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Scripture: Eph. 2:4-8
I. The source of salvation:
А. The source of salvation is God.
B. The source of salvation is God’s mercy.
C. The source of salvation is God’s great love.
II. The accomplishment of salvation:
А. Salvation is accomplished through the death and resurrection of Christ.
B. Salvation is also accomplished through the ascension of Christ.
III. The surpassing salvation:
А. When we were dead in sin, God’s surpassing salvation caused us to become alive together with Christ.
B. He also caused us to be raised together with Christ. There is a difference between being made alive and being raised. To be made alive means to have life; to be raised means not only to have life but to be able to move. Not only was Lazarus enlivened in the tomb, but his coming out of the tomb shows that he was resurrected, that he was raised up.
C. Third, He caused us to sit together with Him in the heavenlies. This is surpassing. This is God’s surpassing salvation.
IV. The manifestation of salvation:
А. This salvation manifests the rich and abundant grace of God.
1. This grace is given to us in God’s kindness:
2. Emphasize that grace is God’s action in freely saving us.
B. Emphasize that kindness issues out of God’s mercy and love, out of the intent of His heart.
V. How to receive this salvation:
Stress the matter of faith.
Scripture: Eph. 2:8-9
I. The meaning of salvation:
А. Salvation means to be forgiven and delivered from sin.
B. Furthermore, salvation means to receive life and be resurrected.
C. Salvation also includes being ascended and transcended.
II. The source of salvation:
А. The grace of God is the source of salvation.
B. Grace comes from love. Grace is an active issue, and love is an intention of the heart. So the act of grace is an issue coming from the loving intention of the heart.
C. Because grace is free, salvation is not by works.
D. Since it is by grace and not by works, salvation is out of God and not out of ourselves.
III. The means of salvation:
А. Salvation is not by works but by faith.
B. Grace is the dispensing; faith is the receiving. The dispensing grace and the receiving faith make salvation complete.
IV. The result of salvation:
А. That man may not boast in himself. Since salvation is not by the works of man or out of man, there is no room for man to boast.
B. That God may be man’s boast and glory.
Scripture: Eph. 2:12
I. The situation of man:
А. Describe how man is born, raised up, encounters sicknesses, and dies. The human life can never depart from these four things: birth, aging, sickness, and death.
B. Conclude that everything is vanity.
II. The hopelessness of the human life:
А. Use further examples to illustrate that once a man dies, that is the end of everything for him.
B. Conclude that the human life is hopeless.
III. The reason for hopelessness:
А. The reason why the human life is hopeless is that man has lost God. Without God there is no hope.
B. God wants to be everything to the human life. Only when man has God will there be hope for his life.
IV. How to have hope:
А. Do not ignore the sense of emptiness. The sense of emptiness tells you that you need God, who is the hope of life.
B. Recognize that God can be everything to the human life.
C. Repent and turn to God.
D. Receive the Son of God, Jesus Christ. To have the Son of God is the way to have God. Once man has God, his life will be full of hope.
Scripture: Phil. 3:7-9
I. The futility of everything:
А. Point out that nothing in the universe is really a gain to man.
B. Give concrete examples to show this. For example: education, money, and family, etc., may not be gains to man. Sometimes the more money a man has, the more harm it does. When you mention the futility of everything, bring in the subject of sickness and death. Whether one has education, money, or friendship, this cannot be escaped; whether it be parents, wife, children, or others, none can keep sickness and death away. When death comes, everything is over.
C. Conclude that everything is vain and futile.
II. All things are as refuse:
А. As far as knowing Christ is concerned, all things are of no avail. So the nature and value of all things are as refuse.
B. Refuse is a changed form of food. Parents, children, reputation, and position are all forms of food, but eventually they become refuse. Everything in the world changes, and when it changes, it becomes refuse.
C. Refuse is the most useless and valueless of all things.
III. The most excellent One in the universe:
А. Everything in the universe is vain and futile, without weight or value. Only Christ is the most excellent One.
B. Christ is the embodiment of God. God is the center of the universe; He is also the reality of the universe. Hence, God is the true value of the whole universe. Because Christ is the embodiment of God, He is the most excellent One.
IV. To know Christ:
А. Since Christ is the most excellent One, to know Him is the most excellent of all things.
B. All forms of knowledge are vain; they only add sorrow to man. Only the knowledge of Christ is real and solid, and only this will give man real happiness. So the knowledge of Christ is the most excellent thing.
V. The result of the knowledge of Christ:
А. Not only will the knowledge of Christ give you the most excellent One of the universe, but it will also give you the righteousness of God. In Christ your sins will be forgiven, and you will be accepted by God.
B. In Christ you will also obtain the life of God.
VI. How to know Christ:
А. Recognize that everything is futile, that it is nothing but refuse.
B. Despise and forsake all the vain and futile things.
C. Receive Christ as your life and Savior.
Scripture: Col. 1:20
I. The problem in the universe:
А. The biggest problem in the universe is disharmony among all the creatures. Everything in the universe has this problem with God.
B. The reason the creatures are in disharmony with God is that man is in disharmony with God. This is due to man’s sin. For example, mosquitoes and insects bite, and animals kill each other. This is all because man is out of harmony with God, which is the result of man’s sin. When sin came in, the whole universe became full of chaos.
II. The peace of the universe:
А. The universe is out of harmony because of man’s sin. Therefore, before the universe can have peace, man’s sin must be removed.
B. Man’s sin was removed when Christ shed His blood on the cross. Thus, through the shedding of His blood, Christ made peace in the universe.
III. The function of the peace of the cross:
А. The peace of the cross firstly reconciles man to God.
B. The peace of the cross also reconciles all things in the universe to God.
IV. How to obtain the peace of the cross:
А. Confess your own sin and your disharmony with God.
B. Confess that Jesus died on the cross for your sins.
C. Accept the Lord Jesus to be your Savior and your peace with God.
Scripture: Col. 1:21
I. Separated from God:
А. Man was originally created by God; he belonged to God and lived before God.
B. Due to his sin, man was separated from God. Not only is there a barrier between man and God, but there is also a distance between the two.
II. Alienated from God:
А. Not only is man separated from God passively, but he is also alienated from Him actively. Separation from God is a forsaking of God, but alienation is a rebellion against God. Separation is a departure from God, but alienation is an assault upon God.
B. The life of man today is not merely one that is separated from God, but it is one that is daily antagonistic toward God. Use examples to prove this.
III. How to be reconciled to God:
А. Confess that you are separated and alienated from God.
B. Repent to God.
C. Believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, as Savior.
Scripture: 1 Thes. 1:9
I. Man forsook God:
А. Man is created by God and belongs to God.
B. Due to his sin, man forsook God.
C. Man today is living a life of forsaking God.
II. Man worshipped idols:
А. Sin causes man to forsake God. It also causes him to worship idols. The result of man’s sin is the worship of idols.
B. Man worships idols because he has sinned and has lost God. God is the source of all peace and blessing. To lose God is to lose all peace and blessing. Once man lost the source of peace and blessing, he turned to idols. The more man sins, the more he loses his peace, and the more he loses his peace, the more he wants it. This psychological craving for peace and blessing turns him to idols. No one who worships idols loves them. All the idol worshippers are just trying to utilize the idols.
C. The life of man today is a life of idol worship. Some idols are tangible; others are intangible. Whatever takes the place of God in a man is an idol. Whatever a man relies on, apart from God, is also an idol.
III. The fallacy of idols:
А. Idols are false; hence, they are a deception.
B. List facts to show that idols are false.
IV. The reality of God:
А. God is real and therefore trustworthy.
B. Use examples to show how secure it is for man to trust in God.
V. Forsake idols and turn to God:
А. Since idols are a deception, we should forsake them. Those who would not forsake them are fools. They are either deceiving themselves or are deceiving others.
B. Since God is trustworthy, we should turn to Him. If we do not turn to Him, we are in a deception, either deceiving ourselves or deceiving others.
VI. How to forsake idols to turn to God:
А. Recognize the fallacy of idols and the reality of God.
B. Destroy all the idols in your home.
C. Repent and turn to God.
D. Receive the Son of God, Jesus Christ, as your Savior.
E. Worship and serve God through the Lord Jesus Christ.
Scripture: 1 Tim. 1:15
I. Who is Christ Jesus?
А. Christ signifies that He is God.
B. Jesus signifies that He is man.
C. The compound name Christ Jesus means that God came as man to save men and to become the Savior of mankind.
II. Why did Christ Jesus come into the world?
А. Christ Jesus did not come into the world by accident or without a purpose.
B. Christ Jesus came into the world in order to save sinners.
III. Who are the sinners?
А. All men are sinners. As long as you are a man in this world, you are a sinner.
B. Christ Jesus came into this world in order to save sinners, that is, to save you. As far as I am concerned, He came to save me; as far as you are concerned, He came to save you.
IV. How can man receive the salvation of Christ Jesus?
Develop this point.
Scripture: 1 Tim. 2:5
I. There is only one God:
А. As there cannot be two heads in a household or two kings in a nation, so there cannot be two Gods in the universe.
B. This God is the Creator and the Ruler of the universe. He is also the Savior of mankind.
II. There is only one Mediator:
А. In human history there have been many wise and famous men, yet not one has claimed to be, or has been recognized as, a mediator between God and men.
B. Only Jesus Christ said that He is the Mediator between God and men. The Bible says that He is the one, the only, Mediator.
III. How Jesus became the Mediator:
А. He was God coming as man. He had both divinity and humanity, so He was qualified to be the Mediator between God and men.
B. He was crucified and His blood was shed for our sins to remove the hindrance between God and men. So He became the Mediator between God and men.
C. He resurrected and imparted His life to man so that man could have God’s life and be one with God. Through this process He became the Mediator between God and men.
IV. How to receive Jesus as your Mediator:
Develop this point.
Scripture: 1 Tim. 2:6
I. The condition of “all” (1 Tim. 2:6):
А. This “all” refers to all men on the earth.
B. All men have sinned and have been condemned by God’s righteous laws. So the condition of men is that they are under the condemnation of the law.
C. Since men are under the condemnation of the law, men are sentenced to perdition.
II. “A ransom for all” (v. 6):
А. Jesus Christ is the ransom for all. He gave Himself to become the ransom for all.
B. Jesus is God-become-man coming to be man’s Savior.
C. As man’s Savior, Jesus has redeemed man from the condemnation of the law and delivered him out of perdition.
D. Jesus redeemed man by giving Himself, that is His soul-life, as a ransom.
E. The blood Jesus shed on the cross is the ransom for all so that man may be freed from the condemnation of the law and from perdition.
III. How to partake of Jesus’ ransom:
Develop this point.
