Personal Bible Study

Lesson 4

Putting God's Plan to Work for You

(Becoming a Christian)

This is an important lesson! Everything you have studied so far has led up to this lesson. It is extremely important that we always be honest with ourselves whenever we read the Bible and consider how it applies to us. May God bless your study.



As with the previous lessons, the best way to go through this lesson is to print it out and look up the verses in your Bible. If you cannot do that, click on each verse to see quotations from the New American Standard Bible (updated edition).

Faith

1. What two things must we believe about Jesus? (Read the passages and write your answer on the lines):

a. Read John 8:24 and John 20:30-31 _______________________________________________________

b. Read Romans 10:9-10. ______________________________________________________________

2. Read James 2:17, 24, 26.

Can faith (belief) save a person all by itself? YES or NO

Repentance

3. Read Acts 17:30.

What does God want all men everywhere to do? _________________

4. Read 2 Corinthians 7:9-10.

Is repentance simply feeling sorry about something? YES or NO

5. Read Matthew 21:28-30 and Colossians 3:5-10.

What does repentance involve according to these passages?

6. Read Luke 13:3.

What will happen to a person if he does not repent?

Confession

7. Read Romans 10:9-10.

Is confession necessary to salvation? YES or NO

What must one confess in order to be saved?

8. Read Matthew 10:32-33.

What will happen to a person if he does not confess Christ?

Baptism

9. Read Matthew 26:28 and Acts 2:38.

Do we contact the cleansing blood of Christ in baptism? YES or NO

Hint: why was Christ's blood shed for according to Matthew 26:28? Acts 2:28? Are these two reasons the same?

10. Read Romans 6:4 and Colossians 2:12.

Circle the correct answer: Baptism is a: burial -- sprinkling -- pouring

Is sprinkling or pouring a burial? YES or NO

11. Read Romans 6:5-6 and Colossians 2:12-13.

Is baptism an imitation of what Christ went through? YES or NO

12. Read 2 Timothy 2:10.

Where is salvation to be found? in ____________________________

13. Read Romans 6:3 and Galatians 3:27.

How does one get in Christ? _______________________________

14. Read Acts 2:38. Why should a person be baptized according to this verse?

for ___________________________________

Could baptism for any other reason be considered New Testament baptism? YES or NO

15. Read Acts 22:16.

Are a person's sins washed away in baptism? YES or NO

16. Read 1 Peter 3:21.

Does baptism save a person? YES or NO

17. Thought Question:

Based upon your answers to questions 9-17 immediately above, is a person saved before or after baptism?

Obeying the Gospel

18. Read Acts 16:33. How long did the jailer wait before obeying the gospel?

19. Read Acts 22:16. Was Paul encouraged to delay? YES or NO

IMPORTANT!

Go back to the answers you gave for "Before We Begin" and compare what you answered there with what you now know. Did you do what the Bible says a person must do in order to be saved? That is, did you do what the Bible says without variation or substitution? Did you confess what the Bible says you must confess? Were you baptized in the right way, and for the right reason? If you did not do all that God says one must do to be saved, or if you did something other than what God says one must do to be saved, then you need to obey the gospel.

If you would like help in obeying the gospel, click here to contact us by e-mail and we will be happy to assist you.



Scriptures for Lesson 4

from the New American Standard Bible (updated edition)

John 8:24 -- Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.

John 20:30-31 -- Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.

Romans 10:9-10 -- that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.

return to question #1

James 2:17 -- Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.

James 2:24 -- You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.

James 2:26 -- For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.

return to question #2

Acts 17:30 -- Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent

return to question #3

2 Corinthians 7:9-10 -- I now rejoice, not that you were made sorrowful, but that you were made sorrowful to the point of repentance; for you were made sorrowful according to the will of God, so that you might not suffer loss in anything through us.For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death.

return to question #4

Matthew 21:28-30 -- But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, 'Son, go work today in the vineyard.' And he answered, 'I will not'; but afterward he regretted it and went. The man came to the second and said the same thing; and he answered, 'I will, sir'; but he did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?

Colossians 3:5-10 -- Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry. For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience, and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them. But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him

return to question #5

Luke 13:3 -- I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.

return to question #6

Romans 10:9-10 -- that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.

return to question #7

Matthew 10:32-33 -- Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.

return to question #8

Matthew 26:28 -- for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins.

Acts 2:38 -- Peter said to them, "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."

return to question #9

Romans 6:4 -- Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.

Colossians 2:12 -- having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.

return to question #10

Romans 6:5-6 -- For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin

Colossians 2:12-13 -- having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions

return to question #11

2 Timothy 2:10 -- For this reason I endure all things for the sake of those who are chosen, so that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus and with it eternal glory.

return to question #12

Romans 6:3 -- Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death?

Galatians 3:27 -- For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.

return to question #13

Acts 2:38 -- Peter said to them, "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."

return to question #14

Acts 22:16 -- 'Now why do you delay? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name.'

return to question #15

1 Peter 3:21 -- Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you -- not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience -- through the resurrection of Jesus Christ

return to question #16

Acts 16:33 -- And he took them that very hour of the night and washed their wounds, and immediately he was baptized, he and all his household.

return to question #18

Acts 22:16 -- 'Now why do you delay? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name.'

return to question #19

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