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Thursday, December 27, 2018

FOUR SPIRITUAL LAWS - NYOBS 87.25


FOUR SPIRITUAL LAWS
GOD’S PLAN FOR YOUR LIFE

·         Dr. Bill Bright of Campus Crusade for Christ in 1952 put out a tract in a very simplified form titled; the FOUR SPIRITUAL LAWS, which put the cookies of salivation on the lower shelf where regardless of maturity level, anyone could get to them, understand and receive them.
1)  The First Law is that God loves you; God is Love and has a plan for your life.  When I was just a child, the first Bible verse I ever learned was John 3:16, that God so loved me that He gave His ONLY son to die on the cross for me so that I could have eternal life with Him.
·         The Book says one of the reasons Jesus came down to earth was to give us a rich and satisfying life.
·         THE QUESTION; what’s preventing you from receiving God’s love; getting in on His plan and enjoying the abundant life now?
2)  The Second Law is you are sinful; we have all sinned and fall short of the standard that God has set. When we fall short and we all do, the penalty is harsh; it’s DEATH, not just physically, but we are spiritually separated from God for eternity and cannot experience His plan for our lives nor His fellowship.
·         The Book says our self-willed passive indifference is evidence of our rebellion and this is the Sin that ruins the relationship that was intended for us to have with God; our fellowship is broken. – There is now a great gulf fixed between God and sinful Man. 
·         THE QUESTION; what’s the solution to bridging the gulf between man and God?
3)  The Third Law is Jesus Christ is God’s only provision for THE WAY back to Him. - It is through the person of His ONLY Son, Jesus the Christ that we can have our relationship restored and experience His fellowship for eternity. 
·         The Book says Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life and there is just NO other way.  The sect that believed that Jesus is the Messiah were known as followers of “THE WAY”.
·         THE QUESTION; what must happen in order for you to be a follower of THE WAY?
4)  The Fourth Law is we must individually place our Faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior and believe He will give us the free gift of Salvation and experience His plan for us. – It’s not enough to have an emotional experience or intellectually say; “okay, I believe in Jesus”; the evidence is the way that you live your life: are you willing to change your worldview?
·         The Book says we are saved by God’s Grace alone and not by any thing we have done, are doing or hope to do.  – We don’t do good works to be saved, we do good works because we are saved. Those who place their faith in Him and DO what He commands will receive the right to become children of God. – It’s in the Book –
·         THE QUESTION; Do you want to receive the gift of salvation & know God’s plan for your life?

1)  John 3:16 – God Loves the World
16 For GOD LOVED THE WORLD so much that
HE GAVE HIS ONE AND ONLY SON, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. (NLT)
John 10:10 – God’s purpose is to give life more abundantly
10 The thief’s
(Satan) purpose is to steal and kill and destroy.
MY PURPOSE is to
GIVE THEM A RICH AND SATISFYING LIFE. (NLT)
2)  Romans 2:23 – We dishonor God when we break His Law
23 You are so PROUD OF KNOWING THE LAW,
but YOU DISHONOR GOD BY BREAKING IT.
(NLT)
Romans 6:23 – When we break God’s law, the penalty is death
23 For THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.
(NLT)
2 Thessalonians 1:7-9 – Sin separates us from God’s presence
7 …. He will come with his mighty angels,
8 in flaming fire, bringing judgment on those who don’t know God and on those who refuse to obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus.
9 THEY WILL BE PUNISHED WITH ETERNAL DESTRUCTION,
 FOREVER SEPARATED FROM THE LORD and from his glorious power. (NLT)

3)   Romans 5:8 – God sent His Son to bring us back to Him
8  But God showed his great love for us
BY SENDING CHRIST to die for us
WHILE WE WERE STILL SINNERS.
(NLT)
1 Corinthians 15:3-4 – For our sins Jesus died, buried and raised
3  I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. CHRIST DIED FOR OUR SINS, just as the Scriptures said. HE WAS BURIED,
4 AND HE WAS RAISED FROM THE DEAD on the third day, just as the Scriptures said.
(NLT)
John 14:6 – Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life
6 Jesus told him,
I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE.
NO ONE CAN COME TO THE FATHER EXCEPT THROUGH ME. (NLT)
1 Corinthians 15:3-6 – Jesus died for our sins & was resurrected
3 I PASSED ON TO YOU what was most important and
WHAT HAD ALSO BEEN PASSED ON TO ME.
CHRIST DIED FOR OUR SINS, just as the Scriptures said.
4 He was BURIED, and he was RAISED FROM THE DEAD on the third day, just as the Scriptures said.
5 He was seen by Peter and then by the Twelve.
6 After that, he was seen by more than 500 of his followers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died.
(NLT)
Acts 24:14 – The sect that followed Jesus was called THE WAY
14 But I admit that I follow THE WAY, which they call a cult.
I WORSHIP THE GOD OF OUR ANCESTORS, and I firmly believe the Jewish law and everything written in the prophets.
(NLT)

4)   John 1:12 – All who believe received right to become children
12  But to ALL WHO BELIEVED HIM AND ACCEPTED HIM,
He gave the right to BECOME CHILDREN OF GOD.
(NLT)
Acts 16:31 – Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved
31 They replied, “BELIEVE IN THE LORD JESUS
AND YOU WILL BE SAVED, along with everyone in your household.” (NLT)
Ephesians 2:8-9 – We are saved by Grace when we believe
8 GOD SAVED YOU BY HIS GRACE WHEN YOU BELIEVED.
And you can’t take credit for this; IT IS A GIFT FROM GOD.
9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. (NLT)

The Take Away

·         It is the job of the Holy Spirit to plant the seed of Faith in someone, it’s the Christian’s job to water the seed and its God’s job to harvest the seed. – So we are not responsible for the planting, nor the harvest, but only for the watering of the seed.
·         I was in a Billy Graham Crusade, when the invitation was given and some people next to me said, “Yawl Ready” and immediately they all went out on the field joining the thousands of others committing their lives to Jesus Christ.  Billy Graham got to water the seed that the Holy Spirit had already planted and as a bonus he saw God’s harvest and so did I too.  SELAH
·         When Jesus Christ went back to the right side of the Father God, He sent the Holy Spirit to draw men unto Himself.  - So, all through your life someone has watered the seed that the Holy Spirit has planted inside of you; your parents, your school teachers, your friends or perhaps someone you have just been observing how they live out their life.
·         I will never forget the day that a co-worker came up to me at the water fountain and said, “I WANT WHAT YOU GOT”. – We don’t realize that our everyday lives are a sermon to someone. The Thief on the cross GOT IT for only a few brief hours on earth, but HAS IT now for an eternity in heaven. -  GET IT while you are young and have a lifetime to enjoy it.  You get to be a part of what God is doing; you get to share it with others and change their destiny.  Sometimes we not only get to water the seed, we get to see the harvest too.
·         If you want what I got you can have it.  There is just four simple steps; 1) Believe in Jesus the Son of God. – 2) Repent of your sins. – 3) Confess publically Jesus is the Son of God. - 4) Be Baptized in water.
·         The Book says that before you begin a project you should sit down and count the cost and see if you can finish it.  There is a cost to Discipleship; it’s obedience. - Noah had faith in God, but it took more than his faith to save him. He had to obey what the Lord commanded and BUILD THE ARK. – Genuine Faith brings obedience to God’s commands which in turn brings glory to God.  - Obedience is the difference between being a Believer and a Make-Believer.
·         The Book says; FAITH WITHOUT GOOD WORKS IS A DEAD FAITH. – Christians are not members of THE SECRET SERVICE; they should make a PUBLIC profession of their faith through the sacrament of BAPTISM; they should share their faith through the way they live their everyday lives. – We are NOT saved by our good works; we do good works BECAUSE we are saved.  God’s saving GRACE and our FAITH through obedience complements each other.  – Your actions make your Faith complete. - Grace + Faith = Obedience.

1)   John 3:16 – Step one – Believe in Jesus Christ
16 For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who BELIEVES IN HIM will not perish but
have eternal life. (NLT)
2)   Luke 13:3 – Step two – Repent of your Sins
3 … And YOU WILL PERISH, too, UNLESS you
REPENT OF YOUR SINS and turn to God. (NLT)
3)   Romans 10:10 – Step three – Confess that you are saved
10  For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by CONFESSING WITH YOUR MOUTH that you are saved. (NLT)
4)   Acts 2:38 – Step four – Be Baptized publically
38  Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins, turn to God, and BE BAPTIZED in the name of Jesus Christ TO SHOW that you have received forgiveness for your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
(NLT)
Luke 14:28 – Discipleship has a cost; it’s obedience
28 But don’t begin until you COUNT THE COST. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it?
(NLT)
Genesis 6:9-23 – Noah had Faith and Obeyed God’s commands
9 This is the account of NOAH and his family. Noah was a RIGHTEOUS man, the only BLAMELESS person living on earth at the time, and he walked in close FELLOWSHIP with God.
13 so God said to Noah, “I have decided to destroy all living creatures, for they have filled the earth with violence. Yes, I will wipe them all out along with the earth!
14 BUILD A LARGE BOAT from cypress wood and waterproof it with tar, inside and out. Then construct decks and stalls throughout its interior.

22 NOAH DID EVERYTHING EXACTLY AS GOD HAD COMMANDED HIM.  
23 God wiped out every living thing on the earth—people, livestock, small animals that scurry along the ground, and the birds of the sky. All were destroyed. The only people who survived were Noah and those with him in the boat.
(NLT)
Romans 1:5 – Faith and OBEDIENCE brings Glory to God
5 Through Christ, God has given us the privilege and authority as apostles to tell Gentiles everywhere what God has done for them, so that they will BELIEVE AND OBEY him, BRINGING GLORY to his name.
(NLT)
James 2:14-26 – Faith without OBEDIENCE is a DEAD FAITH
14 What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have FAITH but don’t SHOW IT BY YOUR ACTIONS? Can that kind of faith save anyone?
15 Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing,
16 and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing.
What good does that do? So you see
17 FAITH BY ITSELF ISN’T ENOUGH.
UNLESS IT PRODUCES GOOD DEEDS,  
IT IS DEAD AND USELESS.
18 Now someone may argue, “Some people have faith; others have good deeds.” But I say, “How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds?
I WILL SHOW YOU MY FAITH BY MY GOOD DEEDS.”
19 You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror.
20 How foolish! Can’t you see that
FAITH WITHOUT GOOD DEEDS IS USELESS?
21 Don’t you remember that our ancestor Abraham was shown to be right with God by his ACTIONS when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?
22 You see, HIS FAITH
AND HIS ACTIONS WORKED TOGETHER. HIS ACTIONS MADE HIS FAITH COMPLETE.
23 And so it happened just as the Scriptures say: “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” He was even called the friend of God.
24 So you see, WE ARE SHOWN TO BE RIGHT WITH GOD BY WHAT WE DO, NOT BY FAITH ALONE.
25 Rahab the prostitute is another example. She was shown to be right with God by her ACTIONS when she hid those messengers and sent them safely away by a different road.
26 JUST AS THE BODY IS DEAD WITHOUT BREATH, so also FAITH IS DEAD WITHOUT GOOD WORKS. (NLT)
Prayer
·         You don’t have to have it all figured out to become a Christian.  God will accept you right where you are and bring you into the family of God and grow your faith.
·         There is no special prayer; words do not save you, only Jesus can save you. - You can just tell God you are ready to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. - Prayer is just a conversation with God. – PRAY, just talk to God.
·         Father God, I’m a mess, I feel a heaviness and emptiness inside, and realize that because of my sins, I am separated from you and deserve death; but Lord God I so want to know you personally. 
·         I know I can never reach heaven by my own good deeds, but you have made provision for my sins to be forgiven by your Son Jesus the Christ dying on the cross for my sins.
·         I still don’t understand it all; how the blood of Jesus satisfies my debt, but YOU SAID it satisfies YOU and that’s all that matters. – Right now I place my faith in Jesus Christ who died in my place and rose from the dead so I could receive the gift of eternal life.
·         Please forgive me of my sins and open up my spiritual eyes to help me to live a life that brings glory to you. Thank you for your grace of forgiveness and accepting me as a child of God and giving me fellowship with you for eternity. – Help me to help myself be the kind of person you would have me to be in your plan. - I believe, help me to grow my faith. - AMEN
Mark 9:24 - Help my belief to increase
24 The father instantly cried out, I DO BELIEVE,
BUT HELP ME OVERCOME MY UNBELIEF!”
(NLT)
1 John 5:11-13 – You can KNOW that you have eternal life
11 And this is what God has testified: He has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
12 WHOEVER HAS THE SON HAS LIFE; whoever does not have God’s Son does not have life.
13 I HAVE WRITTEN THIS
to you who believe in the name of the Son of God,
SO THAT YOU MAY KNOW YOU HAVE ETERNAL LIFE.
(NLT)
John 17:3 – Know the only true God and His Son Jesus Christ
3 And THIS IS THE WAY TO HAVE ETERNAL LIFE
TO KNOW YOU, THE ONLY TRUE GOD, AND JESUS CHRIST, the one you sent to earth. (NLT)
Ephesians 2:8-10 – We are saved by our Faith & by HIS Grace
8 GOD SAVED YOU BY HIS GRACE WHEN YOU BELIEVED. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.
9 SALVATION IS NOT A REWARD FOR
THE GOOD THINGS WE HAVE DONE, so none of us can boast about it.
10 For we are God’s masterpiece. HE HAS CREATED US anew in Christ Jesus, SO WE CAN DO THE GOOD THINGS he planned for us long ago. (NLT)
1 John 5:1 – When we believe, we become a child of God
1 EVERYONE WHO BELIEVES that Jesus is the Christ
HAS BECOME A CHILD OF GOD. And everyone who loves the Father loves his children, too.
(NLT)
Romans 6:23 – Salvation is a FREE GIFT from God
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the
FREE GIFT OF GOD
IS ETERNAL LIFE through Christ Jesus our Lord.
(NLT)
John 15:7 – We are charged to READ God’s Word
7 But if you REMAIN IN ME and MY WORDS REMAIN IN YOU, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted!
(NLT)
John 14:21 – Obey God’s commandments - Do the Word
21 THOSE WHO ACCEPT MY COMMANDMENTS AND
OBEY THEM ARE THE ONES WHO LOVE ME. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.” (NLT)
Matthew 4:19 – If you love God, you will SHARE your faith
19 Jesus called out to them, “Come, FOLLOW ME, and
I WILL SHOW YOU HOW TO FISH FOR PEOPLE!” (NLT)
John 15:8 – Doing good works brings God great glory
8 WHEN YOU PRODUCE MUCH FRUIT, you are my true disciples. THIS BRINGS GREAT GLORY TO MY FATHER. (NLT)
Acts 1:8 – The Holy Spirit will help you share your Faith
8 But you will receive power when THE HOLY SPIRIT comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses,
TELLING PEOPLE ABOUT ME EVERYWHERE—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (NLT)
Galatians 5:16-17- The Holy Spirit will guide you into all truth
16 So I say, LET THE HOLY SPIRIT GUIDE YOUR LIVES.
Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves.
17 THE SINFUL NATURE WANTS TO DO EVIL, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. (NLT)

Join a Church
·         Get involved with a LOCAL church and be baptized in whatever manner they offer.  Baptism is not the cause of your salvation, baptism is a result of trusting Jesus unto Salvation.  It is not something that you do, it’s something that God does to you.
·         There are only two sacrament of the Church; Baptism and taking Communion.
·         NYOBS 03.07 - BAPTISM -- NYOBS 05.11 - LORD’S SUPPER -- NYOBS 67.30 - CHURCH MEMBERSHIP -- NYOBS 50.24 - RELATIONSHIP FELLOWSHIP -- NYOBS 69.13 – COST OF DISCIPLESHIP -- NYOBS 55.02 – PLEASING GOD -- NYOBS 51.02 – DO THE WORD -- NYOBS 72.10 –  FRUITLESSNESS SOUR GRAPES -- NYOBS 28.23 – UN-FRUITFULNESS -- NYOBS 35.02 – FALLING FROM GRACE -- NYOBS 50.02 – MISTAKES --  NYOBS 76.23 – MAKE BELIEVER -- NYOBS 16.13 - MAYBE SAVED -- NYOBS 38.02 – SEVEN DEADLY SINS -- NYOBS 12.34 - QUALIFICATIONS ENTRANCE TO HEAVEN -- NYOBS 56.27 – PARADISE & HELL
Hebrews 10:25 – Join in and fellowship with a local church
25 And LET US NOT NEGLECT OUR MEETING TOGETHER, as some people do, but ENCOURAGE ONE ANOTHER, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near. (NLT)
Acts 2:38 – Repent of your sins and be baptized
38 Peter replied, “Each of you must REPENT OF YOUR SINS, turn to God, and BE BAPTIZED in the name of Jesus Christ to show that you have received forgiveness for your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (NLT)
Acts 22:16 – Why wait? – Get up, be baptized into Jesus Christ
16 WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? GET UP AND BE BAPTIZED. Have your sins washed away by calling on the name of the Lord.’(NLT)
Galatians 3:27 – Baptized unto the Character of Jesus Christ
27 ALL WHO HAVE BEEN UNITED WITH CHRIST IN BAPTISM HAVE PUT ON THE CHARACTER OF CHRIST, like putting on new clothes. (NLT)


Revelation 3:20 – Christs knocks – It’s your choice to open
20 Look! I STAND AT THE DOOR AND KNOCK.
IF YOU HEAR MY VOICE AND OPEN THE DOOR,
I WILL COME IN, and we will share a meal together as friends. (NLT)



In the multitude of counselors,
there is wisdom.
Proverbs 11:14


I am grateful to those that went before me providing concepts, ideas, historical
information, and scripture verses.  Because of them I can stand on their shoulders
                         and see further that I otherwise ever could have.              
                                                                                                                                     
Antiquity of the Jews Flavius Josephus Matthias
Apocrypha – Goodspeed
Baker Commentary on the Bible – Elwell
Bible Almanac; The – Packer-Tenney-White
Bible Commentary – F.B. Meyer
Bible Dictionary – Harper and Row
Bible Dictionary – Nelson’s
Dake’s Annotated BibleDake
English Standard Version Bible ESV
Expositor’s Bible Commentary – Frank E. Gaebelein
Forgotten Books of Eden; The – World
Gospels Interwoven; The – Karmit Zarley
Illustrated Bible Dictionary; The – Tyndale
Interlinear Greek-English New Testament – Baker
Invisible War; The – Donald Grey Barnhouse
King James Version Bible – KJV
Lost Books of the Bible; The - World
Lost Books of the Bible; The - Bell
Matthew Henry’s Commentary - Zondervan
Missing Books of the Bible; The – Halo Press
Mysteries of the Bible – Readers Digest
Nag Hammadi Library; The – James M. Robinson
Nave’s Topical Bible - Zondervan
New International Dictionary of the Bible; The – Douglas - Tenney
New International Version Bible (2011) NIV
New Living Translation Bible - NLT
Secrets of the Dead Sea Scrolls – Hugh J. Schonfield
Systematic Theology Wayne Grudem
Thru the Bible J. Vernon McGee
Vincent’s Word Studies of the New Testament – Mac Donald
Who’s Who in the Bible – Paul D. Gardner
Wycliffe Bible Commentary; The – Pfeiffer & Harrison
Wikipedia –
Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible; The – Tenney

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