The Lessons

Lesson One - You and Your Salvation	Discipler's Notes
How to Know You Have Eternal Life Can a person know for sure he is on his way to heaven? Yes! It is essential that you understand what has taken place in your life. Having assurance of your salvation will enable you to live a confident Christian life. The following questions are designed to help you know, based on God's Word, that you have eternal life. Before you begin this lesson, read I John 5:13. This will be your memory verse for this week. This verse makes it clear that you do not need to have any doubts about your salvation. You can be sure that you are saved - you have God's Word on it!	If the disciple's spouse and/or other immediate family members are unsaved, encourage them to sit in on this lesson. Bringing your spouse along may help. Try to win other family members to Christ as soon as possible! Begin the lesson with prayer. Take extra time to learn more about your disciple. Collect his Personal Data Inventory. Ask if he had any difficulty finding the Bible verses. Make sure he has his own Bible. Has the lesson been completed?
Security in God the Father 1 What truth about God assures us that we can depend on His promises? (Titus 1:2) God cannot lie 2 Write the promise of God found in each of the following verses: John 3:16 Whosoever believeth in him should not perish. Acts 16:31 Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved. Romans 10:13 Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. 3 What is the verdict of those who have not yet believed? (John 3:18) He is condemned already. Where will unbelievers be when they die? (Revelation 20:15; 21:8) Their eternal destiny is the lake of fire. Can a believer ever be condemned? Why or why not? (John 5:24; 6:47) No, he can never be condemned because he possesses eternal life. Has there been a specific time in your life when you believed on Christ for your eternal salvation? If so, when? Date of salvation On a separate sheet of paper, please explain how you were led to the Lord. This is called your personal testimony and will be a blessing to your discipler and others with whom you share it.	The eternal security of a believer depends on God, not the believer. We are secure even if we are not sure! See also II Peter 1:3-4. Point out that the word hope in Titus 1:2 means absolute confidence, not a wish or an unsure desire. Hope in the Bible is nearly always in a noun form, not a verb form (e.g., "I hope so"). I Thessalonians 4:13 clearly states that there are those who do not have hope. These two truths should give the disciple a burden for his unsaved family members. Point out the present tense of the verbs is and hath. Stress the security in the words, "is not condemned" and "shall not come into condemnation." Salvation demands a turning point (I Thess 1:9). Faith and repentance can be called the two sides of the coin of salvation.
Security in God the Son 4 For what purpose did Christ come to earth? (John 3:17; Luke 19:10) He came not to condemn, but to seek and to save the lost. 5 What two wonderful illustrations of security are found in Christ's description of Himself? John 10:9 "I am the door " John 10:11 "I am the good shepherd " 6 As His sheep, can you ever be seized out of God's hand? (John 10:28-29) No, we are held by His power! 7 What does Hebrews 7:22-28 state concerning Christ's person and work which gives us assurance? "He continueth ever (7:24) "He is able also to save them to the uttermost (7:25) "He ever liveth to make intercession for them." (7:25) He is separate from sinners. (7:26)	Acquaint the disciple with other Bible terms for a saved person: Christian, saints, in Christ, brethren, etc. No man in vs 29 includes the believer himself. Assurance of salvation is based on fact, not feeling.
Security in God the Holy Spirit 8 How does the Holy Spirit assure us of our salvation? John 14:16 He abides with us forever Romans 8:16 He bears witness with our spirit Ephesians 1:13, 4:30 He seals us Ephesians 1:14 He is the earnest of our inheritance	Remind the disciple that the Holy Spirit indwells him at the moment of conversion and will be a source of great assurance (Romans 8:16) unless quenched by sin.
Sin in the Believer's Life 9 Can a Christian say that he is now sinless? Explain. (I John 1:8,10) No, I still have a sinful nature, and therefore still sin. 10 When you sin, do you lose your righteous standing before God? Explain. (I John 2:1) No, Christ is my defense. 11 What should you do immediately after you sin? (I John 1:9) I should confess my sin to God. 12 What does God promise to do when you confess your sins to Him? (I John 1:9) He promises to forgive my sin and cleanse me from all unrighteousness. MEMORIZE I John 5:13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God What will you do as a result of what you have learned from God's Word? (James 1:22-25)	A father/child relationship is not broken by deed or distance. Teach the disciple that biblical confession is specific and sincere. It is agreeing with what God says about our sin. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES At the beginning of discipleship you may want to give the disciple the cassette, Follow Me (A Look at True Discipleship) by Evangelist Tom Farrell. If the disciple is struggling with his assurance (perhaps because of wrong doctrine from a previous church), give him the booklet Can A Saved Person Ever Be Lost by John R. Rice. First John is a book of assurance. The word 'know', found in I John 5-13, is used more than thirty times in these five brief chapters. You may want to assign this book for personal devotional reading this week.

Give the disciple Lesson 2. Make an appointment for your next session.
After copying information that you would like from the Personal Data Inventory, submit it to the church office.