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Lesson One -
You and Your
Salvation |
Discipler's Notes |
How to Know You Have Eternal
Life
Can a person know for sure he is on his way to heaven? Yes! It is essential
that you understand what has taken place in your life. Having assurance of
your salvation will enable you to live a confident Christian life. The
following questions are designed to help you know, based on God's Word, that
you have eternal life. Before you begin this lesson, read I John 5:13. This
will be your memory verse for this week. This verse makes it clear that you
do not need to have any doubts about your salvation. You can be sure that
you are saved - you have God's Word on it! |
If the disciple's spouse and/or other
immediate family members are unsaved, encourage them to sit in on this
lesson. Bringing your spouse along may help. Try to win other family members
to Christ as soon as possible!
Begin the
lesson with prayer. Take extra time to learn more about your disciple.
Collect his Personal Data Inventory.
Ask if he had any difficulty finding the Bible verses. Make sure he has his
own Bible. Has the lesson been completed? |
Security in God the Father
1 What truth about God assures us that we can depend on His promises? (Titus
1:2)
God cannot lie
2 Write the promise of God found in each of the following verses:
John 3:16
Whosoever believeth in him should not perish.
Acts 16:31
Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.
Romans 10:13
Whosoever shall call upon the
name of the Lord shall be saved.
3 What is the verdict of those who have not yet believed? (John 3:18)
He is condemned already.
Where will unbelievers be when they die? (Revelation 20:15; 21:8)
Their eternal destiny is the lake of fire.
Can a believer ever be condemned? Why or why not? (John 5:24; 6:47)
No, he can never be condemned because he possesses eternal life.
Has there been a specific time in your life when you believed on Christ for
your eternal salvation?
If so, when?
Date of salvation
On a separate sheet of paper,
please explain how you were led to the Lord. This is called your personal
testimony and will be a blessing to your discipler and others with whom you
share it. |
The eternal security of a believer depends on
God, not the believer. We are secure even if we are not sure!
See also II Peter 1:3-4. Point out that the word hope in Titus 1:2 means
absolute confidence, not a wish or an unsure desire. Hope in the Bible is
nearly always in a noun form, not a verb form (e.g., "I hope so"). I
Thessalonians 4:13 clearly states that there are those who do not have hope.
These two
truths should give the disciple a burden for his unsaved family members.
Point out the
present tense of the verbs is and hath. Stress the security in the words,
"is not condemned"
and
"shall
not come into condemnation."
Salvation demands a turning point (I Thess 1:9). Faith and repentance can be
called the two sides of the coin of salvation. |
Security in God the Son
4 For what purpose did Christ come to earth? (John 3:17; Luke 19:10)
He came not to condemn,
but to seek and to save the lost.
5 What two wonderful illustrations of security are found in Christ's
description of Himself?
John 10:9 "I am the door
"
John 10:11 "I am the good
shepherd "
6 As His sheep, can you ever be seized out of God's hand? (John 10:28-29)
No, we are held by His
power!
7 What does Hebrews 7:22-28 state concerning Christ's person and work which
gives us assurance?
"He continueth ever
(7:24)
"He is able
also to save them to the
uttermost
(7:25)
"He ever liveth
to make
intercession for them." (7:25)
He is separate
from sinners.
(7:26)
|
Acquaint the disciple with other Bible terms
for a saved person:
Christian, saints, in Christ, brethren, etc.
No man in vs 29 includes the believer himself.
Assurance of salvation is based on fact, not feeling. |
Security in God the Holy
Spirit
8 How does the Holy Spirit assure us of our salvation?
John 14:16 He abides
with us forever
Romans 8:16 He bears
witness with our
spirit
Ephesians 1:13, 4:30 He
seals us
Ephesians 1:14 He is the
earnest of our
inheritance |
Remind
the disciple that the Holy Spirit indwells him at the moment of conversion
and will be a source of great assurance (Romans 8:16) unless quenched by
sin. |
Sin in the Believer's Life
9 Can a Christian say that he is now sinless? Explain. (I John 1:8,10)
No, I still have a sinful
nature, and therefore still sin.
10 When you sin, do you lose your righteous standing before God?
Explain. (I John 2:1)
No, Christ is my defense.
11 What should you do immediately after you sin? (I John 1:9)
I should confess my sin to
God.
12 What does God promise to do when you confess your sins to Him? (I John
1:9)
He promises to forgive my
sin and cleanse me from all unrighteousness.
MEMORIZE
I John 5:13 These things have I written unto
you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye
have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God
What will you do as a result of what you have learned from God's Word?
(James 1:22-25) |
A
father/child relationship is not broken by deed or distance.
Teach the disciple that biblical confession is specific and sincere. It is
agreeing with what God says about our sin.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
At the beginning of discipleship you may want to give the disciple the
cassette, Follow Me (A Look at True Discipleship) by Evangelist Tom Farrell.
If the disciple is struggling with his assurance (perhaps because of wrong
doctrine from a previous church), give him the booklet Can A Saved Person
Ever Be Lost by John R. Rice.
First John is a book of assurance. The word 'know', found in I John 5-13, is
used more than thirty times in these five brief chapters. You may want to
assign this book for personal devotional reading this week. |
