Study Guide

by Rev. Bradford Hunter

This manual is designed as an 8-part series for use in Sunday School or small group Bible Study. It was designed to help you to gain a deeper understanding of the works of God in salvation, and to equip you to better share your faith with others. In it you will learn of God's covenantal love; the relationship between the Law & the Gospel; the benefits of Christ's life, death, & resurrection for believers; what repentance & faith really are; & more...

The inspiration for this course, as well as the outline which you will find on the following two pages, came from my pastor & friend, Rev. T.J. Campo. All the material you will find in this manual is structured around his outline, and for that I am tremendously grateful. It is my prayer that both T.J.'s outline and my lessons will give you a deeper grasp of the majesty of God in salvation, and a greater love for the sovereign Savior, Jesus Christ, who alone saves sinners like us.

-Conditions (Obey & Live/

Disobey & Die)

-Irrevocable Agreement

-Relative goodness?

-Obedience poisoned

-Measure your obedience against God’s standard.

-born

-obeyed

-died

-yielded to hell

-ascension, He was exalted to rule

-Given obedient record (by Christ’s life)

-Counted innocent

(by Christ’s death)

-Adopted as Children (no longer estranged)

-Enlivens through faith

-Empowers for obedience

-Enfolds into flock

-Ever points to Jesus

-Repent & Believe

-Anyone who will come will be welcomed

-No response is a response

-Hear More

-Repent now

-Reject

When God created the heavens and the earth, he placed man in the center of all His creation. Just for the sake of review, why did God create the universe & man?

-Was it because He was lonely?? Why or why not?

-Was it because He needed love?? Why or why not?

-Was it because He could get more glory by man glorifying Him??

Why or why not?

or -Was it because it pleased Him to manifest to all His creation His perfect love, justice, grace, holiness, power, wisdom . . . ??

Why or why not?

As the Creator, He had the authority to do whatever He pleased with His creation.

(See Romans 9:20, 21) He used His own authority to enter into an agreement with man. He set the conditions, and He reserved the right to penalize Adam for not meeting them.

What were the conditions that God set in His agreement with Adam?

DISOBEY & DIE

At his creation, was man:

A. Totally depraved (evil)

B. Partially evil

C. Pretty good

or D. Very good

(If you’re not certain, look up Genesis 1:26-31 especially vs. 31)

So were the conditions of God’s agreement unreasonable?

Adam and Eve were commanded to do something that they were physically and morally able to do. Had they kept the agreement, what would have happened?

Since they didn’t keep the covenant, what happened right away? Later?

Next lesson we’ll continue on the topic of the Covenant of Works,

dealing with the R & E in the outline.

What do the letters C

A

R

and E stand for in our outline?

In this lesson, we will continue examining the 'C' & 'A', and look at the 'R' & 'E', as well.

When God created the heavens and the earth, he placed man in the center of all His creation. As the Creator, God had the authority to do whatever He pleased with His creation. (Romans 9:20, 21) He used His own authority to enter into an agreement with man. He set the conditions, and He reserved the right to penalize Adam for not meeting them.

What were the conditions that God set in His agreement with Adam?

At their creation, Adam & Eve were called very good’ by the Creator (Genesis 1:26-31). So when God commanded Adam and Eve to obey, it was something that they were certainly able to do.

Let’s look at this agreement in Genesis 2:15-17.

In this agreement, or covenant, Adam was called by God not only to obey for himself. He was to be the of the whole human race.

What exactly is a Representative?

Look up Romans 5:12-19

Is it fair to us that just because Adam sinned, all mankind would be born sinful after him? that all would die just because of one man’s sin??

As a side note: since Adam was created very good, and even still he failed to choose God, how can we dare think that we, who are born totally depraved (evil) are able to choose God in & of ourselves without Him sovereignly changing our hearts first. This is the height of arrogance!

If they had kept the agreement, what would have happened?

Since they didn’t keep the covenant, what happened right away? Later?

(Gen.3:16-24)

Death entered the world through Adam’s disobedience. Its influence was felt over all creation, so that work became difficult (toilsome) and women who would give birth would do so with tremendous pain. Pain, sickness, disease, physical death, and ultimately spiritual death were the results of Adam and Eve’s rebellion against the agreement with their Creator. Since they were the parents of every person thereafter, (and they were the representatives of the entire human race), their sin nature and the punishments which accompany sin were passed on to all mankind. This is what we call original sin. Because of their disobedience, they were expelled from the Garden.

However, God gave to Adam & Eve a promise in Genesis 3:15.

The 2nd Adam" and the Covenant of Grace" seen dimly in Gen. 3:15 is the basis for the rest of our study.

For next lesson: Look through the outline of God’s Works" again.

Review CARE main points.

Memorize CARE subpoints.

God created the heavens and the earth because it pleased Him to show to all His creation His perfect love, justice, grace, holiness, power, wisdom . . . As the Creator, He had the authority to do whatever He pleased with His creation, according to His nature. (Romans 9:20, 21) He used His own authority to enter into an agreement with man. He set the conditions, and He reserved the right to penalize Adam for not meeting them.

What were the conditions that God set in His agreement with Adam?

OBEY and LIVE

DISOBEY and DIE

When Adam was created, he was very good, and obeying God’s conditions was something he was capable of doing. The conditions were reasonable & just. Had Adam & Eve kept the agreement, they would have . Since they didn’t keep the covenant, they were confronted with the penalty of pain, toil, hardship, and ultimately death, both physically and spiritually.

In this agreement, or covenant, Adam was called by God not only to obey for himself. He was to be the of the whole human race.

Death entered the world through disobedience. Its influence was felt over creation. Since they were the parents of every person thereafter, (and they were the representatives of the entire human race), their sin and the punishments of sin were passed on to all mankind. This is what we call original sin. Because of their disobedience, they were from the Garden.

Even though they rejected God’s agreement with them, Adam & Eve (and all their children after them) were still bound by this agreement. It was & is an irrevocable agreement.

Does God desire all good things for His people? (Psalm 84:11)

Then does that mean that God’s law is a blessing to His people? It sometimes seems that God’s laws keep us from having fun, from being happy, or from being fulfilled. In fact, some Christians feel guilty about ever enjoying God’s gifts. But the truth is that there is Love expressed in God’s laws Psalm 119 is a tremendous testimony to this fact.

Psalm 119:1,2 How are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the of the Lord...

Psalm 119:16 I shall in Thy statutes ...

Psalm 119:18 Open my eyes, that I may behold

things from Thy .

Psalm 119:72 The of Thy mouth is better to me

than thousands of gold and silver pieces.

Psalm 119:97 O how I Thy !

It is my meditation all the day.

Psalm 119:131 I opened my mouth wide and panted,

For I for Thy .

God’s commandments are given to us to protect us from harm.

Let’s take, for example, the 4th commandment. (Exodus 20:8-11) Is God trying to keep us from advancing in the work force, from getting all our chores done, and from using our day off to run errands? Or is He giving us a gift of one day in seven of rest from all our work ( works" of worship are required on the Sabbath, and works" of necessity and mercy/charity are permitted/encouraged, as well. See Matthew 12:1-14) and to be refreshed through worshipping Him.

So we see, then, that God’s commandments are given to us in LOVE to protect us.

Does God’s agreement with Adam, even though Adam broke it, still hold for all of Adam’s children (all of mankind)?

 Indeed, the rules have not changed. They still are Obey & Live, Disobey & Die.

Does this mean that if we do good we’ll go to heaven? Salvation by works??

 If we wish to live, to get to heaven on our own, we must obey God’s law perfectly.

We’ll explore this further next time we meet. We’ll continue on the topic of the law, dealing with the I, F & E in the LIFE section of our outline.

Til next time: Review CARE main & subpoints.

Memorize LIFE main points

Thus, the Law (although given to us in love) becomes an indicator of , because as we examine the Law of God, we find out just how far away we are from it. We don’t obey & deserve to live. We are guilty on every account. Each of us has broken all the commandments.

Look up Matthew 19:16-26, James 2:10

Do you think that your good deeds outweigh your bad, and that will tip the scales?" As we have shown, this doesn’t cut it. God’s agreement was that we must obey perfectly in order to live. Indeed, law must be .

Next week we’ll get to the good news, covering the SERVES section of the outline.

For next week: Review/Memorize CARE & LIFE main & sub points

What were the conditions of the covenant?

What was Adam to obey?

A. The commandment not to eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Gen 2:16,17)?

B. The ordinances of marriage (Gen 2:24), the Sabbath (Gen 2:3), and labor (Gen 2:15)?

C. The entire law of God (summed up in the 10 commandments)?

What happened as a result of Adam’s disobedience?

The covenant still held, as it was an everlasting covenant between God and man. The problem" was, however, that every man and woman after Adam & Eve were & are bent toward sin. Born in original sin, their desire was/is always against God. (Look up Genesis 6:5, Romans 3:10-12). What an apparent dilemma!!

- God’s covenant required perfect obedience from man in order to live.

- Because we have all fallen in Adam, man starts out in life bent on anything but obedience, and in and of himself continues in disobedience all his days.

- Man cannot obey in any way by himself, and therefore is doomed to die.

Does this mean that Satan foiled God’s plans??

CERTAINLY NOT!!

God’s plans will never be disturbed. He created a people to manifest His and just wrath to be sure. But also created a people unto Himself, to manifest His kindness, gentleness, grace, love, and mercy.

Let’s again look at Genesis 3:15

We see the promise of Satan’s final destruction and Eve’s Offspring’s victory. The details of her Offspring are presented more and more as the Old Testament progresses.

The Adam would come & fulfill that which the first Adam did not.

Romans 5:12-19

Let’s not make the mistake of thinking that God’s plan A was disturbed by something out of His control, and then He was forced to figure out a remedy for the situation. This scenario is blasphemy, for it limits the power of the omnipotent God. God planned for the 2nd Adam to come before the 1st Adam was even created.

Jesus Christ was in many ways like Adam. Adam was to be the representative for all people, and he was under the covenant of works to obey all the law of God perfectly.

Christ all believers in that He:

was born,

obeyed perfectly,

(John 15:13)

died,

yielded to hell

We’ll continue in our study of the covenant of grace next lesson.

Til next time: Review CARE & LIFE main & subpoints.

Memorize SERVE main points.

Creator

Agreement

-Boundaries (Creator/Creature)

-Conditions (Obey & Live / Disobey & Die)

Representative

Expulsion

-Effects of sin

-Irrevocable Agreement

Love Expressed in Law

Life Maintained through Obedience

Indicator of Death

Feelings are Inadequate

-Relative goodness?

-Obedience poisoned

-Measure your obedience against God’s standard.

Every Law Must Be Fulfilled

Second Adam

Victorious over Sin & Condemnation

Everyone who Repents & Believes

-Given obedient record (by Christ’s life)

-Counted innocent

(by Christ’s death)

-Adopted as Children (no longer estranged)

Spirit of God

-Enlivens through faith

-Empowers for obedience

-Enfolds into flock

-Ever points to Jesus

italics -- last week Bold -- this week Underline -- next week

God’s covenant of works with Adam included the stipulations: obey and live, disobey and die. He was to obey the entire law of God perfectly, and his obedience or disobedience was representative. That is, in disobeying, not only Adam & Eve were doomed to die, but all humanity thereafter, as well.

The everlasting covenant of works could never be met by mere man because every man and woman after Adam & Eve was & is bent toward desiring sin all the time. This seeming dilemma was all part of God’s perfect plan. He created a people unto Himself to manifest His goodness, kindness, gentleness, grace, love, and mercy, and he would achieve exactly what He planned.

God sent a Second Adam, the perfect God-man, Jesus Christ whom He had eternally chosen. He had a human nature, and was born, lived, was tempted, and died, yet without any sin (because His human nature was united with His divine nature, and the perfectly holy God cannot sin). This Second Adam fulfilled the covenant of works perfectly, as He obeyed all the commandments in word, thought, and deed all His days. What did He get for His perfect obedience? He received the wrath of God that God’s people deserve. He freely gave Himself up to be killed as the perfect representative for His children, for all who would believe on Him.

Indeed, what the world saw as Jesus’ defeat, His shameful death on the cross, was actually His greatest victory. How is this so?

 In His death, His people lived. I Peter 3:18a

 What do we mean by Christ’s substitutionary atonement?

Atonement: think of it as at-one-ment" or making unity (one) out of separate parts. It carries with it the idea of reconciliation, reuniting persons who were once separated. Man, because of the sin nature which he has inherited and the sin which he himself has committed, is separated from the grace, goodness, and fellowship of God, and has a desperate need for reconciliation.

Christ was VICTORIOUS over & .

His death on Good Friday was not the final word. Easter Sunday was coming!!

He would rise again from the grave. His proves His sacrifice & obedience were . No mere man can rise from the dead. John Calvin, For as he, in rising again, came forth victor over death, so the victory of our faith over death lies in his resurrection alone." I Peter 1:3.

Forty days after His resurrection, He ascended to heaven. In Christ’s , He was exalted to . Hebrews 10:11-14

Did Christ become more of a Lord through his ascension into heaven?

Did He manifest His dominion over all creation more fully?

Next lesson we’ll continue on the topic of the Covenant of Grace, dealing with the E’ and S’ in SERVES.

Til next time: Review CARE, LIFE, and SERVE main & subpoints.

Who benefits from the substitutionary atonement of Christ?

(That is, for whom did Christ die?)

He died for Everyone who & .

All who, by His Spirit, repent of their sins & believe on Christ alone

are given a perfectly obedient record (by Christ’s life).

Indeed, Jesus Christ was (John 3:16) the only begotten Son of God. However, all who trust in Christ alone for salvation are adopted into His family as sons and daughters. Christians are no longer from God, separated from His grace and goodness. Instead, Christians, who deserve eternal punishment, have the privilege of being in the family of God, and are blessed with an eternal family inheritance in heaven.

What is the role of the Spirit of God in all of this?

1. Primarily, as we have discussed in the past, the Holy Spirit enlivens a person. One is born again before one believes!!

2. The Holy Spirit the believer for obedience. Phil 1:6 Our supposed good works do not contribute in any way toward our salvation. Christ’s perfectly good works do. As a result of conversion, however, the believer (empowered by the Holy Spirit) necessarily does good works.

3. The Spirit of God also enfolds believers into the . He does not allow for lone ranger Christians doing their own thing. He unites people from differing backgrounds with a variety of gifts to form His Church, both locally and universally ( catholic’). Note

I Cor 12:12-ff.

4. The Spirit of God, finally, ever points believers to Jesus. No matter what circumstance faces us, the power of the cross is more than sufficient to empower us to do good deeds. Indeed we are not to trivialize the great spiritual war in which we live and fight. However, the arm of the Lord is mighty to save and to sanctify. Practice again and again your humble reliance upon Christ who saved you and His Spirit who is sanctifying you.

Next lesson we’ll begin the MORE’ of our outline.

Til next time: Memorize &/or Review CARE, LIFE, and SERVE

main & subpoints.

Repent & Believe

God’s covenant of works with Adam included the stipulations: obey and live, disobey and die. He was to obey the entire law of God perfectly, and his obedience or disobedience was representative. That is, in disobeying, not only Adam & Eve were doomed to die, but all humanity thereafter, as well.

The everlasting covenant of works could never be met by mere man because every man and woman after Adam & Eve was & is bent toward desiring sin all the time. This seeming dilemma was all part of God’s perfect plan. He created a people unto Himself to manifest His goodness, kindness, gentleness, grace, love, and mercy, and He would achieve that.

God sent a Second Adam, the perfect God-man, Jesus Christ whom He had eternally chosen. Christ had a human nature, and was born, lived, was tempted, and died, yet without any sin. This Second Adam fulfilled the covenant of works perfectly, as He obeyed all the commandments in word, thought, and deed all His days.

What did He get for His perfect obedience? He received the wrath of God that God’s people deserve. He freely gave Himself up to be killed as the perfect representative for His children, for all who would believe on Him.

We have seen how God’s covenant of works was--

OBEY & LIVE

DISOBEY & DIE

The irony is that Jesus Christ fulfilled this covenant of works, and yet was killed. He obeyed and died. And those who are God’s chosen people, though disobedient, live.

We receive the righteousness of Christ & live.

Christ receives our unrighteousness & dies. (of course He rises again, too!)

So what must we do to enter into this great exchange?

What do we mean by that??

Specifically we must & .

What does repentance involve?

A. Shame, guilt, and sorrow for one’s sins.

B. Sense of unworthiness.

C. Apprehending the mercy of God in Christ.

&/ or D. Hating & turning from sin.

What does believing involve?

A. Believing that Christ came to the earth to die for sinners.

B. Trusting in Christ to help you in the here & now’

&/or C. Trusting in Christ alone for salvation.

Indeed, there is an .

Anyone who will come will be welcomed. (John 6:35-40)

  The problem is that no one desires to do this on his own. (Romans 3)

Since we understand that only the Holy Spirit can open a person’s heart to repent and believe, then what advice do we have for those who don’t desire God? We must show them the harsh reality of eternal hell that awaits those who don’t repent. If this frightens them, and it should, we must share with them the gospel and pray that God would open their hearts. If they remain terrified, yet unrepentant, instruct them to plead with God to open their hearts, to change their desires to trust in Christ.

Lightning Illustration

Encourage a response from the person with whom you are witnessing.

1. Hear more -- ask which part the person doesn’t understand. (Adam’s sinfulness? their sinfulness? their need for a Savior? Christ’s perfect work? the great exchange? repentance & belief?)

2. Repent & believe now -- if a person shows signs of deep sorrow for their sin, their need for a Savior, & a desire to get right with God, don’t hold back the opportunity. Pray for and with the person. Share the John 6:35-40 passage or another like it.

3. Reject -- if a person fails to give you a response or openly rejects the message, don’t cast your pearls before swine." The Spirit of God works when He wills, with whom He wills. Know that you have planted seeds. Perhaps you’ll have another opportunity with them, or another Christian might water those seeds, and still another harvest the fruit. Pray for the person and make a sweet exit.

Lastly, when witnessing with a person, stress the continuance of repentance and faith. These are not one time shots. Signing a card, walking an aisle, or raising a hand doesn’t save a person. The Holy Spirit working in the heart of an individual to repent and believe in Christ and His works alone is what saves a sinner.

So how do we know if we’re saved? Should we look to the past or to the present?

We must check our souls . Are you this very moment penitent & believing? Look at the fruit which the Holy Spirit promises to produce in the lives of true Christians, and the rotten fruit which sinners produce on their own.

Which characterizes you better? Galatians 5:22-24? or Galatians 5:19-21?

May the Lord bless you as you begin or continue

in a life of repentance of sin & trust in Christ!

Answer and Illustration Key

Lesson One: the Covenant of Works -- part I

1. No. The self-sufficient, triune God of the universe finds perfectly satisfactory fellowship within the trinity, within Himself.

2. No. The self-sufficient, all loving God of the universe needs nothing. He is love, and everything lovely finds its source in Him.

3. No. The self-sufficient, omnipotent, triune God of the universe finds perfectly satisfactory worship within the trinity, as the Father glorifies the Son and the Spirit, the Son glorifies the Father and the Spirit, and the Spirit glorifies the Father and the Son.

4. YES!! God created the earth for His good pleasure. To His creation, He manifests His attributes in this life and the next.

5. D. Man was created very good. He was in the image of God. This, of course, begs the question, How could a creature with no inclination toward evil choose evil?" If we say God actively gave him a bent toward evil, that demands that evil has its origin in God. If we say it’s all Satan’s fault, where was the source of his evil? This is one (of many) perplexing cases where my limited ability to reason fails me. I can’t figure it out, but God said it. That settles it, regardless of my believing or not believing it.

6. No. God did not ask Adam to do anything that was beyond his abilities, either moral or natural. (Post-fall, we have lost our moral ability.) It was a perfectly reasonable agreement. Also, God can do anything He wants to with His creation, consistent with who He is. He is perfectly just, so His covenant with Adam was perfectly reasonable and just.

7. They would have lived, just like the agreement stated.

8. They were expelled from the garden. They died morally, and pain, toil, & suffering entered the world. They would later die physically, as well.

Lesson Two: the Covenant of Works -- part II

1. C reator

A greement (Covenant is the appropriate term, as it was unilateral, & not a two-party agreement’ per say, but CCRE isn’t as easy to remember as CARE)

R epresentative

E xpulsion

2. Obey & Live

Disobey & Die

By the way, it is important to stress that God’s covenant was not merely about eating or refraining from eating a piece of fruit. The entire law was written on Adam’s heart (Romans 1) as it is with us. The symbol of his breaking or keeping that law was the explicit command to not eat of the tree. In eating, they broke the 8th commandment of stealing, the 1st commandment of having Satan (and themselves) as their gods, the 3rd and 9th commandments by calling God a liar, etc. (As an aside, I would contend that Adam, not Eve, sinned first-- because Adam neglected his responsibility to keep his wife from sin. He was with her & allowed her to eat.) The agreement was to obey all the law perfectly, as symbolized in the fruit.

3. Use example of representatives in the government.

4. Yes. It’s perfectly fair, because God is a perfectly fair God. Also, God choose the best possible representative the human race has ever had (as mere men go & this excludes the God-man, Jesus Christ). Adam was created sinless, very good, in the image of God. Each one of us would have spat in God’s face by picking the fruit and breaking His agreement.

5. Adam would have lived, as per the agreement.

6. They were expelled from the garden. They died morally, and pain, toil, and suffering entered the world. They would later die physically, as well. They were not only physically naked. Rather, they were morally naked and ashamed before an all holy God. They had to hide from Him & clothe themselves, but they couldn’t. Already we see the foreshadowing of redemption as God finds them naked and clothes them Himself with animals who were sacrificed.

Lesson Three: Love, Life, and Death in God’s Law -- part I

1. they would have lived.

2. He was to be the representative

3. through one man’s disobedience.

4. felt over all creation.

5. they were expelled from the garden.

6. Duh. Emphatic YES!! He loves His people salvifically, eternally, (extrinsically in Christ, not in and of themselves, as if we possess innate worth).

7. Certainly.

Look up Psalm 119 blanks in the NASB.

8. Yes. God’s agreement is eternally binding. Those who reject Christ are judged according to the covenant of works. Those who, by God’s Spirit, accept Christ are saved by grace, through faith. They are saved by Christ’s works alone. Still the Christian is to use the freedom he has in Christ to obey God’s law. When even the Christian lapses into sin and repents, though eternally he is not held guilty of that sin, there are temporal consequences of that sin.

9. Certainly. If we do good perfectly, we will gain eternal life. (This is one of those nasty trick questions.) Stress, however, man’s total moral inability to do any good, let alone obey all of God’s law perfectly. (Romans 3)

_________________________________________

1. indicator of death

Some people look at breaking God’s law like breaking out a window pane in a colonial window. Stealing, for instance, only breaks out pane eight, so they think. All the other panes remain intact. The truth of the matter is that we must look at breaking God’s laws like breaking a picture window. If you throw a rock through one corner of it, the entire window is broken. So it is with the law: if you steal a candy bar, you first have to covet it (10th), you desire bad things from the one you stole (6th), you lie by hiding it (9th), etc. Truly, if you have broken one commandment, you are guilty of them all.

2. Feelings are inadequate.

3. Our obedience is poisoned.

4. We must measure our obedience against God’s standard.

5. Indeed, every law must be fulfilled.

_________________________________________

1. Adam

2. Obey & Live

Disobey & Die

3. All of the above.

4. Being the representative of all his offspring, all humanity would be born in original sin, would have a sin nature, and would suffer as a result of sin.

5. Satan is a created being, and is therefore limited in power. His power should neither be underestimated (Ephesians 6:10-18 reminds us of that) nor overestimated (I John 4:4).

6. The SECOND Adam

7. He was ETERNALLY CHOSEN.

8. Christ REPRESENTED all believers in that He...

_________________________________________

1. In Christ's death, He took on the sin of the elect. He was clothed in our unrighteousness, so that we might be clothed in His righteousness.

2. Substitutionary Atonement is defined in this lesson (six).

3. Christ was VICTORIOUS over sin & condemnation.

4. His resurrection proves His sacrifice & obedience were acceptable to God the Father.

5. In Christ's ascension, He was exalted to rule.

6. Did Christ become more of a Lord...? NO

7. Did He manifest His dominion over all creation more fully? YES

_________________________________________

1. Who benefits from the substitutionary atonement of Christ?

Those elected by God to repent & believe. When Christ said it is finished, redemption was purchased fully by Him for His children. The application of that redemption would come in time, as the Holy Spirit regenerates the hearts of sinners, making them willing to repent & believe.

2. He died for Everyone who Repents & Believes.

3. Christians are no longer estranged from God...

4. ...the Holy Spirit enlivens a person through faith.

5. The Holy Spirit empowers the believer for obedience.

6. The Spirit of God also enfolds believers into the flock.

_________________________________________

1. You must do what you cannot do.

2. Specifically, we must repent & believe.

3. Indeed, there is an open invitation.

4. The Lightning Illustration.

Can a person guarantee he will get struck by lightning if he tries? No! But should he wish to (& I'm not recommending you try), a great way to do so is to stand on a hilltop in the midst of a thunderstorm with a golf club in hand. No guarantee, but it is your best chance. Lightning will strike where it will.

Similarly, the Holy Spirit is like a wind (John 3), blowing where He wants to, regenerating whom He desires. But the Word of God teaches that faith comes from hearing ... the Word of God (Romans 10:17). So a person can & should stand directly under the normal means of God's outpouring of grace by attending a Bible-believing, Gospel-teaching & preaching church. This will not guarantee a person's hard heart will be softened by the Holy Spirit, but it is making use of God's appointed means.

5. How do we know if we're saved? Should we look to the past or present?

We must check our souls right now.

We should make sure that we have repented & believed in the past, and we should make sure that we are repenting & believing right now. As proof of genuine repentance, we must examine our lives to see if the fruit of the Holy Spirit is being produced regularly.