When we consider God's holiness and our sinfulness, we all have a need.
Every one of us fails to meet God's demand on our lives.
"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all
your mind" (Matthew 22:37).
Our failure has resulted in our separation from God. Our sin condemns us.
"For the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23).
"Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands
condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son"
(John 3:18).
God has made provision in Christ to meet that need.
"Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the
Father except through me' " (John 14:6).
I must receive the gift that is offered.
"Yet to all who received 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).
In our study together, we have seen that reason and faith are compatible. Reason can
lead us to faith. If reason tells me that the cosmos could come into being only through a
Creator, then I must believe there is a Creator. If reason tells me there is a Creator,
then I must believe there is a purpose for His creation. Believing there is a purpose for
His creation, I must believe the Creator would communicate His purpose.
Since the Bible provides convincing evidence of being the Word of God, my reason tells
me it is true. If reason tells me that God has spoken and revealed Himself through the
Bible, then it follows that I must believe what it says. We trust the testimony of men
every day. Why don't we believe God, who has revealed Himself through His Word, the Bible?
The Bible says it is impossible for God to lie.
". . . a faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which God, who
does not [cannot] lie, promised before the beginning of time" (Titus 1:2).
God has revealed our brokenness. Our sin has separated us from our Creator. The good
news is, God has already repaired the damage. He has provided the cure by sending His Son
Jesus as our Savior. The cure is ours! All we need to do is accept it.
Judgment is removed from all who receive Christ.
"Therefore [because of Christ's sacrifice], there is now no condemnation for those
who are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1).
What a promise! And the promise is true for all who come to Christ by faith. For the
believer, there is no longer any basis for judgment. Christ took all God's judgment by
dying on the cross.
Jesus said, "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.... Whoever believes in him
is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he
has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son" (John 3:16, 18).
In the context of these verses in John, chapter 3, Jesus is instructing Nicodemus, a
teacher of the Old Testament law. He is explaining what it means to be born again
spiritually. In John 3:14-15, Jesus uses an account from the history of Israel to
illustrate and amplify the salvation of God.
The incident that Jesus refers to (Numbers 21:4-9) takes place in the desert. God is
leading the people of Israel out of captivity in Egypt to their new homeland. The people
stubbornly reject God's leadership, and their rebellion and sin require the judgment of
God. He sends poisonous snakes into the camp. People are bitten and begin to die. They cry
out to Moses and ask him to pray that the Lord will take the snakes away.
The Lord gives Moses instructions to make a brass snake, put it on a pole, and tell all
the people, "When you are bitten, look to the snake on the pole and you will
live." For the people of Israel to be bitten was sure death, but God in His grace
provided a way to have life restored.
Jesus used that historical event as a picture of His death on the cross and His
offer of spiritual life.
"'But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.' He said
this to show the kind of death he was going to die" (John 12:32-33).
"Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted
up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life" (John 3:14-15).
All of us have been bitten and are poisoned by sin. We are spiritually dead and we need
deliverance. Jesus Christ went to the cross to suffer and die to rescue us. He paid the
price for our salvation. To receive God's gift of life, we must believe the message of God
concerning His Son. Look and live! Salvation is yours! Believe and receive the gift of
God.
If you recognize your need and believe that Jesus is the only way of salvation, won't
you accept Him now? He always keeps His Word.
This is the promise of God:
"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. For it is with your heart that you
believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved"
(Romans 10:9-10).
Come to God through Jesus Christ, using words such as these: "O God, I don't
understand why You care for me enough to send Jesus to bear the penalty of my sins. Even
with my lack of understanding, I do believe You have the power to forgive me. I trust You
absolutely. I believe in the fact of Christ's death for me, and the promise You made, that
whoever believes will have everlasting life. Thank you for this marvelous gift.
Amen."
HAVE YOU RECEIVED JESUS CHRIST?
You can know for certain as His Holy Spirit speaks to your spirit.
Aristotle said that a person operates on two levels: "The rational, which takes in
what can be seen and measured; and the sphere beyond the rational, which defies human
comprehension and belongs in the realm of the gods." 1
Albert Einstein said: "What is incomprehensible is beyond the realm of science. It
is in the realm of God." 2
Together we have considered three ways we can know God:
1. Through God's revelation of Himself to the intellect of humanity in His creation.
2. Through His written, inspired revelation, the Bible.
3. Through His earthly revelation, Jesus Christ, God's Son.
These are objective truths verified through evidence in science, history, and language.
The fourth way is subjective in nature and must be experienced in the life of the
individual. That fourth way is through the inner witness of the Holy Spirit.
We know that we have a personal relationship with God through the inner witness of the
Holy Spirit: "The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's
children" (Romans 8:16).
Rationally, intellectually, we can know that there is a Supreme Being or Higher
Intelligence who is the Creator and is in charge of all His creation. But we do not know
Him in a personal and relational way unless and until we have the inner witness of the
Spirit of God.
How can I know that I know God? I am given the assurance that I am in a right
relationship with God when His Spirit bears witness to my spirit that I am His child. God
must notify me and give me this internal assurance that I know Him and He knows me. This
witness from God comes with the reading of His written revelation, the Bible.
The truth about God and our need is revealed in the Word of God. That is the message we
must believe: "Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard
through the word of Christ" (Romans 10:17).
As the reader of the Bible perceives the truth and receives, by faith, God's provision
for his forgiveness, the Holy Spirit will give the assurance that sins are forgiven.
Consequently he will experience the peace that passes all understanding, which says,
"You are my child."
The Holy Spirit confirms our faith.
"Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit
who calls out, 'Abba, Father' " (Galatians 4:6) (see Romans 8:12-16).
Someone once said, "When you have this witness, you can no more doubt it than a
man with two good eyes can doubt the existence of the sun at high noon on a cloudless
day. It satisfies him, and he cries out exultantly, 'We know, we know, Hallelujah!'
"
The Word of God is the truth of God. The Spirit of God uses the truth of God to bring
life from death: "He chose to give us birth [spiritual life] through the word of
truth" (James 1:18).
The Holy Spirit illuminates the truth of God and gives understanding.
"But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He
will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is
yet to come.... That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it
known to you" (John 16:13, 15b).
"We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that
we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught
us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in
spiritual words. The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the
Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because
they are spiritually discerned" (1 Corinthians 2:12-14).
When the Holy Spirit witnesses to my spirit, these things will be true. My own spirit
witnesses that I am a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). My conscience tells me that I am
His child (Galatians 4:6).
The Bible becomes a witness to my salvation.
(John 12:47-50; 1 John 2:20-23; 4:13-16; 5:13)
"Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which
are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is
the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name"
(John 20:30-31).
C
ONSIDER You and I never have to wonder if we really
believed and have been born anew because we will have that peace that comes only through
God's Spirit living in us.
R
EASON The Spirit of God seals us and preserves us
until He brings us into His presence, where we will spend eternity with Him.
R
ESPOND Take a few minutes to answer the following
questions. Be willing to ask yourself why you believe what you believe.
Your response is very important! Please take a minute to fill out and return this
response sheet in one of the enclosed envelopes.
The Living Message Fellowship staff is dedicated to helping you. Please contact us with
your questions or concerns at 1-800-503-2214.
1. How would you summarize God's plan of salvation?
2. Since He has gone to such lengths to provide salvation, does it make sense that He
also has a plan for our lives?
Epilogue
The Meaning of Life
Tell me not in mournful numbers,
Life is but an empty dream.
For the soul is dead that slumbers,
And things are not what they seem.
Life is real, life is earnest,
And the grave is not its goal;
Dust thou art, to dust returnest,
Was not spoken of the soul. 3
-Longfellow
So often the struggle to find meaning in life ends in
frustration because of where we start the search. We always want to start with ourselves.
The natural result is that we also end with ourselves and utter disappointment.
God intends for us to build our lives on and around the person of Jesus Christ.
"For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus
Christ" (1 Corinthians 3:11).
Those who are wise and want to stand strong in facing the storms of life build their
lives on Jesus.
"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is
like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and
the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its
foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them
into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the
streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great
crash" (Matthew 7:24-27).
God's desire for us is that we experience all the fullness of life. That fullness,
however, does not originate or end with us; it originates and ends with God.
God created us for Himself.
"For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and
invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by
him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together"
(Colossians 1:16-17).
It is the person who hears and does what the Word of God says that is counted as the
truly wise person.
"Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his
face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he
looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and
continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it - he will be blessed
in what he does" (James 1:22-25).
Apart from God we never experience life, real life. God said it so well: there
is only one foundation on which to build our lives - Jesus Christ. God intends for life to
revolve around Him, not revolve around me. Out of my relationship with Him I find
acceptance, peace, and fulfillment. "For he himself is our peace...." (Ephesians
2:14).
If you have read through this material with an open, honest mind, you have heard at
least the basis from which we believe the meaning of life is drawn, both for now and
through eternity.
Living Message Fellowship has an additional Bible study designed to help you understand
how God has made provision for you to live successfully - how to experience the fullness
of life. The title of the study is Personal Success and it is available to you at
no charge.
Success is the quality of your journey,
Not a destination.
Knowledge is power; however, knowledge that is not based on truth breeds confusion and
frustration. You can know and understand the principles for successful living based on the
truth of God's Word. That's the promise of God! "Then you will know the truth, and
the truth will set You free" (John 8:32).
The freedom promised is the means to personal success. It is the liberty, the ability,
and the right to become the kind of person that God had in mind when He created you.
Instead of being enslaved by sin, crippled by ignorance, and bound by tensions, you are
promised freedom by God.
God has revealed the truth to us through the Person of His Son Jesus Christ and that
truth is recorded in the Bible. There is no need to stumble, grope, or wonder about the
Truth.
The Personal Success course presents a systematic approach to studying God's
Word and guides you into application of His truth.
One thing we must always keep in mind: Jesus Christ is the Truth! The freedom we speak
of comes from knowing Him and living in fellowship with Him.
Your response is very important. Please take a minute to fill out and return the
following response page.
You may order your free copy of Personal Success by checking the appropriate box
on the response page and dropping it in the mail.
The Living Message Fellowship staff is dedicated to helping you. Please contact us with
your questions or concerns.
Please fill out this page and return it today!
_____Since starting this material, I have definitely received the Lord Jesus Christ
by faith,
and I now have eternal life on the authority of God's Word.
_____I here and now receive Jesus Christ as my Savior.
_____I would like to receive Christ, but I have some questions about the following:
_____None of the above statements apply to me because:
For your copy of Personal Success, simply fill out your address below and drop
it in the mail.
_____Please send a copy of Personal Success to:
Name___________________________________________
Address_________________________________________
City_____________________ State______ Zip__________
ENDNOTES
Chapter 3. THE HOLY SPIRIT
1. Aristotle, in Systematic Theology IV class notes, 1972, at Grand Rapids Baptist
Seminary, Grand Rapids, MI.
2. Albert Einstein, in Systematic Theology V class notes, 1973, at Grand Rapids Baptist
Seminary, Grand Rapids, MI.
Epilogue: THE MEANING OF LIFE
3. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, "A Psalm of Life" from Complete Poetical
Works of
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (New York: Grosset & Dunlap, 1891).
FOR FURTHER READING
Anderson, J. N. D. Christianity: The Witness of History. London: Tyndale Press,
1969.
Bruce, F. F. The Canon of Scripture. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press,
1988.
Bruce, F. F. The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable? Downers Grove, IL:
InterVarsity Press, 1964.
Earle, Ralph. How We Got Our Bible. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1971.
Geisler, Norman L. and William E. Nix. A General Introduction to the Bible.
Chicago:
Moody Press, 1968.
Greenlee, J. Harold. Introduction to New Testament Textual Criticism. Grand
Rapids:
William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1964.
Horn, Robert M. The Book That Speaks for Itself. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity
Press,
1970.
Kenyon, Frederic G. The Story of the Bible. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans
Publishing Co., 1967.
McDowell, Josh. Evidence That Demands a Verdict. San Bernardino, CA: Here's Life
Publishers, Inc., 1989.
Stott, John R. W. Basic Christianity. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press,
1971.
Vos, Howard. Can I Trust My Bible? Chicago: Moody Press, 1963.
Wiseman, Donald F. "Archaeological Confirmation of the Old Testament." In Revelation
and the Bible, edited by Carl Henry. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1969.
