Lesson 8: Salvation, Sanctification and Regeneration

Lesson Objective

“Salvation has been provided through Jesus Christ for all men; and those who repent and believe in Him are born again of the Holy Spirit, receive the gift of eternal life, and become the children of God.
It is the will of God that each believer should be filled with the Holy Spirit and be sanctified wholly, being separated from sin and the world and fully dedicated to the will of God, thereby receiving power for holy living and effective service. This is both a crisis and a progressive experience wrought in the life of the believer subsequent to conversion.” C&MA statement of faith

Resources

The Secret of Sanctification (David Mathis, Desiring God)
What do justification and sanctification mean? (Video) (New City Catechism)
Salvation through works? (Video) (New City Catechism)
Holy Spirit (The Bible Project)
Sacrifice & Atonement (The Bible Project)

Salvation

Key verse: “For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift— not from works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)

• Sola fide: by faith alone
• Sole gratia: by grace alone

What is faith (Hebrews 11:1)? We trust, even where we do not see.

What is grace? Getting something we don’t deserve.

What is the content of our faith?  [2 ways to live]

• In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth, and it was good.
• Humans sinned and turned away from God.
• God sent Jesus to die for our sins and save us from sin.
• We have the choice to go our own way or accept Him, and be saved and forgiven of our sins, and receive eternal life.

How do we accept Jesus’s salvation?

• Romans 10:9 – Believe and confess He is Lord
• John 8:11 – Repent and sin no more

Sanctification & Regeneration

Key verses: “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, and look, new things have come.” (2 Corinthians 5:17)

“Jesus answered, ‘I assure you: Unless someone is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.’ ” (John 3:5)

How is a Church different from a social club?

• That we are worshipping God.
• That we are not performing an activity, but allowing our hearts to be changed by God.

What is regeneration in a Christian sense? (2 Cor 5:17; 1 Pet 1:23; 1 John 5:1)

• Being born again, being born of God, having a new life within us.

How do we know that we have been regenerated? (Eph 1:11-14)

• The presence of the Holy Spirit.

What does the Holy Spirit do?

• 1 John 2:24-27 – it teaches us.
• Ephesians 1:13-14; 2 Corinthians 5:1-5 – it is the down payment of our inheritance from God, being an eternal dwelling in heaven.
• Romans 8:12-17; Galatians 4:4-7, 5:16-26 – it frees us from living in the flesh, and testifies that we are God’s children.  We were once slaves to sin, but now God’s children.  The Spirit helps us guide against carrying out the desires of the flesh.
• 2 Corinthians 6:16; 1 Corinthians 6:19 – the Spirit dwells in us, making us a sanctuary of God.  This means we should keep ourselves holy and away from sin.

What is sanctification?

• Being set aside for God; being separated from sin and the world (1 Cor 1:30; 2 Cor 6:16-19)
• A practical progressive holiness; holy living (1 Pet 1:15; Heb 12:14)
• Transformation into His likeness for effective service (Romans 12:2)

Paul’s testimony – “a crisis and a progressive experience”

Crisis – describe the events before and after Paul came to faith (Acts 9).  How did his attitude towards God change?

• Before (v 1-2) – he opposed God, and persecuted the church.
• After (v 17-21) – he believed and was baptised.

Progressive experience: what experiences allowed Paul to grow as a Christian?

• Galatians 1:15-18 – Paul was by himself, presumably to study and pray.
• Galatians 1:21; Acts 11:25-26 – Paul went to church, to meet with other Christians.
• Acts 11:28-30 – Paul served the church by bringing aid to believers in need.
• Acts 13:1-3 – Paul was called to ministry by God, and he went.