Part IV - THE CHRISTIAN LIFE

 

          Once we are born again, our Lord Jesus Christ calls us to live our lives in a manner worthy of that call. To see this, let us read an excerpt from Paul’s letter to the church in Ephesus,

 

Ephesians 4:1

"[1] As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received."

 

Thus, this portion of, “Christian Fundamentals” has been written to provide the born again believer some insights into the type of life our Lord Jesus Christ has called us to live. To accomplish this, this portion of the studies is partitioned into the following six studies:

 

Study 13 – Reading God’s Word

          To help born again believers in Jesus Christ to understand the necessity for them to faithfully read God’s Word, five of the many benefits received from reading and understanding God’s Word is presented.

 

Study 14 - Walk and Live by Faith

          Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians, recorded in Ephesians 1:15-23, is used to identify the tremendous spiritual power God has made available to the Christian. Examples are given to show how by faith in God and His Word, this power is to be used by the born again believer to live a life pleasing to God.

 

Study 15 - Prayer

          To help the Christian better understand prayer, the Lord’s Prayer is explored and each key element is examined.

 

Study 16 - Mercy Not Sacrifice

          After establishing the fact that one of the key characteristics of the born again Christian is to be their love for God and for others, cautionary examples are reviewed to show how the Christian’s attitude in helping others may in reality be acts of obligation and sacrifice rather than works of love and mercy.

 

Study 17 - Praise and Thanksgiving

          It is through our offerings of praise and thanksgiving to God we honor and glorify Him. Scriptures teach us that the child of God should praise Him in all circumstances. To help those who are going through difficult times, some universal reasons for praising God are identified.

 

Study 18 – The Church – The Body of Christ

          This study reveals to us that the church that Jesus Christ came to build is composed of all those who are born again believers in Him. We will also discover that God’s intended purpose for His church is twofold: (1) Bear witness to God’s Glory and Wisdom and (2) The membership are to help and encourage one another in their love, faith, belief and trust in God.

 

Study 19 – The Lord’s Supper

          The Passover meal prior to Israel’s exodus from Egypt and the manna, that is the bread God miraculously fed the people during their escape through the desert, are used as examples to show that Jesus Christ is the true Passover Lamb and Heavenly Bread. The New Testament is also examined to show that for the members of the body of Christ, the Lord’s Supper is a spiritually significant time and must be celebrated in a worthy manner.

 

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