Category: The Open Bible Christian Life Study Outline

Christian Life Study Outlines

From The Open Bible

Outline Number Four

THE HOLY SPIRIT

The Holy Spirit is God, and is equal to the Father and the Son. He is God the Holy Spirit, and is distinct from the Father and the Son. In the Genesis account of creation, He is seen actively engaged in the work of creation, along with the Father and the Son. In the Old Testament, He empowered men for service; but, when they were disobedient, He departed from them.

When David sinned, he prayed, “and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me”(Psalm 51:11).

In the New Testament, we see the Holy Spirit indwelling the believer, never leaving, filling and empowering him. A scriptural understanding of God the Holy Spirit will make you a better Christian and servant of God.

1 The Deity of the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:3-4): 3) But Peter said, “Ananias, why has the Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? 4) “While it remained was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.”

Notes: In dealing with Ananias, Peter revealed the Holy Spirit’s Deity (Acts 5:3a). In this Scripture it is very clear that the Holy Spirit is God, and He is co-equal, co-eternal, and co-existent with the Father and Son.

1) His deity is also set forth in that He possesses divine attributes:

a) He is everywhere present in the universe (Psalm 139:7-10)

7 How can I get away from your Spirit? Where can I go to escape from you? 8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there. If I lie down in the deepest parts of the earth, you are also there. 9 Suppose I were to rise with the sun in the east and then cross over to the west where it sinks into the ocean. 10 Your hand would always be there to guide me. Your right hand would still be holding me close.

b) He has all power (Luke 1:35)

34 “How can this happen?” Mary asked the angel. “I am a virgin.”

35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come to you. The power of the Most High God will cover you. So the holy one that is born will be called the Son of God.

c) He has all knowledge (I Corinthians 2:10-11)

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has known what God has prepared for those who love him.” —(Isaiah 64:4) 10 But God has shown it to us through his Spirit.

The Spirit understands all things. He understands even the deep things of God. 11 Who can know the thoughts of another person? Only a person’s own spirit can know them. In the same way, only the Spirit of God knows God’s thoughts.

d) He is eternal (Hebrews 9:14)

14 But Christ offered himself to God without any flaw. He did this through the power of the eternal Holy Spirit. So how much more will his blood wash from our minds our feelings of guilt for committing sin! Sin always leads to death. But now we can serve the living God.

2) His deity is revealed, His name is coupled in equality with the name of the Father and the Son.

a) In the baptism of the believer (Matthew 28:19)

19 So you must go and make disciples of all nations. Baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. 20

b) In the apostolic benediction (II Corinthians 13:14)

14 May the grace shown by the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love that God has given us, and the sharing of life brought about by the Holy Spirit be with you all.

3) His deity is seen in relation to the life and ministry of Jesus Christ.

a) Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:35)

35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come to you. The power of the Most High God will cover you. So the holy one that is born will be called the Son of God.

b) He was anointed by the Holy Spirit for service – Acts 10:38.

38 You know how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. Jesus went around doing good. He healed all who were under the devil’s power. God was with him.

c) He was led by the Holy Spirit (Matthew 4:1)

1 The Holy Spirit led Jesus into the desert. There the devil tempted him.

d) He was crucified in the power of the Holy Spirit (Hebrews 9:14)

14 But Christ offered himself to God without any flaw. He did this through the power of the eternal Holy Spirit. So how much more will his blood wash from our minds our feelings of guilt for committing sin! Sin always leads to death. But now we can serve the living God.

e) He was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:11)

11 The Spirit of the One who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you. So the God who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your bodies, which are going to die. He will do this by the power of his Spirit, who lives in you.

f) Jesus gave commandments to the apostles and the church through the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:2)

2 until the day he was taken up to heaven. Before Jesus left, he gave orders to the apostles he had chosen. He did this through the Holy Spirit. 3

If Jesus needed to depend solely upon the Holy Spirit here on the earth, can we afford to do less?

2 The Emblems of the Holy Spirit (Luke 3:16): 16) John answered, saying to all, “I indeed baptize you wit water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

Notes: It is difficult to impart truth by words. Frequently they reveal only a half-truth. The Bible used certain emblems when telling of the Holy Spirit, because they show more about Him. They are:

1) Fire as an emblem (Luke 3:16). Fire speaks of His consuming, purifying power (Acts 2:3, Isaiah 6:1-7)

16 John answered them all, “I baptize you with water. But One who is more powerful than I am will come. I’m not good enough to untie the straps of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.

2) Wind as an emblem. (John 3:8). Wind speaks of His depth in His mighty regenerating power.

8 “The wind blows where it wants to. You hear the sound it makes. But you can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going. It is the same with everyone who is born through the Spirit.”

3) Water as an emblem. (John 7:37-39).

37 It was the last and most important day of the Feast. Jesus stood up and spoke in a loud voice. He said, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. 38 Does anyone believe in me? Then, just as Scripture says, streams of living water will flow from inside him.”

39 When he said this, he meant the Holy Spirit. Those who believed in Jesus would receive the Spirit later. Up to that time, the Spirit had not been given. This was because Jesus had not yet received glory.

4) Seal as an emblem (Ephesians 1:13) Seal speaks of His ownership; it is a finished, eternal transaction.

13 You also became believers in Christ. That happened when you heard the message of truth. It was the good news about how you could be saved. When you believed, he marked you with a seal. The seal is the Holy Spirit that he promised.

5) Oil as an emblem (Acts 10:38 Oil speaks of His power to anoint for service.

38 You know how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. Jesus went around doing good. He healed all who were under the devil’s power. God was with him.

6) Dove as an emblem (Mark 1:10). The dove speaks of His gentle, tender, peaceful nature. We may know “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding” (Philippians 4:7) only when fully surrendered to God.

10 Jesus was coming up out of the water. Just then he saw heaven being torn open. He saw the Holy Spirit coming down on him like a dove.

3 Sins against the Holy Spirit (Matthew 12:31-32): 31) “therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. “Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.

Notes: This is a solemn study, because the Holy Spirit is God and can be sinned against by both the believer and the unbeliever. May He help you search your heart as you consider:

1) The sin of blaspheming the Holy Spirit. This sin is committed by unbelievers. It is often called the “unpardonable sin.” It has no forgiveness. It was committed by the enemies of Jesus when they accused Him of casting out demons by the power of Satan (Matthew 12:24) when Jesus cast them out by the “Spirit of God” (Matthew 12:28

28 But suppose I drive out demons by the Spirit of God. Then God’s kingdom has come to you.

2) The sin of resisting the Holy Spirit (Acts 7:51). This sin is committed by the unbeliever when rejecting Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.

51 “You people! You won’t obey! You are stubborn! You won’t listen! You are just like your people of long ago! You always oppose the Holy Spirit!

3) The sin of grieving the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:30-32). This sin is committed by believers. He is grieved by us unless He controls our lives to the glory of Jesus Christ.

30 Do not make God’s Holy Spirit sad. He marked you with a seal for the day when God will set you completely free.

31 Get rid of all hard feelings, anger and rage. Stop all fighting and lying. Put away every form of hatred. 32 Be kind and tender to one another. Forgive each other, just as God forgave you because of what Christ has done.

4) The sin of quenching the Holy Spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:19) This sin is committed by Christians when known sin is allowed to go unconfessed (1 John 1:9; Isaiah 59:1-2)

19 Don’t put out the Holy Spirit’s fire.

5) The sin of lying to the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:1-11). The sin of Ananias and Sapphira was deception. They tried to mock God (Galatians 6:7) The Holy Spirit can be sinned against, He is God.

A man named Ananias and his wife, Sapphira, also sold some land. 2 He kept part of the money for himself. Sapphira knew he had kept it. He brought the rest of it and put it down at the apostles’ feet.

3 Then Peter said, “Ananias, why did you let Satan fill your heart? He made you lie to the Holy Spirit. You have kept some of the money you received for the land. 4 Didn’t the land belong to you before it was sold? After it was sold, you could have used the money as you wished. What made you think of doing such a thing? You haven’t lied to just anyone. You’ve lied to God.”

5 When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. All who heard what had happened were filled with fear. 6 Some young men came and wrapped up his body. They carried him out and buried him.

7 About three hours later, the wife of Ananias came in. She didn’t know what had happened. 8 Peter asked her, “Tell me. Is this the price you and Ananias sold the land for?”

“Yes,” she said. “That’s the price.”

9 Peter asked her, “How could you agree to test the Spirit of the Lord? Listen! You can hear the steps of the men who buried your husband. They are at the door. They will carry you out also.”

10 At that very moment she fell down at his feet and died. Then the young men came in. They saw that Sapphira was dead. So they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 11 The whole church and all who heard about these things were filled with fear.

4 The Work of the Holy Spirit (John 16:7-14): 7) “Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. 8 ) “And when He has come, He will convict toe world of sin, and of righteousness and of judgment; 9) “of sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10) “of rightness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; 11) “of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. 12) “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13) “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but what ever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. 14) “He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you….”

Notes: In instructing His disciples, regarding the coming of the Holy Spirit, Jesus said, “. . . for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. And when He has come, He will . . .”

1) Convict men of the sin of unbelief (John 16:9)

9 “The world is guilty as far as sin is concerned. That is because people do not believe in me.

2) Convict men that Jesus is the righteousness of God (John 16:10; Romans 10:3-4)

10 The world is guilty as far as godliness is concerned. That is because I am going to the Father, where you can’t see me anymore.

3 They didn’t know how God makes people right with himself. They tried to get right with God in their own way. They didn’t do it in God’s way.

4 Christ has completed the law. So now everyone who believes can be right with God.

3) Convict men that the power of Satan has been broken (John 16:11)

11 The world is guilty as far as judgment is concerned. That is because the devil, the prince of this world, has already been judged.

4) Regenerate the believer (John 3:5; Titus 3:5)

5 Jesus answered, “What I’m about to tell you is true. No one can enter God’s kingdom without being born through water and the Holy Spirit. 6 People give birth to people. But the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised when I say, ‘You must all be born again.’

5) Indwell the believer (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

19 Don’t you know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit? The Spirit is in you. You have received him from God. You do not belong to yourselves. 20 Christ has paid the price for you. So use your bodies in a way that honors God.

6) Seal the believer (Ephesians 1:13-14)

13 You also became believers in Christ. That happened when you heard the message of truth. It was the good news about how you could be saved. When you believed, he marked you with a seal. The seal is the Holy Spirit that he promised.

14 The Spirit marks us as God’s own. We can now be sure that someday we will receive all that God has promised. That will happen after God sets all of his people completely free. All of those things will bring praise to his glory.

7) Baptize the believer (Acts 1:5; 1 Corinthians 12:13)

5 John baptized with water. But in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

13 We were all baptized by one Holy Spirit into one body. It didn’t matter whether we were Jews or Greeks, slaves or free people. We were all given the same Spirit to drink.

8 ) Infill the believer (Ephesians 5:18 )

18 Don’t fill yourself up with wine. Getting drunk will lead to wild living. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit.

9) Empower the believer (Acts 1:8 )

8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you. Then you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem. You will be my witnesses in all Judea and Samaria. And you will be my witnesses from one end of the earth to the other.”

10) Lead the believer (Galatians 5:16-18 )

16 So I say, live by the Holy Spirit’s power. Then you will not do what your sinful nature wants you to do.

17 The sinful nature does not want what the Spirit delights in. And the Spirit does not want what the sinful nature delights in. The two are at war with each other. That’s what makes you do what you don’t want to do. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the authority of the law.

11) Administer spiritual gifts to the believer (1 Corinthians 12:1-11)

Brothers and sisters, I want you to know about the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

2 You know that at one time you were unbelievers. You were somehow drawn away to worship statues of gods that couldn’t even speak. 3 So I tell you that no one who is speaking with the help of God’s Spirit says, “May Jesus be cursed.” And without the help of the Holy Spirit no one can say, “Jesus is Lord.”

4 There are different kinds of gifts. But they are all given by the same Spirit. 5 There are different ways to serve. But they all come from the same Lord. 6 There are different ways to work. But the same God makes it possible for all of us to have all those different things.

7 The Holy Spirit is given to each of us in a special way. That is for the good of all. 8 To some people the Spirit gives the message of wisdom. To others the same Spirit gives the message of knowledge. 9 To others the same Spirit gives faith. To others that one Spirit gives gifts of healing. 10 To others he gives the power to do miracles. To others he gives the ability to prophesy. To others he gives the ability to tell the spirits apart. To others he gives the ability to speak in different kinds of languages they had not known before. And to still others he gives the ability to explain what was said in those languages.

11 All of the gifts are produced by one and the same Spirit. He gives them to each person, just as he decides.

The Holy Spirit came on the day of Pentecost, to remain with the church until it is complete and presented to the Lord Jesus at His coming. Just as Jesus Christ finished the work He came to do in the flesh, so the Holy Spirit will finish the work He came to do in the church.

5 The Fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23): 22) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 22) gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

Notes: “The Fruit of the Spirit is love.” Only as we live in love can we fulfill the will of God in our lives. The believer must become love-inspired, love-mastered, and love-driven (2 Corinthians 5:14). Without the fruit of the Spirit (love), we are just a religious noise (1 Corinthians 13:1).

“The Fruit of the Spirit is love,” and it is manifested in joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control:

1) Joy is love’s strength.

2) Peace is love’s security.

3) Longsuffering is love’s patience.

4) Kindness is love’s conduct.

5) Goodness is love’s character.

6) Faithfulness is love’s confidence.

7) Gentleness is love’s humility.

8 ) Self–control is love’s victory.

“Against such there is no law.” A Holy Spirit-controlled man needs no law to cause him to live a righteous life. The secret of a Spirit-controlled live is found in dedication to God (Romans 12:1-2)

Put your all on the altar, and the Holy Spirit will fill your heart with the love of God (Romans 5:5)

Christian Life Study Outlines

From The Open Bible

Outline Number Three

Jesus Christ The Son of God

Christianity differs from all religions, because it is more than a religion – it is the life of the Son of God made living in a man. Christ is Christianity and Christianity is Christ. He is the supreme subject of each book of the New Testament, and fulfills all the promises of God in the Old Testament, from his incarnation to His Second Coming as “Lord of Lords and King of kings” (Revelation 17:14). He is the God-man Christ Jesus in glory, exalted above all creatures. Jesus said, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth” (Mathew 28:18).

During his earthly ministry, He claimed to be God incarnate (in human flesh). He is all that he claimed to be, or he is less than the least (Revelation 1:8). Before his claim can be denied, there are some things that must be accounted for:

His virgin birth; His Holy, sinless life; His many miracles; His vicarious death and his bodily resurrection.

I. The Deity of Jesus Christ

1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1)

II. The Humanity of Jesus Christ

3concerning His Son, who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh, 4who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord, (Romans 1:3,4)

III. The Virgin Birth of Jesus Christ

26Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, 27to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. 28And coming in, he said to her, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” 29But she was very perplexed at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was. 30The angel said to her, “Do not be

afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. 31“And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. 32“He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; 33and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.” 34Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” 35The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God. (Luke 1:26-35)

IV. The Death of Jesus Christ

8Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross (Philippians 2:8)

V. The Resurrection of Jesus Christ

1Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave. 2And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it. 3And his appearance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow.

4The guards shook for fear of him and became like dead men.

5The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. 6“He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying. 7“Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you into Galilee, there you will see Him; behold, I have told you.”

8And they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy and ran to report it to His disciples. 9And behold, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they came up and took hold of His feet and worshiped Him. 10Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and take word to My brethren to leave for Galilee, and there they will see Me.”

11Now while they were on their way, some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests all that had happened. 12And when they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, 13and said, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came by night and stole Him away while we were asleep.’ 14“And if this should come to the governor’s ears, we will win him over and keep you out of trouble.”

15And they took the money and did as they had been instructed; and this story was widely spread among the Jews, and is to this day.

The Great Commission

16But the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had designated. 17When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some were doubtful. 18And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:1-20)

VI. The Ascension of Jesus Christ

9And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. 10And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them. 11They also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:9-11)

Christian Life Study Outlines

From The Open Bible

Outline Number Two

God

The Bible reveals God as the only Infinite and Eternal Being, having no beginning and no ending. He is Creator and Sustainer of all things. He is the Supreme and Personal Intelligence, and Righteous Ruler of His universe. He is life and therefore the only source of life. (John 5:26)

Man is natural and cannot know God by wisdom. “Can you discover the depths of God?” (Job 11:7). God is a person and can be known only by revelation. In the Old Testament, He reveals himself to and through his prophets. In the New Testament, He reveals Himself through His Son Jesus Christ (Hebrews 1:1-3)

I. The Existence of God

5)By faith Enoch was taken up so that he would not see death; AND HE WAS NOT FOUND BECAUSE GOD TOOK HIM UP; for he obtained the witness that before his being taken up he was pleasing to God. 6)And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him. (Hebrews 11:5-6 NASV)

The Bible nowhere attempts to prove or argue the existence of God. “For he who comes to God must believe that He is.” The existence of God is a fact taken for granted by the writers of both the Old and New Testaments. “In the beginning, God (Genesis 1:1 OT). The Bible opens by announcing the sublime fact of God and His existence. There are arguments for the existence of God; they are not conclusive, but are food for thought:

(1) Universal belief in God comes from within man. It is innate in man, and comes from rational intuition.

(2) The argument from “cause and effect.” Everything that began owes its existence to a cause. We have a watch, we must have a watchmaker. We have a building; we must have a builder. We have a creation; then we must have a creator. This creation could not have come into existence without an intelligent, personal creator anymore than the alphabet could produce a book itself without an author.

(3) The argument from anthropology. Man’s moral and intellectual nature argues for a moral and intelligent creator.

(4) The Bible and the Christ that it reveals, His virgin birth, His sinless life, His vicarious death, and His bodily resurrection – all of this and much, much more – argue for the existence of God.

II. The personality of God

9For they themselves report about us what kind of a reception we had with you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God, (1 Thessalonians 1:9, NASV)

The Bible reveals God as a personality. He is called “… a living and true God” – one possessing self-consciousness and self determination. His personality is shown in what he does, such as:

(1) God loves. “God so loved the world” (John 3:16)

(2) God hates, “There are six things which the Lord Hates” (Proverbs 6:16)

(3) God cares, “He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7)

(4) God grieves, “He has grieved in his heart” (Genesis 6:6)

Only a personality can hate, care grieve; therefore God must be a living, eternal and personal being.

III. The Nature of God

8The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. (1 John 4:8 NASV)

There are four definitions of God in the Bible. Since God cannot be defined, they are incomplete. However, they do throw light upon the nature of God. They are:

(1) “God is love” (1 John 4:8). This is the nature of God in His divine compassion.

(2) “God is light” (1 John 1:5) This is the nature of God in his divine character; In Him there is no darkness.

(3) “God is a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:29). This is the nature of God in His divine holiness.

(4) “God is spirit” (John 4:24) This is the nature of God in His divine essence.

The attributes of God reveal His nature. Do not think of His attributes as abstract, but as vital mediums through which His holy nature is unveiled – attributes ascribed to Him, suchas:

(a) Life is ascribed to God (John 5:26)

(b) All knowledge is ascribed to God (Psalm 147:5)

(c) All power is ascribed to God (Revelation 19:6)

(d) Filling the universe with His presence is ascribed to God (Psalm 139:1-10)

God is everywhere present, but he is not in everything. If God were in everything, man could worship any object and he would be worshiping God. God is a spirit being. “and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

IV. The Grace of God

8For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; (Ephesians 2:8 NASV)

Grace is the love and mercy of God in action. Mercy is negative, and love is positive; both together mean grace. To show mercy in love is grace. God showed mercy in love when he sent his son to bear or sins in his own body on the cross. (John 3:16)

(1) The grace of God saves forever (Romans 8:38-39)

(2) The grace of God is unconditional; that is we are not saved on the condition that we “hold out until the end” or that we “fail not” or that we “do our best”. We are saved by the grace of God apart from works.

(3) The grace of God is sufficient (2 Corinthians 12:9)

(4) The grace of God makes no discrimination (Revelation 22:17)

(5) The grace of God justifies (Romans 3: 23, 24)

(6) The grace of God makes every believer an heir (Titus 3:7)

(7) The grace of God teaches the believer how to live (Titus 2: 11, 12)

The grace of God is nothing less than the unlimited love of God expressed in the gift of His Son, our Savior. It is the undeserved love of God toward Sinners.

V. The Trinity of God

16After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him, 17and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.” (Matthew 3:16, 17 NASV)

By the trinity of God we mean His tri-personal existence as Father, Son and Holy Spirit – three distinct Persons in one God.

(1) The Father is recognized as God (1 Peter 1:2) and is all the fullness of the Godhead invisible (John 1:18).

(2) The son is recognized as God(Hebrews 1:8) and is all the fullness of the Godhead manifested in the flesh (John 1:14).

(3) The Holy Spirit is recognized as God (Acts 5:3, 4) and is all the fullness of the Godhead acting upon man, convicting him of sin (John 16:7-11) and guiding the believer into all truth (John 16:12-15).

(4) The doctrine of the trinity is not explicit in the Old Testament, but is rather implied. “Then God said, Let Us make Man….” (Genesis 1:26)

(5) The doctrine of the Trinity is revealed in the New Testament in the above scriptures (Matthew 3:16-17) we have Christ being baptized in water, the Father speaking down from heaven and the Holy Spirit descending as a dove. We are to baptize in the “name (not names) of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19).

(6) Even creation implies the doctrine of the Trinity. In creation we have space, matter and time in one creation. In space, we have length, breadth and height in one space. In matter we have energy, motion and phenomenon in one substance. In time we have past, present and future in one time. In man we have body, soul and spirit in one man (1 Thessalonians 5:23)

(7) In the Holy Trinity, we have Father, Son and Holy Spirit in one God.

Christian Life Study Outlines

From The Open Bible

New King James Version Thomas Nelson Publishers

Outline Number One

THE BIBLE

The Bible is The Word of God

It is important for a new or renewed Christian to start right; therefore, the first lesson is designed to help establish your faith in the Bible, for it is the word of God. Keep in mind that the Bible is not a book of philosophy, although it is philosophical. Do not go to the Bible for a scientific argument. However, there is no discrepancy between ascertained facts of science and the Bible. The Bible is not a book of history, but is found to be accurate when recording history. The Bible was given to us from God, revealing Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and God the Son, the only Savior John 14:6. He is the center and the circumference. It is Christ from Genesis to Revelation John 5:39.

The Bible is as high above all other books as the heavens are above the earth. Someone has said of the Bible: “Read it to be wise, believe it to be safe and practice it to be right.”

1 The Bible claims to be the inspired word of God – (II Timothy 3:16-17): 16) “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17) that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

Note: “All scripture is given by inspiration of God.” Upon this statement of fact, evangelical Christianity stands. The Bible claims to be the inspired Word of God. By “inspiration” we mean that the Holy Spirit exerted His supernatural influence upon the writers of the Bible. The writings were inspired – not necessarily the writers, for the Bible nowhere claims to have been written by inspired men.

1) The Holy Spirit is the author of the Bible (II Peter 1:21). Christ told His disciples that he would leave “many things’ unrevealed, and that the Holy Spirit would come and choose certain persons and through them reveal His perfect will unto man; and that the Holy Spirit would be the believer’s teacher (John 16:12-15).

2) Man is the instrument used by the Holy Spirit to write the Bible

3) Results: the infallible Word of God. Therefore, the Bible is free from error and absolutely trustworthy. (Psalm 119:89, and Matthew 24:35)

2 The Bible is a difficult book (I Corinthians 2:14-16): 14) “But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15) But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. 16) For “who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.”

Notes: The Bible is a difficult book because it came from the infinite to the finite – from the unlimited, all powerful God, to limited man. Therefore, you cannot understand the Bible as you would understand the writings of Plato or Socrates. You can study the great philosophers with the natural mind, and by diligent application, grasp their profound meanings. If the Bible could be understood by natural man, it would be a natural book and could not be the Word of God. Since the Bible is from God, and therefore spiritual, before you can receive its teachings, you must be born of the spirit John 3:6 and filled with the Spirit Ephesians 5:18. Always approach the Bible praying that the Spirit will be your teacher and will guide you to a better understanding of His Holy Word, or it will remain a difficult, closed book John 16:12-15

3 The Bible is a book of oneness (2 Peter 1:21): 21) “for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.”

Notes: The oneness or unity of the Bible is a miracle. It is a library of 66 books, written by over 35 different authors, in a period of approximately 1,500 years. Represented in the authors is a cross section of humanity, educated and uneducated, including kings, fishermen, public officials, farmers, teachers and physicians. Included in the subjects are religion, history, law, science, poetry, drama, biography and prophecy. Yet its various parts are as harmoniously united as the parts that make up the human body.

For 35 authors, with such varied backgrounds, to write on so many subjects, over a period of approximately 1,500 years, in absolute harmony, is a mathematical impossibility. It could not happen! Then how do we account for the Bible? The only adequate explanation is: “Holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.”

4 The Bible claims special power (Hebrews 4:12): 12) “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

Notes: “For the word of God is living and powerful…” The Bible claims:

1) Dividing power as a sword (above verse). The Bible will separate man from sin II Psalm 119:11 or sin will separate man form the Bible Isaiah 59:2

2) Reflecting power as a mirror James 1:22-25. In the Bible, we see ourselves as God sees us – as sinners Romans 3:23

3) Cleansing power as water Ephesians 5:26. David prayed that God would “wash him from iniquity” and “cleanse him from sin.” Psalm 51:2

4) Reproductive power as seed 1 Peter 1:23. We are children of God because we have been born into the family of God by the incorruptible seed of God. This is the new birth John 3:1-7

5) Nourishing power as food 1Peter 2:2. The Bible is spiritual food for the soul. No Christian can remain strong in the Lord and not study the Word of God

5 The Bible commands the believer to study the scriptures (2 Timothy 2:15) 15) “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

Notes: “Study to show thyself approved unto God” is a command. As you study the Bible, you will discover that it does not just contain the Word of God – it IS the Word of God. You must also keep in mind that the Word of God contains the words of God, as well as the words of Satan, demons, angels and man – both good and bad. God is truth and cannot lie. Satan “is a liar and the father of it” John 8:44. Man is natural and is therefore limited, and does not always speak the truth. To illustrate: Matthew 22:15-46. In this portion of Scripture, we have the words of Jesus, of the Pharisees, of the Herodians and of the Sadducees. The Pharisees, Herodians and Sadducees were trying to entangle Jesus in His teachings, that they might accuse Him of breaking God’s law. Their words were spoken with evil intent, revealing the thinking of the natural man, along with the words of God that came from the lips of Jesus.

As you study the Bible, ask yourself these questions:

1) Who is speaking: God, demon, angel or man?

2) To whom is he speaking: to the nation Israel, to the Gentiles, to the Church, to men in general or to some individual man or being?

3) How can this Scripture be applied to my own life to make me a better Christian?