ABCs for Christian Growth

Part One: The Assured Life​

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Preface​

The material in these lessons consists of a series of doctrinal studies designed to communicate basic doctrines that are so vital for new Christians to help them get up and running in their new life in Christ.

Many new (as well as older) believers flounder in their Christian growth because they do not know these basic truths for walking with Christ through the Spirit of God and in the light of God’s Word. The goal is to lay the foundation for a walk by faith that will help believers in Christ begin to experience the glorious transforming power of the saving life of Christ through the Spirit of God. These studies focus on what believers have in Christ, their new identity or position, and how this must form the foundation for faith, growth, and spiritual transformation through Christ’s life being reproduced in their lives.

The lessons in Part One: The Assured Life, are designed to lay the foundation for spiritual growth in Christ, with the truths covered in Part Two and Part Three building on this foundation.

The lessons in Part Two: The Transformed Life, cover those biblical truths that are specifically related to the transformed or Christ-exchanged life. This is accomplished by the work of God in believers’ lives as they gain an understanding of these fundamental truths of Scripture and appropriate them by faith.

The lessons in Part Three: The Multiplied Life, are devoted to multiplying believers’ lives as good stewards of the grace of God in four key areas of stewardship—talents, truth, treasures and time. It is too easy in our society to view Christianity selfishly, as simply a means of personal peace and prosperity. Though God is the God of all comfort and He does promise us peace, joy, and comfort, the ultimate goal is to turn us into ministers who, like the Savior, are here not to be ministered to, but to minister and help others know the sufficiency of Christ.

This series may be used by an individual for his own personal growth, but it is particularly designed to be used as a framework for discipling others. While this is much more than an outline, it is not intended to be a full discussion of all the subjects presented here.

The verses quoted are not intended to be used as proof texts, but as a foundation for expounding on the truth being taught in context with the passages quoted.

These studies are not presented as a last word on these subjects nor do I claim originality, for my life has been touched by the lives of many others who have taught me. It is my prayer that the LORD, by His matchless grace, will use these studies to His glory and honor, and for the building up of the saints for a deeper walk by faith in our loving and sovereign God. I entrust this study to God and to the Word of His grace which is able to build us up.

We live in an anti-intellectual, anti-authority society, especially when it comes to religious matters. Ours is an existential (based on human experience, empirical) society devoted to the ‘warm fuzzy’ feel good, self-centered mentality that is so characteristic of the New Age movement which has bombarded the country—including much of the church. As a consequence, the terms doctrine or theology are not very popular in Christian circles. In fact, they are often denigrated or belittled. We hear statements like, “We don’t need to know all that theological or doctrinal stuff. We just need to know Jesus.” Or, “Well, I am not a theologian and never expect to be. I just love Jesus.” But knowing and loving Jesus in truth is dependent on the teachings of the Bible. Doctrine is simply another name for teaching and theology means “the knowledge of God.” Often the term theology is used in a general way to refer to other areas of study that relate to the knowledge of God. Biblical theology is simply the truths of God’s Word that give us the knowledge of God, of man, salvation, sanctification, the church, or life and life abundantly.

Jesus Himself said, “You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free” (John 8:32), and when praying His great high-priestly prayer to the Father He said, “Sanctify them through Your truth, Your Word is truth” (John 17:17). Besides being an attitude of ignorance, such a attitude toward doctrine and theology ignores the Bible as God’s inspired and authoritative Word. It treats God’s Word as simply a lot of superfluous and outdated information—stuff we really don’t need. This elevates man’s wisdom above God’s wisdom when the opposite is really the case.

Isaiah 55:6-11 Seek the Lord while He may be found; Call upon Him while He is near. 7 Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; And let him return to the Lord, And He will have compassion on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon. 8 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Neither are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord. 9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts. 10 “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, And do not return there without watering the earth, And making it bear and sprout, And furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; 11 So shall My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.

There is only one way to experience God’s salvation and sanctification and that is through Jesus Christ and the life God gives us in Him. We can only experience this, however, as we listen to the teachings (doctrines) of the Bible, which is our index for faith and practice.

Through his false teachers, who often appear as angels or messengers of light (actually messengers of darkness, cf. 2 Cor. 11:13-15; Jam. 3:5; 1 Tim. 4:1), Satan not only denies Christ as the sole answer but offers many other roads and substitutes to life, but they are all false and lead to destruction.

In Matthew 7:13-14 Jesus said, “Enter through the narrow gate, because the gate is wide and the way is spacious that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. But the gate is narrow and the way is difficult that leads to life, and there are few who find it.”

To those who had already entered by faith into relation with Christ (as well as others who were listening; v. 28), our Lord describes the comparative unpopularity of their new position. The order of gate and way suggests the gate as the entrance to the way, symbolic of a believer’s initial experience with Christ, which introduces him to the life of godliness. The first Christians were called those of “the Way” (Acts 9:2; 19:9, 23; 22:4; 24:14, 22). Though the mass of mankind is upon the broad way that leads to destruction (eternal ruin), the other gate and way are so small as to need finding. Yet the same God who provided Christ, who is both gate and way (Jn 14:6), also causes men to find the portal (Jn 6:44). Life. Here a contrasting parallel to destruction and thus a reference to the blessed state in heaven, though this eternal life begins at regeneration.1

The Lord goes on to warn against the many false teachers who would arise to lead people through the wrong gate and down the path of destruction.

Matthew 7:15-20 “Watch out for false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are voracious wolves. 7:16 You will recognize them by their fruit. People don’t gather grapes from thorns or figs from thistles, do they? 7:17 In the same way, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. 7:18 A good tree is not able to bear bad fruit, nor a bad tree to bear good fruit. 7:19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 7:20 So then, you will recognize them by their fruit (NET Bible).

In the context, please note the fruit by which these false prophets are known—it is their teaching, not necessarily their behavior. For how do these wolves appear? They appear in sheep’s clothing. In other words, they look like sheep and talk like sheep. They are often kind and even moral. They use religious terminology and act concerned for people and society, but in reality, they are wolves preaching a false way either in relation to salvation or sanctification or both.

Those who enter upon the narrow way must beware of false prophets, who claim to guide believers but really practice deception. Sheep’s clothing is not to be regarded as prophets’ garb, but is an evident contrast to vicious wolves. God’s people in all ages have needed to beware of deceptive leaders (Deut 13:1; Acts 20:29; I Jn 4:1; Rev 13:11-14). By their fruits. The doctrines produced by these false prophets, rather than the works they perform, since outward appearances may not cause suspicion. The test of the prophet is his conformity to Scripture (I Cor 14:37; Deut 13:1-5). Corrupt tree. One that is decayed, worthless, unusable. The worthlessness of such a tree calls for its swift removal from the orchard lest it infect the others.2

As mentioned, we live in an anti-intellectual, existential, emotional, self-centered, and Satan-inspired environment that seeks to bring people into religious experiences. But this environment either denies Christ and the Bible as God’s final Word, or it seeks to subtract from or add to Christ as God’s solution.

Recently, we heard a prominent daytime talk show host talk about how bad television is becoming and its negative influence on society. In a genuine desire to combat ‘bad’ television, she wants her shows to be a force for transformation, designed to help people turn their lives around. Now this sounds good, right? But it is so deceptive! Unless people know God’s Word even Christians will easily be misled. New Age terms were used such as “center yourself,” “meditate,” “get in touch with your spirit,” “empty yourself,” and invite the great source (or whatever you want to call it) to “come into your heart.” One show was devoted to showing how you can have all the money and success you want simply by thinking positively.

God’s Holy Word teaches us that to combat such false teaching, we need to know and be trained in the Scripture. This is a very strong thrust of the Bible, especially, the New Testament.

Ephesians 4:11-14 It was he who gave some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 4:12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, that is, to build up the body of Christ, 4:13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God—a mature person, attaining to the measure of Christ’s full stature. 4:14 The purpose of this is to no longer be children, tossed back and forth by waves and carried about by every wind of teaching by the trickery of people who with craftiness carry out their deceitful schemes (NET Bible, emphasis mine).

Colossians 2:1-5 For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you, and for those in Laodicea, and for as many as have not met me face to face. 2:2 My goal is that their hearts, having been knit together in love, may be encouraged, and that they may have all the riches of full assurance in their understanding of the knowledge of the mystery of God, namely, Christ, 2:3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 2:4 I say this so that no one will deceive you through arguments that sound reasonable. 2:5 For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit, rejoicing to see the order and the firmness of your faith in Christ. (emphasis mine)

2 Pet. 2:1-3 But false prophets arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. These false teachers will infiltrate your midst with destructive heresies, even to the point of denying the Master who bought them. As a result, they will bring swift destruction on themselves. 2:2 And many will follow their debauched lifestyles. Because of these false teachers, the way of truth will be slandered. 2:3 And in their greed they will exploit you with deceptive words. Their condemnation pronounced long ago is not sitting idly by; their destruction is not asleep (NET Bible).

So how do we protect ourselves and other believers from this onslaught? And where do we begin so we can also truly experience the grace of God in Christ? In other words, where does this process begin? It should begin with the basics—with a study like the ABCs For Christian Growth, Laying the Foundation. The key terms used in this title (‘ABCs,’ ‘Christian Growth,’ and ‘Foundation’) were carefully chosen because they each express biblical ideas and objectives God has for the Christian. So many Christians today are biblically illiterate. The sad fact is, this is true even in churches that claim to be Bible-centered. Because of this, and as an incentive for the study of the ABCs, I believe it is important and helpful that we see the emphasis the Bible has on the key terms used in the title for this series of studies.

If you are a new Christian, you may not be aware that very little time today, in contrast to the past, is devoted to indepth Bible study and expository preaching. In times past, solid Bible teaching occurred both Sunday morning and evening as well as on Wednesday night. This was the minimum for most evangelical Bible churches, but that is not the case today. Some churches are seeking to maintain a strong Bible teaching emphasis through small groups, and this has replaced Sunday and Wednesday evenings. But too often these small groups are more fellowship and sharing oriented, than Bible centered. The fellowship, the sharing and caring play an important role, but never to the exclusion of the Word.

Thus, since the terms used in the title of this series are not only biblical, but have a strong focus in the Bible, I believe a brief look at these terms is needed to grasp their significance, their need in the church of today, and the objectives of this series of studies.

The Concept of Growth
One of the clear teachings and objectives of the New Testament for believers is that of spiritual growth. When we are saved, no matter how old we are physically, we are born into the family of God as babes (little children) in Christ (cf. 1 Cor. 3:1f; 1 John 2:13 [children, paidia, babes]). Obviously, one of the fundamental needs of a child is proper nourishment and training to promote healthy growth. Thus, there is the strong emphasis in Scripture on spiritual growth for believers in all stages of maturity (see also 1 Pet. 2:2; 2 Pet. 3:18; Phil. 3:12f). The plain fact is, a failure to grow up spiritually is considered abnormal and deserving of rebuke or censure since growth is also a matter of choice.

Who is responsible for our spiritual growth? The Bible teaches us that a failure to grow is a matter of neglect for which two parties are responsible—the spiritual parents (church leaders and those who lead people to the Lord) and the individual believer himself. The following passages demonstrate this:

(1) Spiritual growth is a prime responsibility for church leaders and other mature believers. The New Testament emphasis in the epistles on teaching and sound doctrine and caring for believers (see verses below) illustrates this along with the very idea of the role and function of elders who are to shepherd the flock (Acts 20:28; Eph. 4:11-16; 1 Thess. 2:1-12; 1 John 2:12f; 1 Tim. 4:6, 11, 13; 1 Pet. 5:1f).

(2) Spiritual growth is also a responsibility for the individual himself. The following verses teach us that God holds us all responsible for our own spiritual growth to some degree. This includes the responsibility to follow the teaching and example of sound and godly leadership (cf. Heb. 13:7, 17; 1 Thess. 5:12f; 1 Cor. 3:1f; Heb. 5:11-6:1f).

The Concept of the ABCs
Since we all begin as babes in Christ, we must begin with the basics, the ABCs of the Word. This idea is solidly brought out in Hebrews 5:11-6:1. The author of Hebrew had advanced truth that he wanted to communicate to his readers about the Lord Jesus, but he knew they could not grasp it because of their spiritual sluggishness and indifference. This sluggishness and indifference had also contributed to the continuation of their spiritual immaturity, the other reason for their inability to go on in growth.

They had evidently been taught the basics (note the word “again” in verse 12), but they had failed, for whatever reason, to properly learn and go beyond what the author calls the “elementary principles” (NASB), “beginning elements” (NET Bible), “elementary truths” (NIV) of the oracles of God or God’s Word. “Elementary principles, truths,” is a translation of the Greek stoiceion, “one of a row, hence a letter (of the alphabet),” and so by extension, “the basics of knowledge, the ABCs of any subject.” Just as in first grade, the ABCs are the building blocks, the foundation on which other knowledge is grasped and related to, so all Christians need to know the basics of the Word if they are going to be able to move on to spiritual maturity and productive Christian lives as those who can also teach others (vs. 12a).

In Hebrews 6:1, the author continues his exhortation. Once the basic principles concerning Christ are grasped, the author wanted these believers to grow toward greater and greater spiritual maturity through steady spiritual growth. They were to continue to discern between living truths of what we have in Christ and lifeless forms, the shadows of the Old Testament such as were found in Judaism in the washings, baptisms, and rituals. Note that in verse 3 the writer identifies himself with his readers and expresses his own need to continue to grow. None of us ever arrive, so to speak. We all need to continue to grow.

In the context of this passage, several ABCs are mentioned (6:1-2). Among these are “repentance from dead works and of faith toward God.” One of the fundamental problems in the church today, as always, is legalism or the problem of dead works—man working in his own steam to be accepted or to gain favor with God, and even to experience his own sense of significance.

People need and desire three basic things, which we can also identify with the letters, ABC: (1) Acceptance (we have been accepted by God by grace through faith in Christ), (2) Belongingness (as regenerated members of the family of God, we belong to God and to one another), and (3) Competence (through God’s enablement, we can do whatever God calls us to do—He gives us the Holy Spirit, our enabler, and spiritual abilities). But man’s bent and Satan’s delusion is to get people to seek these either apart from God’s answer in Christ, or just partially through Christ and partially by adding something (works).

The point is, if our understanding of God’s grace and faith in the work of God for us in Christ (grace) is lacking, we will miss the abundant life that is ours to experience in Christ. Christians must have their lives founded firmly on the truth of faith alone in Christ alone, and this is true not only for salvation from sin’s penalty, but also for sanctification, spiritual change and the experience of the Christ-exchanged life—a work of the Spirit in which we cooperate by faith.

The Concept of the Foundation
No superstructure can be built, spiritually speaking, so that it can withstand the spiritual torrents it will face without a proper foundation. The ABCs form the solid foundation we need. But this is just another of those word pictures used in the New Testament to teach us how vital it is that we lay a sound doctrinal foundation. A couple of passages illustrate this:

Matthew 7:24-27 Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine, and acts upon them, may be compared to a wise man, who built his house upon the rock. 25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and burst against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded upon the rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of Mine, and does not act upon them, will be like a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand. 27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and burst against that house; and it fell, and great was its fall.

In conclusion to his teaching in this passage, Jesus presented the two options open to His listeners. They were now responsible for what they had heard and must make a choice. Note the element of personal responsibility here—they could build on one of two foundations.

One foundation was likened to a big rock and the other to sand. The point is that a foundation determines a structure’s ability to withstand the storms we all face in life as illustrated by the words rain, floods, and winds. The rock foundation not only represented the Lord Himself but also the truths He had been teaching, especially the truth concerning a righteousness through faith which also produces an inner transformation through spiritual growth.

The sand, by contrast, spoke of pharisaic righteousness, an external and hypocritical righteousness of human works. The people were well acquainted with the so called righteousness of the Pharisees and many were basing their hopes on this kind of righteousness.

In the storms of life (the winds and the torrents of rain) the first foundation, the rock would give stability; the sand would result in destruction or ruin.

Thus, those who hear and heed words of Jesus are wise; those who do not are foolish. Only two courses of action are possible—two kinds of roads and gates (Matt. 7:13-14), two kinds of trees and fruit (vv. 15-20), two kinds of foundations and builders (vv. 24-27).

Once the foundation has been laid, we need to continue to grow and go on to greater maturity. When we fail to do this, we will regress and become hardened in our hearts (cf. 3:7f). Other passages that use the foundation metaphor are 1 Corinthians 3:10-12; Ephesians 2:20. Hebrews 6:1.

The Concept of Sound Doctrine
In keeping with the importance of having a solid foundation are the terms ‘sound’ or ‘healthy’ doctrine. To show our need not only of doctrine, but healthy, accurate teaching, we have another strong emphasis which exhorts us to not only train and bring believers to maturity, but to also guard the great truths of Scripture. The following passages and their sheer number demonstrate just how important sound doctrine is to the purposes and plan of God and to the people of God that they might not be led astray.

2 Tim. 1:13-14 Retain the standard of sound words which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. 14 Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you.

1 Timothy 6:3 If anyone advocates a different doctrine, and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness.

2 Timothy 4:3-4 I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires; 4 and will turn away their ears from the truth, and will turn aside to myths.

Titus 1:9 … holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, that he may be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict.

1 Timothy 4:6-7 In pointing out these things to the brethren, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, constantly nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound doctrine which you have been following. 7 But have nothing to do with worldly fables fit only for old women. On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness.

1 Timothy 1:10-11 …and immoral men and homosexuals and kidnappers and liars and perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound teaching, 11 according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, with which I have been entrusted.

Paul concluded this inventory of sinners in 1 Timothy 1:10-11 with an all-inclusive reference to any behavior which is contrary to sound doctrine (lit., to “healthy teaching”; cf. 2 Tim. 1:13), including no doubt the very behavior of the false teachers themselves. “Doctrine” here is didaskalia, “teaching” or “the content taught,” used seven times in this epistle (1 Timothy 1:10; 4:1, 6, 13, 16; 5:17; 6:1).

It is through the Bible and its revelation of Jesus Christ that people can know God and experience God’s provision of righteousness for salvation, deliverance from sin’s penalty (Rom. 1-4) and sanctification, deliverance from the power and reign of sin (Rom. 5-8). Thus, in Romans 6:17 Paul wrote, “But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form (tupos, “form, figure, pattern,”)3 of teaching (or doctrine) to which you were committed.” Paul had just declared, “For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.” Though the Law pointed forward to the coming Messiah as God’s solution for sin, one of the Law’s primary purposes was to show man to be a sinner and in great need of the coming Savior (see 1 Tim. 1:8-10; Rom. 7:7). The point is, the Law could command, but not enable. It did not give justification nor sanctification righteousness. These can only come by knowing and responding in faith to the glorious message of the gospel of Christ.

Knowing God and experiencing Him in all aspects of life is both factual, involving an intellectual comprehension of the truth, and personal, involving a personal response to that truth by faith. And we cannot bypass this order. Faith is ultimately worthless unless it is based on truth, on that which is able, willing, and available to deliver.

. . . Healthy relationships must be based upon both a factual and a personal knowledge of the one loved. Thus it is with knowing God. A healthy relationship with God must begin with an intellectual knowledge of who He is, which then matures into a deeper personal experience of knowing God in life. God manifests Himself to us on the mountain peaks, in the valleys, in the swamps—in all aspects of our lives.4

Knowing God and experiencing Him in the salvation He offers us in Christ is not void of experience and the work of God in the heart or on the emotions, but it never excludes knowing and understanding the truth of Scripture.


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1 Everett F. Harrison, The Wycliffe Bible Commentary, New Testament, (Chicago: Moody Press) 1962, electronic media.

2 Harrison, electronic media.

3 "Form of teaching" refers to Christian teaching that is in keeping with the revelation of God in Christ; see also 1 Timothy 1:11.

4 Gary E. Vincelette, Basic Theology Applied, editors, Wesley & Elain Willis, John & Janet Master, Victor Books, Wheaton, 1995, p. 15.

A Definition
Without a doubt, everyone needs, wants, and seeks assurance in all realms of life—in matters of human relationships, finances, job security, retirement, government, and especially in our beliefs about God, man, salvation, and spirituality as it is described for us in the New Testament. In his thought provoking book, No Condemnation, a New Theology of Assurance, Michael Eaton writes about the absence of assurance in Asahel Nettleton. Nettleton was a powerful evangelical preacher in 19th century America who said of himself, “The most that I have ventured to say repsecting myself is, that I think it possible I may get to heaven.”5 A few pages later, in describing his quest for an encouraging theology, Eaton wrote:

On one occasion the mistake of a British Museum librarian meant that instead of the words of Tobias Crisp I found myself reading about the death-bed experiences of 17th century Puritans. I was shattered to discover that their assurance of salvation at such a time was not what I would have expected. Then I came across the remark of Asahel Nettleton, quoted above, which expressed the very essence of everything I felt was wrong with the approach to grace that I had grown up with … Surely, I thought to myself, there is more joy and assurance in the New Testament than that …6

But what is assurance? Basically, assurance is freedom from doubt; a sense of certainty that something is true, will occur, or that all is okay. Synonyms for assurance consist of words like certainty, certitude, conviction. All these nouns ultimately mean freedom from doubt.

Assurance is not a foreign concept of the New Testament. In Acts 2:36, Peter said, “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” (NIV) The word assured is the Greek ajsfalw'", “sure, certain, secure.” It is used of the concept of guarding something or someone securely (cf. Acts 16:23; Mark 14:44). It comes from a verb (asfalivzw) which means “to guard.” From that it developed the meaning of “that which is sure, certain,” or “assurance.”

The noun form of this word, ajsfavleia, means, depending on the context, “firmness, securely locked” (Acts 5:23), “safety, security” (1 Thess. 5:3), or “certainty, truth,” (Luke 1:4).

Writing to Theophilus in the first of his two-volume treatise on the person and work of Jesus Christ, Luke wrote,

Luke 1:1-4. Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile an account of the things accomplished among us, 2 just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word have handed them down to us, 3 it seemed fitting for me as well, having investigated (Lit. “to follow after, investigate, like a physician or even a lawyer in search of evidence”) everything carefully from the beginning, to write it out for you in consecutive order, most excellent Theophilus; 4 so that you might know the exact truth (i.e., the certainty, have assurance, [ajsfavleia]) about the things you have been taught.

From the meaning and use of the Greek word ajsfavleia, we can clearly see some of the issues involved with the concept of assurance. We want and need a sense of certainty, based on the evidence of Scripture, regarding the truth because such a sense of certainty or assurance also gives a sense of security.

Furthermore, this is something which God wants us to have and which church leaders, using the truth of God in Christ as revealed in the Bible, ought to be diligent to provide through the study of the Word. With this in mind, note what Paul wrote to the church at Colosse when they were facing false teaching (Col. 2:1-5). These false teachings were on the verge of undermining the assurance of the Colossian believers with regard to what they had believed about the person and work of the Savior. Note the development of Paul’s argument here:

1. Verse 1 expresses Paul’s concern and effort expended on their behalf: “For I want you to know how great a struggle I have on your behalf, and for those who are at Laodicea, and for all those who have not personally seen my face,”

2. Verses 2-3 express his first and fundamental purpose—to give the full assurance which comes from understanding what is theirs through Christ: “that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ Himself, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”

3. Verses 4-5 express his second purpose, which is also the result of the first. He says “I say this in order that no one may delude you with persuasive argument. For even though I am absent in body, nevertheless I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good discipline and the stability of your faith in Christ.”

In Galatians 1:20, to assure his readers of the truth of what he was writing, Paul wrote, “I assure you before God that what I am writing you is no lie” (NIV). Literally, “behold” or “take note, before God …” Here the apostle was setting forth historical evidence and calling God as his witness as well. The fact is people need and should have assurance, but it should, of course, be based on credible evidence that what they are asked to believe or have believed is the truth.

Two Types of Evidence
1. Scientific, that which can be repeated in a laboratory or under scientific controls.

2. The legal-historical, that which is based on showing something is beyond a reasonable doubt based on oral and written testimony and exhibits or other forms of evidence like a gun, a bullet, archaeological findings, manuscripts, etc.

Sometimes people try to argue against the Bible or Christ with the statement, “You can't prove that by scientific method,” with the implication that believing in the Bible and in Christ is therefore unreliable and unbelievable. Such a claim is false.

Historical events and issues cannot be proven by the scientific method because they cannot be repeated. That’s true. But it is not true that this makes the claims of the Bible and its testimony to Jesus Christ false. Why? Because the scientific approach is totally inadequate to prove things about a person or an event in history. It cannot prove whether or not George Washington lived or if John Kennedy was assassinated or if Jesus Christ lived, died, and rose from the dead. However, there are other forms of evidence that can be brought forth that are used every day in courts all over this country to give evidence beyond a reasonable doubt that certain things either happened or did not happen, or are true even though they cannot be repeated.

Thus, the Savior said, “You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.” He said, “You shall know,” and not just hope or feel it’s true. Through the resurrection and many other infallible proofs, God has given us credible evidence for the genuiness of the claims of the Bible as being God’s Word and for the certainty of the claims of Christ.

Acts 17:30-31 Therefore, although God has overlooked such times of ignorance, he now commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has set a day on which he is going to judge the world in righteousness, by a man whom he designated, having provided proof to all by raising him from the dead (emphasis mine).

With this in mind, compare Romans 4:13-21 and note the element of firm assurance that Abraham had. God wants us to have assurance and to know the peace that comes from assurance, but we must be sure that our assurance is based on the truth of Scripture or our assurance will be empty.

New Christians, and even many older believers for that matter, need assurance concerning the very message of the gospel they have believed and of the new life they have in Christ as believers. With the many winds of strange doctrine blowing across the landscape, people are often assailed by all kinds of doubts and fears about their decision to trust in Christ.

Is what I believed really the gospel? Just what does my decision to believe in Jesus Christ mean in my life? What are the ramifications and consequences? Can salvation be lost? If I commit this sin or that sin, does it mean I was never saved? Some evangelists or preachers give the impression that once you accept Christ all your problems will be over, when in reality a whole new set of problems begin with hostile forces on the attack. The Christian has moved from Satan’s kingdom into the kingdom of Christ, which Satan hates. This also tends to unsettle a person’s assurance (see 1 Thess. 3:1-8).

Our objectives
1. To give personal assurance concerning what the gospel message is.

2. To give personal assurance concerning the results of personally believing in Jesus Christ.

3. To cover biblical promises essential to gaining assurance of what believers have in Christ.

4. To provide ability to deal with any doubts regarding God’s provision for all areas of life.

Areas of Assurance
Assurance deals with the confident realization of what the Christian has in Christ and who he or she is in Christ. It covers a number of aspects of the salvation God gives to those who trust in Jesus Christ. For our purposes, these lessons on assurance will consider the following areas:

1. Assurance Regarding the Gospel—Is what I believe the true gospel?

2. Assurance of Salvation—On what do I base my assurance?

3. Assurance of Eternal Security—Is there some sin that can cause me to lose my salvation?

4. Assurance of God’s Daily Provision—Will God really care for me?

5. Assurance of God’s Provision for Sin—How do I deal with my sin problem?

6. Assurance of God’s Guidance—Can I count on God’s guidance in the many decisions I face daily?

7. Assurance of Eternal Rewards—Since my salvation is secure, are there no ramifications if I fail to walk with the Lord?


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5 Michael Eaton, No Condemnatin, A New Theology of Assurance, InterVaristy Press, Downers Grove, 1995, p. 3.

6 Eaton, p. 8.

Introduction
Since all believers are responsible to share their faith with others, every Christian needs a clear understanding of the plan of salvation. This is especially true for new babes in Christ.

The following short presentation of the gospel is designed to reinforce the key issues and provide a tool for presenting the gospel to others as new Christians begin their walk down the road of life as Christians.

God’s Plan of Salvation
1 John 5:11-12 And the witness is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.

While 1 John 5:11-12 is written to Christians to give them assurance of their salvation based on the testimony of God’s Word, this passage also highlights the key issue in salvation.

God’s Declaration to Man: “And the witness is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.” (verse 11).

The Important Issue: “He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.” (verse 12).

This passage teaches:

God has given us eternal life and this life is in His Son, Jesus Christ.
The way to possess eternal life is to possess God’s Son.
Two important questions must be asked and answered:

Why is possession of God’s Son necessary to have eternal life?
How can a person possess or have the Son of God?


According to Romans 5:8, God demonstrated His love for us through the death of His Son. Why did Christ have to die for us? Because Scripture declares all men to be sinful. We are all sinners. To “sin” means to miss the mark. The Bible declares we have all sinned and fall short of the glory (the perfect holiness) of God. In other words, our sin separates us from God who is perfect holiness (righteousness and justice) and God must therefore judge sinful man.

Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God …

Habakkuk 1:13a Thine eyes are too pure to approve evil, And Thou canst not look on wickedness with favor.

Isaiah 59:2 But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, And your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He does not hear.

The Problem of the
Futility of Man’s Works​

Scripture also teaches that no amount of human goodness, human works, human morality, or religious activity can gain acceptance with God or get anyone into heaven. The moral man, the religious man, and the immoral and non-religious are all in the same boat. They all fall short of the glory of God (God’s perfect righteousness). After discussing the immoral man, the moral man, and the religious man in Romans 1:18-3:8, the apostle Paul declares that both Jews and Greeks are under sin, that “there is none righteous, not even one” (Rom. 3:9-10), and that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23).

Added to this are the declarations of the following verses of Scripture:

Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, that no one should boast.

Titus 3:5-7 He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 that being justified by His grace we might be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Romans 4:1-5 What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has found? 2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about; but not before God. 3 For what does the Scripture say? “And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.” 4 Now to the one who works, his wage is not reckoned as a favor, but as what is due. 5 But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned as righteousness,

No amount of human goodness is as good as God. God is infinite or perfect righteousness. Because of this, Habakkuk 1:13 tells us He cannot have fellowship with anyone who does not have perfect righteousness. In order to be accepted by God, we must be as good as God is. Before God, we all stand naked, helpless, and hopeless in ourselves. No amount of good living will get us to heaven or give us eternal life. What then is the solution?

God’s Solution for Man’s Problem
God is not only perfect holiness (whose holy character we can never attain to on our own or by our works of righteousness) but He is also perfect love and full of grace and mercy. Because of His love and grace, He has not left us without hope and a solution.

Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

This is the Good News of the Bible—the message of the gospel. It’s the message of the gift of God’s own Son who became man (the God-man), lived a sinless life, died on the cross for our sin, and was raised from the grave proving both the fact He is God’s Son and the value of His death for us as our substitute.

Romans 1:4 who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord,

Romans 4:25 He who was delivered up because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification.

2 Corinthians 5:21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

1 Peter 3:18 For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, in order that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit;

The All-Important Question
How then do we receive God’s Son that we may cross the gulf and have the eternal life God has promised us? What becomes the issue for us today?

John 1:12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, {even} to those who believe in His name.

John 3:16-18 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

Because of what Jesus Christ accomplished for us on the cross, the Bible states “He that has the Son has life.” We can receive the Son, Jesus Christ, as our Savior by personal faith, by trusting in the person of Christ and His death for our sins.

This means we must each come to God the same way—as a sinner who recognizes his sinfulness, repudiates any form of human works for salvation, and relies totally on Christ alone by faith alone for our salvation.

If you would like to receive and trust Christ as your personal Savior, you may want to express your faith in Christ by a simple prayer such as this:

Dear God, I know I’m a sinner and that nothing I do can gain heaven or eternal life. I believe Jesus Christ died for me and rose from the grave. Right now I receive Him as my personal Savior by trusting in Him alone as my only way to heaven. Thank you for giving me eternal life through faith in your Son. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

PuppyforChrist said:

This is great! You've really put a lot into this site babygirl!

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if you mean the website I posted..its not mine..but if you mean I put alot into CF then thank you!...I'm trying my best to help people in anyway I can..and I feel like I still haven't done enough

God Bless you PuppyforChrist!!!

child_of_HIM said:

Stefanie, your such an amazing person! You've inspired me in ways that you can't imagine. Your posts that i've shared with the kids in the youth group I lead have shown them that they're not alone in things...there are just some things that I can't offer them...and in many ways you've filled those areas for them! May you always know God's blessings!!!

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....God Bless you!!!

It makes me feel so good to know I'm helping people in a way I never knew I could

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