Bible Lessons For
New Converts
WHAT HAPPENED WHEN YOU BECAME A CHILD OF GOD?
Have you ever watched someone who set up thousands of dominos on their ends, row after row? At a set time, the first one was knocked over, and it started a chain reaction, knocking others over until eventually they were all knocked over.
This is what happens when a lost person comes to know Christ as their Savior. Immediately a chain of events begins to take place in their life.
Most people, when they accept the Lord Jesus as their Savior, have no idea of all the things that are taking place in their life.
For example, most automobile drivers know very little about what makes a car go. About the only thing most of them know is, if we turn the ignition switch on, the motor will start. And if they step on the gas pedal, their car will begin moving. They have no idea of all the mechanical functions that must take place for that automobile to move.
But what can be said of many drivers can also be said about many Christians. That is, when we are first saved, we do not know very much about this glorious salvation that the Lord has provided for us.
However, it is not necessary that we know everything to receive it, it is only necessary that we believe that Christ is the means of us receiving it.
But as already stated, once we place our faith in Christ, some things begin to transpire in our life immediately.
Let’s look at some of the important things that happen to the believer, when he receives the salvation the Lord has provided for him.
I. OUR SINS ARE FORGIVEN
Look at Colossians 1:13-14, We read, “Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:”
We should never cease to thank Him for saving us from a burning hell.
II. WE NO LONGER HAVE TO DIE IN OUR SINS
As Christians we do not die in our sins, we die IN CHRIST.
All the unsaved die in their sins, and must stand before the Great White Throne Judgment.
Those who die in their sins will be cast into the Lake of Fire, where they will be punished for ever and ever.
Look at Matthew 13:49-50, we read, “So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.”
One of the greatest torments for those condemned to Hell will be the knowledge that they could have escaped. "And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and MEN LOVED DARKNESS rather than light for their deeds are evil." - John 3:19
III. WE PASS FROM DEATH UNTO LIFE
Look at 1 John 3:14, we read, "We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren..."
For the unsaved sinner, life offers no more than a few sinful pleasures, worldly gain, and passing fame. At death, he will lose everything he ever treasured: his family, friends, fortune, and fame.
IV. OUR NAME IS RECORDED IN HEAVEN
The Bible clearly teaches that there are BOOKS in Heaven.
Look at Luke 10:20, we read, "Rejoice, because your names are written in heaven."
True believers need not be concerned about being punished in the Lake of Fire, for our names are written in the Book of Life.
V. HE HAS GIVEN US ETERNAL LIFE
The Bible says we do not have to wait until we die to know that we are going to Heaven. Eternal life begins the moment our sins are washed away. At that very moment our names are written in the Book of Life.
Look at John 10:28, we read, “And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.”
In John 5:24 we read, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and SHALL NOT COME INTO CONDEMNATION; but is passed from death unto life.”
Also, in John 3:36, we read “He that believeth on the Son HATH EVERLASTING LIFE: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.”
VI. WE RECEIVE OUR INHERITANCE
As believers we are God’s children:
Look at Romans 8:17, we read, "And if children, then heirs; HEIRS OF GOD, AND JOINT HEIRS WITH CHRIST; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may also be glorified together."
This part of our inheritance (including our new body and our home in Heaven) is kept safe for us until we receive it in the last day.
VII. WE RECEIVE THE BLESSED HOPE
Look at Titus 2:13, we read, "Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our saviour Jesus Christ;"
When things go wrong in this life, and the future looks tough, Christians can still look forward to this blessed hope.
VII. WE RECEIVE THE PEACE OF GOD
Look at Romans 5:1, we read, "Therefore being justified by faith, WE HAVE PEACE WITH GOD through our Lord Jesus Christ:"
Now that we have "peace with God," we no longer have to worry about going to Hell, and we can really begin to enjoy life.
VIII. WE NOW HAVE AN ADVOCATE
Look at 1 John 2:1-2, we read, "My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, WE HAVE AN ADVOCATE with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world."
This verse tells us that Christ is our Advocate before God the Father. The Greek word for "advocate" is parakletos, which means intercessor. In the Roman legal system, the Paraclete was one called to the aid of a defendant in a trial. His job was to plead the case of the accused before the court in an attempt to obtain mercy. In the same way, Christ now pleads with the Father for mercy and pardon, for those He has redeemed. Never has another pled so fervently as our Lord, whose plea is based on His own blood sacrifice at Calvary. His plea is always just, always merciful and it is always granted. Praise God!
Aren’t you glad you received Christ as your Savior, and now all these things have happened in your life?
We are children of ROYALTY, but let us look at some things that teach us how to live like children of ROYALTY in the next seven lessons!
HOW TO ESTABLISH
A QUIET TIME (1-7)
Read: 1 John 4:13 -16.
Introduction: What is a quiet time? We live in a world today that is full of noise pollution. And when I say noise pollution, I mean we are surrounded by all kinds of noises every day.
Have you ever thought about how much noise we hear each day?
We hear highway noises, lawn mower noises, factory noises, appliance noises, television noises, radio noises and etc. This is a very noisy society in which we live.
More than any society before us, we have all these noises coming from every direction. However, more than any society before us, we have a greater need to withdraw from all of this noise, and find a quiet place to allow the Lord to speak to us and for us to speak to Him.
HOW OFTEN SHOULD WE DO THIS? We should DO IT DAILY.
For example, we understand that to survive physically, we have to make time to eat good nutritious food. We do this daily.
The same thing is true for the Christian life. If we are going to be strong, healthy Christians, we have to take time each day to have a quiet time to get the spiritual nourishment that we need.
When you do this daily, you will immediately start to see some positive results. You will immediately begin to sense the presence of the Lord in your life in a greater way.
HOW CAN I HAVE A MEANINGFUL QUIET TIME EACH DAY WITH THE LORD?
1. HAVE A SPECIFIC TIME AND PLACE FOR YOUR QUIET TIME
When a couple falls in love, they often have a very special place and time they meet. No one has to force them to show up, they do it because they love that very special person in their life.
Let me ask you something: DO YOU LOVE THE LORD ENOUGH THAT YOU CAN GET EXCITED ABOUT BEING ALONE WITH HIM?
It means a great deal to the Lord when we love Him so much that we are willing to have a special time and place to meet with Him each day. That is, we shut the world out of our lives just to have that time to be with Him.
We give Him the top priority!
When we do this, we are immediately going to see some changes in our lives.
Different people have different times during the day to have a quiet time, but the very best time has proven to be early in the morning. That is, start the day off with the Lord. You will be surprised how much difference it will make during the day if you start the day off with the Lord.
For example, in Matthew 6: 33, we read, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”
2. BE CONSISTENT
Again, lovers who enjoy meeting with each other at a specific place and time, do it consistently.
Just as we would not think o f missing a physical meal, we should be just as consistent with our spiritual appointments.
3. TOOLS FOR A QUIET TIME
You will need a Bible and a note pad. The Bible is for the purpose of reading God’s Word, as a lover would do when he/she is alone reading a love letter. He would not think of reading it aloud, this is his/her special time with God.
The note pad is for the purpose of taking notes of what you are learning. It can be in a diary form if one so chooses.
4. START YOUR QUIET TIME WITH PRAYER
Remember that as you pray, you are talking to God who knows all about you. Do not try to hide anything from Him. He loves you, and you can talk to Him about anything.
Look at 1Peter 5:7, we read, “Casting ALL your care upon him; for he careth for you.”
5. ALLOW HIM TO SPEAK TO YOU
As He speaks to you through His Word, take time for Him to apply His Word to you life. You will be surprised how He will speak to you.
6. ACCEPT THE LORD’S WILL FOR YOUR LIFE FOR THAT DAY
There may be some things that will come your way that your did not expect, but remember Romans 8:28. We read, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”
But also, another good thing to remember is what we find in 1 John 4:13-16. We read, “Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.”
On your note pad, write what these verses of scripture mean to you.
Notes:
Romans 8:28
1 John 4:13-16:
Note: Please read back over the lesson. Some of the questions at the end of this study will come from this lesson.
HOW TO ALLOW GOD
TO SPEAK TO YOU(2-7)
Read: Psalms 119:11,15-16, 40:8.
In this lesson we are going to focus in on HOW DO WE TALK TO GOD?
But something that is equally important in this lesson is, HOW DOES GOD TALK TO US?
We call the Bible the Word of God for a reason, because it is the WORD OF GOD.
That is, the Bible does not contain the Word of God; IT IS THE WORD OF GOD!
When you read the WORD OF GOD, always keep in mind that the things you are reading on the printed page, are placed there by God.
The Bible says, in 1 Peter 2:2, "As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word that we may grow thereby."
Newborn babies must have proper nutrition in order to grow properly. All, who are born of the Spirit, are also like newborn babies. From the moment of their birth, believers should begin to grow by studying God's word (spoken of as "milk" in 1 Peter 2).
In this lesson, let us look at several things, such as:
1. WHAT BIBLE SHOULD I READ?
The King James Bible (KJV) is the most popular. It has that reputation for a reason: IT HAS EARNED IT! It is also known by some as the Authorized Version.
Why should you use the King James Version? Because, to the English speaking people, it has proven to be the most accurate and trustworthy version to study.
Some of the liberal churches will state that you should read the modern translations, such as the NIV, Good News For Modern Man, New American Standard (NASB), Revised Standard Version of the Bible (RSV), and etc.
Never study under a man who is a Bible corrector. When dealing with the Holy Bible, we will let the scriptures correct us, not contrariwise.
Even while the Apostle Paul was still alive, men had already begun to correct the word of God. Paul sets himself apart from such, look at II Corinthian 2:17, we read, "For we are NOT AS MANY, which corrupt the word of God..."
Most of the people who recommend these translations, don’t do it because they are evil people, they do it out of ignorance. But for whatever reason they recommend them, they do not tell you that these versions will leave out words, and complete passages of scriptures, without even letting you know they have done this.
Such as, they will refer to Christ as a man in some passages when the King James might refer to Him as the Son of God. When they do this, they rob Christ of His deity and make him like a mortal man like ourselves. This is not good!
The King James is a fair and accurate translation. If words have been added that were not in the original manuscript, they put those words in Italics, to let you know they were not in the original text.
For example, if you turn to 1 Corinthian 14, this chapter lists the words “Unknown tongues” many times. In the King James, those words are placed in Italics each time, to let you know they were not in the original manuscript, but were added later.
This is why we say the King James is honest, and you will not have to read it wondering what has been left out or what has been added.
Remember that the Bible is GOD’S WORD. When you read God’s Word, you want to make sure you are reading God’s Word, not what some man has added or deleted.
Invest in a good Bible, one that will last you for many years. Try and find one with large clear print so that you can read it and not have to strain to read.
Also, since you are a new convert and not familiar with the Bible, find one that has a finger index so that when you are following the preacher or Sunday School teacher you can easily find the books of the Bible. If you can not find one that has the finger index, do not hesitate to go to the contents page at the beginning of your Bible, and it will help you to locate the books of the Bible.
2. ALSO, READ YOUR BIBLE WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT SOMETIMES GOD SPEAKS TO US THROUGH FIGURES OF SPEECH
All languages have a limited number of words to use in expressing thoughts and ideas. In the English language we have approximately 40,000 words we use to express hundreds of thousands of experiences, feelings, and thoughts.
Yet, with the forty thousand words that we use, we find a shortage of words at times and we resort to figures of speech to express what we want to express.
Because of this shortage of words, we begin saying the sun rises or we feel blue. This type of expression is what we call a figure of speech, which is a special way of creating a picture in the mind of the reader or listener to enhance understanding. Examples:
• SIMILE - Comparing two things that resemble one another; look for "like” or “as.” Look at these examples: Psa. 1:3; Matt. 13:44-45; 23:37; 1 Pet. 2:25; 5:8
• METAPHOR - Comparing one thing that represents another where the qualities of the one object apply to the other. Look at these examples: Deut. 5: 15; Ps. 19:14; 23: 1; John 6:48
• HYPERBOLE - A deliberate exaggeration, for effect or emphasis. Look at these examples: Deut. 1:28; Ps. 6:6; Mt. 5:29-30; 1 Thess. 5:17
• PARABLE - An extended simile; a short story about everyday things that illustrates a single truth or principle. Look at these examples: Matt. 13:3-9, Luke 14:31-33
• PERSONIFICATION - A non-personal or non-living thing is spoken about as though it were a person. Look at these examples: Isa. 55:12; Prov. 9:1
• TYPOLOGY - A correspondence between a person, event, or thing from the Old Testament and a person, event, or thing in the New Testament. Look at these examples: Compare Exo. 17:1-9 with 1 Cor. 10:4; Num. 21:5-9 with John 3:14; Gen. 2:2 with Heb. 4:8-10.
Principles for Interpreting Figures of Speech
* Identify a figure by trying to take the passage literally. If it makes no sense to apply it literally, then it's probably a figure of speech.
* Let the context determine the meaning of the figure.
* Look for what is behind the figure; what is represented. Look for specific points of similarity and difference.
* Don't push the figure past the author's intended meaning - there's a limit to the meaning of any figure of speech.
Look up some of the references above and identify the figures of speech.
As we read the Word of God we have to always remember God is speaking to us through His Word.
Someone said, “Words are vehicles by which thoughts travel.”
This is true. When we read God’s Word, these are thoughts God wants to travel to our mind and heart. And as we read, we need to ask ourselves:
* What truth is the Word of God trying to convey to me?
* How should this passage influence my life?
* Is there an example for me to follow here?
* Is there a command to obey?
3. MEMORIZE THE WORD OF GOD
It is good to memorize one verse of scripture a week. If you can do more than that, it would be great!
One of the best ways to do this is to write the verse on a card and display it in a prominent place, such as the bathroom mirror, over your workbench, near your telephone. Write the verse of scripture on one side and the location of that verse on the other side.
Then as you review these verses, you can look at the location and quote from memory that particular verse. And then you can also look at the verse and remember where it is located on the other side.
You can memorize scripture as you drive down the highway, walking, resting. Think about a place where you can memorize a verse of scripture this week.
Here are a few verses that I would suggest that you start memorizing. Such as: Jeremiah 33:3, Matthew 6:33, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, Psalm 100:3, Matthew 11:28, Isaiah 53:6, Romans 3:23, and 1 John 5:13
As you read your Bible each day, you will find verses of scripture and perhaps even complete chapters likes Psalm 23 that you will want to commit to memory.
Why is it important that you memorize scripture? For two reasons:
1. When your mind is occupied with the Word of God the devil does not have a chance to invade your mind.
2. David said in Psalm 119:11, “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.”
Once you hide the Word of God in your heart, you will be surprised when you are somewhere, when you do not have a Bible in your hand, and the Holy Spirit will take the Word of God you hid in your heart, and use it to keep you from sinning.
Today many believers are not grounded in the precious doctrines of the Word of God. It is vitally important that we study the scriptures if we are to become effective servants of the Lord. Daily devotions are sweet; a program for reading the Bible through in a year is profitable; but nothing can take the place of REAL STUDY.
I think every believer will agree with J.C. Ryle, who said: "No one ever said at the end of his days, I have read my Bible too much; I have prayed too much; I have been too careful with my soul."
Note: Always take your Bible with you when you go to church. A student would not think of going to school with out their books, nor should we.
Also, it is a good testimony for your neighbors to see you dressed up, going to church on Sunday morning with a Bible in your hand. They know that you are not going to Walmart’s, you are going to the house of God; something they themselves should be doing.
Note: Please read back over the lesson. Some of the questions at the end of this study will come from this lesson.
HOW TO
SPEAK TO GOD? (3-7)
Read: Matthew 6: 9-13
There are many good books written on HOW TO PRAY.
But when you have read all the books that list the many things we should do, the bottom line is this, “Prayer is no more than talking to your very best friend.”
* We all have friends that we consider our personal friends.
* These are the people in our life that we look forward to spending time with.
* These are the people that we can bare our most intimate thoughts with because we know it is safe with them.
* These are the people who love us with all of our imperfections.
* These are the people who do not just say they love us, they are the ones who truly love us.
The Lord Jesus truly is our best friend.
We can take all the friends we have and put them in a group, and all of them together can not compare to His friendship.
All good relationships are built on communication.
That communication involves YOU TALKING TO YOUR FRIEND, and allowing YOUR FRIEND TO TALK TO YOU.
Have you ever talked with anyone that dominated the conversation? That is, they did all the talking and you did all the listening. Do you enjoy talking with such people? I doubt that you do, because this is not good communication.
Good communication works both ways.
* God talks to us through His word. (We do the listening)
* We talk to God through Prayer. (He does the listening)
Prayer is God’s way of allowing us to talk to Him.
The Lord’s disciples saw the need to pray. They came to Him one day and said, in Luke 11:1, “Lord, teach us to pray.”
He gave them a model to follow.
We often call that model the Lord's Prayer. But actually, John 17 is the Lord’s prayer. Matthew 6 is the MODEL PRAYER to teach us how to pray.
And one of the first things this MODEL PRAYER teaches us is that we have a Father and Child relationship with God.
Look at Matthew 6: 9. “After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven…”
This verse of scripture tells us that we have a FATHER, and we know where He is located --“In Heaven”.
Since we have a FATHER and CHILD relationship, we can talk to Him freely.
For example, the story is told of a very distinguished man that had this very luxurious office. As people walked into his presence, they were very conscious that they were in the presence of a man who deserved the utmost respect. People walked into his office with great trepidation. But as he was talking with a man one day, all of a sudden the man’s office door opened, and a young man six years of age ran across his office, jumped into his lap, and gave him a great big hug, and said, “Daddy, I love you!”
WHAT MADE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE YOUNG MAN AND THE OTHER MAN WHO WAS TALKING TO HIM?
One was a stranger, but the young man was his son.
The same thing is true with us, we have a Father and Child relationship with God.
Look at Hebrews 4:16, we read, “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”
What should we talk to God about?
There are three things we should talk to Him about each day. Such as:
I. OUR LOVE FOR HIM
In a good relationship, people tell each other, over and over, that they love each other.
We do not need to be like the woman, who one day said to her husband, “You have not told me that you love me in ten years?” He said, “Oh yea,? I do not need to tell you that, I told you that ten years ago when I married you.”
Tell the Lord that you love Him, over and over. He loves to hear it.
Also, talk to him about-
II. OUR LOVE FOR OTHERS
The Bible tells us that one of the first things that Andrew did after he got saved was to demonstrate this.
Look at John 1:41 “He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.”
Every new convert should start his Christian life off, by witnessing to his family.
In your prayer time, talk to the Lord about members of your family that are lost, and ask the Lord to give you wisdom to know how to talk to them about giving their heart to the Lord Jesus.
Also, we should talk to Him about-
III. OUR CONCERN FOR OURSELVES
Do not be afraid to talk to the Lord about your own needs. You need to be careful, and make sure that all of your prayers are not selfish prayers that you are praying for yourself. But you need to be concerned about the needs in your life, and talk to Him about them.
In 1 Peter 5:7, we read, “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”
HOW LONG SHOULD YOU PRAY EACH DAY?
The Bible does not give us a certain amount of time to spend in prayer each day. However, the Word of God does teach us to “Pray without ceasing.”
Probably the best question to ask is not, “HOW LONG SHOULD I PRAY EACH DAY?”. The question should be, “HOW CLOSE TO THE LORD DO I WANT TO GET?”
Remember that the Lord loves you. We have a FATHER and CHILD relationship with Him. He is the dearest friend we have, and WE SHOULD WANT TO SPEND AS MUCH TIME WITH HIM AS WE can. This is how you build strong relationships.
Note: Please read back over the lesson. Some of the questions at the end of this study will come from this lesson.
HOW TO LIVE
A HOLY LIFE(4-7)
Read: 2 Corinthians 5:17 and Matthew 5:14-16
In the previous lessons you have learned some valuable things to aid you in your Christian life, such as:
• How to have a quiet time
• How to allow God to speak to you
• How to speak to God
In this lesson, we want to talk about HOW TO LIVE A HOLY LIFE.
Before we were converted, we knew HOW TO LIVE AN UNHOLY LIFE.
Now, since you have come to know the Lord, the Word of God says in 1 Peter 1:16, “Be ye holy; for I am holy.”
As you spend time with the Lord, and He speaks to you through His Word, and you speak to Him through prayer, you are going to notice some changes from within. He is going to teach you how to live a holy life.
Let me explain. For example, if you spend a lot time around the table, eating all the food on the table that is available, all the food you put WITHIN will soon cause changes you can see from WITHOUT.
The same is true spiritually. If we start to spend a lot of time around God’s table, and eat all the spiritual food available, what we put WITHIN will soon cause changes you can see from WITHOUT.
HOW WILL THIS HAPPEN?
Look at 2 Cor. 5:17. We read about those changes that you are going to experience. We read, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”
Notice, this verse of scripture starts off with these words, “Therefore IF any man be in Christ…”
We have to realize that all who claim they are IN CHRIST are not in Christ. That is why Paul uses the word “if”.
This explains why you will discover as you come to church that many never grow in the Lord. Before you have growth, you must first have a birth.
One of the sure ways we know that we are saved, is by the changes that start occurring in our lives after we are saved.
For example, please read Acts 9:1-31. These verses of scripture reveal that when Paul was converted, these changes occurred in his life.
1. HIS ATTITUDE TOWARD THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH CHANGED
Before he was converted, he had been a devout Jew. He had been convinced that the Christians were a threat to Judaism, and must be wiped from the face of the earth.
Probably no man hated and despised the Christian church any more than he did.
Read: Acts 9:1-2
Never has there been a man who has loved the Christian church anymore than he did, once he was converted.
WHAT MADE THE DIFFERENCE IN HIS LIFE?
He was genuinely converted.
He did not think he was saved; he knew he was saved!
Look at 2 Timothy 1:12, he said, “…For I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.”
After his conversion, he was a new creature in Christ Jesus. His attitude changed drastically!
Instead of hating God’s church, he now loved it! In fact, he was willing to die for Christ.
And now, since you have been converted, you will notice a change in your life also. You once did not have time for God’s church. You allowed your job, friends, recreation etc. to come before the Lord. Why? These were the gods in your life before you were converted. But now you serve the true and living God. You will notice that now you love to come to the house of God, and you love to be with your brothers and sisters in Christ, and to have God the Father speak to you through the preaching and teaching of His Word.
The first evidence of salvation, after Paul was converted, was that his attitude toward the Christian church changed.
But notice something else changed-
2. HIS ATTITUDE TOWARD CHRIST CHANGED
Before his conversion he was a Jesus-hating Jew. But after his conversion he was a Jesus-loving Jew.
Look at Acts 9:3-6 to see what took place on the Damascus road.
After the Lord saved him, he said, “Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?”
Paul, who had nothing good to say about the Lord before conversion, after conversion had nothing but nice things to say about Christ. What a wonderful change in this man’s life had taken place. It was a change that everyone could see.
Look at Acts 9:20-21
This devout Jew, who had wanted to wipe every man and woman who loved the Lord off the face of the earth, now loves the Lord, and wants to know what He can do so that others might come to know Him.
When we are truly born again, some major changes will take place.
Look at our key verse again. “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”
Notice some things about this verse that teach us some valuable lessons:
• HE IS A NEW CREATURE
That is, no longer will you be the same old creature you were before you gave your heart to the Lord.
• OLD THINGS ARE PASSED AWAY
That is, the things you once love and craved in your life, you no longer will crave.
For example, have you ever loved a certain kind of food all your life, and your taste buds in your mouth changed, and now you no longer care for that particular food?
When the Lord saves us, He changes our spiritual taste buds, and we no longer care for those things any more that we once loved. OLD THINGS ARE PASSED AWAY!
• ALL THINGS ARE BECOME NEW
That is, things we once did not care about, we now do care about a great deal. Why? Because ALL THINGS ARE BECOME NEW.
Christ has brought about these changes in our lives.
Look at Colossians 1:21-22.
Do not be afraid of the changes that are taking place in your life, embrace them!
One of the reasons that the Lord wants these changes to take place in your life, is so that your lost family members and friends can see that, since you accepted the Lord, you have CHANGED FOR THE BETTER!
Look at Matthew 5:14-16 “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may SEE YOUR GOOD WORKS, AND GLORIFY YOUR FATHER WHICH IS IN HEAVEN.”
Notice, we do not let our light shine so that they can see us, but that we might GLORIFY OUR FATHER WHICH IS IN HEAVEN.
Some verses of scriptures you need to read, and see how they apply to your new life in Christ are:
• 1 Corinthians 10:31
• Matthew 5:16
• Philippians 4:13
Note: Please read back over the lesson. Some of the questions at the end of this study will come from this lesson.
HOW TO LIVE EFFECTIVELY AS A CHRISTIAN
Lesson #5
Read: 1 Corinthians 10:31 and Romans 14:7-8
The last lesson we dealt with was "How to live a holy life.”
This was a very important lesson, because the Lord said in Matthew 5:14-16, "Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick, and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."
There are some scriptures that seem to indicate that we do certain things in private.
WHY DOES THE LORD TEACH THAT SOME THINGS SHOULD BE DONE IN PRIVATE?
It has to do with motive! We need to discover WHY we are doing what we are doing.
For example, when we do RELIGIOUS things to be SEEN and HEARD by men, we are doing them for the wrong reason.
Read: Luke 11:39-44
As you read through the New Testament, you will find that the Lord spoke out against the Pharisees, because many of the good things they did were done for the purpose of looking spiritual in the eyes of mankind. We certainly are not to do good deeds with the motive of exalting ourselves.
However, the Word of God clearly teaches that we, who love the Lord, are the LIGHT OF THE WORLD. And a light is something that is virtually impossible to hide when it is surrounded by darkness. We certainly live in a dark sinful world.
Look at what the scriptures say we should do. "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."
The Word of God states clearly that everything we do should be done for the glory of God.
This is why 1 Corinthians 10:31 says, “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or WHATSOEVER YE DO, do all to the glory of God.”
To live a Holy life, as the last lesson tells us we should do, we need to go a little deeper and DISCOVER HOW TO DO EVERYTHING WE DO, FOR THE GLORY OF GOD.
That is, in this lesson we need to discover HOW TO LIVE EFFECTIVELY AS CHRISTIANS.
A lot of people who profess to be saved are not living very effectively as Christians.
Not only are some of the people in our churches not living effective lives today, there were some people in the early New Testament church who did not live an effective Christian life either.
For example, if you read Acts 4:32 through Acts 5:2, you will see a married couple in the church, named Ananias and Sapphira. They did things to be SEEN and HEARD by mankind, and God was so displeased with their hypocrisy that God killed both of them in church.
We cannot be effective as Christians, if people see that we are not genuine.
When they see sin in our lives, they are convinced we are not genuine Christians.
A sincere Christian does everything for the glory of God.
There are some things that the Bible clearly reveals are sin. However, the fact is that God's Word does not list all the sins that we encounter each day.
Such as, when Christ was here, as far as we know they did not have the sin problem of marijuana. So naturally you do not see any verse in the scripture that states, "Thou shalt not smoke marijuana.”
SO HOW DO WE KNOW WHAT IS SIN AND WHAT IS NOT SIN?
God's Word gives us a simple way to tell us if something is sinful.
1. DOES IT BRING GLORY TO GOD?
Many times people will come to a preacher and say, "Preacher, is this a sin?”
And the preacher has to ask them, “If you did this deed, would this bring glory to the Lord?”
For example, it certainly is not sinful to watch wrestling. But if you watch professional wrestling on television, where men and women wear wrestling outfits to cause the opposite sex to lust for their bodies, and they use all kinds of foul language, then watching that kind of wrestling does not bring glory to the Lord.
And most likely, if Christ came into the room while you were watching that kind of wrestling, you would be embarrassed, and would get up and turn the television off.
A test that we should always take, as we encounter certain things, is this - DOES IT BRING GLORY TO THE LORD? If it does, then it is not sin.
Another test we have to take is this-
2. DOES IT HURT SOMEONE ELSE?
For example, in the New Testament Paul addresses this problem.
In 1 Corinthians 9:9-13, we read, “For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen? Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope. If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things? If others be partakers of this power over you, are not we rather? Nevertheless we have not used this power; but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ. Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar?”
What Paul was saying is that there are things in our lives that we can do with a clear conscience. But as we do these things, there are weaker Christians who have not yet matured spiritually, who cannot do these things with a clear conscience. And if we insist on our rights, and do those particular things because we do not feel they are sin, they become sin because, the fact is, we love the things we are doing more than the person we offend.
We must be willing to put weak Christians ahead that which we want to do.
Note: Please read back over the lesson. Some of the questions at the end of this study will come from this lesson.
HOW TO WITNESS
TO THE LOST
Lesson #6
Text: Mark 16:15-16
In the two previous lessons, we dealt with HOW TO LIVE A HOLY LIFE and to HOW TO LIVE THE CHRISTIAN LIFE EFFECTIVELY. The reason we put these lessons ahead of this lesson is because if you do not live a holy life, your witnessing for Christ can not be very effective.
HOW DO WE WITNESS TO SINNERS about Bible salvation?
God’s Word clearly teaches us that we should tell people what the Lord has done for us.
Look at 1 Peter 3:15, “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.”
THAT IS WHAT WITNESSING IS ALL ABOUT!
It is simply telling people that the Lord Jesus is God’s Son, and that He saved you, and then giving them an opportunity to ask the Lord to do the same for them.
Paul said in Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”
In other words, Paul was saying, “Why should I be ashamed to tell anyone the good news that Christ died on the cross that everyone might be saved?”
There are a lot of things that we did before we got saved that we should be ashamed to talk to people about, but we should never be ashamed to talk to anyone about Christ dying for our sins so that we can have eternal life. This is the greatest news anyone can ever hear! There are two ways we witness for Christ, and both of them are important.
1. LIFESTYLE EVANGELISM
WHAT IS LIFESTYLE EVANGELISM?
Lifestyle evangelism is simply living our Christian life in such a way that the lost world can see Christ in our life.
That is, they should see that we do not live as the lost world, that is, we do not:
• Curse
• Gossip
• Lie
• Cheat
• Steal, etc.
Matthew 5:16 says, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”
We see a wonderful example of lifestyle evangelism in the book of Acts.
Look at Acts 19:13-20. We read, “Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth. And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so. And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye? And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. And this was known to all the Jews and Greeks also dwelling at Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified. And many that believed came, and confessed, and showed their deeds. Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed.”
Notice in verse 18, we read, “And many that believed came, and confessed, and showed their deeds.” Their belief was from their hearts, not from their heads. Once they were gloriously saved, the Bible says they showed their deeds, demonstrating that they were new creatures in Christ Jesus.
HOW DID THEY SHOW THEIR GOOD DEEDS?
Look at verse 19. We read, “Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver.”
The things that they burned would be valued at about eight thousand dollars today.
You see, if the lost world saw them return to their old lifestyle of sin after they came to believed on Christ, they would have concluded that those who claimed to be Christians really did not know Christ at all.
But when they could see that they no longer did the things they once did, they were convinced that they were “New creatures” in Christ Jesus.
As a new believer, you have the advantage of life-style evangelism, because even though you have not been saved very long, your family and friends can see a difference in your life.
Something that is good hear people say about new converts is, “They certainly have changed their way of living!”
That is exactly what the Bible teaches should take place after someone is converted.
Look at 2 Corinthians 5:17. We read, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”
One of the ways we witness to our lost family members and friends is through living a godly life.
2. VERBAL EVANGELISM
It is not enough to LIVE A GODLY LIFE before a lost world. The Lord has commanded us to speak to them about their lost condition.
For example, if you were standing by the roadside, and you knew that a bridge was washed out down the road, and you saw a family member or a friend coming down the road, you would make every effort to warn them about the bridge.
The reason we should tell our lost family members and friends about Christ is because they are headed for destruction, and the only thing can save them is the good news (gospel) that Christ came to save them. If they do not get this message, they are destined for destruction in a place called Hell.
What do you need to tell them?
a. YOU NEED TO POINT OUT TO THEM THAT THEY ARE LOST
In Romans 3:23, we read, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”
The word “All” means everyone. Ask them if they recognize that they have sinned. If they confess, tell them that it is good that they recognize this, because this is the first step to salvation
b. YOU NEED TO SHOW THEM WHAT THEIR SINS ARE GOING TO DO TO THEM
In Romans 6:23a we read, “For the wages of sin is death…”
Show them that their sins earn a wage. One day all lost people, sinners, will get their “wages.” The wage the Bible says they have earned is “Death”. In this context, death is the word for Hell. You see death separates us from our loved ones, and in Hell, people will be separated from God forever.
c. YOU NEED TO SHOW THEM THAT GOD LOVES THEM
Look at Romans 6:23b. We read, “…But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
They need to know that salvation is not something they can work for, it is a GIFT.
They also need to know that this gift of salvation, the Bible says, is “ETERNAL LIFE”. That is, it does not last for only for six weeks, or some other measure of time. Bible salvation comes with an eternal guarantee.
d. YOU NEED TO SHOW THEM HOW THEY CAN RECEIVE CHRIST INTO THEIR HEARTS
Look at Romans 10:9-10. We read, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
Notice that in these two verses, they are instructed to do several things, such as:
• Confess that Christ died for their sins, not for His sin. (He had no sin!)
• Believe in their heart, not just their head, that Christ is the Savior who came and died for their sins.
• God’s Word says if they do this, “Thou shalt be saved.”
Here is a simple prayer to lead them to the Lord. Have them to repeat after you:
• “Dear God, I confess I am a sinner.
• I confess that Jesus died for my sins.
• Heavenly Father, I repent of my sins.
• And I ask you, by your mercy, to forgive me and come into my heart.”
Note: Please read back over the lesson. Some of the questions at the end of this study will come from this lesson.
HOW TO GIVE
TO GOD!
Lesson #7
Today we want to deal with the very important subject: HOW TO GIVE TO GOD!
God has given so much to us, and now it is only natural that we would want to learn how we can give back to Him.
Giving may sound so simple that you feel there is no need to study this lesson, but as you progress in this lesson, you will discover that there is more to giving than the average person knows.
I. THE WRONG REASONS FOR GIVING OUR OFFERINGS AND HIS TITHES
In order to discover that some give for the wrong reasons, we need to ask WHY ARE THEY GIVING?
People give for a variety of reasons. We live in a world where evil men will give their money to buy three things, such as:
(1) ACCESS
We hear a lot about this today in Washington, D.C., where rich corporations or individuals buy access to the president, a Senator or a Congressman.
(2) POWER
We hear a lot about politicians who will take their own money, and spend twenty or thirty million dollars to run for a office that does not pay much more than one hundred and fifty thousand dollars a year. Why do they do this? They spend those millions of dollars to buy power.
(3) RECOGNITION
We hear a lot about actors and actresses who make large donations to charity.
Why? Do they do this because they care, or is it because they are trying to buy recognition for their own selfish gain?
For example, they give money to make themselves look good, as if they cared for the homeless, but if one of the homeless people was to walk into their yard, they would have them arrested for trashpassing. (Trespassing)
Some people see giving to God as buying the blessings of God.
We see an example of this in Acts.
Look at Acts 8:15-22, we read, “Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost. And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given, HE OFFERED THEM MONEY, Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost. But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money. Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God. Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee.”
Simon saw Christianity the way a lot of folks see it today, as a good way to make money.
Sad to say, there are people who want to use the church to sell Amway, Avon, Aloette, real estate, insurance and etc.
Instead of talking about the things of God around church, they are promoting their business. Instead of visiting people because they are concerned for their souls, they visit them to sell something or to get them to join something.
Some see Christianity as a “Slot Machine”. They want to give a hundred dollars to the Lord, and expect a thousand dollars back.
For example, when bad things come their way, some people will say, “Oh, you haven’t been paying the preacher lately!”
What they do not realize is that you can not buy the blessings of God.
II. THE RIGHT REASONS FOR GIVING OUR OFFERINGS AND HIS TITHES
WHY SHOULD WE GIVE TO THE LORD’S WORK?
A. BECAUSE GOD’S WORK REQUIRES CHRISTIANS TO SUPPORT IT FINANCIALLY
• As you drive down the highway and see churches on the roadside, every one you see is there because the people of God loved the Lord enough to give.
• Many hospitals and orphanage homes exist because God’s people gave out of loving hearts.
• Literally thousands of missionaries around the world are spreading the gospel, because God’s people, who love the Gospel, have put them there.
• God’s work REQUIRES that we give, because this is the only source of income that we have to carry out the work of God.
We must give from a heart of love because this is God’s means of financing God’s Church.
Secondly, we must give-
B. BECAUSE WE LOVE THE LORD
Some people have a difficult time giving. You cannot help but question if they love the Lord, because when we love, we want to give to those we love.
Let’s look at the two kinds of giving.
(1) WE GIVE AN OFFERING
God’s Word does not determine how much we are to give in our offerings. It is our way of showing the Lord how much we love Him.
But we not only give an offering, also-
(2) WE GIVE THE TITHES THAT BELONG TO THE LORD
The tithe is different from our offerings. It is ten percent of our total income. We see that clearly in the Old Testament when the Lord set up tithing.
Look at Leviticus 27:32 “And concerning the tithe of the herd, or of the flock, even of whatsoever passeth under the rod, THE TENTH SHALL BE HOLY UNTO THE LORD.”
Also, the Bible says the tithes belong to Him.
Look at Leviticus 27:30, “And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, IS THE LORD'S: it is holy unto the LORD.”
The Bible tells us we are going to be held accountable for our giving.
Look at Malachi 3:8-11, God said to Israel, “Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts.”
Some say that the Old Testament teaches tithing, but the New Testament does not.
That would be like saying the Old Testament teaches the Ten Commandments, but the New Testament does not. So we do not have to keep the Ten Commandments.
The New Testament does teach tithing.
In Matthew 23:23, “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: THESE OUGHT YE TO HAVE DONE, and not to leave the other undone.”
The Lord said that the scribes and Pharisees were careful to tithe of mint, anise, and cummin. That is, they really practiced tithing, but they practiced it for the wrong reason. They were hypocrites, and they did it to be seen by man.
But the Lord did not condemn them for tithing. In fact, He places His approval on their tithing and said, “…These ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.”
In other words, they should have tithed, but they should have not left undone those other things that would have pleased the Lord.
Giving is a big part of our Christian life. God can not bless a Christian who will not give of his TIME, TALENTS AND RESOURCES that God has blessed him with. After all, if it were not for God, we would not have anything to give.
Note: Please read this lesson again because some of the questions in the test at the end of this study will come from this lesson.
You have studied seven lessons. It is now time to see how much you have learned. This is an open book test. That means, read the question and go back to the lesson and see if you can find the answer.
LESSON ONE
How To Have A Quiet Time
(1) What is a quiet time? ________________________________________
(2) How often should we have a quiet time each week? ________________
(3) Why should we do it this often? ________________________________
(4) How can we have a meaningful quiet time each day? What six things should we do?
A. ____________________________________
B. ____________________________________
C. ____________________________________
D. ____________________________________
E. ____________________________________
F. ____________________________________
LESSON TWO
How To Allow God To Speak To You
(1) How does God talk to us? _____________________________________
(2) What is the Bible? ___________________________________________
(3) As Newborn babes in Christ, we are to, “…desire the sincere milk of the Word that we may __________________________________________.”
(4) Why is the King James Version a good translation to read? __________
__________________________________________________________
(5) What are figures of speech? ___________________________________
(6) What is a Simile? ___________________________________________
(7) What is a Metaphor? ________________________________________
(8) What is a parable? __________________________________________
(9) What is a hyperbole? ________________________________________
(10) What is personification? _____________________________________
(11) What is typology? __________________________________________
(12) Why should you memorize the Word of God? Read Psalm 119:11
____________________________________________________________
LESSON THREE
How To Speak To God
(1) What is Prayer? ____________________________________________
(2) All good relationships are based on good ___________________.
(3) The Lord’s disciples saw the need to ______________. Luke 11:1
(4) The MODEL PRAYER teaches us we have a __________________with God.
(5) How should we come to God? Look at Hebrews 4:16 _______________
___________________________________________________________
(6) In a good relationship, people frequently tell each other that they
________________________ each other.
(7) We should talk to Him about ourselves, but also we should talk to Him
about ________________.
(8) God cares about all of our needs. Look at 1 Peter 5:7, what does this
verse tell us? _______________________________________________
LESSON FOUR
How To Live A Holy Life
(1) Since you have received Christ as your Savior, what should take place in
your life? (Look at 1 Peter 1:16) _________________________________
___________________________________________________________
(2) The life of the apostle Paul reveals that once he was saved:
A. His attitude changed toward____________________
B. His attitude changed toward ____________________
(3) What makes the difference in our life once we are saved? Look at
2 Corinthians 5:17 ___________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
(4) Why should we want our lost loved ones and friends to see the change
in our life? Look at Matthew 5:14-16 _____________________________
__________________________________________________________
LESSON FIVE
How To Live Effectively As A Christian
(1) There are some scriptures that teach we are to do something
Pri________________.
(2) There are other scriptures that teach we should do some things openly.
Why? Look at Matthew 5:14-16 ___________________________________________________________________________________________
(3) (True or false) We should never do anything privately, or publicly, for the wrong reason.
(4) Why does 1 Corinthians 10:31 teach we should do these things? ___________________________________________________________
(4) In Acts 4:32 through Acts 5:2 what couple did their deeds for the wrong reasons? ___________________________________________________
LESSON SIX
How To Witness To The Lost
(1) (True or False) We cannot be very effective in our witnessing, if we do not live a holy life.
(2) (True or False) We should always be ready to witness for the Lord. Read 1 Peter 3:15
(3) What was it that Paul was not ashamed of in Romans 1:16? _________
__________________________________________________________
(4) What at the two ways we witness to the lost?
A. ______________________________________
B. ______________________________________
(5) What is lifestyle evangelism? __________________________________
(6) What is verbal evangelism? ___________________________________
(7) When a person wants to be saved, what are the four things you need to show them?
A. __________________________________
B. __________________________________
C. __________________________________
D. __________________________________
LESSON SEVEN
How To Give To God
(1) We can give for the wrong reasons. What are three reasons why people give?
A. ________________________________________________________
B. ________________________________________________________
B. __________________________________________________
(2) In Acts 8:15-22 who was it that gave for the wrong reason? ____________________________________________________________________
(3) What was he trying to buy? ___________________________________
(4) Why should we give to the Lord?
A. __________________________________________________
B. ____________________________________________________
(5) How much should our offering be when we give? __________________
(6) How much should our tithes be when we give? ____________________
(7) Who does the tithe belong to? Look at Leviticus 27:32 _________________________________________________________________________
(8) Can we rob God of tithes and offerings? Read Malachi 3:8-11 __________________________________________________________________
(9) How does the New Testament teach tithing? Look at Matthew 23:23
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
