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WEEK 1: ARE YOU GOOD ENOUGH TO GO TO HEAVEN?
THE
BAD NEWS…!
|
Memory Verse for Week 1 Luke
15:18
“I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have
sinned against heaven, and before thee,” |
We have said that this study is based on 2 Peter
1:1-11. Peter begins by addressing
those that have obtained like precious faith.
We will look at obtaining this saving faith in the first four weeks.
To be saved, the first thing
we must realize is that we are sinners-people who have broken God’s law.
But because we all think we are good
people, the Holy Spirit must reveal our sin to us and draw us to God.
The following is from Ray Comfort’s “Are You Good Enough To Go To
Heaven?” When asked this question, most people would say, "Well, I've
messed up a few times, but nothing too serious, like murder, etc." But we
must remember it is not our standards that matter, but the standard that God
requires! So let’s see what the
Holy Spirit reveals to us as we look at God’s law:
1. "You shall have no other gods before Me."
“Is God first in your life? Do you love God above all else? Many years
ago, I
purchased a
T.V.
for our children, but the first evening we had
it, I arrived
home from work and found that they didn't even bother to greet me. They
were too busy watching television. I turned it off and explained
to them
that if they ignored me because they preferred to watch T.V. they were
setting their love on the gift rather
then the giver, a wrong order of
affections. In the same way, if we love anything—husband,
wife, children or
even our own lives—more than we love God, we are setting our affection
on
the gift rather than the Giver, which is a transgression of the First
Commandment. In
fact, the Bible says that we should so love God
that our love for Mom and Dad and brother
and sister should seem like
hatred compared to the love we have for the God who gave those
loved ones
to us.
“We are also commanded to love our neighbor as much as we love
ourselves. Jesus
spoke of a Samaritan who found an injured stranger, bathed his
wounds, carried him
to an inn, gave money for his care and told the inn-keeper
that he would pay for his
expenses. We call him the good Samaritan, but in reality he wasn't "good" at all, he
merely obeyed the basic command to love his neighbor as himself. That is a
picture of
how God expects us to love our fellow human beings. We should love
them as much as
we love ourselves...whether they be friend or foe.
“Have you loved God with all your heart? Have you loved humanity as
much as you love yourself? You be the judge. Will you be innocent or guilty on
Judgment Day of breaking that Commandment? I'm not judging you—I'm asking you
to judge yourself before the Day of Judgment. The sentence for breaking this
Commandment is death.
2.
"You shall not make for yourself any graven image."
“This
means that we shouldn't make a god to suit ourselves, either with our hands or
our mind. I was guilty of this. I made a god to suit myself. My god didn't mind
a "white" lie or a fib here and there—in fact, he didn't exist. He
was a figment of my imagination, an "image" which I shaped to suit
myself. Is your God the One revealed in Holy Scripture? If not, then you have
made your own god to suit yourself—you have committed the oldest sin in the
Book. Scripture warns that no idolater will enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
3.
"You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain."
“Have
you ever taken God's name in vain—instead of using a four-letter word to
express disgust, you've used His name? Hitler's name wasn't despised enough to
use as a curse word. If you have used His holy name in that manner, you are a
blasphemer and will not enter the Kingdom of
God.
4. "Remember the Sabbath Day, to keep it holy."
“
I ignored this command for 22 years. Even though God gave me the gift of life,
never once did I ask what He required of me. I was guilty of breaking this
Commandment.
5.
"Honor your father and your mother."
“Have
you always honored your parents in a way that's pleasing in the sight of God?
Ask Him to remind you of the sins of your youth. You may have forgotten them,
but God hasn't.
6.
"You shall not murder."
“Jesus warned that if we get angry without cause we are in danger of
judgment. If we hate our brother, God calls us a murderer. We can violate God's
Law by attitude and intent.
7.
"You shall not commit adultery."
“Who
of us can say that we are pure of heart? Jesus warned, "You have heard that
it was said to those of old, 'You shall not commit adultery.' But I say to you
that whoever looks at a woman to lust after her has committed adultery already
with her in his heart." Remember that God has seen every thought you have
had and every sin you have ever committed. The day will come when you have to
face His Law, and we are told that the impure, fornicators (those who have sex
before marriage) and adulterers will not enter the Kingdom of God. Punishment
for transgression of this Commandment is the death penalty.
8.
"You shall not steal."
“Have you ever taken something that belonged to someone else
(irrespective of its value)? Then you are a thief—you cannot enter God's Kingdom.
9.
"You shall not bear false witness."
“Have
you ever told a lie? Then you are a liar. How many lies do you have to tell to
be a liar? Just one. The Bible warns that all liars will have their part in the
Lake of Fire. You may not think deceitfulness is a serious sin. God does!
10.
"You shall not covet."
“That
means we shouldn't desire anything that belongs to another person. The covetous
will not inherit the Kingdom of God.”
Who of us can say we are not guilty of breaking these Commandments? All
of us have sinned, and just as with civil law, you don't have to break ten laws
to be a lawbreaker. So the Bible warns, "For whoever shall keep the whole
Law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all." 1
Read
Romans 3:23 and Isaiah 53:6. How
many of us are sinners?
_________________________________________________________________________
Who have we sinned against, according to Luke 15:18?___________________
_________________________________________________________________________
What happens because of my sinfulness, according to Isaiah 59:2?
_________________________________________________________________________
Read Romans 6:23. What is the payment for our sin? ___________________
________________________________________________________________________
Is this what we deserve, according to the thief on the cross in Luke 23:41?
_______________________________________________________________________
When
we realize we have all sinned and deserve to die, what can we do? Read Matthew
3:2, Matthew 4:17, Mark 1:15, Mark 6:12, Luke 13:3 and 13:5, Luke 24:47, and
then write what we should do: _________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
The Bible gives us a vivid picture of repentance in Isaiah 55:7. Read this passage and then describe repentance in your own words. _______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
“To repent is to
acknowledge one’s sin and rebellion against God and to change one’s mind
about sinning against God.”2
Meditate on Luke 15:18 and
consider how to apply it to your life.
Have
you sinned?
____________________________________________________
Who
have you sinned against?
____________________________________________________
What
is the first thing you need to do about that sin?
___________________________________________________
HOME
*All
emphasis mine.
Copyright
©20075by Mae Shurow and seekgodfirst.net
Permission is granted for non-commercial (free) distribution
provided this notice is included as
citation.
1)
Ray Comfort: “Are You Good Enough
To Go To Heaven?”
2) David Cloud, Way of Life