Page 7 - Principles for Discipling Others-Student textbook

Study Section 2: Understanding What Happens in Salvation

2.1 Connect.

Many believers today present the gospel to others with this approach: “God has a wonderful
plan for your life… Don’t you want to accept Him as your Saviour and enjoy the fulfillment of
that glorious plan? Your life will be so much richer. He came to give you an abundant life!”

The problem with that approach is that it is self-centered. Jesus did not die on the cross to
make our lives “wonderful” and to give us a nice trip through life. He came to die because
we are lost sinners who need to be forgiven. He paid the penalty for our deliberate sin against Him. We
need to understand that for a person to become “saved,” they must be saved from something! A
person must understand that he is lost, and has a huge sin problem, before he can see a need for a
Savior from that sin. Let’s get into more detail about this subject….

2.2 Objectives:

1. We will define “lostness” and the ramifications of that state in our lives.

2. We will learn that as a result of our lostness, we have no hope of heaven in our future.

3. We will better understand what Christ did for mankind on the Cross and how to trust Him
for salvation.

2.3 Understanding What Happens in Salvation

Understanding LOSTNESS….WHAT IS LOSTNESS? WHY DOES IT MATTER? HOW DO
YOU FIX IT?

(A note from the author: I am not a theologian….the concepts I expound are those I
have gathered from my some 60 years of reading and studying the Bible. In teaching
about LOSTNESS I presume upon a topic rarely preached about or taught. Many
preachers just assume people know they are lost. But to become saved, a man needs to first understand
that he is lost. This is true for friends, neighbors, and relatives we are burdened for. Nicodemus was a
“master of Israel” but didn’t understand his LOSTNESS nor what Christ meant when he talked about
NEW BIRTH)

John 3: 1-16 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the
Jews: The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that
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thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou
doest, except God be with him. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I
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say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of
God. Nicodemus saith unto him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he
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enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?” Jesus answered,
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Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he
cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of
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the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it
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