LESSON ONE
ASSURANCE OF SALVATION
MEMORY VERSE
“Therefore, if anyone is in
Christ, the new creation has come; the old has gone, the new is here!” 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)
This Biblical
lesson has been designed for you, who have received new life in Christ, to help
you in the first step of your Christian life. In this lesson and those that
follow, you will learn to grow in your new relationship with God through prayer
and Bible reading. This first lesson looks at the assurance of your salvation
and would help you understand the new life that Christ has given you. You will
also be able to discover the wonderful plan that God has for you and how you
can be a follower of Jesus who is involved in His church, and in that way,
fulfill His purposes for humanity.
Salvation is the rescue or deliverance from sin and from the wrath
of God. It is God’s means of bringing mankind to a right relationship with
Himself through Jesus Christ.
Salvation is the acceptance of one’s sinfulness, repenting of
those sins, believing and accepting Jesus Christ as one’s Lord and personal
savior. It is a complete change of mind (repentance) and committal of one’s
faith unto the Lord. It is based on personal faith. No one can believe on your
behalf or in your stead.
You are now a new
creation in Christ and will need to learn how to live as a child of God.
1.
You are a New Creation
a.
According to 2 Corinthians
5:17-18, who is a new creation?
……………………………………………………………
b.
What happened to
“the old things”?(Verse 17)
……………………………………………………………
c.
Who provides all
these?(Verse 18)
……………………………………………………………
Think about your salvation experience and answer the following
questions:
d.
What are “the
old” things in your life that are now gone?
……………………………………………………………
e.
What are the
things that God has made new in your life?
……………………………………………………………
f.
John 1:12 affirms
that all who have received Him become
……………………………………………………………
2.
You have a New Security
a.
Now someone lives
in you, because you have invited Him to live in your heart. You are no longer
alone. Who is with you, according to John 14:23?
……………………………………………………………
b.
According to 1
John 5:13, what can you be sure about now?
……………………………………………………………
c.
If you should die
in the next few hours, where does the Bible say you will go according to Luke
23:40-43? ……………………………………………………………
d.
According to
Matthew 28:20b what did Jesus assure His Disciples of?
……………………………………………………………
3. Enjoy New Relationships
Relationship
could be explained as the way in which two or more people feel about one
another and behave towards one another. Relationship could be vertical (man
with God) and horizontal (man with man).
The Christian life is not a solitary life. Some people are afraid
of losing their friends and loved ones because of their decision to follow
Christ. Though this might happen in some cases, the Bible and the experience of
millions of Christians affirm that when Jesus is in your life, He fills you
with His Spirit of love. This is reflected in all of your relationships. Relate
well and make efforts of having new healthy relationships in the Church. Old
relationships which undermine your new union with Christ must be checked. John
14:15-17 says that Christians have the presence of God in their lives at all
times. After reading this passage, answer the following questions:
i.
Who did the
Father send to be with His children at all times?
……………………………………………………………
ii.
In whom can the
Holy Spirit live?
……………………………………………………………
iii.
In whom does the
Holy Spirit not live?
……………………………………………………………
iv.
When you read
John 15:11-16, you will discover that besides God, now you have more friends.
Christians have a new family in God that extends to (verse 12):
……………………………………………………………
v.
What makes you a
friend to Jesus (verse 14):
……………………………………………………………
vi.
Christians who
love Jesus will do as much as possible to (verse 16):
……………………………………………………………
Jesus does not
want you to be separated from your family and friends. His will is for them to
see in you the new life that God has given you.
4. You have Experienced New Growth
Jesus died to
give you new life, a new relationship with God and others, and for the Holy
Spirit to guide you step by step in growth. Read Luke 14:25-33, where Jesus
talks about how the disciples should grow. According to the passage:
a.
Does being a
follower of Christ have a cost?
………………………………………...............................
b.
According to
verses 27 and 33, what three steps do the disciples of Jesus need to take?
……………………………………………………………
c.
According to
verses 28-32, what does Jesus compare to growth in the Christian life?
……………………………………………………………
d.
If you build a
tower or guide an army, what is the first thing that needs to be done so it
does not fail?
……………………………………………………………
To grow as a follower of Christ you need to be willing to leave
all you are, all you have and all your future in His hands. If you want to
continue being His disciple, give everything to Him in prayer.
Conclusion
You need to ask
yourself the following questions before you move to the next lesson. Positive
answers to these questions mean you have really understood your salvation. If
your answers are not positive it does not mean you have lost your salvation.
You are already doing well but you will need your mentor to take you through
your difficulties in this lesson. The questions are:
1)
What can I
practically say in my life that it has seen change?
2)
How do I sense
the presence of God in my life?
3)
What shows that I
have an intimate relationship with God?
4)
Are there
sacrifices I have not made in other to make it to heaven if I die today?
5)
How can you put into practice what you learned?
6)
Would you encounter any obstacles incorporating these principles
into your life? If yes, how could you overcome them with the help of the Lord
and your discipler?
Discipler’s Confirmation (to
be filled by New Convert Teacher)
I (Discipler),……………………………………………………………..
do affirm that ……………………………………………………… (name of
new convert) has completed this lesson and all his/her questions have been
discussed. He/she is therefore grounded on this topic.
Signature
of Discipler: ……………………… Date: …….……...
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