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. John 3:16
The Basic Bible Truth
Everyone human being has a critical problem called sin. We fall short of the perfection of God, and the consequence of that is the death penalty. We all deserve death and Hell. Left to our own devices, we would never search for God. But God…the most amazing two words in the Bible. God loves us. That truth is impossible to explain completely. God loved us so much that He sent Jesus to the cross to pay the price for our sins and save us from the punishment we deserved. We don’t like to talk about Hell, but it is a very real place reserved for all of those who in this life reject the Savior. At death, the Bible teaches that everyone continues somewhere. And there are only two choices listed in the Bible. And the choice is made prior to death. After death, the decision cannot be changed. We will either spend an eternity burning in the torment of Hell, or we will spend eternity enjoying the grandeurs of Heaven.
The Object
(None)
The Lesson
This lesson can be taught as one lesson, but I usually take the time for a subject as important as this one and do it as five lessons.
F is for Forgiveness
I John 1:9 Ephesians 1:17a
There are 12 basic truths concerning forgiveness for the Christian.
We need to be forgiven
We are sinful before a holy God
We will not achieve Heaven on our own
God loves each of us intensely
God is able and desires to forgive
God provided salvation and forgiveness through Jesus
Sin in our lives is a barrier to fellowship with God
Forgiveness delivers us from the penalty for sin
Forgiveness is not based upon anything we can do
Forgiveness is made possible by the blood of Jesus
Forgiveness is an act of God’s grace
Forgiveness brings joy to the believer
A is for Available
John 3:16 Isaiah 53:6
Here are 10 things to remember when considering that Salvation is available to all.
Heaven is out of our reach
It is only for those who are saved
Only God can save us
We all suffer from a problem called sin
We cannot solve our problem on our own
The best I can do is nothing before a righteous and holy God
All sin can be forgiven
Jesus made it available for all
He paid a great price for us
Eternal life is for a very, very long time
I is for Impossible
Romans 3:23 James 2:13 Isaiah 6:5 Hebrews 10:30-31
It is impossible for God to allow sin into Heaven. There are two sides to this problem.
God is righteous—we are sinful
God is judge—we deserve the punishment of death
God is love—we need a relationship with a holy God
God understands us—we have a sin nature
God is just and merciful—or we would be dead right now
T is for Turn
Luke 24:46-48
God calls us to repentance for salvation. That involves a change of direction in our lives. To repent, literally means to turn from something a go a different direction. Here are 4 things to consider.
Repentance involves understanding our condition as a sinner
Repentance involves death to the desire to sin
Repentance involves a conscious effort to avoid sin
Repentance results in a genuine change of heart
H is for Heaven
John 10:10 John 14:3 Heaven, as described in the Bible, is a wondrous place. Following is a list of some of the things we know about Heaven.
God is there, and we will see Him in His full glory
Countless angels and other beings are there
Heaven is a very real place
Heaven is holy, perfect and pure—sinless
Heaven is devoid of any sorrow or suffering
Heaven has been prepared specifically for us
All 5 senses will still be working in Heaven
We should be looking forward to it every day
It is forever. Not millions of years. Not billions of years. Not trillions of years, but eternal.