1 O C O C OROR Foundational Truths for the Christian Life On This Rock by Keith Glasgow Copyright 2013 - Living Hope Publications I S B N 0 - 9583345 - 9 - 5 All Scripture quotations in this publication are from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION NIV Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. All rights reserved. Published by: Living Hope Publications 22 Chamberlain Drive, Kilsyth Vic 3137 Australia www.keithglasgow.com Keith grew up in Brisbane and Melbourne, and spent his last two years of schooling in India at a Christian school for expatriate missionaries. He returned to Australia and gave his life fully to Christ at age 21. In 1971 Keith moved to New Zealand where he met and married Marg. For eighteen years He and Marg served the Lord in itinerant evangelism. In 1996 they returned to Australia to take up a position as Senior Pastor at Canterbury Gardens Community Church and then, after ten years, moved to Edge Church where Keith served as Senior Pastor.2 On This Rock FOUNDATIONAL TRUTHS FOR THE CHRISTIAN LIFE Contents 1.The way to get right with God .................................... 2.Being sure you are right with God ............................. 3.The Bible - God’s Word ............................................. 4.God, A unique being .................................................. 5.Jesus Christ the Lord ................................................. 6.The Holy Spirit in a Christian’s life ........................... 7.The gifts of the Holy Spirit ......................................... 8.The Church ................................................................. 9.Baptism ....................................................................... 10.Communion ................................................................ 11.Prayer .......................................................................... 12.Living Victoriously ...................................................... 13.Mission ........................................................................ 14.The Return of Christ ................................................... 15.Stewardship ................................................................ Page 4 Page 8 Page 12 Page 16 Page 20 Page 24 Page 27 Page 31 Page 36 Page 41 Page 45 Page 49 Page 56 Page 62 Page 67 Preface My parents were missionaries in Brazil for many years, and on one occasion when visiting them, my father pointed across the street and said to me: ”Look at the large crack running down the side of that house! Some builders here do not lay proper foundations”. The crack was dangerously wide and long, and workmen had dug away the shallow foundations at one end of the house and were proceeding to jack up the sagging walls. My father explained that a thriving business in Brazil at the time was to repair cracked houses in this fashion, pouring a new concrete foundation to keep them from falling down. For Christians there is great value in building our lives on a solid foundation of Bible truth. Unfortunately, without that biblical basis, our beliefs and way of thinking can be led astray and result in life choices that are not wise or good. It is always healthy to look again at the fundamentals. Even if we are established Christians, it is wise to go back to the basics and think through the essential truths on which we stand. ’Biblical foundations’ goes through some of these basics of the Christian life, both in terms of what we believe and the way we should behave. It is designed for use as an individual or group setting. It is suited for church membership classes or could be used in one-to-one discipleship.3 How to use this study The course is designed around icons which represent different aspects of each lesson. Four icons constitute the main study: In Focus - A brief summary of the lesson Thinking it Through - The main teaching on the subject Insight - Discussion questions for groups or individuals Action - Personal application for life The remaining three icons represent extra material that may be of interest to the individual student, or be referred to by a group leader. Side Note - A related topic Snap Shot - A closer look at one point Digging Deeper - An in-depth study relevant to the main lesson4 The way to get right with God The message of the Bible could be summarized in the words "Getting right with God" (Romans 5:8-9). Deep in our hearts, most of us are aware that things are not right between God and us. God is a personal being and His purpose in creating us was that we might live in a personal relationship with Him. The experiences of guilt, the need to be loved, the desire to find God, and the sense of emptiness, are all symptoms of a broken relationship with God. They point to the deepest need of all - the need to get right with God. A doctor can only help people who admit their need and are willing to take the prescribed remedy. God, the Great Physician, is powerless to help us until we honestly face up to our true condition. THE FIRST STEP - ADMIT OUR NEED 1. WE NEED FORGIVENESS Every person has done wrong, and is guilty before Him - "There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). God’s nature is so holy (perfectly pure) that even though He is loving and kind, our sin creates an automatic rift between us. 2. WE NEED FREEDOM When we do things we know to be wrong, it proves that we are under the controlling power of inner desires that move us to sin. In the words of Jesus 'we are slaves to our sinful nature' (John 8:34). The Bible helps us to understand our slavery to sin in these words, "I am … sold as a slave to sin, for I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For ... the evil I do not want to do, this I keep on doing" (Romans 7:14, 18, 19). Getting right with God involves more than being forgiven for past sins, it also involves being set free from the power that our sinful nature has over us. Jesus Christ is the only One who is able to free us. He gives a new power to rise above temptation and self- centredness (John 8:36). 3. WE NEED FULFILMENT One of the symptoms of being separated from God is emptiness. We were made by God to have a personal relationship with Him and nothing in this world is able to take His place (John 7:37; 10:10). Thinking it Through GETTING RIGHT WITH GOD IS NOT EARNED BY THE WAY WE LIVE. "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not of works, so that no one can boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9). If a thief pleaded guilty before a court but asked for pardon because he had decided never to steal again, the judge would be likely to say, "Your new resolve is good, but that doesn’t change the fact that you have broken the law. Justice demands that pun- ishment be given." All our good works, generous acts and upright living will never wash away those sins which we have already committed. "He saved us, NOT because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy”"(Titus 3:5). Side Note 1. Biblical Foundations In Focus5 What do we learn about sin from the following verses? James 4:17 James 2:10 Isaiah 59:2 I John 3:4 What happens to the person who dies without getting right with God? (John 3:36; 2 Thessalonians 1:9) THE SECOND STEP - BE WILLING TO CHANGE The rift in our relationship with God cannot be patched up by an outward act of getting closer to God (e.g. going to church, praying, baptism and communion). The Bible teaches that we must repent; that is, be willing to change direction from the heart and begin following God’s way. "All must repent of their sins and turn to God, and prove they have changed by the good things they do" (Acts 26:20 NLT); "Let the wicked change their ways and banish the very thought of doing wrong. Let them turn to the Lord that He may have mercy on them. Yes, turn to our God, for He will forgive generously" (Isaiah 55:7). THE THIRD STEP - TRUST IN JESUS CHRIST Jesus Christ is the only Way for us to get right with God. The Bible shows us that "... there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity - the man Christ Jesus" (I Timothy 2:5 NLT). The sin which separates us from God and makes us guilty before Him, has been dealt with fully by Jesus Christ. We deserve death, but Jesus took our place in order to offer us the free gift of forgiveness and life. "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23). The death of Jesus Christ on the cross was a sacrifice. He came into the world for the very purpose of bearing the punishment we deserve for our sin, and His death paid it in full. He was not defeated by death, but rose again and lives today as Lord and Saviour. "He was handed over to die because of our sins, and He was raised to life to make us right with God" (Romans 4:25 NLT). Insight Thinking it Through Snap Shot God’s holiness and God’s grace In order to fully understand the gospel, and respond to it appropri- ately, we need to understand two fundamental characteristics of God’s nature. God's holiness - God must judge sin. Until sin is forgiven, there is no possibility of a personal relation- ship with God, no matter who we are or what we have or haven’t done. God’s grace - God’s love is free and unconditional. He does not require anything of us in order to love us. We don’t have to earn His love or deserve H is forgiveness. He offers the gift of eternal life purely because, in His love for us, He has made the way possible through the death of His Son. The way to get right with God6 1. God’s justice demands that the penalty of sin be paid. If we paid our own penalty for sin what would we incur? (Revelation 20:11-15, Hebrews 9:27). 2. According to Romans 5:8-9, what did God show us, and what did Christ do for us? 3. Why can we trust Jesus to save us from God’s judgment? * Because of who He is Who is He? John 1:1 I Timothy 2:5 * Because of what He did What did He do for us? I Peter 3:18 Ephesians 2:13 Romans 4:25 4. How do we trust in Jesus Christ to be our personal Saviour (John 1:12)? WHAT TO PRAY (Read through the prayer one sentence at a time, and check that you agree before praying it in faith to the Lord Jesus Christ: Dear Lord Jesus, I admit that I am a sinner and need Your forgiveness. I am willing to turn from my sins, and I trust You to be my Saviour. Please forgive me and cleanse me of all my guilt. I believe that You are God, and that You died for my sins and then rose again. I now invite You to come into my heart and life. With God’s help I will follow and obey You as Master of my life. Thank You for suffering and dying on the cross for me. Amen. Signed Date Place HOW DO WE TRUST IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST? The Bible says, "Everyone who calls on the Name of the Lord will be saved" (Acts 2:21). The idea behind calling on the name of the Lord, is that of a person crying out to Jesus Christ from a position of helplessness. It means to rely on the Lord Jesus alone to do what we cannot do ourselves. We cannot get right with God our- selves, nor can we raise ourselves from the dead and make our own way to Heaven. Only Jesus Christ can save us, and He promises to make us right with God when we trust in Him. "Everyone who trusts in Him will never be put to shame" (Romans 10:11). Trusting in Jesus Christ involves a complete and total commitment to Him as our own personal Saviour and Master. Snap Shot Action Biblical Foundations Insight7 A closer look at two aspects of getting right with God 1. What God does FOR us - JUSTIFICATION When a person is 'right with God' they are not only forgiven of all their sins, but they are actually made righteous before God. The word justification means to be 'declared righteous'. The responsibility of a judge is to justify the righteous and condemn the wicked. But God justifies the wicked! As our judge, God pronounces His verdict: He declares that even the most sinful person who trusts in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour stands before His holy presence as righteous! The Apostle Paul wrote: "Who shall condemn us now? It is God who justifies" (Romans 8:33). Though "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God", Paul goes on to say "they are now justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus" (Romans 3:23-24). God does not ignore our sin or let us off. He says clearly that He will not clear the guilty (Exodus 34:7). How then can God remain a just judge and not condemn those who have broken His law (Romans 3:26)? Unrighteous people who trust Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour are declared righteous. The righteousness of Christ is transfered to them, similar to a financial transaction. If you were declared bankrupt, and then a wealthy relative paid all your outstanding accounts as well as transferring a million dollars to your bank account, your poverty would be replaced with his wealth. In the same way we are all bankrupt before God (lacking in righteousness), but, through the death of Jesus Christ, His perfect righteousness is put to our account. The righteousness we receive from Christ has nothing to do with the way we live, but it is God’s righteousness transferred to our account. It relates to how we stand before God, not how we behave (though a justified person is called to live a righteous life). Justification is: * Through faith alone - Romans 3:28; Gal 3:24 God does not accept our faith instead of righteousness. Nor is faith itself in any sense the ground of our justification. Faith is the means by which God bestows the gift of righteousness. * Not by works or human achievement - Romans 3:20; Galatians 2:16; Galatians 3:11 * Based on the saving work of Christ when He died for us and rose again - Romans 3:24 * A declaration that God Himself makes and cannot be reversed - Romans 8:33 2. What God does IN us - NEW BIRTH Justification takes place before the throne of God (What God does FOR us), but New Birth takes place in our inner beings (What God does IN us). We enter this world with a natural life passed on through our parents, but without any spiritual life (no relationship with God). In Ephesians we read that, before receiving life from Jesus Christ, we are dead in sins (Ephesians 2:1,5). In John 3:5-6 the Lord reveals that natural birth (being ’born of water’) is not sufficient. We also need to be born again, or be born of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit and the Word of God combine to bring about new birth in an individual (John 3:5-8; 1 Peter 1:23; James 1:18). Simultaneous with new birth there is an inner spiritual renewal and cleansing (Titus 3:4-5; Ephesians 5:26). Thus the Christian receives a new nature through the new birth, enabling a life of righteousness and love (2 Corinthians 5:17). According to 1 John, which was written to assure genuine Christians that they have eternal life, those who have received new birth show evidence of it in the following ways : * They do not continue to sin as a way of life - 1 John 3:9; 5:18 * They love other Christians with God’s self-giving love - 1 John 3:14; 4:7 * They believe the truth about Jesus being Christ, the Son of God - 1 John 5:1 Digging Deeper The way to get right with God8 Being sure you are right with God To have assurance of salvation is to be absolutely confident that we are saved from God's judgment and that, when we die we will go immediately to heaven. There are those who are not right with God, yet assume they are (Titus 1:16). They have a false sense of security. Others have a right relationship with God but do not enjoy that confidence (1 John 3:19-20). For both, it is important to see that a Christian's assurance is not based on inner feelings or personal experiences. It is based on what Christ has done as our Saviour, and on what God has said in His Word. Having trusted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour, God has given us three things upon which we can base the assurance that we are right with Him and will never experience eternal judgment. 1. The truth of God's Word The Bible is God's Word and can be trusted. It has many plain statements concerning the full acceptance by God and the unchanging position of those who trust in Jesus Christ. In 1 John 5:10b, those who do not believe God's Word are said to call Him a liar! 2. The inner confirmation of the Holy Spirit Although the ministry of the Spirit in a believer's life is a subjective experience, it is put forward in the New Testament as confirma- tion that a person is a Child of God. "For His Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children" (Romans 8:16). 3. The evidence of a changed life When a person is put right with God through faith in Christ, they receive a new nature from Him, and, with the presence and power of the indwelling Spirit, have all they need to live to please Him. The changes that inevitably occur are proof that the person has become a Child of God. "Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life (nature) is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God" (1 John 3:9 NLT). 1. Assurance is based on God's Word a. What has Christ's death and resurrection accomplished for the Christian (Romans 4:25) and what does this guarantee those who put their faith in Him (Romans 5:1-2,9)? 2. In Focus Thinking it Through Insight Biblical FoundationsNext >