“God So Loved The World” Bible Study

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that

whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.   John 3:16 (NIV)

Introduction

 

 

The world today is troubled. Men and women everywhere are seeking the solution to their insurmountable problems — personal, social, national, and international. Underneath it all is a longing to know the real meaning of life and the destiny to which it leads.

Where did the world come from, and how did life begin? Why are men continually at war, and why is there so much hatred between various races and ethnic groups? Is there no hope for lasting peace in this world of ours? Why is human nature torn between ideals and actions, between hope for something better and the perverse inclination to do something worse?

Unaided by some power outside of itself, humanity has never been able to find a satisfactory answer to these questions. But there is hope! Implanted in every heart is a desire to worship some higher power, a desire after God. And God has the answers.

The purpose of this Bible course is to lead men and women to God and to His message of salvation. 

 

Discover for yourself how much He longs to bring peace, hope, and joy into your life. Listen as God speaks to you from His Word and tells you how He “so loved the world that he gave us his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16, NIV).

 

Because sin is a deceiver many have been misled into thinking they can save themselves by their own good works. But the Bible is clear, “by observing the law no one will be justified” (Galatians 2:16 NIV). The Jews of Christ’s day made the tragic mistake of thinking that they could be saved by keeping the law. It is for this reason Jesus said unto them: “Come unto me all you that labor and are very discouraged and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). 

 

Man’s only hope of salvation is the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

But before we can rejoice in this good news of salvation, we must first come to grips with our sin problem. Once we lose all confidence in ourselves, we will accept with open arms God’s incredible gift of salvation in Christ. In this first lesson we are going to discover what the Bible has to say about the universal sin problem, as a prerequisite to appreciating the good news of the gospel. 

 

It is only when the night is darkest that the stars shine their brightest. Likewise, to fully appreciate the glorious truth of the gospel, we must view it against our total depravity.

 

 

Study #1: Why We Need a Savior.

1. Who created man and for what purpose?

 

Genesis 1:26    _______________________________________________________________

 

2. What did God do after he formed man out of the dust of the ground?

 

Genesis 2:7 __________________________________________________________________

 

 

Note: The word life in this text is in the plural form in the original Hebrew Bible. God breathed into manthe breath of lives.” This is because God created all men in that one man. That man was called Adam, which means mankind.

3. How did God create woman and with what material was she made?

 

Genesis 2:21-24 __________________________________________________________________________

 

 

Note: The Bible tells us that God created this world by “the Word of His mouth,” except for man and woman. Adam (mankind) was formed by the hands of God out of the dust; and Eve, which means mother of all, was formed out of Adam’s rib. According to the Bible, the whole human race, of which we are all members, is the multiplication of Adam’s one life. (see Acts 17:26)

4. What was Adam not allowed to eat, after God had placed him and his wife in the beautiful garden of Eden?

 

Genesis 2:16,17 ___________________________________________________________________________________

 

Note: Because God created man with a free will, He placed him under a law by which his loyalty to God could be tested. The penalty of failing this test was death, good-bye to life.

5. Since all humanity was created in Adam, how many were affected by Adam’s sin?

Romans 5:12   ______________________________________________________________________ 

 

Note: When Adam sinned it implicated the whole world. Since the Fall took place before Adam had any children, the whole human race was in him when he sinned. While all of mankind suffer the consequences of Adam’s original sin, God does not hold the human race guilty of that sin.

6. Although the judgment of condemnation to death came to everyone as a result of Adam’s sin, how did God reverse humanity’s status?

Romans 5:18 __________________________________________________

 

Note: Justification (i.e., to be declared righteous) comes as a free gift from God because of the righteous act of one man—the perfect life and the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ. Because of what Christ did, the hope of salvation has been brought to all humanity. This is the good news of the gospel.

7. As a result of the fall, how many are righteous or good in God’s eyes?

Romans 3:9-12 __________________________________________________

 

Note: The word “under” means to be ruled or dominated by. It was a term used to refer to slaves in Bible days. Just as a slave had no freedom but was ruled by his master, so also, all humanity is under sin, ruled by it. This is the universal sin problem and our only hope of deliverance is a Savior.

8. Because of the universal sin problem, how many stand guilty or condemned under God’s law?

Romans 3:19 __________________________________________________

 

9. How many have sinned and who is our only hope of salvation?

Romans 3:23,24 __________________________________________________

 

Note: The Bible is clear. Mankind’s only hope of salvation is Jesus Christ.

10. What does David say about himself, which is also true of all of us?

Psalms 51:5 __________________________________________________

 

Note: Sin is a condition or state which we all inherit from birth. It is something we are born with because of Adam’s Fall. Therefore, we can do nothing to escape it, in and of ourselves. However, this is not our fault and God does not blame us for being born sinners.

11. What condition is ours from birth?

Psalms 58:3 __________________________________________________

 

Note: We are born separated from God. But although we may be wicked from birth, God has given us the choice to escape this problem through the gospel of Jesus Christ.

12. Like sheep, in what two conditions do we find ourselves?

Isaiah 53:6

 

 

1. _________________________________________________________

 

 

2. _________________________________________________________

 

Note: We are by nature self-centered. We go our own way from the moment we are born, but we also have hope because the Lord laid the iniquity of us all on Christ.

13. Why can we not trust our own hearts?

 

Jeremiah 17:9 __________________________________________________

 

Note: Because we are naturally self-centered, our own hearts deceive us into believing we can save ourselves by our good works. But this is where many make a big mistake. A good example of this is the story of Peter’s betrayal of Jesus. Peter promised Jesus that he would die rather than betray Him, but when the test came he denied his Lord three times (see John 18:15-27).

14. What does Jesus, the true witness, say regarding our own self-evaluation?

 

Revelation 3:17 __________________________________________________

 

Note: The problem with most of us is that we do not know how sinful we are. Therefore, we do not realize our own deplorable condition. This is why God has to first convict us of our total sinfulness before He offers us the gift of salvation.

15. Instead of the interests of Jesus, how many seek their own way?

 

Philippians 2:21 __________________________________________________

 

Note: This problem is inherent in every human being. Even babies demand their own way from birth.

16. What is the only thing that can truly set us free from our sin problem?

 

John 8:32 __________________________________________________

 

17. When we commit sin, even against our own wishes, what does it prove?

 

John 8:34 __________________________________________________

 

18. Freedom from sin’s slavery is found only in whom?

 

John 8:36 __________________________________________________

 

Note: Jesus is the only answer to our sin problem. Without Him we remain slaves to sin and the wages of sin is death (see Romans 6:23).

19. Why did Jesus come into this world?

 

1 Timothy 1:15 __________________________________________________

 

Note: Do you accept this fact? Note that even Paul, the great apostle, admits in the present tense, that he is the chief or the worst of sinners.

20. What does the Bible have to say to those who claim “we have no sin”?

 

1 John 1:8 __________________________________________________

 

21. Of what do we accuse God when we say we have not sinned?

 

1 John 1:10 __________________________________________________

 

Note: The only reason God’s Word tells us that we are sinners is to show us our need of a Savior. Once we recognize our total sinfulness, the gospel does become the best good news we have ever heard.

22. What are two things God does for us if we confess our sins to Him?

 

1 John 1:9

 

 

1. _________________________________________________________

 

 

2. _________________________________________________________

 

Conclusion: Most people think they are sinners because they have committed sins; but the fact is that we commit sins because we are born sinners. The only hope of escaping this universal sin problem is Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world. Our study of the Bible becomes exciting as we discover His plan of salvation for the human race. In our next few studies we shall learn about God’s unconditional love for us, the ground of our salvation, as well as how He saved us in Christ!

 

 

If you would like to continue these lessons with a bible worker please call (209) 944-9768. If you get the message center leave your name and phone number someone will return your call very soon. God bless you today, tomorrow and forever. 


     

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“God So Loved The World” Bible Study

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that

whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.   John 3:16 (NIV)

Study #2: The Love of God

 

 

It is hard for many to comprehend how God can save them as sinners. As a result most people are running away from God out of fear. This is one way the devil, the enemy of souls, veils the good news of the gospel from men and women. For this reason, it is important for all to realize that the ground of our salvation is God’s unconditional love for us, and not our goodness. Jesus Himself declared in that favorite text of the Bible: “God so loved the world that He gave His only Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). The apostle Paul, once a persecutor of the Christian church, made this profound statement to young Timothy: “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the worst” (1 Timothy 1:15).

The reason why we sinners do not need to be afraid of God and can come to Him with full confidence is because God is love. In this study we are going to discover the true love of God that is the ground of our salvation. Once our eyes are opened to this fact, the gospel will become fantastic or incredible good news. Let us see how this is true from the Word of God.

 

 

 1. Whom does God love?

 

John 3:16 ______________________________________________________

 

Note: The world (human race) God so loved is the world that has rebelled against Him. Therefore, we are saved not because we deserve it or because we are good, but because God is love. This is the foundation to a correct understanding of the gospel.

2. After Paul shows us that all are sinners by performance and nature deserving God’s wrath, what reason does he give why God redeemed humanity in Christ?

 

Ephesians 2:4-6 ______________________________________________________

 

Note: Even though the Bible declares that we are all sinners, it also tells us that God loves us infinitely. That is why God made us alive together with Christ, raised us up together, and made us sit in heavenly places in Him, all because of His unconditional love for mankind.

3. Since we are not saved by works of righteousness or right doing, why did God save us?

 

Titus 3:3-5 ______________________________________________________

 

Note: The ground of our salvation is God’s love for sinners. Scripture declares that “God is love” (1John 4:8). This love is not just one of God’s characteristics but is what He is by very nature and therefore all that He does is in the context of His love.

4. In the time of Christ what were the people being taught?

 

Matthew 5:43 ______________________________________________________

 

Note: The word “neighbor” here refers to fellow Jews and the word ”enemy” refers to the Gentiles. Human beings know how to love their own, but it is impossible for us to love our enemies, in and of ourselves.

5. In contrast to this human love, what did Jesus say Christians should do?

 

Matthew 5:44 ______________________________________________________

 

Note: It is this kind of love that demonstrates true Christianity to the world. Such love reflects the love God has for sinners. It is the greatest proof of the power of the gospel and the fact that we are followers of Christ (see John 13:34,35).

6. How far reaching is God’s love?

 

Matthew 5:45 ______________________________________________________

 

Note: God’s love extends beyond all barriers. It is the opposite of human love. God even loves and cares for those who are His enemies by supplying all their needs. God’s love is unconditional; it does not depend on our goodness. Therefore, in understanding God’s love for us we must never attribute our human ideals of love to God. This is where many go wrong.

7. What four conditions were we still in when God demonstrated His love for us and reconciled us to Himself by the death of His Son?

Romans 5:6-10

1._________________________

2._________________________

 

3._________________________

4._________________________

Note: This passage tells us that while we were incapable of saving ourselves, wicked people, still sinners, and even enemies of God, he redeemed us through the death of His Son. Such love is beyond our comprehension, but it is real because God says so and demonstrated it on the cross of Christ.

8. How many times does the word “love” appear in your Bible, in this passage?

 

John 21:15-17 ______________________________________________________

 

Note: Unfortunately, our English Bibles fail to bring out the real significance of this dialogue between Christ and Peter. The reason being that the English language has only one word for love. But in the Greek, the language of the New Testament, the Bible writers had about four words to choose from. In the first two questions, “do you love me,” Jesus used the word “agapao” which is unconditional love. Peter’s answer both times was “phileo” which means human affection, which, incidentally, is unreliable. (Keep in mind, Peter promised he would never deny Jesus.) In his answer, Peter was admitting that he did not have unconditional love towards Christ. In Jesus’ third question, He used the word “phileo” and Peter was “grieved” because this third time, Jesus used the word “phileo” instead of “agapao.” Peter answered by saying in effect, “Yes, Lord you know everything. You know that all I’m capable of is this unreliable human love.” But unlike Peter, Christ’s love for us is unconditional and never fails.

9. What draws us to God?

 

Jeremiah 31:3 ______________________________________________________

 

Note: Most people are running away from God because they think He is out to punish them. But the truth is that God loves us and gave us His only Son so that whoever believes in Him should not be lost but have eternal life. This is what draws us to God.

10. What endearing term does God use for His people?

 

1 John 3:1,2 ______________________________________________________

 

Note: Not only does God love us unconditionally, but He has given us a new standing before Him. Anyone who is a child of God through faith in Christ need not have a low self esteem. We have become children of the King of kings and this is what gives us hope, security, and a self worth that puts a spring in our step. With heads up, He gives us the ability to face whatever is ahead.

11. On what basis should we rely on God for our salvation?

 

1 John 4:16 ______________________________________________________

 

Note: God not only loves us with an everlasting love but He Himself is love. Every other aspect of God’s character, which is His glory, is unconditional love. There are some things we may not understand but everything He does is in the context of “God is love.”

12. What does perfect love cast out?

 

1 John 4:17,18 ______________________________________________________

 

Note: Fear is the result of sin. Because all of us have sinned, we are all victims to the fear of death (Hebrews 2:14,15). Only God’s redeeming love can cast out this fear.

13. List the ten things that Paul says cannot separate us from the love of God.

Romans 8:35-39

1._________________________

2.__________________________

 

3._________________________

4.__________________________

 

5._________________________

6.__________________________

 

7._________________________

8.__________________________

 

9._________________________

10.__________________________

Note: Although as Christians we may face many hardships in this world, our joy and our peace come from knowing that nothing can separate us from the love of God. God is eternal and therefore His love is everlasting; it is the ground of our salvation. He offers us the free gift of salvation in Christ Jesus purely on the basis of His unconditional love for us. The only thing that can keep us from experiencing this salvation is our own rejection of His saving grace. May this never be true of you.

How God’s Love Was Perverted

In order to fully appreciate the good news of the gospel, it is important to be familiar with how Satan has perverted God’s love, in order to pervert the gospel. Here is a brief history of what happened. The Greek language, in which the New Testament was originally written, had four words for love. They were eros, storge, phileo, and agape. Of these four words, eros was considered to be the highest form of love. As Plato described it, eros was man seeking after God. It was the basis of all pagan religions.

The New Testament writers NEVER used this word, eros. This was unacceptable to some of the Church Fathers, who became the leaders of the Christian church after the apostles died. Some of these Church Fathers, who were all of Greek origin, wanted to substitute eros for the word agape, the key word used in the New Testament to define God’s self-emptying and unconditional love. This started the great battle in Church history between eros and agape.

It was Augustine, the great Church Father of the 4th century, who settled the issue. By using Greek logic, Augustine synthesized the concept of eros with the concept of agape and produced a new concept of love which he named caritas from which we get our English word charity. This new concept of love was accepted by the Christian Church and, as a result, caritas became the dominant word defining God’s love during the dark ages of Church history. Thus, by modifying the true meaning of God’s love, Satan managed to pervert the pure gospel from being “good news” to “good advice” — “I must do my best and God will make up the difference.” Below is an outline showing the contrast of man’s eros love to God’s agape love and how caritas perverted the gospel:

 

HUMAN EROS LOVE IS:

GOD’S AGAPE LOVE IS:

A. CONDITIONAL

Depends on beauty or goodness and therefore needs arousing. When this love is attributed to God it perverts the gospel into conditional good news or good advice: Matt. 19:16-27; John 9:14-31

A. UNCONDITIONAL

Is spontaneous, uncaused, and independent of our goodness. This is why God redeemed us: Rom. 5:6-10; Eph.2:1-6,8,9; Titus 3:3-5

B. CHANGEABLE

Fluctuates and is unreliable: Luke 22:31-34 (Divorce rate in U.S.)

B. CHANGELESS

Everlasting and never fails: Jer. 31:3; 1 Cor. 13:8; Jn. 13:1; Rom. 8:35-39

C. SELF-SEEKING (U-turn agape)

Egocentric; therefore always ascending, socially, politically, academically, economically, and even religiously: Isa. 53:6; Phil. 2:21. (Satan is the originator of this self principle and infected man with it at the Fall.) Ezk. 28:14,15; Isa. 14:12-14

C. SELF-EMPTYING (agape)

Selfless; therefore will step down for the benefit of others: 1 Cor. 13:5; 2 Cor. 8:9; Phil. 2:6-8

Agape and The Great Controversy in Church History

 

The battle between Agape and Eros love resulted in Caritas love. These 3 loves have produced the 3 gospels comprising today’s world religions:

 

 

The Eros Gospel

(Salvation by Works)

 

 

 

GOD

 

 

 

 

MAN

The Caritas Gospel

(Salvation by Faith Plus Works)

 

GOD 

 

 

 

 

MAN

The Agape Gospel

(Salvation by Grace Alone)

 

 

GOD

 

 

 

 

MAN 

 

 

“God So Loved The World” Bible Study

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that

whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.   John 3:16 (NIV)

Study #3: How God Saved You in Christ

When Jesus came into this world, some two thousand years ago, He came to be the Saviour of the world. It was however, the apostle Paul that God set aside to explain this good news of salvation, the gospel. When reading Paul’s writings you will find a key phrase that runs through all his epistles. If you were to remove this phrase there would be very little left of Paul’s explanation of the gospel. That phrase is “in Christ” or “in Christ Jesus.” The truth expressed by this phrase is also expressed by other similar phrases such as “in Him” or “together with Him” or “in the beloved” or “in whom,” etc. All these phrases express the same “in Christ” idea or motif (theme).

This truth, stated in the phrase “in Christ,” was first introduced by Christ Himself when He told His disciples to “abide in me.” These are the undergirding words of the gospel. If we do not understand what the New Testament means by this expression “in Christ,” we will never be able to fully understand the good news of the gospel. There is nothing we have as Christians except we have it in Christ. Outside of Him we have nothing but sin, condemnation, and death.

The concept of “in Christ” is however, difficult to understand. Just as “you must be born again” was beyond Nicodemus, one of the top religious leaders of the Jews, the phrase “in Christ” is likewise a difficult idea for us to comprehend. This is especially true of the Western mind. How can I, as an individual, be in someone else? Worse still, how can I, born in the Twentieth Century, be in Christ who lived almost 2,000 years ago? This makes absolutely no sense to our Western way of thinking. Because we cannot fathom this truth, we tend to ignore or skim over it. Yet appreciating the good news of the gospel hinges on our understanding these vital two words, “in Christ.”

The “in Christ” concept is based on Biblical solidarity, the idea that all men constitute or share a common life. This is what we touched on in our first lesson, the sin problem. Therefore, if we are to come to grips with this phrase “in Christ,” we must first understand what the Bible has to say about solidarity or corporate oneness. In Hebrews 7:7-10, Levi paid tithes to Melchizedek “in Abraham” since he was in the loins of his great grandfather Abraham when he paid tithe to Melchizedek. This is based on Biblical solidarity.

According to Scripture, three fundamental facts are revealed:

 

  1. God created all men in one man – Adam
  2. Satan ruined all men in one man – Adam
  3. God redeemed all men in one man – Christ

 

It is this last fact that constitutes the good news of the gospel and gives us everlasting hope. As you study God’s Word regarding the “in Christ” motif or idea may your eyes be opened to the matchless charms of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

 

1. There are three people involved in this text: “Him” (i.e., God), “you” (i.e., us), and Christ. What has God made Christ to be for us?

 

1 Corinthians 1:30 ______________________________________________________

 

Note: Out of His unconditional love, God united the divine life of His Son to our corporate human life in the womb of Mary. Thus Christ, the God-man, qualified to be our substitute and representative. By His perfect life and sacrificial death He satisfied all the demands of the law on our behalf. In Christ, humanity has a new history which fully qualifies every believer for heaven. This is the incredible good news of the gospel.

2. In our first study we found that all men were created in one man, Adam, and when he sinned, all sinned in him, and therefore the death sentence was passed upon all men. In the same way what will happen to all who are in Christ?

 

1 Corinthians 15:21,22 ______________________________________________________

 

Note: The man who brought death to humanity is Adam and the man who brought life to humanity is Christ. Today, science is trying to find a solution to the death problem but they cannot because the only solution is Christ.

3. What were the first Adam and the last Adam made to be?

 

1 Corinthians 15:45

 

 

First Adam ______________________________________________________

 

 

Last Adam ______________________________________________________

 

Note: Because the first Adam (mankind) sinned and brought death to all mankind, God sent His Son as the last or second Adam (mankind) to redeem men from that death sentence. Christ is our only hope of eternal life (see 1 John 5:11,12).

4. Through one man’s sinful act, what came to all men and with what result?

 

Romans 5:18 (first part) ______________________________________________________

 

Note: Because we were in Adam, his one sin made us all sinners (verse 19). While God does not blame us, or hold us responsible or guilty for Adam’s sin, nevertheless, because we were in Adam when he sinned, we share his condemnation to death.

5. Through one Man’s righteous act what came to all men and with what result?

 

Romans 5:18 (last part) ______________________________________________________

 

Note: Just as all die because all have sinned in Adam, so also, all have obeyed in Christ and stand justified to life in Him. Please notice that what God has brought to the whole human race by Christ’s obedience is a “free gift” and like any other gift, we cannot enjoy it until we receive it (verse 17). What is ours in Adam is ours by inheritance; what is ours in Christ is a gift from God, for “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in him will not perish but have everlasting life.”

6. When did God plan our redemption in Christ?

 

Ephesians 1:4 ______________________________________________________

 

Note: Before we were even created in Adam, God, who knew beforehand that Adam would sin, had already planned our salvation in Christ. According to verse 5, God predestined our adoption to be His sons and daughters by uniting us to Christ. He did this, not because we were good or deserved it, but because of His unconditional love for us. The moment you accept Christ as your Saviour, God looks at you as if you are His son or daughter, “accepted in the Beloved” (Christ ,verse 6).

7. What three things has God done for us in Christ, while we were still sinners?

 

Ephesians 2:5,6

 

 

1. _____________________________________________________________

 

 

2. _____________________________________________________________

 

 

3. _____________________________________________________________

 

Note: These three facts are what God has accomplished in Christ for all men and women. Together, they constitute the good news of the gospel: salvation full and complete for sinful humankind. However, for these facts to become ours individually, there must be a human response.

8. How do we experience this salvation obtained for all people in Christ?

 

Ephesians 2:8,9 ______________________________________________________

 

Note: Salvation comes as a result of the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and is made effective through faith; this grace is the supreme gift of God to mankind. The fruit of receiving this grace is good works (see verse 10).

9. What is the wages of sin?

 

Romans 6:23 (first part) ______________________________________________________

 

Note: By nature, as well as by performance, we are sinners and deserve death since all have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).

10. What is the gift of God in Christ?

 

Romans 6:23 (last part) ______________________________________________________

 

Note: Please note that while death is wages we earn, eternal life is entirely a free gift that comes through the holy history of Christ and which we have not earned or deserved. That’s why the Bible tells us that we are saved by grace alone.

11. What has God given us in His Son?

 

1 John 5:11 ______________________________________________________

 

Note: The whole world is trying to escape from the “grim reaper.” No one wants to die, but there is only one Source of the life that never ends — Jesus Christ.

12. What are the two options we have regarding this gift of life from God?

 

1 John 5:12

 

 

1. _____________________________________________________________

 

 

2. _____________________________________________________________

 

Note: Please do not refuse this incredible gift. If you refuse it you will not have this eternal life, no matter how many good works you have performed. If you accept Jesus as your only source of salvation and life, the eternal life God offers you in Christ is guaranteed.

13. What assurance does John give to those who believe in the Son of God?

 

1 John 5:13 ______________________________________________________

 

14. If we believe in Jesus, what do we become?

 

John 1:11-13 ______________________________________________________

 

Note: God looks at every one who believes in Jesus Christ as His child. If you believe in His name you have already received life, even though you may not feel it or think you deserve it.

15. If we hear and believe God’s Word, what will be the result?

 

John 5:24 ______________________________________________________

 

Note: We pass from death to life by accepting the gift of God, Jesus Christ, and not by the works of the law. However, to those who are justified by faith in Christ, the law becomes the standard of Christian living (see Galatians 5:13,14).

16. What is Christ to those who believe?

 

Romans 10:4 ______________________________________________________

 

Note: The word “end” means something completed or terminated. Paul tells us in this verse that, by faith, Christ’s perfect obedience to the law becomes ours. In His earthly mission, Christ met both the positive demands of the law as well as its justice. Thus, He terminated legalism (salvation by our own attempts to keep the law).

17. What happens when you accept the gift of Christ’s righteousness?

 

2 Corinthians 5:17 ______________________________________________________

 

Note: Read also verses 18-21. On the cross, God heaped all the sins of the world on His Son Jesus Christ. Thus, by His death humanity has been redeemed from sin. Then, in exchange, God gave humanity the life of His Son in the resurrection. When you accept Jesus by faith as your personal Saviour, you pass from death to life.

18. What two things did Christ accomplish by His death and resurrection?

 

2 Timothy 1:8-10

 

 

1. _____________________________________________________________

 

 

2. _____________________________________________________________

 

19. What two things must we do for the good news of salvation in Christ to become ours?

 

Mark 16:15,16

 

 

1. _____________________________________________________________

 

 

2. _____________________________________________________________

 

Do you believe that Christ has redeemed you? If yes, check here: _______