Evaluating Acts of the Apostles Study

As you know post of my posts are relative to my Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) studies.  We have finished the study of the “Acts of the Apostles” for this BSF year.  As you look back on this wonderful study I hope you take inventory of your life.  We learned that the details of our world is different for each of us.  Paul taught us that Jesus is worth it whatever the cost and that our past doesn’t define us.  From Barnabas we learned we should be an encourager.  From Stephen we learned to keep our focus on God.  From James we learned about authentic faith.  

What did you learn about God this year?

What did you learn about yourself?

What difference has it made in your life?

Has your thoughts, attitude or desires changed?

Has your relationship with Jesus grown?

Have you drawn closer to God?

Has your faith been ignited?

I think the main lesson we learned it that God is truly an Unstoppable God!  Not even the coronavirus can stop God.  He is still working and He will use this pandemic for good. 

BSF will start up again in September with the book of Genesis.  I will be posting then on what God reveals to me through this study.  You are invited to follow me again this fall.  Also please follow my posts throughout the summer where I will post on a variety of topics.

This September we will begin the study of Genesis.  That’s where it all began.  We need to understand that God exists because of what we see in the created world.  We believe the Bible and that it is God-breathed (2 Tim. 3:16-17).  In other words it is God speaking to us.  The Bible gives us history, events that actually happened, prophecy of events to come and instructions on how to life.  It reveals the nature, heart and mind of God – at least as much as we can comprehend.  We need to believe and accept the facts He tells us in Genesis.  This book sets the stage of the entire Bible.  It teaches Biblical doctrines of sin, the fall, redemption, justification, and the promise of the Messiah to come.  It shows us the origin of the universe, life, marriage, and of good and evil.

I encourage you will find a BSF class and register for the Genesis study.  I am sure there is one near you.  The BSF studies are all over the world and are studying the same lesson each week.   Classes in Kentucky are studying the same lesson as those in Australia.  Each class meets about 2 hours weekly.  It’s non denominational and is for everyone - those who are not familiar with the Bible to those who are very familiar.  There are women’s, men’s and children’s classes.  Go to https://www.bsfinternational.org/bsfindex to register.

This world is evil and people get caught up in all kinds of sin even when they don’t realize it.  We need to spread His Word as much as we can.  Satan is hard at work continuing to tempt us, because he knows his time is running out.  He is the ruler of this world and enslaves sinners to sin.  Everyone needs to hear the gospel before it’s too late.

We are all sinners and deserve eternal death.  God has a plan to save us from the judgment to come.  He loves us so much that He sent His only Son, Jesus to pay the price for our sins (John 3:16).  He took on the punishment that we deserve.  The punishment for sin is death, but through Jesus Christ our sins can be forgiven.  We can become part of His family and spend eternity with Him.  

In case you don’t know Jesus as your personal Savior or are not really sure of your salvation, I feel at this time I need to tell you how you can receive the salvation Jesus offers.

How do I get Salvation?

Admit to yourself and God that you are a sinner.  You have ignored God and wanted to do your own thing leaving God out completely.
Romans 3:23 – “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”.
Romans 6:23 – “For the wages of sin is death.” (You are a sinner and you are condemned to death – eternal separation from God in Hell)

Confess your sins

That means tell God what you’ve done wrong. (He already knows it, but He wants you to admit them to Him.)
Romans 10:9 – “That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved”.

Repent of your sins

That means stop sinning and turn to God.
Luke 13:5 – Jesus said: “….. But unless you repent, you too will all perish”.

Believe in Jesus

John 6:47 – “I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life.” Believe that Christ went to the cross for you, taking your guilt upon Himself and enduring God’s judgment in your place. He took God’s judgment of our sins on Himself.  This means that God has pardoned and cleared you from any guilt.

John 3:16 – “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.”
Romans 5:8 – “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us”.
Romans 10:13 – “for everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Once you have accepted Him as Savior, be baptized in obedience to the Lord Jesus as a public testimony of your salvation.  Then unite with a Bible-believing church.  Other Christians will be there for you with encouragement and will pray for you as you walk closer with God.  Remember - don’t judge other Christians, because they are not perfect.  If they were, they wouldn’t need to go to church.  Only God and Jesus are perfect.

Can it be that simple?
It’s hard to believe it’s that simple, but it is.  Don’t trust your feelings.  They change.  Stand on God’s promises.  They never change.

There are three things to practice daily for spiritual growth.
Pray – you talk with God, but don't forget to listen for Him to guide you.
Read your Bible – God will speak to you through His Word, if possible get in a Bible study group at your church or one like Bible Study Fellowship - they are all over the world.
Witness – you talk for God telling others about Him and what He’s done for you.

The word salvation means you are saved from Satan and the consequences of sin against God.  You are saved from the wrath of God’s judgment of sin.  If you reject Jesus, you will spend eternity in hell, separated from God and experience eternity judgment.  After you die you will have eternal life.  It’s either in heaven with God or in hell with Satan and his demons.

Join me here next time.  --  I encourage you to trust in Jesus.

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Salvation Questions

We all have had or do have questions about salvation whether it is for ourselves or when asked by others.  I am sure there are many times someone has asked you questions and you may not always know just the right answer for them.  Here is a this list of frequently asked questions with Scripture references and I want to share them with you.   

What does being saved really mean?

We all are born into a world of sin and we as humans choose to sin.  It is our nature.  Sin is what separates us from God.  It makes us unsaved. “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.” – 1 John 1:8 

“There is not a righteous man on earth who does what is right and never sins.” – Ecc. 7:20  God is holy and He cannot be where sin is.  When we die He wants us all to be with for eternity.  To do that we must repent of our sins and believe in His Son, Jesus.

How can I be saved?

This is the most important question of all.  It will determine where someone will spend eternity.  “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” – Acts 16:31  It doesn’t say to be good and do good things.  It says to believe.  Because of sin, we all deserve death and not just the physical death, but eternal death.

What are the steps to salvation?

There are no steps.  It’s not like Islam with the 5 steps to follow or like the Catholics with the 7 sacraments.  There is only one step.  It is very simple – believe in Jesus.  “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” – Acts 16:31

What is the gospel?

It is the good news that God saves sinners.  God provided a way for man’s redemption.  “By this gospel you are saved …. Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day…” – 1 Cor. 15:4

How does believing in Jesus save me?

Isa 53:5 “He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on Him, and by His wounds we are healed.”

John 5:24  “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.” Romans 5:8-9  ^“But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.⁹ Since we have now been justified by His blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through Him!”

1 Peter 2:24  “He Himself bore our sins” in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by His wounds you have been healed.”

How does believing in Jesus make everything ok with God and me?

John 3:16-18 ^“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. ¹⁷ For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. ¹⁸ Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.”

Acts 4:12  ^“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”

Romans 8:1 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,”

How does believing in a man that died so long ago, save me?

Acts 2:22-24 “Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through Him, as you yourselves know. ²³ This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put Him to death by nailing Him to the cross. ²⁴ But God raised Him from the dead, freeing Him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on Him.” 

Romans 6:4  ^“We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.”

Ephesians 2:1-5  “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, ² in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. ³ All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. ⁴ But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, ⁵ made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.”

Don’t all religions lead to the same place?

John 14:6 ^“ Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Acts 4:12 ^“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”  Only through believing in Jesus can you be saved.  It was by God sending His Son to His death on the cross.  If God had another way, He would have done it.

How good do I need to be for God to save me?

We are not good. Only God can be called good.  

Eph 2:8-9  ^“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.”

Isaiah 64:6 “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags”

Why do I need to repent? I’m not that bad. Don’t all good people go to heaven?

No one is perfect.  Only Jesus is without sin.

Romans 3:23  ^“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”

Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

1 John 1:8-10  ^“If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. ⁹ If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. ¹⁰ If we claim we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar and His word is not in us.”

 Isa 53:6 “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”

Isn’t it all about the good work that I do?

Ephesians 2:8-9 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— ⁹ not by works, so that no one can boast.”

When I was baptized as a baby, did that save me?

It is a personal decision everyone must make for themselves.  Being baptized or christened as a baby is only a promise by parents to bring the child up in the right way.

Romans 6:23 “If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Why is it all up to God?

God is the Creator of all.

Psalm 100:3 “Know that the Lord is God. It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, the sheep of His pasture.”

Acts 17:24-31 “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. ²⁵ And He is not served by human hands, as if He needed anything. Rather, He Himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. ²⁶ From one man He made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and He marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. ²⁷ God did this so that they would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from any one of us. ²⁸ ‘For in Him we live and move and have our being. As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are His offspring. “Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill. ³⁰ In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now He commands all people everywhere to repent. ³¹ For He has set a day when He will judge the world with justice by the man He has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising Him from the dead.”

Can I lose my salvation?

If you truly believe, you are sealed by the Holy Spirit.  Once we are sealed we are His and nothing can change that.

Ephesians 1:13-14  ^“And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, ¹⁴ who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of His glory.”

 

Now that I believe what do I do?

Tell God you are sorry for your sins, repent of those sins, and accept Jesus as your Savior believing He died on the cross for you.  Then be baptized in obedience to the Lord Jesus as a public testimony of your salvation.  And of course you want to start reading your Bible and talk with God daily.
1 John 1:9 – “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Acts 2:38-39 – “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”

Can it be that simple?

It’s hard to believe it’s that simple, but it is.  Don’t trust your feelings.  They change.  Stand on God’s promises.  They never change.

How do I know my prayer worked?

This is His promise and He is faithful and keeps His promises.

John 1:12-13 ^“Yet to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God— ¹³ children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.”

Romans 10:9  ^“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.”

Romans 10:13  “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

After I accept Jesus, how does God see me?

He sees you as righteous and all you sins are forgotten.  “.. as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” – Ps. 103:12

Col 1:21-22 ^“Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. ²² But now He has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in His sight, without blemish and free from accusation”

Romans 5:1  “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,”

Romans 8:38-39 “ For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹ neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Will there be a chance for those who die to accept Jesus when they are standing before Him at His judgment throne?

No.  Once you die it is over and there are no more chances.  Jesus gives us many chances in life, because He wants no one to perish.  It is up to each person to choose before he dies.

Hebrews 9:27 “Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment,”

I hope this has answered some of your questions and will help you be prepared when asked about salvation.  Thanks for stopping by.  I hope to see you here next time.  __________________________________________

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