grace.
 Rom 6:18 and having been freed from sin, you became* slaves
of righteousness
 Rom 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set
you free from the law of sin and of death
 2 Cor 3:17 And the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the
Lord is, there is liberty;
 Gal 5:1 It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep
standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery
 Gal 5:13 For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not
turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through
love serve one another.
 * God set you free and made you to be a slave to righteousness
SET FREE

 ἐξαιρέω exaireō verb Pluck out, take out, tear out. To remove of
separate from danger and bring to safety, In the New Testament
exaireō may refer to a violent extraction (Matthew 5:29); to
taking one out of indescribable circumstances (“set free, deliver,
rescue,” see Acts 7:10); or to taking one away by force (Acts
23:27). Exaireō can also mean “deliver, select” or “choose out”
Acts 26:17. In all of the above occurrences, as well as over 75
occurrences in the Septuagint (translating no fewer than 15
different Hebrew words), this term carries with it the implication
of implicit danger. Thus it is a strong verb used to describe an
unquestionably necessary form of removal.
 “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus
Christ, who gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us
from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and
Father, to whom be the glory forevermore. Amen.” Galatians 1:3-
5 (NASB)
RESCUED

 σωτηρία sōtēria noun Salvation, deliverance, preservation
 1 Thess 5:9-10 For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain
salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ who died for us, so that
whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him
 Heb 5:9 And having been made perfect, He became to all those who
obey Him the source of eternal salvation
 Rom 13:11 Do this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for
you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than
when we believed.
 σῴζω sōzō verb Save, keep safe, preserve, rescue, make well
 Titus 3:5 He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done
in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of
regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,
 Eph 2:8-9 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that
not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so
that no one may boast
SALVATION/ SAVED

 σῴζω sōzō, depending on the context, means “save”, or “keep
safe”, or “preserve”, or “rescue”, or “make well”
 Note that σῴζω sōzō does not mean “redeemed”, or “regenerated”,
or “reconciled”, or “forgiven” or “given eternal life”
 In English, “save” means “To preserve from injury, destruction
or evil of any kind; to rescue from danger; as, to save a house
from the flames; to save a man from drowning; to save a
family from ruin; to save a state from war” (Websters)
 1 Tim 4:16 Pay close attention to your life and your teaching;
persevere in these things, for by doing this you will save both
yourself and your hearers
 Timothy will keep himself and his hearers safe by paying attention to
himself and his teaching (doctrine)
SALVATION, SAVED

 ῥύομαι rhuomai verb Save, rescue, deliver. To rescue from a
hostile power that seeks to enslave
 “For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and
transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son,” Colossians
1:13 (NASB)
 “and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from
the dead, that is Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to
come.” 1 Thessalonians 1:10 (NASB)
RESCUED

 προσαγωγή prosagōgē noun Access
 through whom we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in
which we stand, and we rejoice in the hope of God’s glory. Romans 5:2
(NET1)
 For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.
Ephesians 2:18 (HCSB)
 In Him we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him.
Ephesians 3:12 (HCSB)
 Therefore let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so
that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us at the
proper time. Hebrews 4:16 (HCSB)
 let us draw near with a sincere heart in the assurance that faith
brings, because we have had our hearts sprinkled clean from an
evil conscience and our bodies washed in pure water. Hebrews
10:22 (NET1)
 12 For the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous and his ears
are open to their prayer. But the Lord’s face is against those who
do evil. 1 Peter 3:12 (NET1) quote from Psalms 34:15-16
ACCESS

 John 14:27 "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as
the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled,
nor let it be fearful.
 Rom 5:1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace
with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
 For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and
broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, Ephesians 2:14 (NASB )
 Rom 8:6 For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on
the Spirit is life and peace
Rom 14:17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but
righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
 and through Him to reconcile everything to Himself by making
peace through the blood of His cross— whether things on earth
or things in heaven. Colossians 1:20 (HCSB)
 Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience,
kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
 2 Thess 3:16 May the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always
in every way. The Lord be with all of you.
PEACE

 "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you
rest. Matthew 11:28 (NASB)
 To “rest” is to cease working to establish our own righteousness and to
rest in God’s provision in making us righteous
 For we who have believed enter that rest, just as He has said, "AS I
SWORE IN MY WRATH, THEY SHALL NOT ENTER MY REST," although His
works were finished from the foundation of the world. Hebrews 4:3
(NASB)
 So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. Hebrews 4:9
(NASB)
 For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his
works, as God did from His. Hebrews 4:10 (NASB)
 Therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall,
through following the same example of disobedience. Hebrews 4:11
(NASB)
 Return to your rest, O my soul, For the LORD has dealt bountifully with
you. Psalm 116:7 (NASB)
REST

 "These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you,
and that your joy may be made full. John 15:11 (NASB)
 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but
righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Rom 14:17
(NASB)
 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but
righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Rom 14:17
(NASB)
 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness, Galatians 5:22 (NASB)
 and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you
do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy
inexpressible and full of glory, 1 Peter 1:8 (NASB)
 Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make
you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy,
Jude 1:24 (NASB)
JOY

 Definition of Faith
 Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not
seen. Hebrews 11:1 (HCSB)
 Faith is given to us as a gift
 For by the grace given to me, I tell everyone among you not to think of
himself more highly than he should think. Instead, think sensibly, as God
has distributed a measure of faith to each one. Romans 12:3 (HCSB)
 For it has been given to you on Christ’s behalf not only to believe in Him,
but also to suffer for Him, Philippians 1:29 (HCSB)
 Christ is the author and finisher
 keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith, who for
the joy that lay before Him endured a cross and despised the shame and
has sat down at the right hand of God’s throne. Hebrews 12:2 (HCSB)
 We are commanded to exercise our faith
 Now this is His command: that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus
Christ, and love one another as He commanded us. 1 John 3:23 (HCSB)
 and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand;
repent and believe in the gospel." Mark 1:15 (NASB)
FAITH

 We live by faith (Rom 1:17)
 We walk by faith, not by sight (2 Cor 5:7)
 We are saved by faith through grace (Eph 2:8)
 We are declared righteous by faith (Rom 3:28, Gal 2:16)
 We have access to God by faith (Rom 5:2, Eph 3:12)
 We stand by faith (Rom 11:20)
 We wait for the hope of righteousness by faith (Gal 5:5)
 We take up the shield of faith (Eph 6:16)
 We are commanded to exercise our faith
 Now this is His command: that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus
Christ, and love one another as He commanded us. 1 John 3:23 (HCSB)
 and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand;
repent and believe in the gospel." Mark 1:15 (NASB)
FAITH

 Biblical hope is the patient waiting for what we absolutely know
will happen
 For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not
hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? But if we hope for
what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.
Romans 8:24-25 (NASB)
 For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our
instruction, so that through perseverance and the
encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. Romans
15:4 (NASB)
 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in
believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the
Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13 (NASB)
 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as
yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be
like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. And everyone
who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is
pure. 1 John 3:2-3 (NASB)
HOPE

 "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life
for his friends. John 15:13 (NASB)
 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while
we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8 (NASB)
 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor
principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor
powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing,
will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in
Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39 (NASB)
 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with
which He loved us, even when we were dead in our
transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace
you have been saved),… Ephesians 2:4-5 (NASB)
 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and
the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all. 2 Corinthians
13:14 (NASB)
LOVED

 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one
comes to the Father except through Me. John 14:6 (HCSB)
 You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John
8:32 (HCSB)
 He is the Spirit of truth. The world is unable to receive Him
because it doesn’t see Him or know Him. But you do know Him,
because He remains with you and will be in you. John 14:17
(HCSB)
 I have not written to you because you don’t know the truth, but
because you do know it, and because no lie comes from the
truth. 1 John 2:21 (HCSB)
 They forbid marriage and demand abstinence from foods that
God created to be received with gratitude by those who believe
and know the truth. 1 Timothy 4:3 (HCSB)
 Therefore, I intend to remind you constantly of these things even
though you know them and are well established in the truth that
you now have. 2 Peter 1:12 (NET1)
TRUTH

 (2 Corinthians 1:21) Now it is God who strengthens us, with
you, in Christ and has anointed us. (22) He has also sealed us
and given us the Spirit as a down payment in our hearts.
 (Ephesians 1:13) When you heard the message of truth, the
gospel of your salvation, and when you believed in Him, you
were also sealed with the promised Holy Spirit. (14) He is the
down payment of our inheritance, for the redemption of the
possession, to the praise of His glory.
 (Ephesians 4:30) And don’t grieve God’s Holy Spirit. You were
sealed by Him for the day of redemption.
SEALED

 I give them (Christ’s sheep) eternal life, and they will never [absolutely
never, ever] perish; no one will snatch them from my hand. My Father,
who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can snatch
them from my Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.” John 10:28-30
(NET1)
 Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will trouble, or distress,
or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is
written, “For your sake we encounter death all day long; we were
considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we have
complete victory through him who loved us! For I am convinced that
neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor heavenly rulers, nor things that
are present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor
anything else in creation will be able to separate us from the love of
God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:35-39 (NET1)
 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great
mercy he gave us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection
of Jesus Christ from the dead, that is, into an inheritance imperishable,
undefiled, and unfading. It is reserved in heaven for you, who by God’s
power are protected through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed
in the last time. 1 Peter 1:3-5 (NET1)
SECURE

 Assurance: Knowing fully, with certainty, having complete
confidence
 God desires us to know we have eternal life
 I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son
of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life. 1 John 5:13
(HCSB)
 The Gospel correctly presented contains full assurance
 For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, in
the Holy Spirit, and with much [full] assurance…1 Thessalonians 1:5
(HCSB)
 We are told to have a heart with full assurance of faith
 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, our
hearts sprinkled ⌊clean⌋ from an evil conscience and our bodies
washed in pure water. Hebrews 10:22 (HCSB)
ASSURANCE

 κλητός klētos adjective Called out, invited, chosen, appointed
 including yourselves who also belong to Jesus Christ by calling:
To all who are in Rome, loved by God, called as saints. Grace to you
and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Romans
1:6-7 (HCSB)
 We know that all things work together for the good of those who love
God: those who are called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28
(HCSB)
 1 Jude, a slave of Jesus Christ and a brother of James: To those who
are the called, loved by God the Father and kept by Jesus Christ. Jude
1:1 (HCSB)
 κλῆσις klēsis noun Call, calling, invitation, vocation
 He has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to
our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was
given to us in Christ Jesus before time began. 2 Timothy 1:9 (HCSB)
CALLED

 καλέω kaleō verb Call, name, summon, invite (146 times in NT)
 And those He predestined, He also called; and those He called, He also
justified; and those He justified, He also glorified. Romans 8:30 (HCSB)
 And ⌊what if⌋ He did this to make known the riches of His glory on
objects of mercy that He prepared beforehand for glory—on us, the ones
He also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles?
Romans 9:23-24 (HCSB)
 For you were called to be free, brothers; only don’t use this freedom as
an opportunity for the flesh, but serve one another through love.
Galatians 5:13 (HCSB)
 we encouraged, comforted, and implored each one of you to walk worthy
of God, who calls you into His own kingdom and glory. 1 Thessalonians
2:12 (HCSB)
 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people
for His possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the One
who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. 1 Peter 2:9
(HCSB)
CALLED

 ἐκλέγομαι eklegomai verb Choose, select, elect
 For he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world that we
may be holy and unblemished in his sight in love. Ephesians 1:4
(NET1)
 ἐκλογή eklogē noun Selection, choice, chosen
 knowing your election, brothers loved by God. 1 Thessalonians 1:4
(HCSB)
 Therefore, brothers, make every effort to confirm your calling and
election, because if you do these things you will never stumble. 2
Peter 1:10 (HCSB)
 ἐκλεκτός eklektos adjective Chosen, select, elect.
 He did not even spare His own Son but offered Him up for us all; how
will He not also with Him grant us everything? Who can bring an
accusation against God’s elect? God is the One who justifies. Romans
8:32-33 (HCSB)
CHOSEN/ELECT

 ἐκλεκτός eklektos adj Chosen, select, elect (cont’d)
 Therefore, as the elect (chosen) of God, holy and dearly loved, clothe
yourselves with a heart of mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and
patience, Colossians 3:12 (NET1)
 Paul, a slave of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to build up the faith
of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness,
Titus 1:1 (HCSB)
 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people
for His possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the One
who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. 1 Peter 2:9
(HCSB)
 αἱρέω ahireō verb Choose, prefer, take
 But we ought to thank God always for you, brothers and sisters loved by
the Lord, because God chose you from the beginning for salvation
through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth. 2
Thessalonians 2:13 (NET1)
CHOSEN/ELECT

 προγινώσκω proginōskō verb Know beforehand
 We know that all things work together for the good of those who love
God: those who are called according to His purpose. For those He
foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son,
so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers. Romans 8:28-29
(HCSB)
 He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was manifested
in these last times for your sake. 1 Peter 1:20 (NET1)
 πρόγνωσις prognōsis noun Foreknowledge
 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ: To the … chosen according to the
foreknowledge of God the Father and set apart by the Spirit for
obedience and ⌊for⌋ sprinkling with the blood of Jesus Christ. May grace
and peace be multiplied to you. 1 Peter 1:1-2 (HCSB)
 Though He was delivered up according to God’s determined plan and
foreknowledge, you used lawless people to nail Him to a cross and kill
Him. God raised Him up, ending the pains of death, because it was not
possible for Him to be held by it. Acts 2:23-24 (HCSB)
FOREKNOWN

 προορίζω proorizō verb Set boundaries beforehand, appoint or
determine beforehand
 And we know that all things work together for good for those who love God,
who are called according to his purpose,
because those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to
the image of his Son, that his Son would be the firstborn among many
brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; and those he
called, he also justified; and those he justified, he also glorified. Romans
8:28-30 (NET1)
 For he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world that we may be
holy and unblemished in his sight in love. He did this by predestining us to
adoption as his sons through Jesus Christ, according to the pleasure of his
will — to the praise of the glory of his grace that he has freely bestowed on
us in his dearly loved Son. Ephesians 1:4-6 (NET1)
 We have also received an inheritance in Him, predestined according to the
purpose of the One who works out everything in agreement with the decision
of His will, Ephesians 1:11 (HCSB)
 On the contrary, we speak God’s hidden wisdom in a mystery, a wisdom God
predestined before the ages for our glory. 1 Corinthians 2:7 (HCSB)
PREDESTINED

 τάσσω tassō verb Place, fix, determine, appoint, direct
 When the Gentiles heard this, they rejoiced and glorified the
message of the Lord, and all who had been appointed to eternal life
believed. Acts 13:48 (HCSB) (Appointment preceded believing)
 τίθημι tithēmi verb To put, set, place, lay down
 You did not choose Me, but I chose you. I appointed you that you
should go out and produce fruit and that your fruit should remain, so
that whatever you ask the Father in My name, He will give you. John
15:16 (HCSB)
 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our
Lord Jesus Christ, 1 Thessalonians 5:9 (KJV)
 χαρίζομαι charizomai verb Give generously, grant, bestow;
remit, forgive, release, pardon
 For it has been granted to you not only to believe in Christ but also to
suffer for him, Philippians 1:29 (NET1)
APPOINTED

 And those he predestined, he also called; and those he called, he
also justified; and those he justified, he also glorified. Romans
8:30 (NET1)
 I have given them the glory You have given Me. May they be one
as We are one. John 17:22 (HCSB)
 And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon
vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory,
Romans 9:23 (NASB)
 but we speak God's wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom
which God predestined before the ages to our glory; 1
Corinthians 2:7 (NASB)
 who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity
with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He
has even to subject all things to Himself. Philippians 3:21 (NASB )
 He called you to this through our gospel, so that you might
obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Thessalonians 2:14
(HCSB)
GLORIFIED

 ἅγιος hagios adj Holy; (things), consecrated; (persons),
unapproachable, perfect, pure, upright, worthy of God, saint
 Translated “saints” (61 times), “holy” or “Holy”, “sanctuary” or
“Holy place” or “Holiest place”
 Rom 1:7 to all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called saints; Grace to
you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ!
 Eph 1:4 according as He did choose us in Him before the foundation of
the world, for our being holy and unblemished before Him, in love (YLT)
 but now he has reconciled you by his physical body through death to
present you holy, without blemish, and blameless before him —
Colossians 1:22 (NET1)
 We are not “sinners saved by grace” rather “I was a sinner, God
saved me by His grace, I am now a saint (who occasionally still
sins)”
SAINTS (HOLY)

SINNERS | SAINTS
Spiritually Dead (Unregenerate) Spiritually Alive (Col 2:13-14)
Condemned Justified (Rom 8:30)
Not redeemed Redeemed (Eph1:7)
Unrighteous Righteous (2 Cor 5:21)
Unreconciled Reconciled (Col 1:21-22)
Do not have eternal life Have Eternal Life (John 3:36)
Cursed Blessed (Eph 1:3)
In Bondage Set Free (Rom 7:6)
Children of the Devil Adopted as sons of God (1 John 3:1)
Sick Healed (1 Peter 2:24)
Slaves to sin Slaves to Righteousness (Rom 6:18)
Death reigns We reign in life (Rom 5:17)
Live in Darkness Live in the Light (1 Thess 5:4-5)
Under Satan’s authority In His Son’s Kingdom (Col 1:13)

 1 Cor 1:30 But ⌊it is⌋ from Him that you are in Christ Jesus,
who became God-given wisdom for us—⌊our⌋ righteousness,
sanctification, and redemption
 1 John 4:13 By this we know that we abide in Him and He in
us, because He has given us of His Spirit.
 Col 3:3 For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in
God. Colossians 3:3
 Jesus used the same language of Him and the Father
 John 14:11 "Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in
Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves.
 John 17:20-21 "I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those
also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one;
even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in
Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.
IN CHRIST

 Grace: What God has graciously accomplished for us in Christ
 For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but
under grace. Romans 6:14 (NASB)
 But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise
grace is no longer grace. Romans 11:6 (NASB)
 But they are justified freely by his grace through the redemption
that is in Christ Jesus. Romans 3:24 (NET1)
 For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the
one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of
the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus
Christ. Romans 5:17 (NASB)
 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He
was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through
His poverty might become rich. 2 Corinthians 8:9 (NASB)
 You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be
justified by law; you have fallen from grace. Galatians 5:4 (NASB)
 Falling from grace means falling back down to the Law
UNDER GRACE

 My little children, I am writing you these things so that you may
not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the
Father—Jesus Christ the Righteous One. 1 John 2:1 (HCSB)
 For the entire fullness of God’s nature dwells bodily in Christ,
and you have been filled by Him, who is the head over every ruler
and authority. Colossians 2:9-10 (HCSB)
 but our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait
for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Philippians 3:20 (HCSB)
 for you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
Colossians 3:3 (NET1)
 He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that, having
died to sins, we might live for righteousness; you have been
healed by His wounds. 1 Peter 2:24 (HCSB)
 For the hearts of these people have grown callous, their ears are
hard of hearing, and they have shut their eyes; otherwise they
might see with their eyes and hear with their ears, understand
with their heart, and be converted, and I would heal them. Acts
28:27 (HCSB)
THERE’S MORE

 In Christ we are a new creation
 2 Cor 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, ⌊he is⌋ a new creation; old
things have passed away, and look, new things have come.
 Created in Christ, in union with Him
 Eph 2:8-9 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus upon
good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in
them.
 Created by God in righteousness, holiness and truth
 Eph 4:24 and to put on the new man, which, according to God, was
created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.
 Created in God’s image
 Col 3:9-10 Lie not one to another, having put off the old man with his
practices, and having put on the new, which is renewed in regard to
knowledge, after the image of Him who did create him;
THE NEW MAN

 Christ is in us
 Col 1:27 to whom God did will to make known what is the riches of
the glory of this secret among the nations--which is Christ in you, the
hope of the glory,
 Christ is our life
 Col 3:3-4 for ye did die, and your life hath been hid with the Christ in
God; when the Christ--our life--may be manifested, then also we with
him shall be manifested in glory.
 Rom 5:10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God
through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we
shall be saved by His life.
 Christ lives in us
 Gal 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who
live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I
live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for
me.
THE NEW MAN

 We were sealed with the Holy Spirit
 Eph 1:13 When you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your
salvation, and when you believed in Him, you were also sealed with
the promised Holy Spirit.
 The Holy Spirit is in our heart
 2 Cor 1:22 who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as
a pledge.
 Gal 4:6 Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son
into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!"
 God’s love has been poured into our heart
 Rom 5:5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has
been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was
given to us.
THE NEW MAN

 We are God’s sons and daughters (John 1:12)
 We are redeemed (ransomed), eternally, irrevocably
 We are forgiven, fully, once and for all, permanently
 We have been made the righteousness of Christ, eternally, which
can not be diminished or added to
 We have been declared righteous, eternally, irrevocably
 We are eternally in union with Christ, in Him, permanently
 We have been regenerated, never to die again
 We are alive in Christ, He is our life, He lives in us permanently
 We have been reconciled to God, permanently, irrevocably
 We possess eternal life, which is forever and irrevocable
 We have been sanctified and are being sanctified
 We are protected by God’s infinite power and promises
 We are complete in Him, holy, without blemish, and blameless
before Him
WHO WE ARE IN CHRIST

 We possess new life—eternal life, life forever with God
 We possess the Holy Spirit, sealed permanently with Him
 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from
God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, 1 Corinthians
2:12 (NASB)
 We possess the Lord Jesus Christ, I am His and He is mine
 We possess the gifts of the Holy Spirit, as He has given to each
 We possess all of God’s promises (7,000 of them!)
 We possess all things
 Rom 8:32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us
all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?
 We possess an inheritance from God, co-heirs with Christ (Rom
8:17)
 God has given us everything pertaining to life and godliness (2 Pet
1:3)
 He has equipped us with every good thing to do His will (Heb 13:20)
 God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in heaven (Eph 1:3)
 We possess the mind of Christ (1 Cor 2:16)
WHAT WE POSSESS IN CHRIST

IN ADAM | IN CHRIST
Sin Righteousness (2 Cor 5:21)
Condemnation Justification (Rom 5:19)
Death Life (1 Cor 15:22)
Flesh Spirit (Rom 8:9)
The World The Heavenlies (Eph 2:6)
Law Grace (Rom 6:14)
Curse Blessing (Gal 3:14)
Bondage Liberty (Rom 7:6)
Sin Reigns Grace Reigns (Rom 5:21)
Under sin Under grace (Rom 6:14)
Slaves to sin Slaves to Righteousness (Rom 6:18)
Death Reigns We reign in life (Rom 5:17)
Darkness Light (1 Thess 5:4-5)
Authority of Satan’s kingdom Kingdom of God (Col 1:13-14)

 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet
what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him,
because we will see Him just as He is. And everyone who has this hope
fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. 1 John 3:2-3 (NASB)
 Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be
changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet;
for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable,
and we will be changed. For this perishable must put on the
imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. 1 Corinthians
15:51-53 (NASB)
 Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them
in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be
with the Lord. 1 Thessalonians 4:17 (NASB)
 so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His
grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:7 (NASB )
 You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness
of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever. Psalm 16:11
(NASB)
OUR CERTAIN FUTURE

 We are to live as who we truly are in Christ
 Eph 2:10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus [upon]
good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in
them.
 Eph 4:1 Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a
manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called,
 Phil 3:16 Nevertheless, let us live up to the standard that we have
already attained. (NET1)
 There are approximately 600 verses in the epistles containing
commands. These commands are not a new “law” to follow, but
a reflection of what our New Man already desires to do
 Phil 2:13 For it is God who is working in you, ⌊enabling you⌋ both to
desire and to work out His good purpose. (HCSB)
 The presence of sin results in suffering for all believers
 1 Pet 5:9 But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same
experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who
are in the world. (NASB)
THE CHRISTIAN LIFE

 Moment by moment, all believers face a conflict of two sets of
desires within (Gal 2:17)
 The “sin which dwells in me” (Rom 7:17) has no power or
authority but
 It (they) tempts us to sin, appealing to our fleshly desires
 It (they) attempts to deceive us, to doubt God, to doubt His truth, to
doubt His promises, to doubt His provisions, to doubt His goodness, …
 Everything that is not of faith is sin (Rom 14:23)
 We obtain discernment through God renewing our mind (Rom 12:2)
and through study of God’s Word (2 Tim 2:15)
 Apart from Christ we can do nothing (John 15:5)
 Through Christ we can do all things (Phil 4:13)
 When I am weak, He is strong (2 Cor 12:10)
 But godliness with contentment is a great gain (1 Tim 6:6)
THE CHRISTIAN LIFE

LIVE LIKE WHO YOU ARE AND WILL BE, NOT WHO YOU WERE
(EPHESIANS 4:17-32)
Who We Were - The Old Man
Spirit Spiritually Dead
Soul
Body
Emotions
Physical
(tent)
Flesh
(evil desires)
Will
Who We Will Be - The TRUE You!
Spirit
Reborn Spirit
(Godly desires)
Soul
Body
Emotions
Physical
(Mansion)
Will
Who We Are - The New Man
Spirit
Reborn Spirit
(Godly desires)
Soul
Body
Emotions
Physical
(tent)
Flesh
(evil desires)
Will
Our Glorified Body
• Our Old Man was crucified with Christ
(Romans 6:6)
• I am no longer the one doing it but sin
that dwells in me (Romans 7:20)
• We have two opposing desires in
us (Galatians 5:17)
• Walk by the Spirit and we won’t fulfill
the desires of the flesh (Gal 5:17)
Mind
Kingdom of Darkness
Power
Authority
Sin
Mind
Kingdom of Darkness
No power
No authority
Holy
Spirit
Sin
Mind
Holy
Spirit

And their
impact on
the Gospel
CONTROVERSIES

 There have been and still are many controversies surrounding the
Gospel of Jesus Christ
 We all need to be aware of these controversies as we will all run
into them
 How we address each controversy impacts the Gospel we believe
in and the Gospel we proclaim
 We all have a responsibility to consider and study these things
 These controversies are not simple nor easily dismissed
 Comparing Scripture with Scripture and resolving any perceived
contradictions is our greatest challenge and responsibility
 No man knows as he ought to know
 1 Cor 8:2 If anyone supposes that he knows anything, he has not yet
known as he ought to know;
 We see through a “glass darkly”
 1 Cor 13:12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now
I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully
known.
GOSPEL CONTROVERSIES

 Now this matter arose because of the false brothers with false
pretenses who slipped in unnoticed to spy on our freedom that we
have in Christ Jesus, to make us slaves. Galatians 2:4 (NET1)
 See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and
empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to
the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to
Christ. Colossians 2:8 (NASB)
 For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long
beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons
who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only
Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. Jude 1:4 (NASB)
 holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the
teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine
and to refute those who contradict. For there are many rebellious
men, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the
circumcision, Titus 1:9-10 (NASB)
 Then we will no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and
blown around by every wind of teaching, by human cunning with
cleverness in the [systemizing] of deceit. Ephesians 4:14 (HCSB)
BE ALERT, BE ON GUARD

 The epistle to the Christians in Galatia was Paul’s first epistle
 He wrote it to address the first major problem that manifested
in the churches he established
 The Christians in Galatia started out correctly, understanding
they were redeemed by the blood of Christ alone, by grace
alone, through faith alone (and not by works of the Law)
 But some came and told them, while they started out in grace
they must continue to live under the Law of Moses
 I.e., the Galatians started out righteous but needed to place
themselves back under Law in order to maintain or enhance their
righteousness
 Or forgiveness, or eternal life, or redemption, or “salvation”, …
 Galatianism (legalism) is still rampant in the (worldwide)
church today, possibly the single largest problem
GALATIANISM

 We are not under Law but under Grace
 Rom 6:14 For sin will not rule over you, because you are not under law
but under grace.
 We are not to follow rules and regulations in order to establish, enhance or
keep from diminishing our righteousness. By grace, God has made us
righteous, as He is righteous, and has declared us to be so
 We have been set free from the Law of Sin and Death
 Rom 8:1-2 Therefore, no condemnation now exists for those in Christ
Jesus, because the Spirit’s law of life in Christ Jesus has set you free
from the law of sin and of death.
 We died to the Law
 Rom 7:6 But now we have been released from the law, since we have
died to what held us, so that we may serve in the new way of the Spirit
and not in the old letter of the law.
 Gal 3:19 (NASB) Why the Law then? It was added because of
transgressions, having been ordained through angels by the
agency of a mediator, until the seed would come to whom the
promise had been made.
GALATIANISM (CONT’D)

 The power of sin is in the Law
 1 Cor 15:56 Now the sting of death is sin, and the power of sin
is the law.
 If you want a believer to sin more, then put them or keep them
under law
 Law: a system of works to establish our own righteousness
 If you want someone to sin less, keep them under grace
 Grace: a system of faith, believing we are God’s righteousness because
of Christ’s faithfulness
 In summary, the false gospel proclaimed in Galatia was
something like, Christ died for your sins but now you must keep
the Law of Moses to stay righteous
 The true Gospel states that Christ’s death in our place set us free
from slavery to sin and to the Law and we are now eternally
righteous
 2 Corinthians 3:9 For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the
ministry of righteousness overflows with even more glory.
GALATIANISM (CONT’D)

 This controversy has been raging since at least the 4th century
 How we deal with this controversy will determine:
 The Gospel that we believe and live under, moment by moment
 The Gospel that we proclaim to non-believers (and believers)
 Christians love to discuss “predestination” perhaps more than
any other topic
 The focus of this presentation is on how our resolution of this
controversy impacts the Gospel
 Recall Paul’s warning/command
 Gal 1:8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you
a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be
accursed!
 Gal 1:9 As we have said before, I now say again: If anyone preaches
to you a gospel contrary to what you received, a curse be on him!
PELAGIANISM, SEMI-PELAGIANISM,
ARMINIANISM

 Pelagianism: A theology from Pelagius, a British monk (A.D. 360 –
420) that emphasizes human ability and free will rather than human
depravity and sinfulness
 Augustine of Hippo (354-430), an early church Bishop, disputed with
Pelagius, arguing for the depravity of man and necessity of divine
predestination
 Semi-Pelagianism: a theology developed in the 5th and 6th century that
attempted to mediate between the positions of Pelagius and Augustine
 Arminianism: a theology developed by followers of James Arminius, a
Dutch Reformer (1560-1609), a theology similar to Semi-Pelagianism
 Calvinism: a theology developed by followers of John Calvin, a French
Reformer (1509-1564) that opposed Pelagianism
 Synod of Dort: a national Synod in Holland, called to meet in 1618 to
address the Five Remonstrances submitted by the followers of Arminius
to change the Belgiac Confession of Faith and the Heidelberg
Catechism. 154 sessions were held over 7 months with up to 1,500
participants from Holland, Germany, Switzerland, England, resulting in
the publishing of five chapters that documented the Synod’s unanimous
rejection of the Five Remonstrances
ARMINIANISM

 Martin Luther (1483-1546), the great German Reformer disputed
with Desiderius Erasmus, arguing against the free will of man,
writing “The Bondage of the Will”
 Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758), perhaps the greatest American
philosopher-theologian, authored “The Freedom of the Will”,
arguing for the total depravity of man
 George Whitefield (1714-1770), a great Methodist evangelist,
held to a “Calvinist” theology
 John Wesley (1703-1791), founder of Methodism, held to a
theology that was Arminian in orientation
 Charles Finney (1792-1875) held to an Arminian theology and
perfectionist view of sanctification
 The church in early America was staunchly “Calvinistic”
 The pendulum has swung the other way such that the modern
evangelical church is predominantly “Arminian”
 Technically, holding to the first four Remonstrances but rejecting the
fifth, i.e., rejecting that eternal assurance is in question
ARMINIANISM (CONT’D)

 The maxim of Semi-Pelagianism is, “it is mine to be willing to
believe, and it is the part of God’s grace to assist”
 A synergistic Gospel—God and man together
 The position of Calvinism is that an unregenerate person is
absolutely incapable of choosing to believe, receive, accept or
repent, requiring first the gracious regeneration, which will
always be followed by repentance and belief
 A monergistic Gospel—God and God alone
 How do these positions impact the message of the Gospel
that we are to proclaim?

The Synergistic Gospel (man-centered)
The Monergistic Gospel (God centered)
If you decide to
Believe
Accept
Receive
Repent
Pray
Ask
then, and only then, God will
Forgive
Redeem
Justify
Reconcile
Give eternal
life to
Regenerate
Save
you.
God has
Redeemed
Justified
Reconciled
Given eternal life to
Regenerated
Forgiven
us.
After regeneration we hear, we repent
(change our mind), we believe and we
accept. We may initially pray and ask
for forgiveness but we don’t need to as
we are already forgiven. Better to pray
and thank God for our redemption,
justification, reconciliation, eternal
life, regeneration, and forgiveness.

 The central “issue” with the Calvinist position seems to be:
 How can God choose some to go to heaven and the rest to go to hell and
still be just and fair?
 Rom 9:14 What shall we say then? There is no injustice with God, is there?
May it never be!
 Rom 9:19-24 You will say to me then, "Why does He still find fault? For
who resists His will?" On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers
back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, "Why did you
make me like this," will it? Or does not the potter have a right over the
clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use and
another for common use? What if God, although willing to demonstrate
His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience
vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? And He did so to make known
the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared
beforehand for glory, even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews
only, but also from among Gentiles.
 Fact: God is perfectly fair, just and righteous
 Fact: God is completely sovereign over all His creation and
everything in it
 His ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts
(Isa 55:8-9)

 Problems with the Arminian position
 Scripture strongly declares the total depravity of man and God’s
foreknowledge and predestination of men
 (My personal study finds that for every NT passage that seems to support the
Arminian position there are approx. 14 passages that support a Calvinist
position)
 (Out of 121 or so NT passages addressing the subject, it is easier for me to
resolve the apparent conflict of 8 passages seeming to support Arminianism
versus trying to make the 113 Calvinist passages support an Arminian theology)
 The Arminian position exalts the sovereignty of man with respect to
determining eternal destiny
 It exalts the power of man’s will, insisting it is free to choose to repent, believe,
accept and receive the Gospel
 Eternal Life = What Christ Did + My Decision
 Mathematically then: Eternal Life – What Christ Did = My Decision
 Eternal life is ultimately entirely up to my decision
 The Arminian position invariably leads to difficulty with eternal assurance
 How does one know if they truly repented, sufficiently believed exactly what is
necessary to believe to qualify for heaven, and can maintain qualification for
heaven despite persistent sin in his/her life?

 The Gospel of Jesus Christ is “indicative” or “declarative”
 It is a statement of fact, or statements of facts
 It is a message about what God has done for us through Christ
 The Gospel is not an invitation but a command
 God commands all men everywhere to repent
 Acts 17:30 “Therefore, having overlooked the times of ignorance, God now
commands all people everywhere to repent
 Jesus commanded the Jews to repent and believe the Gospel
 Mark 1:15 and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at
hand; repent and believe in the gospel.“
 The Ransom price God paid in the shed blood and death of
Christ is not a “potential” price
 i.e., only valid if one accepts, receives or believes it
 Such a concept can not be supported in Scripture
 Mark 10:45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to
serve, and to give His life—a ransom for many.”

 All are commanded to obey the gospel but not all will obey
 1 Pet 2:7-8 This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for
those who disbelieve, "THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED,
THIS BECAME THE VERY CORNER stone," and, "A STONE OF
STUMBLING AND A ROCK OF OFFENSE"; for they stumble because
they are disobedient to the word, and to this they were also
appointed.
 2 Thess 1:8-9 taking vengeance with flaming fire on those who don’t
know God and on those who don’t obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction from the Lord’s
presence and from His glorious strength
 The command is to obey the Gospel (believe the Gospel)

 God is the one who opens our heart
 A woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple fabrics, a
worshiper of God, was listening; and the Lord opened her heart to respond to the
things spoken by Paul. Acts 16:14 (NASB)
 God is the one who grants that we believe
 For to you it has been granted for Christ's sake, not only to believe in Him, but also
to suffer for His sake, Philippians 1:29 (NASB)
 When the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the
Lord; and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed. Acts 13:48 (NASB)
 God allots to each a measure of faith
 For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more
highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment,
as God has allotted to each a measure of faith. Romans 12:3 (NASB)
 God is the one who grants repentance
 with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant
them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, 2 Timothy 2:25 (NASB)
 God placed us in Christ
 But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and
righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, so that, just as it is written, "LET
HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD." 1 Corinthians 1:30-31 (NASB)

 The eternal assurance of the believer has long been a
controversy, and still is
 The fifth Remonstrance from the followers of Arminius stated
that “assurance” should be studied further
 Many today go beyond the fifth Remonstrance and hold that:
 The believer has no assurance—we won’t know until we get to heaven
and God lets us in
 Again, how does this impact the Gospel that we believe and
proclaim?
 I have Great News for you, Christ died for our sins and those who
believe have eternal life…maybe.
ASSURANCE

 There are some who refuse to teach that believers have
assurance for fear that doing so will give believers a “license
to sin”
 They will focus on some passages that appear to say a
believer can “lose their salvation”, but ignore those passages
that clearly state the absolute assurance of eternal life
 The implication is that the believer has to do something to
insure getting into heaven by “minding their P’s and Q’s”, i.e.,
not sinning too much
 Implying there is a threshold, that if crossed, God blots their name
out of the Book of Life and the believer goes to Hell
 Only by maintaining this fear of Hell, they say, will believers
be motivated to avoid sin, “walk the narrow road”, and to “love
God”
ASSURANCE

 If we are eternally redeemed, God having paid the ransom
price to purchase us, never to sell us again, can a believer
somehow become unredeemed?
 If we have been completely forgiven all our sins, past present
and future, once and for all, can a believer somehow become
unforgiven?
 If a believer possesses eternal life—life forever with God, can
a believer somehow loose possession of eternal life?
 If a believer has been eternally reconciled to God, can a
believer somehow become unreconciled?
 If Christ paid the just penalty for our sin, once and for all,
could a believer ever be held accountable for sin?
 Can a believer ever possess complete peace and rest if his
eternal destiny still depends on his performance?
ASSURANCE

 Can a believer “sin as much as he wants to” and still go to
heaven?
 A true believer already is sinning more than he wants to, which is any
sin more than zero
 Will some abuse God’s grace?
 Jude 1:4 For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were
long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons
who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only
Master and Lord, Jesus Christ
 Will some misunderstand God’s grace?
 Rom 3:8 And why not say (as we are slanderously reported and as
some claim that we say), "Let us do evil that good may come"? Their
condemnation is just.
 Heb 10:22 let us draw near with a sincere heart in full
assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an
evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
ASSURANCE

 In Hebrews 13:5 God literally states, “I will absolutely never,
ever leave you, I will absolutely never, ever forsake you!”
 John 10:27-29 "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and
they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will
[absolutely never ever] perish; and no one will snatch them
out of My hand. "My Father, who has given them to Me, is
greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the
Father's hand.
 John 11:25-26 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and
the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and
everyone who lives and believes in Me will [absolutely never
ever] die. Do you believe this?“
 The Lord leaves no doubt in His Word: once redeemed, always
redeemed, once forgiven, always forgiven, once justified,
always justified, eternal life is just that—eternal!
ASSURANCE

 This test demonstrates how Galatianism leads to no
assurance
 Are we now forgiven for all our sins, past, present and future,
as stated in Eph 4:32, Col 3:13, 1 John 2:12, Heb 10:12-14
 Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as
God in Christ also has forgiven you. Ephesians 4:32 (NASB)
 Or, is our forgiveness contingent on forgiving others?
 Matt 6:14-15 :For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your
heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others,
then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.”
 Does the passage in Matthew say that if we don’t forgive
everyone of their transgressions, God won’t forgive us and we
therefore end up in hell because we are not forgiven? So does
getting into heaven depends entirely on us completely
forgiving everyone of all their transgressions against us all
the days of our life up to our very last breath?
HERE’S A TEST

 When did the Old covenant end and the “New covenant in his
blood” begin?
 Answer: After Christ shed his blood on the cross, died and rose
 Matt 6:14-15 was spoken under the old covenant*
 Eph 4:32, Col 3:13, 1 John 2:12, Heb 10:12-14 were written after
His death, burial and resurrection, i.e., under the new covenant in
His blood
 Our sins, past, present and future, have been forgiven, once and
for all, forever and irrevocably
 Should we forgive others as Christ has forgiven us? Of course!
 Col 3:13 bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a
complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.
 *Note: we can apply much of what Jesus said before the cross but
we as believers must consider what the Holy Spirit said in God’s
Word after the events of the cross, specifically in Acts, the Epistles
and the Revelation of Jesus Christ to John
ANSWERS TO THE TEST

 Mental Assent
 Defined as: If a person gives mental assent to the man Jesus being
God and dying for their sins, being raised from the dead, then that
person is “saved”
 It may include responding to an altar call
 It may include reciting “the sinners prayer”
 True Conversion
 The sinner has been regenerated—born again, born from above, his
dead spirit has been quickened (made alive)
 Repentance and belief follow regeneration
 2 Tim 2:25 with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if
perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the
truth,
 Phil 1:29 For to you it has been granted for Christ's sake, not only to
believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake
 Fruit follows repentence
 Matt 3:8 "Therefore bear fruit in keeping with repentance;
MENTAL ASSENT VS. TRUE CONVERSION

 The result of assuming mental assent is sufficient for
conversion has had devastating consequences
 It gives a false assurance to those who have given mental assent but
are not truly converted (regenerated)
 You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and
shudder. James 2:19 (NASB)
 Churches are filled with those who are not true believers, causing
strife and confusion
 2 Cor 6:14 Do not be mismatched with unbelievers. For what partnership
is there between righteousness and lawlessness? Or what fellowship does
light have with darkness?
 Mental assent results from a weakened, diminished Gospel
 The “good news” is that if you assent in your mind to the death, burial
and resurrection of Jesus Christ for your sins then you are “saved”
 The evangelistic focus has become persuading someone to give
mental assent as opposed to proclaiming the message and leaving
the result with the Holy Spirit

 A true believer has been regenerated (born again, born from
above, quickened, made alive spiritually)
 A true believer can hear, see, repent, believe, understand,
discern truth from error, have fellowship with other believers
 A true believer has the Holy Spirit to help, guide, teach, give
him power, love and a sound mind
 True conversion is the result of God’s gracious act of
regeneration
 Not necessarily reciting the “sinner’s prayer”
 Not necessarily walking the aisle to an altar call
 Although God may use these things
 A true believer, sooner or later, will manifest fruit unto God

The Gospel for Believers

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