Salvation- Back to the Heart of Worship. May 2012 Pinky Promise Study. 4. When did you first realize your need for Christ?

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1 Salvation- Back to the Heart of Worship May 2012 Pinky Promise Study 1. Pray in any prayer requests? 2. Shake it Off just start thanking God for your life & those that are in it. Clear your mind from the clutter and any distractions 3. Prior to this study be sure to listen to Heather Lindsey s study on Salvation even if it s afterwards. You can find it on & INSTRUCTIONS: Pinky Promiser s answer the questions quietly & then take the opportunity to share just a few people s answers based on your group size. Then, everyone should take turn narrating the points. 4. When did you first realize your need for Christ? 5. What does salvation mean to you? The Basics Who is God? The living God is HOLY (Isaiah 6:3; 57:15; 1 Peter 1:15; Revelation 4:8) and thus He is absolutely set apart and separated from all that is sinful (Isaiah 59:2; Psalm 24:3-4; Isaiah 6:3-5). The Bible teaches me that God in His absolute holiness and unfailing mercy has provided a way for me to be saved and to come to a full knowledge of the truth (John 14:6; 1 Timothy 2:3-6). Who am I? I am a lost sinner (Psalm 14:1-3; Romans 3:10-18,23; Isaiah 53:6; Psalm 51:5; 1 Kings 8:46)

2 and my heart is wicked and evil (Jeremiah 17:9-10; Mark 7:20-23; Matthew 7:11). Thus I stand guilty before the righteous Judge of all the earth (Romans 3:19) and I am under the wrath and condemnation of a holy God (Romans 1:18; 2:1-9; John 3:18,36). What Do I Deserve? Because of my sinful and wicked condition I deserve the death penalty (Ezekiel 18:4; Genesis 2:17; Romans 1:32; 6:23) which involves eternal separation from God and eternal punishment by God, even the lake of fire which was prepared for the devil and his angels (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9; Matthew 25:41,46; Mark 9:42-48; Revelation 20:11-15; 21:8). What is the Gospel (Good News)? Because of His marvelous love and mercy God sent His beloved Son into the world (John 3:17; Matthew 1:21-23; Luke 19:10; 1 Timothy 1:15). The Lord Jesus Christ, who is the everlasting God (John 1:1; Isaiah 7:14; 9:6; Micah 5:2; Titus 2:13) and the Creator of all things (John 1:3; Colossians 1:13-16), died on the cross in MY place and as MY Substitute and He thus paid the death penalty for me (Isaiah chapter 53; Romans 5:6-8; 1 Corinthians 15:3; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Galatians 1:4; 1 Peter 2:24; 3:18; 1 John 2:2; 3:16; 4:10). He also rose again from the dead as proof that God the Father was pleased and satisfied that the death penalty was paid in full by God the Son (1 Corinthians 15:4-20; Romans 4:25) and to demonstrate that 2 He (Jesus Christ) was and is all that He claimed to be (Romans 1:4). What Must I Do To Be Saved? In view of who Christ is and what He has done for me on the cross, it is my responsibility to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 16:30-31; John 3:16,18,36). This means I must come to Christ (John 6:35-37) and receive Him as my personal Saviour and Lord (John 1:12; Romans 6:23), realizing and believing the following facts: 1. The Lord Jesus is the only Saviour (Acts 4:12; John 10:9; 14:6). There is no salvation apart from Him. 2. The Lord Jesus died and rose again for my salvation (1 Thessalonians 4:14; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; Romans 10:9). 3. The Lord Jesus is able to save me (Hebrews 7:25; Isaiah 59:1; Matthew 19:24-26). 4. The Lord Jesus is willing to save me (John 6:37; compare 1 Timothy 2:4). 5. The Lord Jesus will save me if I trust Him and Him alone as my Saviour (John 3:16). I also must realize that I am not saved......by good works (Isaiah 64:6; Ephesians 2:9; Titus 3:5);...by trying to keep the law (Romans 3:20; Galatians 2:16; James 2:10);...by water baptism (Ephesians 2:8-9; Acts 16:31). I am only saved by the grace and mercy of God through faith (Ephesians 2:4-9 and Titus 3:4-7). Faith is resting all my weight upon Jesus Christ (who He is, what He has done and what He has said). Nothing in my hands I bring, simply to JESUS do we cling!! How Can I Know That I Am Saved? Because God cannot lie (Titus 1:2; Hebrews 6:18) and because Jesus Christ is ever faithful (Hebrews 13:8), I do confidently and joyfully claim and rest upon the following salvation promises: Matthew 11:28; John 1:12; 3:16; 3:18; 3:36; 5:24; 6:35; 6:37; 6:47; 10:9; 11:25; Acts 10:43; 16:31; Romans 10:9; 10:13; 1 John 5: What Must I Do Now That I Am Saved? Now that I am a believer in Christ it is my responsibility to grow and to keep on growing in the grace and knowledge of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18). To be a healthy, growing believer I must:

3 1. Be baptized in obedience to Christ's command (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 10:48; 2:38) and as a public testimony of my new life in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:14-17; Romans 6:3-11; Galatians 2:20). 2. Feed upon God's Word by reading my Bible daily (1 Peter 2:2; Matthew 4:4; Psalm 119:97). 3. Come before God and come unto God in prayer daily (Hebrews 4:16; 1 Thessalonians 5:17; Luke 18:1). 4. Faithfully attend a Bible- believing and Bible- teaching church (Acts 2:42; Hebrews 10:25). 5. Confess my sins (the thinking, the acting and the being that is out of harmony with God's Holy Person; my character and conduct that is not like His) to God daily and agree with Him that what I have done is sinful in His sight (1 John 1:8-2:2 and see especially 1 John 1:9; Psalm 51:3-6; Psalm 32:3-6; Proverbs 28:13). 6. Confess Christ before others (Psalm 107:2; Matthew 10:32; Romans 10:9-10). 7. Be a faithful witness, pointing clearly to Christ by life and by lip (Acts 1:8; Isaiah 43:10-12). I need to draw attention to Christ by the way I live and by the things that I say (Philippians 2:15-16; Colossians 3:17; 1 Peter 3:15; Colossians 4:5-6). Let s clear this up. SALVATION IS COMPLETE. HOWEVER, when we get saved, our SPIRIT man is saved but we still need our SOUL to be renewed. Soul: Mind, Will & Emotions. When we get saved, we sometimes take that old way of thinking into relationships and then we find out that putting one foot in the world & one in the Kingdom of God cancels each other out thus, making us confused and ineffective. In order to renew your soul, you must hear the word taught, study it for yourself, obey God, spend time with Him daily and make an effort to live this thing out. Housekeeping What happens when we go weeks without cleaning? STUFF begins to pile up and we cringe at the thought of cleaning it ALL up. What happens when we clean DAILY? Things are easier to manage, it becomes a habit, and most of all, the house is CLEAN!! When we daily give our time to God it is as if we are cleaning our hearts and minds. Praying and reading the Bible daily is a must in our walk WITH Christ. The Bible is filled with individuals who RAN after God. Daniel prayed three times a day (Daniel 6), Abraham left his home (Genesis 12), Hannah poured out her heart (1 Samuel 1), and others also followed HARD after Christ. If you say you want to know God you have to spend time with Him. If our thinking is clouded, then our heart is clouded, and our actions will show it.

4 It s vital to spend DAILY time with God. It s important to be able to hear and recognize His voice as he leads and guides you through life. If you only hear someone s voice one time, you may have a hard time recognizing it. Spending time with God on a daily basis fine- tunes our ears to hear HIM. R.I.P. When we have ISSUES that keep God from getting ALL of us, we have to kill those things that are within us. The bible says that we should die daily (1 Corinthians 15:31). When we first give our life to Christ some things fall off immediately, and other ISSUES we must face head on through prayer and fasting. When we spend QUALITY time with God he looks beyond the surface and looks at the core of who we are. What are some things you wish would die in you? How do you plan to deal with those things? Remember that no person is perfect. We are all striving to become what God desires us to be. We must stay at the feet of God and seek his face (Deuteronomy 4:29). Little by little God will reveal HIS desires for us and he will show us who we really are. He will begin to clean our hearts, minds, and souls. Then we can go back to the heart of worship and true salvation in Christ. Philippians 2:12 says to "work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." We are each individually responsible for whether or not we choose to accept the invitation into God's Kingdom and then to stay on the path of obedience with His help. A good checklist for progress is Paul's description of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). Ask yourself... How well am I expressing godly love? (See 1 Corinthians 13:4-7.)

5 Is my outlook on life characterized by joy or pessimism? Am I a peacemaker or a troublemaker? Am I patient even in stressful situations? Do I express kindness to others through willing acts of service? What kind of media do I allow into my life? Does the entertainment I enjoy live up to God's standards? Do I stick with my commitments, even when they become difficult to keep?

6 Is my approach to settling disagreements to verbally assault the other person, or do I handle things gently and with respect? Am I able to put what needs to be done before what I want to do? MY DECLARATION This month, I m going to study an area that I m struggling with. I m going to study the bible, read books and write scriptures out on notecards that pertain to this area. Also, I m going to be accountable to my sister in Christ concerning this area. (from Heather Lindsey) From me to you, sister.. be honest. God wants your entire heart. HE has already shown you the area that HE wants. Now, do your part give it to Him. The area is: Lord, I give this area to you right now and I declare that you re gracing and helping me to overcome every temptation, test & trail. I declare that you re developing me into your image and that I spend time with you daily. I let go of this area and I receive your healing & deliverance. Now, I m going to guard my heart & fight back against temptation and pass every test. In Jesus name, Amen. Your signature Signature Accountability Sister in Christ