Bible Studies: God’s Gift of Salvation

The Background

Let us try to picture this scene as it happened. It is a hot day at noon. While His disciples go to a nearby town to buy food, Jesus sits down by a well. A woman approaches. She comes to draw water at the hottest time of the day because she would not be welcome at the well when the respectable women came.

1. Jesus asks the woman for ___________________ .The woman is surprised that Jesus would speak to her. Good Jewish men would rarely associate with Samaritans or women they were not related to.
2. Jesus replies to the woman’s question: “If you knew the ___________________and who it is that asks you for__________________ you would have asked Him and He would have given you ___________.

The Gift of God

Perhaps you are like that woman. You’ve heard of God, but do you know what the gift of God is? Do you know who Jesus is? And what is this living water Jesus speaks of? To learn the answers to these questions, we must look at some other verses from the Bible.

The Scripture: Romans 6:23
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ our Lord.”

3. This verse tells us the gift of God is___________________________.

Now we are ready for our second question: Who is Christ (or Jesus as He was called while He lived on earth)?

The Scripture: John 1:47-49 and Matthew 16:13-16

“When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, He said of him, ‘Here is a true Israelite in whom there is nothing false.’ How do you know me?’ Nathanael asked. Jesus answered. “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.” Then Nathanael declared, ‘Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are King of Israel!’”

“When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, ‘Who do people say [I am].” They replied, ‘Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ ‘But what about you?’ He asked. ‘Who do you say I am?’ Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’”

4. Nathanael and Peter recognized Jesus as________________________.

The Living Water

Let us now see what the living water Jesus spoke of is.

The Scripture: John 7:37-39

“On the last day and greatest of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, ‘If a man is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.’ By this He meant the [Holy] Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were later to receive.”

5. The living water is ______________________________.

We receive the Holy Spirit by coming to Jesus.

Going back to our story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman, Jesus tells her His water is different. If anyone drinks His water, they will never be thirsty again.

By now the Samaritan woman realized Jesus was no ordinary person, and Jesus admits He is the Messiah, the Christ.

6. Next, the woman goes to get _________________________________.

7. What is their reaction when they hear Jesus? _________________________________.

What happens when someone comes to believe in Jesus? We will find that answer, too, in other scriptures

Salvation

The Scripture: Acts 16:25-34

“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody’s chains came loose. The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted. “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!’ “The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He then brought them out and asked, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ “They replied, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved – you and your household.’ Then they spoke to word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house….Then immediately he and all his family were baptized….He was filled with joy, because he had come to believe in God.”

8. The Philippian jailer asked the Apostle Paul: ___________________________________________

9. Paul’s answer was to________________________and he would be_______________________. He and his_____________________________.

The Scripture: John 3:1-6

“Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, ‘Rabbi, we know You are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs You are doing if God were not with him! ‘In reply Jesus declared, ‘I tell you the truth, unless a man is born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God.’ ‘How can a man be born when he is old?’ Nicodemus asked, ‘Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be born! ‘Jesus answered, ‘I tell you the truth, unless a man is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to Spirit.’”

10. Jesus told Nicodemus he must ________________________________.

When we believe in Jesus, we are born again, we are saved. Perhaps you are wondering just what it is we are being saved from. The meaning of Jesus’ name tells us.

Before Jesus’ birth, an angel spoke to Joseph.

The Scripture: Matthew 1:21

“You are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.”

11. Jesus’ name means “He will _____________________ His people from _____________________.

Born of the Spirit

The first time we are born, we are born physically, of the flesh. When we are born again, we are born of the spirit; that is, our spirit which was formerly dead because of sin receives life. You remember Jesus told the Samaritan woman that God was seeking people who would worship Him in spirit and truth. We worship God in truth with our natural emotions and thoughts. Jesus told Nicodemus that flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit (the Holy Spirit) gives birth to the spirit. You see, God is a Spirit, not a physical person like we are. Unless we have a spiritual birth, we can never worship God in Spirit.

The Scripture: Romans 10:9

In another of his letters, the Apostle Paul speaks of being saved this way: “If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”

12. In order to be saved, we must _________________with our mouth,”________________”and __________________ in our _________________ that God _________________ Him from the dead!

All Have Sinned

Perhaps you think that you don’t need to be saved – that you’ve never done anything really bad. Perhaps you believe being saved is necessary only for really wicked people. Let’s see how the Bible would answer that argument.

The Scripture: Romans 3:23

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

13. Who has sinned?

The Scripture: John 3:16, 17 and 2 Peter 3:9

“God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.”

“[The Lord] is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”

14. Why did God send His Son?

15. What does this scripture tell us about God?

God’s Exchange

You see, in God’s eyes, whether we think of ourselves as a “good” or “bad” person, we are all sinners – until we come to Jesus. Because God cannot live with sin and because sin must always be punished, God sent His own Son, Jesus Christ, to take the punishment we should receive. In the most wonderful exchange ever made, Jesus gave His life as punishment for everyone’s sins. When we truly believe this in our hearts and give Jesus our sinful lives, God forgives us and gives us His Holy Spirit to live in us and teach us His ways.

Can you believe that God loves you no matter who you are, that He wants to save you, become involved in your life, and give you His glorious Holy Spirit to live with you? If you have never asked Jesus to be your Savior and Lord, wouldn’t you like to right now? Don’t pay attention to feelings or doubts you may have – this is a decision you must make in your will.

If you will – make this simple act of faith; the Holy Spirit will do the rest. Repeat this prayer:

Your prayer

Dear Lord,

I am sorry for all my sins. I believe that You are the Son of God, and that when You died on the cross, You died for those sins. I believe, too, that God raised You from the dead, and You are in heaven with Him today. Thank You for saving me.

Amen.

If you repeated this prayer, and believe it in your heart, you are now born again, and God’s Holy Spirit lives in you. Remember how the Samaritan woman went and told everyone about Jesus? Do the same.

If you have never been baptized, a local Christian pastor will be happy to baptize you. Begin to go to church regularly and keep company with other Christians. Give up those unhealthy things in your former life and be guided in your Christian life by your pastor and by the Holy Spirit.