Grow In Grace
The Resurrection
John 5:28-29 “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and will come out. Those who have done good will rise to live, but those who have practiced evil will rise to be condemned.”
Acts 24:15 “...there is going to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous.”
What do these verses tell us will happen on the Last Day?
For Additional Study
At the time of death, a person’s soul separates from the body. At that moment, the person is judged and their soul goes to either heaven or hell, based on whether there was faith in Jesus or not. The body remains to be raised on the Last Day and reunited with the soul. This is why Jesus told the criminal on the cross next to him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with Me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). His soul would be in heaven immediately when he died, though his body would be put in a grave.
The promise of a bodily resurrection is not one that came about once Jesus entered the world as its Savior. People of all time trusted the promise of a resurrection from death. Job was an Old Testament believer who knew there would be a bodily resurrection (Job 19:25-27). Martha was a woman who lived at the time of Jesus. She also trusted that promise (John 11:23-27).
The Day of Resurrection for those who reject Christ
Daniel 12:2 “Many who are sleeping in the dusty ground will awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame, to everlasting contempt.”
Matthew 25:41,46a “Then He will say to those on His left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire, which is prepared for the Devil and his angels.' And they will go away to eternal punishment.”
2 Thessalonians 1:8-10a “He (Jesus) will exercise vengeance in flaming fire on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. Such people will receive a just penalty: eternal destruction away from the presence of the Lord and from his glorious strength, on that day when he comes to be glorified among his saints, and to be marveled at among all those who have believed.”
Luke 16:23-24 “In hell, where he was in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus at his side. He called out and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me! Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in misery in this flame.’”
Matthew 10:28 “Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, fear the one who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”
The story of Abraham and Lazarus (Luke 16:2324) was told by Jesus. It is a parable—an earthly story with a spiritual meaning. For other examples of parables, read Matthew 13.
Those who reject Jesus as their Savior will experience suffering of both _______________ and ____________ in ____________.
How long will they suffer in this way?
Based on the words of God above, how would you describe hell?
For Additional Study
Satan, or the Devil, was an angel who led other angels in rebellion against God and was cast out of God’s presence (hell). He tempted Adam and Eve to sin and continues to work to destroy the faith of God’s people. 2 Peter 2:4 and Jude 6 reference this rebellion and casting into hell.
Jesus was tempted by Satan (Matthew 4), influenced Judas to betray Jesus (Luke 22:1-6, John 13:21-30), and pursues Christians still today. God gives us warning and encouragement in passages like these:
1 Peter 5:8-9a “Have sound judgment. Be alert. Your adversary,the Devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Resist him by being firm in the faith.”
Ephesians 4:27 “And do not give the devil a foothold.”
Ephesians 6:11 “Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.”
James 4:7 “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
The name Satan means “adversary, enemy, accuser.”
The name Devil means “slanderer.”
The Day of Resurrection for those who trust in Christ
John 11:23-27 “Jesus said to her, ‘Your brother will rise again.’ Martha replied, ‘I know that he will rise in the resurrection on the Last Day.’ Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me will live, even if he dies. And whoever lives and believes in me will never perish. Do you believe this?’ ‘Yes, Lord,’ she told him. ‘I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world.’”
John 6:40 “For this is the will of my Father: that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life. And I will raise him up on the Last Day.”
1 Thessalonians 4:13-14“We donot wantyou to be uninformed,brothers, about those who have fallen asleep, so that you do not grieve in the same way as the others, who have no hope. Indeed, if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, then in the same way we also believe that God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep through Jesus.”
A person who __ has eternal life.
Philippians 3:21 “By the power that enables him to subject all things to himself, he (Jesus) will transform our humble bodies to be like His glorious body.”
1 Corinthians 15:35-38, 42-44 “But someone will object, ‘How can it be that the dead are raised? With what kind of body are they going to come?’ You are being foolish. What you sow is not made alive unless it dies. And what you sow is not the body that will be, but a bare seed, perhaps of wheat or some other grain. But God gives it a body of the kind he wanted it to have, and to each of the seeds he gives its own body. That is the way the resurrection of the dead will be. What is sown is perishable; it is raised imperishable. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. It is sown as a natural body; it is raised as a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.”
A Christian has the promise that their body _______________________ ______________________ in order for them to live in heaven with God.
Eternal Life in Heaven
Matthew 25:34 “Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed by the Father; inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.'”
Colossians 3:4 “When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.”
Luke 23:43b “Amen I tell you: today you will be with Me in paradise.”
Revelation 7:15-17 “Because of this they are in front of the throne of God, and they serve him day and night in His temple He who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them. They will never be hungry or thirsty ever again. The sun will never beat upon them, nor will any scorching heat, for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd. He will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
For Additional Study
1 Corinthians 15 is sometimes called The Great Resurrection Chapter of the Bible.
Amen means “it is true.”
Revelation 21:3-4 “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Now the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
Based on the words of God above, how would you describe heaven?
For Additional Study
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”
John 3:36a “The one who believes in the Son has eternal life.”
Describe the confidence a Christian can have about their salvation:
Because of Jesus
Because of the Holy Spirit
A CHRISTIAN REJOICES TO BE PART OF THE HOLY CHRISTIAN CHURCH
Romans 12:5 “In the same way, though we are many, we are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.”
Romans 8:9 “And if someone does not have the Spirit of Christ, that person does not belong to Christ.”
Revelation 5:9 “After these things I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people, and language, standing in front of the throne and of the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and with palm branches in their hands.”
Galatians 3:26 “In fact, you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.”
The term “sons of God”
The word church comes from a Greek word meaning “called out.” We may think of 1 Peter 2:9 “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, the people who are God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”
The Holy Christian Church is also called The Communion of Saints or the Church (with a capital “C”).
The Holy Christian Church is made up of all
The Holy Christian Church is made up of only ________________________.
Luke 17:20-21 “The kingdom of God is not coming in a way you can observe, nor will people say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘Look, there it is!’ because the kingdom of God is within you.”
2 Timothy 2:19 “...The Lord knows those who are his.”
The Church is not an ____________________________. No single Christian _________________________ can claim to be the only Church of God. God looks at the _________ and knows who is part of the Holy Christian Church. Things to consider about Christian churches and denominations.
It is important to understand that God calls us to judge whether a church is faithful to his Word. This is done based on what their stated beliefs and teachings are. We refrain from judging the faith of the individual members of those church bodies because we do not know if they subscribe to all of the teachings of those churches.
John 8:31-32 “If you remain in my word, you are really my disciples. You will also know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
Matthew 28:19-20 “Therefore go and gather disciples from all nations by baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and by teaching them to keep all the instructions I have given you.”
Titus 1:9 “He must cling to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he will be able both to encourage people by the sound teaching and also to correct those who oppose him.”
2 Timothy 3:16-17 “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, and for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, well equipped for every good work.”
Based on the verses above, describe how people are to consider the words of the Bible and how they are to use them.
For Additional Study
1 Corinthians 12:1227
Ephesians 2:13-22
It is important to see in Jesus words in John 8:31-32 that we can know
Orthodox is a word that means “straight teaching.” We use that term to refer to a church that correctly holds to the teachings in the Bible and considers the Bible to be the inspired and inerrant Word of God.
Heterodox is a word that means “other teaching.” We use that term to refer to a church that does not hold to the Bible as God’s Word or does not correctly teach what God says.
1 John 4:1 “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.”
Jeremiah 23:31 “‘Yes’, declares the Lord, ‘I am against the prophets who wag their own tongues and yet declare, ‘The Lord declares.’”
Matthew 7:15 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.”
Matthew 7:22-23 “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from Me you evildoers!’”
Romans 16:17 “I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them.”
Hebrews 13:9 “Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings.”
Matthew 15:9 “They worship me in vain, teaching human rules as if they are doctrines.”
2 John 10-11 “If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take him into your house or welcome him. Anyone who welcomes him shares in his wicked work.”
It is important not to join with churches who do not correctly ________ ________________. To do so would be to __________ God’s truth. We would also be failing to _____________ or _____________ as Jesus calls us to do.
Because of what God teaches, we are careful not to join with churches or ministries that do not properly teach God’s Word. We refrain from joining them in things like worship, mission work, the operation of Christian schools. This can cause heartache and disappointment because we would like to join with other Christians for these things. Unfortunately, many do not carefully consider the words of God that guide us in these practices. We pray that God would send his Holy Spirit as we share with others the words of God which direct us in these matters.
We enjoy fellowship (joining with others for worship and ministry) with other Christians and church bodies with which we agree doctrinally. When we are united on the teaching of God’s Word, we find joy in sharing in the Lord’s work with others.
For Additional Study
1. An orthodox church does not become a heterodox church simply because sin or doctrinal error occurs in it. But a church stands to lose its orthodoxy when it fails to watch and warn against sin and error, and deal with it when it occurs.
Appendix 5: What is the WELS?
A CHRISTIAN CONFESSES FAITH IN GOD
Romans 10:9-10 “Certainly, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and it is with the mouth that a person confesses, resulting in salvation.”
The faith that Christians have is not only something they believe in their hearts, it is also something that they ___ _________.
Matthew 10:32-33 “Everyone who confesses me before others, I will also confess before my Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies me before others, I will also deny before my Father who is in heaven.”
Jesus ________________________ Christians to confess their faith.
Romans 10:14-15 “So then, how can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one about whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without a preacher? And how can they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news of peace, who preach the gospel of good things!’”
Other people come to know God when Christians __ ______.
There are three confessions, or creeds, that have been universally used in the Christian Church over the centuries. (See Appendix 6)
The Apostles' Creed This creed is a brief statement of gospel truths taught by the apostles. It was not formulated by theologians, but out of the needs of the Christian church. Christians used it to tell others what they believed and also to confess their faith with one another as they met for worship. The earliest copy of the text dates to about 340 A.D.
The Nicene Creed This creed was written around 325 AD in defense of the true Christian faith. The Council at Nicea developed it, expanding on the deity of Christ, in order to safeguard the apostles’ teaching in the face of a false teaching which said that Jesus is not true God.
The Athanasian Creed This creed is named after St. Athanasius, a staunch defender of the Christian faith in the fourth century. It was prepared to assist the Church in combating two errors that undermined Bible teaching. One error denied that God’s Son and the Holy Spirit are of one being with the Father. The other error denied that Jesus Christ is true God and true man in one person. The Athanasian Creed continues to serve the Christian Church as a standard of the truth. It declares that whoever rejects the doctrine of the Trinity and the doctrine of Christ is without the saving faith.
For Additional Study
Other Lutheran Confessions
The Augsburg Confession (1530) A Confession drawn up by the “Lutherans” to state their beliefs before the Emperor and officials of the Roman Church at the city of Augsburg.
The Apology to the Augsburg Confession (1531) A defense of the Augsburg Confession, prepared by Philip Melanchthon to elaborate the Lutheran teachings. It was seven times the size of the Augsburg Confession.
The Smalcald Articles (1537) Articles written by Martin Luther and first presented at Smalcald. “The Articles are the work of the mature Luther who was sure the young Luther had started out on the right track.”
The Small Catechism and The Large Catechism (1529) Both were written by Martin Luther to help the people in the study of God's Word.
The Formula of Concord (1577) A Confession drawn up to point out errors which had arisen and to show where unity existed. Its publication marked the end of the major controversies in the Lutheran Church at that time. The Formula of Concord especially distinguished the Lutherans from others who had broken away from the Church of Rome, but rejected some Bible truth. (For example: the real presence of Christ's body and blood in Holy Communion.)
When a person understands God’s grace in the forgiveness of sins, the promise of eternal life, and many other blessings, they have a desire to thank God for his love and live in a way that honors him.
Psalm 116:12 “How can I repay the LORD for all his benefits to me?”
Mark 12:30 “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.”
For Additional Study
The Bible uses the picture of good trees or good plants bearing good fruit as a way of expressing the kind of godly life a child of God lives. It is pleasing to God when we do the things that he commands and avoid the things he tells us to keep away from. These are “fruits” of faith.
John 15:5 “I am the Vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him is the one who bears much fruit, because without me you can do nothing.”
According to Jesus, what is necessary for us to “bear fruit?
What kinds of activities do you think help us to do that?
1 Corinthians 10:31 “So whether you eat or drink, or do anything else, do everything to the glory of God.”
Colossians 3:17 “And everything you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”
With faith in God, a Christian has the ability to give glory to God when doing ____________________________.
Romans 12:1-2 “Therefore I urge you, brothers, by the mercies of God, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice holy and pleasing to God which is your appropriate worship. Also, do not continue to conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, so that you test and approve what is the will of God what is good, pleasing, and perfect.”
How is worship defined in Romans 12:1-2?