BIBLE STUDY

                          


 

Dear Reader,

               Almost anyone today who calls himself or herself a Christian will tell you that they’ve been saved by the grace of God.  Sadly, however, if questioned further on the subject, you will find many, many times that a great majority of these people do not understand grace at all.  They trust in their baptism, their  “good deeds”, their emotions, a decision they’ve made, etc.  They speak of God’s grace and sing about it in their churches; yet they try to make some sort of contribution to their salvation.  Time and time again we hear the “evangelists” say “Christ has done his part now you must do your part.”  This is not grace!

               When the Bible speaks of grace it is talking about a grace that is quite different that what is widely being taught today.  Many books have been written for and against the doctrines that we’ll look at in this study.  This book does not claim to teach anything new.  Some of the words are my own; some have been taken from other books, pastors, and Bible teachers.  All of it, however, I believe agrees with what the Bible teaches about the grace of God.

               The purpose of his study is to help the reader look for himself at what the Bible says.  By no means is this to be considered an exhaustive work on the topic.  Rather, it is to help inform and

encourage the reader towards further study.  I recommend using the King James Version when answering the questions. 

                                                                                                                                   Daniel S. McPherson II

 

I may be reached by e-mail at dmcpherson7@hotmail.com

 

 

 

CONTENTS

 

 

1.          THE NEED FOR GRACE  …………………………………………………   3

 

2.    THE CONCEPTION OF GRACE  ………………………………………… 10

 

3.    THE SECURING OF GRACE  ……………………………………………  16

 

4.          THE APPLICATION OF GRACE  ……………………………………….  23

 

5.          THE TRIUMPH OF GRACE  …………………………………………….   29

 

6.          ANSWERS TO POPULAR OBJECTIONS  ……………………………...  33

 

7.          SUPPORTING TEXTS  …………………………………………………..    38

 

8.    QUOTES  …………………………………………………………………..    41

 

LESSON ONE:  THE NEED FOR GRACE

 

               To fully understand the grace of God, it is of the utmost importance that we study the spiritual condition of man.  Is man a good creature?  Is he utterly evil and corrupt?  Or, is he somewhere in between?  Many false teachings have become popular in churches today due to a misunderstanding of where man stands in relationship to God.  This is what we shall examine in lesson one.

 

I.    Part One:  The Fall of Man

 

  1. Adam’s Sin

 

1.       Read Genesis 2: 16,17

 

a.        What did God command Adam?  (v. 17)  _______________________________

 

____________________________________________________________________

 

                    b.  What would happen the day Adam disobeyed?  (v. 17)  _____________________ 

                    

                     ____________________________________________________________________ 

       

2.       Read Genesis 3: 6-19

 

a.         Did Adam obey God’s command?  (v. 6)  _______________________________ 

 

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b.        After Adam sinned, did he lose his innocence?  __________________________

 

____________________________________________________________________ 

 

c.         How do you know?  (v. 7)  ___________________________________________ 

 

____________________________________________________________________ 

 

d.        Did he still desire fellowship with God?  ________________________________ 

 

____________________________________________________________________ 

 

e.         How do you know?  (v. 10)  __________________________________________ 

 

____________________________________________________________________ 

 

f.    Did Adam die physically that day?  ____________________________________ 

 

                     ____________________________________________________________________ 

 

g.        In what way did Adam die?  _________________________________________

 

  1. Adam’s Sin Was Imputed to Us

     

1.         Read Genesis 5: 1-3

 

a.         In whose likeness was Adam created?  (v. 1)  ____________________________ 

                    

                     ____________________________________________________________________ 

 

b.         Seth was born in whose likeness?   (v. 3)  _______________________________ 

 

____________________________________________________________________

 

c.    In whose image?  (v. 3)  _____________________________________________

 

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d.    Did Adam’s offspring inherit his corruption?  ____________________________ 

 

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2.         Read Romans 5: 12

 

a.         Did spiritual death come to just Adam?  ________________________________ 

 

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b.        To whom did spiritual death spread?  __________________________________ 

 

____________________________________________________________________  

 

3.         Read Ephesians 2: 1-3

 

a.         In what are the unsaved dead?  (v. 1)  __________________________________ 

 

____________________________________________________________________ 

 

b.         How does unsaved man walk?  (v. 2)  __________________________________ 

 

____________________________________________________________________ 

 

c.         What does God say we are by nature?  (v. 3)  ____________________________ 

 

____________________________________________________________________ 

 

4.         Read  Psalm 58: 3

 

a.         When do we go astray?  _____________________________________________ 

 

____________________________________________________________________ 

 

b.    What do we speak?  ________________________________________________    

 

c.    Does man have to learn to be sinful, or is he born with it?  __________________

 

____________________________________________________________________

 

d.         Is it biblical to teach that babies are innocent?  ___________________________ 

 

 

When God created Adam, He made him perfect and free from all sin.  Adam was a servant and friend of God, having fellowship with him and enjoying his presence.  When Adam chose to disobey God by eating of the forbidden fruit, his relationship to God changed drastically.  He was separated from God and died spiritually (and later physically).  We can see the evidence of his spiritual death by the following:

1.         Adam’s awareness of evil --- his eyes were opened (Gen. 3: 7)

2.         Adam’s lost innocence --- he covered himself  (Gen. 3: 7)

3.         Adam’s broken fellowship with God --- he hid himself  (Gen. 3: 8)

Adam, being the representative for all mankind, plunged the entire human race into sin. 

His sin was imputed to us and therefore, we are born separated from God and in a spiritually dead  condition.

 

 

II.    Part Two:  Every Faculty of Man is Corrupt 

      

A.          The Heart

 

1.         Read Mark 7: 21-23

 

     a.    List some things that come from the heart of man.  (vs. 21,22)  _____________ 

                      

                       ___________________________________________________________________

 

b.         Are any of these things pleasing to God?  _____________________________ 

 

____________________________________________________________________  

 

c.         What do they do to man?  (v. 23)  _____________________________________ 

 

____________________________________________________________________  

 

2.         Read Ecclesiastes 9: 3

 

a.         Of what is the heart of man full?  ____________________________________ 

 

___________________________________________________________________ 

 

b.    What else is in the heart?  __________________________________________ 

 

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3.         Read Jeremiah 17: 9

 

a.         How does God describe the heart of man?  _____________________________

 

b.        Is there anything that is more deceitful?  _______________________________ 

 

___________________________________________________________________ 

 

c.         Is it biblical to teach that man is basically good at heart?  _________________ 

 

___________________________________________________________________ 

 

B.          The Mind

 

1.         Read Romans 8: 7, 8

 

a.         What does the carnal mind have towards God?  (v. 7)  ____________________ 

 

___________________________________________________________________  

 

b.         Does the carnal mind desire to do God’s law?  (v. 7)  ____________________ 

 

                       ___________________________________________________________________  

 

                      c.    Is it able?  (v. 7)  __________________________________________________ 

 

d.        Can the carnal mind please God in any way?  (v. 8)  _____________________ 

 

___________________________________________________________________ 

         

2.         Read Ephesians 4: 17-18

 

a.         How do the unsaved walk?  (v. 17)  __________________________________ 

 

___________________________________________________________________ 

 

b.        What has happened to their understanding?  (v. 18)  ______________________ 

 

___________________________________________________________________ 

 

c.         What is their relationship to God?  (v. 18)  _____________________________ 

 

___________________________________________________________________ 

 

d.        What is in them?  (v. 18)  __________________________________________ 

 

___________________________________________________________________ 

 

e.         Why is ignorance in them?  (v. 18)  ___________________________________

 

___________________________________________________________________ 

 

3.         Read  1 Corinthians 2: 14

 

a.         What does God say about man receiving spiritual truth?  __________________

 

___________________________________________________________________ 

 

b.         What is mankind’s attitude towards the things of God?  ___________________ 

 

___________________________________________________________________ 

 

c.         Is he able to understand the things of God?  ____________________________ 

 

___________________________________________________________________ 

 

d.    Why not?  _______________________________________________________ 

 

C.          The Will

  

1.         Read Romans 3: 9-12

 

a.         Under what power is mankind?  (v. 9)  ________________________________ 

 

___________________________________________________________________ 

 

b.        Are any righteous?  (v. 10)  _________________________________________  

 

c.         Can unsaved man understand spiritual things?  (v. 11)  ___________________

 

___________________________________________________________________

 

d.        Who seeks after God?  (v. 11) _______________________________________ 

 

___________________________________________________________________

 

e.         Who does good?  (v. 12)  ___________________________________________ 

 

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2.         Read John 8: 44

 

a.    Who is the father of the unsaved?  ____________________________________ 

 

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b.        From whom are the desires of unsaved man?  ___________________________

 

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3.         Read Jeremiah 13: 23

 

a.         Does man have the ability to change his skin color?  _____________________ 

 

 

b.        Does man have the ability to change his evil nature?  _____________________ 

 

___________________________________________________________________

 

c.         Does this imply a freewill or a bound will?  ____________________________ 

 

___________________________________________________________________ 

 

 

               Since the fall of Adam, mankind has been at total enmity against God.  We are born with our minds corrupted, our hearts hardened and our wills in bondage to sin.  We cannot come to God nor do we want to come.  The Bible speaks of us as being servants (slaves) to sin and to the devil.  This does not mean that man is as sinful or as wicked as he could possibly be, but that he is  sinful in all of his being.  Man cannot change his evil desires.

 

 

III.    Part Three:  A Picture of Our Dead State

                

    A.    Lazarus:  Read John 11: 1- 44

   

            1.   What was the physical condition of Lazarus?  (v. 14)  ______________________ 

 

           ____________________________________________________________________ 

 

          2.    What did Jesus command him to do?  (v. 43)  _____________________________

 

           _____________________________________________________________________ 

 

          3.    Did Lazarus come forth?  (v. 44)  ______________________________________  

 

          4.    Did Lazarus contribute in any way to this miracle?  ________________________

 

           _____________________________________________________________________ 

    

          5.    Did Lazarus come forth to receive life or did he receive life so that he could come    

     

                  forth?  ______________________________________________________________ 

 

                  6.   What would have happened if Jesus would have left the decision up to Lazarus?  _  

 

____________________________________________________________________

 

 

               The historical account of Lazarus in John 11 is teaching us an important spiritual truth.  Lazarus was dead.  He was totally and completely unable to help himself in any way.  He did not ask for life nor did he “accept” an offer for life.  He was made alive by the power of Christ alone.  As it was with Lazarus physically, so it is with mankind spiritually. 

 

 

 

“If men were able in the slightest degree to try to move in God’s direction,

                             there would be no need for God to save them.   He would allow them to

                          save themselves.  But no man is able even to attempt it.”  --- Martin Luther

 

 

 

 

NOTES