“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation: The old has gone, the new has come!"
2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)
A new creation. A fresh start. For all of us who have ever wished we could start over, this is good news. However, before we can really appreciate this good news, we need to understand exactly why we need to start over. Why do we need to become a ‘new creation’? Why do we need salvation?
THE PROBLEM: Separation Because of our Sin
“1Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor His ear too dull to hear. 2But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear.”
Isaiah 59:1-2 (NIV)
There is an immeasurable gap separating God and man. The cause of this eternal separation between God and man is sin. Have you ever felt distant from God? We all have. Feeling far from God is very common. Many who sense this vast separation suppose that if they meditate harder, learn more about their religion, or just step into a religious sanctuary, they would be closer to God.
But since our separation from God is not physical nor intellectual, neither meditation nor knowledge can bring us any closer to God. What causes the separation between God and man?
“.for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God..."
Romans 3:23 (NIV)
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 6:23 (NIV)
The separation between God and man is a moral separation. God is holy, man is not. God is good, man is not. God is just, man is not. All men have sinned, therefore, all are eternally separated from God. All will suffer the consequences of sin, which is eternal death.
THE SOLUTION: God's Sacrifice and Substitution
“26...But He has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of Himself. 27Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, 28so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for Him.”
Hebrews 9:26-28 (NIV)
The justice of God demands a sacrifice for man’s sin. Jesus Christ became that sacrifice and paid the penalty for our sin at the cross. Since God is holy, righteous, and just, He could not allow sin to go unpunished. Since He is loving and compassionate, He did not want all of mankind to be eternally separated from Him. The divine solution to this problem was for Jesus, God's only Son, to become the sacrifice for sin.
“God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.”
2 Corinthians 5:21 (NIV)
What exactly happened on the cross? Through His death on the cross, Jesus took our place and our punishment. He exchanged His righteousness for our sin. He took our curse and gave us His blessings. Because of His sinless life, Jesus was the only one qualified to pay the penalty for man’s sin and to bridge the gap between God and man.
THE RESULT: Our Salvation and Reconciliation
“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)
Christ died on the cross so that we could receive forgiveness for our sins, be reconciled to God, and have eternal life.
“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace..".
Ephesians 1:7(NIV)
“But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.”
Ephesians 2:13 (TNIV)
We have all sinned against a holy and righteous God. The penalty for sin is eternal separation from God, in hell. God is just and must punish sin. He is also loving and does not want us to go to hell forever. Therefore, He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to pay the penalty for sin by dying on the cross. Because of His sinless life, death could not hold Jesus. He was raised from the dead on the third day. In Christ, we have forgiveness for our sins, and eternal life. In Him we are restored to right standing before God and given a new life as His children.
THE RESPONSE: Receive God's Gift by Faith
“9That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.”
Romans 10:9-10 (NIV)
“12Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God, 13children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.”
John 1:12-13 (NIV)
“8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.”
Ephesians 2:8-9 (TNIV)
We receive salvation when we stop trusting in ourselves and put our trust in Christ.
Our salvation is a result of God's grace. It is based on what Jesus did for us on the cross. It has nothing to do with what we do for Him. We cannot save ourselves or earn God's approval through the good works we do. We are saved by God’s grace when we realize our need for a Saviour, turn from sin, and receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, putting our trust in Him alone for salvation.
QUESTIONS
Have you stopped trusting in yourself and started trusting in Christ alone for salvation?
Have you turned away from all known sin?
• Have you confessed Jesus as the Lord and Master of your life?
Are you willing to follow and obey Him for the rest of your life?
This Week:
• I will apply
• I will share with.
Salvation Prayer
Heavenly Father . . . I acknowledge that the separation between us . . . is because of my sin . . . I confess that I have sinned . . . and have fallen far short of Your glory . . . I thank You that You sent Your Son, Jesus . . . to pay the penalty for my sin . . . I believe that He died on the cross for me . . . I believe that You raised Him from the dead . . . I am sorry for my sins . . . and I ask You to forgive and cleanse me . . . I want to turn away from everything the Bible calls sin... and receive You as my Lord, Master, and Saviour. . . help me to love, serve, and obey You... for the rest of my life...in Jesus‘name... Amen!
Date:
Engage List
Write down three names of people who you want to share with about what God has done in your life.
1. __________
2. __________
3.
Let's pray for them right now!
Understanding my New Life
If you have sincerely prayed the salvation prayer, the Bible promises that the old has gone and the new has come! The next ten lessons will introduce you to some of the new things that have come. It is important to understand that you were created with three different parts. You are body, soul and spirit.
Your body consists out of five senses: sight, hearing, touch, taste and smell. Your five senses are the doorway to your soul and spirit. Your soul consists of your mind, will and emotions. Your spirit is the nonphysical part of your being, believed to live on after death. Your spirit was created as the receiver and image bearer of God. When you are born again, your spirit is reborn and renewed to become the image bearer of Christ in us. Thereafter your soul - mind, will and emotions, are being saved and renewed daily as you allow the Holy Spirit and the Word of God to transform and heal your mind, will and emotions of all past sin, hurts, lies and bad experiences.
The following ten lessons will help you to understand how God transforms your life so that your will, your mind and your emotions will enjoy, love and obey Him completely.