G. Concerning anxiety:
I. The bondage of the unbelievers:
A. By sin
1. "A slave of sin" (John 8:34) 2. "Sold under sin" (Rom. 7:14) B. By self
1. "A captive to the law of sin which is in my members" (Rom. 7:23) 2. "Doing the desires of the flesh" (Eph. 2:3) C. By Satan
1. "The snare of the devil" (2 Tim. 2:26) 2. "The desires of your father" (John 8:44) II. The freedom of the believers:
A. "Free indeed" (John 8:36)
1. "Has set us free" (Gal. 5:1) B. Concerning the condemnation in this age (Rom. 8:1):
1. "Is not condemned" (John 3:18) C. Concerning the judgment in the future:
1. "Does not come into judgment" (John 5:24) 2. "Delivers us from the wrath which is coming" (1 Thes. 1:10) 3. "Redeemed us out of the curse" (Gal. 3:13) D. Concerning the bondage of sin:
1. "Sin will not lord it over you" (Rom. 6:14) 2. "Having been freed from sin" (Rom. 6:18, 22) 3. "Freed me...from the law of sin and of death" (Rom. 8:2) E. Concerning the law:
1. "The end of the law" (Rom. 10:4) 2. "Have died to law" (Gal. 2:19) 3. "Redeem those under law" (Gal. 4:5) 4. "Discharged from the law" (Rom. 7:6) 5. "Not under the law" (Rom. 6:14) F. Concerning fear:
1. To release from the fear of death (Heb. 2:14-15; 2 Tim. 1:7) 2. Completely no fear (Rom. 8:15; 1 John 4:18) G. Concerning anxiety:
1. "All your anxiety" (1 Pet. 5:7) 2. "In nothing be anxious" (Phil. 4:6)
3. "Do not be anxious" (Matt. 6:25) LESSON TEN THE LOVE OF GOD (Romans 5:8) The love of God not only cuts off and purges the root and stem of sins in the hearts of evil men, it also changes sinners from being cursed to being blessed, from being morally corrupted to being capable of every good deed, from being servants of Satan to being messengers of God, from being people of darkness to being children of light, and from being those who indulge in their lusts to being servants who obey Christ.
I. How much does God love?
A. "As You have loved Me" (John 17:23) B. Breadth—"every one who" (John 3:15-16) C. Length—"eternal" (Jer. 31:3) D. Depth—"for me" (Gal. 2:20) E. Height—"in the heavenlies" (Eph. 2:4, 6) II. Whom does God love?
A. "The world" (John 3:16) B. "We were dead in offenses" (Eph. 2:4-5) C. "Me" (Gal. 2:20) III. How does God love?
A. "Freely" (Hosea 14:4) B. As the Father (John 16:27) C. "To the uttermost" (John 13:1) IV. What did God's love do for us?
A. "A propitiation for our sins" (1 John 4:10) B. "Has released us from our sins" (Rev. 1:5) C. "Saved us" (Titus 3:4-5) D. "Would not perish, but would have eternal life" (John 3:16) E. "Raised...seated us together" (Eph. 2:4-6) F. "Eternal comfort and good hope" (2 Thes. 2:16) V. What will God's love do for us?
A. "Not having spot" (Eph. 5:25-27) B. "Without blemish" (Jude 24) C. "More than conquer" (Rom. 8:37) D. Keeping us forevermore (Rom. 8:38-39)
E. "Disciplines...scourges" (Heb. 12:6)
LESSON ELEVEN THE ASSURANCE OF SALVATION
I. How are we saved?
A. "Grace...faith" (Eph. 2:8-9) B. "Believe on the Lord Jesus" (Acts 16:31) C. "Not out of works in righteousness" (Titus 3:5) II. When are we saved?
A. "Believes...may have" (John 3:15) B. "Believes...would not...would have" (John 3:16) C. "Believes...has" (John 3:36) D. "Has...does not...has passed" (John 5:24) E. "Believes has" (John 6:47) F. "Believes...will receive" (Acts 10:43) G. "Believes is justified" (Acts 13:39) H. "Have" (Rom. 5:1) I. "Having now" (Rom. 5:9) J. "Now then no" (Rom. 8:1) K. "Have" (Eph. 1:7) L. "Have been forgiven" (1 John 2:12) M. "Has" (1 John 5:12) The Bible teaches us that being saved is a present matter. When we believe, we receive eternal life. Once we believe, we receive. There is no need to wait or to hope. Salvation is not something that happens after death, but is a present matter. Since believers are already saved (John 5:24), unbelievers are already condemned (John 3:18). III. Can man know that he is saved?
A. "May know" (1 John 5:13) B. "Let it be known" (Acts 13:38-39) C. "For we know" (2 Cor. 5:1) D. "Knowing" (2 Cor. 5:6-8) E. "Know" (2 Tim. 1:12) F. "Know" (1 John 3:14) Every believer can know whether or not he has eternal life. Men
often think, "We can only hope that we are saved, and we can only know if we are saved after we die or at the time of judgment." This is not the teaching of the Bible. The Bible teaches that a man can know whether or not he has eternal life in this age. IV. How can a man know that he is saved?
A. "These things" (1 John 5:13) B. "The testimony of God" (1 John 5:9-11) C. "My word" (John 5:24) We may not have known that we are already saved, but the Word of God, the Bible, says that we are already saved; therefore we are saved. The Bible also tells us that he who believes has eternal life, is justified, has peace, and is saved. We only need to ask ourselves whether or not we have believed into the Lord Jesus as our personal Savior. If we have not believed, we will perish. If we believe, we spontaneously are a person who has eternal life. "He who believes has eternal life" (John 6:47). When we believe, we have eternal life. We know that we have eternal life not because we think or we feel that we do, but because God tells us so. Since we are saved and have received God's grace, we should not continue in sin (Rom. 6:1-2).
LESSON TWELVE THE TWO NATURES Every Christian feels that he has two natures, but not every Christian knows the reason why. Because he does not know how to deal with this kind of experience, much sorrow and discouragement may fill his heart. The nature that is born of the flesh has no goodness at all; but the nature that is born of God does not commit sins. The source and nature of the new man and the old man are opposites. But both natures are within the Christian. From the first man, we inherited sin, rebellion, and death. From the second man, we inherited righteousness, obedience, and life (Rom. 5:17-19).
I. The old man:
A. "The flesh" (John 3:6) B. "Your father the devil" (John 8:44) C. "The heart is deceitful" (Jer. 17:9)
D. "Cannot please God" (Rom. 8:7-8) The best moralists, the most devoted religionists, and the most compassionate, charitable people are far away from God and from eternal life unless they are born again. They are the same as the tax collectors and harlots. Without being born again, one cannot please God, because his heart is deceitful and his father is the devil. II. The new man:
A. "Born of the Spirit" (John 3:5-6) B. "New man" (Eph. 4:24) C. "A new creation" (2 Cor. 5:17) D. "Begotten...of God" (John 1:11-13) III. The new man is Christ living within you:
A. "Christ in you" (Col. 1:27) B. "Christ our life" (Col. 3:3-4) C. "Christ who lives in me" (Gal. 2:20) IV. The battle: The new nature and the old nature are archenemies. Both of them want to dominate completely. The old nature has its power and its will. The battle between these two natures is very severe. Therefore, many young believers doubt their regeneration to the point that they are completely disappointed (Rom. 7:14-25). How should we deal with our old nature? "Cast out" (Gal. 4:22-31). V. The victory—three ways:
A. On the negative side:
1. "Crucified with Christ" (Gal. 2:20; 5:24) 2. "Reckon...to be dead" (Rom. 6:11) B. On the positive side:
1. "Walk by the Spirit" (Gal. 5:16) 2. "Walk by the Spirit" (Gal. 5:25) C. On the negative and positive side:
1. "Put to death...you will live" (Rom. 8:13) The way to overcome is not by self-discipline or self-imposition. The way to overcome the old nature is (1) by the cross of the Lord, acknowledging that the self is dead already, (2) by following the leading of the Holy Spirit in all our endeavors, and (3) by allowing