Light & Darkness

Let’s get God involved by beginning with a prayer.

It is often helpful to begin this study by constructing a “spiritual timeline” with the person whom you are doing the study with.

Introduction: 

1 Peter 2:9-10 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

  1. Every person is either in the darkness or the light. There is no twilight zone.
  2. Where are you?
 

Point 1. Darkness.

Isaiah 59:1-2 Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.

  1. Sin separates us from God.
  2. In order for a man to have a relationship with God the wall must be broken down-sin must be forgiven.
  3. The point in time sin is forgiven is the point in time a person is saved.

Romans 3:23-25 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished.

  1. Who has sinned? Everyone!
  2. Who is further away from God, a person who sins a little or a person who sins a lot? All are equal, all lost. Therefore a good moral life does not save you. You cannot earn your salvation by your good deeds. 
  1. Faith in the blood of Jesus saves you. (v. 25)

What is Sin?

Galatians 5:19-21 (sins of commission) The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

2 Timothy 3:1-5 (sins of commission) But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.

James 4:17 (sins of omission) Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.

What is the eternal consequence of sin?

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord

 

Point 2. Light.

John 3:1-7 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. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’

  1. Born again (v. 3), born of water and spirit (v. 5), born again. (v. 7)
  2. Personal decision as an adult
  3. What message must one believe to be in the light (to be saved?).

Acts 2:22-24 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.

 

  1. Jesus is from God. (v. 22)
  1. Jesus raised physically from the dead. (v. 24)
  1. Everyone is responsible for the crucifixion of Christ. (v. 23) All have sinned. (Romans 3:23)

Response of people…

Acts 2:36-37 “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”

  1. Cut to the heart
  2. What shall we do? 
  3. Once the people believed, what did they do? 

Acts 2:38-42 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.” Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

  1. Repent (Greek = to turn)
  2. Be baptized (Greek = to be immersed).
  3. Sin forgiven. Therefore this is the point in time a person is saved.
  4. Holy Spirit given to each who responded-power to live as God commands.

Baptism.

Romans 6:1-4 What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 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.

Baptism is the sharing (a participation) in the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. (More than just a symbol.)

 

3. Traditions/False Doctrines –

Matthew 15:6-9 he is not to ‘honor his father’ with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: “‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.’

  1. Infant Baptism.
    1. Personal faith is needed. (Colossians 2:12 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.)
    2. Began approximately third century A.D.
  2. Original sin.
    1. Ezekiel 18:20 The soul who sins is the one who will die. The son will not share the guilt of the father, nor will the father share the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous man will be credited to him, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against him.
    2. Became “church doctrine” in 549 A.D.

      3.Praying Jesus into your heart.

    1. Revelation 3:20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.
    2. This verse is taken out of context. This verse is addressed to Christians.
    3. Began in the early 1800s in America.
  1. Sinful nature.

A suggestion is to write out and be specific about various sins you have committed during your life. This is so that you might see the gravity and magnitude of your sin. This is confidential and should only be shared with those who are studying with the person.

 

Let’s both finish in a prayer.

Scroll to Top