Understanding Salvation: A Bible Study Guide
Welcome to our Bible study on the topic of salvation! Whether you’re new to the Christian faith or just curious to learn more, this guide is designed to help you understand what salvation is and why it is essential. We will explore key concepts and provide biblical references to deepen your understanding. Our hope is that by the end of this study, you’ll have a clearer picture of God's incredible plan for humanity and how it impacts your life personally. Let's dive in and discover the transformative power of God's salvation!
What is Salvation and Why Do We Need It?
God – Light
God is often described in the Bible as light. Light is powerful and always overtakes darkness. Just as no darkness can exist where there is light, living our lives in God (light) leads us to life. Here's what the Bible says
1 John 1:5: "This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all."
How does thinking of God as light change the way you view His presence in your life?
Sin – Darkness
Sin is not just about what seems good or bad because that can change from person to person. Sin is more precisely defined as anything that is not of God. Living our lives in sin (darkness) leads to death.
Romans 6:23: "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
How do you define sin in your own life? Are there things you might have overlooked as sin?
Separation
Darkness cannot be present where light is. Similarly, sin cannot be present where God is. Each decision we make can either be what God endorses or not. We've all done things that were not what God would have us do. This sin causes separation from God, like darkness is separated from light.
Isaiah 59:2: "But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear."
Have you ever felt distant from God? What do you think caused that distance?
Need for Atonement
God wants to be with us, not separated from us. We need something that removes our sins of our past, present, and future to be with God. Our sin leads to our death, but God has allowed someone to take the death consequence of our sin in our place. That person is Jesus Christ.
Romans 3:25: "God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith."
What does it mean to you that God wants to be with you and not separated from you?
Forgiveness Through Faith
Anyone who believes this to be true is forgiven for their sins. Their darkness is removed, and they can be with God and live life in the light. Our relationship with God is salvaged; we now have salvation, a restored relationship with God.
John 3:16: "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."
How does the promise of forgiveness through faith impact your view of God’s love and grace?
Salvation: The Gift and Privilege
Jesus is God in human form. He never sinned because He is God, light. Jesus gave His life as a sacrifice of atonement. That is why we call salvation a gift and a privilege.
Ephesians 2:8-9: "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast."
Understanding Sin
Sin is darkness and death, and it is everything that is not of God. We make daily choices that agree with God (light, life) or choices that are not in agreement with God (sin, darkness, death).
1 John 3:4: "Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness."
God is Extremely Serious About Sin
There are many influences that may downplay sin or act like it's not such a big deal because it can be forgiven. But there's no mistake—God is extremely serious about sin. Sin is the opposite of God. God is void of sin, and sin is void of the presence of God. Remember, light and darkness, life and death.
Habakkuk 1:13: "Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrongdoing."
Why do you think God is so serious about sin? How can you ensure that you don’t downplay the seriousness of sin in your life?
God's Promise: Complete Removal of Sin
God will completely do away with everything sinful. We do not have to be part of that discarding. Choose to be with God, light, life.
Revelation 21:27: "Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life."
What Does it Mean to Be a Christian?
Jesus Christ is God in human form. To follow Jesus means to think and make decisions the way He teaches us to. To follow Jesus is to follow God, light, life.
John 8:12: "When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.'"
How can you grow in your relationship with Jesus and follow His teachings more closely?
What Does "Lord and Savior" Mean?
Jesus Christ is the Savior who brings us salvation. To understand Him as “Lord,” consider the connection between a lord and their subjects. A lord holds the highest authority, establishing law and order. Subjects pledge their loyalty and follow the lord’s direction. In return, a lord provides protection and security. There's also a relational aspect where subjects work the lord’s land, and the lord, in turn, provides a place for them to live.
In the same way, God has established His authority, governance, protection, and security for those who receive Jesus Christ as their Lord.
If Jesus is truly our Lord, we are called to obey Him. Jesus said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” As His subjects, we are called to live by this command.
Jesus also commissioned us, saying, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.” We carry the responsibility to share this good news so others, too, may make this life-giving choice.
Romans 10:9: “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
Matthew 22:37-40: 37 Jesus said, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”
Matthew 28:18-20: “18 Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
In what ways can you share the good news of salvation with others?
An Invitation to Accept Salvation
We encourage you to accept the gift of salvation by believing that Jesus Christ died for your sins, and to make Jesus Christ your Lord by turning away from decisions that are not of God and following His teachings going forward.
Choosing to follow Jesus is the most important decision you can make. It leads to a restored relationship with God and a life lived in the light.