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Father, again, we come before You and we ask for Your wisdom and guidance. Jesus, You promised that You would not leave us orphans, but that You would send the Spirit of Truth who would guide us in all truth and teach us all things. And so we trust that, God, You are here by Your Holy Spirit tonight, desiring to give us insight and wisdom into Your Word, that we would better know who You are and what Your will is.

I pray that You would instruct us and continue to renew our minds, transforming us by the renewing of our minds. This way, we would be able to display in our daily lives what is Your good and perfect will. It should be evident to family members, neighbors, coworkers, and friends. They would see the work that You are doing in us because they would see the fruit of Your Spirit: love, joy, peace, kindness, gentleness, and patience. All of these things would be evident in us and glorify You. So, God, do a work, we pray. We ask this in Jesus' name. And all those in agreement said, Amen.

Alright, if you haven't already, go ahead and open your book to the first page. We will be looking at a passage of Scripture that is just a really great passage, one of my favorites. I have about 6,000 favorite passages in the Bible, and this is just one of those.

In John's Gospel, Chapter 3, we read the story about a religious man named Nicodemus who came to Jesus by night. It says, "Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council." He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher who has come from God, for no one could perform the miraculous signs that You are doing if God were not with him."

In reply, Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again." Nicodemus asked, "How can a man be born when he is old? Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born."

Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth. No one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to Spirit. You should not be surprised at Me saying, 'You must be born again.' The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear the sound of it, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going."

So it is with everyone that is born of the Spirit. How can this be? Nicodemus asked. Jesus replied, "You are Israel's teacher, and you do not understand these things. I tell you the truth. We speak what we know, and we testify what we have seen. But still, you people do not accept our testimony. I have spoken to you of earthly things, and you do not believe. How then will you believe if I speak to you of heavenly things? No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came down from heaven, the Son of Man. Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life. 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. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son."

This passage is found in John chapter 3, verses 1 through 18. Of course, one of the verses in this passage is probably the most well-known verse in the Bible: John chapter 3, verse 16. It's certainly the most translated verse of the Bible and is obviously a very important verse.

Tonight, we will consider this portion of Scripture together as we begin our inductive Bible study, observing the who, what, when, and where of the passage in John chapter 3, verses 1 through 18.

Who initiated the nighttime meeting? The individual talking with Jesus in the passage is Nicodemus, the religious leader and a Pharisee, who is the one who initiated this meeting. He is the one who came to Jesus by night.

There is much discussion among Bible teachers and in Bible commentaries about why this man came to Jesus at night. We can read into the passage and speculate on various reasons. Some people say he came to Jesus by night because he didn't want to be seen by others. Others suggest that he came at night because, during the day, Jesus had a constant multitude around him, making it difficult for Nicodemus to have an intimate conversation. There are many different speculations regarding his choice to meet at night.

It really doesn't matter. All we know is that Nicodemus, who was a very well-known and prominent religious leader, came to Jesus by night. He seems to have been sent from the Pharisees to seek out Jesus. What did the religious leader think about Jesus, and why? Well, he thought that Jesus was a teacher from God. What led him to this conclusion? The miracles. Because of the miracles that Jesus performed, Nicodemus stated, "We know that you are a teacher come from God, because no one could do these miraculous signs unless God were with him."

At this point in Jesus' ministry, if we assume that the Gospel of John follows some sort of timeline, it appears that this is somewhat early in Jesus' ministry. Here, Jesus is just getting started, preaching and teaching. He is down in Jerusalem, while most of His ministry took place in the northern part of Israel, around the Sea of Galilee. The city of Jerusalem is about 80 miles south of there. Three times a year, Jewish individuals would go to Jerusalem to worship God and celebrate the feast days of Israel. Jesus is probably down there for one of the feasts, surrounded by multitudes of people.

So, this Pharisee comes to Jesus and says, "We can tell by watching what is going on that you are a teacher come from God because of the miracles that you do." As this Pharisee is talking with Jesus, Jesus doesn't engage in any sort of interaction with him. The man obviously has questions for Jesus, but He doesn't even give Nicodemus a chance to ask them. Instead, He immediately says something profound.

What insight did Jesus give about the kingdom of God? He told Nicodemus that only by being born again can anyone enter the kingdom of God. This statement is very clear, and as you read through those 18 verses, it becomes evident that these words from Jesus stopped Nicodemus in his tracks. He clearly had something he wanted to say and questions he wanted to ask Jesus.

That's why he didn't meet with him at night, to be able to have this one-on-one interaction with Jesus. It's almost as if Jesus completely derails Nicodemus' whole ambition in this scenario when he presents him with the truth that, in one sense, kind of short-circuits Nicodemus' brain. Jesus says, "You must be born again if you're going to enter the kingdom of God." He emphasizes this point multiple times, even stating, "I tell you the truth." I don't know if you've noticed, but three times in this passage, he says, "I tell you the truth, I tell you the truth, I tell you the truth." He is assuring Nicodemus of the veracity of what he is saying.

When Nicodemus heard this, it indeed short-circuited his brain. But what did Nicodemus understand by "born again"? He thought it meant a second physical birth. This is clear because he asks Jesus, "What do you mean by this? Does that mean that I've got to enter into my mother's womb a second time and be born?" This concept completely baffled Nicodemus. Obviously, he was thinking in a very literal fashion, while Jesus was speaking in a non-literal or metaphorical sense when he said, "You must be born again." Jesus was trying to explain a very important theological, spiritual, heavenly truth to Nicodemus, but Nicodemus took it literally. He wondered, "How can this possibly be?" because he was imagining a second physical birth.

However, Jesus expounds on this idea. John 1:14 says that Jesus is full of grace and truth, and I am very thankful that he embodies both. He speaks truth to Nicodemus, but he does so in a gracious way. He walks him through an explanation of what is going on here.

In verses 5 and 6, how does Jesus explain the meaning of "born again"? We read, "Jesus answered, 'I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born again, or born of the water and the spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the spirit gives birth to spirit.'"

So, what are the two births referred to in this verse? The first one in verse 5 is "born of water and of the spirit." Jesus is speaking of these two births: born of water and born of spirit.

In verse 6, Jesus says the exact same thing but uses one different word. He mentions being born of flesh and born of spirit. The first birth is a flesh birth, born of flesh and born of water. What exactly does that mean? Most Bible teachers, myself included, believe that being born of water refers to the point at birth when labor begins and the water breaks. This marks the beginning of the born of flesh experience. Therefore, that which is born of water, born of the flesh, is flesh. Conversely, that which is born of spirit is spirit.

Jesus is speaking of two different births here. One is physical, which is the one Nicodemus is thinking about. However, Jesus clarifies that this is not a second physical birth. He states that one cannot enter into their mother's womb a second time to be born. Instead, He is referring to a spiritual birth that will take place. According to Jesus, being born again means being born of spirit or born of God. This second birth, which is the important birth that Jesus focuses on, occurs as God brings us forth by His Spirit.

Jesus is not speaking in earthly terms or purely in physical terms. He tells Nicodemus that if he wants to see the kingdom of God, he must be born again. Consider for a moment the person Nicodemus is speaking with. He is talking with a Pharisee, a religious leader in Judaism. As you go through this passage of Scripture, Jesus asks, "Are you a teacher in Jerusalem?" The word "a" there literally means "the teacher." The definite article is used, indicating that Nicodemus is likely the most well-known religious teacher in Israel.

If anyone would have been expected to teach the common people about entering the kingdom of heaven, it would be this Pharisee. Jesus tells him, "I tell you the truth, unless you, Nicodemus, are born again, you will not get into the kingdom of God." This statement likely disrupts Nicodemus' thinking, as he probably considered himself a shoo-in for heaven. In fact, he may have been envisioning himself as the chief figure in heaven when he gets there.

Because he was probably pretty good at living the religious life, Jesus says, "Even you, Nicodemus, are not going to get into the kingdom of God unless you have this born-again experience, this born-again by the Spirit of God." According to Jesus, the born-again experience is a spiritual birth that God brings about.

What then is the first birth? That one is the born of water, or a physical birth, and it's born of flesh. We have these two clear, different experiences that we need to have if we're going to experience the kingdom of heaven. You have to have a physical birth, but there also needs to be a spiritual birth. The physical birth is born of water, and physical birth is born of the flesh.

Why, though, is the physical birth alone not sufficient for entering heaven? This kind of goes back to what we've previously seen in some of the other lessons: there is a problem with us when we are born into this world. When we're born of the flesh, we are born having a sinful flesh. The first physical birth is from the flesh, and it is sinful. We have the nature of our parents, and because of that, we have a sinful nature. This gives us only a sinful nature, which is not good enough for entering heaven.

Remember we talked about having to be 100% good, 100% righteous; that 80% is not good enough. Even 99.9% is not good enough. We have to be 100% perfect. When we are born of the flesh, when we're born into this life, we are born sinful. We have this serious, serious problem—a fatal flaw that has to be dealt with. The first physical birth is from the flesh, and it is sinful. We carry the sin nature, and we obviously can't go to heaven in that situation.

What illustration did Jesus use to explain the spiritual birth? As he was talking with Nicodemus, he said to him, "Listen, flesh gives birth to flesh, and the spirit gives birth to the spirit. You must be born again if you're entering the kingdom of God." Nicodemus was still having a hard time understanding this. He kept asking, "How can this be?" He doesn't come across as one of the smartest men of his day because he just keeps asking all these questions to Jesus. But remember, Jesus is full of grace and truth.

And so, he is graciously teaching him the truth. To explain the work of the Spirit, which is a work that we cannot see with our eyes, he uses the illustration of wind. One can tell there is wind by seeing its effects, such as the movement of tree branches. We cannot see wind, but we can see what the wind does. We can observe the act of wind on other things.

It's interesting that astronomers have been able to tell us that there are winds on certain planets, like Jupiter, because they can see the effects of things that are happening there. However, we don't know all the details of it.

We cannot see the wind itself. We don't know where it's coming from or where it's going, but we can see when the tree branches are moving and when the clouds are shifting. This gives us an idea that there is wind blowing at that point in time. Much the same way, this is how the work of the Spirit happens. We cannot see the Spirit, but we can certainly see the effects of the Spirit in a person's life.

Now, what concerned Jesus about Nicodemus, and why? Nicodemus is speaking with Jesus, who is explaining these important truths to him about being born again to enter the kingdom of God, and how this born-again experience happens by the Spirit of God. Still, Nicodemus is hesitating to believe Jesus, which is surprising since he is a teacher of Israel and should have known about the new birth from the Old Testament.

As Jesus speaks to Nicodemus, it’s almost as if, even though he is very gracious in his dealings with him, he is saying, "Wait, you should know this. You are the teacher in Israel, and you don’t understand these things." If Nicodemus was to know about the new birth, the only way he could know about this would be from the Old Testament scriptures. When Jesus was speaking with Nicodemus, the only scriptures they had at that point in time were the Old Testament scriptures.

So, Jesus says to him, "You should know these things." Well, where in the Old Testament do we read about this idea of a new birth? One of the places is found in the prophet Ezekiel.

Ezekiel lived about 500 years before Jesus came, and he wrote these words in Ezekiel chapter 36. It's actually verses 25 through 27, but the key verse is verse 26. God is speaking through the prophet Ezekiel. Remember, in our very first class, we talked about special revelation. Here is special revelation: God inspiring someone to write or to speak.

God says, "I will sprinkle water on you, and you will be clean. I will cleanse you from all of your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you. I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. I will put my spirit in you and move you to follow my laws, my decrees, and to carefully keep my laws."

So, God is speaking to the nation of Israel. He says, "I'm going to give you a new heart. I'm going to give you a new spirit." All of this is going to happen by His spirit; He will place His spirit inside of them.

Jesus says to Nicodemus, "Hey, you should know this stuff." How would he know this? Well, this is one of the places where he would gain insight about God bringing this great new work.

Why was it important that Nicodemus believed Jesus' words concerning heaven or the kingdom of God? Jesus tells him in this conversation about His origin. Jesus, being the only one who came from heaven, is to be listened to about how to get there. He holds authority on the whole issue of getting to the kingdom of God, getting to heaven.

Amen. We have already considered, as we've been going through these lessons, that there is a place called heaven, but only that which is righteous can go there. We have to be 100% righteous, good, and perfect to enter heaven. God said, "As I am holy, so you also are to be holy."

However, in recognizing that we are to be holy, we see that we have a hard time making ourselves holy. We can't make ourselves holy. All of our good works are not good enough to get there.

So, Jesus is speaking in this passage of Scripture to Nicodemus about how He is going to deal with this problem. He explains it to Nicodemus in a very interesting way.

What was it that was going to happen to Jesus as He describes it in this passage? He says, "In the same way that Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, even so the Son of Man shall be lifted up." So, Jesus is going to be lifted up, and He is speaking about His death on the cross. Already at the very beginning of His ministry, as He is talking with this religious leader, He is graciously leading this man into truth. He says to him, "Listen, this is how this is going to happen. This is how this spiritual group is going to be taken care of. I'm going to be lifted up. I'm going to be crucified, and I'm going to die."

How did Jesus illustrate this from the Old Testament? He tells an interesting story from the Old Testament book of Numbers. Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers—the fourth book of the Bible. If you've read through the early books of the Bible, you know that in the book of Exodus, the children of Israel are in Egypt as captives. Moses goes down to Egypt and tells Pharaoh, "Let my people go." There is a big battle in Egypt, the ten plagues, and finally, Pharaoh lets the children of Israel leave.

Moses and the children of Israel leave Egypt, cross the Red Sea, and come into the region of Sinai, arriving at Mount Sinai. The book of Exodus talks about them receiving the law from God and building a tabernacle. The book of Leviticus gives all the rights and the laws of the priesthood of the nation of Israel. After all of that is received from God, the children of Israel leave the area of Mount Sinai and head toward the promised land. This journey is all spoken of in the book of Numbers, the fourth book of the Bible.

Now, that journey took a little longer than it should have. It was actually a journey that should have only taken a number of weeks, but they ended up wandering in the wilderness for 40 years. I guess they didn't have GPS, but there were reasons why they wandered in the wilderness: their disobedience to God and their unfaithfulness to Him. While they were wandering in the wilderness, there is a story told in Numbers chapter 21 about how they complained against God. As they complained, a punishment, a judgment, came upon them in the form of fiery serpents—venomous snakes.

Came into the camp of Israel, and every person that was bitten by a snake would die. It was a terminal situation if you got bitten by the snake. Now, these people who had been crying out against God, wishing they had never left Egypt and wanting to go back, even though they had been slaves there, were now crying out to God to fix the problem with the snakes.

Moses went before God and said, "God, we've got to deal with this problem with snakes." God responded, "Here's what I want you to do, Moses. I want you to make a bronze serpent. Make a snake out of bronze and put it on a big pole in the middle of the camp of Israel. Anyone who is bitten by the snake, if they will look at this bronze serpent on the pole, they will be healed."

Honestly, that seems absurd. I mean, isn't there some berry we can eat or some sort of thing we can put on the snake bite to make it better? You want us just to look at the snake on the pole? That's exactly what He said.

In Numbers chapter 21, verse 9, it states that Moses made a bronze snake and put it on a pole. Then, when anyone was bitten by the snake and looked at the bronze snake, he lived. I guarantee you there were some skeptics who got bitten by snakes and thought, "That is the dumbest thing I've ever heard. I'm not looking at that bronze snake." And they died. But anyone who did get bitten by the snake and looked at the bronze serpent was miraculously healed. They were taken care of. They lived.

So, how did Jesus illustrate this from the Old Testament? Jesus would be lifted up in the same way that Moses lifted up the serpent on a pole. Those who were bitten by the fiery serpent because of their sin could be saved by looking at the serpent—just by looking at it. All they had to do was trust in that bronze serpent on the pole. If they did that, they would be healed. They would live. They would be saved.

Going all the way back to the very first book of the Bible, Genesis chapter 3, the serpent is often associated with sin and with Satan. Here you have this serpent being lifted up and judged.

On this pole, there is a lot of symbolism in the Bible, especially in the Old Testament. The metal bronze symbolizes judgment. The snake represents sin and Satan, while bronze represents judgment. So, here on this pole is judgment upon sin and Satan. If they would just look at it, then they would be saved and healed.

How does this relate to what Jesus was going to do? In the same way, all mankind is bitten by sin and is facing death. We can be saved by looking to Jesus on the cross, which means trusting in His death for us. Every single one of us has been bitten by sin. That is why there is none righteous, no, not one. None of us will ever be 100% righteous by our own ability or strength. We all have this fatal flaw; we have this terminal condition called sin. However, if we look to Jesus on the cross and trust in Him and His death for us, then we can be saved.

We have a very simple illustration here: the serpent on the pole. In Numbers chapter 21, what would happen if you got bitten by the snake and you looked at the serpent on the pole? You would be healed. If we look to Jesus on the cross and His death for us, then what are we told will happen? We will be saved.

How is Jesus' death related to God's concern for the world? Remember that famous verse we see in the end zone at football games? John 3:16 states, "For God so loved the world." God's love for humanity is behind Jesus' death for our salvation. Why did God do this? Because He loves us. His love for humanity is the reason behind Jesus' death for our salvation.

So, why did God send His Son? Jesus was sent to save the world; that is His purpose. In one of the Gospels, we read Him saying to His disciples, "I have come to seek and to save that which is lost." What are the two responses?

To God's Son and the results? Well, a right response is essential. Remember the story of the person getting bitten by the snake? There they are, dying and lying on the ground, while their loved ones are saying, "Just look at the serpent." However, the person responds, "I refuse to look at the serpent." The right response to God's Son is believing and trusting in Him, and this leads to salvation. Of course, the inverse would be not believing. Not believing in Him means the person remains in their lost condition.

The person who would refuse to look at the serpent in Numbers chapter 21 would die. They would not be saved from the snake bite that came upon them.

Now, let's move on to the discussion and study questions. Considering his background, what was Nicodemus' idea of how man could enter the kingdom of God? What was Nicodemus' background? Where did he come from? He was one of the Pharisees, a religious leader who tried to keep the law. They believed that by keeping the law, they would be righteous before God.

As a religious leader, Nicodemus thought that he could enter the kingdom of heaven by trying to keep God's law and traditions. Remember, we talked about some of the Pharisees coming to Jesus, upset because Jesus' disciples had eaten without ceremonially washing their hands and following the traditions of the elders. The Pharisees rigorously held to the law and the traditions, believing that if they kept the law and the traditions, they would be righteous and just fine.

This religious leader, this Pharisee, certainly thought that was the way he would be made right before God. But how is being born again different from physical birth? We have these two births that Jesus is talking about. "You must be born again," He tells Nicodemus, "you religious Pharisee, you who keeps all the law and traditions and thinks you're righteous, but you've only been born by a physical birth, and you must be born again."

So, what's the difference between these two? The source of physical birth is man. The spiritual birth, however, comes from God. When you are born, every single one of us carries a sinful nature from our parents. We all see the effects of that sinful nature in us and our inability to walk in righteousness and do what is right.

The spiritual birth is different. As Ezekiel prophesied in Ezekiel chapter 36, and as Jesus speaks of in John chapter 3, when you experience spiritual birth, the nature you receive is a clean heart and spirit from God. The physical birth, which gives us a sinful nature, is not sufficient for heaven. We are not good enough. If all we have is the physical birth and we carry this sinful nature, then we are not good enough to enter heaven.

But the spiritual birth, if we are born again by the Spirit of God, is sufficient. The new heart is right for entering heaven. Jesus states this in John chapter 3, telling Nicodemus that he must be born again to see the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God and heaven are synonymous; they refer to the same thing. Therefore, the new heart is appropriate for entering heaven.

When does physical birth begin? We discussed this a little in one of our last lessons. It begins at the moment of conception. According to Scripture, at the moment of conception, you are a human life. There is much discussion in our culture about this, but according to Scripture, you are a human being from that moment.

Where does the spiritual birth begin? It can also begin in a moment, through God's action. God is the one who can transform us by His Spirit, and He can do so in an instant.

What part did you play in your physical birth? None. We had no choice. You didn't get to choose whether or not you'd be born, where you'd be born, or when you'd be born. You had no part in it.

But in spiritual birth, what part do we play? We do choose. We choose. When the spiritual birth takes place by the Spirit of God, as we look to Jesus and trust in Him, what relational change happens when we are born again? In that moment, by God's action, by His Spirit, and by His grace, we shift from being God's enemies to God's children. As His children, we receive an inheritance, which is eternal life.

Remember that verse, John 3:16? "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him would not perish, but have everlasting life." The relational change that takes place is that we move from being the enemies of God to being His children, and as His children, we receive an inheritance of eternal life.

The question then, and this is probably one of the questions that Nicodemus was having at that time as he was talking with Jesus, is: How is one then born again to become a child of God? How does this happen?

In the first chapter of John, which we looked at several weeks ago, we read those verses that say, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." Then we get to John 1:14: "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. We beheld His glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." Just before those words, in John 1:12-13, we read, "Yet to all who received Him, Jesus, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God. Children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision."

Nor of a husband's will, but born of God. As many as received Him and believed in His name, He gave the right to be called the children of God—those that would be born of God. So how is one born again to become a child of God? We must receive Jesus by faith to be born again and to become His children. We receive Jesus. As many as received Him and believed in His name, to those He gave the right to be called children of God. Not born of flesh, but born of God.

Now, what is the implication of becoming God's children? The implication is that we are not, at physical birth, God's children. We're only His creation. You may have had conversations with people who say, "Well, we're all God's children." While it's true that we're all God's creation, remember there in John chapter 1, verses 12 and 13, as many as received Him and believed in His name, to them He gave the right to be called the children of God. It is a right, a privilege of those who receive Jesus and believe in His name to be called the children of God.

But what is meant by receiving Jesus Christ? Where is Jesus now, at this moment? Let's look at a number of verses here. Ephesians chapter 1, verse 20 says, "He, God, raised Him, Jesus, from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places." So, after His resurrection, Jesus is seated in heaven.

Another verse, Colossians chapter 3, states, "Since then you have been raised with Christ"—that's if you're a Christian—"set your hearts on things above where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God the Father."

Then, in Hebrews chapter 12, verse 2, the author of the book of Hebrews says that we should be fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. "For the joy set before Him, He endured the cross, scorning the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

Finally, at the end of the Gospel of Matthew, in Matthew chapter 28, verse 18, Jesus came to His disciples. Then Jesus came to them.

All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. So, He is sitting in a place of authority, where? A throne in heaven. So, where is Jesus now? What is His position? Jesus, after His resurrection, is in a position of authority on a throne in heaven.

How do we get that? We find this in several places: Ephesians chapter 1, Colossians chapter 3, Hebrews chapter 12, and Matthew chapter 28. I could go on and read probably 30 other verses, but that might be too much, so I think four is sufficient. After His resurrection, Jesus is indeed in a position of authority on a throne in heaven.

What does this imply about Jesus' present role? If He is on a throne, who sits on a throne? A king, right? Jesus is Lord and King over all creation. This brings us to an important truth about Jesus' identity. In the book of Acts, specifically Acts chapter 2, at the very beginning of the church, the Apostle Peter is preaching a message. One of the nearly final things he says is, "Therefore, let all of Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ."

What important truth do we learn about Jesus' identity from that? Jesus is Lord and Christ. Now, a quick note about that word "Christ." It is the same word that in the Old Testament would be translated as "Messiah," and it means the Anointed One. So, Jesus is the Anointed One of God. The term "Lord" speaks of Master, Authority, Leader, and King. Therefore, Jesus is both Lord and the Anointed One. The Anointed One signifies His position as Savior.

What then should be the right response of everyone to the authority of Jesus as Lord? If you are going to receive Jesus as Lord,

Then we should submit to His authority, making Him Lord over our lives. Jesus. So what then does it mean to receive Jesus? As John chapter 1, verse 12 says, "As many as received Him, who believed in His name, those He gave the right to be called the children of God." We should receive Jesus as what? As Lord. As Lord in order to be born again.

What is involved in receiving Jesus as Lord? Well, in Luke chapter 6, Jesus is talking with His disciples and He says to them, "Why do you call Me Lord, Lord, and do not do what I say?" You're going to call Me Lord, Master, King. Why do you call Me that if you don't do what I say?

So what is involved in receiving Jesus as Lord? When we receive Jesus as Lord, we come to Him willing to obey Him. Willing to obey Him. Now, does that mean that we always obey Him perfectly every time? Not so much. We come to Him willing to obey Him. How about wanting? Wanting and willing are synonyms. Okay. Trying. Yeah, I like that.

So now we've covered a lot of ground over the last four weeks, five weeks, including tonight. Going back and considering some of the things that we've looked at, let's review in summary. Of course, one, what is the good news or gospel? In the gospel, or in the book of Romans, the Apostle Paul says that if you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be what? Saved. The gospel. A person can be saved by confessing Jesus as Lord.

What then does it mean to be saved? When a person is saved,

What happens to their sins? We talked about the woman who came to Jesus and washed His feet with her tears and her hair. She anointed Him with oil, and He said to her, "Woman, your sins are forgiven." The Pharisee who was sitting there, Simon the Pharisee, was completely appalled by this. He thought that if this man was a prophet, He would not allow this woman to touch Him because she was sinful. Who does He think He is to say, "Your sins are forgiven"? What authority does He have to do that?

Then there was the paralyzed man, whom the poor man brought to Jesus and lowered down. Jesus said to him, "Son, your sins are forgiven." The people who were there were astonished, asking, "Who does this guy think He is?" He claims to forgive sins. Then He says, "That you may believe that the Son of Man has power on earth, authority on earth to forgive sins. Rise, take up your bed and walk."

When a person is saved, their sins are forgiven, and they are saved from the punishment for their sins. They are pardoned. That's another word for forgiveness: to pardon, to release someone from the penalty.

In that moment, as we read from John chapter 3 tonight, when someone receives Jesus as Lord and believes in Him, what happens to them? In that moment, they are born again spiritually, and their sinful heart is replaced with a clean heart. Just like the prophet Ezekiel foretold in Ezekiel chapter 36, God says, "A new heart, a new spirit will I put within you."

So when you receive Jesus, believe in Him, and confess Him as Lord, He forgives you of the penalty of sin, but He also transforms you spiritually. Now, how could this possibly be? On what basis can God forgive our sin? A payment has to be made.

You remember we talked about how if every single time we broke the law we were just released from that, no one would ever keep the law, and the seriousness of the law would be completely gone. But to maintain the seriousness of the law, what did God do? He sent His Son. God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. So, on the basis of Jesus' death in our place, if all this is true,

Then how do I respond to obtain forgiveness? What do I need to do? Well, I must repent and accept Jesus' death in my place. When I repent and accept Jesus' death in my place, how do I respond to be born again? By receiving Jesus as my Lord and Savior, specifically as Lord.

Now, how do repentance and receiving Jesus as Lord relate to one another? Receiving Jesus as my Lord means I desire to obey Him, which is the same as repentance. These things go together because when I receive Him as Lord, I express my desire to serve Him, to follow Him. He is my master, my king, and I seek to obey Him. In doing that, I am turning away from my sin. That turning away from my sin is called repentance.

Not receiving Him as Lord means that I am unwilling to obey Him, which indicates I have not repented. Therefore, receiving Jesus as Lord is the way that God knows I have repented. One of the signs of repentance, the fruits of repentance if you will, is when we receive Jesus as the Lord of our lives.

But how does Jesus become Lord? It begins by deciding in my heart that I want to make Him Lord, meaning that I am willing to obey Him, and then telling Him in prayer. Amen. So that brings us...

To the final million-dollar question: Have you personally received Jesus as Lord? We have the ABCs of salvation on your sheet of paper. The ABCs consist of three steps. The first step is to admit that you're a sinner.

What does the "B" stand for? It means to believe that Jesus died on the cross to pay for the penalty of your sins. The "C" is to confess. You guys were on it! Confess your sins to God through prayer, turning to Him and accepting Jesus as your Savior. At the end of the course, we have a very simple sinner's prayer. It goes like this: I know that I'm a sinner. I believe that Jesus died in my place and rose from the dead. Please come into my heart, be my Lord and my Savior. Help me to turn from my sins and turn to You in faith. Save me from my sins.

Based on the Scriptures and what Jesus Himself taught in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, when a person turns to Him in repentance, turns to Him in faith, trusts, confesses Him as Lord, and asks Him to come into their life, He forgives them of the penalty of the sins they have committed. He brings about this born-again experience whereby the Spirit of God transforms them, giving them a new heart and a new spirit. He comes into their life and dwells in them by the Spirit of God, completely transforming us.

He continues to do a work in us, which we will see when we get into course number two, but you have to wait about six months until we get there. As a preface, the Lord comes into our heart and begins the work of what's called sanctification. Sanctification is just a big word for cleaning us out and cleaning us up. By His Spirit, He begins to change us.

One of the first things that God does in changing us is to change our desires. He gives us new desires—desires we didn't have before. We begin to seek Him, read His Word, and strive to follow Him. One of the awesome things is that God works in you to give you both the desire and the ability to do what is pleasing to Him. Philippians chapter 2, verses 12 and 13 is one of my favorite passages in the Bible. Seriously, it is one of my favorites.

Philippians 2, verses 12 and 13, states, "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." You have to exert some energy to seek to follow God. Verse 13 continues, "For it is God who works in you to desire and do what is pleasing to Him." This means you need to exert some energy to follow and serve the Lord. When you become a Christian, He gives you a new desire to do just that. He also promises that He will work in you to desire and do what is pleasing to Him. That's what God says to us, and that's been my experience for a lot of years. I put my trust in Jesus when I was a little kid, so I guess now I can say it's been about 30 years. That's scary. God has been working and transforming me.

Now, that does not mean that I'm perfect, and I will never be, and you will never be perfect in this life. The same Apostle Paul who, in Philippians 2, said that God will work in you to do what is His good pleasure, also states in the very next chapter, Philippians 3, near the end of his life, "Not as though I have already attained or have become perfect, but I press on that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has laid hold of me." He acknowledges that he is not perfect, but he is going to continue to pursue God. He is going to work out his own salvation with fear and trembling, with energy, knowing that God is working in him to will and to do His good pleasure.

As we finish up Course 1, I want to address some questions. You all made it through Course 1. Joey, you mentioned the serpent. The serpent was a shadow of what would come with Jesus, right?

Yes, the people who got bitten were a symbol of having sin over them. Did they all get bitten or just some of them?

No, just some of them got bitten, but every kind of illustration breaks down. Not every illustration is perfect, but it definitely is, as you said, a foreshadowing of what was going to happen when Jesus came. In fact, when you read through the Old Testament, there are many foreshadowings of the coming of Jesus. The Apostle Paul, in the book of 1 Corinthians, chapter 10, says that all of these things that happened to the children of Israel in the Old Testament happened as examples for us. They are written for our teaching as we live in this last time after Jesus came.

The Bible is filled with all kinds of symbols. The book of Galatians says that the law and the prophets were our schoolmaster to point us to Jesus. They're like a sign pointing us to Him. Stories like Numbers chapter 21 serve as a significant sign that relates to Jesus. Just as the serpent was lifted up, Jesus fulfills that Old Testament passage of Scripture. He is the perfect picture of it.

Other questions? Yes, Dan? Why choose a serpent? Why couldn't it be something else? I mean, I would look at it and think, to be saved by a serpent, I have to look at it for a second. You would think God would choose something cooler, like an eagle or a falcon. But it makes you think; it's like saying, I want to be saved from pornography, so I have to look at pornography to be saved from it.

I think that analogy breaks down a little, but that's the point. The picture is really helpful in that, as I mentioned earlier, bronze was known to the people at that time as an emblem of judgment. The idea is that judgment is upon this serpent, upon this snake. It emphasizes the concept of judgment. In the same way, Jesus became sin for us. The Scriptures say, "He who knew no sin became sin for us," as stated in Second Corinthians chapter five, so that God's righteousness would be fulfilled. The bronze represents that fulfillment. He became sin, and sin is judged in Him. Just as the serpent is a picture of sin, it is judged. As they look at that symbol of sin being judged, they are saved.

I never understood it that way, but it makes perfect sense to me. Any questions? Yes. Maybe my answer is going to be in the second course, but I have been wrestling with this idea for the last couple of weeks. If I repent at that moment, will God give me a clean heart? I really desire to break free from sin, but sometimes I keep doing the wrong things over and over. Sometimes I feel really unsafe and really have...

The Holy Spirit is a profound topic. Before you have God dwelling in you, the non-Christian, the person who doesn't have the Spirit of God within them, lacks a hatred for sin. However, when God comes and dwells in us, He instills a strong dislike, even hatred, for sin and for anything that offends Him. Before you were a Christian, you didn't have that awareness; you simply continued in your ways without thinking about it.

When you become a Christian, you experience what the Apostle Paul describes in Romans chapter 7: "The good things that I want to do, I don't do. The bad things that I don't want to do, that I practice." He expresses a struggle, saying, "I find in myself that nothing good dwells." Can anyone relate to that? The Apostle Paul wrote that in Romans 7. At the end of this chapter, he exclaims, "O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?" The very next words out of his mouth are, "I thank God—Jesus Christ is the one who delivers us." Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

God begins to work in us, transforming us as we seek and follow Him. We will discuss this further in the second course, but it's important to touch on it now.

On that note, I recently read a verse from 1 John that weighs heavily on me: "Anyone who is born of God does not sin." How does this verse fit into our understanding? That's a great question, and as you can tell, I've encountered that question before.

What can be challenging for us is recognizing that we are reading a Bible that has been translated from another language. Because of this, there are nuances that don't always translate perfectly, and much of that relates to the tenses used in the original texts.

The New Testament, specifically the book of 1 John, like the rest of the New Testament, was written in Greek. Greek is what is called an inflected language, which means it has various cases that we do not have in English. For example, there are nominative and genitive cases, among others. It's somewhat similar to German, which also has four different cases. These complexities make translation challenging.

When examining the original language, we find that the word for sin, in the context of the one who is born of God, indicates that this person does not sin. The word is in a tense that refers to the continual practice of sin. Therefore, a person who is born of God will not walk in a continual practice of sin without feeling conviction. They will not be able to remain in that state. Why? Because if you are a Christian and the Spirit of God dwells in you, engaging in practices that offend God will drive you crazy. A sinning Christian is the most miserable person on earth; they are not happy in their sin because they feel convicted and know they are not where they should be with God.

If the Spirit of God is dwelling in you, you will not be able to continually walk in sin and feel comfortable with it. You will feel convicted and hurt. In 1 John chapter 3, when it states that a person who is born of God does not sin, the idea is that they do not habitually practice or continuously walk in sin.

A great question was raised. Would it be fair to say that along with repentance, which involves changing direction, it also means a change of mind and a change of heart? Yes. Once you receive that understanding, the concept of repentance can be overwhelming if you try to live a perfect life. This change of mind, or repentance, means that you begin to see things the way God sees them. You start to love the things that God loves and hate the things that God hates. This transformation is evident and is a sign of the Holy Spirit dwelling in your life.

Sanctification is the period that we're in right now. We are being set aside for the purpose of God's work in our lives. So, we have a lot of work to do. Don't think that you're made perfect and that you're not going to sin again, because that will eat you up. The enemy will take that and drive you crazy with it. Just know that you are beginning to see things in life the way God sees them. The things that you used to like, you don't like anymore.

Myron brings up a really good point. I know we have one Marine here. Are there any other former Marines? No? I was sparring with a Marine once. I did martial arts for many years, and while sparring with a guy in Marine Corps martial arts, they had a saying: where the head goes, the butt follows. Yes, he's shaking his head. That's true. I was thinking about what Myron said about repentance being a change of mind that also changes your heart. As a Christian, where the head goes, the heart follows. When you repent and make the decision to follow God, your heart begins to move in that direction as well.

I believe that this is a work that God does by His Spirit working in us. However, He also calls us to work out our own salvation. There is man's responsibility involved with God's sovereignty. Yes, as we turn to God in faith and turn away from our old sinful life, that whole turn is repentance. He enables us to do that.

Now, where does God's working end and man's working begin? I don't know that we can perfectly answer that question. Some people believe they have answered it, but I think they are just arrogant. We can't answer that question definitively. Where does my work end and God's work begin? Where does God's work end and my work begin? It's God working, and we are working. We are to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to desire and do His good pleasure.

God is working as we turn to Him in an amazing way. There is a beautiful story of this in the Gospels. There is a man in a synagogue, which is a Jewish house of worship, and Jesus comes in there on the Sabbath day. There is a man there with a withered hand, and some Pharisees are watching to see if Jesus will heal this man on the Sabbath day. They have a teaching that you are not to work on the Sabbath.

We are not allowed to do any work on the Sabbath day. That tradition dates back to the time of Nehemiah, about five or six hundred years before Jesus came. All these religious leaders were watching Jesus, wondering if He would heal a man on the Sabbath. They figured that if He did, they could accuse Him and get rid of Him.

Jesus asked, "Is it good or evil to heal a man on the Sabbath day?" Then He said to the man, "Stretch forth your withered hand." Here was a man with a withered hand, and I imagine there were times in his life when he tried to stretch it and make it work, but it didn't. Now, Jesus commands him to stretch forth his withered hand. What did he need to do? He needed to obey the command of Jesus. In obeying, as he started to stretch forth his hand, God healed him. So, who was working? God or the man? Yes, both. God is working, and so is this man. He obeyed, and by faith, he stretched forth his hand and was healed.

The same principle applies to the man who was lowered down. Jesus said, "Rise, take up your bed and walk." The man had to get up; he had to obey. Who was working? The man or Jesus? Both. There is another story in John 5 about a lame man by the pool of Bethesda in Jerusalem. Jesus said to him, "Rise, take up your bed and walk." He had to rise, take up his bed, and walk. By faith, he began to do it. The power and ability were there.

So it is with the commands of the Bible. There are many commands in the Bible for us, both in the New Testament and the Old Testament. When we step out by faith to follow God and glorify Him with our lives, He enables us to do that. God is working as we are working.

Are there any other questions? Yes. Is there a good source to draw from for people who doubt the truth of the Bible or question whether it was written by God? There are many great sources. There is another course, Course Three, which is an apologetics class. What you're talking about is apologetics, but we will not be having that class this year.

I'm very sorry. It will be in the future. However, if you're looking for some resources on that, there are a number of really good ones. "The Case for Christ" by Lee Strobel and another book called "Evidence Which Demands a Verdict" by Josh McDowell are two excellent places to start. Both of those authors discuss the manuscript evidence for the Bible, which is overwhelming when compared to historic documents.

To give you an example, how many of you have heard of Homer's "Iliad"? I want to say there are fewer than 20 ancient copies of Homer's "Iliad" in existence. If you listen to people talk about the histories of Herodotus, a Roman historian regarded as factual, you will find that there are very limited copies of his histories as well. Yet, we hold them as historically true and accurate. In contrast, there are over 25,000 manuscript copies of New Testament ancient documents. So, when you talk about manuscript evidence and whether there is enough evidence to support the Bible, the answer is yes.

The amazing thing is that every single year, more evidence is found. Just a couple of weeks ago, more what are called Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. Has anyone heard of the Dead Sea Scrolls before? In 1947, in the desert near the Dead Sea in Israel, a little shepherd boy stumbled upon a cave filled with scrolls in clay pots. This was the biggest archaeological find in history, containing thousands upon thousands of writings from the first century of Jewish copies of the Old Testament scriptures and other amazing texts.

The manuscript evidence for the Bible is astounding. So, when someone says that the Bible is not true, you should ask them, "Have you ever read it?" That's the first question you should pose. I've had this statement made to me dozens of times: "The Bible is just not factual or true." I respond, "Have you ever read the Bible?" They typically say no. I have yet to meet a person who has said yes. I find it surprising that someone can have such a strong opinion about a book they have never read. You know what they call people who have a strong opinion about something they know nothing about? An idiot.

The word actually is agnosis, or agnostic; they don't know anything about it. The Latin form of agnosis is ignoramus, which means you are just ignorant. People don't like that when you say it, but it's true. So, I say, "Well, why don't you go read it, and then we can talk after you read it?" They never do; they never come back.

Now, any other questions? Yes? We've admitted, we believe, and we confess. At what point do we talk about baptism? That's a good question. Baptism is a sign of obedience. We are not saved by baptism here at Cross Connection Church. We practice what's called believer's baptism, meaning we baptize those who put their faith in Jesus.

When we talk about baptism, every time we have a baptism, I share a little bit about it, which I can do quickly. We baptize for three reasons: identification with Jesus, association with Jesus, and obedience to Jesus. We obey Jesus because, in Matthew chapter 28, He said to His disciples, "Go into all the world, make disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit." So, we baptize out of obedience.

Secondly, we baptize in identification with Jesus. In Matthew chapter 3, Jesus was baptized, and we identify with Him in baptism. Just as He was baptized, we are baptized. Thirdly, we baptize in association with Him. What does that mean? In Romans chapter 6, Paul says that baptism is like Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection. When you go under the water, it's like being dead and buried. Coming up out of the water symbolizes rising to walk in the newness of life. So, we are associating with His death, burial, and resurrection. We are baptized in obedience to Jesus, in identification with Jesus, and in association with His death, burial, and resurrection.

The next question is, when does a person get baptized? In the book of Acts, chapter 8, there's a story about an Ethiopian man who is going from Jerusalem back down to Ethiopia. A Christian evangelist named Philip joins him. This Ethiopian man is reading from the scroll of Isaiah, specifically from a passage we know as Isaiah 53, which talks about events that occurred 700 years before Jesus came, including His death on the cross. As this man is reading, Philip asks him...

Do you understand what you're reading? The Ethiopian man replied, "How can I understand unless someone explains it?" So, Philip explained to him about Jesus from the book of Isaiah. As they were going along, Acts chapter 8 says that there was a body of water nearby. The Ethiopian man asked, "What is keeping me from being baptized? Can I be baptized?" Philip responded, "If you believe, you may." The man said, "I believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God." That is the foundation of the church: Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.

They got down off the chariot and went into the water to be baptized. So, when should a person be baptized? It should be after they believe in Jesus. We do it in obedience, identification, and association. Anyone who has not been baptized and is a believer should be baptized as an issue of obedience, identification, and association. Through baptism, you are declaring your faith.

We have a couple of baptisms in the summer, and generally, when people ask, "When are we going to have a baptism here?" we say, "Let's schedule a baptism." If you've never been baptized, please talk with me, and we'll set one up. It's been a little chilly; most of the time, we do them in a pool or at the beach. At the beach, it's a bit cold right now, but this is your obedience to Jesus. It's not like we live in Canada, right? This is like summertime for you, Sandy, who is from Canada.

I had a guy who said that unless he gets baptized in the name of Jesus specifically, he worries for my salvation. There are all kinds of different groups of Christians, and some of them call themselves Jesus-only Christians. They are really into the idea of being baptized in Jesus' name alone. The difficulty with that is that Jesus said to baptize them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. If Jesus said to baptize in that way, I will side with Jesus over any other truth.

When one of the disciples said to be baptized in the name of Jesus for the forgiveness of sins, I think that's what they use to support their view. It's similar to the debate about communion: if you use grape juice or wine, is it okay?

To use grape juice is okay, right? At the end of the day, it's not necessarily the action but the heart that matters. So, are we baptizing in the name of Jesus only, or in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit? Or is it really an issue of your heart? If you put your trust and faith in Jesus for your salvation, it really doesn't matter, especially since baptism is not essential for salvation.

Is baptism important? Yes. Do you have to be baptized to be saved? The Scriptures never say that. They never add any sort of requirement to repentance and faith. Therefore, baptism is a very important issue of our obedience to Jesus. It is how we identify publicly with Him and associate with His death, burial, and resurrection. However, if you died without being baptized, would that keep you out of heaven? No. The best proof for that is the story of the man on the cross next to Jesus. He believed in Jesus, and Jesus said, "Today you'll be with me in paradise." He never got a chance to be baptized.

So, again, we go back to the words of Jesus, and we have to trust that over what other people teach. That's why, if you're new to Cross Connection Church or if you've been here for a long time, you've likely noticed that we want everything we do and teach to be firmly established in the Bible. We really point back to what the Bible says and try to have that direct us.

Are there any other questions? Yes? Well, in 1 John, the Apostle John says that the one who denies that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh denies Jesus and, in doing so, denies God. So, there is a real problem with the Bible when people say these kinds of things. What we have to do in that situation is just ask them, "How do you read this verse then? What does this mean to you?" We should show people the Scriptures. He who denies the Son denies the Father, and Jesus even said that in the Gospel.

If people have a really hard time when they make strong statements that sound spiritual, just ask them, "Okay, but what about this verse here? Can you explain this to me?" I normally don't like to get into arguments with people about that. I simply say, "Can you read this for me and explain it?" Generally, they don't have a good explanation.

There's a really good book that addresses this issue. It's called "Witnessing to the Cult." It takes Scripture and asks, "How do you interpret this Scripture?" These resources can be very helpful when interacting with people. However, the challenge is that there are many counterfeits out there. The best way to know what is genuine is to understand the authentic truth of the Bible.

I have spent a lot of time studying books about cults and how to answer Jehovah's Witnesses, Muslims, and others. The thing is, all that has ever done for me is cause arguments with people. I have never argued someone into faith. Instead, I simply say, "Here, can you read this portion of Scripture and tell me what you think?"

One of the best places to begin with people is John 3:16: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." The issue is, do you believe in Jesus, whom God sent for salvation? If they say, "Yes, but you need to be baptized in this way," I respond, "I've got a problem because John 3:16 says..." I keep going back to that verse, and they may look at me like I'm a simpleton who doesn't understand. I'm fine being seen as a simpleton who doesn't grasp all the ins and outs of their beliefs because it doesn't fit with what this says.

I have ended many conversations by saying, "Well, we don't agree, and you don't agree with the Bible." It's not that they don't agree with me; they don't agree with the Bible. If someone has a disagreement with the Bible, they have a disagreement with its author. If they have a disagreement with the author, then they have a disagreement with God.

So, can a person lose their salvation? We will talk a lot about that in Hebrews chapter 6. We discussed it a little bit at the end of one of our classes.

A few weeks ago, I expressed my belief that someone cannot lose their salvation like they lose their car keys or wallet. We are absolutely 100% secure in Jesus. Therefore, stay close to Jesus.

There are many cautions in the Bible. When I see a sign that says "Caution," I remember a picture someone sent me a few months ago that I saved because I thought it was great. It said, "Danger: Not only will this kill you, it will hurt the whole time you're dying." If you see a sign like that, are you going to get close to it? The point is to stay away. So, if you see a big warning sign in the Bible, I don't understand why people want to get close to it and see how far they can go before they are no longer saved. I don't even want to get there; it will hurt really badly the whole time you're dying.

Good question. Lee Strobel has written several books that delve into some sticky issues. For instance, Billy Graham's right-hand man left the faith and died without repenting for leaving. How can someone who was that close to God at one point just totally leave the faith?

As we discussed several weeks ago, there are two major groups within Protestant Christianity. One group calls themselves Calvinists, and the other calls themselves Arminians. They both address the issue of whether you can lose your salvation or if you are eternally secure. The Arminian position states that you can lose your salvation, while the Calvinist position asserts that you can never lose it.

If you asked both groups about Templeton, the individual you mentioned, they would have different interpretations. The Calvinists would say he was never saved, while the Arminians would argue that he lost his salvation. If you asked both groups what he should do, they would agree: he should repent.

This brings us to the issue of family members who, at one point in time, used to walk with Jesus, attend church, and now are no longer involved and are engaged in sinful behavior. If they are continuing perpetually in sinful behavior, it raises important questions about their spiritual state.

You should not make yourself feel good by saying that someone prayed a prayer and is okay. What you should do is go and share the gospel with them, saying, "You need to turn back to Jesus. I'm concerned for you." Love would compel you to talk with them and share the gospel. They may respond, "Well, I've heard that all before, and I'm okay." You can reply, "I'm not sure you're okay." Continue to share the gospel with them so that both you and they know that they are walking with Jesus and everything is good.

I don't want to make myself feel better because someone prayed a prayer ten years ago and is considered okay. Maybe it was false faith; perhaps they didn't really believe in God. I don't know, but I want them to be walking with Jesus. That's why I do classes like this. I want you to walk with Jesus.

Are there any other questions before we close?

All right, quick thing: you're going to receive an email tonight or tomorrow morning asking for your feedback on the class. It's anonymous, so it won't ask for your name or email. If you hated it, you can tell me. I'm assuming that if you made it to lesson number five, you didn't hate it all that much, but you can let us know. There are also some important points in that email. At the end, there will be a list asking if there are any other classes you would be interested in, which will help us set our calendar as we move forward.

The Saturday following Easter, we will have a marriage class here at the church. If you're interested, it's just a one-day marriage seminar that will last three hours on a Saturday. Then, the Saturday following Mother's Day, we will have a parenting class for three hours here at the church. You will receive more information about that.

The marriage class is for married couples, single individuals, or those looking toward marriage. Anyone is welcome, but I would recommend it for those of marrying age, as I'm sure Pastor Mark will discuss topics relevant to that audience. So, we will label it as rated for adults.

For the parenting class, it should be for people who are parents or who are ready to be parents. Pastor Jason will be leading that class, and it's going to be spectacular. I'm going to attend and learn a lot, I'm absolutely certain.

Now, I will close in prayer. If anyone has any questions, please stick around. Thank you again for being a part of this. I hope that was helpful.

Father, I pray that you would pour out your Spirit upon your church.

Group, I pray that you would stir us and enable us to share these things that we've learned with other people. As Paul told Timothy, as you have learned these things, take them and commit them to other individuals who will be able to teach others also.

As this class has gone through these lessons, I pray, God, that these very things that they've learned will be shared with family members, friends, and co-workers. You want us to be disciple-making disciples. As we trust in you and follow you, may we share that faith with others.

I pray for this group that we would do that. Help us not to be fearful of the questions people will ask, and let us be able to point back to the Bible. We thank you that you loved us so much that you gave your Son for us, and that if we believe in Him, we will not perish but have everlasting life.

I pray, God, that your transforming power would be at work in each of us, making us more like you. In Jesus' name, amen. Thank you.