Lesson Two of the Basic Course

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3 THINGS YOU NEED TO BELIEVE


CHAPTER 1
BELIEVE IN SIN


In the lesson before we studied about man, how he was created, how God was pleased in him and how man disobeyed and sinned with death as the outcome.
Let us now talk about sin.
Without understanding sin, nobody will comprehend salvation, or the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
Sin is not only about the exterior acts like stealing, cheating, killing, etc.
In this lesson we want to talk about the sin in the interior, in the spiritual part of each human being, and what brings him to commit sin that is visible to everybody.
Let us study the cause of sin - why does man sin?
What is sin all about?

Let us define sin

FIRST - It is a natural incapacity (imperfection) of man, what hinders him to live or achieve the perfection that is established by God.
Open your Bible in Romans 3:23, and write down that verse here:

……………………………………………………………………………….

……………………………………………………………………………….

……………………………………………………………………………….

:
People are incapable to reach the model of life that is established by God, but instead, they are constantly transgressing His law. God established rules of conduct and spiritual principles for us to obey and be happy.
Usually if someone feels unhappy that is a sign he is not obeying these laws, isn't it?

THIRD - Read Matthew 5:27,28
Did you understand it?
Already the simple bad intention is sin. All your bad actions are sin After all, sin abides in the heart.

FOURTH - Sin is also to have the opportunity and knowledge to do good, and not doing it.
The Word demands that we do good.
It is not sufficient to avoid evil. So, for instance, not going to certain places alone is not enough. In James 4:17 we read:
"Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins."

So, what is sin?
It is:
- the incapacity to achieve the model of God
- disobedience to the laws of God
- wrong thoughts and actions
- not practicing the right thing, while knowing what we ought to do

SIN IS IN ALL MEN
Read and write James 2:10
"For whoever ………………………………………..……… law and yet

stumbles ………. just one ……………………. is …………………………
of breaking all of it."

So, who is not a sinner? See the answer in Romans 3:10

"As it is written: "There is ……………………………………………….,

not ……………………………………………………..;"

So all men, independent of race, colour, social position or capacity are sinners.
We all have sin before God.

The result of sin, as we have seen, is death.
How can God, if He is love, permit such a thing?
Is there still hope for us?
What should we do then?


CHAPTER 2
BELIEVE IN JESUS CHRIST


Read the second part of Romans 6:23 with attention:
"(For the wages of sin is death,) but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.."
So, did God give us the solution?
Yes, a free gift of God.
God is love, and our mind is not able to measure the love of God.
Man sinned, but God found the solution to set him free of eternal death. God provided the way to eternal life, the opposite way that men chose.

What is the solution?
Open the Bible and read John 3:16.
Read it again and comprehend the love of God. What did He give to the sinner? His only Son, Jesus Christ. For what?
"that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

Who is Jesus Christ?
He is the Son of God!
Read:
John 1:3 - "Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made."
Revelation 1:17,18 - "When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: "Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades."
Hebrews 13:8 - "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever."
Titus 2:13 - "while we wait for the blessed hope--the glorious appearing of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ"
Colossians 2:9 - "For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form"
Jesus says of Himself in John 10:30 - "I and the Father are one."

The Ministry of Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ was born 2000 years ago, in a city called Bethlehem. He was born of Mary, a virgin chosen by God, to generate the seed of God.
In the reports of the life of Jesus, we know little about his childhood. We know that he worked as a carpenter until the age of 30, together with Joseph, his earthly father.
During the three following years He traveled through all Palestine, teaching the message of salvation.
His teaching was new, powerful and full of authority. He realized miracles, transformed water into wine, gave sight to the blind, healed lepers and paralyzed and raised people from the death; He comforted the afflicted; He ate together with the sinners, helped the weak, encouraged the depressed, gave hope to the desperate and forgave sinners.

Open your Bible and read the next biblical passages with attention; each of them relates a miracle performed by Jesus.
Matthew 8:1-4; Matthew 8:23-27; Matthew 9:1-8; Mark 5:35-43; Mark 10:46-52; Luke 13:10-17; Luke 15:3-7; John 8:1-11; John 9:1-7; John 11:1-45


THE VALUE OF THE SACRIFICE OF THE CROSS
After these three years of teaching, healing and blessing in public, Jesus was taken prisoner, judged and crucified.
Why?
Let us remind how death entered humanity. It was the salary of sin. We also have seen already that God is holy and cannot live with sin.
So, we come to the conclusion that sin of man had to be judged and punished.
What is the sentence?
Eternal death. The eternal separation between God and men.
But had God created man after His image and likeness to be separated from Him?
There had to be a way, a price!!

Jesus was the price.
He died so our sin could be forgiven; He paid the total price for sin.

Why Jesus?
Because He is God, and because He was made man as a seed of God, the only one born without sin.
Only He could pay; He was the solution.
On the Cross Jesus not only offered a sacrifice, but was the only way for the reconciliation of man with his Creator.
1 Peter 3:18 - "For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit"
He manifested Himself to the World
Hebrews 9:26 - "Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself."

THE VICTORY OF THE RESURRECTION
The death of Jesus was not His end. After three days He resurrected from the dead. Let us read some clear scriptures about the resurrection of Jesus:
Mark 16:1-6; Luke 24:1-7; John 20:1-10; John 20:24-29.

After resurrection, Jesus was still 40 days with His disciples. Only then He ascended to Heaven and was seated on the place of honour, at the right hand of the Father.
Acts 1:9-11; Luke 24:51
Now Jesus is with the Father, observes the people and intercedes for them.
1 Timothy 2:5 - "For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus"

JESUS CHRIST, THE GOD-MAN
Jesus is God, and therefore, all the attributes we studied in relation to God, we also find in Jesus, He is Omniscient, Omnipresent, so always with you, invariable, holy, just, eternal, and Love.

Jesus is the only way to Salvation; He even says in John 14:6:
"I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."


CHAPTER 3
BELIEVE IN ETERNAL LIFE


Someone may ask: what shall I do to have eternal life?
This question has been made from generation to generation along centuries.
God has an answer and only in that answer we should believe:
Acts 16:31 - "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved--you and your household."
To believe in Jesus means: not only believing He existed, but above all accept Him and know Him as Saviour. Believe in Jesus means ardently desire to recuperate the right of eternal life, which implies:

1) Repentance of dead works
a. Recognition of sin
b. Confession of sin before God
c. Asking forgiveness and believing you obtain it, not because you deserve, but just because Jesus on the Cross forgave you

2) Acceptance of Jesus as Saviour and Lord. This decision is yours, nobody can decide for you

As we have studied already, God does not oblige you for nothing. He gave you free decision (remember?). You may choose!
God wants to save everybody; it is enough to make your decision
Read Revelation 3:20 - "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock.

If ……………………..….…. hears my voice and …..…………..…..…..

the …………………., I …………………………………………. and eat

with him, and ……………………………………………………………."

There is a wrong concept: That all are children of God!
This is not true!
All are creatures of God, but children of God are only those who accepted Jesus as their Saviour and Lord.
Read John 1:12

3) Believe in the promises, and be sure they belong to us. Trust in the Word of God according:
a. our relationship with Him - 1 John 3:1
b. being sure about the forgiveness of our sins - 1 John 1:9
c. being sure about salvation - 1 John 5:12-13
d. eternal life - 1 John 2:25

To end this lesson, three things you need to believe, we will state:
Eternal life is a free gift, that came directly from God. You did nothing that makes you deserve it.

See you next lesson, where we study three things you need to have.