Newness Of Life: Lessons 13-17


Newness OF Life	NOL I - Lessons 13 - 17

Lesson Abstracts & Introductory Stories

Lesson 13 - Who is God? Who is Jesus? Who is the Holy Spirit?

How does one describe his creator? How can you begin to understand God? God is so much more than our minds can possibly conceive. Where do you begin in seeking this understanding? The answer to where we begin is simple. God Himself has chosen to reveal Himself to us His children. John 4:24. “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

Symbolism is frequently used to give us connections to abstract ideas. The American flag waving in a gentle spring breeze may represent freedom to farmer, patriotism to a soldier, hope to an immigrant. We cannot touch freedom, patriotism, or hope, but we all have a concrete sense of what those things are and what they mean to us. We can grasp the difficult concept of love when we see it represented by a mother holding a child. Faith is more clearly understood when we see someone in great despair clutching the Holy Bible.

But our God, our immeasurable and Holy God, transcends even the broadest symbols. He is spirit. He is everywhere, not limited by time and space. As humans, we are so overwhelmed with the very being of God, that He instructs us to simply walk by faith. The only known symbol given to us that even begins to capture His greatness are the words that He himself uses. God is the I AM.

Lesson 14 - The essentials of Christianity - Know what you believe.

   The Bible is God’s inspired word. It was written in three languages, (Greek, Aramaic & Hebrew), by 34-40 different authors, in 12 countries and 3 continents, over a 1400-1800 year period. Yet, most pastors teachers and biblical scholars say that there are few if any contradictions. Indeed, when you find what may seem to be a contradiction, a little further study with a good teacher will help clear them up. 2 Timothy 3:16. “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;”

   Put a mouse in a maze without any cheese at the end as an incentive. He may bop and bump his way around a lot of dead ends. As the powerful being who conducts the experiment, you may just shake your head at the way the mouse retraces paths, gets false starts, and is fooled by the smallest deception. If the maze is complicated enough, you may soon realize that the mouse may never find his way out.

Religion is a maze for many people—even some Christians. Sometimes we bump and bop our way along dead ends, accepting that others believe that there are many ways to God, temporarily deceived or distracted by the loud arguments of non-believers, or even embracing the merits of some other religions. If we allow ourselves to be controlled by what others think, rather than what has been taught to us in the Holy Bible, we may never find our way out of the confusion.

But let’s go back to our mouse in the maze. This time put a piece of tasty cheese at the end of the maze. You may be surprised to find that your seemingly dense mouse becomes Super Mouse as he concentrates on the desired food and races to a successful finish. If he could explain it to others, he would tell them that there is only one way. “Do not be fooled by what seems possible but is really a dead end,” he might advise.

The only way through the religious maze of our world is to focus on the prize…the taste of victory in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is documented. It is historic fact. Everything else is false and a dead end. There is only ONE WAY. Know it. Defend it. Tell others.

Lesson 15 - Spiritual Gifts - I know what my gift is, but how do I use and develop it?

   To each one who has been born again, the Holy Spirit gives one or more spiritual gifts. These gifts are used for the building and support of the Body of Christ. John 14:16,17. “And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not behold Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you, and will be in you.”

“This is the air I breathe; this is the air I breathe…your Holy presence living in me…” The soloist raises a hand gracefully in honor and humble reverence to God. A congregation of hundreds sits spellbound by her beautiful voice. And finally, the last note lingers and then disappears soundlessly in unbroken silence. The soloist clasps her hands in humble gratitude as praises and applause resound gloriously throughout the sanctuary. She does not clasp her hands in the gratitude for the congregation’s appreciation; she bows her head and clasps her hands in self-effacing gratitude to God. Her gift, given to her by God through the Holy Spirit, has the power to move others. Her beautiful voice brings her joy because she can use it to honor God.

When we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, God sends the Holy Spirit to abide in us, to bring us our spiritual gifts so that we may honor God in a way that is natural to us and pleasing to God. Honoring God is not work. Honoring God through the natural spiritual gifts that He has given you is pleasing to you as well as Him.

Lesson 16 - Bringing others to Christ.

   In bringing others to Christ, we are often called to witness to them and share our testimony. Romans 1:16. “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”

   You would not walk by a man who had fallen and injured himself. If you saw a woman struggling with a heavy bag and pushing a stroller, you would go out of your way to open a door. If a child was lost and crying, you would help him find his way. That’s what good people do. When it comes to physical needs, most of us are right there pitching in and doing our part to help others.

Now consider this. You make eye contact with someone, and casually ask them how they are doing to fill the space. The next thing you know, you are caught by a full-blown one-sided monologue. It is amazing what some people will tell others (strangers!) in the bank line, grocery store, doctor’s office, or church lobby. People talk. Sometimes they just need a listening ear. Sometimes they are lonely or scared or overwhelmed with a problem. Even as Christians, we may find that we listen half-heartedly, waiting for an opportunity to share our own dilemmas or (more often than not) getting away from the person who is getting a little “too personal.” STOP YOURSELF. Remember, God calls us in many ways to share the gospel. When someone is in physical need, your actions reflect your Christian walk; but are your actions and words reflecting what you believe when someone is crying out for emotional comfort? Are you recognizing the opportunities that God has put before you to save someone’s life by sharing the good news of Jesus Christ? Or are you avoiding eye contact?

Lesson 17 - Newness of Life & Sanctification.

   When we have been born again, received a new spirit, established a relationship with God the Father, Jesus the Son and our comforter the Holy Spirit, we have formed the basis for life on earth as it is intended by our Heavenly Father. Being a part of God’s family is very special. We are His children and He will keep us, help us, teach us, nurture us, educate us and love us. We have a perfect measure of His grace. No matter the challenge in our lives during the short time that we are on earth, we can have assurance that our Father will always love us unconditionally. He will never leave or forsake us. Romans 6:4. “Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.”

   Here’s a riddle. What is a strange ritual to many other religions, and dismissed by some Christian denominations? What is one step that you must take in order to show others your commitment to Jesus Christ? Give up? Here’s a hint. It is not a sprinkle on the head. It is not a letter of dedication. It cannot be done first and then followed by salvation. You can do it more than once in a lifetime if you are not sure that you did it wholeheartedly (ex. doing it at a young age). What is it? Still not sure? It is done publicly. Need another hint? Jesus Christ himself did it.

If you believe that Jesus Christ (who walked on this earth and lived as a man) is the Son of God…if you believe that Jesus Christ died for our sins and resurrected from the grave…if you have been born again and have received the Holy Spirit, then you have been called upon to follow Christ in baptism. It is an immeasurable joy to symbolically declare your faith to others, to give testimony not only in words but in physical action, to die to your sins and be resurrected as a new creature.

Baptism is not really a riddle, or an option, or the answer. But your full immersion baptism shows others that you know the answer. The answer is Jesus Christ…the Way, the Truth, and the Life.