WALK WITH JESUS

OBJECTIVES:
o To know Jesus more (John 17:3)
o To develop our knowledge about Jesus (2 Peter 3:17-18)
o To have spiritual growth (1 Corinthians 14:20)
o To have fellowship and build each other up (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12; 1 Thessalonians 5:11)
o To become more like Jesus (Philippians 2:5-11)

TARGET PARTICIPANTS:
New youth attendees, youth members and for those who are interested to learn.
TARGET DAY/SCHEDULE:
Saturday (most of the youth members are available on that day)
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

LESSON 1: WHO IS GOD?

I. NATURE OF GOD

WHERE IS GOD?

WHAT DOES GOD LOOK LIKE?

II. NAME OF GOD

DIFFERENT TITLES/NAMES OF GOD

III. HOW CAN WE KNOW GOD?

LESSON 2: WHO IS JESUS?

I. JESUS IS THE SON OF GOD II. JESUS IS LORD

III. JESUS IS SAVIOR

IV. JESUS IS THE LAMB OF GOD

V. JESUS IS THE BREAD OF LIFE

LESSON 3: WHAT IS SIN?

I. ORIGIN OF SIN

II. TYPES OF SIN

III. WE ARE ALL BORN SINNERS

IV. THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH

LESSON 4: WHAT IS SALVATION?

I. WHY DO I NEED TO BE SAVED?

II. HOW CAN I BE SAVED?

III. THE WAY OF SALVATION

 Lesson 1

WHO IS GOD?

INTRODUCTION

It is the most important question of your life - is there a God? One who knows you, and one whom you can know?
Who is God? What is His name? What is He looks like? Does He have a purpose for your life? And most important, can
you come to know Him - personally?

Humans cannot understand God in totality, but we have been given a solid beginning point for understanding who
God is and what God is doing in our lives.

Many people, even long-time believers, want proof of God’s existence. But there is no way to “prove” God’s
existence so that everyone is convinced. It is probably better to talk in terms of evidence, rather than proof. The evidence
gives us confidence that God exists and is the sort of being the Bible describes.

Christians believe that there is only one God, whom they call Father as Jesus Christ taught them. According to
Christianity, God is the self-existent One, having no need of being created, since He has existed forever and is the cause of
all things, including the dimension of time, to which He is not subject.

God is “the Supreme Being; the Creator and Ruler of all that is; the Self-existent One who is perfect in power,
goodness, and wisdom.”

I. NATURE OF GOD

1. God is spirit, by nature (John 4:24).

2. God is One, but He exists as three Persons—God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:16-
17).
3. God is infinite (1 Timothy 1:17),
4. God is incomparable (2 Samuel 7:22),
5. God exist everywhere (Psalm 139:7-12),
6. God is all powerful ( Psalm 147:5; Luke 1:37)
7. God is also all knowing(Psalm 147:5; Isaiah 40:28),
8. God is also all loving (1 John 4:6)
9. God is absolutely holy (Leviticus 11:45)
10. God is unchangeable (Malachi 3:6)

WHERE IS GOD?

The Bible says that God cannot be contained within the universe (1 Kings 8:27).In addition, the Bible says that God
fills both heaven and earth (Jeremiah 23:24), which is a Hebrew idiom to describe the entire universe. So, God is both
transcendent and immanent simultaneously. God's normal abode is in heaven, which is not located within the physical
universe.

WHAT DOES GOD LOOK LIKE?

 Since human beings are created in the image of God, most artist's renditions picture God as looking like a human
male. Although the Bible uses the personal pronoun "He" to describe God, it never says God looks like a human male.
Word pictures describing God usually use words such as "like" or "as" in their descriptions. Likewise, there are
descriptions of God that describe Him with wings and feathers (Psalm 91:2-4), although nobody would suggest that God
is an overgrown chicken. In fact, the Bible says God is a spirit (John 4:24)—without physical form (i.e., not composed of
ordinary matter). Although God's primary nature is spiritual, He is able to take on physical form in order to interact with
human beings on Earth. In fact, the Bible says that God took on human form, coming to earth as Jesus of Nazareth.

II. NAME OF GOD

The name of God, as revealed in the Hebrew Scriptures, is YHWH (the closest English equivalents to the Hebrew
letters). Ancient Hebrew did not have vowels, so the exact pronunciation of YHWH is uncertain. The vast majority of
Hebrew and Christian scholars believe the name to be Yahweh, pronounced /ˈyä-wā/, with Yehowah, pronounced /yi-ˈhō-
və/, being the second most popular possibility.

Throughout both the Old and New Testaments, God inspired the human authors of Scripture to refer to Him using
generic terms for “God” and “Lord.” Beyond YHWH, God chose to reveal Himself using many other names and titles. So,
clearly, using God’s name is not required.

YHWH is as close to a personal name as God has revealed to us. The Divine Name was revealed to Moses and was
unknown before his time: “I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob as God Almighty, but by my name the LORD
[YHWH] I did not make myself fully known to them” (Exodus 6:3).

The name YHWH seems to refer to God’s self-existence, being linked to “I AM THAT I AM” in Exodus 3:14. God
told Moses that “this is my name forever, the name you shall call me from generation to generation” (Exodus 3:15; cf.
Exodus 15:3). All other “names” for God, such as El Shaddai, are probably titles, rather than personal names, strictly
speaking—although it is quite proper to address God by His titles. References to “the name of our God” (in Psalm 44:20,
for example), are oblique references to God’s personal name, YHWH.

DIFFERENT TITLES/NAMES OF GOD

Each of the many names of God describes a different aspect of His many-faceted character. Here are some of the
better-known names of God in the Bible:

 EL, ELOAH [el, el-oh-ah]: God "mighty, strong, prominent" (Nehemiah 9:17; Psalm 139:19) – etymologically, El
appears to mean “power” and “might” (Genesis 31:29). El is associated with other qualities, such as integrity
(Numbers 23:19), jealousy (Deuteronomy 5:9), and compassion (Nehemiah 9:31), but the root idea of “might”
remains.
 ELOHIM [el-oh-heem]: God “Creator, Mighty and Strong” (Genesis 17:7; Jeremiah 31:33) – the plural form of
Eloah, which accommodates the doctrine of the Trinity. From the Bible’s first sentence, the superlative nature of
God’s power is evident as God (Elohim) speaks the world into existence (Genesis 1:1).
 EL SHADDAI [el-shah-dahy]: “God Almighty,” “The Mighty One of Jacob” (Genesis 49:24; Psalm 132:2,5) –
speaks to God’s ultimate power over all.
 ADONAI [ˌædɒˈnaɪ; ah-daw-nahy]: “Lord” (Genesis 15:2; Judges 6:15) – used in place of YHWH, which was
thought by the Jews to be too sacred to be uttered by sinful men. In the Old Testament, YHWH is more often used
in God’s dealings with His people, while Adonai is used more when He deals with the Gentiles.
 YHWH / YAHWEH / JEHOVAH [yah-way / ji-hoh-veh]: “LORD” (Deuteronomy 6:4; Daniel 9:14) – strictly
speaking, the only proper name for God. Translated in English Bibles “LORD” (all capitals) to distinguish it from
Adonai, “Lord.” The revelation of the name is given to Moses “I Am who I Am” (Exodus 3:14). This name
specifies an immediacy, a presence. Yahweh is present, accessible, near to those who call on Him for deliverance
(Psalm 107:13), forgiveness (Psalm 25:11) and guidance (Psalm 31:3).
 YAHWEH-JIREH [yah-way-ji-reh]: "The Lord Will Provide" (Genesis 22:14) – the name memorialized by
Abraham when God provided the ram to be sacrificed in place of Isaac.
 YAHWEH-RAPHA [yah-way-raw-faw]: "The Lord Who Heals" (Exodus 15:26) – “I am Jehovah who heals you”
both in body and soul. In body, by preserving from and curing diseases, and in soul, by pardoning iniquities.
 YAHWEH-NISSI [yah-way-nee-see]: "The Lord Our Banner" (Exodus 17:15), where banner is understood to be a
rallying place. This name commemorates the desert victory over the Amalekites in Exodus 17.
 YAHWEH-M'KADDESH [yah-way-meh-kad-esh]: "The Lord Who Sanctifies, Makes Holy" (Leviticus 20:8;
Ezekiel 37:28) – God makes it clear that He alone, not the law, can cleanse His people and make them holy.
 YAHWEH-SHALOM [yah-way-shah-lohm]: "The Lord Our Peace" (Judges 6:24) – the name given by Gideon to
the altar he built after the Angel of the Lord assured him he would not die as he thought he would after seeing
Him.
 YAHWEH-ELOHIM [yah-way-el-oh-him]: "LORD God" (Genesis 2:4; Psalm 59:5) – a combination of God’s
unique name YHWH and the generic “Lord,” signifying that He is the Lord of Lords.
 YAHWEH-TSIDKENU [yah-way-tzid-kay-noo]: "The Lord Our Righteousness” (Jeremiah 33:16) – As with
YHWH-M’Kaddesh, it is God alone who provides righteousness to man, ultimately in the person of His Son,
Jesus Christ, who became sin for us “that we might become the Righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians
5:21).
 YAHWEH-ROHI [yah-way-roh-hee]: "The Lord Our Shepherd" (Psalm 23:1) – After David pondered his
relationship as a shepherd to his sheep, he realized that was exactly the relationship God had with him, and so he
declares, “Yahweh-Rohi is my Shepherd. I shall not want” (Psalm 23:1).
 YAHWEH-SHAMMAH [yah-way-sham-mahw]: "The Lord Is There” (Ezekiel 48:35) – the name ascribed to
Jerusalem and the Temple there, indicating that the once-departed glory of the Lord (Ezekiel 8—11) had returned
(Ezekiel 44:1-4).
 YAHWEH-SABAOTH [yah-way-sah-bah-ohth]: "The Lord of Hosts" (Isaiah 1:24; Psalm 46:7) – Hosts means
“hordes,” both of angels and of men. He is Lord of the host of heaven and of the inhabitants of the earth, of Jews
and Gentiles, of rich and poor, master and slave. The name is expressive of the majesty, power, and authority of
God and shows that He is able to accomplish what He determines to do.
 EL ELYON [el-el-yohn]: “Most High" (Deuteronomy 26:19) – derived from the Hebrew root for “go up” or
“ascend,” so the implication is of that which is the very highest. El Elyon denotes exaltation and speaks of
absolute right to lordship.
 EL ROI [el-roh-ee]: "God of Seeing" (Genesis 16:13) – the name ascribed to God by Hagar, alone and desperate
in the wilderness after being driven out by Sarah (Genesis 16:1-14). When Hagar met the Angel of the Lord, she
 realized she had seen God Himself in a theophany. She also realized that El Roi saw her in her distress and
testified that He is a God who lives and sees all.
 EL-OLAM [el-oh-lahm]: "Everlasting God" (Psalm 90:1-3) – God’s nature is without beginning or end, free from
all constraints of time, and He contains within Himself the very cause of time itself. “From everlasting to
everlasting, You are God.”
 EL-GIBHOR [el-ghee-bohr]: “Mighty God” (Isaiah 9:6) – the name describing the Messiah, Christ Jesus, in this
prophetic portion of Isaiah. As a powerful and mighty warrior, the Messiah, the Mighty God, will accomplish the
destruction of God’s enemies and rule with a rod of iron (Revelation 19:15).

III. HOW CAN WE KNOW GOD?

Within all of us there exists a strong desire to be known and to know others. More importantly, all people desire to
know their Creator, even if they are not professed believers in God. Today we are bombarded with advertising that
promises many ways to satisfy our cravings to know more, have more, be more. However, the empty promises that come
from the world will never satisfy in the way that knowing God will satisfy. Jesus said, "Now this is eternal life: that they
may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent" (John 17:3).

So, "what is the key to truly knowing God?" First, it is imperative to understand that man, on his own, is incapable of
truly knowing God because of man’s sinfulness. The Scriptures reveal to us that we are all sinful (Romans 3) and that we
fall well short of the standard of holiness required to commune with God. We are also told that the consequence of our sin
is death (Romans 6:23) and that we will perish eternally without God unless we accept and receive the promise of Jesus'
sacrifice on the cross. So, in order to truly know God, we must first receive Him into our lives. "As many as received
Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name" (John 1:12). Nothing
is of greater importance than understanding this truth when it comes to knowing God. Jesus makes it clear that He alone is
the way to heaven and to a personal knowledge of God: "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the
Father, but through Me" (John 14:6).

There is no requirement to begin this journey besides accepting and receiving the promises mentioned above. Jesus
came to breathe life into us by offering Himself as a sacrifice so our sins will not prevent us from knowing God. Once we
have received this truth, we can begin the journey of knowing God in a personal way. One of the key ingredients in this
journey is understanding that the Bible is God's Word and is His revelation of Himself, His promises, His will. The Bible
is essentially a love letter written to us from a loving God who created us to know Him intimately. What better way to
learn about our Creator than to immerse ourselves in His Word, revealed to us for this very reason? And it is important to
continue this process throughout the entire journey. Paul writes to Timothy, "But as for you, continue in what you have
learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you
have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture
is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may
be thoroughly equipped for every good work" (2 Timothy 3:14-16).

Finally, truly knowing God involves our commitment to obey what we read in the Scriptures. After all, we were
created to do good works (Ephesians 2:10) in order to be part of God's plan of continuing to reveal Himself to the world.
We carry the responsibility to live out the very faith that is required to know God. We are salt and light on this earth
(Matthew 5:13-14), designed to bring God's flavor to the world and to serve as a shining light in the midst of darkness.
Not only must we read and understand God's Word, we must apply it obediently and remain faithful (Hebrews 12:1-3).
Jesus Himself placed the greatest importance on loving God with all we are and loving our neighbor as ourselves
(Matthew 22). This command is impossible to keep without the commitment to reading and applying His truth revealed in
His Word.

These are the keys to truly knowing God. Of course, our lives will involve much more, such as commitment to
prayer, devotion, fellowship, and worship. But those can only follow making a decision to receive Jesus and His promises
into our lives and accepting that we, on our own, cannot truly know God. Then our lives can be filled with God, and we
can experience knowing Him intimately and personally.

Lesson 2

WHO IS JESUS?

INTRODUCTION

There are many famous people in the world. We may know the name of someone famous. But just because we know
his name doesn’t mean that we know him well. It doesn’t mean that we know every detail about his life and what he is
really like.

You may have heard about Jesus Christ, even though he lived on earth about 2,000 years ago. But most people do not
know what Jesus was like as a person. Some say he was a good man, some say he was a prophet, and some believe that he
is God.

Jesus has been acclaimed as the greatest religious leader who ever lived, as being the most influential person to have
lived on our planet, and as being unique to the degree that no one can be compared to Him.
 Unlike the question "Does God exist?" very few people question whether Jesus Christ existed. It is generally
accepted that Jesus was truly a man who walked on the earth in Israel 2000 years ago. The debate begins when the subject
of Jesus' full identity is discussed. Almost every major religion teaches that Jesus was a prophet or a good teacher or a
godly man. The problem is that the Bible tells us that Jesus was infinitely more than a prophet, a good teacher, or a godly
man.

I. JESUS IS THE SON OF GOD (Luke 1:35; John 1:49)

Jesus is not God’s Son in the sense of a human father and a son. God did not get married and have a son. God did not
mate with Mary and, together with her, produce a son. Jesus is God’s Son in the sense that He is God made manifest in
human form (John 1:1, 14)

Jesus is God's Son in that He was conceived in Mary by the Holy Spirit. Luke 1:35 declares, “The angel answered,
'The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born
will be called the Son of God”

During His trial before the Jewish leaders, the High Priest demanded of Jesus, “I charge you under oath by the living
God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God” (Matthew 26:63). “‘Yes, it is as you say,’ Jesus replied. ‘But I say to all
of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of
heaven’” (Matthew 26:64). The Jewish leaders responded by accusing Jesus of blasphemy (Matthew 26:65-66). Later,
before Pontius Pilate, “The Jews insisted, ‘We have a law, and according to that law He must die, because He claimed to
be the Son of God’” (John 19:7). Why would His claiming to be the Son of God be considered blasphemy and be worthy
of a death sentence? The Jewish leaders understood exactly what Jesus meant by the phrase “Son of God.” To be the Son
of God is to be of the same nature as God. The Son of God is “of God.” The claim to be of the same nature as God—to in
fact be God—was blasphemy to the Jewish leaders; therefore, they demanded Jesus’ death, in keeping with Leviticus
24:15. Hebrews 1:3 expresses this very clearly, “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of
His being.”

Another example can be found in John 17:12 where Judas is described as the “son of perdition.” John 6:71 tells us
that Judas was the son of Simon. What does John 17:12 mean by describing Judas as the “son of perdition”? The word
perdition means “destruction, ruin, waste.” Judas was not the literal son of “ruin, destruction, and waste,” but those things
were the identity of Judas' life. Judas was a manifestation of perdition. In this same way, Jesus is the Son of God. The Son
of God is God. Jesus is God made manifest (John 1:1, 14).

II. JESUS IS LORD (Luke 2:11)

Generally speaking, a lord is someone with authority, control, or power over others; to say that someone is “lord” is
to consider that person a master or ruler of some kind. In Jesus’ day the word lord was often used as a title of respect
toward earthly authorities; when the leper called Jesus “Lord” in Matthew 8:2, he was showing Jesus respect as a healer
and teacher (see also Matthew 8:25 and 15:25).
 However, after the resurrection, the title “Lord,” as applied to Jesus, became much more than a title of honor or
respect. Saying, “Jesus is Lord,” became a way of declaring Jesus’ deity. It began with Thomas’ exclamation when Jesus
appeared to the disciples after His resurrection: “Thomas said to him, ‘My Lord and my God!’” (John 20:28). From then
on, the apostles’ message was that Jesus is Lord, meaning “Jesus is God.” Peter’s sermon on the Day of Pentecost
contained that theme: “Let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and
Messiah” (Acts 2:36). Later, in Cornelius’s house, Peter declared that Jesus is “Lord of all” (Acts 10:36). Note how in
Romans 10:9 Jesus’ lordship is linked to His resurrection: “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.”

The statement “Jesus is Lord” means that Jesus is God. Jesus has “all authority in heaven and on earth” (Matthew
28:18). He is Lord of the Sabbath (Luke 6:5). He is “our only Sovereign and Lord” (Jude 1:4). He is, in fact, the Lord of
lords (Revelation 17:14).

Jesus referred to Himself as “Lord” many times (e.g., Luke 19:31; John 13:13). And when we compare the Old
Testament with the New, we find several times when the “LORD” (Yahweh) of the Hebrew Bible is equated with the
“Lord Jesus” by the apostles. For example, Psalm 34:8 says, “Taste and see that the LORD is good,” and that passage is
alluded to in 1 Peter 2:3, except there Jesus is the “Lord” who is good. Isaiah 8:13 says that “the LORD Almighty is the
one you are to regard as holy”; in 1 Peter 3:15 we are commanded, “In your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy” (ESV).

Jesus is Lord. It’s the truth, whether or not people acknowledge the fact. He is more than the Messiah, more than the
Savior; He is the Lord of all. Someday, all will submit to that truth: “God exalted him to the highest place and gave him
the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the
earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:9–

III. JESUS IS SAVIOR (Matthew 1:21)

The Bible tells us that we have all sinned; we have all committed evil acts (Romans 3:10-18). As a result of our sin,
we deserve God's anger and judgment. The only just punishment for sins committed against an infinite and eternal God is
an infinite punishment (Romans 6:23; Revelation 20:11-15). That is why we need a Savior!

Jesus Christ came to earth and died in our place. Jesus' death was an infinite payment for our sins (2 Corinthians
5:21). Jesus died to pay the penalty for our sins (Romans 5:8). Jesus paid the price so that we would not have to. Jesus'
resurrection from the dead proved that His death was sufficient to pay the penalty for our sins. That is why Jesus is the one
and only Savior (John 14:6; Acts 4:12)

IV. JESUS IS THE LAMB OF GOD (John 1:29)

When Jesus is called the Lamb of God in John 1:29 and John 1:36, it is referring to Him as the perfect and ultimate
sacrifice for sin. In order to understand who Christ was and what He did, we must begin with the Old Testament, which
contains prophecies concerning the coming of Christ as a "guilt offering" (Isaiah 53:10). In fact, the whole sacrificial
system established by God in the Old Testament set the stage for the coming of Jesus Christ, who is the perfect sacrifice
God would provide as atonement for the sins of His people (Romans 8:3; Hebrews 10).

The sacrifice of lambs played a very important role in the Jewish religious life and sacrificial system. When John the
Baptist referred to Jesus as the "Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29), the Jews who heard him
might have immediately thought of any one of several important sacrifices. With the time of the Passover feast being very
near, the first thought might be the sacrifice of the Passover lamb. The Passover feast was one of the main Jewish holidays
and a celebration in remembrance of God's deliverance of the Israelites from bondage in Egypt. In fact, the slaying of the
Passover lamb and the applying of the blood to doorposts of the houses (Exodus 12:11-13) is a beautiful picture of Christ's
atoning work on the cross. Those for whom He died are covered by His blood, protecting us from the angel of (spiritual)
death.

Another important sacrifice involving lambs was the daily sacrifice at the temple in Jerusalem. Every morning and
evening, a lamb was sacrificed in the temple for the sins of the people (Exodus 29:38-42). These daily sacrifices, like all
others, were simply to point people towards the perfect sacrifice of Christ on the cross. In fact, the time of Jesus' death on
the cross corresponds to the time the evening sacrifice was being made in the temple. The Jews at that time would have
also been familiar with the Old Testament prophets Jeremiah and Isaiah, who foretold the coming of One who would be
brought "like a lamb led to the slaughter" (Jeremiah 11:19; Isaiah 53:7) and whose sufferings and sacrifice would provide
redemption for Israel. Of course, that person was none other than Jesus Christ, "the Lamb of God."

It is through His death on the cross as God's perfect sacrifice for sin and His resurrection three days later that we can
now have eternal life if we believe in Him. The fact that God Himself has provided the offering that atones for our sin is
part of the glorious good news of the gospel that is so clearly declared in 1 Peter 1:18-21: "For you know that it was not
with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from
your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the
creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. Through him you believe in God, who raised him
from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God."

V. JESUS IS THE BREAD OF LIFE (John 6:35; 6:48)

“I am the Bread of Life” (John 6:35) is one of the seven “I Am” statements of Jesus. Jesus used the same phrase “I
AM” in seven declarations about Himself. In all seven, He combines I AM with tremendous metaphors which express His
saving relationship toward the world. All appear in the book of John.

John 6:35 says, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall
never thirst.” Bread is considered a staple food—i.e., a basic dietary item. A person can survive a long time on only bread
and water. Bread is such a basic food item that it becomes synonymous for food in general. We even use the phrase
“breaking bread together” to indicate the sharing of a meal with someone. Bread also plays an integral part of the Jewish
Passover meal. The Jews were to eat unleavened bread during the Passover feast and then for seven days following as a
celebration of the exodus from Egypt. Finally, when the Jews were wandering in the desert for 40 years, God rained down
“bread from heaven” to sustain the nation (Exodus 16:4).
 All of this plays into the scene being described in John 6 when Jesus used the term “bread of life.” He was trying to
get away from the crowds to no avail. He had crossed the Sea of Galilee, and the crowd followed Him. After some time,
Jesus inquires of Philip how they’re going to feed the crowd. Philip’s answer displays his “little faith” when he says they
don’t have enough money to give each of them the smallest morsel of food. Finally, Andrew brings to Jesus a boy who
had five small loaves of bread and two fish. With that amount, Jesus miraculously fed the throng with lots of food to
spare.

Afterward, Jesus and His disciples cross back to the other side of Galilee. When the crowd sees that Jesus has left,
they follow Him again. Jesus takes this moment to teach them a lesson. He accuses the crowd of ignoring His miraculous
signs and only following Him for the “free meal.” Jesus tells them in John 6:27, “Do not labor for the food that perishes,
but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his
seal.” In other words, they were so enthralled with the food, they were missing out on the fact that their Messiah had
come. So the Jews ask Jesus for a sign that He was sent from God (as if the miraculous feeding and the walking across the
water weren’t enough). They tell Jesus that God gave them manna during the desert wandering. Jesus responds by telling
them that they need to ask for the true bread from heaven that gives life. When they ask Jesus for this bread, Jesus startles
them by saying, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never
thirst.”

This is a phenomenal statement! First, by equating Himself with bread, Jesus is saying he is essential for life. Second,
the life Jesus is referring to is not physical life, but eternal life. Jesus is trying to get the Jews’ thinking off of the physical
realm and into the spiritual realm. He is contrasting what He brings as their Messiah with the bread He miraculously
created the day before. That was physical bread that perishes. He is spiritual bread that brings eternal life.

Third, and very important, Jesus is making another claim to deity. This statement is the first of the “I AM” statements
in John’s Gospel. The phrase “I AM” is the covenant name of God (Yahweh, or YHWH), revealed to Moses at the burning
bush (Exodus 3:14). The phrase speaks of self-sufficient existence (or what theologians refer to as “aseity”), which is an
attribute only God possesses. It is also a phrase the Jews who were listening would have automatically understood as a
claim to deity.

Fourth, notice the words “come” and “believe.” This is an invitation for those listening to place their faith in Jesus as
the Messiah and Son of God. This invitation to come is found throughout John’s Gospel. Coming to Jesus involves
making a choice to forsake the world and follow Him. Believing in Jesus means placing our faith in Him that He is who
He says He is, that He will do what He says He will do, and that He is the only one who can.

Fifth, there are the words “hunger and thirst.” Again, it must be noted that Jesus isn’t talking about alleviating
physical hunger and thirst. The key is found in another statement Jesus made, back in His Sermon on the Mount. In
Matthew 5:6, Jesus says, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” When
Jesus says those who come to Him will never hunger and those who believe in Him will never thirst, He is saying He will
satisfy our hunger and thirst to be made righteous in the sight of God.
 If there is anything the history of human religion tells us, it is that people seek to earn their way to heaven. This is
such a basic human desire because God created us with eternity in mind. The Bible says God has placed [the desire for]
eternity in our hearts (Ecclesiastes 3:11). The Bible also tells us that there is nothing we can do to earn our way to heaven
because we’ve all sinned (Romans 3:23) and the only thing our sin earns us is death (Romans 6:23). There is no one who
is righteous in himself (Romans 3:10). Our dilemma is we have a desire we cannot fulfill, no matter what we do. That is
where Jesus comes in. He, and He alone, can fulfill that desire in our hearts for righteousness through the Divine
Transaction: “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of
God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). When Christ died on the cross, He took the sins of mankind upon Himself and made
atonement for them. When we place our faith in Him, our sins are imputed to Jesus, and His righteousness is imputed to
us. Jesus satisfies our hunger and thirst for righteousness. He is our Bread of Life.

Lesson 3

WHAT IS SIN?

INTRODUCTION

According to God’s Word, sin is what separates people from God, and its wages death.

Sin is described in the Bible as transgression of the law of God (1 John 3:4) and rebellion against God (Deuteronomy
9:7; Joshua 1:18).

God did not create sin, but He created beings with free will who have the ability to sin. This includes Satan, fallen
angels (demons), and humans. To be clear, sin is a falling short of God’s standards. Sin is not an entity or a thing that
“exists”; it has no independent being. Rather, sin is a lack of something, a failure to fully obey God’s law and live up to
His glory (Romans 3:23).
 Sin had its beginning with Lucifer, probably the most beautiful and powerful of the angelSin had its beginning with
Lucifer, probably the most beautiful and powerful of the angels. Not content with his position, he desired to be higher than
God, and that was his downfall, the beginning of sin (Isaiah 14:12-15). Renamed Satan, he brought sin to the human race
in the Garden of Eden, where he tempted Adam and Eve with the same enticement, "you shall be like God." Genesis 3
describes Adam and Eve's rebellion against God and against His command. Since that time, sin has been passed down
through all the generations of mankind and we, Adam's descendants, have inherited sin from him. Romans 5:12 tells us
that through Adam sin entered the world, and so death was passed on to all men because "the wages of sin is death"
(Romans 6:23).

I. ORIGIN OF SIN

When God created the universe and our world, “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good” (Genesis 1:31;
cf. 1 Timothy 4:4). This “very good” creation included humanity and the angel that would later become known as Satan.
At this point, no humans or angels had yet sinned, but they had the potential to do so. God did not create any being sinful,
yet a group of angels rebelled against God in heaven and became sinful.

Sin had its beginning with Lucifer, probably the most beautiful and powerful of the angels. Not content with his
position, he desired to be higher than God, and that was his downfall, the beginning of sin (Isaiah 14:12-15). Renamed
Satan, he brought sin to the human race in the Garden of Eden, where he tempted Adam and Eve with the same
enticement, "you shall be like God." Genesis 3 describes Adam and Eve's rebellion against God and against His command.
Since that time, sin has been passed down through all the generations of mankind and we, Adam's descendants, have
inherited sin from him. Romans 5:12 tells us that through Adam sin entered the world, and so death was passed on to all
men because "the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23).

Satan’s fall from heaven is symbolically described in Isaiah 14:12–14 and Ezekiel 28:12–19. An angel named Lucifer
wanted to “ascend to the heavens” and be “above the stars of God” (Isaiah 14:13). Verse 14 adds he desired to make
himself “like the Most High.” God judged Lucifer by removing him from God’s ongoing presence (Isaiah 14:15). That
fallen angel is now known as Satan (“adversary”) or the devil (“slanderer”).

In Ezekiel, we find Satan was created as a perfect, wise, and beautiful angel (Ezekiel 28:14). But then Satan rebelled:
“You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you” (verse 15). That’s
when the situation changed. Scripture hints at the reason Satan chose to sin: “Your heart became proud on account of your
beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor” (verse 17; cf. 1 Timothy 3:6). Satan’s fall took place at
some point before he came as a serpent to tempt Eve in the Garden of Eden in Genesis 3. After being thrown to the earth
(Ezekiel 28:17), Satan tempted humanity to sin, and he has continued that practice ever since (see Matthew 4:1–11).

Since Adam’s sin, humans have inherited Adam’s spiritual corruption and have been born with a sin nature. We are
naturally inclined to sin (Romans 6 – 7; James 1:13–15). But in Christ Jesus we can be forgiven of our sins. “God made
[Jesus] who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21).
We receive forgiveness from the eternal penalty of sin when we put our faith in Jesus. We also receive freedom from
slavery to sin and can learn, by yielding to the Holy Spirit, to live righteously. This process of acting less like Adam and
more like Christ is called sanctification.

The existence of sin is negative (Romans 6:23), but it is not the end of the story. Satan will ultimately be defeated.
His end has been declared, and his evil will not continue forever (Revelation 20:7–10). Through faith in Jesus Christ, we
can receive forgiveness of sins and restored fellowship with God (John 3:16; Ephesians 2:8–9). This relationship provides
eternal life as well as abundant life through our connection with the Lord (John 10:10). Jesus conquers sin and death and
brings us to a fullness of relationship with God we can only begin to imagine (1 Corinthians 15:50–58; Revelation 21 –
22).

II. TYPES OF SIN

1. Inherited Sin
Through Adam, the inherent inclination to sin entered the human race, and human beings became sinners by
nature. When Adam sinned, his inner nature was transformed by his sin of rebellion, bringing to him spiritual
death and depravity which would be passed on to all who came after him. We are sinners not because we sin;
rather, we sin because we are sinners. This passed-on depravity is known as inherited sin. Just as we inherit
physical characteristics from our parents, we inherit our sinful natures from Adam. King David lamented this
condition of fallen human nature in Psalm 51:5: "Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother
conceived me."
2. Imputed Sin
Another type of sin is known as imputed sin. Used in both financial and legal settings, the Greek word
translated "imputed" means "to take something that belongs to someone and credit it to another's account." Before
the Law of Moses was given, sin was not imputed to man, although men were still sinners because of inherited
sin. After the Law was given, sins committed in violation of the Law were imputed (accounted) to them (Romans
5:13). Even before transgressions of the law were imputed to men, the ultimate penalty for sin (death) continued
to reign (Romans 5:14). All humans, from Adam to Moses, were subject to death, not because of their sinful acts
against the Mosaic Law (which they did not have), but because of their own inherited sinful nature. After Moses,
humans were subject to death both because of inherited sin from Adam and imputed sin from violating the laws of
God.
God used the principle of imputation to benefit mankind when He imputed the sin of believers to the account
of Jesus Christ, who paid the penalty for that sin"death"on the cross. Imputing our sin to Jesus, God treated Him
as if He were a sinner, though He was not, and had Him die for the sins of the entire world (1 John 2:2). It is
important to understand that sin was imputed to Him, but He did not inherit it from Adam. He bore the penalty for
sin, but He never became a sinner. His pure and perfect nature was untouched by sin. He was treated as though He
were guilty of all the sins ever committed by the human race, even though He committed none. In exchange, God
imputed the righteousness of Christ to believers and credited our accounts with His righteousness, just as He had
credited our sins to Christ's account (2 Corinthians 5:21).
3. Personal Sin
A third type of sin is personal sin, that which is committed every day by every human being. Because we
have inherited a sin nature from Adam, we commit individual, personal sins, everything from seemingly innocent
untruths to murder. Those who have not placed their faith in Jesus Christ must pay the penalty for these personal
 sins, as well as inherited and imputed sin. However, believers have been freed from the eternal penalty of sin"hell
and spiritual death"but now we also have the power to resist sinning. Now we can choose whether or not to
commit personal sins because we have the power to resist sin through the Holy Spirit who dwells within us,
sanctifying and convicting us of our sins when we do commit them (Romans 8:9-11). Once we confess our
personal sins to God and ask forgiveness for them, we are restored to perfect fellowship and communion with
Him. "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all
unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9).
We are all three times condemned due to inherited sin, imputed sin, and personal sin. The only just penalty
for this sin is death (Romans 6:23), not just physical death but eternal death (Revelation 20:11-15). Thankfully,
inherited sin, imputed sin, and personal sin have all been crucified on the cross of Jesus, and now by faith in Jesus
Christ as the Savior "we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of
His grace" (Ephesians 1:7).

III. WE ARE ALL BORN SINNERS

The Bible teaches that we are all born sinners with sinful, selfish natures. Unless we are born again by the Spirit of
God, we will never see the kingdom of God (John 3:3).

Humanity is totally depraved; that is, all of us have a sinful nature that affects every part of us (Isaiah 53:6; Romans
7:14). The question is, where did that sinful nature come from? Were we born sinners, or did we simply choose to become
sinners sometime after birth?

We are born with a sinful nature, and we inherited it from Adam. “Sin entered the world through one man, and death
through sin, and in this way death came to all people” (Romans 5:12). Every one of us was affected by Adam’s sin; there
are no exceptions. “One trespass resulted in condemnation for all people” (verse 18). We are all sinners, and we all share
the same condemnation, because we are all children of Adam.

Scripture indicates that even children have a sin nature, which argues for the fact that we are born sinners. “Folly is
bound up in the heart of a child” (Proverbs 22:15). David says, “Surely I was sinful at birth, / sinful from the time my
mother conceived me” (Psalm 51:5). “Even from birth the wicked go astray; / from the womb they are wayward,
spreading lies” (Psalm 58:3).

Before we were saved, “we were by nature deserving of wrath” (Ephesians 2:3). Note that we deserved God’s wrath
not only because of our actions but because of our nature. That nature is what we inherited from Adam.

We are born sinners, and for that reason we are unable to do good in order to please God in our natural state, or the
flesh: “Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God (Romans 8:8). We were dead in our sins before Christ
raised us to spiritual life (Ephesians 2:1). We lack any inherent spiritual good.

No one has to teach a child to lie; rather, we must go to great lengths to impress upon children the value of telling the
truth. Toddlers are naturally selfish, with their innate, although faulty, understanding that everything is “mine.” Sinful
behavior comes naturally for the little ones because they are born sinners.
 Because we are born sinners, we must experience a second, spiritual birth. We are born once into Adam’s family and
are sinners by nature. When we are born again, we are born into God’s family and are given the nature of Christ. We
praise the Lord that “to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children
of God —children born not of natural descent . . . but born of God” (John1:12–13)

IV. THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH (Romans 6:23)

Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” At its
core, sin is rebellion against God. Our sin separates us from God, the creator and sustainer of life. Jesus said, “I am the
way and the truth and the life” (John 14:6a). God is known as the great “I AM.” Life is in God. So, when we sin and
become separated from God, we become separated from true life. Therefore, perforce, we experience death. Three points
of clarification are needed:

First, sin does not necessarily result in physical death right away. Romans 6 is not telling us that when we sin we will
physically die. Rather, it is referring to spiritual death.

Second, when we are saved in Christ, we are rescued from ultimate spiritual death and brought into ultimate spiritual
life. Paul told the Romans, “The gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23b).

Third, even believers’ sins will still result in a type of spiritual “death.” Though we are rescued from the ultimate
penalty of sin (eternal separation from God), we are not exempt from the natural consequences of a broken relationship
with the Father. When we sin, we experience the symptoms of spiritual death. We may feel guilty, empty, confused, or
disconnected from God. We act as the unrighteous rather than as the righteous. Our sin, even as believers, hurts the heart
of God and grieves His Spirit (Ephesians 4:30). Though it does not sever our relationship with Him, our sin does put a
barrier between us.

Think of a child and a parent. When a child disobeys, the relationship with his parent is strained. The parent still
loves the child and still has the child’s best interest at heart. The child never stops belonging to the parent. However, the
child may experience some consequences: mistrust, discipline, a sense of guilt, and the like. The relationship is ultimately
restored, but generally pain comes first.

So it is with us and God. When we rebel against God’s rule in our lives, we rebel against the Life, and therefore
experience “death” (a brokenness resulting in pain). When we return to God, we are also restored to spiritual life—
communion with God, a sense of purpose, righteousness, freedom, etc. The rejoicing father in the Parable of the Prodigal
Son said it best: “This son of mine was dead and is alive again” (Luke 15:24).
 Lesson 4

WHAT IS SALVATION?

INTRODUCTION

As Christians, we are familiar with the term “salvation,” but what does it mean and how do we receive it according to
the Bible?

Salvation is deliverance from danger or suffering. To save is to deliver or protect. The word carries the idea of
victory, health, or preservation. Sometimes, the Bible uses the words saved or salvation to refer to temporal, physical
deliverance, such as Paul's deliverance from prison (Philippians 1:19).

A definition of the Christian doctrine of salvation would be "The deliverance, by the grace of God, from eternal
punishment for sin which is granted to those who accept by faith God's conditions of repentance and faith in the Lord
Jesus." Salvation is available in Jesus alone (John 14:6; Acts 4:12) and is dependent on God alone for provision,
assurance, and security.

More often, the word "salvation" concerns an eternal, spiritual deliverance. When Paul told the Philippian jailer what
he must do to be saved, he was referring to the jailer's eternal destiny (Acts 16:30-31). Jesus equated being saved with
entering the kingdom of God (Matthew 19:24-25).

I. WHY DO I NEED TO BE SAVED?

 After their miraculous release from the Philippian jail, Paul and Silas tell their repentant jailer, “Believe in the Lord
Jesus, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31). Their words are one of many expressions of the underlying message of the
whole Bible: God has provided salvation for the lost. Scripture is clear that all people need to be saved, and here are some
reasons why that salvation is necessary:

 We need to be saved because we are totally lost in sin. It’s not that we need to save ourselves—we cannot do so
—but that we need to be saved. The Bible teaches the total depravity of the human race; that is, every aspect of
our being has been corrupted by sin. “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands;
there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who
does good, not even one” (Romans 3:10–12). We need the Good Shepherd to seek out the lost sheep and bring
them home, rejoicing (see Luke 15:3–6).
 We need to be saved because we are under God’s wrath. We are “by nature deserving of wrath” (Ephesians 2:3).
Without salvation, we stand condemned: “Whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they
have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son” (John 3:18). We need Jesus Christ, the Righteous One,
to propitiate the wrath of God and forefend our judgment.
 We need to be saved because we are in danger of hell. After death comes judgment (Hebrews 9:27), and, if we
die without God’s salvation, we will meet the same fate as the rich man who lifted up his eyes “in Hades, being
in torment” (Luke 16:23). We need a Savior to rescue us from a fate literally worse than death.
 We need to be saved because we are spiritually dead. Before salvation, we are “dead in [our] sins” (Colossians
2:13). Dead people can do nothing for themselves. We need resurrection. We need the life-giving power of
Christ, who alone can conquer death.
 We need to be saved because our hearts are hardened by evil. “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond
cure. Who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9). The unsaved “are darkened in their understanding and separated
from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts” (Ephesians
4:18). We need a supernatural work of the Holy Spirit to fix our hearts and align them with God’s will.
 We need to be saved because we are enslaved to sin and Satan. “Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power
of sin” (Romans 3:9). In our natural state, we are held in Satan’s snare and bound by his will (2 Timothy 2:26).
We need a Redeemer to liberate us. In Christ we “have been set free from sin” (Romans 6:18).
 We need to be saved because we are at odds with God. “The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does
not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God” (Romans
8:7–8). We need Jesus, the Prince of Peace, to reconcile us to God and bring us into the family of God as adopted
sons and daughters.

When Jesus told Nicodemus, “You must be born again,” He spoke of necessity (John 3:7). Being saved—receiving the
new birth—is not just a nice idea or a divine suggestion. It is the deepest need of the human soul: “You must be born
again.”

II. HOW CAN I BE SAVED?

This simple, yet profound, question is the most important question that can be asked. "How can I be saved?" deals
with where we will spend eternity after our lives in this world are over. There is no more important issue than our eternal
destiny. Thankfully, the Bible is abundantly clear on how a person can be saved. The Philippian jailer asked Paul and
Silas, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:30) Paul and Silas responded, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will
be saved” (Acts 16:31).

 Saved from what?

Because of our sin, we all deserve death (Romans 6:23). While the physical consequence of sin is physical
death, that is not the only kind of death that results from sin. All sin is ultimately committed against an eternal
and infinite God (Psalm 51:4). Because of that, the just penalty for our sin is also eternal and infinite. What we
need to be saved from is eternal destruction (Matthew 25:46; Revelation 20:15).
 How did God provide salvation?
Because the just penalty for sin is infinite and eternal, only God could pay the penalty, because only He is
infinite and eternal. But God, in His divine nature, could not die. So God became a human being in the person of
Jesus Christ. God took on human flesh, lived among us, and taught us. When the people rejected Him and His
message, and sought to kill Him, He willingly sacrificed Himself for us, allowing Himself to be crucified (John
10:15). Because Jesus Christ was human, He could die; and because Jesus Christ was God, His death had an
eternal and infinite value. Jesus’ death on the cross was the perfect and complete payment for our sin (1 John
2:2). He took the consequences we deserved. Jesus’ resurrection from the dead demonstrated that His death was
indeed the perfectly sufficient sacrifice for sin.
 What do I need to do?
“Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31). God has already done all of the work. All
you must do is receive, in faith, the salvation God offers (Ephesians 2:8-9). Fully trust in Jesus alone as the
payment for your sins. Believe in Him, and you will not perish (John 3:16). God is offering you salvation as a
gift. All you have to do is accept it. Jesus is the way of salvation (John 14:6).

III. THE WAY OF SALVATION

What is the way? What is the truth? What is the life? Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No
one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).

The hunger that you feel is a spiritual hunger, and can only be filled by Jesus. Jesus is the only one who can lift the
darkness. Jesus is the door to a satisfying life. Jesus is the friend and shepherd that you have been looking for. Jesus is the
life—in this world and the next. Jesus is the way of salvation!

The reason you feel hungry, the reason you seem to be lost in darkness, the reason you cannot find meaning in life, is
that you are separated from God. The Bible tells us that we have all sinned, and are therefore separated from God
(Ecclesiastes 7:20; Romans 3:23). The void you feel in your heart is God missing from your life. We were created to have
a relationship with God. Because of our sin, we are separated from that relationship. Even worse, our sin will cause us to
be separated from God for all of eternity, in this life and the next (Romans 6:23; John 3:36).

How can this problem be solved? Jesus is the way of salvation! Jesus took our sin upon Himself (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Jesus died in our place (Romans 5:8), taking the punishment that we deserve. Three days later, Jesus rose from the dead,
proving His victory over sin and death (Romans 6:4-5). Why did He do it? Jesus answered that question Himself: “Greater
love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). Jesus died so that we could live. If we
place our faith in Jesus, trusting His death as the payment for our sins, all of our sins are forgiven and washed away. We
will then have our spiritual hunger satisfied. The lights will be turned on. We will have access to a fulfilling life. We will
know our true best friend and good shepherd. We will know that we will have life after we die—a resurrected life in
heaven for eternity with Jesus!

“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” (John 3:16).