1. Knowing, Believing, and Sharing the Gospel

The Article: Assurance Regarding the Gospel

Synopsis

The first place in which to begin to develop as a disciple of Christ is to review, learn, understand, and be able to share the gospel. That is the specific intention of this article, Assurance Regarding the Gospel. Besides the introduction and the conclusion, the article is broken down into five sections. The first deals with God’s plan of salvation. Pay careful attention to 1 John 5:11-12 because you will hear these verses mentioned or see them cited often. The second section deals with our sin and the fact that it separates us from God. One of the most often cited passages here is Romans 3:23. The third section makes it clear that good works, however noble, cannot earn salvation for us. Ephesians 2:8-9 clearly teaches this truth. The fourth section deals with God’s unchanging solution to the problem of our sin—the death of Christ. Romans 5:8 is a great passage which affirms God’s love for us and his eternal plan through Christ. The fifth and final, but by no means least, section of the article deals with your personal response to God’s offer of forgiveness through Christ. While we may do good things, and certainly should, they cannot save us. Only God can save us when we receive Christ, that is, when we trust him alone (John 1:12; 3:16-18). Sincerely praying the prayer at the end of the article is one way to express your personal trust in Christ.

Questions

1. According to 1 John 5:11-12 is there any gray area in John’s thinking regarding who has eternal life and who does not?

2. What does the imagery of “wage-earning” communicate in Romans 6:23?

3. What is the result of sin? Physical? Spiritual?

4. Why can’t good works save us? Why does salvation have to be by grace through faith?

5. Summarize the message: How do I become a Christian?