OUR FACULTIES

QUESTIONS:
(1) What and where is the center of our being?
(2) Where is character developed?
(3) What are “the windows of our soul?”
(4) What could be referred to as “the bridle of the Lord?”
(5) Can our conscience become ineffective? (Titus 1:15; 1 Tim. 4:2; Heb. 9:14)
(6) Teachers and students are encouraged to extend use of this graphic model of body, soul and spirit, with the appropriate scriptures, to cover other subjects such as revelation, worship, spiritual warfare, fellowship, ministry, etc.

REFERENCES: BODY, SOUL & SPIRIT, GOD'S BUILDING BLOCKS (Book)

PERSONAL NOTES:

THE GOSPEL

• The gospel is the Good News to all men of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 15:1-4; Is. 53).
• It is the Good News of God’s kingdom (Mt. 9:35; 24:14).
• It is the Good News of the glory of Christ (2 Cor. 4:3-4).
• It is the Power of God for salvation (1 Cor. 1:18-24; 2 Cor. 5:17-20).
• The Ultimate Goal of the Gospel is the purpose of God (2 Thess. 2:13-14; Eph. 2:13-22).
• The gospel should be written in our hearts by the Holy Spirit so that our lives express the love of God for the world.
• The gospel is not simply a proclamation of words, but of words anointed by the Holy Spirit to bring life to others (Is 61: 1-3; Rm. 15:15-20).

  Who has made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter, but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. (2 Cor. 3:6)

  ....Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord of hosts (Zech. 4:6).

FAITH AND GRACE

• God’s description of faith (Heb. 11).
• Faith and salvation (Rm. 1:16-17; 3:20-28; 10:8-10, 17).
• Faith and conduct (Gal. 2:20; 5:1-6; Rm. 14:1-2, 22-23; Ja. 1:5-8; 2:14-24).
• Faith and ministry (Rm. 12:3-16).
• The ultimate goal of faith (Eph. 4:13-16; 2 Cor. 3:18).
• The word of God becomes truth within us, when by faith we obey it.
• The following scriptures reveal how individuals reached out in faith to receive promises that were yet future for them (Mt. 8:5-13; 15:22-28).
• The supply of grace (Jn. 1:14-17; Rm. 8:32; 1 Cor. 2:12-16; Heb. 12:15; 1 Cor. 1:4-8; 2 Cor. 8:9; 9:8; Eph. 4:29).
• Grace for ministry (2 Tim. 1:9; Eph. 4:7; 1 Cor. 15:10; 1 Pet. 4:10; Rm. 12:6).
• Our responsibility (Ja. 4:6; Heb. 4:16; 1 Cor. 1:26-31).
• The ultimate goal of grace (Eph. 1:3-12; 2:4-8; Titus 2:11-14; Rm. 5:1-2, 17; 1 Pet. 1:13).

  For if by the transgression of the one (Adam), death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ (Rm. 5:17).

• An example of repentance, faith and grace is found in the life of David, in the Old Testament (Ps. 51:1-17).

QUESTIONS:
(1) Is the gospel the voice of God? (Jn. 6:44-45, 63; Rm. 10:13-15).
(2) Are the poor likely to have faith? (Ja. 2:5; Lk. 7:22).

REFERENCES: UNVEILING THE GOSPEL (F.O.L. Tract);
GRACE (F.O.L. Tract); Mk. 16:15-20; Rm. 4:9-25; Gal. 3:1-26.

PERSONAL NOTES:

REPENTANCE

• It is a personal decision that reflects a new heart attitude (Mt. 3:1-3; 4:17; Acts 2:38)
• God is now declaring that all men everywhere should repent. (Acts 17:30)
• True repentance will lead to change (Acts 26:20; Lk. 3:8)
• It is not a one time experience (Rev. 2:5,16; 3:14-19)
• Repentance requires renouncing any occultic or Satanic activities
• It is an act of the will
• It is more than being sorry, although sorrow is involved (2 Cor. 7:8-10; Joel 2:12-13)
• The greatest influence leading us to repent is God’s love and kindness (Rm. 2:4)
• Repentance is an essential part of the gospel; simple “believism” alone is not sufficient. The first command by John the Baptist and Jesus was for the people to repent (Mt. 3:2; 4:17). Paul’s preaching was based on repentance.

  I (Paul) did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you from house to house, solemnly testifying to both Jews and Greeks of repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 20:20-21).

JUSTIFICATION

• To justify means “to declare righteous”

  Therefore having been justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ — much more then, having been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God  through Him. (Rom.5:1,9)

• The resurrection of Jesus makes justification possible (Rm. 4:25; 1 Cor. 15:12-18).
• To be justified is to be reckoned as if one had never sinned. Scripture explains justification as the basis for being regenerated or reborn - to have become a child of God.
• Both Jew and Gentile are justified on the basis of faith alone (Rom. 3:28-30; Gal. 3:6-11).
• Good works will not help to justify us, nor will evil works prevent our justification.
• The blood of animal sacrifices covered sins; the blood of Jesus cleanses away all of our sins and imparts the righteousness of God (Rm. 3:19-27; Heb. 9:16-26).
• Since faith without works is dead, there should be godly works after justification that will prove the reality of our faith (Ja. 2:14-26).
• Justification brings the peace of God into our hearts.

  Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (Rm. 5:1).

QUESTIONS:
(1) Is repentance important in building relationships? (Lk. 17:3-4).
(2) What is the significance of Heb. 6:1?
(3) What role does the Holy Spirit play in repentance? (Jn. 16:7-15).
(4) What is the purpose of confession? (Rom. 10:9; Mt. 10:32; Heb. 4:14).
(5) What are 3 evidences that one has been born again? (1 Jn. 5:4; 1 Jn. 3:10; 2 Cor. 5:17; 1 Jn. 5:10; 1 Jn. 3:14)
(6) Do you have the peace of God in your heart?

REFERENCES: Titus 3:7; SALVATION (F.O.L. Tract); FREE TO BE A SLAVE (F.O.L. Tract);
FOUNDATION STONES FOR YOUR FEET (F.O.L. Tract).

PERSONAL NOTES:

WATER BAPTISM

• It is wonderful to have our sins forgiven, but God’s salvation also makes it possible to walk in righteousness. Christ took our Adamic, sinful nature and nailed it to His cross.

  Knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, that our body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. (Rm. 6:6)

• This truth requires faith and obedience in water baptism in order to become a reality in one’s life.

  . . . do you not know that all of us who have been baptised into Jesus Christ have been baptised into his death? 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. (Rm. 6:3-4)

• Faithful obedience in water baptism is a testimony that we have been crucified with Christ, that the Holy Spirit has circumcised our heart so that we can walk in righteousness.

  Thus you were circumcised when you were buried in your baptism, in which you were also raised with Him to a new life through your faith in the working of God as displayed when He raised Him up from the dead  (Col.2:12; AMPLIFIED)

  For there are three that bear witness, the Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three are in agreement. (Jn. 5:8)

• These three witness to the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus (1 Cor. 15:3-4). These witnesses are foreshadowed in the exodus of Israel from Egypt (Ex. 14).
• Blood of passover lamb
• Waters of Red Sea
• Pillar of fire
• The following scriptures illustrate the importance of water baptism in the early church: Acts 2:38; 8:12, 26-38; 10:47-48; 16:30-31; 19:4-5.
• The reality of water baptism is not simply in the act of being baptized, but of daily reckoning ourselves to be dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus (Rm. 6:11-18). Failure to walk in victory over the weaknesses of our human nature can open these areas of our being to demonic influence.

QUESTIONS:
(1) How does water baptism relate to physical circumcision?
(2) What part does faith play in a walk of righteousness? (Gal. 2:20; Rm. 6:11).
(3) What about sprinkling and what about infant baptism?

REFERENCES: A STUDY OF WATER BAPTISM (F.O.L. Tract); Rm. 2:28-29; rm. 4:7-11; Rm. 2:28-29: Heb. 8:6-10.

PERSONAL NOTES:

HOLY SPIRIT BAPTISM

The purpose for baptism in the Holy Spirit is to receive power to become effective witnesses for Christ (Acts 1:8). To be His witness is more than speaking for Him, it involves the testimony of our lives and ministry gifts. For this reason, the following activities of the Holy Spirit will be accentuated in a Spirit filled life:

• He gives us power to be His witnesses (Rm. 15:18-19; Eph. 3:20).
• He will reveal to us the person and purpose of the Lord Jesus Christ (Jn. 15:26; 16:13-15).
• He will comfort and strengthen us in the faith (Jn. 14:16-17).
• He leads and instructs us in prayer (Rm. 8:26-27).
• He guides us in making correct decisions (Rm. 8:14-15).
• He equips us with spiritual gifts for service (1 Cor. 12:8-11; 1 Pet. 4:7-11).
• He anoints our mind for revelation and understanding (1 Jn. 2:27).
• He brings freedom into our worship and relationship with God (2 Cor. 3:17; Eph. 5:18-21).
• He gives us a new spiritual prayer language (1 Cor. 14:12-15; Acts 10:44-47).
• He enables us to fulfill the call of God on our lives (Rm. 7:6; 2 Cor. 3:6-8).
• As the Holy Spirit, He is the One who works the character of God into our lives as we obey Him (Eph. 3:16-20; 2 Cor. 3:18).
• To receive Him, one must ask in faith out of a thirst and desire to be filled (Jn. 7:37-39).
• There are three important truths to recognize:

  —The Holy Spirit at regeneration (Eph. 1:13-14)
  —The Holy Spirit baptism (Acts 2:1-21)
  —The daily need to be filled with the Holy Spirit (Eph. 5:18-21).

Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God, who has sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge. (2 Cor. 1:21-22)

QUESTIONS:
(1) What is the significance of Eph. 5:18-21?
(2) When was the first promise by God to give the Holy Spirit? (Gal. 3:14)

REFERENCES: EQUIPPED WITH POWER (F.O.L. Tract) Acts 2:1-21; Acts 8:14-17; Acts 13:1; 14:1-33

PERSONAL NOTES:

BUILDING CHARACTER

(1) We are a new creation in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17; Eph. 2:4-11)

• Repentance - new will
• Regeneration - new birth
• Justification - new righteousness
• Conversion - new direction
• Adoption - new family
• Sanctification - new service (1 Pet. 1:2; Jn. 17:17; Eph. 5:26)
• Maturity - new stature in Christ
• Humility - new heart attitude (Mt. 5:3, 5; Is. 57:15; Ps. 51:17)

  (2) The goal we face: 2 Cor. 5:21; 2 Cor. 3:18; Eph. 3:16-19; Mt. 5:48; Rom. 8:29

(3) The work of the Holy Spirit and our responsibility (Gal. 5:13-25; Col. 3:12-16; 2 Cor. 7:1; Eph. 4:22-32; Rev. 19:7-8; Eph. 2:10).

• Guarding our hearts (Jer. 17:9; Prov. 4:23; 27:19; Mt. 11:28-30; Pr. 27:21).
• Guarding our words
• The root meaning of “devil” is slanderer
• The issue: Mt. 15:19-20; Prov. 18:21; Ja. 3:8-9
• The battle: Eph. 5:4; 1 Cor. 3:3; Prov. 21:23; Prov. 25:2; Pr. 18:13; Phil. 2:14-15; 1 Tim. 4:12; Pr. 12:18
• The victory: Mt. 5:9; Col. 3:14-16; Pr. 15:2; 16:21, 23-24; Col. 4:6; Jn. 7:38; Ps. 19:14; Ja. 3:2

(4) Walking in the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus (Rm. 8:2-4; Gal. 3:21; Col. 2:20-23;
1 Tim. 1:9-10; Rm. 7:6).

(5) Embracing discipline and suffering. (Rm. 5:3-4; Heb. 12:5-15).

(6) Learning submission (Eph. 5:21; Col. 3:8; Tit. 3:1; 1 Pet. 5:5; Tit. 2:9; Heb. 13:17; 1 Pet. 2:13-16)

(7) Developing perserverence (Ja. 1:12; 2 Pet. 1:2-8)

(8) Worship and prayer.

(9) Learning to wait on God. (Is. 40:28-31)

(10) Learning to put no confidence in the flesh. (Phil. 3:3; 2 Cor. 5:16; Gal. 6:8)

Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another (Pr. 27:17).

As in water face reflects face, so the heart of man reflects man (Pr. 27:19).

QUESTIONS: (1) How can the Law be righteous, holy and good while also being weak and useless?
(Heb. 7:18-19; Rm. 7:12)

REFERENCES: THE LAW OF THE SPIRIT OF LIFE (F.O.L. Tract);
THE PILLARS OF WISDOM (F.O.L. Tract);
OUR WORDS, OUR SPIRIT AND HIS LIFE (F.O.L. Tract)
(Rm. 14; 1 Cor. 8; Rm. 3:20-22; 4:13-16; Ja. 1:25; 2:12)

PERSONAL NOTES:

WORSHIP, PRAYER AND THANKSGIVING

These activities should not be considered as obligations or duties, but as normal heart responses to the love of God that believers have in their personal relationship with Jesus.

(1) THANKSGIVING:

• Note the emphasis of thanksgiving by David in Psalms; One of the greatest failures by Israel was grumbling (1 Cor. 10:10-11; Eph. 5:18-20; Col. 3:15-17; Col. 4:2; Phil. 4:4-6; Heb. 13:15; 2 Cor. 9:9-15)

(2) WORSHIP:

• Refers to our heart attitude in glorifying and exalting God as His priests (Rev. 1:6; 5:9-10; Heb. 13:15; 1 Pet. 2:5,9). It is how we are to come into His presence (Ps. 100:1-4; Jn. 4:21-24; Ps. 9:1; 111:1).
• Worship is an essential part of spiritual warfare for it brings the presence of God who dispels darkness. A worshipper is a spiritual warrior (2 Chron. 20:14-24; Is. 30:31-32). Worship is more our heart attitude than our words and song (Ps. 30:11-12; 149:3; 150:4).

(3) PRAYER:

• Prayer requires a self discipline of one’s will. (Is. 56: 6-8; 1 Thess. 5:16-18; 1 Tim. 2:8; Ja. 1:6-8; Heb. 11:6)
• It is both personal and corporate (Mt. 6:6; 2 Chron. 7:13-14; Acts 2:42).
• Hindrances to prayer: wrong motive (Mt. 6:5-8); pride (Ps. 138:6); iniquity (Is. 59:1-3; Ps. 66:18); unforgiveness (Mt. 5:23,24; 18:21-35).
• Intercession is prayer that is focused on the Lord’s burden: (Rm. 8:26-27; Joel 2:12-13, 17).
• Fasting is an act of humbling one’s self when praying.
• Prayer is to spiritual life as breathing is to physical life.
• A victorious Christian will be marked by humility, thankfulness and prayer (Phil. 3:3).
• Four foundation truths for effective prayer are: no unconfessed sin; a truly thankful heart; confessing our human inability to do the will of God; complete faith in God’s promises and infinite supply of grace to meet every need we have to please God.

QUESTIONS:
(1) How does fasting enhance prayer?
(2) Can fasting have wrong motivation? (Zech. 7:1-14; Mt. 9:14)
(3) What is the significance of a sacrifice of thanksgiving?

REFERENCES: 1 Tim. 2:1-2; 1 Cor. 14:14; Eph. 6:18; Jude 20; Ps. 18:6; Ja. 5:16

PERSONAL NOTES:

SUFFERING AND ENDURANCE

Following the path of least resistance is what makes rivers and men crooked. Suffering and endurance are required to build character.

• Relationship of character to endurance (Ja. 1:2-4; 1 Pet. 2:19-23).

  Love - bears all things, believes all things. hopes all things, endures all things, love never fails. (1 Cor. 13:7-8)

• Relationship of suffering to glory (2 Cor. 4:17; Rom. 8:17-18; 1 Pet. 4:13-14).

  . . . For if we died with Him, we shall also live with Him; if we endure, we shall reign with Him . (2Tim.2:11-12)

• Discipline is to be endured (Heb. 12:5-11).
• Jesus set the standard for endurance and suffering (Heb. 12:2-4).
• One purpose of suffering is to be able to comfort others  (2 Cor. 1:3-7).
• Suffering and endurance will require faithfulness (Lk. 10:10; 2 Tim. 2:2; Heb. 10:23-25).

  And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. (Rom. 8:28)

• We are never to compare our cross to that of another believer
• Salvation is not simply that we will go to heaven when we die, or that we will live forever. Salvation is about an altogether new kind of life; it is God’s own uncreated, eternal life. It is the very life, essence and nature of God Himself. It’s fullness is referred to as the glory of God. This is what we have been saved for (Rm. 5:1-5; 2 Thess. 2:13-14). The process by which we attain His glory involves suffering and endurance as well as the Holy Spirit and the Word of God.
• God knows what each of us requires in our walk (1 Pet. 5:6-10; 1 Cor. 10:13).

QUESTIONS:
(1) What is the significance of Phil. 1:29?
(2) What does glory reflect? (Ex. 33:18-19; 34: 5-9)
(3) What is the significance of Mt. 24:13?

REFERENCES: FROM GLORY TO GLORY (F.O.L. Tract); IT IS TIME TO PREPARE (F.O.L. Tract).

PERSONAL NOTES:

EVANGELISM

No one can be saved apart from the grace of God through the convicting power of the Holy Spirit.

No one can come to Me, unless the Father, who sent Me draws him.... (Jn. 6:44)

And He (the Holy Spirit), when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin, righteousness and judgment (Jn. 16:8).

The Holy Spirit reveals the truth of salvation, the work and the Person of Christ, by anointing the gospel, the good news of God’s word to the hearts of men. The gospel becomes a seed of life within those who believe and receive it. This is evangelism.

For you have been born again not of seed that is perishable but imperishable, that is through the living and abiding word of God (1 Pet. 1:23).

• The Good News must be undergirded by prayer since it is not a rational message to the mind (Jn. 3:3, 5-7; 6:53-57, 63). It is a passionate, spiritual word of revelation to the hearts of lost mankind (Mt. 11:27-29; 1 Cor. 1:26-30; Jn. 6:44).
• The Good News concerns the greatest act of power in the history of the world (Rm. 1:16; 1 Cor. 1:18, 23-24; 1 Cor. 15:1-4; 1 Jn. 5:1, 4-9).
• The Good News is the gospel of the kingdom of God (Mk. 16:15-16; Mt. 24:14; Mt. 4:23-24; Is. 61:1-3; Acts 1:8; 8:5-7; 1 Cor. 4:20). It confronts, exposes and destroys the kingdom of darkness (Rm. 15:15-19).
• The Good News is the first step in a process that can cost everything, but that leads to the glory of God (Mt. 16:24; 2 Thess. 2:13-14; Rm. 5:10, 15, 17; 2 Cor. 5:17-21; Eph. 3:16-19; 4:1-6).
• Evangelism is a lifestyle (2 Cor. 4:1-12; 2 Cor. 6:1-3; Is. 60:1-3). It is to be proclaimed with the love, mercy, compassion and power of God (Mk. 16:16-20).
• Revivals are wonderful times when God sovereignly moves to awaken large numbers to repentance, faith and commitment to Him. A greater presence of the Holy Spirit will result in miracles, and often affect believers to produce physical and emotional manifestations that are unusual. The fruit of such revivals is to bring righteousness to that geographic area, which can be entire nations. Some examples are the Wesleyan revival, the Great Awakening, the Hebrides and the Welsh revivals. Revival will expose and throw back demonic forces of darkness.
• Not all believers are evangelists, but each one should be able to lead others to Christ.

QUESTIONS:
(1) What are some ways one can evangelize?
(2) What is a major difference between tracts and personal witness?
(3) Do you have a burden and compassion for lost souls?

REFERENCES: Acts 2, 3, 4, and 8; Dan. 12:3; 1 Pet. 1:22-25; THIS GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM (FOL Tract).

PERSONAL NOTES:

CONTENTS
STUDY OBJECTIVES
THE CREATION OF MAN
THE ORIGIN AND ISSUE OF SIN
THE PROVISION OF GOD
THE PROCESS OF SALVATION
THE PURPOSE OF GOD
THE END OF THIS  AGE