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Book: Salvation (English)

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SALVATION
Lessons
MOSES R CUNG
Forward
This Salvation Lessons were written in Burma in 1988. Originally it had only 18 Lessons but had been expanded to 24. I am very grateful to God for allowing me to write these lessons and for that may His Name be glorified forever and ever.

I whole heartedly believe that anyone who reads these lessons diligently and answers the short questions at the end of each lesson will provide a clear understanding of  the Will of God and His Salvation plan. Answering each question will provide a greater understanding of the context of each topic. Questions with answers can be sent to the below address. I will review your answers and will mail back to you with comments.

After you finished with the Salvation Lessons, you can continue reading “Law and Offerings” Lessons that has questions much like this book. Let me know if you like to have one by contacting me. I pray that you will clearly understand God’s salvation plan and accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and have assurance of salvation. I also pray that you will continue to grow in Him. May God bless you.

In Christ,
Rev. Moses R. Cung

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Lesson 1

The Will of God

God desires all people of the world, including you friend, to be saved. 1 Timothy 2:4 reads, “Who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” Friend, you are also included in all men and thus God desires that you be saved. Friend, do you want to be saved?

By Faith
The Bible says the following on how you get saved: “For by grace you have been saved..” (Eph 2:8) In other words, one can be saved by believing in the grace of God.

Grace or to provide grace is the responsibility of God. It is man’s responsibility to believe. God had already provided His grace so that all men can be saved. The only thing that is needed is to believe this grace by faith or the provision of grace. Friend do you want to believe this?

God’s Part        Man’s Part
———– ———
Provide Grace     Believe         = Salvation
By Hearing
We have pointed out about the need to believe in the grace of God by faith in order to be saved. If so, how does this faith come about?  The Bible said, “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Rom 10:17) Therefore, without hearing there cannot be faith. Also Romans 10:14 said, “… And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard?”
Agreeing
We just learned that faith comes from hearing. However, if it is not agreed with what was heard, if there was no endorsement, or if there is doubt about what was heard, then it cannot be said that it is faith. It can be said that one has faith only if they agree or endorse and not doubt of what was heard. In other words, faith is relaying exactly to others what was heard with full conviction.

For example, if someone introduced himself as “John” and if you can believe or can agree to what he said then that is called faith. Then you agree and say, “Yes, you are John.” This is called faith.

More Believable Things
Man usually tells lies. However, man usually believes in one another. It also is easier to believe those who can talk sweetly. On the other hand, man tends not to believe in God who never lies. Man tends to doubt His promises. Man tends to believe in the promises of another fellow man. The Bible said, “If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater”(1 John 5:9).

It is said that we ought to believe in God’s saying rather than man’s. Friend, what do you believe more? If you say you should believe in God’s saying more, then you should be able to second or endorse whatever God says. You may not understand everything but you should be able to agree with God without a shred of doubt.

Thoughts and Point of Views are not alike
Why can’t man have faith in God’s word? The reason man cannot agree with God’s word easily is because the point of view and thought between man and God are not the same.

God Himself said, “For the LORD does not see as man sees.”(1 Sam 16:7) And God also said “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” (Is 55:8,9)

Therefore, in order to have faith in the word of God, man needs to see as God sees and forget about how he sees. He needs to get rid of his own thoughts and accept God’s thoughts for his life.

The Dissimilarities
The dissimilarities between how God and man sees:
1. In God view, man’s spirit is valuable. Whereas, in man’s view the body is more valuable (Matt 16:26).
2. God said to seek first the Kingdom of God. Man wants to seek the worldly things first (Matt 6:31-33).
3. God said to set man’s mind on things above. Man seeks things of the earth (Col 3:2).
4. God said to lay up treasures in heaven. But man saves treasures on earth (Matt 6:19).
5. God said it’s good, and man said it’s bad. God called darkness light, and man called light darkness. God said bitter sweet, and man said sweet bitter (Is 5:20).

If we look further, there are no similar point of views between God and man. It is always opposite. Therefore, it is difficult for man to believe in God’s word and put trust in it.

The need to Dispel
There is disarray in man’s life because the thoughts and point of views are different between man and God. Now, then who is wrong? God cannot be wrong. It must be man who is wrong. Therefore, man needs to dispel his wrong thoughts and point of views, and accept God’s thoughts and point of views.

If man sees as God sees and accepts His plan, then it is not hard to believe in Him and His word. It will be very easy to do so. Those who think of themselves as wise and not able to dispel of his own thoughts and point of views cannot believe in God anymore. Friend, do you want to see as God sees and accept his thoughts and plan? Do you want to believe in God?

Questions from Lesson 1
1. God’s desire is that all men___________________________
2. To be saved, God needs to provide _____________and man needs to __________________________________________
3. Faith comes from ____________________________of God.
4. Faith is to ___________________________what was heard.
5. It is more believable in _______________word than man’s.
6. The reason man cannot believe in God’s word is because God and man’s _______________________is not the same.
7. God puts value in man’s ___________but man puts value on ________________________________________________.
8. God said to seek first His Kingdom and righteousness but man seeks first the __________________________________.
9. Between God and man’s point of view, ___________point of view is right.
10.In order to believe God’s word, man needs to ________his point of view or how he sees and needs to accept ______ point of view.

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Accepting the LORD Almighty’s Judgment

In lesson 1, we have learned that we need to see as God sees in order to believe in Him. We have also learned that God’s point of view, not ours, is the correct one. How can we say that God’s point of view is correct and not ours?

The JUDGE
The Judge makes the judgment for criminal cases. Therefore, the Judge’s point of view is most important. Regardless of what the criminal may think and say, it is the Judge’s decision that matters. It is the Judge who punishes the criminals.

In the same manner, it is the LORD God who will judge the whole world. The Bible said that the LORD is our Judge, law giver, and our King. (Is 33:22) Therefore, God’s point of view and His judgments are important and lawful. Friend, the point of view of you and I are not important.

Because He Created
The government appoints judges. So then who appointed God to be the judge? God appointed Himself to be the judge. The reason is that there is no other greater and mightier than God. Moreover, God has the right to discipline man, His creation, like parents who have the right to discipline their children.
Though Not Understand
Friend, if you commit crime you will have to face the judge even though you never met him before. Likewise, you may not understand God now but you will have to face and be subjected to His judgment one day. The Bible said, “Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books” (Rev. 20:11,12).

The judgment above will take place on the last day. The earth would have been passed away and all had died. Man thinks that his problems are solved and over with the day he dies. This is only the deceiving thought coming from Satan. In reality, the problems increase at death. Therefore, a warning is in order here to not try to solve problems by death, like suicide. Friend, you will still face the judgment after you die.

Again the Bible said, “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment” (Heb 9:27). Men will face judgment after death. Therefore, preparation is needed before death.

Though not Believe
Friend, you might not believe that God is the one who will judge you. Even though you may not believe this it does not diminish God as Him being the judge.

In Noah’s time, God’s warning about His imminent judgment with the flood was ignored and was not believed by the people except Noah. However, their disbelief did not prevent God’s judgment. Those that did not believe perished in the flood (1 Pet 3:20).

Nebuchadnezzar, who governed Babylon, was full of pride and thus was subjected to God’s judgment. He became like a beast from being a man and was driven to dwell with the beasts of the field. From heaven a voice came and said, “And they shall drive you from men, and dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. They shall make you eat grass like oxen; and seven times shall pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men,..”(Dan. 4:32).

Thus, Nebuchadnezzar became like a beast and dwelled in the field for seven years and then “And the end of the time I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my under standing returned to me; and I blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him who live forever. For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom is from generation to generation. All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; He does according to His will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth. No one can retrain His hand or say to Him, “What have You done?””( Dan. 4:34,35) Thus, king Nebuchadnezzar admitted God’s power.

Nebuchadnezzar did not believe in the Almighty God. However, God’s judgment also fell on a king like him. And even he could not escape from God’s judgment. Now who are we to say that we will escape powerful God’s judgment?

Only When God Would Not Blame
We just learned that God is the Judge for all men of the world. Therefore, escaping God’s judgment should be our main concern. The Bible said, “Blessed is he whose transgresssion is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.” (Ps 32:1,2)

Therefore, all men, including you, need to get rid of our point of view and plan and try to see and accept God’s point of view and plan.

Questions from Lesson 2
1. Who will judge all the sinners? _______________________
2. All the people of the world will be judged by___________
3. How can God become the Judge? _____________________
4. Friend, you may not know the judge now, but will he judge you if you commit crime? ___________________________
5. According to Rev. 20:11,12, who will be subjected to judgment? ____________________________________________
6. What will men be subjected to after death? ____________
7. Though people of the Noah era ignored God’s warning and did not believe in the pending judgment, did they escape the judgment? _______________________________
8. _______judged Nebuchadnezzar to become like a beast. Nebuchadnezzar eventually admitted the sovereignty of whom?________________________________________

10. Friend, do you admit God’s power and accept that He will judge? _______________________________________

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Worship in the Spirit

We have learned that God is the Judge of the whole world in lesson 2. This judge demanded that those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit.

Worship in Spirit
Jesus said, “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:23,24)
Whom to worship?
So, how does one worship in spirit? Generally, it is said that to worship God in spirit is:
1.With whole heartedly
2.With mind and body
3.With complete loyalty
However, all these assumptions are wrong. “whole heartedly” is not “spirit.”
Body, soul, and spirit
God created man to have three distinct entities: body, mind, and spirit. Among them, spirit is the one that make us resemble God. Man can fellowship God with his spirit. He needs to worship God with his spirit. He can converse with God in spirit and come to know the will of God. That is because they both are spirits.

Paul said, “But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit” (1 Cor. 2:10). Again, Paul said, ” The Spirit Himself bears with our spirit that we are children of God” (Rom 8:16). Therefore, it is possible to worship God in spirit only if our spirit is joined with God’s Spirit.


Please refer to the above figure . God’s Spirit is connected with man’s spirit. Therefore, man receives eternal life from God. He also knows what the will of God is. So man’s spirit can control and direct the mind. Our mind knows God’s will per the direction of our spirit and our mind, and in turn, directs our body to carry out God’s will. Accordingly, our mind and body can live according to God’s will and thus glorifies God.
Broken Relationship with God
Adam, the federal head of human being, broke a perfect relationship with God because Satan deceived him. Adam listened to Satan and ate the forbidden fruit of the tree. (Gen. 3:1-7) Since then, Adam lost the relationship with God and became a sinner. (Gen. 3:23)

As shown above, Adam’s spirit was cutoff with the Spirit of God because of his disobedience. The sin (cloud) blocks the relationship between man and God. Just like the cloud blocks the sun in the rainy season, sin creates a rift between man and God (Is. 59:2). Consequently, God’s Spirit does not direct the spirit of man anymore. Man also lost the eternal life. Man’s spirit died and because of the rift with God it does not direct the mind anymore. Then, the mind takes the place of God and directs and governs the body as it wishes. Therefore, the body starts to live according to the wishes of the mind.
Became Animal
Man does not live according to the will of God anymore since the body is being governed by the mind. Therefore, Adam lived as though he didn’t have the spirit. His body pursued the desires of the mind. Those who go after the desire of the mind and body are animals because animals pursue the desires of the mind and body only. Therefore, Adam sank to the level of an animal.

All human beings that came down from Adam are also animals. They are dead spiritually since birth, but only body and mind are alive. Therefore, Agur, the son of Jakeh, said, “Surely, I am more stupid than any man, and do not have the understanding of a man” (Prov. 30:2).

His Rage
Therefore, since man goes after the desire of the mind and body God’s wrath fall on us (Eph. 2:3). You and I have the following characteristics:
1. We were born like animal. Therefore, we go after the desire of our mind and body (Prov. 30:2).
2. We are not attached to God. Therefore, we do not understand His will and His manner (1 Cor. 2:11,14).
3. We lost the eternal life. Therefore, when we leave this earthly life, we are heading for hell (Gen. 3:17, 21-24).
4. We are living under the wrath of God. Therefore, we do not enjoy happiness (Eph. 2:3).

As shown above, man became animal because of his sin against God. The spirit died and man goes after the desire of his mind and body. Therefore, he encounters the wrath of God. When he dies and leaves the world, his mind and spirit are heading to hell fire and his body returns to dust.
To Remove Sin
Although man sees himself as human being, he became animal in the sight of God. Therefore, he worships God with his mind and body but it is not acceptable to God.  He accepts worshipping in spirit only.  In other words, man’s spirit needs to reconnect with God’s. However, sin that lies between God and man do not allow man to worship God in spirit.  So this sin must be cleared out of the way. Let us proceed to lesson 4 to learn more about sin.

1. How should God be worshipped? ___________________
2. Is it right to worship God with mind and body? _______
3. Man is comprised of how many parts? ________________
4. Which one is the same as God’s, body, mind, and spirit?________________________________________________
5. Which part of man knows God’s will? ________________
6. Which part of man does God direct? __________________
7. Which part does man’s spirit direct? _________________
8. What do mind direct? ______________________________
9. What causes the separation between man and God? ____
10. When there is separation between man and God, which part of man took God’s place? _______________________
11. What do man go after he is separated from God? ______
12. What is he who pursues after only the desire of mind and body?____________________________________________
13. Friend, when did you become an animal? ____________
14. Since there is separation with God since birth, whose will did we not know? _________________________________
15. Friend, what will happen to your body when you die? _________________________________________________
16. Friend, where will your mind and spirit go when you die?__________________________________________________
17. Who got mad because man goes after the desire of his mind and body only? ______________________________
18. In order to worship God in spirit, what should happen to man’s spirit and God? ____________________________
19. What should discarded in order to worship God in spirit?__________________________________________________

20. Friend, do you want to worship God in spirit?__________________________________________________________

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Sin

In lesson 3, we discussed that “sin” was responsible for breaking the relationship between man and God. We discovered that we could properly worship God in spirit only in the absence of “sin.” Consequently, we need to understand first and foremost what “sin” really is in order to get rid of it. It is important that we view “sin” as God views much like we investigate what “disease” is in order to find the cure.

Two (2) Natures of Sin
There are 2 natures of sin in God’s view. They are:
1. Original or sin from birth
2. Criminal or committed sin
Let us look at the original or sin from birth first.
Sin From Birth
Sin from birth is not a committed sin by each individual. This comes with each human being the day he was born. King David said, “Behold I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me” (Ps. 51:5).
Chronology
The sin of birth originated from Adam, the federal head of the human race. Adam had a perfect body, mind, and spirit when God created him (Gen. 1:31). God placed Adam and his wife Eve in the garden of Eden (Gen. 2:15). God allowed them to eat of every tree of the garden freely but forbade them to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil (Gen.2:17). However, Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit of tree in disobedience (Gen. 3:6,7).

Consequently, God branded the couple as “sinners” because of their disobedience (Rom. 5:19). Sin is breaking the law (1 John 3:4). Adam and Eve became sinners because they broke the only law imposed on them. Adam did not sin against any other human being. He was not guilty of committing sin that are generally recognized, such as killing, stealing, lying, but rather the sin of disobedience. This is the origin of all other sins.

Dreadful Inheritance
Adam and Eve left a dreadful inheritance called “sin” to all their descendants. All the descendants became sinners because they were born to Adam and Eve who were sinners. The sin that is inherited through birth is termed “original sin” or “sin from birth.” Some do not accept nor suppose the original sin as sin but think of sin only that are committed. However, inspection of many referenced scriptures point out that human beings are born with original sin.
a. Through One Man
The Scriptures said “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned” (Rom. 5:12). The Bible said sin entered the world through one man not through many men. This one man is Adam through whom sin entered the world. It said death spread to all men because of sin. This is very clear that those who will die have sin. Death originates from the mother’s womb. Death does not come when one is adult nor when one commits sin. Therefore, when we say one dies because of sin, this does not mean to say he committed sin. It is very clear that it means the original sin.
b. Because Some One Did Not Obey
The Scriptures said, “For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous” (Rom. 5:19). The first man was Adam. Many were made sinners because of Adam’s disobedience. Therefore, it is clear that my friend, you did not become a sinner because you commit sin. You are a sinner through inheritance from Adam.
c. The Unholy One
Again the Scriptures said, “Who can bring a clean   thing out of an unclean? No one!” (Job. 14:4). Man is not clean before God (Is. 64:6). Every parent has sin. Therefore, the parents who are sinners cannot produce clean children. The sinful parents produce only sinful children.
d. It Cannot Be Clean
We read, “What is man that he could be pure? And he who is born of a woman, that he could be righteous?” (Job 15:14). This scripture tells us that everyone who is born of a woman has sin and cannot be righteous. There is no one on earth who is not born of a woman. Therefore, you and I, who are born of woman, are unclean.
e. From the Mother’s Womb
David said, “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me” (Psalm 51:5). King David acknowledged that he was a sinner since his mother conceived him. This seed of sin from the mother’s womb causes everyone to commit sin automatically as one grows older. One cannot commit sin while in the womb. Therefore, sin comes through the birth. Because of this everyone becomes a sinner since birth. One does not become a sinner because of committing a crime. Instead, we are capable of committing crimes because we are sinners by birth already.
f. Wickedness
We read, “The wicked are estranged from the womb; they go astray as soon as they are born, speaking lies” (Psalm 58:3). Wickedness comes through birth. Lying and straying also come through birth. Everyone has wickedness. Everyone lies. These show that man has original sin.
Sin Against God
Original sin is due to Adam. This sin is not committed against another human being. It was sin against God. Adam sinned against God. Therefore, every descendants of Adam has sinned against God.
The Wages of Sin is Death
“For the wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23). “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin” (Rom. 5:12). The Bible said that the wages of sin is death. This requires that we understand the meaning of death. There are three different kinds of death. The three kinds of death are to mean “separation”.
(a)  Bodily Death
Bodily death is the separation of body from mind and spirit. The remains are called corpse when the spirit leaves the body. When the daughter of the ruler of the synagogue died, Jesus resurrected her by returning her   spirit to her dead body (Luke 8:53-55).

At death, the believer’s mind and spirit ascended to heaven and the unbeliever’s to hell (Luke 16:22-23). The body returns to earth and become dust since it comes from dust (Gen. 3:19). The bodily death causes grief to the spouse, children, parents, siblings, and relatives because of separation from them.

(b) Spiritual Death
Spirit cannot die. If it could, there would be no need to suffer in hell. However, separation with God is called spiritual death. Adam was separated from God because he didn’t obey God. God had warned Adam that the day he eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge would be the day he die (Gen. 2:17). Adam died spiritually the day he disobeyed God. Although his body was not dead, his separation from God was death for him. All the off spring of Adam were born dead spiritually because Adam produced his offspring after he died spiritually. Dear friends, you and I are also the offspring of Adam and so we were born dead spiritually. Therefore, we were born to head to hell when our bodies die.
(c) Second Death (or) Eternal Death
Second death means one who was not saved (receive Christ as a personal savior) and thus whose spirit was not alive, whose spirit descended to the eternal flame in hell because he did not have eternal life. The Bible said, “But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, mur derers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. (Rev. 21:8).

1. How many kinds of sin are there? Describe them.________________________________________________________

2. Through whom did the original sin originated?__________________________________________________________

3. Original Sin is committed against whom?______________________________________________________________

4. What was Adam’s sin according to Romans 5:19? ________________________________________________________

5. Can clean things come out of unclean things? _________
6. When did human beings become sinners? _____________
7. When does a person start lying and going astray?_______________________________________________________
8. What is the wages of sin?____________________________________________________________________________
9. Describe the three different deaths.__________________________________________________________________

10. Spiritual death causes separation with whom? ________

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Committed Sin

In lesson 4, we have learned the sin from birth or original sin. We will now turn our attention to the “committed sin or criminal sin” which is the fruit (product) of the original sin.

The fruit (product)
Jesus Christ said, “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit” (Matt. 12:33). As Jesus said, the fruit depends on the tree to be good. If the tree is good the fruit is good and if the tree is not good the fruit will not be good. The tree in turn is also dependent on the kind of seed. If the seed is not good the tree cannot be good. Therefore, this scenario indicates that the fruit is not the most important part but the seed or the tree is in order to have good fruit.

Likewise, the original sin (sin from birth) is similar to the seed of the tree. The sinner who has the original sin is like the tree. The sin committed by this sinner is like the fruit of the tree. Every human being understand the committed sin: killing one’s life, fighting, sexual immorality, adultery, stealing, lying, anger, short temper, false witnessing, jealousy, back biting, etc. Any wrongdoing as a result of the mentioned behavior produces criminal sin. This sin is committed against the fellow human being and therefore carries very heavy consequences in the eye of the human being.

Because of tree (kind) and not fruit
It is not a mango tree because it bears mangoes. It is a mango tree because of its kind. It is still a mango tree whether it bears mangoes or not. The fact that it bears mangoes does not make it a mango tree.

Likewise, man does not become a sinner because he committed sinful acts. On the contrary, he sins because he came from a sinful kind. Many conclude that a person becomes a sinner because he sins. Based on this misconception, many people tried to refrain from committing crime in order not to be labeled as sinner. This actually is being preached from the pulpit.

It is Impossible
It is a noble idea to abstain from committing sin, but the fact is that a sinner cannot avoid from committing sinful act. It may be possible to have appearances of refraining from sinning before fellow human being; however, no one can hide the sinful acts from the Almighty God. The scriptures said, “Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard its spots? Then may you also do good who are accustomed to do evil?”

(Jer. 13:23). This clearly tells us that in order for you to possibly do well, an Ethiopian should be able to change his skin. The leopard should be able change its spots. But the truth is that neither the Ethiopian can change his color nor the leopard its spots. Therefore, you my friend and I cannot change our behavior. We cannot perform any good thing before God either.

The filthy rag
The things that we think are good before man are in fact not good before God. You may be very proud of your good behavior but it is very filthy for God. The Bible said that we are all but like an unclean thing. And all our righteousness are like filthy rags (Is. 64:6).

According to this verse, all our righteous deeds are like filthy rags. Good deeds are only good before human beings. However, good deeds done by sinful men are indeed disgusting for God. The reason is because it is unclean. For example, a meal prepared by a leper would be repulsive for others. The meal might have been prepared using all the good ingredients and thus it should be tasty. But yet, because of the person who prepared it, you will not have the desire to consume it. This is to say that the meal is good but you don’t feel like eating it because it is prepared by the leper, the unclean per son. Likewise, your good deeds are in fact good. However, you are a sinner and therefore all your good works are in fact disgusting for God because it is the work of an unclean person. Therefore, we cannot expect to get favor due to our righteous deeds.

Thinking of having no sin
Human beings are the sons of darkness and therefore do not see themselves as having sins. One day, the scribes and the Pharisees brought to Jesus a woman committing adultery. She was caught in the act and according to the law; the Law commanded that the woman be stoned to dead.  So they asked Jesus’ opinion. Then Jesus said, ” He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first” (John 8:7). Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one.

The scribes and Pharisees did not see their own sin at first. They only saw the sin of the woman.  Therefore, they condemned and judged her before Jesus Christ. One cannot see his or her own sin while seeing someone else’s sin. Likewise, friend, are you seeing only the sin of others while ignoring your own? However, upon hearing the word of the Lord, they saw their own sin and walked away from the woman without condemning her.  Initially, those people believed that they were without sin when they brought the woman to Jesus. But when they walked away from Jesus, they saw their own sin.  My friend, you will also see your own sin if you meet Jesus Christ.

Those who practice good behavior
Human being’s belief is that there must be at least one righteous person who practices good behavior. However, the Bible clearly states that “there is none who does good. God from above looked down to earth to find if there is one who understands and one who seeks Him. All have gone astray. They have all turned aside. They have together become corrupt. There is none who does good, no not one says” the Bible (Ps. 14:2-3).

There may be one who seems to do good with good behavior in the sight of fellow human being but there is none who does good in the sight of God. It clearly says that there is none, not one. The reason is because man was born a sinner from the beginning. A sinner is born to commit sin. So he does the sinful thing all his life.

Born to commit sin
A universal suggestion is that all human beings were born righteous but became corrupted due to the influence of the environment and friends. Thus, they practice sinful things when they grow older. One can observe however that every being begets its own kind. For example, a dog will be born to bark and thus it is not surprising that it barks. It is not out of the ordinary that a duck can swim because it was born to swim. It is not surprising that a cock crows because it was born to crow. Likewise, man is born to commit sin. Therefore, it is not a surprise that he commits sins as he grows up. He does not need to take a class to carry out sin. There is no class given on robbing, killing, and lying. Every one is capable and knows how to perform these. Everyone is born to carry out these acts.

King David was aware of this and therefore said, “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me” (Ps. 51:5). The sinful nature is not that apparent at birth but becomes obvious, as one grows older. A tree does not bear fruits when young but when it grows older. For those who do not recognize the tree already, he could identify the tree when he sees the fruits. On the contrary, a person with prior knowledge understands what kind of fruit the tree will produce. Likewise, God knows in advance what kind of person the human will be since He has a prior knowledge of human being. Therefore, there is no righteous person in the sight of God. “…For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23).

1. How can one know about the kind of a tree? __________
2. If the tree is good what kind of fruit does the tree produce?__________________________________________________
3. If original sin is to “genetic or kind” then committed sin is to______________________________________________
4. Is committing sin makes a man sinner or he commits sins because he is a sinner? ______________________________
5. In order that a man may not sin, what will a leopard has to do? ____________________________________________
6. What is the righteous deed of a man looks like in the sight of God? __________________________________________
7. Why did the Pharisees see only the sin of the woman? _________________________________________________
8. Is there anyone who practices good deed in the sight of God? _____________________________________________
9. Was men born to commit sin or do good thing? ________
10. At what age did man become a sinner? _______________

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Woman’s Roots and Snake’s Roots

We have learned about committed sin in chapter 5. We have learned that it is not possible for man to produce good behavior at all times. Now let us turn into the subject of our roots, which everyone tries to defend vigorously. Human beings love their own ancestry. Everyone thinks of their own ancestry being the most superior and thus adores them dearly. We would defend with our own life if our ancestry were incited. We put heavy emphasis on marrying our own kind. Therefore, there is a need to know how God looks at this matter.

Enmity 
The serpent deceived Adam and Eve to commit sin by consuming the fruit of the tree of knowledge. Therefore God said to the serpent “Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all cattle, and more than every beast of the field; On your belly you shall go, and you shall eat dust all the days of your life. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel” (Gen.3:14-15).

According to the above passage, God put an enmity between the seed of the serpent and the Seed of the woman. The question now is then who is the seed of the serpent and the Seed of the woman? In order to understand this, we need to understand that there are four different ways to become a man.

Four ways of becoming a man:
There are four different ways of becoming a man. They are:
1. Man from Dust (Gen. 2:7)
The one who become a man from dust was Adam, the federal head of human being. God created Adam from the dust. Adam did not have parents. His life consisted of the adult life because God created him as an adult person already. There is no one else created like Adam was.
2. Becoming a Human being from rib (Gen. 2:21-22)
Eve became a human being from the rib. God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam and He took one of his ribs and made it into a woman. Eve did not have a childhood. She was already created as a mature woman. There is no one who is created like her.
3. Born of Parents
You and I are born of our parents. We grow out of our childhood and become adults. Our existence is not a result of recreation. It is through the continuation of reproduction.
4. Woman’s Offspring
There is one who became a man only through a mother but without a father. He is Jesus Christ. Jesus had a human mother but not a human father. Man supposed that Joseph was His father (Lk. 3:23). However, Mary was found with child of the Holy Spirit (Mtt. 1:18-20). Therefore, we can see that Jesus was born of a woman offspring.
Serpent’s Offspring:
If Jesus is of a woman’s lineage, then who is the offspring of a serpent? Let us look into the scriptures.

(1) John the Baptist said to the Pharisees and Sadducees who came to him for baptism, ” Brood of vipers! Who has warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” (Mtt. 3:7; Lk. 3:7). John did not call them brood of vipers for no reason. He was the one who was sent by God. He spoke straight to the people as God had told him. Man are vipers in the sight of God.

(2) Jesus Christ also said to the Pharisees, “Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Mt. 12:34). Jesus branded the Israelites as vipers. No good things were spoken because they were the off springs of the serpent. If the Israelites were called the offspring of the vipers, there is nothing good about us, the Gentiles, in God’s view.

Becoming Viper’s Offspring
Adam and Eve were God’s loving children before their fall. However, the minute they fell into the serpent’s deceit and rejected God’s word, they became the children of the serpent. Every offspring from Adam and Eve became serpent’s offspring automatically.

We find the following serpent’s characteristic in human being:

It has poison:
Serpent has its poison in the tip of its fangs. Likewise man has poison in his tongue. The Bible said, ” Their throat is an open tomb: with their tongues they have practiced deceit; the poison of asps (sting) is under their lips” (Rom. 3:13). James also said, ” But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison”

(Js. 3:8). Serpent’s poison is in the fang. Man’s poison is in the tongue. Man afflicts others through the spoken word out of his tongue. It can harm. It can lead to fighting. Therefore it is clear that man is the off spring of serpent.

Double-tongued: Both serpent and man have two-pronged tongue. James said, ” With (tongue) it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so” (Js. 3:9-10).

Man has a two-pronged tongue like the serpent because he speaks both cursing and blessings. Though he may be praising God, he is also blaming fellow human beings. He can speak differently about others in front of him and in his back. This clearly indicates that man has a two-pronged tongue. In John chapter 9, we read that Jesus opened a blind man’s eyes. Then the Pharisees instructed the man to “give God the glory! We know that this Man (Jesus) is a sinner”

(Jn.9: 24). The God that Pharisees wanted the man to give glory to in fact was Jesus, who they said was a sinner. It was He that they wanted the man to give glory to. The Pharisees in fact condemned the Man who they said the man (blind man) should give the glory to. The Pharisees did not realize that they were speaking in two-pronged tongue. Like the Pharisees, we do not realize that we are speaking with a two-pronged tongue.

The Destination of the Serpent’s Offspring
Jesus Christ said to the brood of vipers, ” Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell?” (Mtt. 23:33) This scripture clearly indicate that the serpent’s destination is hell.

1. Who did serpent’s offspring become enmity with? _____________________________________________________

2. Describe fully the various ways to become man.____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. Who is the woman’s offspring? ______________________
4.How did John the Baptist describe the Israelites_______?_________________________________________________
5. Whose offspring is man?____________________________
6. Describe two characteristics of a serpent. _______________________________________________________________
7. Where does man’s poison reside? ____________________
8. How many sides of tongue does a man has?____________
9. What does it mean by having a two-sided tongue? _______________________________________________________
10. What is the destination of the offspring of viper? ______________________________________________________

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Children of Satan

In chapter 6, we learned that the offspring of woman is Jesus Christ and the offspring of vipers are human beings. Let us continue to look into the children of Satan.

The children of God
Adam and Eve were called the children of God at first because they were without sin. In Luke 3:38 we read that God was the father of Adam. Adam and Eve had a good fellowship with God because they were God’s children. They also were the rightful heirs of God.
Becoming the children of Satan
Satan deceived Adam and Eve through the serpent. Satan incited them to obey him instead to God. Adam and Eve rejected God and listened to Satan.

God’s command was that they do not eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. It said, “..for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die” (Gen.2:17). Contrarily, the word of the serpent was, ” You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil”(Gen.3:4-5).

The fellowship between God and Adam and Eve was broken because Adam and Eve rejected the word of God and listened to Satan (Gen 3:23-24). Though they were created in the likeness of God, Adam and Eve began to look like Satan. They also received the curse of God. Their status instantly became the children of Satan from children of God.

This Satan
All Israelites thought of themselves as the children of God. Therefore, Jesus Christ said to them during their argument that “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it” (Jn. 8:44).

If the chosen people were the children of Satan then what can one say about the Gentiles? No further discussion is needed. We are the children of Satan. John also said, ” We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.” (1 Jn. 5:19)

Not born as children of God
Everyone loves his or her birthday. Most celebrate their birthdays. But man was born as a child of Satan, not a child of God. Therefore, birthdays are actually not precious but are of no value. The Bible said, ” But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name” (Jn. 1:12). One has the opportunity to become the child of God only when they receive the Man, Jesus Christ. So, then what was one’s status before he received Christ? Whose child was he? One must be the child of Satan. Can you accept that you are the child of Satan?
Satan, the step father
The one who is not the biological father is called the stepfather. Satan is everyone’s father. However, Satan was not the one who created man. God created man. However,  Satan was addressed as father, who is not the real father, Satan is the stepfather of mankind. You should know who your stepfather is by now. Generally speaking, a stepfather is not usually kind to his wife and the adopted children. Like manner, Satan is not kind to the mankind. Stepfathers can be fearsome and so is Satan. Stepfathers can be cruel and so is Satan.
The characteristics of Satan’s children
The following nature of human beings prove they are children of Satan:
1. Murderer
Jesus said that Satan is a murderer since the beginning of time (Jn. 8:44). Satan not only killed the spiritual life of Adam and Eve but he also killed Abel (Gen. 4:8). Likewise, man kills each other’s spiritual and physical life like the Satan.
2. Enemy of God.
In the beginning, Satan was an angel. But he revolted against God because he wanted to become God himself and therefore he was judged. His name was changed to mean the enemy of God (Jer. 28:12-17; Is. 14:12-15).

Likewise, man is an enemy of God. We don’t see the same thing as God sees. Our desire is always against the will of God. Therefore, Jesus died on the cross in order to make reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:18).

3. Absence of truth or loyalty
Satan does not have truth or loyalty (Jn. 8:44). Truth resides with only God . Likewise, human beings do not have truth. When it comes to “truth”, like a fool, man do not understand it nor want to have it.
4. Living in lies
Satan is wandering in lies and also is the father of it (John 8:44). Likewise, man is wandering in lies and loves lies. Man does not need to be taught how to lie yet he cannot understand the truth. It is obvious that man is the son of Satan because he loves to lie. Friend, have you ever lied? If you ever did, then it is obvious that you are the child of Satan.
5. The love of the world
God gave Adam the authority to dominate the newly created world in the beginning (Gen. 1:28). However, Adam delivered the authority to Satan (Luke 4:6). There fore, Satan rules the world (John 14:30). Man dearly loves this world, which is ruled by Satan. It is because man is the child of Satan and he simply loves his father’s (Satan) kingdom.
6. Committing crimes
Satan commits crime from the beginning, ” He who sins is the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning) (1 John 3:8). There is none who does not commit sin in this world. This indicates that man is related to the Satan.
The ending for Satan
Satan is the enemy of God. Therefore, God creates hell for the Satan. “Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matt. 25:41). In the last days, the Bible says, “The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever” (Rev. 20:10). According to this verse, the last or ending phase of Satan is in the lake of fire and brimstone.

1. When Adam and Eve were first created, whose children were they? _______________________________________
2. Whose children did they become the minute Adam and Eve listened to Satan?_______________________________
3. Whose children did God say the Israelites were?_______
4. Whose children were men at birth?___________________
5. Who is men’s stepfather including yours?_____________
6. Because men are Satan’s children, whose enemy have they become?______________________________________
7. Since men cannot understand the truth, whom do you think men belong to?_______________________________
8. Friend, have you ever lied?__________________________
9. Those who love the world, whose children are they?______________________________________________________
10. What is the final destination of Satan?________________

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Animal & Worm

We have learned in Chapter 7 that human beings are the children of Satan. As children of Satan, human beings behave like Satan. Like Satan, the ending for human beings is heading to the everlasting fire. We will now turn our attention to the fact that human beings are like animals and worms in the eye of God.

Being Animal
In the sight of Holy God, human beings amount to nothing though human beings think highly of themselves. In lesson 3, we learned that human being is made up of body, mind, and spirit. All these components must work in order for God to think of human being as man and woman. However, a person would be an animal if only body and mind are working in this person’s life. Therefore, the writer of Proverbs says, ” Surely I am more stupid than any man. And do not have the understanding of a man” (Prob. 30:2).
Being a Dog
A dog eats its own vomit. “A dog returns to his own vomit” (2 Pet. 2:22). Like dogs, human being commits sin again after confession was made
Being a Swine
Pig also returns to the mud after cleaning. “…a sow (female hog), having washed, to her wallowing in the mire” (2 Pet. 2:22). Like a hog that likes the mud, human beings get pleasure in living in bad habits. We come to it after we said we have got rid of them. Therefore, human being is like a hog.

Headed to destruction
“For he sees wise men die; likewise the fool and the sense less person perish, and leave their wealth to others” (Ps. 49.10). Animal dies and perishes; likewise, men die and perish.
Similar thinking
Men tend to think themselves of being smart but they are like animal to God. Animals think constantly to eat; likewise, men think the same, eating. Animal look after only its own gain; likewise, men think for their own only.
Not worship God
Animals do not worship. They do not pray when they eat. They do not know their creator. Likewise, men do not know who their creator is. They do not give thank nor do they worship the living God.

Although God blessed King Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, he exalted highly of himself and thus, God made him behave like an animal. He lived with the beasts for seven years and ate grass like oxen. At the end of seven years, his senses came back and praised God and he was given back the honor and the splendor (Dan. 4:28-37). The reason God made him like this is to show that men are like animals and that he is a real human being only when he worships God.

Being a worm
Not only men are like animals but they are also like worms to God according to the Scriptures. “How then can man be righteous before God? Or how can he be pure who is born of a woman? If even the moon does not shine, and the stars are not pure in His sight, how much less man, who is a maggot, and a son on man, who is a worm?” (Job 25:4-6).
Earth Worm
Man is an earthworm in the sight of God. The similarities between man and earthworm are:
1. Earthworms are dreadful
Man likewise is also dreadful before God. Friend, would you accept the sacrifice of an earthworm with its life? Likewise, the sacrifice of a dreadful man is not acceptable by the Holy God.
2. Love of soil
Earthworm’s lives depend on consuming dirt; likewise, men also love earthly things more than heavenly thing.
3.Only dirt Inside
There is only dirt inside the earthworm; likewise, man’s mind is full of things related to earthly materials.
4.Lives inside dirt
Earthworms live inside the dirt; likewise, man lives in the mist of earthly things.
5.Can’t defeat anyone
Earthworms cannot beat anyone; likewise, man cannot defeat Satan, sin, sickness, and death.
Maggot
The similarities between maggot and man:
1. Maggots are dreadful and so is man
2. Maggots love stinky things; likewise, man loves to live in sin and spreading unpleasant news.
3. Maggots live in stench; likewise, man lives comfortably in the mist of crime and do not want to live according to the law of God.
4. Maggots are full of awful things inside; likewise, man’s mind is full of awful things.

Therefore, friend, if you are a tall person,  you are only a very long earthworm and long maggot. If you are heavy or fat person, you are a fat earthworm and a fat maggot. If you are a skinny person, you are just a skinny earthworm and a skinny maggot. Earthworms and maggots are not useful for human beings; likewise, man is not useful for God. Nevertheless, man do not know his true status, therefore, he submits his best sacrifices to God in order to get God’s favor.

1. Is it the trait of a man or an animal, if only body and mind are working in a person’s life?_________________________
2. What is the habit of man just like a dog that eats its own vomit?____________________________________________
3. Like hog likes to play in mud, what does man like to do? _________________________________________________
4. Whose thinking is like man’s thinking?_________________
5. Do animals worship God?____________________________
6 Who did Nebuchadnezzar praise in order so that he could behave like a man again?_____________________________
7. What is the thing that earthworms and man both like? __________________________________________________
8. Like only dirt can be found inside earthworms, what can be found inside man’s mind?____________________________
9. Maggots are awful, who else also is awful?______________
10. Friend, do you admit that you are nothing but an earth worm and maggot?__________________________________

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Forehead of the Prostitute

We have learned in Lesson 8 that human beings are just animals and bugs in the sight of God. We now will learn that men have the forehead of a prostitute in the sight of God.

To love only God:
God told the Israelites to love Him only. In Deuteronomy 6:5 God said, ” You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.” Loving with all your soul means when you love someone you cannot love somebody else at the same time. If a man loves his wife with all his soul then he cannot love nor have interest in someone else. Likewise, God wanted the Israelites to love Him with all their soul without reservation.
The wife of God
Friend, you might want to know whether God has a wife or not. Israel and Judah are the wives of God. In Isaiah 54:5 we read ” For your Maker is your husband, The LORD of hosts is His name;..” Also in Hosea 2:16 we read “And it shall be, in that day that you will call Me ‘My Husband’ and no longer call Me ‘My Master'”. In Jeremiah 3:20 we read ” Surely, as wife treacherously departs from her husband, so have you dealt treacherously with Me, O house of Israel.”  There fore, we can know that Israel is the wife of God.
Loves the Spouse
God loves the Israelites, His spouse, very much. In Isaiah 54:10 we read ” For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed, but My kindness shall not depart from you, nor shall My covenant of peace be removed.”  Also in Deuteronomy 7:7 we read ” The Lord did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples. But because the Lord loves you, and because He would keep the oath which He swore to your fathers…” Also in Deuteronomy 23:5 we read “…the Lord your God would not listen to Balaam, but the LORD your God turned the curse into a blessing for you, because the LORD your God loves you.”
Israelites Became Prostitute
God loved the Israelites very much. Therefore, He blessed them by bringing them out of the bondage of Egypt to the place where milk and honey were flowing.  He also wanted Israel to love Him without reservation as He loved them. However, the Israelites loved statutes or images more than God. They worshipped the images.

To God, worshipping images is the same as prostituting. That is because images are loved more than God. Therefore, in Jeremiah 3:1-3 God said “”They say, ‘If a man divorces his wife, and she goes from him and becomes another man’s, may he return to her again?’ Would not that land be greatly polluted? But you have played the harlot with many lovers; yet return to Me,” says the Lord. Lift up your eyes to the desolate heights and see: Where have you not lain with men? By the road you have sat for them like an Arabian in the wilderness; and you have polluted the land with your harlotries and your wickedness. Therefore the showers have been withheld. And there has been no latter rain. You have had a harlot’s forehead; You refuse to be ashamed.””

The person who divorced the husband was meant as the Israelites. The first husband was God. Another man’s wife meant that Israelites divorced God and sinned with Images and thus these Images became the other man. Many lovers of the Israelites were these idols or images. The high places meant the top of the mountains. They placed their idols on these mountains and worshipped them. God punished the Israelites with drought but yet they did not take the lesson but continued worshipping these idols. Therefore, in God eyes they were prostitutes. Their forehead also resembled the harlot’s forehead.

Forced to take prostitute as wife
Because the Israelites were prostituting, God told prophet Hosea ” Go take yourself a wife of harlotry and children of harlotry. For the land has committed great harlotry by departing from the Lord.” So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son (Hosea 1:2-3).

Hosea was the prophet of God. Those who serve the Lord are to be pure. He should not take a prostitute. Today, will you be able to accept a preacher who took a prostitute? Will you be able to able accept his preaching? However, because God was so furious, He let Hosea took a prostitute. The Israelites were also prostitutes like Gomer, Diblaim’s daughter.

Divorced Husband
The Israelites got rid of God. Therefore they were referred to as a wife who divorced her husband (Jer. 3:1). The Israelites did not come although God called them. Therefore the Israelite kingdom was torn into two during the reign of King Rehoboam, son of Solomon. The northern kingdom was called Israel and the southern Judah. Then God called Israel an older sister and Judah, a young sister. In Jeremiah 3:6-10, we read, “Have you seen what backsliding Israel has done? She has gone up on every high mountain and under every green tree and there played harlot.”

“And I said, after she had done all these things, ‘Return to Me.’ But she did not return. And her treacherous sister Judah saw it. Then I saw that for all the causes for which backsliding Israel had committed adultery, I had put her away and given her a certificate of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah did not fear, but went and played the harlot also. So, it came to pass. Through her casual harlotry, that she defiled the land and committed adultery with stones and trees. And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah has not turned to Me with her whole heart, but in pretense,” says the LORD.””

The Punishment
God punished Israel using several methods through several years but Israel never regretted it. Instead, they worshipped idols as gods continually. Therefore, at the end God sent Israel under the captivity of Assyrian (2 Kings 17) and Judah under Babylon (2 Kings 24, 25). Since then, they could not live peacefully under their own king but had to live under various cruel rulings even until today. Even though God loved the Israelites very much, but because they forsook their God and worshipped idols, their lives were full of horrific experiences even in their dreams throughout their history.
For Us
According to the New Testament, believers are the wife of Jesus Christ. Nevertheless, like the Israelite, we too have sinned against God. Though we are to love our God with all our heart (Matt. 22:37,38; Mk. 12:30,31) we cannot love Him. We love the world more than we love God. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him (1 Jn. 2:15). Therefore, we have prostituting ourselves with the things that we love. We have become covetous man (Eph. 5:5). Our belly has become our God. (Phi. 3:19) Therefore like the Israelite, we have become the harlots. Don’t we also have the harlot’s forehead?

“…Whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame-who set their mind on earthly things” (Phi. 3:19).

1. How was the Israelites supposed to love the Lord?_____ ____________________________________________________
2. Who are the wives of God? _________________________
3. Why did God love Israelites? _______________________
4. What did Israelites loved more than God? ____________
5. What was it meant to God when Israelites worshipped idols?____________________________________________
6. What forehead did the Israelites possessed? ___________
7. To whom did God told to take prostitute? _____________
8. What happened to the Israelites Kingdom during the reign of King Rehoboam? ___________________________
9. Israel became the slave of ________________and Judah became the slave of __________________________________.
10. Why do we have the prostitutes forehead? ____________________________________________________________

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Body, Mind, Spirit

God created man to be consisted of a body, mind, and spirit (1 The. 5:23). At the time of creation, all three parts were perfect. The Spirit had a connection with God and the mind also was in good condition. The body also in perfect condition and was not destined to death. God looked at all His creations and found they were very good (Gen. 1:31). Man was one of the good things God saw among His creations (Gen. 1:28).

Corruption
However, when man committed sin, his body, mind, and spirit became corrupted.
The Body
In man’s view he thinks his body is good, beautiful, and healthy. However, in God’s view, man’s status is “The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faints, from the sole of the foot even to the head, there is no soundness in it. But wounds and bruises and putrefying sores…” (Isaiah 1:5,6).

God disciplined the Israelites many times but they never understood nor learned. Punishments did not affect them and were without remorse. Their bodies were full of inflictions and bruises. In God’s eyes, they were not healthy. Likewise, we are not healthy in God’s eyes. We are living in a body that can become sick at any moment.

Again “There is no soundness in my flesh because of Your anger; nor any health in my bones because of my sin. For my iniquities have gone over my head; like a heavy burden they are too heavy for me. My wounds are foul and festering because of my foolishness. I am troubled,  I am bowed down greatly; I go mourning all the day long. For my loins are full of inflammation, and there is no soundness in my flesh. I am feeble and severely broken; I groan because of the turmoil of my heart” (Ps. 38:3-8).

The reason there is no soundness in our flesh is because God’s anger falls on us and also because of our foolishness. This is how God sees us. Like the Psalmist said, our body is unhealthy.

Mind
Man usually thought himself of having a sound mind. He thinks he can control his mind. He would boast about having a sound mind and how he is not like others. Nevertheless, the Scriptures clearly tells us that our mind is totally corrupted.
Sin originates from Mind
God created Lucifer, the angel, with a sound mind. He also praised him greatly (Ez.28: 12-17). But Lucifer wanted to become God in his mind (Isaiah 14:12-15). Therefore God destroyed (cut down to the ground) him and thus become Satan, God’s enemy. Lucifer corrupted starting with the mind. Sin originated from Lucifer’s mind.
Infected man’s mind
Adam and Eve’s mind were in perfect condition. But Satan lied to them saying that if they ate the fruit of knowledge of good and evil they would be like God. Adam and Eve wanted to become like God in their mind. Therefore they ate the fruit. Their mind became crooked right away. All of their descendants born into this world come with crooked mind.
Crooked all the time
“Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Gen. 6:5). Why did God see that way? Is God in the fault finding business? We need to give an example in order to understand this. Insurgents are always bad in the eye of government. The good insurgent and bad insurgent are the same for the government. It is not because they have bad character but because they would not subject themselves to the governing by the government and therefore they became the enemies of the government. In the same way, man would not be subjected themselves to God’s governing but want to live on his own term. Man becomes enemies of God because they endorsed Satan instead. The only way for the insurgent is to surrender in order for the government to accept them in the legal fold. Likewise, man needs to surrender in order for God to regard him as good. Trying to be good on one’s own term will not become acceptable for God since he is the enemy of God.
Corrupted
The mind or heart is more deceitful than anything else. “It is desperately wicked; who can know it?” (Jer. 17:9). In God’s view, the heart is very cunning. It is deceitful and there is no good thing about of it. A ruined thing is not useful anymore. All it deserves is to be thrown away. Likewise, a wrecked mind is beyond repair. All it deserves is to be thrown away.
Produce only awful things
“Their throat is an open tomb” (Rm. 3:13). If opened, only a stench will come out. Likewise, the throat is the gateway of the mind and therefore, only bad things come out.

Jesus Christ said, ” But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies” Matt. 15:18,19).

All sins are carried out by the physical body but the perpetrator is the mind. If the mind is sound, all members of the body will also carry out only good actions.  Therefore God said, “I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind” (Jer. 11:20; 17:10; Ps. 7:9; 1 Sam. 16:7). God found man’s heart totally corrupted when He tested it.

Hard like stone
“I will give a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh” (Ez. 36:26).

Man usually tries to change the mind for the good. He also think he can change it. But God said this would only be possible when He replaces the stone of heart with the flesh. This is only possible with God. Man cannot do it. Friend, do you agree to allow God to change your heart?

Spirit
God created animals without a spirit. But he provided spirit to man at creation. The reason for this is that man with the spirit can worship God. Every creation with spirit is obligated to worship God. Angels worship God because they have spirit. Therefore every human being needs to worship God because he has spirit. So, if a person who has spirit does not worship God then he is an animal. Friend, what are you? An animal or a human being?
Dead Spiritually
Initially, Adam and Eve could fellowship with God. They were connected with God spiritually. But the connection became disconnected when they committed sin. Therefore, they became dead spiritually because the spirit of God and man had no connection anymore. Spiritual death is not the same as bodily death. There is no sense of feeling with bodily death. This is not the same with spiritual death. Spirit still has feelings. If there were none, then there is no need of suffering in hell. Spiritual death is the separation with God and thus, cannot understand the will of God anymore.
Yearning for God in the Midst of Distress
Man’s soul thirsts for God as the Psalmist said “As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?” Ps. 42:1,2.

In the dry summer, all brooks are usually dried up and thus all animals including deer risk their lives and venture to the river to quench their thirst. Likewise, man’s soul is also thirsting after God. Therefore, man’s spirit becomes restless. In order to calm the restlessness, man resort to the use of alcohol, drugs and also go after movie, women, men, sports, politics, education, work, hobby, etc.. Unfortunately, these, however do not resolve the restlessness but become worse than before like drinking the salty water. They do not provide a true peace. Actually only when the spirit is at peace, the soul will also enjoy peace without restlessness.

Therefore all, including friend, are yearning for God like the thirsty deer yearns for water. Your spirit will be satisfied only when you find God and will also have eternal life. It is very important to know that you have the chance to find God only while you are alive here on earth. It will be too late if you die before you find God. Therefore, I want to inform you that you need to find God before you depart this earthly life.

1. What was the condition of the Body, Soul, and Spirit of the human being when God first created man? _____________________________________________________________

2. Why is man’s body is decaying?______________________
3. Friend, are you in good health before God? ____________
4. What was the origin of sin? __________________________
5. In whose mind did sin started to originated? ___________
6. How is man’s heart at all time? _______________________
7. What make man corrupted? _________________________
8. With what will God replace man’s stony heart? __________________________________________________________
9. What relationship did affect by the spiritual death? _______________________________________________________
10. What does man’s spirit yearn or thirst after? _________

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The Law

Man believes that observing all the Laws will help him return to God. He believes that he needs to obey the Laws in order to get to Heaven. This belief came from not understanding the accomplishment of the Law.

There are 5 books of Laws. These are:
1. Genesis
2. Exodus
3. Leviticus
4. Numbers
5. Deuteronomy.
There are six hundred thirteen (613) commandments in the Book of Laws.
Four Sections
The Law can be divided into four sections:
1. Ceremonial Law
2. Civil Law
3. Moral Law
4. Dietary Law
Given to the Israelites
The Laws were given to the Israelites by God. The Scriptures said ” …The LORD is our Lawgiver” (Isaiah 33:22). St. James also said, ” There is one Lawgiver” (James 4:12). That one is the eternal God.

God gave the Laws only to the Israelites. However, everyone (Gentiles) today think the Laws were given to all. The Bible said “…for when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves” (Rom. 2:14). The Gentiles tried to follow the laws. St. Paul also wrote that the laws do not apply to the Gentiles or other people (non Israelites) as follows, ” …that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world” (Eph. 2:12). Therefore, the laws do not apply to the Gentiles but only the Israelites.

Can’t Follow
Man says to follow the laws but he can’t. Jesus Christ said, “Did not Moses give you the law, yet none of you keeps the law?” (John 7:19). St. Paul also quoted the Old Testament saying ” They have all turned aside; they have together become unprofitable; there is none who does good, no, not one”

(Rom 3:12). Therefore, there is no one who can follow the laws.

Can’t be righteous
The following passages tell us that it is impossible to become righteous through the following of laws:

“Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin” (Rom 3:20). “…Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ” (Gal 2:16). “I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain” (Gal 2:21).

Will be cursed
Those who do not understand the Law clearly tend to push heavily for the need to follow the commandment of the Law. However, they do not understand that the Law is making man cursed. The Bible said, “For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all”

(James 2:10). Moreover, “For as many as are the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, “Curse is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them”” (Gal 3:10). These verses plainly say that every commandment of the law is to be observed everyday when one tries to keep the law. However, the fact is that this is not possible. Therefore, anyone who tries to keep the law is cursed.

Kill Man
Everyone thinks that the law saves the person’s life. How ever, the law instead kills man when trying to follow it. The apostle Paul said, ” But sin, taking opportunity by the commandment, produced in me all manner of evil desire For apart from the law sin was dead. I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died. And the commandment, deceived me, and by it killed me” (Rom 7:8-11). The meaning is, because of the law, sin is alive but it kills me. Therefore, the law is not saving any life but it kills instead.
To Understand Sin
Then why did God give the law if the law did not bring righteousness but instead death and curse? The reason is because man cannot comprehend his own sin. He perceives himself as basically good without sin. Therefore the law is given to reveal the sin of man. In the Bible, ” Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin” (Rom 3:20). Moreover  “What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said. “You shall not covet”” (Rom 7:7). Therefore, the function of the law is to reveal the sin of man’s life.
Sent to Jesus Christ
The law itself cannot provide righteousness. It will result in death and curses if one depends on it. However, the law sends man to Jesus Christ for righteousness. In the Bible “There fore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified” (Gal 3:24).

Therefore the law is to help bring man to righteousness by putting faith in Jesus Christ. However, being dependent on the law only will lead to death.

1. Describe the books of law._______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. To whom was the law given?_________________________
3. Was the law given to the Gentiles?____________________
4. Is there anyone who can follow the commandments?_________________________________________________________
5. Does the law make a man righteous?__________________
6. What is the consequence of not being able to follow the law?_______________________________________________
7. Does the law let man to die or live?____________________
8. What did the law let the man know?___________________
9. Where did the law send us?__________________________
10. Friend! Have you tried to follow the law before?________

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Man Cannot Do It

In the previous lessons, we found man’s condition to be bad and hopeless. Man’s character is not only corrupt but he also cannot behave well at all. Therefore, there is nothing man can do about it to get rid of his sin, to be righteous, and to get to the heavenly kingdom. Let us now turn to these areas.

Concerning the Sin
Man cannot do anything to be free from sin. The Bible said, “Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard its spots? Then may you also do good who are accustomed to do evil?”

(Jer 13:23). Man cannot live without sinning. Only if it is possible for the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard change its spot then man might be able to stop sinning.

Concerning the Consequence of Sin
The Bible says the wages of sin is death (Rom 6:23). How will man obtain eternal life if death is the wages for his sin? Man will go to hell if he dies because of his sin. Therefore, man cannot redeem from the wages of sin.
Concerning the cleansing of the Sin
Man usually feels sorry for his sin and vow to not commit sin again. But he cannot last long before he sins again. More over, he cannot do anything about the sin that had been committed before. The Bible says, ” For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the alter to make atonement for your soul; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.” (Lev 17:11) “And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission” (Heb 9:22). Man does not need to shed his own blood to purify from his sin. Animal’s blood is not acceptable to God either. Man’s own blood is not acceptable because it is the blood of a sinful man. Therefore, man cannot do anything to be free from sin.
Concerning doing good
Man tends to rely on doing good to get God’s favor. Tithing, offering, helping the needy and poor, active in religious activities are some of the things that man thinks will gain God’s favor and thus, being free from sin. However, the Bible said ” But we are like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags” (Is 64:6). All good deeds of man may look good before fellow human being but not before God. The good deed is not sufficient enough to solve the sin problem. For example, a murderer cannot be absolved from his crime regardless of how good his deed are. He will have to pay for the crime he committed.
Concerning the Law
Man thinks that he will be free from sin and also inherit eternal life by following the commandments from the law. However, the Bible said, ” For whoever keep the whole law, and yet stumbled in one point, he is guilty of all” (James 2:10). Man cannot keep all the law. He only says he will keep it. There are, in fact, not many people who actually try to keep the whole law. Moreover, curse and death are the end results because no one can keep the law (Gal 3:10; Rom 7:11). Therefore, man cannot do anything with the law.
Concerning Born-again
Every human being were born as the children of Adam. The physical birth, out of the mother, can be called first birth. This birth is not by choice to start with. Moreover Jesus Christ said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). Those who were not born the first time do not get to see this world. Likewise, those who have not been born again the second time will not inherit nor see God’s kingdom.

Jesus Christ said that one must be born again of the water and spirit. How will that be? Will that be through baptism? If it is through the water baptism then all who have been baptized with the water will get to the kingdom of God. How ever, not all who are baptized with water will get there. How will one be born again spiritually? I don’t know what to say about that now. So, there is nothing man can do regarding the born again issue.

Concerning the Eternal Life
Man has tried to get eternal life through various means such as, behaving, offering, keeping the law, being religious, etc. But the eternal life is not in them. God placed the eternal life in Jesus Christ. Therefore, only those who have the Son of God will have the eternal life (1 John 5:11,12).  If so, how will one get the eternal life without Jesus Christ? Man does not know what to do.
Concerning Satan
Human beings are children of Satan. Jesus Christ said, “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do” (John 8:44). How will the contact with Satan the father be broken?  Man does not know what to do.
Concerning Adam
All came from Adam. Therefore, all are condemned and cursed as Adam. Therefore, everyone has sin starting from birth. Therefore, the contact with Adam must be broken. What will one do to break this contact? It is not possible by man.
So how do you do it?
Everyone should raise this question. Those who do not raise this question do not understand their own status. It is not a problem for them. Therefore, they don’t know that they should be afraid and so they do not look for the exit. They will corrupt in their sin.

This question was poised to the apostles by the Jews (Acts 2:37). To the Jewish people, they believe that they were zealous for God and lived according to the commandment of God. They were so zealous for God that they thought of Jesus as the leader who strayed. However, when they realized what they did wrong and that there was nothing they could do about the salvation and forgiveness, they came to the apostles and ask what they should do?

This question was also posed to St. Paul by the jailor.  All the doors of the prison were opened by the power of God when Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God.  Thinking that all prisoners had escaped, the keeper of the prison drew his sword and was about to kill himself. But Paul told him with a loud voice that all the prisoners were still there. And the jailer fell down trembling before Paul and Silas and asked “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:25-30).

This question usually is asked when one is cornered with problems and can’t do anything else to escape. Friend! Have you asked this question? Or, do you think you need to ask this question?

1. Can man live without sinning? ______________________
2. What would an Ethiopian need to do if a man would not sin again? ________________________________________
3. Can man repay the death that is the result of sin? ______
4. Is there clean blood to cleanse the sin of man? _________
5. Can the doing of good things take care of the sin problem?
__________________________________________________
6. The only result of following the law is _______________
7. What will a man do to be born again? ________________
8. Is eternal life possible without Jesus Christ? ___________
9. How can man break the relationship with Satan and Adam? __________________________________________________
10. How did the jailer ask the question? _________________

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God’s Salvation

In lesson 12, we have learned that man is helpless concerning the sin, the law, getting the eternal life, and the break away from the Adam lineage. However, what is impossible with man is possible with God (Matt 19:23-26). Let us continue our study on how God had solved the above impossibilities through Jesus Christ.

Criminal Sin
Let us look into how God had solved the criminal sin first. Criminal sin is what a person committed. This committed crime is a sin both in the eyes of God and human beings. Therefore the criminal sin affects the human mind. When a person commits a criminal sin, it affects so bad that it brings him to the point where he dares not accept God’s graciousness anymore. However, he will only be free from the effect of this type of committed sin through God’s forgiveness and enjoy the happiness again.
Through the Blood
Criminal sin can be forgiven through the blood. In the Bible we read “For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul” (Lev 17:11). “And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission” (Heb 9:22).

God said blood is the only thing that can eradicate sin. If so, how does the blood do this? In order to understand the process we need to understand what the Israelites did related to sin offering. Again, we need to understand about the tabernacle in order to understand the sacrifices that were offered.

The Tabernacle
The real tabernacle is located in Heaven. God showed Moses the real tabernacle while on Mount Sinai. He told Moses to build the same tabernacle on earth (Ex 25:9). All sacrifices are to be performed inside the tabernacle. We can understand how sacrifices are offered in Heaven by knowing how it is offered in the tabernacle. Therefore, it is very important to understand about the sacrifice and tabernacle.
1.The Court of Tabernacle
The sides of the court were covered with fine woven linen having 100 cubits in length, 50 cubits side, and 5 cubits height (Ex 27).
2. The Tabernacle Gate
The gate was located on the east side measuring twenty cubits long, woven of blue, purple, and scarlet thread. Also, fine woven linen (Ex 27:16).
3 Tabernacle
The tabernacle was built in the back of the inside of the court with thirty cubits in length and ten cubits in width.
4. The Holiest of the Holy Place (Ex 26:33)
The tabernacle was divided into two sections and the inner one is called the Most Holy. In it was placed the ark of the Testimony where God resided. The Most Holy place was ten cubits on each side and only the High Priest and the anointed priest could enter only once a year.
5. The Holy Place (Ex 26:33)
The Holy Place was the outer part of the tabernacle. Its length was twenty cubits and its width was ten cubits. In it were the Altar of Burnt Offering, Gold Lampstand, and the Table for the Showbread. Priests went into this place twice, once in the morning and once in the evening to perform burnt offering and cleaning of the lamp.

6. The Veil (Ex 26:31)
The veil was located between the Holy Place and the Holiest Place. The high priest or priests had to pass through this veil when entering the Holiest Place.
7. The Ark of Covenant (Ex 25:10-22)
The Ark was made of acacia wood and overlaid with gold. The Ten Commandments written on the two tablets were place in the Ark. The cover of the box was called the mercy seat made of pure gold.  On the mercy seat were two cherubim of gold. God resided between the two angels in the form of clouds. The mercy seat represented God’s temple in Heaven.
8. The Altar of Incense (Ex 30:1-10)
It was made of acacia wood and overlaid with gold. The priests burned sweet incense on it every morning and in the evening. This represented prayer.
9. The Gold Lampstand (Ex 25:31-40)
It was placed in the south side of the Holy Place. It was made of gold with one lamp stand with three branches of the lampstand out of one side and three branches of the lampstand out of the other side. The lampstand was lit up night and day. This represented reading the word of God and enlightenment of the Holy Spirit.
10. The Table of Showbread (Ex 25:23-30)
It was made of acacia wood with gold overlaid and placed in the north side of the Holy Place. On it were placed twelve loaves of unleavened bread. The bread were replaced with a new one each day for the priests.
11. The Bronze Laver (Ex 30:17-21)
It was placed about midway between the altar and tabernacle. Officiating priests used it to wash their hands and feet.
12. Altar of Burnt Offering (Ex 27:1-7)
It was also called altar of incense. It was made of acacia wood with a top, and horns like the large altar, the hole being covered with gold. It was five cubits in length, five cubits in width, and three cubits in height. It was used for scarifying animals. It represented the cross.
13. Congregational Gathering Place
Place where congregation assembled. Congregation was not allowed to enter in to the tabernacle. They were allowed to stay in front of the tabernacle only where the burnt offering alters and the bronze lavers were located. It was the place where animals were sacrificed to God.

Note: Please memorize the tabernacle and its apparatuses.

1. What can solve the problem of sin? __________________
2. Why do we need to understand the tabernacle? ________
__________________________________________________
3. Where is the real tabernacle now? ____________________
4. What is the inside of tabernacle called? _______________
5. What was placed in the holiest place? ________________
6. What were placed in the holy place?__________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________
7. What was the location of the veil? ____________________
8. What was the purpose of the Bronze Laver? ___________
9. What did the altar of the burnt offering represent?______
__________________________________________________
10. Where were the animals sacrificed? ___________________________________________________________________

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Solving Sin by Blood

In Lesson 13 we learned about the tabernacle. Let us now concentrate on how the blood solves the problem of sin. God said that the blood solved the problem of sin. How will the blood solve this?

The one who can blame
We have learned in Lesson Two that the one who blames and judges is the eternal God. In Psalms 32:2 we read,  “Blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity…” Therefore, only the eternal God have the authority to blame or forgive.
By the Blood
God, who can put blame and can forgive, demands blood for solving the sin. The Bible said, “For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atone ment for the soul” (Lev 17:11). “…And without the shedding of blood there is no remission” (Heb 9:22). Therefore, forgiving sin is possible only by the blood.
Blood is the Life of Flesh
Why did God demand blood for remission of sin? Actually, the wages of sin is death (Rom 6:23). The sinner will die because of his sin. There are no other penalties such as imprisonment, fine, hard labor, etc. for sin. The ruling from the court of God for the penalty of sin is death. Man will die because of sin. It is required to show to God that one has been redeemed from sin by blood. The reason being is it has been said that the life of flesh is in its blood. Therefore, demanding blood is the same as demanding life.
The shadow
Eternal God used to demand blood from Israelites for forgiveness of their sin. That was the shadow. In Leviticus 4:1-12, for the anointed priests, it was not enough to remorse even when he committed unintentional sin. He needed to bring a young bull without blemish as a sin offering. He was to bring the bull to the door of the tabernacle of meeting before the Lord, lay his hand on the bull’s head, and kill the bull before the Lord. Then, the anointed priest was to take the bull blood and sprinkle some of the blood seven times before the Lord, in front of the veil of the sanctuary. Then, He puts some of the blood on the horns of the altar of sweet incense before the Lord, which was in the tabernacle of meeting.

Next, he pours the remaining blood of the bull at the base of the altar of the burnt offering, which was at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. He then was to take the fat of the bull as the sin offering. He was to remove the fat that covers the entrails, the two kidneys, the fat that was on them by the flanks, and the fatty lobe attached to the liver above the kid neys. It was taken from the bull of the sacrifice of the peace offering and the priest was to burn them on the altar of the burnt offering.

Only after the priest sacrificed such offerings then the Lord was to forgive the priest’s sin. Without offering the blood the priest could not just say “I am sorry, I promise I will never commit the sin again.” The eternal God looked at the blood of the bull and forgave the sin. The bull’s blood was its life; and the bull’s life represented the priest’s life.

Fulfillment
The Israelite’s offering was the shadow to be fulfilled by the offering of Jesus Christ Himself. The Bible said, ” For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away the sin” (Heb 10:4). The reason is that animal cannot represent man. Therefore, blood is needed for us offer to God Almighty. God cannot accept the animal’s blood. If we offer our own blood, it is not pure. Therefore, God Himself “prepare a body ” for Himself (Heb 10:5). What the Israelites did during the Old Testament times were the shadow fulfilled by Jesus Christ (Col 2:17).
Sacrificing the blood of Jesus Christ
None of the human being’s blood is pure to be offered to God. Therefore, Jesus Christ offered His own blood according to the plan of God. The Bible said, “But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption” (Heb 9:11,12).

Jesus Christ is our high priest according to the above Scriptures. He is also the offering (animal). The tabernacle in Heaven is not man made. The forgiveness is for eternity. Therefore Jesus Christ’s offering of His own life is better than the Israelite’s offering. The following chart will show the difference between the two offerings.

Subject Matter In the Past Now
The Tabernacle Located on Earth built by human hands In Heaven not built by human hands
The priest Human beings who can sin Jesus Christ without sin
Offering Animals lower than human beings Jesus Christ who is higher than man
Forgiveness Until sin is committed again Eternal

God is the one who will forgive man. What He’s asking for is blood without sin. Man do not posses blood that is free of sin. God Himself sent His own Son into this world to become a human being and demanded to shed the blood. Jesus had offered one sacrifice for sins forever (Heb 10:12). God the Father accepted and was satisfied with this offering. Therefore, the verdict of forgiving of sin had been broadcasted from God’s judgment seat. And God said, ” Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin” (Heb 10:18).

Became holy
The one who sees man as having sin is God. But it has been said that the blood of Jesus Christ has made man made holy. The Bible said ” … and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleansed us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). In one sense, human beings do not have the problem of sin anymore. The reason is the blood of Christ has cleansed all sins of human beings. But more people will still be heading to Hell. The reason is because they do not understand that their sins have been washed and also because of their unbelief.
Need to accept
Friend, you need to accept what Jesus Christ has done for you. It’s not that you don’t sin anymore. You will commit sin everyday. However, the blood of Christ had cleansed them. This is the work of God and He Himself is satisfied.  Therefore the Bible said, “Blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity” (Ps 32:2). God is not condemning you for your sin. In the same manner, it is important that you don’t fool yourself.

1. Who is the one that can blame and forgive? ___________
2. What did God say with what can sin be forgiven? _____
3. Living a life as one pleases is a ______________________
4. Demanding blood is the same as demanding _________.
5. Why was the life of the flesh was demanded for sin?______________________________________________________
6. Can being remorseful forgive a priest’s sin?____________
7. The bull’s __________ was its __________; and the bull’s
__________represented the priest’s __________________.
8. The sacrifices of Israelites during the Old Testament times
were fulfilled in __________________________________.
9. Our high priest is _________________________________.
10. Our sacrificial lamb is _____________________________.
11. The previous tabernacle was located on ___________and but now in _______________________________________
12.Is another sacrifice needed after Christ had sacrificed with His own life?_______. Give the reason___________.
13. Friend, has your sins been forgiven?_________________.
14. Are all the people of the world needed to go to hell?___. Why would they still be heading to hell?_____________.
15. It is important that not to blame our ______since God did not.

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The work of the Blood

In Lesson 14, we learned that the blood solved the problem of human being’s sin. Not only did it solve the consequences of committed crime but solved others also. Let us look into these.

Free from Judgment
The blood freed us from God’s judgment. On the night of Exodus from Egypt, God told Israelites to slaughter the lamb and eat overnight. They were also commanded to put the blood on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses where they ate it. On that night, God was to execute judgment upon the Egyptians. The blood of the lamp was a sign for the Israelites that God will pass over their house when He sees it and therefore, the plague will not be upon them. God was to strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast (Ex 12:7-13) in the house where there was no blood painted.

That night “It came to pass at midnight that he LORD struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of livestock” (Ex 12:29). However, none of Israelites’ firstborn were struck. This was not because they were of good behavior. It was because of the blood of the lamb. God looked at the blood and pass over. Likewise, the blood is needed to pass over for judgment for all mankind. However, since there was no holy (sinless) blood, God Himself prepared the blood of Jesus Christ for the pass over. Jesus Christ Himself said, “For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Matt 26:28). If the blood has shed for the remission of man’s sin, there is no need for God’s judgment for us. Jesus Christ Himself had said “He who believes in Him is not condemned” (John 3:18).

Dear friend, your sins have been forgiven because of the blood of Jesus Christ and thus you are not subject to God’s judgment anymore. Can you accept this truth? It was God Himself who freed the Israelites from His judgment. Likewise, it was God who prepared Jesus Christ’s blood for the remission of all human being’s sin. Friend, you need to accept and believe that God Himself looked at Jesus Christ’s shed blood and therefore, does not judge you anymore.

Rahab the Harlot
Just before the Israelites entered Canaan, while at Acacia Grove (Shittim), Joshua sent two men to spy Jericho. Those two men stayed at the home of harlot Rahab. And Rahab asked the two men to promise her to spare her and her family’s lives when they overtaken Jericho and so the two spies promised her.  However, they told Rahab to bind a line of scarlet cord in the window so that the Israelites may know and spare Rahab and her father’s households. She was warned that Rahab was to bring all her family in to her house and not to go outside of the door to the street (Josh 2:1-21). And Joshua spared Rahab the harlot, her father’s house, and all that she had because of the scarlet as promised (Josh 6:25).

Rahab the harlot was not a woman of good character. She was a prostitute. But she believed and feared God. However, only being fearful of God is not enough. She showed her belief in a practical manner. The way she showed this was she hid the two spies, her enemies, from her own people. Her act could have cost her life. Nevertheless, she helped the spies with her own life.

All her family members were safe because of the scarlet cord. They were free from death as long as they lived in the house of the scarlet cord. All died who were living outside of the scarlet cord.

This scarlet cord represented the blood of Jesus Christ. Rahab the harlot did not own the scarlet cord. The spies gave it to her. Likewise, the blood of Jesus Christ was not there because of us. It was given by God. Like the scarlet cord saved the lives of Rahab and family members, the blood of Jesus Christ have saved us from death. Friend, you need to accept and depend on this blood. The Bible said ” …and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross” (Col 1:20).

Made Righteous
We now have learned that man cannot do anything to become righteous before God. Instead, God had made us righteous because of the blood of Jesus Christ. Abel, Adam’s son, brought a firstborn of a lamb as an offering to God (Gen 4:4). God accepted Abel’s offering. The meaning is Abel became a righteous person before God. The blood of lamb was the shadow to represent the blood of Jesus Christ.

God had made us righteous because of the blood of Jesus Christ now. The Bible said, “Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath through Him” (Rom 5:9). Therefore, the blood not only had justified us but also saved us from the wrath of God. Friend the only thing left for you is to accept that the blood had made you righteous.

During the great tribulation, we find that many believers will become righteous because of the blood of Jesus Christ. In the Bible we read, ” These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb” (Rev 8:14).

Friend, have you made your robe white through the blood of the lamb that is Jesus Christ? May God be forever be praised because He had made us righteous through Jesus Christ’s blood since it was not possible through obeying the commandments.

He had Freed Us
“We know that we are of God. And the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one” (1 John 5:19). John said here that the whole world is in the hand of Satan. We do not know how to go free from this Satan. We cannot get into the hands of God. But God had freed us through blood of Jesus Christ. In the Bible “For You (the Lamb) have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and have made us kings and priests to our God; and we shall reign on earth” (Rev 5:9,10). Since Jesus Christ had freed us for God through His blood, we are now living for God.

In our old life, we followed the world and lived a meaning less life. From that life Jesus Christ had freed us. The apostle Peter said “…knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Pet 1:18,19).

Man usually behaves as his forefathers. Those behaviors are not useful. The blood of Jesus Christ has redeemed us from that useless conducts. Therefore we do not own ourselves. St. Paul said “For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s” (1 Cor 6:20).

1. How were the Israelites freed from judgment?___________________________________________________________
2. How will we be free from the judgment? ________________________________________________________________
3. What did the spies give Rahab the harlot? _______________________________________________________________
4. What did the scarlet cord represent? _________________
5. Friend, do you believe that you have been freed from God’s judgment because of the blood of Jesus? ________________________________________________________________
6. With what did we get our righteousness since we cannotget it by good deeds? ______________________________
7. What can make man be at peace with God? _____________________________________________________________
8. What made the believers’ robe white during the great tribulation? _______________________________________
9. How were we bought out of the world? ________________________________________________________________

10. Since you have been bought with the blood of Christ to whom do you live for now? _________________________

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Representing

We have learned that the blood in Chapter 14 forgave us and in Chapter 15 we learned the work of the blood: freedom from judgment and becoming righteous. Now let us look into their representation. In some cases representing is not possible. For example, none of us can eat for another person. We have to eat our own meal in order to be full. Whereas, in some cases, we find that representing others is possible. For example, we can pay for the bus fare for someone else. Therefore, in regard to sins, we need to understand how this representing is possible.

Putting all sins on goat’s head
For all the children of Israel, “Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, confess over it all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions, concerning all their sins, putting them on the head of the goat, and shall send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a suitable man” (Lev 16:21).

All the sins of the children of Israel were transferred to the head of goat as God had commanded. The sins also were gone with goat to the wilderness. Therefore, there were no more sins among the children of Israel. The one who can blame and for give is God. Because God Himself judged this way, the child ren of Israel were left without sins.

Place upon Jesus Christ
Now the sin of the world had been placed on Jesus Christ who had to die because of this sin. The Bible said “All we like sheep have gone astray; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all” (Is 53:6).

Friend, you are also included in this because the Bible said all of our sins had been laid on Him. All nonbelieving, believing, and everyone are included. Therefore, friend, there is no sin in you anymore. Since it said all, these include past, present, and future sins. What it said “laid on Him” is to mean Jesus Christ. When John the Baptist saw Jesus Christ he said “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29) St. Paul also said “…that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures” (1 Cor 15:3). Therefore the one who carried away our sin is Jesus Christ.

The one who can blame
The priest can place the sins of the children of Israel on the head of goat. They, themselves, did not have the right to carry the sin. Likewise, God has the right to place all the sin of the world on Jesus Christ. The Bible said “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor 5:21). The sinless person is Jesus Christ. God made Him the sin for us because of our sin. This happened just over two thousand years ago. Therefore all you have to do is believe and accept this fact. If you believe this, you are sinless in the eyes of God. This is good news.
The wages of sin is death
Now all our sins had reached Jesus Christ. The wages of sin is death (Rom 6:23). Therefore, Christ died on behalf of us. Consequently, there is no need to die for our sin. There is no one in the world that will die because of sin. Christ had suffered for the whole world. The Bible said “And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world” (1 John 2:2). But many will still die for sin because of their disbelief and misunderstanding.  Friend, by faith you can accept what Jesus Christ had done for you.
The wrath of the Law
In lesson 11, we have learned that man received a curse because he could not follow all the laws. He needs to obey or follow all the commandments of the Law without breaking anyone of them. All, including you, are cursed because none can follow all the laws (Gal 3:10-13). “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, Cursed is everyone who hangs on the cross)”(Gal 3:13).

Christ was cursed on behalf of us. Therefore, He was hung and died on the cross. Now you have been saved from the curse. You have also been freed from the need of hanging on the tree. The freedom that you have received is not because of your good deeds (that is you obeyed all laws and live righteously) but it is because Christ had suffered and was subjected to curse according to God’s plan. It is only purely through God’s grace. We need to believe and accept this fact.

Suffering Death
We have learned that man died because of the sin of Adam. There are three different kinds of death:
1.Spiritual Death
This is the separation of our spirit with the spirit of God. Every human being is dead since birth because of Adam.
2.Bodily Death.
It is called death when the body and spirit are separated. Friend! You are still alive because your spirit is still in you.
3.Second Death.
When non-believers die, their spirit will be heading to the eternal hell fire. This is called second death.

No one can escape any of these deaths. But because of Grace, God let His Son die on behalf of us. This was how we can escape from death. Christ had died on the cross for all kinds of deaths. He was separated from His Father and died for our spiritual death. Therefore, Jesus Christ lamented, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matt 27:45). We now, however, have the opportunity to reconnect with God the Father because of Jesus Christ’s sufferings.

We now have the assurance of healing and evaded eternal bodily destruction because of Christ’s bodily suffering for us. Our physical body will decay when we die, but when Christ returns we will rise again with an indestructible body. We who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with the dead who has rose in the cloud to meet the Lord in the air (1 Cor. 15:51-55; 1 Thess. 4:13-17).

We are free from the eternal flame, which is the second death because of the death of Christ for us. However, one needs to have faith in Christ in order to enjoy this benefit.

1. To where will the sin of the Israelites be placed? _______
2. Who placed the sins of the Israelites on the head of goat? __________________________________________________
3. On whom was the sin of the world placed? ____________
4. Who placed it? ____________________________________
5. How much of our sin did Jesus Christ take away? ______
6. Is there any more sin in you? ________________________
7. How did Jesus Christ suffer the curse of the law? _______
8. Friend, are you free from the wrath of curse? __________
9. How did we get free from our spiritual death? _________
10. What will happen to the believers when Christ returns? _________________________________________________

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The Death of Old Person

We have learned that our committed sin have been cleansed by the blood of Christ in Lesson 14. We have also learned in Lesson 15 about what the shed blood has done for us. In Lesson 16, we have learned how it had done on behalf of us. Now let us look at our old nature that sinned.

Grace abounded where sin abounded
We already have understood that our committed sin had been freed because of the grace of God. However, the Bible said “But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more”

(Rom 5:20). The meaning is the more you sin the greater the Grace is. Now a question that can be raised is “if grace to be abounded should we sin more?” Therefore, St. Paul said,    “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?” (Rom 6:1,2). Therefore, let us look into death in sin.

Let us look at the following figure.

God placed Adam in the territory of light. It was the place free from sin and under the rule of God.

Into the Dark Territory
Adam arrived into the dark territory because of his disobedience to God (Gen 3:24). The dark territory is where God does not rule and refers to this present sinful world.
Slave of Sin
Sin rules the dark territory. Jesus Christ said, ” Most assured ly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin” (John 8:34). This indicates sin became the master for the slave who committed sin.
By Birth
Adam became the slave of sin through his disobedience. However, the generation of Adam arrived to the dark territory by birth. Therefore, friend, sin is your master.
Man is helpless
Even though God took care of your sins and yet if you still remained to the slave of sin, then you will commit more sin. Man is helpless and can’t do a thing in regards to escaping from the dark territory nor from being a slave of sin.
Sent the Son
God sent His own Son to the dark territory to rescue those who are the slaves of sin (Heb. 2:14,15; Matt. 4:14-16). Even though Jesus Christ was living in the dark territory, He did become the slave of sin (1 Peter 2:22). Therefore, He was capable of rescuing those from the dark territory.
Place in Jesus Christ
Man arrived to the dark territory through birth. Therefore, he exists in the dark territory through death. For example, man came into a family through birth and departed through death. Therefore, man will depart the dark territory through death.  But the body has only one destination and that is to Hell. Therefore, God placed man in Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 1:30). Therefore, friend, you need to admit that you are in Christ.
The old man died
Man who is living as a slave of sin is termed the old man. This old man was crucified with Jesus Christ in order to depart from the dark territory. The Bible said, “…knowing this that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin” (Rom 6:6).

Even though sin made the old man to be the slave of sin, he was free from slavery when the old man died with Christ. For he who has died has been freed from sin (Rom 6:7). No one can command a dead man. Likewise, the old man who has died cannot be commanded by sin any longer. By this way, the old man departed from being a slave and also from the dark territory.

God’s and man’s view
In man’s view, Christ died on the cross. But it was not God’s idea that Christ died. It was for the old man to die. Therefore, the old man was placed in Christ and both died. There fore, in God’s view, the old man died on the cross.
Must accept it with faith
It may be difficult for you to accept the idea that you died with Jesus Christ. But you must accept it by faith what God had done. St. Paul also was not a believer when Christ died. However, he admitted as such “I have been crucified with Christ” (Gal 2:20).
Buried
Man is buried into grave when died. In the same manner, the old man was buried with Christ. Burial is called baptism. St. Paul said, “Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death.”(Rom. 6:4). Friend, you have been buried with Christ. Friend, your old man was killed on the cross with Christ and therefore ended in the grave. Therefore, friend, you have been freed from sin’s slave.
Resurrection
Christ rose from the dead. Likewise, we also rose again with the new life. The Bible said “…that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in the newness of life” (Rom 6:4). Again, through baptism we were buried with Christ.  The Bible said “…buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead” (Col 2:12). Therefore friend, you have resurrected.

1. Where sin abounded _____________________abounded.
2. How did Adam arrived into the dark territory?________
3. How did you got into the dark territory? _____________
4. The ruler of the dark territory is_____________________
5. In whom did you were put, friend? __________________
6. Have you died with Jesus Christ? ___________________
7. What is the other term for buried? ___________________
8. Have you been raised up with Christ?________________
9. When raised from dead man become ________________
10. Is born again means changing the habit? _____________

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Benefits because of Jesus Christ

In Lesson 17, we have learned that our old man (nature) has died with Christ and was buried and resurrected with Jesus Christ. Let us now turn to the benefits that are ours because of Jesus Christ. When we resurrected together with Christ, the following are the benefits that we received:

1. We have been born again the second time
The Lord Jesus Christ said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God”

(John 3:3). How do then will we be born again? Jesus said that we need to be born of water and the Spirit (John 3:5). Many people think it is through water baptism that one can become born again but it is not enough through baptism only.

In order to understand the second born again, one needs to understand the first birth clearly. The first birth was out of the mother’s womb. When we were born the first time, we were born into the Adamic race or into the Adam family. The old man Adamic race is sinful. We cannot go to heaven through this first birth. Jesus said that one can not see the kingdom of God unless he is born again. The born again does not mean water baptism, following religious ritual, nor following all the commandments.

God killed and hung our old man with Jesus on the cross. Our old man did not come with us when raised from the tomb with Jesus Christ. We were raised as new men. Man could not do about this change. It is possible only through the power of God (2 Cor 5:17). Only the new man through the resurrection is born again the second time.

2. Arrived to the Son’s Kingdom
The previous old man lived in the dark territory. God Him self dragged us out of the dark territory through Jesus Christ because we could not do it on our own. The Scriptures said “He delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love” (Col 1:13). There fore, friend you are not living in the power of darkness. You have reached into the kingdom of Jesus Christ. Again “..and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Eph 2:6). Therefore friend, when you earthly tent, which is your body, is destroyed “we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in heavens” (2 Cor. 5:1). Therefore, friends do not love this world too much. We are here in the world temporarily as agents of God and we need to be aware of that.
3. Received eternal life
Friend, “In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise..”

(Eph 1:13). If the Holy Spirit sealed you then you have received the Lord Jesus Christ. Those who have Jesus Christ have the eternal life. Friend you need to know this (1 John 5:11,12).

4. Have become the son of God
Friend, you were the son of Satan at birth (John 8:44). How ever, you have the right to become the child of God the day you received Jesus in your life (John 1:12). Therefore, “the Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God” (Rom 8:16). We also have become heirs of God (Rom 8:17).
5. In the hand of God
Friend, your life is in the hand of God.  The Bible said, “For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God” (Col 3:3). Therefore, Satan cannot affect you anymore. Moreover, Jesus said, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me and I give them eternal life. And they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out or My Father’s hand” (John 10:27-29).

Friend, you are living an eternal life because you are Jesus’ sheep. You are also free from destruction (destruction means going to hell).  Satan cannot snatch you out or destroy you because you are in the hands of Jesus Christ and God. How ever, there are still temptation in this world therefore you must be careful.

6. Have become righteous
You have received the righteousness, which cannot be obtained through following the commandments. God gives us the righteousness. The Bible said, “It is God who justifies”

(Rom. 8:33). God made you a righteous person because of the blood of Jesus Christ. In the Bible “Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him” (Rom. 5:9). This righteousness is in the sight of God and not man’s.  “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us. That we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor. 5:21). Therefore, friend you are righteous before God.

7. Became God’s people
In your previous life you did not have anything to do with God. Moreover, you were the enemy of God. But now “…you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation. His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy” (1 Pet. 2:9,10).

Friend, since you are of a royal priesthood, you can enjoy being in the royal family. Additionally, you can also submit your prayers directly to God. . You can fellowship with God anytime because you are God’s people. You also are a blessed person.

1. The first birth is ___________________of mother’s womb.
2. The second birth takes place when ___________________ together with Christ.
3. Friend, you have been pulled out of the power of___________and had been transported into _______’s kingdom.
4. Friend, you are the representative of __________________ while living in this world.
5. Friend you have been sealed with the seal of the _______________________________________________________.
6. Friend, you have believed and accepted Jesus Christ, therefore you have become the ________________of God.
7. Friend, since you now are in the________of Jesus, Satan cannot not destroy you anymore.
8. Friend, you have become ______________ in the sight of God.
9.Friend, you have become a __________ and a holy nation.
10. Friend, you have become __________________’s people.

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Assurance of Salvation

God’s doing
Salvation is the work of God from the beginning to the end. God the Father had already planned to save us, to forgive us by the death of His Son; and these were planned before the foundation of the earth (1 Pet 1:20).

The Son had accomplished the Father’s plan through His death and resurrection. Through the word of God, the Holy Spirit let us understand these plans. We will only accept this by faith. There is nothing we did from our end.

Through the word of God
How will we know that God had saved us, forgiven us, accepted us, and given us eternal life? In the Old Testament time, man could converse and ask God questions. During the time of His Son, man could talk with Jesus Christ face to face. But during the time of the Holy Spirit, man can know and ask through the Word of God. Therefore, we need to read the Bible.
What did the word of God say?
Man believes and accepts whatever is written in a letter between one another. In the same manner, one can believe and accept God’s promises that were written in the Holy Bible. Some resort other ways to believe when they do not and cannot believe the Bible. Many people fall into Satan’s trap when they are looking for miracles and feelings to strengthen their faith. “For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified” (1 Cor. 1:22, 23).
No judgment for sin
Jesus Christ said this regarding sin: “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned, but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (John 3:17,18). The Bible said that he who believe in the Son will not be condemned therefore we can rest assure and believe that we will not be judged for our sin. The Bible did not say that those who do not believe in the Son and those who are not without sin. It said only those who believe in the Son. Therefore, we can conclude that those who believe in the Son will not be subjected to sin judgment. God never lies. “If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater” (1 John 5:9). The word of God is more believable.
He accepted us
Man sometimes drives back those who come to him. But Jesus never casts out anyone who comes to Him (John 6:37). Friend, you can rest assure that God will accept you if you truly go to Him. Though He is not saying it with an audible voice, you can know that He will accept you according to the word of God.
Received eternal life
Eternal life means living together with God in Heaven. The spirit of man will also be living in the lake of fire eternally. This eternal living in the lake of fire is referred to as death or second death (Rev. 20:14).

Jesus Christ said, “That whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:15). John the Baptist also said, “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life, and he who does not believes the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides in him” (John 3:36).

Now, you have assurance that you have eternal life because you believe in the Son of God according to the Word of God. Eternal life is not received only after death. It is available now. You do not have to be complete or free of sin. You can have it if you believe in the Son. Therefore, you need to trust the Word of God.

Received the Holy Spirit
Friend, once you believe in Jesus Christ you have also received the Holy Spirit. In the Bible, “In Him you also trusted after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise” (Eph 1:13). And this Holy Spirit, ” by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption” (Eph 4:30). There fore, friend, you have the Holy Spirit or the Spirit of Jesus Christ in you. The Holy Spirit and the Spirit of Jesus Christ is the same.

1. Salvation is the work of _________from the beginning to the end.
2. Salvation was the plan of ________and completed by ___________________________________________________.
3. In the age of the Holy Spirit, God can be communicated through the ______________________________________.
4. You can trust the promises of God, as written in the ____.
5. Does it need to have signs and wonders in order to believe in the word of God? _______________________________.
6. Will those who believe in the Son have to face the judgment of sin? ____________________________________________.
7. How do you know that the Lord Jesus Christ accepted you? ____________________________________________.
8. Whoever believe in the Son receives___________________
9. Have you receive the Holy Spirit?_______________.How can you know?_____________________________________
10.When can you receive eternal life, now or after death? __________________________________________________

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Two kinds of Christian

New believers usually make two mistakes initially. They believe that believers should not sin and more over, they cannot commit sin. If one believer is found to commit sin it is thought that he would lose his eternal life. The truth is eternal life is not earned because of sinless life or obedience to God. On the contrary, eternal life is possible purely due to the grace of God and therefore, no one cannot lose salvation.

Suppose if eternal life is lost every time a sin is committed, then it is not eternal. Eternal life is continuous and lasts forever. If eternal life is lost every time sin is committed and regained after every repentance, then this is not eternal life but rather it will be intermittent life. God has given us eternal life not because we deserve it or not because of our good work but it is purely because of His grace (Eph 2:8,9).

Moreover, believers are capable of committing sin according to St. John saying, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8).

The Bible said that there are three kinds of man as we can see in the following figures.

The natural or carnal man
This figure represents a carnal man. Jesus is not in his heart. He does not have anything to do with Jesus because he did not accept Christ (Rom 8:9). He does not have eternal life because he did not accept Christ (1 John 5:12). He is being judged now for his sin because he does not believe in Jesus Christ (John 3:18).  The wrath of God is also on him (John 3:36). The EGO “I” is on the throne of his heart because he does not receive Christ.

St. Paul said the following about the carnal man: “But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Cor. 2:14). The natural man does not like the spiritual thing because he does not understand. He only wants the worldly thing. All actions of his life and his behavior do not reflect that of a spiritual person. His life is empty and is filled with sadness and there is no happiness. All of his feelings are to the extreme, such as his extreme happiness that turns into extreme sadness suddenly and his feeling are alternating between a short temper, happiness, loss of control, anxiety, and etc. His life is not a stable nor calm.

Natural man characteristics are shown not only in a non-believers’ life but also in a Christians’ life. Many of them may be pastors, deacons and elders, youth leaders, and women leaders. Many church members may look like Christians but because they do not receive Jesus Christ, they are therefore carnal or natural men. This sort of life cannot do the will of God. They are damaging the glory of God.

The spiritual man
The spiritual Christian is a person who not only accepted Christ in his life but also someone who allows Christ to govern his life and sit on the throne of his life. He dethroned his ego.  He is a true Christian because he accepted Christ. He also received eternal life (1 John 5:12). He is free of judgment from sin (John 3:18). He is a righteous and holy person before God (1 Cor. 1:2,30).

This person lives a godly life because he allows Christ to rule his life and not himself. Therefore, the fruits of the spirit such as love, joy, and peace are in him. Longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control can be found in his life (Gal. 5:22-23).

This person lives a meaningful life and has goals or a pur pose for his life. He lives a constructive life to others because all of his actions and manners are according to the will of God. He therefore is very persuasive. His life glorifies God and others respect and love him.

All believers are to live such a life. This kind of person is even respected by non-believers and he can lead them to Christ. Most believers want and hope for this type of life.

Carnal Christian
A carnal Christian is a person who has eternal life because he received Christ in his life and is free from the judgment of sin. He received the rights of a Christian. However, he does not let Christ govern his life. He lives an egocentric life. There fore, he lives a non-Christian life even though he is a Christian.

This person received Christ in his life and therefore is assured of eternal life; however, his life does not glorify God but lives a condemnatory life because he lives a carnal life. He lives a life that produces fruits as the natural man as described in Gal. 5:19-21.

The Corinthian Church
The congregation of the Corinth Church lived a carnal life and thus Paul said to them, “And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?” (1 Cor. 3:1-3).

Although the Corinth Church lived a carnal life they do not lose their salvation and Paul pointed out to them in his letter saying, “To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus….”(1 Cor. 1:2). Not only this, Paul talked about what their reward would be, for Christ is return saying: ” For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised (including the Corinth Church members) incorrupttible, and we shall be changed” (1 Cor. 15:52).

These carnal Christians do not lose their salvation; however, they live a condemnatory life and do not live according the will of God. They themselves do not enjoy their life but instead live a miserable life. Therefore, we need to live a life that is controlled by the Holy Spirit and not a carnal life.

Letting Christ governs
We have learned that the carnal Christians do not allow their life to be governed by Jesus Christ but instead EGO runs their lives. If one would continue to live such a life, then he will never please God. He is the opposite of God and cannot and will not follow the will of God (Rom. 8:7-8).

Therefore, one needs to confess his sins and let Christ rule his life and live a Spirit filled life again. He needs to be humble and resubmit his life to Christ. If you really let Christ rule your life, then He will surely rule and run your life. The life that is ruled by Christ is a Spirit filled life and you will be able to live according to the will of God. This life will then begin to bear spiritual fruits.

1. Can anyone commit sin after he received Christ in his life?
_________________________________________________
2. Will the believers lose their eternal life because of committed sin?  _______________________________________
3. Do the carnal Christian received Christ?_______________
4. Are there carnal people within Christians? Why is that?_________________________________________________
5. Describe the fruits of carnality?________________________________________________________________________
6. Who are spiritual men?_____________________________
__________________________________________________
7. Describe the fruit of the spirit.________________________________________________________________________
8. Who rule the carnal Christian? _______________________
9. Will carnal Christian lose salvation? _________________
10.How will one become a spiritual man?  _________________________________________________________________

.

State and Standing

A Christian needs to clearly know his state and standing of his spiritual life. Standing refers to what God had done for the believers. In comparison, it will be like the foundation stone of a house. State would describe a believer’s daily actions. The followings are the Standing of a believer:

Free of sin
A believer commits sin daily with or without knowing, thoughts, or actions. However, a born again believer is free of sin. Therefore, he is free from sin judgment (John 3:18). For committed sin, he will be chastened as a loving father would to his children (Heb. 12:5-11). As judgment is for sinners, chastening is for the children. Therefore, believers will often be chastened but are free for judgment for committed sin.

One  of the benefits of being free from sin is the standing status of a born again believer. The believer himself may be sinning because of his actions but he is free from sin in Christ. In other words, a standing status is in God’s sight and not man’s.

In order to see more clearly let us examine Paul’s letter to the Corinthian Church. The church at the Corinth was not free for sin. They were natural man.  Envy, strife, and division were found among them (1 Cor. 3:3). Moreover, there was a man who had his father’s wife. And they did not bother to condemn the behavior. The Corinthian Church was not a holy church. However, Apostle Paul wrote to them as such “To the church of God which is at the Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints”. Why did Paul write this? Was it because he didn’t know their sin in the first place? Not so. He was fully aware of their sin.

What Paul meant was that God accepted the Corinthian Church as sinless and holy in Jesus Christ. This is their State in Jesus Christ. This was not of their doing. Envy, strife, division, and taking the father’s wife were their action. Those were absolutely not right but were sins. However, their standing or foundation was on Jesus Christ and therefore were sinless and holy. Christ’s holiness was their holiness (1 Cor. 1:30).

Our Standing is the view of God and not our view. God saw the Corinthian Church in Christ. Therefore, they are sinless and holy in Christ. Man usually notices the State. Therefore one judges others with his or her State. If so, one may ask if God did not care about our State. God does care about the believers’ State.  But this State cannot affect the holiness that a believer acquired from Christ. There will of course be the consequence of the action of our State in the form of punishment as a father disciplines his children. If not heeded, God may even take away of his or her physical life.

Righteousness
Righteousness has to do with judgment. A believer is righteous in the sight of God because he is in Christ. Therefore Paul said, “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him”(2 Cor. 5:21).

God made the sinless Christ to become a sinful person because of us. The reason is because of Christ (not our State or doing) and before God (not before men), we might become righteous according to the Scriptures. For that reason, believers are righteous in Christ in the sight of God. This is called the believers’ Standing. It is not decided on what he or she did and it is not based on men’s view. Our Standing depends on Christ. Accordingly, all believers’ standing is the same for all and is not changeable. On the contrary, our State is dependent upon our action and therefore it will not be the same for everyone.

Things could get into a mess if our State and Standing are not clearly distinguished and understood. No one can refrain from sinning. Accordingly, believers usually assume that righteousness and holiness will be forfeited if they commit sin again. The righteousness that was received because of Christ cannot be changed much like Christ does not change. However, fellowshipping with God will be affected and we can lose our joy and happiness because of committed sin. The disobedient children may not be disowned by the parents but they will not live a joyful life. They will not get favoritism from the parents. It is true for believers before God when committed sin. After committing adultery with Bathsheba, David prayed because he could not be happy saying “Make me hear the joy and gladness that the bones You have broken may rejoice…Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me by Your generous Spirit” (Ps. 51:8,12).

Even though members of the Corinthians Church did not live a holy life, they received the gifts of the Spirit. Moreover, Paul wrote that “Behold, I tell you  mystery: We shall not all asleep (dead) , but we shall (including the Corinthians Church) all be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, all the last trumpet” (1 Cor. 15:51,52). This is to say that when Christ returns again all will be changed including the Corinthians Church even though they lived a carnal life. Living a carnal life will not let you forfeit your salvation. But that doesn’t mean to say that you should live a carnal life. However, there are things that will be forfeited because of living a carnal life.

Fellowship broken
A believer became the child of God the minute he accepts Christ as his or her savior (Jn. 1:12). He is still the child of God while he is committing sin. Children are not children of the parents only when they obey the parents. They are still their children even when they disobey. Therefore, disobedience does not forfeit being the parent’s children. They do not become children of the parents because of their work. It is because their parents had them. In the same way, it is not because of our trying and our good behavior that we become the child of God. It is only because we are born again through the Holy Spirit. This is our Standing.  It is not because of the good of man but because of the work of God and it cannot be changed again.

Jesus Christ also gave a parable about the prodigal son who went away. This prodigal son is still the child of his parents. He lost fellowshipping with his parents because he ran away from them and thus does not enjoy the riches of his parents. However, he is still the child of his parents. His father said when he returned “for this my son was dead and is alive again, he was lost and is found” (Lk. 15:24) and hosted a feast.

Children are to obey their parents. Parents can smile when the children obey. Likewise, all believers are to obey God. Only then, Go will be glorified. But God will not be glorified if the believers are acting corruptly.

1. Our Standing stage is the work of ____________________
2. Our State is the work of _____________________________
3. Standing is _________________________________’s view.
4. The Corinthians Church is holy in Christ and it is their____________________________________________________
5. Committing sin by nature of the Corinthians Church is areflection of their___________________________________
6. Believers are in ________and therefore are righteous before
_________________________________________________
7. Things that are received from Christ are not changeable but what things are lost if one committed sin? _________
8. What did King David forfeited when he committed adultery with Bathsheba?_______________________________
9. The Corinthians Church was not holy but what did they receive because of Christ?___________________________
10. Becoming the child of God is what, Standing or State?___________________________________________________
11. What do we lose if we disobey God?________________and what can we not lose?__________________________

.

Growing and Maturity

All living creatures including trees are growing and becoming mature and bear fruit as time goes by. Only then can they multiply. Likewise, human beings also grow after being born. The parents will be greatly concern if their child would not grow. On the other hand, all growing people do not become mature either. The body may be the size of an adult but he may still behave like a small child and thus, be required to look after him like a child. Therefore, it is not enough to be just born out of the mother. It is needed to grow and mature when the time comes.

In the same way, it is not enough to be born again in Christ for believers. There needs to be growth and maturity in the spiritual life. There could be a lot of problems if there is neither growth nor maturity in a believer’s life. Let us look into this.

Believers cannot live a spiritual life if he or she is not growing and thus live a carnal life. The Corinthians church lived a carnal life because there was no growth in them. Therefore, Paul wrote about them saying “And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ” The carnal person is the one who lives in the flesh, does not know and believe God. Believers are the same as worldly people if they do not grow and become mature.

Not consuming the Solid Food
Babies cannot consume solid food but only milk. In the same way, one cannot understand the deeper thing (solid food) of the Spirit if he or she is not growing and becoming mature. The Apostle Paul said to the Corinthian Church “I fed you milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even not you are still not able; for you are carnal” (1 Cor.3:2).

The author of Hebrews also wrote, “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracle of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food” (Heb. 5:12).

One may ask what is wrong with not eating solid food and drinking milk? Drinking milk alone will not provide energy. Eating solid food will provide energy for work. Likewise, God cannot use anyone who is living on drinking spiritual milk only. He will need to depend on others very much like a baby who depends on others. Babies cannot work nor produce babies. In the same manner, spiritual babies cannot reproduce spiritual babies. They require care from an adult full time.

Pleasure in Sin
Babies don’t mind playing with filth instead they love it. They put anything into their mouth they can get hold of. They don’t know about the need of being hygienic nor do they know the dangers around them. Therefore, they require fulltime supervision. In the same manner, spiritual babies take pleasure in committing sin. They require full time spiritual supervision and guidance because they could not see the dangers surrounding themselves. Members of the Corinthians church had envy, strife, and divisions among them because they were immature spiritually (1 Cor. 3:3). This should not happen among believers. But it will be unavoidable for among the spiritual babies.

Spiritual immaturity (growth & mature) is not good not only for self but it also harms others. It weakens other brothers and sisters spiritually. It can create problems and division among believers. It also causes stumbling blocks for non-believers. Not only will they not see God through the life of these immature believers but also it will prevent them from seeing God. Not only will it not glorify the name of God but also it will instead suppress God’s glory. Therefore, it is necessary that all believers grow and become mature spiritually.

There will be full of problems in the living church if there is no spiritual growth and maturity. Much like the Corinthians church, there will be spiritual gifts of God among them but there will also be unsolvable problems exist among them. Nothing can be accomplished where there are many children but there will be full of problems instead. In the same way no spiritual babies can accomplish anything. Only maturity will create harmony among the believers.

There will be temporary excitement like a grass fire (like children) and will die soon if there was not growth and maturity among the believers. No child can have big accomplishments. Therefore, growth and maturity is too important and cannot be ignored for the believers.

Some churches desire to have a fulltime caretaker (pastor) because members are still children spiritually. They do not know what to do in the absence of the pastor. And if the pastor himself is a big child spiritually, then he would bring a big bottle of milk mixed with water to feed his congregation on Sundays. The spiritual babies thus cannot grow. Friend, therefore you need to put emphasis on spiritual growth and maturity.

1. What is the next step for babies after they were born? ____________________________________________________
2. Who suffer emotionally if the baby did not grow? ________________________________________________________
3. What is still needed after being born again? ___________
4. What is needed to live a spiritual life? ________________
5. Was the Corinthians church a baby or a mature church?__________________________________________________
6. Who are carnal people? _____________________________
7. Why the believers cannot live a spiritual life? __________
8. What kind of food do the babies consume? ____________
9. What kind of food should one eat to have energy and be able to work? _____________________________________
10. What (environment) do the children play around with?__________________________________________________
11. What do the spiritual babies wanted? ________________
12. Children need __________________________all the time.
13. Describe problems that are results of no growth and maturity? ____________________________________________________________________________________________
14. Why don’t believers perform mighty things? __________
15. Where church members depend on the pastor for everything? ____________________________________________
16. Friend, do you need to grow spiritually and why and why not? ______________________________________________

.

How to Grow and Mature

We have touched on the need of growing and maturity in lesson 22. We will now discuss on how one will grow and become mature.

Meal
A newborn baby needs breast milk for growth. The breast milk of the mother is the necessary nutrient for the baby’s growth. Spiritual growth also needs nutrient intake. St. Peter said, “Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as new born babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious” (1 Pet. 2:1-3).

The baby cannot grow without the consumption of the mother’s breast milk. Likewise, spiritual babies need to consume the pure milk of the word of God. The word of God is the nutrient (food) of the spirit. Therefore, one needs to read the word of God. Some tend to take the spiritual food only through hearing. They do not read themselves. For them, spiritual growth will be very slow. There is no other way around except reading of the word of God. Therefore, every believer must read the word of God regularly. Let us look into how one should read the word of God to be the most effective.

One must pray
One cannot become the children of God on his or her own; likewise, one cannot live a believer’s life on his or her own. One must depend on the power of God to live a believer’s life. The Lord Jesus said, ” For without Me you can do nothing”

(John 15:5). Therefore, prayer is needed for growth and maturity. Praying is a surrender to indicate that one depends totally on God. It is needed to have communication with God at all times.

One must fellowship with other believers
Playing is needed for children to grow. Without  exercise, growth will be slow. Likewise, believers need to have contact and fellowship with other believers. Encouraging one another, testimonials, and thanksgivings are some of the ingredients for growth. The Scriptures said, “.. not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another and so much the more as you see the Day approaching” (Heb. 10:25).
Resting
Resting in the form of sleeping is needed for children’s growth. The younger the children, the more they need sleep for growth. Spiritual growth also needs resting. How will one take this resting? Resting means no work but dependence on others. One can take rest by being dependent on God. Jesus Christ said, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28). Every human being has a heavy load of life. Jesus Christ wants to carry this load for us. Therefore, one needs to submit the heavy load to Him. Spiritual growth is not possible as long as these load being carried. There will still be suffering while living on earth. Jesus Christ himself said, ” These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (Jn. 16:33).

The longer one rests in Christ, one will experience more spiritual growth. Jesus Christ also said, “Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?” (Matt. 6:27). Worrying can cause the spiritual sickness. Therefore, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh and strength to your bones”. (Prob. 3:5-8)

Must be healthy
Good health is needed for children to grow. Regardless of how much the child consumes food, unless the child is healthy, the child will not grow as he should. Likewise, good health is needed in the spiritual realm. Sin is the one that cause the spiritual sickness. The growth stops for a believer when committing sin. The psalmist said, “When I kept silent, my bones grew old through my groaning all the day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my vitality was turned into the drought of summer” (Ps. 32:3,4).

A sick person needs to take care of himself by taking medicine and even by taking treatments. Only then one will grow and become healthy. In the same way, one needs to confess his or her sin to God. The psalmist continued, “I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.” and You forgave the iniquity of my sin” (Ps. 32:5). Men is like a healthy man if he is free of sin. If he is healthy then he will grow.

The need to be patient
Time is needed for the child to grow. He will not grow overnight regardless of how much care has been given to him. Likewise, time is needed for spiritual growth to take place. The writer of the Hebrews said to the recipient of the letter, saying “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food” (Heb. 5:12). Here we learn that as time go by, one ought to become mature and even become teachers. Therefore, we see that believers need to wait to grow and to become mature.
Maturity
Maturity is the fruit or continuation of growth. Maturity of the body allows the continuation of the human generation. On the same token, growth of the mind allows the increase of the knowledge. Utilizing of the knowledge allows increase in the maturity. Growth can be witnessed in the life of a student even though he or she may not be mature. The day he or she becomes a teacher himself or herself, maturity increases and growth begins to stop. One wants to play while he or she is still growing and without mannerism. However, maintaining of proper mannerism become obvious and automatic that is the sign of maturity when he or she has become a tea cher.  If this teacher is made to go back to school, he or she will begin to grow showing a childlike mind again.

The disciples were childlike while they were with the Lord Jesus Christ. John and his brother James were looking for worldly possessions from Jesus Christ. Likewise, the rest of the disciples acted like children and were envious of them and even became furious (Mat. 20:20-24). They wanted to know who will be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven (Mat. 18:1). These were the reaction and the thought of a student (still learning). Contrarily, they became very mature and spoke like grown up adults when they were separated from their Lord. They did not show any fear of even facing the rulers but responded to them very bluntly.

It is true in the spiritual realm also. As long as one is still learning from another he cannot become mature but he may be growing. If one wishes to grow he should become a student , whereas, he needs to become a teacher himself if he wants to mature. If one wants to become both mature and grow at the same time, then he needs to be a student under someone’s supervision and also become a teacher for others. A grown up man who is mature will be successful. He can face and solve the problems. He will be an encouragement for others. God will be glorified, be able to draw others to God, and will be able to lead.

1. Spiritual milk is ? __________________________________
2. Can a person grow spiritually with reading the Scriptures?___________________________________________________
3. Prayer is ___________________________________________
4. Is it important to have fellowship with other believers and why?_____________________________________________
5. Resting is _________________________________________
6. Cause for inflicting spiritual sickness is________________
7. Sin can cause the spiritual growth to __________________
8. For spiritual growth and maturity ____________is needed.
9. Becoming a student can __________________________and learning from other can______________________________
10. List the benefits of being mature and fully grown?___________________________________________________________

.

Enemies of Believers

Salvation has been received because of the grace of God. The Christian lives also is being lived. Nevertheless, lot of disturbances is hindering the spiritual journey and preventing from being traveling afar. There is not much happiness in life and much of what should have been done is still unaccomplished. Not only these, interest in the work of the Lord is decreasing as time goes by. There is no more desire to meet and have fellowship with other believers. Reading of the word of God and prayer are almost non-existent. Attending worship service on Sunday is becoming a terrible chore. Attending church service is becoming just to satisfy one’s consciences. These scenario can be found more or less in the life of believers. The reason for these problems is the work of Satan whose goal is to destroy the life of the believers.

Three enemies
The believers have three enemies. They are, Satan, Worldliness, and  Naturalism (Conduct of thought prompted by natural desires or instincts without the inclusion of God in the process). Let us explore them and find strategies to overcome them.
Satan
Let us look at Satan, the first enemy of believers. Satan approached men because he cannot win the fight against God. We can see Satan’s first hand of destructive work on Eve and Adam. Although he could not kill Adam and Eve, he made them go astray from God.
Satan’s objective
His main objective is to block all human beings from reaching God but instead drive and bring them to eternal hell along with him. He wants to take man away from God as much as possible. He wants to destroy human beings. Jesus Christ said that the thief came to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). Here the Satan is referred to as thief. Satan does not want man to have contact with God and be blessed. Therefore, those who have not received Salvation are being blinded by Satan to not hear the good news of salvation.

St. Paul said, “whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of  Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them” (2 Cor. 4:4).

The gospel of Christ has power to save (1 Cor. 1:18). Man can receive salvation if he hears this gospel. Therefore, Satan with his full power hinders people from hearing and seeing the gospel of Christ. To accomplish this, Satan use the following arsenals: making man love the world;  thrive after riches and popularity of the world; run after worldly enjoyment;  follow after the money and wrong doctrines; contentment  with just being a carnal Christian in name only; emphasize denomination more than the truth and Jesus Christ Himself; put more emphasis on politic, humanism, and education, etc. Satan take man away from God using these tactics.

For those who have been saved and have assurance of salvation, Satan makes them not to be strong spiritually, and thus hinders them from drawing other people to God. Satan weakens their zeal for God. We can see this in the life of Job. Satan requested permission from God to weaken and destroy Job who was a righteous man (Job 1). The Apostle Peter also tempted to prevent Christ from dying for us (Matt: 16:23). Jesus Christ himself was tempted to commit sin  three times by Satan during forty days in the wilderness (Matt. 4). If Jesus did fall into Satan’s deception, He would not be able to save us.

Men of Satan
Believers are the children of God whereas unbelievers are of Satan. Jesus said to the Jews, “You are of your father the devil…” (John 8:44). The Apostle John also said,     “We know that we are of God, and whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one” (1 John 5:19). Therefore, believers need to be careful when dealing with people of the world. St. Paul warned not to carry the yoke with unbelievers (2 Cor. 6:14). Those who did not heed to this warning but have relationship with the unbelievers are facing all sorts of problems. As a result, their spiritual growth is falling instead of growing.
Satan’s Church
Satan not only wants to stand up against God but also wants to do whatever God does. Like God has His own church, Satan has also his. In the beginning, Satan fought and destroyed the church of God. Satan also used Saul in destroying the earlier churches. However, the church increased instead and thus Satan changed his tactic. The tactic is not fighting the churches but instead working within the churches. He misleads members of the church from following the truth. Though some churches may look genuine from outside they are in fact Satan’s churches.

Well then how will one know whether a church belongs to Satan or not? The sign of Satan’s church is that the church does not talk about salvation and hates those who talk about it. This church will not put emphasis on the Scriptures but on their own philosophy and thinking.  Emphasis will be placed heavily to meet the general public’s needs in the area of education, politics, and ethnicity. Emphasis will also be placed on enjoyment instead of on spiritual matter. Messengers of the “truth from the Scriptures” are hated. God does not recognize this type of churches although they look very much like churches.

Learning centers of Satan
Satan not has only churches but also learning centers. Students are being taught more to have doubt about the existence of God than to believe in God. The teaching puts emphasis more on their philosophy than the truth from the Bible. It is better not to attend such learning centers that make diminishing one’s belief  and pushing one further away from God rather than bringing one closer to God.
Satan arsenals
Satan’s biggest weapon  is lying. Using this arsenal, Satan destroyed Eve, the mother of all human. Satan did not prevent Eve from eating the fruit of knowledge. However, he made Eve to want to eat it with a lie. Why was Eve subjected to the lie? It is because she did not believe the word of God.

Not only did Satan lie to all human beings but also to Jesus Christ Himself. He lied about the Lord with the food, the earthly wealth and with power (Matt. 4:1-11). Jesus Christ overcame the lie with the Scriptures. Likewise, all believers need to put emphasis on the importance of the Scriptures and use them effectively.

Weapons that will defeat Satan
Satan does not have a physical body. It is not possible to fight against with physical weapons. Therefore, Paul said, “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against the flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places”
(Ephe. 6:10-12).
Knowing the impossibility to fight with physical weapons is the start of winning against Satan. Having a strict discipline, unity, and trying physically; spending monetary, increasing education for the effort to fight Satan are good, however, these strategies will not help winning the fight. Therefore, we must use the weapons that God prepared for us.

God provided the following arsenals (weapons) for us to fight Satan:

Girding waist with truth (Eph. 6:14).
Belts tightens our waist for security. Sword are secured to the belt. The belt thus is a necessary weapon for a soldier. Likewise, a believer needs to have girded by the truth in order for Satan to not defeat us easily.
Having put on the breast plate of righteousness (Eph. 6:14)
Breast plate prevents sword’s infliction from the enemy. The breast is the enemy’s target. It will be the enemy’s opportunity to hit the target if the breast is not protected. Likewise, believers will become fallen victims of the enemy if they are not protected by God’s given righteousness and the Holy Spirit.

Having shod feet with preparation of the gospel of peace (Eph. 6:15) Socks are necessary for protection for walking feet. If feet are not protected, how will one fight the enemy? It means the preparation of the preaching of the Gospel. Believers should be able to preach the Gospel at any time and place.

The shield of faith to quench all fiery darts of Satan (Eph. 6:16)
Shields are for protection of the enemies’ darts. Satan’s darts come out of his children in the forms of criticism, blaming, and putting down on others. These are to be defeated by the faith in God.
The helmet of salvation (Eph. 6:17)
Helmets protect the head and is very important. Likewise, it is impossible to fight Satan without one having God-given salvation. Salvation also mean the protection of our daily life by God.
The sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (Eph. 6:17)
The mentioned arsenals are for a defensive purposes only and not for an offensive purpose and Satan may not be afraid of them. Therefore, we need to use the word of God that is the sword of the Spirit as our offensive weapon. Satan and his cohorts are not afraid of human’s philosophy and wordiness. They are afraid of only the word of God because “…it is sharper than any two-edged sword” (Heb. 4:12). Therefore, the Scripture verses should be memorized, understood, and be used.

1. How many enemies does a believer have? Please describe all of them. _______________________________________
2. What is the aim and object of Satan? __________________
3. Satan_____________the unbelievers’ (Un born again)____
and he also _________________their _________________
4. Describe all Satan’s tactics used in preventing people from getting saved. _____________________________________
5. Why does Satan is giving problems to believers? ________________________________________________________
6. Who are Satan’s people? ____________________________
7. How will you identify Satan’s Churches? _____________
8. What is being taught at Satan’s school?________________
9. Do you want to attend such school? __________________
10 What are Satan’s weapons? _________________________
11.Why Satan cannot be defeated with physical weapon? __
__________________________________________________
12.Jesus Christ defeated Satan with ____________________.
13.Describe God’s prepared arsenals for believers.________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Copyright © Moses R. Cung. 2001-2024 All rights reserved. Written permission must be secured from the author to use or reproduce any part of this book, except for brief quotation in critical reviews or articles. All Scriptures quotations in this book are taken from the New International Version (NIV)

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