Responding To God’s Love
Lesson Six
Introduction:
This Is A Continuation Of Our
Previous Lesson Where We
Asked The Question:
“How Would God Have You
Respond To His Great Love?”
1
Seek To Understand & Obey
Each Person Must
Seek To Understand
And Obey These
Truths For Him Or
Herself.
When You, By Faith,
Surrender Your Life To
Jesus God Does What He
Promised.
By So Doing, God Will
Consider You A
Disciple Of Jesus And
A Part Of His Eternal
Kingdom.
2
First Century Responses
• Notice The Response Of First Century Hearers
Of The Gospel And What They Were Promised.
• In Acts 2 We Read An Historical Account Of
What Happened In Jerusalem On A Jewish
Holiday Called Pentecost.
• Thousands Of People From All Over The
Roman Empire Were Gathered To Celebrate
The Occasion.
• Jesus Had Already Ascended Back Into
Heaven About Ten Days Earlier.
• He Sent The Holy Spirit Just As He Promised
His Apostles The Night Before His Crucifixion
(John 14:26; 15:26; 16:7-15).
3
Apostles Empowered By The
Holy Spirit
• Jesus Also Reminded
Them Of This Promise
Just Before He
Ascended Into
Heaven (Acts 1:4-5).
The Holy Spirit Empowered The Apostles, Giving
Them Miraculous Abilities.
They Spoke Languages They Had Not Studied And
Were Given An Inspired Message They Had Not
Previously Understood.
4
Peter’s Message To The Crowd
Acts 2:22-24, 32
"Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a
man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders
and signs, which God did among you through him,
as you yourselves know. This man was handed over
to you by God's set purpose and foreknowledge; and
you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death
by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from
the dead, freeing him from the agony of death,
because it was impossible for death to keep its hold
on him . . . God has raised this Jesus to life, and we
are all witnesses of the fact.”
5
The People Were Witnesses
Peter Addressed
The People As
Witnesses Of
The Miraculous
Works God Had
Done Through
Jesus.
6
Jesus Was Put To Death
Peter Stated Clearly That
Jesus Was Put To Death
By Their Deeds
And That God Raised
Him From The Dead.
This Was According To
God’s Eternal Purpose.
7
Jesus Was Raised By God
Paul Repeats
The Fact That
Jesus Was
Raised By God
And The
Apostles Had
Seen Him
Alive.
1 Corinthians 15:3-8
“For what I received I passed on
to you as of first importance : that
Christ died for our sins according
to the Scriptures, that he was
buried, that he was raised on the
third day according to the
Scriptures, and that he appeared
to Peter, and then to the Twelve.
After that, he appeared to more
than five hundred of the brothers
at the same time, most of whom
are still living, though some have
fallen asleep. Then he appeared to
James, then to all the apostles,
and last of all he appeared to me
also, as to one abnormally born.”
8
Final Proof
• Remember That The Resurrection Of Jesus Was
The Final Proof Of His Claim To Be The Son Of
God.
• This Fact Is A Major Pillar Of Christianity.
• Without His Resurrection, We Have No Hope For
Life Beyond The Grave (1 Cor. 15:12-21)
• These Facts Were Put Before These People So
That They Could Base Their Decisions On The
Truth.
Acts 2:36
"Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made
this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ." 9
Peter Continues
• Peter Restated Who
Acts 2:37
Jesus Was And
Reminded His Listeners When the people
heard this, they
That They Were
were cut to the
Responsible For His
heart and said to
Crucifixion.
Peter and the other
• Jesus Died For Their
apostles,
Sins.
"Brothers, what
• Notice Their Reaction
shall we do?"
When They Believed
What They Heard.
10
The Facts Touched Their Hearts
•
•
•
•
•
They Had Put To Death The Son Of God.
Your Sins Put Him On That Cross, Too.
We Are As Guilty As They Were.
He Died For Your Sins.
The Message Should Cut Your Heart Just
As It Did Theirs.
• They Asked, “What Shall We Do?”
• This Indicates They Believed The Gospel
Message But Realized The Need For
Further Response On Their Part.
11
Peter’s Reply
• So Peter’s Reply Should Be As Important To
You As It Was To Them.
Acts 2:38-40
Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of
you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of
your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy
Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for
all who are far off--for all whom the Lord our God will
call.“ With many other words he warned them; and he
pleaded with them, "Save yourselves from this corrupt
generation."
12
Repentance And Baptism Are
Necessary
• Peter States That Repentance And Baptism By The
Authority Of Jesus Are Necessary For The
Forgiveness Of Sins.
• The Crowd Was Also Promised That God’s Spirit
Would Take Up Residence In Them When Their Sins
Were Removed (Acts 5:32 Says God Gives His Spirit
To Those Who Obey Him).
• Notice How The People Responded And What They
Were Promised.
13
The Lord Added The Baptized
Acts 2:41, 47
Those who accepted
his message were
baptized, and about
three thousand were
added to their number
that day . . . . And the
Lord added to their
number daily those who
were being saved.
• When They Were
Baptized, The Lord
Added Them To The
Number Of Disciples (His
Church).
• The Lord Also Added
Them To The Number Of
Saved People.
• They Were Saved From
Sin And The Separation
Caused By Sin.
• They Were Saved From
The Wrath Of God At
Judgment And An Eternal
Destiny In A Godless
Hell.
14
Now Look At The Illustration
Actions
Believe
Facts
Promises
John 3:16 “Jesus is God’s Son”
John 11:25-26 “He who believes in me will
Eternal Life
live”
Mark 5:7 (Demons know Jesus is God’s
Son)
James 2:19 (Demons believe and shudder)
Confess
Rom 10:9-10 “Jesus is Lord”, Master, Ruler,
Saved
Authority
Matt 7:21 Not all who say Lord, Lord, will
enter heaven
Matt 10:32-33 Christ will acknowledge those
who acknowledge Him
2 Cor 3:17-18 Freedom is in Him
Repent
Baptized
Mark 16:16
Matt 28:18-20 Jesus has all authority”
Acts 2:38-41, 47
1. Sins Forgiven
2. Received the
gift of the H.S.
3. Added to the #
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of the saved.
Repentance
• There Are Two Important Parts To Biblical
Repentance.
• The First Part Is Change.
• Repentance Means To Change One’s Mind
And Actions.
• It Is A Heartfelt Decision To Turn From
Sinfulness To God • And To Stop Doing Those Things That Grieve
Him.
16
Acts 3:19
Repent, then, and turn to
God, so that your sins may
be wiped out, that times of
refreshing may come from
the Lord,
• When God’s Spirit Is In Us, We Are Refreshed By
Having A Renewed Relationship With Him.
• Changed Living Takes A Decided Effort On Our Part,
But The Power To Do So Successfully Comes From
The Lord
(2 Cor 3:17-18)
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the
Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled
faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being
transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing
glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
17
Repentance
• Sorrow is the second part of Repentance.
2 Cor. 7:9-10
. . . . . your sorrow led you to repentance.
For you became sorrowful as God
intended and so were not harmed in any
way by us. Godly sorrow brings
repentance that leads to salvation and
leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow
brings death.
18
There Are Two Kinds Of Sorrow
•Two Kinds Of Sorrow Are Mentioned
in 2 Cor. 7:9-10,
•Worldly Sorrow And Godly Sorrow.
Example:
Two Bank Robbers Are In Prison At
The Same Time, And Both Of Them Are
Sorry.
One Is Grieved That His Life Has
Become Such A Mess And That He Has
Hurt God With His Sinful Ways.
The Other Is Just Sorry He Got Caught
And Grieves Over The Fact That He
Didn’t Have A Good Enough Getaway
Plan And Now Has To Serve Time.
One Has Godly Sorrow That Leads To
Repentance; The Other Has Worldly
Sorrow.
19
Another Illustration
• While Traveling Down A
Road Called Sin, You Look
Ahead And See The End
Result, It Is An Eternal
Destiny You Do Not Want,
Torment In A Godless Hell.
• You Are Sorry That You
Have Come This Way And
Decide To Turn To A
Different Road.
• God Gives You That
Opportunity Through His
Forgiveness, Made
Available In Jesus Christ.
20
Repentant Believers
• The People Being Baptized In Acts 2 Were
Repentant Believers.
• Each Person Had To Decide Whether He
Or She Believed The facts About Jesus As
Stated By The Apostles.
• Each Person Had To Repent Of His Or
Her Own Sin And Be Baptized.
21
God’s Purpose For Baptism
 Let’s Look At Some More Passages Of Scripture That Will
Deepen Our Understanding Of God’s Purpose For Baptism.
 John 3:1-5
 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, no one can see the kingdom of
God unless he is born again.“ "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, no one can enter the kingdom
of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.”
22
Jesus Taught Nicodemus
Nicodemus Knew Jesus Was From God, So
Jesus Taught Him About Spiritual Rebirth.
Nicodemus Thought Jesus Was Talking About
Being Physically Reborn.
But Jesus Said Spiritual Rebirth Consists Of
Water And Spirit.
Notice How Acts 2:38 Makes The Same
Connection Between Water Baptism And
Receiving God’s Spirit.
You Will Be Spiritually Starting Over When Your
Sins Are Removed And God Gives You His
Spirit.
23
Romans 6:1-4
What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that
grace may increase? (2)By no means! We died to sin; how
can we live in it any longer? (3)Or don't you know that all of
us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into
his death? (4)We were therefore buried with him through
baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised
from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may
live a new life.
The Christians In Rome Were Reminded Of How They Had
Been Separated From Their Sins In Baptism.
They Were Baptized Into The Death Of Jesus (6:3).
That Is When His Blood Washed Away Their Sins.
Paul Describes Baptism As A Burial And Resurrection (6:4)
The Old Man Of Sin Is Dead And Buried With Christ.
He Is Then Raised With Him To Live A New Life.
24
Three Spiritual States
This Simple Illustration May Help.
The Same Person Is In Three Spiritual States:
Death, Burial, And Resurrection.
New Life
Holy
Spirit
SIN
Resurrection
Death
Burial
25
The Gospel Defined
1 Corinthians 15:1-5
1 Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which
you received and on which you have taken your stand.
2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you.
Otherwise, you have believed in vain.
3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance : that Christ
died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the
Scriptures,
5 and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve.
 Paul Defines The Gospel For The Corinthian Christians.
 He Says It Is The Death, Burial, And Resurrection Of
Jesus.
26
Baptism, Our Response To
Obedient Faith
Scripture Tells Us That We Are Saved Through Faith
In The Gospel Of Jesus Christ.
Romans 1:16
I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for
the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the
Gentile.
 Baptism Is Our Personal Participation In The Gospel
(The Death, Burial, And The Resurrection Of Jesus).
 Baptism Is A Person’s Response Of Obedient Faith.

27
Baptism Is A Burial And
Resurrection
Colossians 2:12-13
“. . . . having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through
your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. When you
were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God
made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins . . . ”



Paul Describes Baptism As A Burial And Resurrection.
These People Put Their Faith In God’s Power To Take
Away Their Sins.
It Is God Who Made Them Spiritually Alive Again When
He Forgave Their Sins.
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A New Start In A New Relationship
Galatians 3:26-29
You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were
baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew
nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to
the promise.




Becoming A Child Of God Is Through Faith In Christ Jesus.
Baptism Is The Point When You Put On Christ Or Are
Clothed With Him.
You Begin Wearing His Characteristics And Become An Heir
Of God’s Eternal Promises
This Is A New Start In A New Relationship With God.
29
Cleansed By The Blood Of Jesus
1 Peter 3:21-22
and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also--not the
removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience
toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has
gone into heaven and is at God's right hand--with angels, authorities
and powers in submission to him.



Peter Compares The Water That Saved Noah (Genesis
6) From A Sinful World To God’s Purpose For Water
Baptism.
We Aren’t Baptized To Have Our Dirty Skin Washed
With Water.
Our Sins Are To Be Washed Away By The Blood Of
Jesus And Our Consciences Made Clean Again.
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Conclusion

Now How About You?
Do You Believe That Jesus Is The Risen Son Of
God?
Are You Ready To Surrender Your Life To Him,
Letting Him Become Your Lord?
Are You Sorry For Your Sinful Life And Ready To
Turn From Sin To God?
Are You Ready To Be Baptized As God’s Word
Says So That Your Sins Will Be Forgiven?

May The Lord Bless You With Wisdom
And Courage As You Prayerfully
Consider This Most Important Decision.
31
End Of Lesson Six
 In Our Next Lesson We Will Continue
To Investigate The Response Of First
Century Hearers Of The Gospel And
What They Were Promised.
32