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WEEK 3:
BORN AGAIN!
|
Memory Verse for Week 3 2
Cor. 5:17 “Therefore
if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things
are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” |
________________________________________________________________________
As
humans, we are all born of the flesh the first time.
Being born again is to be born of the Spirit!
Read
John 14: 16 and 20. What do these verses tell us about the Comforter, or the Holy
Spirit?________________________________________________________________________
What
does Ephesians 1: 13 tell us happens after we have believed?
________________________________________________________________________
When
we are saved, we are born again; and the Holy Spirit, who is God Himself, comes
to live inside
of us!
Read
Acts 1: 8. What do we
receive after the Holy Spirit is come upon us?_____________________________________________________________________
The Holy Spirit gives the power to live the Christian life!
Power to live the Christian
life so that we will be witnesses to others of the mighty power of God to change
us! “The Holy Spirit at work
within you is indisputable proof of your salvation.
The Holy Spirit’s work in your life will bring changes.
Some changes will be gradual; some will be instant.
The inward and outward changes that result are the final proof of your
salvation...”1
Read
1 John 3: 24 and describe how we can KNOW we are saved.
__________________________________________________________________________
Read
Romans 8:16 and 1 John 5:10 to see that the Holy Spirit’s
activity inside of us is proof to us, witness to us, that we are actually saved.
If the Holy Spirit is truly living inside of us, He will bear fruit in
our lives.
Read
Galatians 5:22-23 to see what kind of fruit the Holy Spirit will produce
in our lives..
________________________________________________________________________
Read
1 John 3:10 and 14 and describe two ways it is made plain to us whether
or not we are children of God.___________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Have you noticed some Holy Spirit fruit or changes in your life? Check each of the following changes you have noticed.
___ New revulsion for sin.
___ Deliverance
from personal sin.
___ Newfound peace and joy
inside.
___
Desire to obey God.
___ Love and hunger for God.
___ New love for others.
___ Ability
to forgive others more easily.
___ Desire to read the Bible.
___ Desire to be around other
believers.
___ Changes in likes and
dislikes.
We will by no means be perfect, but if you are born again, YOU WILL CHANGE, because you will be a new creature!
Read 1
John 2:3. There is another way we can know beyond any doubt that we are
saved. What is it?________________________________________________________________________
Not only will we have a new desire to obey God, we will have new power
inside us to obey Him—the Holy Spirit!
Read 2 Corinthians 13:15. What are we to do to make sure we are really saved?
________________________________________________________________________
We are to examine ourselves to see if we are actually saved!
We will be able to see changes if we are truly saved and born again.
These changes will be OBVIOUS! Not
only will we be able to see the changes ourselves, but others around us will see
them as well! A “new creature”
is obviously different! If a person does not notice obvious changes in their life,
something is seriously wrong. That
person needs to examine with all sincerity whether they
are indeed truly saved. 13
The
Holy Spirit’s work that we notice as newly born again believers is only the
beginning of the transformation He will work in us.
Ephes. 1:14 (KJV) says, “Which is the earnest of our inheritance
until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his
glory.” The NLT for the same verse reads, “The Spirit is God's guarantee
that he will give us everything he promised and that he has purchased us to be
his own people. This is just one more reason for us to praise our glorious
God.”
The
word translated “earnest” or “guarantee” in this verse means “down
payment.” As wonderful as it is, the first workings of the Holy Spirit
inside us is merely a taste of what is to come! It’s only a beginning!
He starts working, changing us more and more, making us like Christ.
One day, we will be completely changed and redeemed and receive our
inheritance in heaven!
Apply
2 Corinthians 5:17. Ask yourself
these questions:
-Am
I a new creature?
________________________________________________
-Are old things passed away? Do
I have new desires?
________________________________________________
-Do I have newfound ability and power to obey God?
________________________________________________
-Do I have
new love for my brothers and sisters in the
family of God?
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Copyright
©2005 by Mae Shurow
Permission is granted for non-commercial (free) distribution
provided proper citation of
authorship is included.
1)Beginning Steps For New
Believers