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Lesson 7 |
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A Transformed Life |
| Welcome to this new lesson. Let's ask God's assistance: |
| Dear Savior, An indescribable joy dwells in our hearts when we understand that through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we obtain forgiveness for our sins. But the message of the Gospel, which You wish to give us today, goes even further. May this unique message transform our life here below, and finally lead us to everlasting life. In Jesus Christ we pray. Amen. |
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Lesson 7 |
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A Transformed Life |
John 16:12 |
Comments |
| [Jesus said,] «I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.» | Please make sure to have properly understood the previous lesson: «Do We Really Need Christ?» before going on, because the present lesson will take for granted that you know the crucial elements that were explained in it. |
Hebrews 5:14 |
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| Solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. |
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Lesson 7 |
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A Transformed Life |
| «What shall I do to inherit eternal life?» (LUKE 18:18) |
| 1. To admit that I am a sinner,
####################################### and to ask God to give me [[|]] «For God so loved the [[|]] repentance for my sins. [[|]] world that He gave His [[|]] 2. To confess my sins to God, [[|]] only begotten Son, that [[|]] and to try to rectify my mis- [[|]] whoever believes in Him [[|]] deeds, as much as possible. [[|]] should not perish but [[|]] 3. To accept by faith God's for- [[|]] have everlasting life.» [[|]] giveness, and to ask Jesus to [[|]] (JOHN 3:16) [[|]] become my personal Savior. ####################################### |
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Lesson 7 |
Screen 4 |
A Transformed Life |
Matthew 18:3 |
Comments |
| [Jesus] said, «Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.» |
In the previous lesson's discussion, we saw
that all men are sinners and are consequently sentenced to death. However we also learned that, thanks to Jesus Christ's sacrifice on the cross, God totally erases the repentant sinner's dark past. This lesson will show that God also desires to transform our present and future! |
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Lesson 7 |
Screen 5 |
A Transformed Life |
John 3:3-5 |
Comments |
| Jesus answered and said
to [Nicodemus], «Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see
the kingdom of God.» Nicodemus said to Him, «How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?» Jesus answered, «Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.» |
Speaking to Nicodemus, Jesus approached the
subject of conversion. He compared it to a new birth, necessary for eternal life. |
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Lesson 7 |
Screen 6 |
A Transformed Life |
2 Corinthians 5:17 |
Comments |
| Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. | By inviting Jesus Christ to become our
personal Savior, we also allow Him to come into our heart, in order to transform us into
His image. This change of nature is only possible through God's intervention in our life. No one can be converted by his own efforts. |
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Lesson 7 |
Screen 7 |
A Transformed Life |
1 Corinthians 3:1,2 |
Comments |
| And I, brethren, could
not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it. |
The newborn Christian, like a baby, will grow in Jesus day after day. |
1 Peter 2:2 |
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| As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby. |
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Lesson 7 |
Screen 8 |
A Transformed Life |
2 Corinthians 4:16 |
Comments |
| Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. | As we make progress in our Christian
experience, the powerful action of God's Spirit will gradually bring about a change in our
values, our priorities, our conception of things, our interpretation of events. We will more and more reflect Jesus Christ's character. |
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Lesson 7 |
Screen 9 |
A Transformed Life |
John 15:4,5 |
Comments |
| [Jesus said,] «Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.» |
Through the personal relationship we establish
with Christ, we will bear good fruit. And what is this good fruit? |
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Lesson 7 |
Screen 10 |
A Transformed Life |
Galatians 5:22,23 |
Comments |
| But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. | A tree spontaneously bears fruit through the
action of sap circulating within its branches. In the same way, through the action of the
Spirit in our hearts, we will spontaneously bear the fruit of the Spirit. This continuous work of God's Spirit within our hearts is called sanctification. |
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Lesson 7 |
Screen 11 |
A Transformed Life |
1 Corinthians 1:30 |
Comments |
| But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God - and righteousness and sanctification and redemption. | The salvation of man therefore includes two
great parts: - justification, by which the repentant sinner receives forgiveness for his past sins; - sanctification, which is the work of the Holy Spirit within us, transforming us day after day into God's image. Sanctification is the proof that we were sincere when we asked Jesus to forgive our sins and to become our personal Savior. |
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Lesson 7 |
Screen 12 |
A Transformed Life |
| Distinctions between JUSTIFICATION and SANCTIFICATION : |
| Justification
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Sanctification ------------------------------------+------------------------------------ God accomplishes a work for us. | God accomplishes a work within us. This work gives access to heaven. | This work qualifies for heaven. A work accomplished instantaneously.| A work accomplished day after day. It is the beginning of the combat. | The continuation until coronation. God forgets our past. | God changes our present and future. Obtained through faith in Christ. | Obtained through faith in Christ. |
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Lesson 7 |
Screen 13 |
A Transformed Life |
Romans 12:2 |
Comments |
| And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. | The better we get to know our
Savior, the more we will desire to know His will, and to accomplish it through the power
of His grace. But what, exactly, is the will of God? |
Ephesians 5:17 |
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| Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. |
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Lesson 7 |
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A Transformed Life |
Psalm 40:8 |
Comments |
| I delight to do Your will, O my God, and Your law is within my heart. | The will of God is expressed in His
commandments. We will have the opportunity to study this amazing subject in a future lesson. |
John 14:15 |
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| [Jesus said,] «If you love Me, keep My commandments.» | |
1 John 5:3 |
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| For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. |
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Lesson 7 |
Screen 15 |
A Transformed Life |
Hebrews 5:9 |
Comments |
| [Christ] became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him. | It is most important to have a relationship
with Jesus marked by obedience to His will. However let us pay attention to the following
point: We do NOT obey TO be saved BUT RATHER We obey BECAUSE we are saved. |
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Lesson 7 |
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A Transformed Life |
Galatians 2:20 |
Comments |
| I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. | Remember: without Jesus, we cannot
do anything. We must invite Him to live within us, that He may transform us into His image. |
Revelation 3:20 |
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| «Behold, I stand at the
door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.» |
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Lesson 7 |
Screen 17 |
A Transformed Life |
1 Corinthians 10:13 |
Comments |
| No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. | Left on his own, man cannot obey the will of
God. But the Lord gives us the power necessary to overcome trials, and to follow His will until the end. |
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Lesson 7 |
Screen 18 |
A Transformed Life |
John 14:16,17,26; 16:13 |
Comments |
| [Jesus said,] «And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, (...) and [He] will be in you. (...) But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. (...) When He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth.» |
The work of the Holy Spirit is essential for
our spiritual growth. It is He who makes us feel our need of a Savior, and who also guides us into all truth, reviving our hearts. |
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Lesson 7 |
Screen 19 |
A Transformed Life |
Luke 11:13 |
Comments |
| [Jesus said,] «If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!» |
God wants us to approach Him with faith, to ask
Him for this essential power which dwells in the Holy Spirit. By His presence within us, we will be able to obey God's will. |
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Lesson 7 |
Screen 20 |
A Transformed Life |
Luke 6:44 |
Comments |
| For every tree is known by its own fruit. | Sanctification is revealed by the Holy Spirit's continuous action in our hearts, bearing fruits worthy of repentance. |
Galatians 5:22,23 |
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| But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. |
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Lesson 7 |
Screen 21 |
A Transformed Life |
Philippians 4:5-7 |
Comments |
| The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. |
The Holy Spirit will make possible our
sanctification by bringing us to depend on the two major resources God puts at our
disposal. The first of these is prayer, through which we can communicate anytime with God, to thank Him and present Him our requests. |
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Lesson 7 |
Screen 22 |
A Transformed Life |
Matthew 4:4 |
Comments |
| [Jesus] answered and
said, «It is written, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God."» |
The second resource is the study
of God's Word, which is as necessary to spiritual life as food is to physical life. Of course, this study must be made with the sincere desire to seek what God expects from each one of us. |
2 Peter 3:18 |
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| But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. |
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Lesson 7 |
Screen 23 |
A Transformed Life |
1 Thessalonians 4:1 |
Comments |
| Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God. | Being justified in Jesus Christ, God now
invites us to follow the path of sanctification, that is, to grow spiritually day after
day by the power of the Holy Spirit working within us. But is sanctification really necessary for our salvation? Isn't justification enough? |
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Lesson 7 |
Screen 24 |
A Transformed Life |
1 Thessalonians 4:3 |
Comments |
| For this is the will of God, your sanctification. | The Bible is clear: both
justification and sanctification (holiness) are essential to salvation. Remember, we can only be justified and sanctified by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. We must understand this essential point and never forget it. |
Hebrews 12:14 |
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| Pursue peace with all men, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord. |
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Lesson 7 |
Screen 25 |
A Transformed Life |
John 1:11,12 |
Comments |
| [The Word] came to His
own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name. |
No repentant sinner, whatever the number of his
sins, is a hopeless case for God. God can lead each one of us along the path of sanctification, if we truly desire it. |
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Lesson 7 |
Screen 26 |
A Transformed Life |
Ezekiel 36:26,27 |
Comments |
| I will give you a new
heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh
and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them. |
If we give Him a chance, the Holy Spirit will revive our hearts, so that we may be «doing the will of God from the heart» (Ephesians 6:6). |
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Lesson 7 |
Screen 27 |
A Transformed Life |
Philippians 2:13 |
Comments |
| For it is God who works in you both to will and to do. | God puts at our disposal the power
of the Holy Spirit, just like all the resources from the Bible, from which we can draw
anytime through prayer and meditation. Why not ask the Lord, right now, to grant us these graces? |
Philippians 4:13 |
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| I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. |
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Lesson 7 |
Screen 28 |
A Transformed Life |
Philippians 1:6 |
Comments |
| Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. | We have no reason to be discouraged: God
promises us that He will guide us along the path of sanctification. We just have to accept His invitation, firmly holding His hand all along our journey. He will know how to lead us to our destination. |
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Lesson 7 |
Screen 29 |
A Transformed Life |
| Let us thank God for His precious help: |
| Our Heavenly Father, We now understand that You do not only wish to erase our past. Indeed, You also wish to transform our present and our future. Please grant us Your Holy Spirit, according to Your promise, so that He may guide us in our search for truth and help us to obey Your will, as revealed to us during our study of Your inspired Word. This is our prayer in Jesus Christ. Amen. |
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