God has placed laws which govern the natural and the spiritual realm. Man is not just flesh and blood, he is a spiritual being and has spiritual life. Where you will spend eternity will be determined by God’s spiritual laws. This is why you must know what these laws are.

 

LAW NO. 1 – GOD LOVES YOU AND HAS A WONDERFUL PLAN FOR YOUR LIFE

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” – John 3:16

1. God made you to have a love relationship with Himself and with others around you.
2. God made you so that you would be His child and He would be your loving heavenly Father.
3. Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life and that they may have it more abundantly” – John 10:10
   
   Are you experiencing a joyful, blessed and fulfilled life? If not, God wants you to know that this is His plan for you. “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” – Jeremiah 29:11

 

LAW NO. 2 – MAN IS SINFUL AND IS SEPARATED FROM GOD

1. The reason man is not able to live a happy and blessed life even though this is God’s plan for him is sin.
   1. Sin came into the human race when our forefather, Adam sinned by disobeying God. From that time, every person born into this world has the nature of a sinner.
   2. “Sin” means breaking God’s laws, behavior that is against the principles of morality.
      “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” – Romans 3:23
2. Sin separates man from a holy God.
   In our present life, it means sinful man cannot receive the love and power of God to meet his earthly needs. Worse, in eternity, man will be separated from God forever and will be condemned to a place of torment and punishment.

LAW NO. 3 – JESUS CHRIST IS THE ONLY WAY TO SALVATION

“For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord”

– Romans 6:23

1. Jesus declared, “I AM the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” – John 14:6.
2. The law of God demands that sin can only be forgiven through the shedding of blood and that blood must be from a person without sin.
3. Jesus Christ is the only One who can save us from our sins because He is the only Man who ever lived who is without sin.
   1. He obeyed God by shedding His blood for us on the Cross so that God can forgive our sins and we can be at peace with Him again.

 

LAW NO. 4 – YOU NEED TO BELIEVE AND RECEIVE JESUS CHRIST AS YOUR LORD AND SAVIOUR

1. By dying on the cross, the Lord Jesus Christ has done all that is needed for us to be forgiven of our sins, receive a new life and for us to enjoy God’s plan for our lives.
2. God is making this offer to you today. Your part is to believe God’s Word and receive Jesus Christ into your heart.
3. You will then experience the miracle of forgiveness and His new life.
   “But as many as received Him (Jesus Christ), to them He gave them the right to become children of God, to those who believed in His name.” – John 1:12

Jesus said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God… unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God” John 3:3,5. 

In today’s Lesson, we will study what the new birth means, what it means to be “born again” and why it is so important.

 

I. WHAT IS THE “NEW BIRTH”?

“That which is born of flesh is flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” – John 3:6

1. When you were first born into this world, you received natural life. Your first birth is “of flesh” or from the nature of sinful man.
2. But if you are born again by the Spirit of God, you receive spiritual life, the sinless, eternal kind of life which God possesses.
   1. Now you have God’s nature. You can relate with God and experience His love and care for you.
   2. Because you are now spiritually alive, you have spiritual senses.
   3. You can begin to see and know spiritual truth and spiritual blessings.
3. Have you experienced the “New Birth”?

 

II. WHO BRINGS ABOUT THE NEW BIRTH?

“But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” – 1 Corinthians 6:11

1. It is based on what Jesus Christ did for you on the Cross.
   1. Before we can experience the new birth our sins have to be cleansed from our hearts.
   2. How? Through the Lord Jesus Christ, the sinless Son of God who died on the Cross and shed His blood for you, your sins can be forgiven.
   3. This blessing however must become real in your life.
2. It is through the Person and work of the Holy Spirit.
   1. He convicts you that you are a sinner in need of a Savior.
   2. He shows you that Jesus Christ died on the Cross for you personally.
   3. Lastly, He helps you to have faith and gives you grace to respond to God’s love and His offer of forgiveness.
3. It is through your response of faith to believe and receive Jesus Christ.
   “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name” – John 1:12
   1. The Holy Spirit’s part is to reveal the goodness of God to you, to show you the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for you and birth faith in your heart.
   2. The final part is your response of faith to surrender your life to Christ and to invite Him into your heart to be your Lord and Savior.

 

III. BLESSINGS OF THE NEW BIRTH

1. We receive pardon from all our sins and now have peace with God.
2. We are assured we will spend eternity in heaven with God when we die.
3. We are set free from slavery to our old sin nature, from the attacks of Satan and demon spirits and from the oppression by the system of this world.
4. We now have spiritual life and can enjoy the God’s presence, love and care.
5. We have eternal riches and an inheritance together with other believers.

 

IV. APPLICATION – TO DISCUSS WITH STUDENT

1. Has there been a time where you experienced God’s love and care for you? For example: God answered a prayer, provided healing, gave peace…
2. What stops us from experiencing New Birth? For example: Unbelief, unforgiveness, fear, comfort…
3. Which particular blessing of the New Birth speaks to you the most?

Will you open up your heart to believe and receive Christ as your Savior and Lord?

This Lesson is for you to know you have a genuine experience of salvation through what Jesus Christ did for you on the Cross.

 

I. WHAT IS THE SPIRITUAL CONDITION OF YOUR SOUL BEFORE GOD?

To find out, answer these two questions:

1. If you were to die right now, where would you spend eternity? 
2. Supposing you arrive at the gates of heaven, what would you say to God if He asked you why He should let you in?

 

II. THE FOUR ASPECTS OF GOD’S WORK OF SALVATION

1. Repentance or A Change Of Mind
   Repentance is a radical transformation of thought, attitude, outlook and direction in regard to sin. Our minds become open to God and to the Person and work of Jesus Christ on the Cross to forgive our sins. It means a decision to turn away from your old sinful way of life, living as you please. You now acknowledge Jesus Christ and honor Him as your Lord and Savior.
   
   “Repent for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand” – Matthew 4:17
2. Regeneration or New Birth
   You now have a new life, a new beginning.
   “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold all things have become new” – 2 Corinthians 5:17
3. Justification
   This is the act through which God declares that the sinner who believes in Jesus Christ is just and righteous.
   “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” – Romans 5:1
4. Redemption or A Release From Sin

You were once a slave to your sinful and desires. But now, Christ has set you free so that you can live your life to serve and please God.

“In Him, we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” – Ephesians 1:7

 

III. HAVE YOU EXPERIENCED GOD’S WORK OF SALVATION?

You may not be able to explain what you have experienced in the way described above. However, in your heart, you know that these things are true of you.

1. You have a new mindset concerning sin, God and Jesus Christ.
2. You have a new beginning in life.
3. The guilt and shame of past sins have been removed.
4. You are no more bound by the power of sinful and wrong desires.
   Some people are immediately set free from alcohol, smoking or an immoral lifestyle.

IV. GOD’S PROMISES FOR YOU IN SALVATION

1. Eternal life
   “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” – John 3:16
2. Forgiveness of sins
   “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” – 1 John 1:9
3. Position of a son/daughter
   “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name” – John 1:12
4. Inheritance with Christ
   “And if children, then heirs – heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that may also be glorified together” – Romans 8:17

V. THE RESULTS OF SALVATION

1. A hunger to read and study the Bible.
2. A desire to be in church and fellowship with other Christians.
3. A knowledge and desire to live a holy life for God.
4. An impulse to speak to other people about what Christ has done for you.

Do you have an experience of salvation? If not, seek God for it. He will give it to you.

“The Bible contains the mind of God, the state of man, the way of salvation, the doom of sinners and the happiness of believers. Its doctrines are holy, its precepts are binding, its histories are true and its decisions are immutable. Read it to be wise, believe it to be safe, and practice it to be holy. It contains light to direct you, food to support you and comfort to cheer you. It is the traveler’s map, the pilgrim’s staff, the soldier’s sword, and the Christian’s charter. Here paradise is restored, heaven opened and the gates of hell disclosed. Christ is its grand subject, our good the design and the glory of God its end. It should fill the memory, rule the heart and guide the feet. Read it slowly, frequently and prayerfully. It is a mine of wealth, a paradise of glory and a river of pleasure. It is given you in life, will be opened at the judgment and be remembered forever. It involves the highest responsibility, will reward the greatest labor and will condemn all who trifle with its sacred contents”.

(From the “Introduction” to the Gideon Bible).

 

I. THE BIBLE IS THE WORD OF GOD TO MAN

1. The Word (“Logos” – the idea, the mind, the thought) of God.
2. It reveals who God is and His purpose for creation:
   1. It traces the creation of man, his fall into sin and its consequences.
   2. It documents God’s love for man and all He did to save him from sin. 
   3. It reveals God’s sacrifice of His only begotten Son on the Cross so that man can be forgiven of his sins and receive the gift of eternal life.
3. We are to read, meditate, and to lay hold off until it lays hold of us (Psalms 1:1-3):
   1. We are not to rely on the counsel of the ungodly.
   2. Our delight should be the daily meditation in the “Word of God”.
   3. The Word will become reality in our hearts. We will obey it because it is now part of our nature. Then we will “prosper” in everything we do.

 

II. THE BIBLE IS THE BASIS OF THE BELIEVER’S FAITH. (ROMANS 10:17)

1. The Bible is not an ordinary book but a book given to us by God Himself: Its author is the Holy Spirit working through human authors. Its words are not man’s words but God’s. Its words are “spirit and life” – John 6:63.
2. What happens when the Holy Spirit acts upon the Word of God?
   1. God becomes real. His will and His desire to bless us become reality.
   2. When a person is “saved” it is because the Holy Spirit reveals what Christ has personally done for them according to the Word of God.
   3. There are many promises God wants to reveal to you from His Word.
3. You are responsible to study the Word, believe it and grow in faith as a result.

 

III. HOW TO DRAW NEAR TO THE WORD

1. Develop a daily discipline and habit to read and meditate on the Word of God.
2. Read it with a right attitude, expecting God to speak to you from it.
3. Purpose to believe the Word, to receive the Word and to obey the Word.

 

IV. HOW TO STUDY THE BIBLE

1. Choose an appropriate place and time for daily Bible study.
2. Make a devotional notebook to write each day:
   1. Message from God for me today.
   2.  The promise of God for my life.
   3. The command(s) to obey.
   4. Scripture verse to memorize.
3. Devote 30 minutes daily for your personal time with God:
   1. 10 minutes to speak to God and for Him to speak to you.
   2. 10 minutes to read and meditate on the Bible. Begin with the Gospel of John and finish with Revelation.
   3. 10 minutes writing down what you received from the Bible.

After a person is saved by faith in the Lord Jesus, God begins a new work to set him free from bondages that may exist in his life. God wants you to be totally delivered from these bondages so that you can be all and be blessed by all He desires for you.

 

I. POSITIONALLY, THE WORK OF SALVATION WE HAVE IS COMPLETE “IN CHRIST”.

Read 2 Corinthians 5:17:

1. This is a positional statement declaring what has happened to every believer.
2. In our position “in Christ”, we are totally set free from all past bondages, curses and any other evil consequences of our past life of sin. 
3. The penalty for our acts has been paid for by what Christ has done on the Cross. We have also been freed from the power of sin (Romans 6:6-12). We are to receive this truth by faith into our hearts.

 

II. EXPERIENTIALLY, THE WORK OF SALVATION IS PROGRESSIVE IN OUR WALK WITH CHRIST.

Read Romans 8:12-17 (especially v 14); 2 Corinthians 3:16-18.

1. The experiential aspect of our walk with Christ is the result of our honoring and responding to the work of the Mighty Holy Spirit.
2. Deliverance has to do with the revealing or manifestation of what Christ has done for us in setting us free from bondages due to our own sins or the sins of others who had an influence on our lives.

 

III. PRINCIPLES OF DELIVERANCE.

Christ came not just to preach the Gospel but to “heal the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives… to set at liberty those who are oppressed (Luke 4:18-19).

1. The condition of a sinner:
   1.  Man rebelled against God and became involved in all kinds of evil.
   2. “The wages of sin is death”. Sin opens the door for physical and emotional sicknesses as well as the oppression and curses of the devil.
   3. Sin gives Satan the power to rule man, enslave him and curse him.
2. Read Galatians 5:19-21. This is a listing of all the terrible things we have done before we came to know Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.
3. When man allowed sin into his life, bondages, curses and strongholds arose:
   1. Spirit – their spiritual understanding was blinded. They are kept in darkness. They yield to sins of idolatry and practice of witchcraft e.g. fortune-telling (2 Corinthians 4:4).
   2. Soul – Emotional wounds are the worst wounds a person can suffer and they are usually caused by rejection. Thank God that Jesus suffered the ultimate rejection on the Cross so that we could be accepted by God.
   3. Body – Whoever rejects God and lives a life of rebellion will reap the consequences of sicknesses and curses.
   4. Finances – When man lives in sin and does not honor God, the devil comes to steal and rob us of our finances (Malachi 3:10-12).
4. The provision for our deliverance is Christ’s work on the Cross (Galatians 3:13).
   1. He paid the price for us to be freed from guilt and penalty of our sins.
   2. He became a curse so that we are set free from the curse of sin.
   3.  The work of Christ on the Cross delivers us from sin, from demonic bondages, from ruin and destruction and from afflictions and diseases.
5. Preparation for deliverance:
   1. Desire to be set free from all bondages and live in freedom.
   2. Identify the causes of bondages with the Holy Spirit’s help (Psalms 139:24).
   3. There must be both confession and repentance (Luke 13:3).
   4. Faith – receive with the Holy Spirit’s help what Christ has done for you.
   5. Prayer and fasting – to deny the flesh and to strengthen your spirit.

At the heart of the Next Step Weekend is the opportunity to encounter Jesus personally.

An encounter with Jesus is the most wonderful experience any person can have. When God created man, He left an empty place in his heart which can only be filled by Himself. We will remain restless until we find our rest in Him.

1. People used by God in the Bible and in Church history all had an “encounter”.

• • Jacob encountered the Lord when his life and all he had were threatened at Peniel (Genesis 32:22-30).
  • Moses had an encounter with the Lord in the burning bush (Exodus 3).
  • Gideon was threshing wheat in the winepress when the Angel of the Lord appeared to him (Judges 6:11-27).
  • Isaiah was taken up into the throne-room of the Lord and beheld the glory of the Lord “in the year that King Uzziah died” (Isaiah 6:1-13).
  • Saul of Tarsus was struck down and blinded for three days and three nights when the Lord Jesus Christ arrested him and revealed Himself to him as he journeyed on the road to Damascus to persecute those who believed in the Lord (Acts 9:1-19).

2. What were the results of their encounter with the Lord?

• • Their lives were changed from the inside out.
  • They found their true calling and purpose in life.
  • They were filled with a new love for the Lord and a new passion to share the love and salvation of Christ to those who did not know Him

1. You can also expect a similar encounter with Jesus that will:
   • Transform your life.
   • Reveal your true calling and purpose in life.
   • Fill you with a new love for Jesus and a passion to share the Gospel
2. Everyone can experience this because God is no respecter of persons.
   
3. You will receive a vision of a life of blessing that will also bless many people

1. The most important preparation is that of your heart.
2. The Lord is already at work in you. The Holy Spirit is stirring a desire in your heart to know the real meaning and purpose in life. Partner with the Lord, do not resist Him. Let Him develop a deep desire in you to know the truth – the truth about Jesus Christ, about yourself, life and death and eternity.
   
3. The most important preparation you can make is to seek God with a sincere and a humble heart. “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble . . . Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” – James 4:6,8
   
4. Make space in your heart for Jesus to have His way in your life. You can do so by praying out the words below and meaning them from your heart.
   

“Dear God, I confess I am a sinner. I have sinned against you with my words, my actions and the wrong desires of my heart. Please forgive me. I know now that Jesus Christ is the sinless Son of God. He died on the Cross to save me from my sins. With Your help, I open up my heart and receive Him into my life as my Lord and Savior. In Jesus name I pray, Amen!”