Sun. 28/9/2014
Quarter’s Theme: Discovering Life Foundation
Unit 1 Theme: Knowing The Foundation Doctrines (Lessons 1-5)
LOYALTY CAMPAIGN MONTHS
Sunday 28/9/ 2014
LESSON 4
THE EVIDENCES OF SALVATION
Suggested Hymns: G.H.B. 243, 245
Devotional Reading: ROM. 8:12-17
Topic For Adults
BE TRUE TO YOURSELF
Topic For Youths
DON’T FAKE SALVATION
Topic For Intermediates
DON’T DECEIVE YOURSELF
Scripture Lessons
2 Cor. 5:14-17; Rom. 8:1-5; 5:1-2; 12:18; Acts 22:1-13; 26:8-19
Memory Verse:
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, old things have passed away, behold, all things have become new (2 Cor. 5:17) NKJV .
DAILY DEVOTIONAL READING
Sun. 28/9/2014
Share The Testimony of Your Salvation
Acts 22:1-13
A testimony is a witness to an event or an evidence to show that something actually happened and the relaying of the details of how it happened. Those who have been saved are not afraid or ashamed to share the testimony of their salvation with people when they approach a sinner and don’t know how to preach, they simply tell the person how they had lived in the past and the life they now live when Christ saved them. Paul shared the testimony of his salvation before political figures. If truly you have been saved, determine to share the gospel and the testimony of your salvation with a sinner today.
Point of Emphasis: Testimony encourages others in the faith.
Prayer Point: Lord, I will not be ashamed of the gospel. Help me to share it with others.
ACKGROUND
I
s it possible for a person who has received and experienced God’s salvation to
know that he is saved? Or how can we know that we have been saved and
that we don’t need to get to heaven before we know our fate? This week’s lesson provides some answers to the posers above.
NOTES ON THE TEXT
- EVIDENCE OF A CHANGED LIFE: 2 COR. 5:14-17
A person that has experienced God’s salvation will definitely know that he or she has been saved. The time, day, month, year, the preacher, the message and the circumstances that surrounded his or her salvation can never be forgotten by the person who experienced genuine salvation. Not only will the person himself or herself know that he or she has been saved but the people who had known him or her before will know that he or she has been saved. The question is “how will they know?”
Apostle Paul gave the answer in the above passage. Anyone who has experienced salvation is a new creature, a new and changed person, old things and old ways of life that are antagonistic to the ways and will of God must definitely pass away. The behaviour, attitude, words, thoughts, association and friendship, business deals etc. must definitely change. He or she doesn’t need to be telling others that he or she is saved, the people will be the first to challenge him or her about what has happened to him or her. The people will notice the drastic positive change in his or her life and they will know that something has happened. This is the first and conspicuous evidence of salvation. A person who claims to be saved and have not got this evidence should re-evaluate the genuiness or otherwise of his or her salvation.
- NO MORE CONDEMNATION: ROM. 8:1-5
A sinner without Jesus Christ is a condemned criminal. The Bible says “he that believes not on Jesus is condemned already” (Jn. 3:18). Anytime a sinner does anything that is contrary to God’s will or to the societal accepted norms and standards, there is a condemnation in his or her heart that what has been done is not right. The inner police, the conscience, will be either accusing or excusing them on what they have done (Rom. 2:14-15).
Paul was telling the Roman Christians that for anyone who has received the gospel of Jesus and has been saved, there is no more condemnation. The role of the gospel is to pardon, the role of the law is to condemn. The law never affords deliverance but always condemns, the gospel is to free from condemnation and to set the soul at liberty. The gospel frees lost and ruined men from a most fearful and terrible condemnation. But this freedom from guilt and condemnation is for only those people who have been saved, those who are in Christ Jesus, those who are walking and conducting their lives after the Spirit of God and not after the flesh. Such people are free from the punishment that is attached to their offence.
III. PEACE WITH GOD AND MEN: ROM. 5:1-2; 12:18.
A sinner is an enemy of God. There is a daily “fight” between God and a sinner; this is why the Bible says that God is angry with the wicked everyday (Ps. 7:11). So a sinner does not have peace with God and with men. The Bible says sinners do not know the way of peace (Rom. 3:17). But immediately a sinner is saved, he is free from the condemnation and the guilt of sin will be taken away and what will follow is inner peace. The person will have peace with God, he will not be running away from God again, he will love to stay where the people of God are because he has become a friend of God.
If there are people he doesn’t want to see or that he is not on talking terms with, he will do everything possible to settle the conflict between them to be able to live in peace with everybody. He will be a man of peace, he will seek peace and pursue it with all of his strength and ability (1 Pet. 3:11; Heb. 12:14; Rom. 12:18).
- SHARING TESTIMONY OF SALVATION WITHOUT SHAME: ACTS 22:1-13; 26:8-19
Another evidence that will help us know whether a person has been saved or not is the sharing of his or her testimony of salvation. When Some people are called to share the testimony of their salvation, they will be ashamed to tell how they are saved. For some, their testimony of salvation keeps changing each time you ask them of it. And for some their testimony is ever the same anytime and anywhere. They share the testimony with joy and without shame.
Apostle Paul was saved on the way to Damascus (Acts 9). When the religious leaders of the Jews were persecuting him and was arrested and brought to the political rulers on two different occasions, and he had to share the testimony of his salvation, he was not afraid or ashamed to tell the people who he was before conversion. He told them plainly that he was a strict Pharisee and he persecuted the Church before he was saved on the road to Damascus. His testimony on the two different occasions was the same. How often do you share the testimony of your salvation with people, especially the sinners?
CONCLUSION
There are many evidences that can be adduced from the Bible to know who has been saved. The few in our lesson are just a sample. Let us know that it is not until we get to heaven that we will know who is saved or not, we can know right here on earth. You can know whether you are saved or not based on Biblical evidences. Check your salvation status today – are you saved or not?
QUESTIONS
- Is it possible to know whether a person is saved or not?
- How can we know the salvation status of a person?
- Explain the evidences of a changed life as a proof of salvation.
- Mention some other evidences of salvation that you know from the Bible apart from the ones discussed in the lesson.
- Based on the evidences discussed, ask yourself this honest question “have I been truly saved?”
French
DIMANCHE 28/09/2014
PARTAGE LE TEMOIGNAGE DE TON SALUT
ACTES 22 :1-13
Un témoignage est un témoin à un événement ou une évidence prouvant que quelque chose s’est réellement produite et la retransmission des détails liés à son déroulement. Ceux qui sont sauvés n’ont ni peur ni honte de partager le témoignage de leur salut avec autrui. Quand ils s’approchent d’un pécheur et ne savent pas comment prêcher, ils font simplement savoir à la personne leur mode de vie du passé et celui qu’ils mènent maintenant que Jésus les a sauvés. Paul partagea le témoignage de son salut devant les personnages politiques importants. Si tu as été vraiment sauvé(e), résous-toi à partager l’évangile et le témoignage de ton salut avec un pécheur aujourd’hui.
Point essentiel : Le témoignage encourage les autres dans la foi.
Axe de prière : Seigneur, je n’aurai pas honte de l’évangile. Aide-moi à le partager avec autrui.