Study of Great Bible Truths – Vol.2 Lesson 7
Lesson 7: A Child of God and In Christ.
1. Regeneration is the union of the believer with the Lord Jesus Christ (1 John 3:24) and it manifests itself in these ways.
a. The first proof is believing that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God. 1 John 4:1-2.
b. The second proof is keeping the commandments. To a person born again, the commandments are a delight. 1 John 2:3, 5:3
c. The third proof is that we have His Holy Spirit. We have a consciousness that God is our Father. 1 John 3:29.
d. The fourth proof is that we love the brethren. We recognize Christians when we meet them. The children of the family love one another. 1 John 3:14.
e. The fifth proof is the consciousness of struggle within us. The flesh and the Spirit are contrary to each other. They are waring against one another. Galatians 5:7
f. The sixth proof is that one becomes more acutely aware of the existence and working of Satan.
g. The seventh proof is the desire to know God and to be blessed by Him. Psalm 42:2, Colossians 1:21. We desire to have a clean heart, to be pure, and a desire to be holy.
2. All the benefits of Christ’s redemptive work come to us through our union with Christ.
3. The Christian is a person who is ’in Christ’. The Holy Spirit unites us to the Son and to the Father.
4. The moment we are joined to Christ, we are BORN AGAIN. We receive the principle of life. I am born again because I am in Christ. I am a child of God and I am in Christ.
5. We are in union with Him by means of the indwelling Holy Spirit in us. It is the function of the Holy Spirit to join us to Christ, and we are joined to Christ by the Holy Spirit’s presence in us.
Next Lesson: Union with Christ
Study of Great Bible Truths – Vol. 2 Lesson 6
Lesson 6: Regeneration—A New Disposition
We cannot have knowledge of God unless He gives us the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation.
1. The Holy Spirit regenerates man in order to make the general call effectual. Titus 3:5, John 1:13, John 3:3-8
2. Regeneration is something that is done to us by God. It is the planting of the seed of life in the soul.
3. Conversion means turning away from one thing to another in practice. When people turn, they are giving proof to the fact that they are regenerated (reborn). The change takes place in the outward life because this great change has first taken place within the soul. Regeneration is a spiritual change.
4. The five faculties of the soul are : mind, memory, affection, the will, and conscience.
5. Regeneration is something that is done by God. We contribute nothing whatsoever to this act. God implants this principle, the seed of spiritual life. We can’t see the instant regeneration but we can see the results and the effects.
6. In regeneration, the believer is given a new heart. Ezekiel 36:26. He is born again.
7. Regeneration can never be lost. It is the work of God Himself in the depths of the soul and He does it in such a way that it is permanent. John 10:29, Romans 8:38-39.
Next Lesson: A Child of God and in Christ
Study of Great Bible Truths – Vol. 2 Lesson 5
Lesson 5: The Work of the Holy Spirit in Redemption
The very coming of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost made the pronouncement that there is only one way of righteousness and it is the righteousness that is found in our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 1:30
1. The presence of the Holy Spirit is the final demonstration of the fact that the Lord Jesus Christ is Prophet, Priest, and King.
a. Prophet– Jesus came from God to teach us. He is the Son of God who is Prophet, Teacher, and the revealer of God, the Father.
b. Priest– As Priest, Jesus is the one who offers us His righteousness by making atonement for sin.
c. King– Jesus rules over all. He has defeated Satan (the god of this world, the prince of the air) and is seated at God’s right hand. All power has been given to Him by the Father.
2. The call, the offer of the Gospel is made to all. However, some believe and some do not believe. In those that believe the call is effectual. John 6:45, 63-65
3. The effectual call is the exercise of the Holy Spirit in the soul. It is a direct operation of the Holy Spirit within us. It is immediate, it is spiritual, and it is supernatural. 2 Corinthians 2:10-15.
4. We cannot have knowledge of God unless He gives us the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation.
Next Lesson: Regeneration : A New Disposition
Study of Great Bible Truths – Vol. 2 Lesson 4
Lesson 4: The Work of the Holy Spirit in General
The great purpose of Pentecost is to give us final proof of the fact that Jesus is the Son of God and the Savior of the World. It is also the establishment of the Church as the body of Christ with various peoples from all nations as members of the body.
1. The Holy Spirit works in connection with our Lord Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit works in the application of the redemption that has been achieved and worked out by the Son of God, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
2. In every instance, the Holy Spirit is pointing to the Lord. His one function is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ.
3. The Holy Spirit can give us nothing except it comes from the Lord Jesus Christ.
4. The fact that our Lord rose again from the dead is proof positive that He has been accepted by the Father. The Father not only accepted Him but accepted His perfect work regarding our salvation (justification).
5. The coming of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost was the final proof of the defeat of Satan and the judgment that is pronounced on him.
John 12:31-33.
6. The Holy Spirit always works through the Word Of God. He uses the Word in order to do His work. 1 Peter 1:25
a. He reveals the great love of God to sinners in general through the Word. Ephesians 2:4
b. He presents and offers salvation in Christ.
c. He calls us to repentance. Acts 17:31
d. He calls us to faith in Christ. Acts 20:21
7. Since the coming of the Holy Spirit, a general call of the Gospel has been made to all people from all nations.
Key Thought: The very coming of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost made the pronouncement that there is only one way of righteousness and it is the righteousness that is found in our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 1:30
Next Lesson: The Work of the Holy Spirit in Redemption
Study of Great Bible Truths – Vol. 2: Lesson 3
Lesson 3: The Significance of Pentecost
The Holy Spirit is a person of the Godhead and is to be honored as such.
1. The Holy Spirit had been at work in the world before the Day of Pentecost.
¨ He was working in creation
¨ He sustains the universe
¨ He works common grace to the entire world.
2. The coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ into the world made a vital difference in the work and operation of the Holy Spirit. His death, and especially His resurrection and ascension to heaven made a even greater difference.
3. When the Holy Spirit descended on the day of Pentecost, the formation of the church as the body of Christ was initiated. Believers in the Lord Jesus Christ were welded together as members of the body of Christ. All believers became one.
4. When Jesus completed the work necessary for the purchase of the church (His death on the cross), He was made head of the Church and as the head of the Church, the Holy Spirit was given to Him that he might give the Holy Spirit to the Church which is His body.
5. Ten days after Jesus ascended into heaven, He sent His Spirit into and upon His body (the church) to fill it. 1 Corinthians 12:13.
6. The Church is ONE, and there is only One Church, which is invisible, the body of Christ.
7. In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit worked upon men from the outside. In the New Testament, the Holy Spirit works on the inside. He abides with us because we are members of the body of Christ. Because the Spirit is in Jesus in it’s fullness, it comes from Jesus to the whole body, the church.
8. The church became Jesus’ body and the Spirit was given to fill the body.
Key Thought: The great purpose of Pentecost is to give us final proof of the fact that Jesus is the Son of God and the Savior of the World. It is also the establishment of the Church as the body of Christ with various peoples from all nations as members of the body.
Next Lesson: The Work of the Holy Spirit in General
Study of Great Bible Truths – Vol. 2: Lesson 2
Lesson 2: The Deity of the Holy Spirit
It is the work of the Holy Spirit to produce holiness and order in all that He does in the application of Christ’s work of salvation.
1. Scripture tells us there is only ONE God. But that there are THREE PERSONS in that Godhead: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. God the Holy Spirit is fully God. We can’t understand this, we must accept it based on the authority of the Scripture.
2. The three persons in the Godhead are co-equal and co-eternal. However, there are divisions of work in the Godhead. Each of the three reflects the glory of the other.
3. The Son is begotten of the Father. – John 3:16, 18. The Son subordinated Himself to the Father. – John 14:10. The Father told Him what to do.
4. The Holy Spirit proceeded from the Father. – John 15:26
5. The Spirit is subordinate to the Father and the Son. – John 16:13,14
6. The Son glorifies the Father, the Holy Spirit glorifies the Son. The Holy Spirit is always putting the focus on the Son. He always points to the Son.
7. The Holy Spirit dwells within us, enlightens us, gives us understanding, unction and an anointing.
8. The Holy Spirit was operating in the creation of the world and He works in sustaining and maintaining creation. Isaiah 40:7 and Psalm 104:29-30.
9. The Holy Spirit is responsible for common grace which is those general blessings which God imparts to all men and women as He pleases. Matthew 5:44-45, Acts 14:15-17, 1 Timothy 4:10
10. All gifts are from God. It is through the Holy Spirit that God dispenses general gifts to humanity. What is wrong with today’s culture is not the thing itself, it is rather that people give their worship, their praise and adoration to those men and women who have produced the work rather than to the God who enabled them to do it.
11. The Holy Spirit produces the work of conviction but people resist it instead of yielding to it. Up to a point God restrains men and women from vile perversions. That is why the world is not always as bad and wicked as it could be. God through the Holy Spirit restrains the vilest manifestations of sin, but there are times when He give people up to do vile things. Romans 1:28
Key Thought: The Holy Spirit is a person of the Godhead and is to be honored as such.
Next Lesson: The Significance of Pentecost
Study of Great Bible Truths – Vol. 2: Lesson 1
Lesson 1: The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit
1. We find a reference to the Holy Spirit in Genesis 1:2, and throughout the Scriptures.
2. In God’s great plan of salvation the Holy Spirit is the applier of salvation. It is His work to bring to us and to make actual in us in an experimental manner that great salvation which God the Son (Jesus) came into the world to work out.
3. Descriptive names found in Scripture for the Holy Spirit that relate to the Father include:
¨ Spirit of God– Genesis 1:2
¨ Spirit of the Lord— Luke 4:18
¨ Spirit of our God– 1 Corinthians 6:11
¨ Spirit of the Lord God—Isaiah 61:1
¨ Spirit of your Father—Matthew 10:20
¨ Spirit of the Living God—2 Corinthians 3:3
¨ My Spirit—Genesis 6:3
4. Descriptive names found in the Scripture for the Holy Spirit that relate to the Son included:
¨ Spirit of Christ—Romans 8:9
¨ Spirit of Jesus Christ—Philippians 1:19
¨ Spirit of His Son—Galatians 4:6
¨ Spirit of the Lord—Acts 5:9
5. Descriptive names found in the Scripture for the Holy Spirit that reflect direct and personal titles given Him.
¨ Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost
¨ Spirit of Holiness—Romans 1:4
¨ Holy One—1st John 2:20
¨ Eternal Spirit—Hebrews 9:14
¨ Spirit of Life-Romans 8:2
¨ Spirit of Truth—John 14:17
¨ Comforter—John 14, 15, 16
Key thought: It is the work of the Holy Spirit to produce holiness and order in all that He does in the application of Christ’s work of salvation.
Next Lesson: The Deity of the Holy Spirit
Study of Great Bible Truths – Lesson 39
Lesson 39: Christ the King.
In our last lesson we learned that because of my relationship to Christ, my eternal future and glory are guaranteed.
1. Jesus is the head of all creation. The Kingdom of God, the Kingdom of Christ means His rule, His reign. Wherever the rule of Christ is acknowledged and delighted in, there is Christ’s Kingdom and there He is King.
2. As a result of His work upon the cross, the fullness of the Holy Spirit was given to our Lord Jesus Christ for the formation of the Church of which He is head. John 7:39, Acts 2:33
3. Christ reigns as King over His people, over His Church. He reigns in the hearts of all of us who believe in Him. Christ administers His Kingdom by means of His Word and the Holy Spirit.
4. Jesus was clearly, publicly and formally declared to be the mediatorial king at the time of His ascension into heaven. Acts 2:29-30, Philippians 2
5. Christ’s Mediatorial (mediator) Kingship is His official power to rule all things in heaven and earth for the glory of God and for the execution of God’s purpose of salvation.
6. Jesus’ mediatorial kingship will last until the new heavens and the new earth have been brought in to being. Romans 8:21, 1 Corinthians 15:24-28
Thought: Jesus has all power. He is crowned King because He suffered and conquered. He has control over everything for the sake of His people, for their protection and for our ultimate salvation. Romans 8:28.
Next Lesson: The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit
Study of Great Bible Truths – Lesson 38
Lesson 38: The Blessings of the Covenant
1.Two of the immediate consequences of the work of our Lord and Savior was:
¨ The effect upon God’s relationship with sinful man.
¨ The effect upon heaven itself.
2. The third consequence of the Lord’s work was that the New Covenant God made with man was ratified by the blood Jesus Christ shed on the cross. Hebrews 7:22, Hebrews 8:6, 9:23-25
3. Of note, all God’s covenants in the Old Testament were also ratified with blood. Genesis 15:9-10, 17-18, Exodus 24:5-8
4. The fourth consequence of the Lord’s work is that all the blessings we enjoy as Christians come to us because of what happened on the cross. Hebrews 8:10-12, 13-14. These blessings include:
¨ 1st blessing– the forgiveness of sin once and for all. Hebrews 10:1-2 In the Old Testament sins were covered, but not blotted out. In the Lord’s work on the Cross, God has dealt with sin and has forgiven sins past, present and future. 1 John 1:1,7
¨ 2nd Blessing– a new way of approaching the most Holy God. Our consciences are clean. Therefore we can come into the presence of God with a holy boldness by the blood of Jesus Christ. Hebrews 12:28
5. The fifth consequence of the Lord’s work is that we are no longer under the law but are now under grace. Romans 8:3-4.
6. The sixth consequence of the Lord’s work is that the New Covenant guarantees our continuance in this life. Jesus ever liveth to make intercessions for us. He saves us to the very end.
7. Our Lord Jesus Christ has completed the work that was necessary to redeem man from sin and is now seated at the right hand of Father God. He will remain there until his return.
Thought: Because of our relationship to Christ, our eternal future and glory are guaranteed.
Next Lesson : Christ the King
Study of Great Bible Truths – Lesson 37
Lesson 37: Christ the Victor
In our last lesson we learned that God who is just, can forgive our sins because He has punished sin in the person of His dear Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. So He remains righteous. He remains just.
1. Our Lord, upon the cross was rendering passive obedience to the Father. God was putting our sins upon Him and dealing with them.
2. In looking at the resurrection, we see the MIGHTY VICTOR has arisen. One of the enemies Christ was waging battle with was Satan and all his forces. (1 John 3:8, John 12:31, Colossians 2:15, Hebrews 2;14-15). We are told that our Lord came to destroy the works of the devil and to cast out the devil.
3. When man (Adam) listened to the suggestion of the devil fell from God, and from that life he had with God. He also fell into the dominion of the devil (the realm in which the devil already lived). The devil himself by falling, had fallen into a state of death. 2 Peter 2:4. The devil became the head of the realm which is outside the life of God which can be described as the realm of death.
4. By Jesus living a perfect life of obedience to the Law of God and honoring God in all He did, He was attacking and defeating the devil. He did so specifically by conquering temptation in the wilderness. Our Lord defeated Satan and thereby destroyed his works.
5. Satan was counting on Jesus’ faith to fail, especially when our sins were loaded upon Him and separated Him temporarily from God the Father (Remember God cannot look upon sin) when He was on the cross. BUT OUR LORD TRIUMPHED!
6. The Lord not only vanquished the devil, He also vanquished death. (Hebrews 2:14-15). Christ delivers us from the power of death. The thing that makes death terrible and makes the sting so powerful is sin. Death is the consequence of sin. 1 Corinthians 15:56-57.
7. Man (Adam), as a result of the fall because of his disobedience to God, not only fell under the dominion of the devil, he also fell under the dominion of sin. Sin reigns in the natural person; in lust, in desire, in the bent toward evil. In addition to what Satan does to man from the outside, sin reigns within man himself. Man is under sin’s dominion. Romans 6:10-14
8. By the death of our Lord upon the cross, we are delivered from the dominion of sin. We have died to sin. Sin shall not have dominion over us.
1 John 3:9
Thought:
1. The Lord’s work on the Cross:
¨ Bore the penalty and punishment of our sins as our substitute.
¨ Destroyed the works of the devil
¨ Delivered us from the bondage and the dominion of the devil
¨ Delivered us from the territory of death. We are alive unto God
¨ Delivered us from the tyranny and power of sin.
The only change that is affected by our Lord’s work on the cross is God’s relationship to us. He now looks upon us as His children, whereas before Jesus’ work on the cross we were under the wrath of God.
Next Lesson: The Blessings of the Covenant