Sunday, October 30, 2005

Jesus, The Way To Forgiveness - Part Two

Jesus, The Way
Jesus, The Way To Forgiveness - Part Two

In our last lesson we defined what sin is and that it separates mankind from God. We made note of God’s supreme holiness and how serious the problem of sin is. In this lesson we are going to look at how Jesus makes The Way possible for God to forgive us and how we can be reconciled to God. Please note that not all religious groups teach the way to receive forgiveness of our sins the way the Bible presents it. This is due to religious teachings that came from the Reformation and are still being taught today. Let us look at what the Bible teaches and only what the Bible teaches.

JESUS, THE WAY TO FORGIVENESS OF SINS
God has provided the way by offering Jesus as a "propitiation" for our sins:
"In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins." (1 John 4:10)
The word "propitiation" originally referred to an act or sacrifice that a man offered designed to appease a god. As used in the Bible, it refers to that which God has done (not man). In other words, what man cannot do for himself, God has done! He has offered His Son Jesus on the cross as a means to appease His justice. Such was foretold by Isaiah nearly 700 years earlier:
"But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all." (Isaiah 53:5-6)
"Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, And the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in His hand. He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, For He shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, And He shall divide the spoil with the strong, Because He poured out His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the
transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors." (Isaiah 53:10-12)
Notice that by the act of Christ’s suffering the punishment due us for our own sins, we are forgiven of them. As Paul would later write:
"In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace." (Ephesians 1:7)
Through Christ’s death on the cross, we can come back to God, having been forgiven of our sins! In this way, God is able to:
w Preserve His holiness when we are in His presence (for our sins have been forgiven by the blood of Christ)
w Maintain His justice (for our sins have been properly punished by the death of Christ)
w All the while demonstrating His love, grace and mercy!
And so, Jesus is The Way to forgiveness of sins, for He has been made a "propitiation" for our sins! But how does one receive the wonderful blessing of having Jesus as the propitiation for our sins?

RECEIVING JESUS AS THE WAY TO FORGIVENESS
After His death for our sins, and following His glorious resurrection from the dead, Jesus charged His apostles with the commission to spread the good news:
And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned." (Mark 16:15-16)
We read in the book of Acts of how the apostles carried out this Great Commission. In chapter two, just ten days after Jesus ascended into heaven, we find Peter proclaiming the gospel for the first time. After presenting evidence that Jesus has truly risen from the dead and ascended to the right hand of God, Peter comes to climax of his sermon:
"Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ." (Acts 2:36)
Yes, this same Jesus they had crucified only fifty days earlier was the actual Lord and Messiah they had been looking for. Evidently many people believed what Peter said, for we read next:
Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" (Acts 2:37)
"What shall we do?", they cried. What can anyone do, who has realized that they are sinners in need of salvation? What Peter told them is what we should tell anyone today:
Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." (Acts 2:38)
Peter told these people who evidently believed (as evidenced by their question in verse 37) that they needed to repent and be baptized. In similar fashion, when Saul of Tarsus (later known as the apostle Paul) had seen Jesus on the road to Damascus, and had been praying and fasting for three days afterward, he was told by Ananias whom the Lord had sent to him:
"And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord." (Acts 22:16)
Just as Jesus commanded in Mark 16:16, when someone wanted to be saved through the blood of Jesus Christ, in the New Testament they were told to be baptized for the remission (forgiveness) of their sins upon their believing in Jesus and repenting of their sins. Faith (which includes confessing Jesus as Lord, Romans 10:9-10), repentance and baptism were the conditions by which one could receive Jesus and enjoy the blessings of forgiveness of sins!
Receive Jesus in baptism? Yes, so the apostle stated in his letter to the Galatians:
"For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ." (Galatians 3:27)
Note: "as many of you" (no more and no less) "as have been baptized into Christ" (as Jesus,
Peter, etc., commanded) "have put on Christ" (have received Jesus and all the blessings He offers). Thus, in obedience to the Lord in faith, repentance and baptism we can take advantage of the wonderful grace of God, Who offered Jesus for our sins!

I leave with you the fact that Jesus is The Way to forgiveness; indeed, the only way, for no other way has been offered by God by which we can be reconciled to Him. As Jesus said:
"I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." (John 14:6)

And no other way devised by man solves the dilemma between man’s sin and the holiness and justice of God! Have you accepted Jesus in the way He commanded and His apostles taught? Have you trusted in Him for salvation (faith), made the decision to turn from your sins (repentance), and been immersed for the forgiveness of your sins (baptism)? If not, why not? Let Jesus be your way to forgiveness today! If you are ready to make this decision and need any assistance of any kind please contact me at jnlnewsted@nts-online.net

This material is from ExecutableOutlines.com, a web site containing sermon outlines and Bible studies by Mark A. Copeland. Visit the web site to browse or download additional material for church or personal use. The outlines were developed in the course of my ministry as a preacher of the gospel. Feel free to use them as they are, or adapt them to suit your own personal style. To God be the glory!
Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2002

God Bless,
Jim Newsted
Shamrock, Tx
The town that turns green for a week every year
Join my Bible Study Group at internet-bible-studies-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
or http://groups.yahoo.com/group/internet-bible-studies/join
Even though you can't see the air, It doesn't stop you from breathing
Even though you can't see God, It doesn't stop you from believing
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sunday, October 23, 2005

Jesus, The Way To Forgiveness - Part One

Jesus, The Way
Jesus, The Way To Forgiveness - Part One

We have seen that Jesus is The Way to a better life, even here on earth. But much more importantly, Jesus is the way to forgiveness for our sins! To understand why we need forgiveness and how Jesus provides the way to forgiveness is the purpose of this lesson. It is important, then, that we begin by properly defining sin...

THE DEFINITION OF "SIN"
Many people have the wrong conception of sin. They think it is nothing more than a violation of human relationships; that an action is sinful only if it is frowned upon by society, violates their own conscience, or is harmful to someone else. Such a misconception of sin leads people to a misconception of how the problem of sin can be corrected. For example, some believe that correcting sin involves nothing more than making things right with other people. With this misconception, they think they are forgiven of all past actions if they simply change their behavior.

But what is the Biblical definition of sin? The Bible actually defines three different types of sin. First, there is the direct violation of God’s Law. The apostle John describes sin in this way:
"Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness." (1 John 3:4)
For example, where God’s law tells us not to steal, we sin when we steal something. This is commonly referred to as the sin of commission (where we commit something that displeases God). Another kind of sin is found in James’ epistle:
"Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin." (James 4:17)
This is the sin of omission, where you fail (omit) to do that which you know to do. For example, when I know Jesus tells me to love my enemies, I sin when I do not display love towards them. The apostle Paul mentions yet another kind of sin:
"But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin." (Romans 14:23)
For lack of better words, this is the sin of violating your conscience. In this case, the thing you are doing may be right in and of itself, but if you cannot do it with a clear conscience, you are sinning! The example found in Romans 14 pertained to someone who because of earlier religious training before becoming a Christian had difficulty eating meat without a guilty conscience. Paul would have the brother whose faith is weak to abstain from eating meats, and even calls upon brethren who are strong in faith to be careful not to put any enticements in the brother's way which might wound his conscience.

So we see that sin is more than simply a violation of human relationships (though it often involves that); sin is a serious matter that involves God and His Will! How serious is sin? By considering the consequences of sin as described in the Bible, we begin to appreciate its terrible nature. As Paul wrote in the book of Romans:
"For the wages of sin is death..." (Romans 6:23)
This "death: of which he speaks is ultimately described as the "second death" which involves eternal torment for those who die in their sins:
"But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death." (Revelation 21:8)
Why is sin considered so bad that unforgiven sinners must experience such torment?

To understand why, we must appreciate... THE NATURE OF GOD AND THE PROBLEM OF SIN
God's nature is such that it is very difficult for a sinner to be acceptable before Him. First, God is
supremely holy. His holiness makes any "truce" with sin impossible. The Psalmist understood this aspect of God’s nature:
"For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness, Nor shall evil dwell with You. The boastful shall not stand in Your sight; You hate all workers of iniquity. You shall destroy those who speak falsehood; The LORD abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man." (Psalms 5:4-6)
Because God’s holiness cannot tolerate sin, sin serves to separate man from God:
"But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear." (Isaiah 59:2)
Not only is God supremely holy, He is also supremely just. His justice demands that sin be punished accordingly. As examples of the strict justice of God, notice what happened to the sons of Aaron when all they did was offer in sacrifice something God had not commanded:
Then Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it, put incense on it, and offered profane fire before the LORD, which He had not commanded them. So fire went out from the LORD and devoured them, and they died before the LORD. And Moses said to Aaron, "This is what the LORD spoke, saying: ‘By those who come near Me I must be regarded as holy; And before all the people I must be glorified.’" So Aaron held his peace. (Leviticus 10:1-3) Even Moses and Aaron, the servants God used to lead the children of Israel, had to learn the hard way that sin must be justly dealt with. When they struck the rock instead of speaking to it as God commanded, they lost the right to enter into the promised land of Canaan:
Then the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, "Because you did not believe Me, to hallow Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them." (Numbers 20:12)

And since we have already seen that the ultimate penalty for sin is eternal torment, all this tells us two things:
w How holy God must be!
w How terrible sin must be!
As we begin to realize these things, we should see that man is in a terrible predicament. For you see, the Bible has judged that all of mankind is guilty of sin:
"...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," (Romans 3:23)
And the very nature of God (holy and just) demands separation of sinners from God and punishment for our sins!
Can man do anything to help himself? There are no "works" that a person can do to make himself innocent of the guilt of his or her sins. For example, a man who commits murder is not made innocent of that crime by living the rest of his life by the law! Yet many people think that they save themselves by balancing their good deeds against their sins. But sin of any kind is so repulsive to God’s holiness that His justice requires punishment. Look again at the sins referred to earlier:
"But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death." (Revelation 21:8)
Whether the sin is fear, lack of faith, lying, or murder, the "second death" is reserved for those who are guilty.

Do you think that your sins are few and therefore not worthy of such punishment? Even if you
commit just one sin, the nature of sin in the sight of a holy God is such that you are as guilty as one who broke every law:
"For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all." (James 2:10)
Since we are all sinners (Romans 3:23), it appears that we are all doomed to suffer God’s justice! Is there any way that God can be both holy and just and yet allow sinful man to be "reconciled" to Him? Yes, there is, and Jesus is The Way! We will examine how Jesus makes The Way possible in our next lesson.

God Bless,
Jim Newsted
Shamrock, Tx

Sunday, October 16, 2005

Jesus, The Way To A Better Life - Part Two

Jesus, The Way
Jesus, The Way To A Better Life - Part Two

In our last lesson we looked at the cause of so much unhappiness in this world. We also seen that Jesus leads the way to true happiness and peace by teaching us to seek new goals in life. And finally, Jesus leads the way to true happiness by giving us what we do not expect!

In addition to material things, Jesus provides a form of pure pleasure or happiness:
"These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full." (John 15:11)
What kind of joy is Jesus talking about? A joy that is "unspeakable", unable to describe adequately with words, as Peter tells those Christians who were experiencing terrible persecution:
"whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory," (1 Peter 1:8)
And what about fame? Yes, if we will but follow Jesus and seek to lay up our treasure in heaven by following Him and His words, we will one day experience "fame" that is "out of this world"! Consider these passages which describes what lies ahead for the true disciples of Jesus Christ:
"When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory." (Colossians 3:4)
"When He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed. Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power, that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus
Christ." (2 Thessalonians 1:10-12)
"To which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ." (2 Thessalonians 2:14)
We can look forward to sharing in the wonderful glory (fame) that Jesus Himself will have when He comes again! How much "better" could life get?

The world sets before us goals which many people cannot achieve, and even if achieved, often do not satisfy. As one of the richest men who ever lived once wrote:
"He who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver; Nor he who loves abundance, with increase. This also is vanity." (Ecclesiastes 5:10)
But Jesus places before us goals which can be achieved, and that do satisfy:
All can store up treasure in heaven
All can live for Jesus
And if there is any doubt that doing this brings lasting happiness and a much better life even now, just look at any individual you may know who is truly following Jesus. Outwardly they may be suffering persecution, social ostracism, or physical illnesses; but even then they still have that joy that is full, that peace which is unspeakable.

If you are not happy, if you are not at peace in your heart, if you are looking for a better life, why not let Jesus be "The Way" for you? Let Him take care of your problem of sin, which is the true cause of unhappiness in life! Let Him be your guide in giving you new direction in this life! Let Him be your key to "the good life"! In the following lessons we will explain how or you may contact me personally at:
jnlnewsted@nts-online.net

As Jesus Himself said:
"I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." (John 10:10)

This material is from ExecutableOutlines.com, a web site containing sermon outlines and Bible studies by Mark A. Copeland. Visit the web site to browse or download additional material for church or personal use. The outlines were developed in the course of my ministry as a preacher of the gospel. Feel free to use them as they are, or adapt them to suit your own personal style. To God be the glory!

Sunday, October 09, 2005

Jesus, The Way To A Better Life - Part One

Jesus, The Way
Jesus, The Way To A Better Life - Part One
In the preceding lesson, we introduced the theme of this study as being "Jesus, The Way". In this lesson, we shall concentrate our attention on the subject "Jesus, The Way To A Better Life". The popular goal of our generation is "the good life"" This dream is not new. It has been the desire of every age and every walk of life -- of teachers and philosophers, of kings and common men. But to the truly good life, as to every good thing, Jesus is the way!

To see how this is true, consider first of all that...JESUS CORRECTS OUR MISCONCEPTIONS
Most people think of "the good life" in terms of material prosperity, pleasure, and popularity. Why do people think this? Nearly everyone would agree that two words sum up what "the good life" is all about: happiness and peace. Many suppose that material prosperity, pleasure and popularity will bring us these two things. But even a cursory observation reveals that most wealthy, high-living, famous people are extremely unhappy and lacking inner peace. Jesus, the way to true happiness and peace, corrects the misconception that such things as those mentioned above bring us happiness. He teaches that there is more to life than material possessions:
And He said to them, "Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses." (Luke 12:15)
In addition, He offers a peace which things of the world cannot give, and a joy which is complete and full:
"Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." (John 14:27)
These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full." (John 15:11) What the world cannot give, Jesus can. How does He do it?

JESUS LEADS THE WAY TO A BETTER LIFE
First, by identifying and rooting out the real problem. What is the cause of so much unhappiness in this world? What deprives so many of inner peace? Is it not things like immorality, thefts, murder? Is it not things like coveting, deceit, envy and pride? Such things destroy families, friendships, and property. What then is the cause of these things? Jesus declared that the source of all these things to be the sinful hearts of men:
"For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a man." (Mark 7:21-23)
James, the Lord's half-brother in the flesh, concurred with this diagnosis:
"Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask." (James 4:1-2)
It is one to thing to identify the problem; what has Jesus done to provide a solution? The apostle Paul explains in his letter to Titus:
"For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life." (Titus 3:3-7)
Out of kindness, love, mercy and grace, God through Jesus Christ has saved us and made us righteous in His sight! This took place when we experienced the "washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit" (a reference to the act of baptism, in which one who believes in Jesus is truly born again of water and Spirit! - Jn 3:5). In other words, Jesus removes the problem of unhappiness and lack of inner peace by first removing the cause: Sin! But there is more...

Secondly, Jesus leads the way to true happiness and peace by teaching us to seek new goals in life. He warns us of the folly of seeking after riches:
"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal;" (Matthew 6:19)
Riches are perishable, and open to theft; therefore, He teaches us to put our treasure in heaven:
"but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal." (Matthew 6:20)
But how does one go about laying up treasure in heaven? It involves living for Jesus, even under the most adverse conditions:
"Blessed are you when men hate you, And when they exclude you, And revile you, and cast out your name as evil, For the Son of Man's sake. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! For indeed your reward is great in heaven, For in like manner their fathers did to the prophets." (Luke 6:22-23)
Of course, living for Jesus means to follow His teachings; for example:
"But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil." (Luke 6:35)
Yes, our reward will be great, and even now we can have great happiness knowing that it can never be stolen, nor will it perish, for it is reserved for us in heaven!
Finally, Jesus leads the way to true happiness by giving us what we do not expect! Once we learn not to make material things, pleasure, and fame our goals in life, but to instead make following Jesus and His teachings our goal, He then provides us an unexpected portion of these very things!
For example, He promises the provision of those material things we need, if we will but put God first...
"Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." (Matthew 6:31-33)
Then Peter began to say to Him, "See, we have left all and followed You." So Jesus answered and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel’s, who shall not receive a hundred fold now in this time; houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life." (Mark 10:28-30)

In part two of this lesson we will look at how Jesus provides a form of pure pleasure or happiness for us in addition to material things. There will also be included some questions to stimulate your thinking.

Sunday, October 02, 2005

Introduction to Jesus, The Way - Part Two

Jesus, The Way
Introducing Jesus As The Way - Part Two

In the previous lesson we introduced Jesus as the way to a better life and the way to forgiveness of sin. But to be truly happy, we need more than just the forgiveness of sins; we need to be restored to the close union with God which we lost by our sins.

In this also, Jesus is our answer, for He is...THE WAY TO GOD
Many religions, claiming to be Christian, are almost totally silent about the new relationship Jesus provides with God, the Father. About all they seem to talk about is "Jesus, Jesus, etc." or "Holy Spirit, Holy Spirit, etc." Could this indicate a lack of real understanding of Jesus’ purpose?
Jesus came to this world to reconcile man back to God the Father. As Paul told the Corinthians: "Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. (2 Corinthians 5:18-20)

As we have already noted, Jesus claimed to be the only way to the Father: Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." (John 14:6)
Why emphasize this point? Because one does not truly experience what it means to have "eternal life" without having an intimate relationship with the Father, as well as with the Son. And this is exactly what Jesus has to offer us! As He mentioned in His prayer before His trial and crucifixion: Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: "Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent." (John 17:1-3) Yes, that "eternal life" Jesus offers to us includes "knowing" the Father as well as the Son! The way to a better life, the way to forgiveness of sins, the way to God...what wonderful blessings!

But there is more. Jesus is also...THE WAY OUT OF RELIGIOUS CONFUSION
Consider the plight of many who wish to follow Jesus. They are confused and even repelled by the multitude of different churches and conflicting doctrines being offered by those who profess to be His church. But one does not have to be a part of this confusion! Jesus Himself certainly does not approve it. He taught us that: "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand." (Matthew 12:25)
Before His betrayal and arrest, we find Jesus praying fervently... "I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me." (John 17:20-23)

How can we even begin to hope to have this unity of which Jesus spoke? It helps to remember that Jesus promised to build His church: "And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it." (Matthew 16:18)
Despite the efforts of man and Satan to destroy it, or otherwise change it, they shall not prevail! Even today, when someone obeys the words of Jesus Christ, they are added by the Lord Himself to His church: "...praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved." (Acts 2:47)

In His church, we can enjoy the unity of which Paul wrote to the Ephesians... "There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. (Ephesians 4:4-6) But finding His church and enjoying this unity is experienced only as we follow Jesus as the way out of religious confusion.

Finally, let me point out that Jesus is...THE WAY TO ETERNAL LIFE
Death is inevitable (unless Jesus returns first), and as the author of the epistle to the Hebrews wrote, it is followed by judgment: "And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment," (Hebrews 9:27)

In this way, death becomes the door, either to eternal life or to eternal condemnation. In His description of the Judgment scene, Jesus outlines only two alternatives... "And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." (Matthew 25:46)
To die in Jesus is to die in the way to life eternal! As the apostle John wrote in the book of Revelation: Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, "Write: ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’ " "Yes," says the Spirit, "that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them." (Revelation 14:13)

Yet another wonderful blessing in following Jesus as "The Way", is to find that He is the way to eternal life! I hope that I have sparked your interest in wanting to learn more about Jesus as "The Way". As I mentioned at the outset of this study, the other lessons will elaborate upon these great blessings provided only through Jesus. My purpose in this series is twofold...
w For those who are Christians, to increase their appreciation of Jesus as their Lord and Savior, so they will want to serve Him with greater zeal;
w For those who are not Christians, to encourage them to let Jesus be their way to everything that is truly good, both in this life and in the life to come!

This material is from ExecutableOutlines.com, a web site containing sermon outlines and Bible studies by Mark A. Copeland. Visit the web site to browse or download additional material for church or personal use. The outlines were developed in the course of my ministry as a preacher of the gospel. Feel free to use them as they are, or adapt them to suit your own personal style. To God be the glory!
Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2002