Study of Great Bible Truths – Vol. 2 Lesson 11
Lesson 11: The Doctrine of Saving Faith
1. Faith is the instrument or the channel by which all salvation that is in Christ Jesus enters into us and is appropriated.
2. We are saved by faith, we are sanctified by faith, and we walk by faith.
1 John 1:5
3. Faith is the thing that links us to the fullness that dwells in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
4. Faith is given to us by God as a gift. The seed of faith is placed in us in regeneration and will be called into activity by the effectual call.
5. Saving faith is brought forth by the Word of God. Matthew 28:19, Acts 26:18, Romans 10:10-17.
6. The elements found in faith are:
a. Belief– One cant’ have faith without believing with a firm conviction. Hebrews 11:13
b. Trust and Confidence– to the point that we willingly commit ourselves to the truth of God’s Word.
c. Commitment– One not only believes and trust the word, we commit ourselves entirely to God.
7. Saving faith involves the whole person: the mind, the heart and the will. If we are not moved by our belief, it is not faith. Romans 6:17, 1 Peter 2:7 There is no use saying we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ if we are living a worldly life. True faith turns away from evil. James 2:26, Psalm 97:10
8. We must know what we believe, whom we believe and what we believe concerning God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
9. The spiritual gift of faith is not saving faith. Only some believers are given the spiritual gift of faith as described in 1 Corinthians 12.
10. Saving faith is a belief in and an acceptance of the Gospel, Word of God.
Next Lesson: The Assurance of Faith
Study of Great Bible Truths – Vol. 2 Lesson 10
Lesson 10: The Doctrine of Repentance: What Repentance Leads to In Experience:
1. Repentance involves a change in our views and thoughts concerning God. We now really see the Holiness and Greatness of God. Isaiah 6:1-5, Romans 7, Psalm 14:1
2. Repentance leads us to walk softly (in the fear of the Lord) in His presence. The nearer we are to God and Christ, the more Christ is formed in us, the greater will be our conception of God which will be reflected in our humility.
3. Repentance brings us to a knowledge of the mercy of God, His compassion, His kindness and His love. Justice and Mercy are met together in Christ. On the Cross of Calvary justice is fully satisfied and love streams forth.
4. Repentance brings about a sense of guilt and unworthiness. The greater the saint the more he or she is aware of sin and the corruption of the heart. Psalm 51, Romans 7.
5. Repentance changes our view on life leading us to a sense of hatefulness towards sin. We can now see the beauty and the glory of God’s holy law.
6. Repentance must result in a sense of grief and sorrow because of sin. It also leads to a sense of fear because we have sinned against a Holy God, who is righteous and just, who is Lord of the universe and the eternal judge.
7. Repentance leads to a confession of sin to God and a consuming desire to please Him.
8. Repentance gives us a sense of having offended God, having grieved and hurt Him. It produces a sense of unworthiness in us.
9. Repentance give us a hunger and thirst after righteousness. It makes us desire to be like Christ.
Oh, for a heart to praise my God
A heart from sin set free
A heart that always feel Thy blood
So freely shed for me
Charles Wesley
Next Lesson: Saving Faith
Study of Great Bible Truths – Vol 2 Lesson 9
Lesson 9: The Doctrine of Repentance
1. Repentance means to “think again”. It results in our changing of our minds. Matthew 21:28-32. In repentance there must be a consciousness of the sense of regret for the wrong view and the wrong conduct taken previously.
2. Repentance always comes before faith in our response to the Gospel. There is a distinct difference between repentance (changed thinking and changed actions) and remorse (just feeling sorry).
3. GRACE leads to repentance. Repentance is a gift of God to any activity on the part of men and women. Zechariah 12:10. Without Grace and supplication, there can be no Repentance. Acts 5:31, 11:18, 2 Timothy 2:25.
4. The way in which God leads us to repentance is through the teaching and preaching of His holy word. Acts 2:37, 17:30.
5. Repentance must include the whole person or it is not Repentance. It must include:
a. Our minds, our intellect. Preaching about Repentance starts with the intellect and the understanding of the word. Romans 3:20, Matthew 5:4, Galatians 3:19, Psalm 51, Job 42:6, Luke 18:13, Romans 7:24, 2 Corinthians 2:11
b. Our heart and our feelings– There must be a kind of anguish , a sense of fear and dread, and a “godly sorrow”. 2 Corinthians 7:10
c. Our wills– Action is an essential part of Repentance. Our wills comes into operation and it turns us from what was wrong to what is right. Isaiah 55:7, Joel 2:13, Luke 3:8-14, Acts 26:18, 1 Thessalonians 1:9.
6. The matters dealt with in repentance are:
a. God Himself– Repentance means a changed view of God.
b. The Relationship between God and man– When we repent we have a new mind regarding our relationship to God, to life, the purpose of life and how it should be lived. There is also a change in how we view death and eternity.
c. Repentance changes people’s whole outlook upon everything of value in this life and in the world.
Next Lesson: What Repentance leads to in experience…
Study of Great Bible Truths – Vol. 2 Lesson 8
Lesson 8: Union With Christ
1. Our redemption has been worked out and purchased by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
2. We are regenerated because of our union with Christ. It is from Him that we derive our life.
3. The Nature of our union with Christ.
a. It is a Spiritual Union – 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. 1 Corinthian 6:17, 1 Corinthians 12:13. Our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit. That is why we must avoid certain sins of the flesh.
b. It is a Mystical Union – The Apostle Paul tells us in Ephesians 5, that the union between the Lord and Christian believers is comparable and similar to the union between a husband and wife.
c. It is a Vital Union – This means our spiritual life is drawn directly from the Lord Jesus Christ. We are sustained by Him through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. It is a union of life.
d. It is an Organic Union – This means that it is a union in which we give as well as receive. Ephesians 4:15-16.
e. It is a Personal Union – We have a personal relationship with our Lord.
f. It is an Indissoluble Union – This union is once and forever. Romans 8:38-39.
4. Our faith helps to sustain, develop and strengthen the union. It is only as our faith becomes active that we become aware of this union and of our being born again (Regeneration). This is my position because I am in Christ and joined to Him.
a. I am crucified with Christ.
b. I am planted into the likeness of His death.
c. I have died with Him.
d. I have been buried with Him.
e. I have risen with Him.
f. I am seated in the Heavenly places with Him.
6. There are two essential elements of conversion: Repentance and Faith. Repentance towards God and faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ.
7. The primary point about conversion is to bring us into the right relationship with God. Jesus came and did everything in order to reconcile us to God. 2 Corinthians 5:19
8. The gospel starts with God because what is wrong with everyone is that they are in a wrong relationship to Him outside of Christ.
Key Thought: The first need of every soul is to be right with God.
Next Lesson: The Doctrine of Repentance
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