Great News
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
God loves you and He wants to have a relationship with you; to give you an abundant life of peace, purpose, love, hope and freedom starting now and forever.
But that relationship isn’t automatic, because we are indifferent, passive or rebellious toward Him; evidence of what the Bible calls sin. This results in separation from God now and, if not dealt with, judgment by Him forever.
The Great News is that you can trust God to forgive you because He sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to take the judgment for your sin. He paid your penalty and He invites you into a new relationship with Himself, as His child.
So when you admit your need for His forgiveness, believe that Jesus Christ died for your sins and receive Him as your Savior and Lord, you begin your new relationship with God — an adventure that will change your life!
You can start now by praying something like: “Father, I need your forgiveness. Thank you for giving it through your Son Who died for my sins. Lord Jesus Christ, I receive you now as my Savior and Lord. Help me grow as a child of God. Amen.”
Welcome the Family
When you said “yes” to Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord, you became a member of a new family — God’s family! He made you one of His special children.
You have all the privileges of being God’s child, even though you’re unaware of them (like having full military privileges the moment you take the oath, even though you don’t know what they are at that time).
The Bible studies below can start you growing in your relationship with God; to know what it means to be His child (like basic training, schools, academies, courses and OJT help you learn what it means to be in the military).
Read the definitions.
Answer the questions.
Salvation
This is Jesus taking the penalty for your sin; often called being “saved” or “born again.” It is being forgiven, born into God’s family as His child, and receiving eternal life.
In the following verses, what facts can you find about God, Christ and yourself?
What promises can you find?
What actions must you take to make those promises true for you?
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16, NIV)
“But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.” (Isaiah 59:2, NIV)
“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” (Romans 3:23, NIV)
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“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8, NIV)
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23, NIV)
“If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”” (Romans 10:9–13, NIV)
“For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,” (1 Corinthians 15:3–4, NIV)
“For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit.” (1 Peter 3:18, NIV)
“Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” (John 1:12–13, NIV)
“Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6, NIV)
“For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus,” (1 Timothy 2:5, NIV)
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8–9, NIV)
“he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit,” (Titus 3:5, NIV)
““Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.” (John 5:24, NIV)
Make sure your faith is in Jesus Christ; that you are trusting Him alone for your salvation.
Assurance
This is knowing for sure that Christ is in your life and will not forsake you so that your relationship with Him is secure.
What are the promises in the following passages?
What must happen for them to be true for you?
“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.” (John 10:27–29, NIV)
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his
great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.” (1 Peter 1:3–5, NIV)
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“Whoever believes in the Son of God accepts this testimony. Whoever does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because they have not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write 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 5:10–13, NIV)
Take a moment to thank God for your Salvation.
Scriptures
To grow in your faith, you need to know and live according to God’s words. You should make it a habit to read and consider the Bible. According to the following passage, how can you benefit from the Scriptures (the Bible)?
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16–17, NIV)
Study and live by the Bible to grow in your salvation.
Fellowship
As Christians, we are members of one family called the "Body of Christ." We need each other to be encouraged and to grow in our relationship with Him. The Bible calls that "fellowship."
How would you go about living according to the following passage?
“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:24–25, NIV)
Hang with some Christians who follow the Lord Jesus Christ and live according to the Bible so you can experience the benefits of your salvation.
