10250 North Freeway @ West Road
Houston, Texas 77037
Tel: (281) 447-8484
10250 North Freeway @ West
Road
Houston, Texas 77037
Tel: (281) 447-8484
BASIC
BIBLE TRUTHS
Written by Dr. Lester Hutson
Copyright
- Lester Hutson - 1986
This material is copyrighted and may not be copied or reproduced
without the express written permission of Dr. Lester Hutson.
Lesson 4
How To Appropriate What God Has Done
"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life. but the wrath of God abideth on him," John 3:36.
1. To first show your student(s) that the only way to get into a "relationship" with God is to believe on Jesus Christ as personal Saviour.
2. To then show your student(s) that the new birth occurs at the point of belief or faith in Jesus Christ.
3. Your third objective is to help your student(s) to determine for sure whether or not he has believed.
4. Your main objective is to lead your student(s) to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ as his own personal Saviour, if he has not previously done so. Teacher, this is the most important lesson of all, and this is your most important objective of the six lessons. Pray for wisdom from God in handling the truth well at this point.
5. Another objective of this lesson is to show your student(s) the basis of certainty or assurance in his salvation.
6. A final objective of this lesson is to leave your student with the realization and assurance that his relationship with God is permanent.
TITLE
'HOW TO APPROPRIATE WHAT GOD HAS DONE'
THOUGHT
For the gospel work of Christ to be of any personal value to any individual, it must be received by faith.
APPLICATION
To make sure the student(s) understands what belief in the sense of "trust" is, and to bring him face to face with whether or not he has believed. This is primarily accomplished through a careful examination of John 3:36. During this examination, all lost students should be greatly encouraged to believe.
After you arrive and exchange the customary greetings, begin your review. A brief rehearsing of previously taught information similar to that offered at the start of Lesson Three is in order. Your review should end with emphasis on the fact that everything necessary for the salvation of lost people has already been done by Jesus Christ. The only reason any person remains lost is because he has not appropriated personally the work of Christ as his very own.
TEACHER; I cannot overemphasize to you that this Lesson Four is the pivotal lesson of the series. All of the first three lessons are just groundwork to get you here. If your student(s) is lost, this will probably be the best, most likely opportunity you or anyone else will ever have to win him to Christ. If you've done your previous work well and present the truths of Lesson Four well, the impact of the great truths of God's Word are behind you. They are the truths of the Holy Spirit of God, and they are convicting and weighty indeed. Do your best to be a yielded tool of God in presenting these truths. If your student(s) is lost, and you do not reach him here, the truths of Lessons Five and Six will all be academic only to him. (Yes, you'll need to go ahead and teach them, but explain as you start Lesson Five that what you'll teach then and in Lesson Six will do your student(s) no good until he passes the point of faith you will have taught in Lesson Four.)
I. Flow right from your review into the fact that the one thing God asks of lost sinners is to believe on Jesus Christ as personal Saviour:
A. I remind my student(s) (as I write "Believe" in the appropriate place on the chart) that the world and even various religious groups which call themselves "Christians" insist on a variety of fine acts of conduct to be saved:
1. Some insist on baptism; others on a faithful output of good deeds.
2. Many say membership in their church is essential to salvation; and others say you haven't gotten salvation, if you have not "spoken in an unknown tongue."
3. Most people and religious groups would say you just won't make heaven, if you don't live good enough.
B. But, I tell my student(s) that I want to show him right out of the Bible what God says it takes to make the work of Jesus Christ your very own and to thus be saved. At this point, I just sort of march through several verses letting the Word of God speak for itself. I write the verses on the chart as illustrated as I go:
1. Add Acts 16:30-31 to the chart and show the direct question on how to be saved, and the exact answer given.
2. Add John 5:24 to the chart. It's effective to point to the appropriate points on the chart as you quote or read this verse.
3. Add John 3:15-18 to the chart. As you read or quote these verses (with your student(s) looking at the passage), emphasize "believe" each time it occurs (five times) in this short passage. Really drive home to your student(s) how that nothing plus nor anything minus is required; just "belief." Emphasize that this is very different than most of the world thinks; but this is what God has said in writing.
II. Next,tell your student(s) that at the point of belief or faith, the new birth occurs: (Write "New Birth" on the chart as shown.)
A. Show him from the scriptures that this is true:
I . Write John 3:1-14 on the chart, and ask your student(s) to turn there. Show him that Jesus is talking, and said in Verse 3 that a man "cannot see the kingdom of God," and in Verse 5 that a man "cannot enter into" it apart from the new birth. Show him that Jesus said in Verse 7, "ye must be born again." You can explain from the text that Nicodemus didn't understand what being born again meant. The text clearly shows he was thinking in physical terms only. But, Jesus explained that a spiritual birth is just as essential to spiritual, eternal life as a natural birth is to physical, mortal life. Show him that Jesus explained to Nicodemus in Verses 14-16 that looking to Jesus in faith, who would be lifted up on the cross, just as the children of Israel looked in faith to the brass serpent Moses lifted up on a pole to be physically saved from death at snakebite, results in the spiritual healing or deliverance Jesus said is the "newbirth." In other words, believing on Jesus Christ is equivalent to the new birth, for the new birth occurs in the heart at the instant one believes. This is Jesus' explanation to Nicodemus (and all men) when you view John 3:1-18 as a continuous conversation.
2. Now turn your student to I John 5:1 and write it on the chart. Show your student(s) that this verse plainly says, "He that believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God." There can be no doubt that the new birth occurs at the point of faith.
B. Explain to your student(s) that God is using family imagery in the Bible to illustrate a spiritual truth:
1. The use of imagery or parallelism is a very common teaching device. Jesus used it often as in the parables. A physical object was used to teach and illustrate a spiritual truth. So Jesus likened the Word of God to seed, believers to sheep, and hard hearts to stony ground.
2. One of the more extensive parallels of the Bible is the parallel between the physical family and the spiritual family. It is seen not only in the words of Jesus, but also in the words of Paul, Peter, and others. Terms such as "born," "father," "children," "brethren," "sons," and "family" are all terms we use in discussing physical family relationships. These terms are used also in discussing the spiritual family of God to give us insight into the nature of the spiritual relationship a believer has with God.
Whereas it takes a natural birth to gain entrance into and establish relationship in a physical family, likewise Jesus taught that it takes a spiritual birth to gain entrance into and establish a spiritual relationship in God's spiritual family. The new birth makes God "our Father," Matt. 6:9, and establishes us as the sons of God, I John 3:2. We are thus "brethren" in the Lord, I Thess. 4:13. If the spiritual family of God parallels the physical family, and it does as these scriptures show, then a parallel examination removes all validity from several erroneously held concepts while at the same time verifying the concept of salvation by grace. For example, imagine the ridiculousness of the thought that any human could ever work his way into a physical family. Or, who would think anyone could ever be good enough to get into a family. The very idea is absurd. Everybody knows there's just one way to get into a natural family, and that's by birth. Nobody ever worked his way into a natural family or was good enough to get into one. Only Adam and Eve were not born, and they were made by God through special creation. The idea of working and being good enough to get into God's spiritual family is just as absurd and foreign to scriptural teaching as the works and goodness concept for natural family membership. Yet, the world and many supposed "Christian denominations" tell you to work hard and do good, and that you'll go to heaven if you do. Teacher, make sure you see that your student(s) recognizes how totally foolish and out of line with Bible thinking that is.
While still on the subject of the family parallel, remind your student(s) of how utterly impossible it is for anyone to get out of his natural family. His goodness or badness has nothing to do with his "relationship" in the family. He's no less a family member if he robs, rapes, murders, and is an absolute villain in the penitentiary than if he'd have lived the most wholesome, successful, and irreproachable life possible. Yet, when it comes to the spiritual family, there are multitudes, even calling themselves Christians, who will insist that if you do badly and commit certain sins, you'll be lost again or lose your family relationship. Point out to your student that such ones are still hung up on the 'good conduct" concept.Such ones have not yet given up on "self" with its "conduct," and placed themselves at the mercy of God for His help. The fact is that conduct has nothing to do with family relationship, spiritual or physical. Birth alone establishes family relationship, and the birth establishes relationship forever: physically and spiritually. There is no greater chance one can get out of a bloodline spiritual family relationship (which is the only kind we're discussing here: physically or spiritually) than there is one can get out of a bloodline physical family relationship. In both cases, the possibility is zero.
TEACHER, establish these family points well. All along you've been systematically teaching the security of the believer. It is systematically integrated into all of the lessons, especially the first four; but here the case is growing stronger. You have a real opportunity here to drive home the point in a very powerful, yet easy-to-grasp way.
III. Now tell your student(s) that you are going to look at a specific way to determine for sure whether or not a person is saved:
A. Explain to your student(s) that you are going to focus in on John 3.36 to illustrate this point:
1. Ask him to turn there.
2. You should flip the chart to the backside at this time and write down "John 3:36," and write out the portion of the verse as illustrated.
3. Explain to your student(s) that you are going to diagram John 3:36 much as is done in an English grammar class. Tell him you have chosen John 3:36 out of many similar scriptures which establish the same point. John 3:36 just happens to be very clear and easy to illustrate.
B. Here is how to teach and illustrate John3:36, and help a person determine exactly where he stands in relationship (or lack thereof) to God:
1. First of all, add I John 5:13 to the chart. Turn there and show your student(s) from this verse that we can "know" for sure that we are saved. There is no reason why anyone should remain uncertain about which group he is in. Some say people can't know for sure if they are saved or not; God says they can know.
Also, from I John 5:13 show that we can know because of that which is "written." In other words, God has given us a measuring device, and that device is clearcut scripture which says exactly what it takes to be saved. If we had no written word on the subject, we couldn't be sure if we re saved; but we do have the written Word and can be sure.
ILLUSTRATION:
I hold my pen up and ask how long my student(s) think it is in inches. I point out that if I should ask ten different people, I'd probably get ten different answers. But, there is a way to get us all together on the length: to take out the guess work. We can measure the pen with a ruler and tell exactly how long it is. Likewise, we can measure ourselves spiritually by God's ruler, which is that portion of His Written Word which addresses the subject; and in so doing, we take all the guesswork out of where we spiritually stand. We can know conclusively that we are either lost or saved. Now point your student(s) to the fact that which John wrote in John 3:36, which you have written, in part, on the flipside of the chart. Explain that John 3:36 gives both the positive and the regative sides of the same issue. The positive statement is that you have everlasting life, if you are a believer; and the negative statement says you do not have everlasting life, if you are not a believer. For illustration purposes, you are going to approach the issue from the positive side.
At this point, draw the vertical line, as shown, between "Son" and "hath." Tell your student(s) that this is really an "if," "then" proposition from God. He is saying here that if you believe on the Son, then you have everlasting life. Note well, this is what God says about it. This is not the opinion of some man or group of men.
3. Next draw the inverted horizontal parenthesis under "hath everlasting life," and write "God's Part" under it as illustrated. Explain to your student(s) that only God can give eternal life. It cannot be bought or manufactured. It is an observable scientific fact that life comes from life. The only place to get eternal life is from the eternal God. But, He has said right here in John 3:36 that every person who believes on Jesus Christ "hath" everlasting life.
Discuss "hath" with your student(s). That's old English for "has." That means right now; present time. Believers are not just going to be saved and get everlasting life when they get to heaven. They have it right now. The body is still mortal, but the spirit has everlasting life. This just further verifies the fact that a person can know he is saved right now. He does not have to wait until he physically dies to learn whether his spirit goes to heaven or to the lake of fire.
Next, discuss "everlasting life" with your student(s). Remember that one of your objectives for this lesson is to leave your student(s) with the realization and assurance that salvation or relationship with God is permanent. That concept is inherent in the whole plan of eternal redemption which you've been teaching, but here is a particular place where the focus is directly on that point. So, go heavy on the eternal security of the believer right here. Deal with the word "everlasting." Remind your student(s) that God says what He means, and does not choose the wrong terminology to express His truths. He didn't use "everlasting" when He should have used "temporary."
ILLUSTRATE HERE:
In a somewhat comical fashion, I sometimes tell my student(s) that beauticians misuse terminology in describing their work. Ladies go to their beauticians to get a permanent but within a few months they have to go back and get another "permanent" because the first "permanent" has worn off. Now, anyone who thinks much about that would realize that those "permanents" would better be called "temporaries," because they are not really "permanent" at all. But, God does not deal in such misuse of terms. When He called the life He gives every believer "everlasting," that's exactly what it is. It is not temporary. All who get it have it forever; otherwise, it would have been only temporary.
Teacher, at this point, add Rom. 8:31-39 to the chart as shown, and quote or read it. It is loaded with affirmations that believers are eternally secure in Christ. I sometimes use John 6:35, 37, 39, 40 to further validate this point. I particularly point out Jesus' words in Verse 39, "I should lose nothing." I ask my student(s), "How many would he have to lose to make this a lie?" Then I answer my own question by saying, "Just one." Then, I tell him, "If there ever has been, or is, or ever gets to be one person who was saved, but who lost his salvation and thus became "unsaved" again, then Jesus lied in John 6:39. And, if He'd lie there, how do we know He was not lying in many other places?" The truth is, He was not lying in John 6:39, nor elsewhere. When He said He would not lose one who came unto Him, that's exactly what He meant. That means every person who ever got saved is still saved, and always will be saved. Not one is in the slightest danger of losing his "everlasting life." Besides, if he did lose it, it wasn't "everlasting," but rather "temporary." In that case, Jesus would be lying again when He used the words "eternal" and "everlasting" in John 3:15-16. But, God doesn't lie or use the wrong words; and when He said, "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life," that is exactly what He meant and how it is.
4. Now that you've dealt with "hath everlasting life," You need to drive home a very critical point. It relates to the integrity of God and His Word-, and a firm grasp of this truth by your student(s) is vital to his personal assurance of salvation.
Remind your student(s) that the positive affirmation of John 3:36 is an "if," "then" proposition by God. He says if you'll believe on the Son, then you will have everlasting life. Stress the fact that this is "God's" proposition. Now ask your student(s), "Suppose you, or any person, believed on the Son, but did not get everlasting life. What would that make this proposition to be?" Give him four or five seconds to think on it and then answer it for him by saying, "It would make this a lie." Bear down here, teacher. Labor this point. If there is even one person who has believed on the Son, but who didn't get or doesn't have "everlasting life," then God lied about it right here in John 3:36. But, assure your student(s) that God does not lie. Titus 1:2 says, "God cannot lie." So, this is a true affirmation. Now, tell your student(s) that what that means to him personally is that if he can be sure he has believed on the Son, he can be sure he has everlasting life, is saved, and is in Group Two. Let that soak in. Be sure he sees this point. How can he know he is saved once he has believed on the Son? Because God says he is. Where? Right here in John 3:36. That means assurance of salvation is not based on better conduct, an emotional experience, a feeling that one is saved, or deep sincerity. NO! People who know they are saved know they are saved because God told them they are. He didn't do it through some mystical voice or via a special note on a rock dropped out of heaven; but He told them through the Bible, His provable Book, in John 3:36 and several kindred passages. How do I know I am saved? God says I am! Where? In John 3:36. I am in that group who has believed on the Son; and He says every one in that group has everlasting life. I'm resting on His promise. If He is lying, then I don't have it. But, if He's telling the truth. then I do have it; and the evidence says He is telling the truth. I believe He is telling the truth. My salvation is just as good as God's Word. My assurance is based on the integrity of God and His Word; not feelings or my own feeble ability to maintain a great track record of good living. My salvation is just as good as His Word. I've believed on the Son, and He says I'm saved. You can't get it any stronger or surer than that.
TEACHER, do not try to parrot me in this, but do get this part down so well into your heart that you can nail down the flaps right here. You want to be sure your student(s) sees the Word of God to be the basis of assurance of salvation. If you fail to show him that, your failure will likely come back to haunt you further down the road. Before moving on to the next point, you want your student(s) to know that if he can be sure he has believed on the Son, he can be sure he is saved. Once you see your student(s) has grasped that truth, move on to the next point.
5. Next, add an inverted horizontal parenthesis under "He that believeth on the Son" as shown on the chart. Also, add "Your Part" as shown.
The first thing you should do after you add "Your Part" is explain that "Your Part" is in no way intended to imply some work or action on the part of anyone in need of salvation as your explanation will soon show. "Your Part" is included here because this matter of salvation is a matter between a person and God. Two parties are involved: God and "you." God does all the saving and you do all the receiving. "Your Part" is basically a receiving of all the great work of God for lost sinners.
After this brief explanation, add the two vertical lines as shown on the sample chart, and enter the (1), (2), and (3) as illustrated. Tell your student(s) that "Your Part" is divided into three considerations.
First, you will explain the "He." "He" is the subject of this sentence, and is a universal pronoun. That means the "He" includes everybody. The "He" of John 3:36 is the same as the "whosoever" of John 3:16. Add John 3:16 to the chart at this point. "He" or "whosoever" includes all the really bad sinners. Nobody is too sinful to be saved. Isaiah 1:18 is an excellent passage to add to the chart and quote at this point. On the other hand, nobody is too good to need to be saved. All of the fine moral, sincere, religious, respectable, and upstanding people need to be saved. The "He" of John 3:36 includes everybody.
Second, I find it best to explain the phrase "on the Son." The "the believeth" part is more difficult for most people to grasp, and is usually where they are "hungup"; so I save it until last. Besides, you've already by this point given your student(s) almost four hours of teaching, much of which has centered around "the Son." So, an explanation of "on the Son" should be easy for you and the student(s) at this point. In explaining the phrase "on the Son," I flip the chart sheet back over to the top page, and point to the cross, explaining that the phrase "on the Son" refers to Jesus Christ. I remind my student(s) that I have already explained the great work of Christ on the behalf of lost sinners. I particularly remind him of the gospel, the work where Jesus shed His blood for sinners: died in their place, was buried, and rose again the third day. Having done that, I flip the chart to the back side again and point to "on the Son." I tell my student that the faith or believing must be on Jesus Christ. God promises no everlasting life to those who believe in their baptism, their good works, their church, their sincerity, or any other such thing. The promise of "everlasting life" is only to those who believe on the Son. This leads me to explain that it is the "object of our belief," even Jesus Christ Himself which does the actual saving; not belief itself. A person can believe as strongly as he pleases in the wrong saviour and still be lost and headed to the lake of fire. This is in fact the case with all who believe in any other person or thing than Jesus Christ for salvation. That means all the people who believe in their baptism, good works, clean living, church affiliation and involvement, or sincerity are lost and headed to the lake of fire. God promised to save all who believe on the Son, and no one else. Add John 14:6 to the chart and quote or read it. Also add Acts 4:12 and read or quote it.
ILLUSTRATE HERE:
I use this illustration to help establish this point. I point to a table lamp, a toaster, or some other electrical fixture which is plugged into a visible electrical socket. In the case of a table lamp, I point out that the lamp is powerless to shine within itself. The real power which causes the light in the lamp is being generated by an electrical power company, and is flowing from that electrical plug into the lamp. I tell my student(s) that if I should plug that lamp into my nose, no light would occur in the lamp. If I should plug it into a dead electrical plug, no light would occur regardless of how much I believed in advance that it would. I emphasize to my student(s) that it is not my belief that makes the light shine; it is the power from the electrical company that does it. My belief is merely the means by which I hook up to the true source of power. My belief, however strong, is valueless if placed in the wrong power source.
Likewise, belief does not save lost people; Jesus Christ does. He is the one and only true source of spiritual power. All our belief or faith does is plug us in to Him; then He does the saving work in us. But, for any person to put his confidence or belief in the wrong object is eternally disastrous. The belief must be in Christ, or there will never be any "everlasting life." But, for all those who believe in Jesus Christ, "everlasting life" is a reality.
Third, explain the "that believeth" part of this statement. Your student(s) is probably wondering just exactly what this "that believeth" means. He probably thinks he does believe and always has believed. He'd probably tell you in a quick moment that there never has been a day in his life when he didn't believe. He's no infidel or atheist, and never has been. So, if he has always believed, then why hasn't he always been saved? Teacher, be careful that you make this point crystal clear. "Believe" is used in the Bible (and commonly today) in two major senses. We use "believe" commonly to express our acceptance of "facts." Write "Believe" on the chart and add "1. Fact" as shown. Explain that we believe historical facts and accept the facts of things we see with our own eyes. Many also accept the facts related to Jesus Christ. Yes, they believe He was a very real historical character. They believe He really did die on the cross, shed His blood, go to the grave, and rise again after three days. They believe He lives today, and they believe they are sinners and need to be saved. That's as far as many people have gone, and they think this makes them saved, but it does not. There is a second way in which we use the word "believe," and that is in the sense of "trust," "faith," "reliance," or "dependence." Add "2. Trust" to the chart as shown. This is the sense in which believe is used in John 3:36. A study of the Greek verb used before translation into English would quickly verify this truth. In John 3.36, God is saying He will give "everlasting life" to all those who will trust Him; not to those who merely accept the facts. Add Eph. 1:3 to the chart, and quote or read it. Tell your student that it is one thing to believe a set of facts; it is quite another thing to commit yourself to or trust a thing.
ILLUSTRATE HERE:
If I say to my student(s), "Do you believe there are big jet airplanes at the big Houston airport?" He will no doubt say, "Yes." Anyone who has been there knows there are always planes coming and going with many on the ground at any given time. So, in all honesty and sincerity, a student can answer "Yes" to the question. "Although," I say to my student(s), "if I bought tickets for you to fly on one of those jets, we suddenly enter a new dimension of belief. Once you take the tickets, walk onto the jet, and feel it taxi to the runway, then accelerate to such a speed that it leaves the ground and climbs into the sky, you are no longer believing merely the fact that this is a jet airplane; you are now believing in the sense of trust or faith. You are committed to it. If it goes down, you go down. You are at it's mercy.
This is the sense in which a man must believe in Jesus Christ, if he is to receive "everlasting life.' It's not enough to just accept the fact that He is, and did what the Bible says He did. Salvation or "everlasting life" is in trusting Him; believing on Him in the sense of commitment to Him. Some think because they trust Him every day for help on the job, safety, etc., that they are saved. We are not talking here about daily trust in the menial matters of life. We're talking about eternal damnation and eternal life; about being lost or being saved. To receive "everlasting life," one must believe or trust Jesus Christ for the saving of His spirit. We're talking here about trusting Jesus Christ to get your spirit to heaven; not just your body safely to work.
C. Having now explained John 3:36 point by point, tell your student(s) that you want to show him a little test by which a person can zero in on exactly which of the two groups he is in:
1. The first question of the little test is "Am I saved?" Write it on your chart as shown. Explain to your student(s) that if anyone answers that question, "No," then he needs to be saved. If a person says, "I'm not sure," he surely needs to become sure. Some things do not matter much, but whether or not a person is saved matters; more than any other thing, it matters. If a person says, "Yes, I am saved," then there surely must be some reason why he says so. There must be some grounds or basis for such a claim.
2. Thus, the second question is in order, "How was I saved?" Enter it onto the chart. This question asks what the basis for a claim for salvation is. At this point, you have not yet directly confronted your student(s) with the question of where he stands. You will momentarily; but here you're presenting this little test as to a third party. So, you say, "If a person answers that he is saved because he has been baptized, we can "X" it out. That person is not saved. You go down a list of false hopes, "Xing" them out in like manner. Include good works, sincerity, church affiliation and involvement, etc. They're the more common culprits. After "Xing" out a list of false answers, you point out to your student that the only right answer to this question is to have believed on the Son. The answer may not be worded in those exact words, but the idea must be there. Anyone who has any idea that he was saved in some way other than through believing on Jesus Christ is still lost.
3. Now, write the third question on the chart, "When was I saved?" Explain to your student that you are not necessarily asking for the day of the week or date on the calendar; although, it is great if a person knows that information, and most saved people will. What you are inquiring about with this question is the certainty that there was a time when a person realized his lost condition and did in his heart believe on Jesus Christ as his own personal Saviour. Until a person knows there was a time when that happened, he'll never know for sure that it did happen, and thus he'll never be sure of his salvation.
Now tell your student that you are going to draw a "lifeline" on the chart which focuses attention on the time of salvation. Draw a horizontal line on the sheet, and write "Birthdate" on the left and "Death Date" on the right. Place the arrowpoint heading right; and remind your student that each of us has had a birthdate, and we will each ultimately face a death date. We do not like to face it, but we all know it is coming. At this time, place "Now" on the chart as shown. Explain to your student(s) that you are arbitrarily placing the "Now." Most people want it over near the "Birthdate," but it might in reality be nearer the "Death Date" than you have placed it. Only God knows. We cannot accurately place the "Now." All we know is that "Now" is somewhere between our birthdate and our death date; and we are heading toward our death date.
Teacher, right here tell your student that you are going to enter today's date and time on the chart. That will be whatever the date and time is that you are teaching this lesson. Tell your student(s) that you want him to look back over his life from birth till now, and that you want him to locate the time that he was saved: truly believed on the Son in the sense of trust. And, tell him that while he is thinking on it, you want to share this real life illustration.
ILLUSTRATION:
In a certain church in about 1968, a young lady about fifteen years old came forward at the invitation. She had been a member of that church for several years. She had grown up in a Christian home, and was unusually knowledgeable of the scriptures. She was a fine asset to the Youth Department with her good attitude and continuous flow of good works. But, the young lady was troubled about her spiritual condition. She had doubts about her salvation. The problem seemed too complex to handle in a brief invitation conversation; so the pastor met with her that afternoon. After a thorough discussion of how to be saved, the pastor went through these three questions. So far, the young lady had all good answers. When he asked about her salvation, she told him she had been saved during a morning service at a certain Baptist church in another city. She was about eight years old at that time. The pastor asked her if she had ever truly "believed on the Son" before that experience at eight years old. She said, "No." He then asked her if she had ever "believed on the Son" since that experience. She replied that she had not. She didn't figure she needed to since she had been saved at eight years old. The pastor pointed out to her that what she had just told him was that from birth till now she had never "believed on the Son" unless it happened that Sunday when she was eight years old. He pointed out to her that if it didn't happen then she was lost. She could see that he was right.
Then, he asked her about that Sunday when she was eight. He asked her if she was saved (really put her faith in Christ) during the singing and sermon. She said she didn't; that during that time she was really convicted and knew she needed to be saved. She said she planned to be saved at the invitation. The pastor then asked her if she had believed on the Son when the invitation started or as she walked forward. She seemed a little stunned at the question. She said "No," and that she thought people got saved down front. Then, he asked her what happened when she arrived down front. She explained that she met the preacher, and was trying to agree to whatever he asked her. She said she was so scared in front of all those people that she didn't really know just what he asked her. She just agreed to whatever he said, and hurried on over to put her name and address on a membership card. The pastor asked her if at any point during that encounter with the preacher, she in her heart came face to face with her lost condition and really believed on Jesus Christ as her personal Saviour. She said in all honesty she knew she didn't. She was too afraid. Her focus was not on her lost condition and the God who alone could save her. She was thinking only of that preacher, and all those people, and hurrying up to get it over with. Then the pastor asked her if she believed on the Son while she sat there filling out the card, and she said "No". She explained that going through that experience there at the front with the preacher had gotten her saved.
The pastor then said to the young lady, "You told me you never believed on the Son before that Sunday back there when you were eight years old, and you told me you never believed on the Son since. Now, you've just told me you didn't believe on the Son that Sunday when you were eight. What you have just systematically told me is that in all of your life from your birthdate until now, you've never believed on the Son. Yes, you went up front, were baptized, and have been a fine young lady active in church; but you have never done the one thing God asks lost people to do. You have never believed on the Son, and He cannot and will not save you until you do. No wonder she had no assurance; she wasn't even sure she had believed on the Son. And, until you are sure you have believed on the Son, you can never be sure you are saved.
This young lady is typical of lots of people. When they do a careful inspection of their supposed point of salvation, they find they did a whole lot of religious and good things; but left out the one thing God requires. They prayed, went forward at the invitation, felt really sorry for their sins, wept, and went through a very emotional experience; but they never believed on the Son. And, all that other stuff is superfluous if a person does not believe on the Son. It all amounts to zero, and gives no one salvation or assurance. Only believing on the Son can give anyone salvation and the assurance thereof with Bible backing.
In the case of the young lady, the pastor asked her to right there in that office forget him. He explained to her that this matter of her salvation was not a matter between her and the preacher; it was a matter between her and the Lord Jesus Christ. The pastor explained that Jesus was present, eager and willing to save her, and would do so the instant she believed on him as her personal Saviour. She closed her eyes where she sat in the corner of that little office. The pastor waited. Tears began to flow down her cheeks, and a little time later, she said, "I've trusted Him now." And, the pastor told her that in view of that decision in her heart, she could claim as her very own the promise of "euerlasting life" as given in John 3:36.
D. Now, teacher, is the time to get personal with your student(s) about his standing before God:
1. Ask him point blank which group he is in. You might flip the chart over to the front side and point to the two possibilities as you ask the question.
2. If he says he is saved, ask him to tell you about it; when and where and how it happened. Don't be offensive and make it appear that you do not believe him. Don't put yourself in the role of a cross examination attorney. By this time, you should have a good rapport with your student(s), and you should present your question as a friend, interested in sharing the greatest experience of his life.
3. If he says he is not saved, ask him to believe on the Son right there on the spot. Stop, and do what the pastor did with the young lady. Tell them to forget you; that Jesus Christ is standing there this moment able and wanting to save him. Tell him you are going to just wait a moment while he and the Lord take care of this all important business.
4. If your student(s) seems uncertain about whether or not he really trusted the Lord at some previous point, warn him about what a dangerous matter it is to be uncertain. Tell him that above all things, he needs to settle the matter once and for all. I advise people, who look back carefully at a previous experience, and are still not certain about what they really did, to trust the Lord now. I explain to them that if they trust the Lord now, it won't undo what might have happened back then. The Lord knows what really happened back then; and if trust occurred then, trust now won't hurt or undo what happened then at all. But, if trust didn't happen then, what happens here and now will make all the difference; not only in the world, but in eternity. It's not God who is uncertain of the individual's salvation; it is the individual. An individual may never be certain of what happened back there, but he can be certain of what happens here. And, until he is certain he has believed, he'll never be certain he is saved.
5. Even with all this, some people still seem to be a little uncertain of themselves at this point. Teacher, one of the things I do at this point, which really has helped a great many people, is to say something like this to them. "Just suppose that before right now I had never been saved. I have been saved, in fact, back in October of 1954; but just suppose I'm deceived about what happened back then, and have been lost all these years. Well, right here, this minute, I can tell you that I am trusting Jesus Christ as my own personal Saviour. With God looking on my heart, He knows I am telling you the truth. I'm telling you here and now that if Jesus Christ in view of His work on my behalf cannot and does not get me to heaven, I won't be there. I have no other hope; no other claim, only Jesus Christ.
Now, just suppose this was the first time I ever reached this decision; God would have saved me just now according to John 3:36. Of course, it was not the first time I reached that decision. I did that the first time back in October, 1954 and that's when the Lord saved me. What I did here tonight didn't hurt that one bit. I didn't get saved again. I just reaffirmed my faith in Christ. But, if I'd been one who was not sure about what happened back then, you can see how important tonight's (today's) decision would be to me.
Now, teacher, with that backdrop fresh in your student's mind, ask him if he can honestly say right here and now his faith or trust is in Jesus Christ and Him alone. Many will say "Yes." Then, you can point right there on the chart to John 3:36 and ask, "What then does God say you have?" Unless they've been totally out of what you've been doing this hour, they can't help saying "Everlasting" Life Now, this is the first time this student(s) can be sure he made this decision, then I emphasize this is the point he can always look back to as the time of "When was I saved?" I often circle the date on the chart and write down the exact time of day.
6. Then close this fourth lesson with one final point. I point out to my student(s) that tomorrow or next week or next year he may doubt his salvation. If he does, what can he do? Well, I point out to him that he can ask himself first, "Am I saved?" He's going to answer that with a "Yes, I think so." Then, he can ask himself the second question, "How was I saved?" He has only one answer for that: "I trusted Jesus Christ as my Saviour." Then, he can ask himself, "When did I trust Jesus" And, to that he can answer with the time and date you've written. Then, he can ask himself, "What does God say about me in view of my faith in Christ?" And he can answer himself by saying, "God says I have everlasting life," Then the question, "Where does God say that?" Then the answer, "in the Bible: John Chapter 3, Verse 36." That means your student can then forget his doubts, and go on with his business of serving God, for the written Word of God is the finest assurance you can gett and all believers have it.
1. Tell your student that this concludes Lesson Four; and that you will be back next week at the appointed time to teach Lesson Five which deals with fellowship and the right motive for living right. The title of the fifth lesson is "Rudiments to Fellowship and Fruitfulness with God. "
2. Invite him to church. I do not insist on their coming for baptism at this point. Neither do I discourage it. If they have enough background to know their need, then fine. But, in many cases, your student(s) will be so void of baptism and what it means that to mention it here would be like mentioning Greek. In the sixth lesson, you are going to teach baptism thoroughly. I then encourage him to come for baptism as one knowing well what he is doing.
3. Where people have been saved, I always ask them to bow and let me thank God for saving them. before I leave.
4. Then, rise up and make your way to the door.
"It Does Make a Difference What You Believe"