14. What is sin and repentance?

14 • What is Sin and Biblical repentance?

In Lesson 13 we said that a person is saved by repenting of their sin and having faith in Jesus Christ. But what does repentance entail? What is sin? The Bible says that sin is the transgression of the law (1 John 3:4). In other words, breaking any of the 10 commandments of God is sin (See Appendix 1 and Lesson 4). The word for ‘sin’ in the Greek can be translated “missing the mark”. If we fail to live up to God’s standards revealed in the Ten Commandments, we sin. If we fail to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength we sin and fall short of God’s glory. We sin when we don’t have a high regard for God and all He stands for (e.g. justice, love, righteousness, holiness, truth). We sin when we treasure anything more than God. We sin when we don’t love our neighbours as ourselves. None except Jesus has attained to these holy standards, and none ever will.

Jesus said that without repentance we will all perish (Luke 13:3, 5). When Jesus started His public ministry on earth He commanded: “repent and believe the gospel for the Kingdom of God is at hand” (Mark 1:15). The apostle Peter, after the Holy Spirit was given at Pentecost, preached to the Jews commanding them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins…” (Acts 2:38). Without repentance there is no forgiveness of sins. The prophets’ plea in the Old Testament was always “turn from your sins and live” (Ezekiel 18:30, 32; Amos 5:14, 15; Isaiah 55:6, 7). When Paul was in Athens, he reasoned with the philosophers urging them, “Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:30). Repentance is a Biblical command (Acts 20:21; Hebrews 6:1).

But what does Biblical repentance entail? First, we must realize that repentance is a gift from God. God grants repentance to whom He will (Acts 11:18; 2 Timothy 2:25). Although God gives repentance as a gift, we are not passive in the process of receiving it. Biblical repentance involves three things: Conviction (a change of thinking), Contrition (a change of heart or emotions) and Conversion (a change of behaviour). If the way you think, feel and behave towards God has not changed, you probably have not come to Christ – you still love your sin. Biblical repentance means turning away from sin and turning to God in faith for forgiveness. Without this turning there is no salvation. Biblical repentance means you hate your sin enough to stop doing it. It means you feel the way God feels about sin – God hates sin. Biblical repentance means that the sin you used to love you now hate, and God whom you used to despise and ignore you now love and joyfully obey.

Unless you understand that you are damned and lost because of your sin (conviction), you will not turn to Christ. The Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin (John 16:8). Once you realise that you are a wicked sinner, call out to God for mercy as the tax collector did in Luke 18:13.  Knowing and admitting that you are a sinner is part of the “change of mind”. We read in Psalm 34:18, “The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart and saves such as have a contrite spirit.” When King David committed adultery and murder, he wept before God and said, “Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Your sight… The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart, these O God, You will not despise.” (Psalm 51:17). We see that weeping before God (change of heart) is part of repentance (Isaiah 66:2; James 4:9, 10). A change in behaviour is also part of repentance. When Zacchaeus came to Jesus he said, “Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold.” Jesus answered, “Today salvation has come to this house.” (Luke 19:8, 9).   

Question to consider: Has God worked in you by the Holy Spirit so that the sin you used to love and cherish, you now despise and hate with a passion?

Read: 1 John 3:4; Matthew 22:37-40; Luke 13:3,5; Mark 1:15; Acts 2:38; Ezekiel 18:30,32; Amos 5:14,15; Isaiah 55:6,7; Acts 17:30; Acts 20:21; Hebrews 6:1; Acts 11:18; 2 Timothy 2:25; John 16:8; Psalm 34:18; Psalm 51:7,17; Isaiah 66:2; James 4:9,10; Luke 19:8,9.

13. How are people saved?

 13 • How People are Saved From their Sins

Every human who has ever lived, except Jesus, has disobeyed God’s laws (the Ten Commandments) and the Greatest Commandment: ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and all your mind and your neighbour as yourself’ (Matthew 22:37-39). Failure to do good to our neighbours, God also calls sin (James 4:17). We all therefore stand guilty before Him (Romans 3:19). Our guilt needs to be removed for us to be reconciled with a Holy God. Because God is holy and just, He set death as the punishment for sin (Romans 6:23), which is deserved by all sinners. This was revealed in the Bible (the Old Testament with its sacrificial system where animals had to die to avoid God’s wrath at sin). An animal or someone had to die for sinners for them to win back God’s favour.

God is the Judge of the world (Psalm 98:9). For Him to be righteous and just in judgement, sin must be punished. If sins were not punished, God would not be just. God is holy and perfect in character and therefore, because of our sin, we are separated from His glorious presence (Romans 3:23). Our own personal sins have built a wall of separation between us and God, which we cannot remove. Jesus came for these explicit reasons: to stand before God in the place of sinners and to be sacrificed as their substitute in order to pay for their sins (Isaiah 53:4, 5, 10; 1 John 4:10; Hebrews 10:14). Jesus alone could make atonement (just payment) for our sins, because He is holy and without sin (Hebrews 7:26, 27).

The Bible states that without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sins (Hebrew 9:22). Jesus’ blood had to be shed, and He had to die, because the just punishment for sin is death (Romans 6:23; Genesis 2:17; Ezekiel 18:20). Jesus cried, ‘It is finished!’ as He died on the cross. God had done everything necessary to remove the guilt of believers and put them in a right relationship with Himself through His Son Jesus Christ. God’s anger burnt hot against all our sins, but God’s anger was appeased, and His justice served and satisfied, when Jesus took our deserved punishment on Himself. Nothing and no one else besides Jesus Christ could have removed our guilt before God! This is so because Jesus was without sin – He was God’s perfect offering for sin (Isaiah 53:10). Jesus broke down the wall of separation between believing sinners and God! Jesus came to reconcile us with God (2 Corinthians 5:18, 21).

We were in jail with millions of life sentences hanging over our heads, justly condemned (Ezekiel 3:20), but Jesus came to set us free by paying with His own blood and clothing us with His perfection and righteousness so that the honour of man was restored (Romans 3:24-26). That is the reason He died. If we admit our guilt, confess our sins (1 John 1:9) and need for Christ’s forgiveness, turn (repent) from our sins and put our trust in Jesus Christ and His sacrifice on the cross, our sins will be forgiven, and our guilt removed (Mark 1:15; Ephesians 1:7). Repentance and faith work together. They are like two sides of the same coin. Without Biblical repentance there is no saving faith and Biblical repentance without true faith in Jesus is useless. They always work together, and both are granted to the one who will commit Himself to Jesus (Ephesians 2:8; 2 Timothy 2:25). Turning from our sins and fixing our eyes on Jesus open the gate of the Kingdom of God within (Luke 17:21).

Reality and question to consider: In the Bible, in Acts 4:12 it is written: ‘Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other Name given under heaven among men by which we must be saved.’ That name is Jesus Christ! Have you embraced this great Gift God has purchased for you at such a high price? 

Read: Romans 3:23; Matthew 22:37-39; James 4:17; Romans 3:19; Romans 6:23; Psalm 98:9; Isaiah 53:4,5,10; 1 John 4:10; Hebrews 10:14; Hebrews 7:26,27; Hebrews 9:22; Ezekiel 18:20 Genesis 2:17; 2 Corinthians 5:18,21; Romans 3:24-26; 1 John 1:9; Mark 1:15; Ephesians 1:7; Ephesians 2:8; 2 Timothy 2:25; Luke 17:21; Acts 4:12.

1. Creation

 1 • Creation

When you look at the sky, trees, variety of animal life, insects, sea creatures and human beings, do you ever wonder where they all came from?  Many people believe we are some kind of accident because of an explosion billions of years ago. When we look at the order, design, beauty and complexity of creation, it seems logical to conclude that there is intelligence behind all we see, hear and experience (Romans 1:19-21). Many scientists today have come to the same conclusion. There is so much design and irreducible complexity in the normal functioning of the human body alone, that the most intelligent people have concluded that there is a Mastermind behind all of creation.

If you examine the complexity of the human eye and how it operates, or the human ear, let alone the functioning of the brain with its billions of electrical impulses, it is logical and marvellous to realize that God created all of this with so much insight and wisdom (Psalm 139: 13-16). As Psalm 19:1 says: ‘The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows His handiwork’. When you look at a machine like a motorcar, or a tall building or a toy, it is reasonable to conclude that someone designed and made it. Most cultures and religions have concluded that there is a God behind all of creation (Acts 17:23-29). Creation itself, therefore, is evidence of the existence of a Creator just as the existence of a bicycle is evidence of someone who designed and made it. God’s Book also states that God made the world in six days (Exodus 20:8; 31:17). The fact that we have a seven-day week in the world, testifies to the fact that God created the world in six days and that He rested on the seventh day, just as He told us in the Bible. Many people will dispute the fact that God could create the universe in six days; yet even today many scientists believe this to be the truth. Scientists cannot empirically observe the age of the earth: sound science requires observation and experimentation. God alone existed in the beginning, so we can believe what He says in His holy Book. Those who try to calculate the age of the earth are not scientists but speculators. If God is God, then He could have created the universe in only a few seconds, let alone in a few days. Nothing is impossible for God (Mark 10:27)!

The proponents of Darwinian evolution have a strong belief in the absurd. From a huge explosion millions of years ago (according to the Big Bang Theory) they expect to get order, design and complexity through a time span of millions of years. Because no one could observe the theories they propose (macro evolution, and changes from one kind of animal to another) Darwinian evolution is based on faith and a lot of imagination! Darwinian evolution doesn’t make any sense and, sadly, many a believer in God has fallen prey to their fairytale lies. The fact remains: no one knows the exact age of the universe. What we do know is that God created everything that exists out of nothing; a feat only God could accomplish (Hebrews 11:3). As the Bible says, ‘In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth’ (Genesis 1:1). And in John 1:1-3 it says, ‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.’ Romans 11:36 states: ‘for of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to Him be the glory forever.’

Truth to consider: Everything we can see, feel, taste, hear or smell had a beginning; and God is the reason for that beginning. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to come to this conclusion—it is common sense. Those who stubbornly deny this truth are called fools by God’s Holy Word (Psalm 14:1).

Read Romans 1:19-21; Acts 17:23-29; Psalm 139:13-16; Psalm 19:1; Mark 10:27; Genesis 1:1-31; Exodus 20:8; Exodus 31:17; Hebrews 11:3; Psalm 14:1; Psalm 53:1; John 1:1-3; Romans 11:36; Colossians 1:13,15-18; Genesis 1:1.

12. God’s eternal kingdom

 12 • God’s Eternal Kingdom

We as people live in ‘time’ (God’s created time and space), and most things—whether a job, a meal, marriage, or even life itself—have a beginning and an end. The stunning fact is that God doesn’t have a beginning or an end. From everlasting to everlasting, He is God—He is ETERNAL (Psalm 90:1; Psalm 45:6). And because God is most powerful and the Creator of all, He is therefore also the King of everything (Psalm 47:2, 6, 7). He is the great Beginner and Finisher of everything. That is why the Bible states that His kingdom will never end (Daniel 7:27). The government is on Jesus Christ’s shoulder and to the increase of His government and peace there will be no end (Isaiah 9:7)!

The marvellous—and to many frightening—reality is that death is not the end for any human being. Death is only the gateway to eternity. Man is appointed to die once and then the judgement will come (Hebrews 9:27). God has put eternity into our hearts (Ecclesiastes 3:10)! When God made us, He appointed us to live forever—either with Him or without His glory! (Daniel 12:2). The second option is a frightening one! We only have this life and soon it will pass; only a life united with Christ will last. As this fact—that we will live forever, and that this body we have will be exchanged for an incorruptible and indestructible body (1 Corinthians 15:52-54)—is true, we should take heed to the Originator, Sustainer and King of the universe! 

God’s kingdom represents His rule. As God is the King of the universe and has a kingdom without end, we should submit to His glorious rule and obey His helpful commands: The Ten Commandments (e.g. you shall not steal; you shall not commit adultery; you shall have no other gods before Me; etc, See Exodus 20:1-21). God gave these to Moses about 4000 years ago and they are not outdated, although the ceremonial and sacrificial laws (where animals had to be slaughtered to make payment for sins) have been fulfilled IN Jesus Christ. Jesus was the final and perfect sacrifice offered by God (Isaiah 53:10; Hebrews 10:12, 14, 18) to make payment (atonement) for sins. He abolished all animal sacrifices which were all imperfect and had to be repeated. Therefore, if we are IN Christ, we keep God’s holy laws, because He fulfilled the righteousness of the law for us (Romans 8:3, 4). The Ten Commandments also serve as God’s ‘schoolmaster’ or tutor in order to lead unbelievers to Christ so that they might be justified by faith (Gal 3:24).

God’s moral laws are still relevant for us today and show us how He rules the world. Just as any country has a constitution and laws to keep it in order, God rules over His universe with grace, love, truth, righteousness, justice and order (Jeremiah 9:24; Psalm 45:4,6). God’s unchangeable Divine nature (James 1:17) and character revealed in the Bible show us how He rules the Universe. God’s rule isn’t like a dictatorship or like a democracy and He doesn’t have a Human Rights Commission where some criminals and God-haters are protected and given privileges by human laws and governments, but His commandments and laws are holy and just and good (Romans 7:12). God’s Government is called a Theocracy and Jesus Christ is the Chief Executive Officer in human terms (Ephesians 1:21, 22). When all things are put under Christ’s feet, Christ will be subject to Him who put all things under Him so that God may be all in all (1 Corinthians 15:23-28). God’s commandments have also been given to help and protect us from harm and danger.

Question to consider: Have you asked God to forgive your sin because Jesus died to pay for it? Have you come to the point of surrendering your will, thoughts, heart, plans, time, talents, resources and future to King Jesus? It is a vital, glorious commitment that will have eternal and blessed consequences!

Read: Psalm 90:1; Psalm 45:6; Psalm 47:2,6,7; Daniel 7:27; Isaiah 9:7; Hebrews 9:27; Ecclesiastes 3:10; Daniel 12:2; 1 Corinthians 15:52-54; Exodus 20:1-21; Isaiah 53:10; Hebrews 10:12,14,18; Galatians 3:24; Jeremiah 9:24; Psalm 45:4,6; James 1:17; Romans 7:12; Ephesians 1:22,23; 1 Corinthians 15:23-28.

11. God’s family empowered

 11 • God’s Family

Before the disciples were baptized with the Holy Spirit in Jerusalem about 2000 years ago, the Holy Spirit didn’t live inside all God’s people on a powerful and permanent basis. Throughout the history of the world, the Holy Spirit came upon people many times, inspiring them to write the words of God or doing miracles through them: like Moses through whom God parted the Red Sea (Exodus 14:15-27), or Elijah who prayed for fire to come down from heaven (1 Kings 18:20-38), or Elisha who prayed for dead people who were then raised from the dead (2 Kings 4:32-37), or Joshua who at God’s command invaded the city of Jericho where the walls supernaturally tumbled down (Joshua 6:20), or the prophets enabling them to prophesy about future events (Isaiah 53:1-12; Isaiah 61:1-3), or a prophet giving him insight, knowledge or wisdom (Daniel 2:26-45; Genesis 41:14-32,38).

The Holy Spirit came to live more powerfully inside the church (God’s people) in Jerusalem about two thousand years ago. This wonderful event was also foretold in the Old Testament: in Ezekiel 36:26-27 it is written that the Holy Spirit will give believers in God a new heart where His Spirit will dwell! Also, in Jeremiah 31:33,34 it is written that God said He will make a New Covenant with His people and write His laws on their hearts and in their minds and remember their sins no more. These prophecies and others were fulfilled when the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples in Jerusalem. The church received power when the Holy Spirit baptized the followers of Jesus Christ. To be baptized means to be drenched in the Spirit, like a person who dives into a swimming pool and is soaked with water. The Holy Spirit soaked the disciples in the same way, not only from the outside but mainly from within. They became God’s property. The Holy Spirit made them God’s possessions (Ephesians 1:14; Romans 14:8).

Another way to put it is that they were born of the Spirit. When a person is born in the natural world, it means that you have a mother and father. In spiritual terms, when a person is born from above, it means that he or she is born of the Spirit of God. He or she becomes God’s son or daughter! If a person is ‘born again’, or ‘born of heaven’ or ‘born of the Spirit’, it means God becomes his or her Father (John 1:12, 13)!  All the people of God—all the people who are born of God and baptized with the Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:13) are called God’s church or family (Ephesians 1:22, 23; Ephesians 2:19).

The people who belong to God come from different nations, tribes or ethnic groups and speak different languages (Revelation 5:9; 7:9). God’s purpose was never to have favourites among people. He started with Israel, but His purpose was that through Jesus Christ, all the ethnic groups and families of the earth should be blessed (Genesis 12:1-3; Galatians 3:26-29)! As Galatians 3:28, 29 says, ‘There is neither Jew nor Greek, neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.’ God’s family are really a unique bunch of people! They might not all understand one another, but they have the same characteristics (love and God’s Holy Spirit), which binds them together. Jesus said the world would know that they belong to Him: by the love that they have for one another (John 13:35). The Holy Spirit’s presence and the love He puts inside each believer’s heart (Romans 5:5) is real and glorious and no fantasy, daydream or illusion.

Questions and truth to consider: Do you belong to God’s family? Have you experienced the love that God’s children have for one another?  It is marvelous and sweet to experience God’s love among Christians. Christians call themselves brothers and sisters of one another because they have the same Father—GOD!

Read: Exodus 14:15-27; 1 Kings 18:20-38; 2 Kings 4:32-37; Joshua 6:20; Isaiah 53:1-12; 61:1-3; Daniel 2:26-45; Genesis 41:14-32,38; Ezekiel 36:26,27; Jeremiah 31:33,34; Ephesians 1:14; Romans 14:8; John 1:12,13; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 1:22,23; 2:19; Rev 5:9;7:9; Genesis 12:1-3; Galatians 3:26-29; John 13:35; Romans 5:5.

10. The coming of the Holy Spirit

 10 • The Coming of the Holy Spirit

After Jesus ascended into heaven about two thousand years ago, His followers in Jerusalem (about 120 people) started praying to God for the Holy Spirit. Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would be given as an abiding powerful presence with His children on earth (Acts 1:4; John 14:16-18). So, after some time, the Holy Spirit baptized (came in power on) the followers of Jesus and they were filled with power and joy (Acts 2:1-4). The Holy Spirit gave them the ability to speak in languages they themselves did not understand, so that they could converse with the people from the different nations and language groups in Jerusalem. Never before, in the history of mankind, was the Holy Spirit given to people in this way! God’s Book says that the Holy Spirit rested on Jesus’ followers like tongues of fire (Acts 2:3).

Many people in Jerusalem heard of the mighty acts of God in their own languages. You might wonder who this Holy Spirit is. Is He a person, or a power, or a force of some kind? The answer is that the Holy Spirit is God (Acts 5:4-10). The Bible makes it clear that the Holy Spirit is not only a force and a power, but essentially a being with a personality. Followers of Jesus call Him the Third Person of the Godhead. Followers of Jesus don’t serve three gods, but one God who is simultaneously revealed in three persons, each having a different role. Jesus is now in heaven praying for the church and upholding everything according the word of His power (Hebrews 7:25; Romans 8:34; Hebrews 1:3). The Father is in heaven overseeing and sustaining everything in the universe and working all things according to the counsel of His will and for the praise of His glory (1 Corinthians 12:6; Ephesians 1:3-14). The Holy Spirit is given to believers to help, comfort, guide into the truth, sanctify (make holy) and save them from evil in this world (John 16:7,13; John 14:15,16; John 17:15).

The Holy Spirit can do many things! He gives gifts to God’s people (1 Corinthians 12:4, 7, 11) and He is God’s Superpower working in the world, but not like a Spiderman or Superman or like a Superhero we see in the films. The Holy Spirit’s main task is to unite, sanctify and reconcile followers of Jesus with God. God’s people, those who are filled with God’s Spirit, can (in a sense) do the same things Jesus did when He was on earth. In other words, miracles can occur as God wills through the prayers of His followers, if these are prayed in the name of Jesus and are under the control of the Holy Spirit (John 14:12-14). One of the signs that Jesus gives, through His Holy Spirit, is conviction of sin, righteousness and judgment so that all people will know they are guilty before a holy God and will be punished for their sin (John 16:8). The Holy Spirit does this so that people will seek the Savior, Jesus Christ.

Like birds flying in formation one behind another, so the Holy Spirit “flies” behind the exalted Jesus Christ to unite and reconcile believers to Jesus and to glorify Christ (John 16:14). Wherever Jesus is exalted and preached and presented as glorious through preaching on the Internet, Facebook, YouTube, Satellite Television, on the Radio, in a church building, classroom, in small groups, one on one on a street corner, or wherever, there the Holy Spirit works faith in God and repentance in the hearts of the hearers (Romans 10:13-15, 17; 2 Corinthians 4:13). The Holy Spirit takes what belongs to Jesus and gives it to His people. He directs and guides people in glorifying Jesus Christ (John 16:14). As 1 Corinthians 12:3 says, ‘…no one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except by the Holy Spirit.’

Reality to consider: A thing we must understand is that the Spirit of God is called the HOLY Spirit. That means He is different from us and without fault, sin or moral corruption. He wants the people of this earth to be united with Himself and He does this by pointing people to Jesus Christ. By trusting in Jesus Christ our sins can be forgiven and we can become holy and have fellowship with God.

Read: Acts 1:4; John 14:16-18; Acts 2:1-4; Acts 5:4-10; Hebrews 7:25; Romans 8:34; Hebrews 1:3; 1 Corinthians 12:6; Ephesians 1:3-14; John 16:7,13; John 17:15; 1 Corinthians 12:4,7,11; Acts 4:29; Acts 19:11,12; John 16:8; John 16:14; Romans 10:13-15,17; 2 Corinthians 4:13; 1 Corinthians 12:3.

9. The work of Christ in heaven

 9 • Jesus Christ’s Ascension and Work in Heaven

After His resurrection, Jesus appeared to His disciples, gave them instructions and spoke about the Kingdom of God (Acts 1:1-5). Later, He was taken up into heaven on a cloud (Acts 1:9)! The disciples literally saw Jesus going into heaven. God’s Book foretold (prophesied about) this event centuries before in Psalm 68:18 where it says, “You have ascended on high, You have led captivity captive, You have received gifts among men, even for the rebellious.” Jesus mentioned to His followers that He would return to this world. After Jesus’ ascension into heaven two angels appeared to the disciples and said to them, ‘Just as Jesus went up to heaven so He will return one day’ (Acts 1:9-11).

It is very important that Jesus is now in heaven. It is written that all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Jesus (Matthew 28:18). Since ascending into heaven, Jesus is sitting at the right hand of the Father in heaven (Ephesians 1:20). That means He has the most powerful position in the universe. In Philippians 2:9-11 it is written, ‘that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow …and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.’ God the Father has given Jesus authority to rule over every power, might and dominion in this world and the next. Jesus Christ is the Head and Leader of the church, His family and army (Ephesians 1:20-22). The Bible states that there is only one Mediator between mankind and God; that Mediator is Jesus Christ (1 Timothy 2:5). Not Mary, the earthly mother of Jesus, nor any other dead, nor supposedly holy person, nor any of our forefathers can hear us from heaven! Jesus taught that the dead have no connection with the living (Luke 16:23, 26). Praying to them is a useless exercise, forbidden by God and condemned by God’s Book (Deuteronomy 18:10-14), because when any person dies, he/she will be either in heaven (paradise) or in hell (Hades) waiting until Jesus comes again (Matt 25:31-46; Luke 16:22-26).

Jesus Christ now prays from heaven for His living children and for those that will be saved, but not for the dead. The Bible states that He prays 24/7 (24 hours a day and 7 days a week) for those who come to Him. That means Jesus never stops praying for those who come to Him (Hebrew 7:25)! You might wonder what He is praying about. He prays for the salvation (Hebrews 7:25) of those whom God has given Him and who will come to Him (John 6:37). He also prays for the sanctification in the truth (growth in holiness) and for the unity (oneness) of His children on earth (John 17:17, 21-23), as well as that His children should be kept from the evil one (John 17:15) and that they might receive and enjoy His joy (John 17:13), love and glory (John 17:22, 26).

Jesus said that if He did not go to heaven, and rule from on high, the Holy Spirit would not be sent to earth (John 16:7). It is therefore beneficial and essential for us that Jesus is in heaven now. Jesus said that He wouldn’t leave His children to be like orphans without a father (John 14:2, 18). He said He would send the Holy Spirit—the Spirit of Life (John 3:3-8), Truth (John 16:13) and Power (Luke 24:49)—so that we can have a vital and real connection with God, like a cell phone that has unlimited Internet connectivity in a Wi-Fi Hotspot. The Holy Spirit’s presence within God’s children is the guarantee and first deposit of the inheritance in heaven of the followers of God (Ephesians 1:13, 14). If you buy a house, you usually first must put down a deposit before living in the house. So, God gave his children the Holy Spirit as thé deposit and as thé guarantee of their inheritance in heaven!

Reality to consider: Do you know that Jesus Christ is praying for all believers? The Bible says He never stops praying for those who come to Him (Hebrews 7:25). Please come to Jesus and do not stop coming to the Saviour and only Mediator of the universe!

Read: Acts 1:1-4; Acts :1-9-11; Psalm 68:18; Matthew 28:18; Ephesians 1:20-22; Philippians 2:9-11; 1 Timothy 2:5; Luke 16:23,26; Deuteronomy 18:10-14; Matthew 25:31-46; Hebrews 7:25; Romans 8:34; John 17:13,15,17,21-23,26; John 16:7; John 14:2,18; John 3:3-8; John 16:13; Luke 24:49; Ephesians 1:13,14.

8. The demolition of sin, Satan and Death

 8 • Demolishing the Power of Sin, Satan and Death

In Lesson 2 we said that the reason for death, sin, suffering and sickness in the world is because of the sin of Adam and Eve. The Bible tells us that the wages of sin is death and teaches that death reigned through Adam. In Adam all died (1 Corinthians 15:22). Adam was the first representative of the entire human race. Their sin allowed the devil to wreak havoc in this world. In a sense, the world in its sinfulness belongs to the devil and to all who follow him (1 John 5:19). By deceiving Eve and Adam, the devil catapulted the whole human race into sin and death.

But then Jesus Christ came, the second representative of mankind (Romans 5:12, 15, 17-19). He lived a perfect life and died for the sins of believers, thereby demolishing the power of the devil and death (Hebrew 2:14). Christ overcame Satan by conquering death (Hebrew 2:14; 1 Corinthians 15:50-58). Three days after Jesus’ death, God raised Him from the dead in a glorified body (1 Corinthians 15:3-4)! Jesus ate food with His disciples in His glorified body (John 21:10-14). God broke the power of death and sin in this way. Death could not hold Jesus Christ in the grave, because He is God who is sinless (1 Peter 2:22). Many of Jesus’ followers saw Him after His resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:3-7). There were many eyewitnesses who saw Him as it is written in the gospels. The followers of Jesus rejoiced at this event, but some, like the disciple Thomas, doubted until they physically saw and touched Him (John 20:27-29; Luke 24:36-44).

Jesus said to Thomas, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believed”. We have not seen Jesus physically risen from the dead, like His disciples did, but blessed will we be if we believe like His disciples believed! Before His death Jesus prophesied that He would be raised on the third day (Luke 9:22; Luke 18:31-33). The resurrection of Jesus Christ was and is of cardinal importance in the history of mankind. Death, Satan and sin would still have power over us if Jesus was not raised from the dead, and death would still be an eternal reality even for those who belong to God (1 Corinthians 15:12-19). But because God the Father raised Jesus from the dead through the Holy Spirit (Romans 6:4; Ephesians 1:19), people can live forever if they believe in Jesus Christ (Romans 4:24, 25). In Colossians 2:14, 15, it states that Jesus made an open spectacle of the devil and his angels (where it refers to principalities and powers) by triumphing over them on the cross. To mankind it seemed as though the devil was victorious, defeating the Son of God (Matthew 27:39-43). But because Jesus never sinned and is God, death could not hold Him in the grave. Jesus’ sinless life gave Him the power to be raised from the dead. God raised Him from the dead and the Holy Spirit testified to the fact of Jesus’ divinity (Romans 1:4). Jesus said, ‘…unless a grain of wheat falls in the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies it produces much grain’ (John 12:24). Jesus was thé Grain of wheat that died and because of His resurrection, everlasting life is certain for those who believe (John 3:16). Because Jesus is God and never sinned, the grave and its power were demolished forever! This is the good news of Jesus Christ! 

Truth to consider: Death for Jesus’ followers is not the end but becomes a doorway to eternal life with God! That isn’t only good news but great news! In fact, if Jesus did not rise from the dead His followers would be still in their sins (1 Corinthians 15:12-19). But the sting of death has been removed. Death has been swallowed up in victory! Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through Jesus Christ! (1 Corinthians 15:54, 55, 57).

 Read: 1 Corinthians 15:22; 1 John 5:19; Romans 5:12,15,17-19; Hebrews 2:14; 1 Corinthians 15:50-58; 1 Corinthians 15:3,4; John 21:10-14; 1 Peter 2:22;1 Corinthians 15:3-7; John 20:27-29; Luke 24:36-44; Luke 9:22; Luke 18:31-33; Romans 6:4; Ephesians 1:19; Romans 4:24,25; Colossians 2:14,15; Matthew 27:39-43; Romans 1:4; 1 Corinthians 15:12-18.

7. The perfect life and death of Christ

7 • The Perfect Life and Perfect Death of Jesus Christ

Jesus came to this earth with a divine mission: to live a perfect, sinless life and fulfil all righteousness (Matthew 3:15). Because Jesus was empowered by the Holy Spirit it was possible for Him never to sin. He was no ordinary man! The Holy Word of God states that He was tempted in every way in His estimated 33 years on earth, but that He never sinned (2 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 4:15). Jesus’ whole life was a life of perfection. He obeyed the laws of God and the Ten Commandments perfectly, and He demonstrated immense compassion towards the poor and sick. When He was 30 years old, God the Holy Spirit came upon Him in a special, powerful way, giving Him authority to do many miracles and wonders (Luke 4:18-21).

Jesus walked on water! He calmed storms at sea! He gave sight to the blind! He made the deaf hear! He raised the dead! He healed lepers and the sick from their diseases! He drove demons out of people! Twice He multiplied a few fish and pieces of bread to feed thousands of people! He exposed the secrets and intents of people’s hearts and prophesied about future events that were fulfilled in his lifetime and later. He was a truly remarkable man. Never was there anyone like Him! He was and still is fully God and fully man, the GOD-MAN! The miracles He did bore witness to the fact that He was God and not merely a prophet or a special person (John 20:30, 31). Many of the things that Jesus did were written down for us to read in the New Testament in God’s Book (the Bible).

But all these things that He did were only part of the reason why Jesus came to earth. The other main reason was to die on the cross in order to save believing sinners from their sins – this for God’s glory. This happened about two thousand years ago just outside Jerusalem. One of His disciples, Judas, betrayed Him (Matthew 26:14-16), and after a mockery of a trial by the religious leaders, Jesus was accused of blasphemy and given a death sentence (Matthew 26:65, 66). After his scourging by the order of the Roman Governor Pilate, the Jews shouted that Jesus should be crucified and that a murderer, Barabbas, should be released instead (Matthew 27:16-23). Pilate, the Roman Governor, was reluctant to give the orders to crucify Him, but the Jews’ shouting “Crucify Him!” prevailed (John 19:15).

Jesus’ willing sacrifice on the cross was, is and always will be of supreme importance to the world. Jesus knew that He would come as the blameless, sinless (Hebrews 9:14) Lamb of God (John 1:29) to die for the sins of believers; He prophesied about His own death before it happened (Luke 18:31-33). Jesus came to this earth to sacrifice Himself to God the Father and bear His wrath against sin (1 John 2:1,2), satisfy His justice (Romans 3:24-26), die as a substitute and in doing so cancel the guilt of believers (Isaiah 53:3-6;10-12). He came to live a perfect life, to fulfil the righteousness of the law (Romans 8:3, 4), to obtain righteousness by His obedience (Hebrews 5:8, 9), and to die a perfect death—in order to put all believers in a right relationship with God. Just before Jesus died on the cross, He cried, ‘It is finished’ (John 19:29). That meant the work that He came to do was completed. Jesus’ work of doing the will of His Father had been done (John 4:34). The world had been reconciled and united with God again. As 2 Corinthians 5:19 says, ‘God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them….’

Reality to consider: Only Jesus can take the guilt of our sins away, as He is the perfect man who never sinned as well as being God, (Hebrew 9:14). That is why Jesus’ life was so unique and why His death was so precious in God’s sight!

Read: Matthew 3:15; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 4:15; Luke 4:18-21; John 20:30,31; The Gospel of Matthew, Mark and Luke records Jesus’ miracles; Matthew 26:14-16; Matthew 26:65,66; Matthew 27:16-23; John 19:15; Hebrews 9:14; John 1:29; Luke 18:31-33; 1 John 1:1,2; Romans 3:24-26; Isaiah 53:4-6;10-12; Romans 8:3,4; Hebrews 5:8,9; John 19:29; John 4:34; 2 Corinthians 5:19.

6. The Incarnation of God

 6 • The Incarnation of God—God Becoming Man

There are many stories in the history of the world of people who have claimed to be God or who have been believed to be God. Some world leaders have even believed themselves to be gods, like the Roman Emperors 2000 years ago (e.g. Emperor Nero and Domitianus) and others in more recent history in Japan and North Korea. All these claims and stories are just fables or misconceptions put out by deceived lunatics to refute the truth. The God of Israel in Isaiah 46:9 says: ‘For I am God and there is no other; I am God and there is none like Me’. The devil (God’s enemy) is not called the deceiver for nothing! (Revelation 20:7; John 8:44).

There are more than three hundred prophecies about the Messiah in the Old Testament (God’s Book) and they were all fulfilled in and by just one person—Jesus Christ. They all came true in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. When the right time finally came, God announced the coming birth of the Savior of the world. Jesus Christ was to be born in Israel. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, by the virgin Mary, about two thousand years ago. This is recorded in the books of Matthew (1:21-25) and in Luke (2:26-38). It is written in Matthew 1:23, “Behold the virgin shall be with child, and shall bear a Son, and He shall be called Immanuel”, which is translated, ‘God with us.'”

His birth was foretold by the angel Gabriel (Luke 1:26-27). The angel said to Mary, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you, therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.” There was no sexual union between Mary and her fiancé Joseph. The Holy Spirit came upon Mary and impregnated her womb without any sexual union. God just spoke the word and it was done.  God became a human being in this way about two thousand years ago! The Bible says and Christians believe that God is one God, but that He reveals Himself in three Persons simultaneously. Jesus’ followers don’t believe in three gods, but in one God in three persons (2 Corinthians 13:14; Matthew 28:19; 1 John 5:7). Mary is not and was not God. God didn’t have sexual relations with Mary, because God is Spirit. To the limited human mind these things are incomprehensible but should be accepted by faith. Isaiah 55:6, 7 says, “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.”

In the account of Genesis, when God made the heavens and the earth, it is written, ‘let Us make’ (Genesis 1:27). Also, when God scattered the nations and created different languages at the Tower of Babel after the global flood, God said, ‘let Us go down’ (Genesis 11:5). Also, when Jesus was to be baptized by John before his public ministry the Holy Spirit came upon him in the form of a dove and a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:16,17). These Scriptures prove that there is more than one Person in the Godhead. In Colossians 2:9, it is written, ‘…for in Him (Jesus Christ) dwells the fullness of the Godhead bodily’. God becoming a man is what Christmas is all about. Jesus’ followers celebrate the ‘Incarnation’ (God becoming human) of God the Son during Christmas. God became a human being! God became a baby! This miraculous event was ordained by God within the Godhead before the world began (1 Peter 1:20, Revelation 13:8). The purpose of the incarnation was the perfect, sinless life and atoning sacrifice and death of Jesus.

Reality to consider: God knew that Adam and Eve would sin and therefore He purposed that Jesus Christ would be born to save those who believe in Him, from the power of sin and death. As the Angel of God said, when Jesus was born, in Matthew 1:21: ‘You shall call His name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.’

Read: Isaiah 46:9,10; Revelation 20:7; John 8:44; Matthew 1:21-25; Luke 1:26-38; Luke 1:26,27; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Matthew 28:18,19; 1 John 5:7; Isaiah 55:6,7; Genesis 1:27; Genesis 11:5; Matthew 3:16,17; Colossians 2:9; 1 Peter 1:20; Revelation 13:8; Matt 1:21.