Week 1: The Gospel - The Foundation of our Relationship with Him
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If you had a car accident and died tonight, what would your answer be if God were to ask you:
Why should I let you into heaven?
Pause and write this on an index card.
On the other side of the card, write your answer to this question: “What is the gospel?”
What is the gospel?
1 Cor 15:3-11 What events are important? What is the purpose?
See entire chapter to understand how our salvation hinges on the Resurrection.
Acts 10:43 What do you learn from this verse?
Acts 4:12 What do you learn here?
God’s viewpoint of salvation:
Rom 5:8-11 What is the state of people before salvation?
How does this describe God’s heart?
What will all people face unless His salvation is received?
How is God described?
Eph 2:4-7 What did God do for us in salvation?
How is God described?
How do we take part in the gospel?
John 5:24 What verbs are associated with the person who responds to God’s salvation?
What is their state before and after?
What content do they need to understand?
Eph 2:8-9 What is our part in the gospel? How are we saved from our sins?
John 3:14-16 From these two passages:
Num 21:5-9 What is needed in our hearts to receive God’s salvation?
Result
Acts 10:43 What do we receive?
Col 2:13-14 What were we like before? How does He change us? What does God do for us?
How can you see yourself, everyday, from God’s perspective?
We are to be baptized into Christ’s death and resurrection!
Rom 8:1 How does God see us now that we are in Christ?
When I asked Jerry Bridges a question about how to deal with my anger in parenting, he told me that God is never angry at us. As believers, he told me that Christ’s atoning sacrifice was utterly sufficient to satisfy God’s wrath on us for our sins. This was so very new to me and I had to take some time to get a hold of this truth. God used this to help me understand the gospel more deeply, impacting where I live every day.
John 17:3 What is eternal life?
1 John 5:11-13 What do we have if we believe in Jesus? How about those who don’t?
Is 61:10 What a beautiful verse! We are clothed with Christ’s righteous robes!
The Great Exchange is where HE took our sin and He gave us His RIGHTEOUSNESS!
Gal 2:20 How are we to live and see ourselves and our lives?
Return of Christ
2 Thess 1:7b-12 How does God see things? In this passage we usually have to do a major shift to see God’s perspective b/c we are man-centric and don’t see sin as serious rebellion, deserving punishment.
1 Cor 15:20-24 What will happen in the future…
guilt —> redemption/reconciliation —> adoption
shame —> adopted, accepted by God as His children, loved by God
Our whole life of discipleship is in preparation for the unstoppable train we are all on. Every day we are moving closer toward seeing Jesus face to face. For believers this is good news. For nonbelievers, there is certain judgment.
Mankind’s history - like a cloth, with the Cross as the highest, the most pivotal and important point in history
Personally, the gospel is to impact every area of our lives: our relationship with God, relationship with others, how we spend our time, our attitudes, our decisions, our life direction, our spouse choice, everything!
A beautiful passage displaying God’s amazing heart toward us:
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.” Ephesians 1:3-14
My Summary of the Gospel -
When God created the world, as the Creator and Supreme King, He had wonderful plans of fellowship, purpose, blessing, love and life for mankind. He gave man the choice to follow Him or not. God had told Adam that the consequence of disobedience was death. Instead of trusting and loving God, Adam decided to rebel against God, listening to Satan’s lies, and decided to follow his own wisdom and reject God’s rule. Since then, we all have been born under Adam, following his example of pride and sin. Each person faces the same consequence as Adam: eternal death for our rebellion against the Supreme, Good and Holy King, who will one day Judge all, sending rebellious people to hell.
But out of His Great Love, God lavished His grace upon mankind by sending His only Son, Jesus Christ, who lived a perfect, sinless life of obedience, and who voluntarily went to the Cross to pay for our rebellion. For all who humble themselves and receive His free gift of forgiveness, every person can go from being rebellious enemies of God to becoming His beloved children. Through Christ, fellowship with God, purpose in life, heavenly blessing, true & pure love and abundant life is restored as God intended for life to consist of and is actually possible in this life, this side of eternity. Humility and faith are necessary to receive this great gift of salvation, God’s solution to man’s desperate situation of impending destruction. Upon receiving God’s solution, we are forgiven of all our sins and transferred from Adam’s line into Christ’s line. The Great Exchange takes place at the Cross, where we who respond to His offer of salvation receive Jesus’ Righteousness in exchange for our sin placed on Jesus’ body. “For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” The rest of life is centered around knowing God, which Jesus described as “eternal life.” The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit make their home in the hearts of the believer.
One day, the Lord Jesus will come to inflict vengeance and punish with eternal destruction all those who do not know God and disobey the His gospel. He will then grant relief to His followers who are afflicted, be glorified in His saints and be marveled at among all who have believed. Jesus will deliver the Kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and authority and power. God will create a new heaven and a new earth in which righteousness dwells and where man will be the dwelling place of God in perfect union.
The gospel makes it possible for me to relate to God:
I am accepted by God, CLEAN before Him, FORGIVEN!
I am His adopted, beloved child!!
God is my loving, heavenly Father
Jesus gave His life for me and He is my Husband (the Church’s Husband)
The Holy Spirit - helps me know God the Father and the Son; He is my Teacher & Counselor throughout my life
The Holy Spirit, the Father and Jesus live inside me
Look at your cards from the beginning, would you revise/add anything from what you’ve learned from the Scriptures about God? …about the way to salvation? …about elements of the gospel? …about why people need Jesus?
Prayer time - have you looked at the bronze serpent yourself, Jesus on the Cross, and received Jesus’ forgiveness of your sins?
----------
So my answer on the card to God would be: Jesus' sacrifice on the Cross for me!
(See GDG tab, Resources subtab: Week 1 - The Romans Road to Salvation)
Why should I let you into heaven?
Pause and write this on an index card.
On the other side of the card, write your answer to this question: “What is the gospel?”
What is the gospel?
1 Cor 15:3-11 What events are important? What is the purpose?
See entire chapter to understand how our salvation hinges on the Resurrection.
Acts 10:43 What do you learn from this verse?
Acts 4:12 What do you learn here?
God’s viewpoint of salvation:
Rom 5:8-11 What is the state of people before salvation?
How does this describe God’s heart?
What will all people face unless His salvation is received?
How is God described?
Eph 2:4-7 What did God do for us in salvation?
How is God described?
How do we take part in the gospel?
John 5:24 What verbs are associated with the person who responds to God’s salvation?
What is their state before and after?
What content do they need to understand?
Eph 2:8-9 What is our part in the gospel? How are we saved from our sins?
John 3:14-16 From these two passages:
Num 21:5-9 What is needed in our hearts to receive God’s salvation?
Result
Acts 10:43 What do we receive?
Col 2:13-14 What were we like before? How does He change us? What does God do for us?
How can you see yourself, everyday, from God’s perspective?
We are to be baptized into Christ’s death and resurrection!
Rom 8:1 How does God see us now that we are in Christ?
When I asked Jerry Bridges a question about how to deal with my anger in parenting, he told me that God is never angry at us. As believers, he told me that Christ’s atoning sacrifice was utterly sufficient to satisfy God’s wrath on us for our sins. This was so very new to me and I had to take some time to get a hold of this truth. God used this to help me understand the gospel more deeply, impacting where I live every day.
John 17:3 What is eternal life?
1 John 5:11-13 What do we have if we believe in Jesus? How about those who don’t?
Is 61:10 What a beautiful verse! We are clothed with Christ’s righteous robes!
The Great Exchange is where HE took our sin and He gave us His RIGHTEOUSNESS!
Gal 2:20 How are we to live and see ourselves and our lives?
Return of Christ
2 Thess 1:7b-12 How does God see things? In this passage we usually have to do a major shift to see God’s perspective b/c we are man-centric and don’t see sin as serious rebellion, deserving punishment.
1 Cor 15:20-24 What will happen in the future…
guilt —> redemption/reconciliation —> adoption
shame —> adopted, accepted by God as His children, loved by God
Our whole life of discipleship is in preparation for the unstoppable train we are all on. Every day we are moving closer toward seeing Jesus face to face. For believers this is good news. For nonbelievers, there is certain judgment.
Mankind’s history - like a cloth, with the Cross as the highest, the most pivotal and important point in history
Personally, the gospel is to impact every area of our lives: our relationship with God, relationship with others, how we spend our time, our attitudes, our decisions, our life direction, our spouse choice, everything!
A beautiful passage displaying God’s amazing heart toward us:
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.” Ephesians 1:3-14
My Summary of the Gospel -
When God created the world, as the Creator and Supreme King, He had wonderful plans of fellowship, purpose, blessing, love and life for mankind. He gave man the choice to follow Him or not. God had told Adam that the consequence of disobedience was death. Instead of trusting and loving God, Adam decided to rebel against God, listening to Satan’s lies, and decided to follow his own wisdom and reject God’s rule. Since then, we all have been born under Adam, following his example of pride and sin. Each person faces the same consequence as Adam: eternal death for our rebellion against the Supreme, Good and Holy King, who will one day Judge all, sending rebellious people to hell.
But out of His Great Love, God lavished His grace upon mankind by sending His only Son, Jesus Christ, who lived a perfect, sinless life of obedience, and who voluntarily went to the Cross to pay for our rebellion. For all who humble themselves and receive His free gift of forgiveness, every person can go from being rebellious enemies of God to becoming His beloved children. Through Christ, fellowship with God, purpose in life, heavenly blessing, true & pure love and abundant life is restored as God intended for life to consist of and is actually possible in this life, this side of eternity. Humility and faith are necessary to receive this great gift of salvation, God’s solution to man’s desperate situation of impending destruction. Upon receiving God’s solution, we are forgiven of all our sins and transferred from Adam’s line into Christ’s line. The Great Exchange takes place at the Cross, where we who respond to His offer of salvation receive Jesus’ Righteousness in exchange for our sin placed on Jesus’ body. “For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” The rest of life is centered around knowing God, which Jesus described as “eternal life.” The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit make their home in the hearts of the believer.
One day, the Lord Jesus will come to inflict vengeance and punish with eternal destruction all those who do not know God and disobey the His gospel. He will then grant relief to His followers who are afflicted, be glorified in His saints and be marveled at among all who have believed. Jesus will deliver the Kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and authority and power. God will create a new heaven and a new earth in which righteousness dwells and where man will be the dwelling place of God in perfect union.
The gospel makes it possible for me to relate to God:
I am accepted by God, CLEAN before Him, FORGIVEN!
I am His adopted, beloved child!!
God is my loving, heavenly Father
Jesus gave His life for me and He is my Husband (the Church’s Husband)
The Holy Spirit - helps me know God the Father and the Son; He is my Teacher & Counselor throughout my life
The Holy Spirit, the Father and Jesus live inside me
Look at your cards from the beginning, would you revise/add anything from what you’ve learned from the Scriptures about God? …about the way to salvation? …about elements of the gospel? …about why people need Jesus?
Prayer time - have you looked at the bronze serpent yourself, Jesus on the Cross, and received Jesus’ forgiveness of your sins?
----------
So my answer on the card to God would be: Jesus' sacrifice on the Cross for me!
(See GDG tab, Resources subtab: Week 1 - The Romans Road to Salvation)