DISCOVER THE BIBLE FOR YOURSELF

Lesson Three
TRANSITION FROM EARTHLY TO HEAVENLY

1.  Romans 10:1-2 says God wanted the Israelites to be _________________, but their zeal was not based on ____________________.  Verse 17 says faith comes by hearing (or reading) the __________ of God.  Deuteronomy 4:2 says we are not to _______________ to what God commands us or to ______________ from it.  Revelation 22:18-19 says anyone who _________ to God's book or takes ___________ will be punished.  The Christians in Berea were noble because they (Acts 17:11) examined the Scriptures __________ to see if what they had heard preached was true.  II Timothy 3:16-17 says all Scripture is from God and can be used for teaching, rebuking, _______________ and __________________________ in righteousness, for it makes us thoroughly ___________________.  Galatians 1:6-10 tells of people who were throwing them into confusion by ____________________ ________________ Gospel.  But even if an ______________ from heaven should preach a different gospel, let him be ______________.

2.  We must worship God in spirit and in (John 4:24) _________________.  But what is truth?  John 17:17 says God's (not people's) ______________ is truth.  The person who says, "I know God" (I John 2:4) but does not do what God _____________ is a __________.  Jesus said in Matthew 7:21-23 that people will claim to prophesy and perform miracles in Jesus' name and he will says, "I _________ _______________ you."  Paul's writings (much of the N.T.) were scriptures which ignorant and unstable people (II Peter 3:16) ________________ to their own ________________.  Believing in God is not enough to be saved.  Who else believes in God (James 2:19)? ______________

3.  The gospel of Jesus is the power of God for (Romans 1:16) ____________________.  II Thessalonians 2:13 says we are saved through the work of the Spirit and belief in the __________.  John 14:17 refers to the Spirit of Truth, and 17:17 says God's _____________ is truth; thus, the Spirit works through the Word of God.  The holy Scriptures give us wisdom for our (II Timothy 3:15) ____________________ by believing the Christ they explain.  James 1:18,21,22 says we are born again through the word of ____________, for the word planted in us can ___________ our souls.  But we must not just _________________ it; we must also ___________ it. 

4.  Church traditions are not truth.  Jesus asked in Matthew 15:3 why the religious leaders broke the commands of God for the sake of their _______________________.  In verse 9 he said we worship him in vain if we teach rules taught by _____________.  By keeping those traditions, we do what to the word of God (Mark 7:13)? _____________________.  Peter said in Acts 5:29, "We must obey God __________________________________."  What is awaiting those who reject the truth (Romans 2:5-8)? ____________________  Whoever we follow and obey, we have become their (Romans 6:16) ________________. 

BECOMING A CHRISTIAN:  JESUS' PART

Next to each scripture below, list what on Jesus' part saves us:
* Matthew 1:21, Hebrews 10:5,10 - Entered a ________________ so he could sacrifice it.
* Hebrews 2:14 - Became _____________ and __________ so he could die like we do in our place, and overcome the death we all face for us.
* Luke 3:23, Hebrews 4:15 - Over ______ years lived a life without ______.
* I Peter 2:22,24 - Committed no ____________, then bore our ______________ on the cross for us.
* I Corinthians 5:7; I Peter 1:19 - ________________________ as our Passover Lamb without ___________________.
* Romans 5:8-9 - Justified by his __________________________
* Romans 5:10 - Reconciled by the _________________________ of Jesus.
* I Corinthians 15:16-17 - ______________________ out of death and the grave.

BECOMING A CHRISTIAN:  OUR PART

6.  What is a "Christian"?  Does owning a Boy/Girl Scout handbook automatically make one a Boy/Girl Scout? ________  Does showing up a Scout meetings every week automatically make one a Scout? ________  Does living in a country with Boy/Girl Scouts automatically make one a Scout? ______

Likewise, owning a Bible, showing up at church every week, and living in a predominantely Christian nation does not automatically make us Christians.  Acts 11:26 says the ________________ we called Christians.  A disciple is a person taught or trained in the Word of God.  Therefore, we must be careful to "read the Bible for ourselves."  Acts 4:10-12 explains that only the saved are entitled to wear the name of Christ.

7.  John 4:1 says Jesus did what to his disciples? ______________________  In John 8:31 Jesus said that if we hold to and obey his _________________________, we are his disciples.  In Matthew 28:18-20 Jesus commanded his apostles, "Go and make disciples of all ________________, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, teaching them to _______________________________ I have ____________________________."

8.  The first four books of the N.T. explain Jesus' life and death (also the thief on the cross) under the Law of Moses.  The fifth book, Acts of the Apostles, explains how people became Christians in the first century under the leadership of Jesus' apostles.  Look up each scripture in the chart below and check off the things each person did (only what it DESCRIBES). 

SCRIPTURE	HEARD	BELIEVED HAD FAITH	REPENTED	CONFESSED	SINNER’S PRAYER	BAPTIZED
Acts 2:36-42
Acts 8:4-12
Acts 8:26-39
*Acts 10:1-48
Acts 16:13-15
Acts 16:23-34
Acts 18:7-8
**Acts 22:1-16 9:1-20

*This man gave alms to charity and saw an angel, but still was not saved (Acts 10:22,42)
**This man saw a vision of and heard Jesus himself, but still had his sins (Acts 22:8,16)

WHEN YOU BACK OFF FROM THE CHART, WHAT SINGLE ACT SHOWS UP EVERY TIME? ______ ______________________.

In the New Testament, "faith" occurs 239 times, "repent/repentance" 58 times, "confess/confession? 26 times, "sinner's prayer" 0 times, "baptize/baptism" 107 times.

9.  People normally understand all these terms but baptism.  When Jesus was baptized (Mark 1:10), he came _________ out of the water.  In baptism we have the honor and privilege of imitating what Jesus did for us.  Romans 6:3-5 says we were _________________ with Christ into ____________ so that, just as he was ____________ from the dead, we too may have a ___________ life, uniting with him in his _____________________.  If we went to a cemetery and sprinkled a little dirt on someone, would they be buried?  ________  "Baptism" is a Greek word and was never translated in the Bible; it means in Greek "to bury."

Have you ever believed you were saved because you had an emotional experience with Jesus?  But a few years later you had a more emotional experience, so decided you weren't saved before, but surely you were this time?  With baptism, we do not have to rely on having exactly the right amount of faith and emotion to be saved.  Thank God, he gave us something tangible we can do as part of our salvation.  Is it a good work?  God works are what we do for others.  Is it "water salvation"?  Not any more than the cross is "wood salvation."  I Peter 3:21 says baptism helps create a ________________ ______________________________ toward God.

10.  Next to each scripture below, list all the things baptism does for us:
* Mark 16:15-16 - Those baptized shall be ____________________
* Acts 2:38 - For the _______________________ of sins and the _________________ of the _________ ________________________.
* Acts 22:16 - Washes away our ____________.
* Romans 6:3 - Puts us ____________ Christ.
* Romans 6:4 - Gives us a ____________ life.
* I Corinthians 12:13 - Puts us into the one _________________ {The body is (Ephesians 1:22-23) the _______________________.}
* Galatians 3:27 - __________________________________________________ Christ.
* I Peter 3:21 - Baptism does now ________________________________.

11.  Some may say their saintly mother, etc. died without being baptized.  (a) God knows whether s/he would have been baptized had they known about it.  (b) Do you want someone in your family to use you as their excuse to not be baptized?  Someone must break the cycle.  If you would like to be baptized, we will put you in touch with someone in your community who will help you.