Bible study

When you see a group picture which includes ,you, whom do you look at first? Yourself, of course. This is a natural reaction which in principle applies to many of life's situations. At work, at school, at home, we ask ourselves: where do I fit into the picture?

God's word is not a musty historical record far removed from us. It includes you and me, being just as relevant today as ever, portraying our origin, purpose, problems, privileges, duties and destiny. This brief study is a bird's-eye view of God's redemptive plan from Genesis to Revelation, with emphasis on finding ourselves.

The first step in solving our spiritual problems is to establish the source of authority. Who is to be our guide on this journey from earth to heaven? The religious world is divided today because of a failure to accept the same authority.
1. GOD'S WORD IS THE FINAL AUTHORITY IN ALL SPIRITUAL MATTERS.
A. "All Scripture is given by inspiration of____ and is profitable for____________, for_________________, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be _________ thoroughly furnished unto ____ good works" II Tim. 3:16,17).

B. God's grace has already provided "all things that pertain to _____________ and_________________" (II Pet. 1:3). The Bible is the complete revelation of God to man.

2. GOD HAS WARNED US NOT TO ALTER HIS WORD -- by addition, subtraction, or substitution. To do so would be to presume that we are wiser than God.

A. " Ye shall not ________ unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye ___________

aught from it, that ye may keep the ______________ of the Lord your God which I command you" (Deut. 4:2).

B. "Whosoever transgresseth and abideth not in the ___________ of ____________ hath not God" (II Jno. 9-11). We must be extremely careful to follow God's word just as He has given it. Other Scriptures which teach this are Gal. 1:8,9 and Rev. 22:18,19.

3. THIS EXCLUDES ALL OTHER SOURCES OF AUTHORITY, such as (1) our feelings (2) latter day revelations (3) church leaders (4) science or (5) reason and the philosophies of men.

4. FOLLOWING MEN'S TEACHINGS IS VAIN AND FUTILE. "But in vain do they worship me, teaching for ________________ the commandments of ________" (Matt.15:9).

5. GOD INTENDS FOR US TO UNDERSTAND HIS WORD (Eph. 5:17). It was not written to some ecclesiastical body to be interpreted for the people. We will be judged it (Jno. 12:48; Rev. 20:12). It is unreasonable to think that God will judge us by something we can't understand.

6. WE MUST LOVE THE TRUTH OR BE CONDEMNED (II Thess. 2:10-12) . What is truth" "_________ __________ is truth " (Jno. 17:17).

II. IN THE BEGINNING

1. God told Adam and Eve that the penalty of sin would be death (Gen. 2:16, 17). The word death means separation. As a result of Adam's sin, all die physically -- separation of body and spirit (Eccl. 12:97). Spiritual death (separation of man's spirit from fellowship with God is a result of one's own sins, not the sin of Adam. "The soul that sinneth it shall die." The son shall not bear the iniquity of the iniquity of the _______ (Ezek. 18 :20) Thus, infants are not born in sin.

2. All people do sin, however, after they reach the age of responsibility (Gen. 8:21). For ______ have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (Rom. 3:23). This includes you and me.

3. What is sin? Either a transgression of God's law )I Jno. 3:4), or an omission of it (Jas. 4:17).

4. Sin separates a person from God: "Your iniquities have separated
between you and your _________, and your sins have hid his face
from you that he will not _______" (Isa. 59:1,2). Thus, no
person can have fellowship with God, in this world or the next, unless the soul is cleansed from sin.

III. THE FIRST PROMISE

1 . THE BIBLE IS A LOVE STORY -- the story of God's love for mankind. After Adam's sin and his separation from the tree of life, God began making plans for man's redemption. The first promise is found in Gen. 3:15. When Christ, the seed of woman, suffered death, he was bruised by Satan. In his triumphant resurrection, Christ bruised the head of Satan and proved His superior power.

From Gen. 3:15, the remainder of the Bible is a story of the Father's plans to bring man back to a lovely paradise where the tree of life is. In this sweet love story, Christ, the promised redeemer, is the central figure.

2. The tree of life, lost in Eden, will be regained in heaven. "Blessed are they that do his _____ that they may have right to the tree of ________ and may enter in through the gates into the city" (Rev. 22:14).

3. THIS IS A CONDITIONAL PROMISE. The purpose of our study is to learn the conditions we must meet in order to enjoy this beautiful and consoling promise.

1. For about 2500 years, there was no written law. God spoke directly to the fathers, or patriarchs, who also served as priests and offered sacrifices for their families. This period is referred to as the "Patriarchal Age." Major characters are ADAM, NOAH, ABRAHAM, ISAAC, JACOB, AND JOSEPH.

2. Abraham was the most outstanding -- for God called him from among his people and made him the father of the Hebrew race. God promised them special blessings -- not just for their good alone, but for the benefit of the whole world, including us, in working out His plan of redemption.

A. The land promise -- that Abraham's posterity would inherit the land of Canaan (Gen. 12:7). This was fulfilled when the children of Israel possessed the land of Canaan (Josh. 21:43).

B. The spiritual promise (Gen 12:3) -- that through Abraham's _______all the world would be ___________. This was fulfilled in ___________ (Gal. 3:16).

4. The remainder of the Bible is an unfolding and enlarging of these two promises. An understanding of this will help us to understand the entire Bible. The Old Testament is the story of a Nation (Hebrew). The New Testament is the story of a Man (Christ) who came into the world through that nation so that we can be saved.

Let's briefly diagram this golden thread of promise which runs through the remainder of the Bible:

PATRIARCHAL AGE

2500 years

Promise to Abraham

1. Land promise

2. Spiritual promise

MOSAIC AGE

1500 years

fulfilled (Josh. 21:43)

CHRISTIAN AGE

Since A.D 33

IN CHRIST

"Abraham's seed" (Gal. 3:29)

fulfilled in Christ (Gal. 3:29)

5. Abraham is honored by a greater number of people than anyone who has ever live. by Muslims, who claim to be his descendents through Ishmael (keep in mind that the spiritual blessing was to come through Isaac, not Ishmael -- Gen. 26:4). By Jews, who are Abraham's fleshly descendents: "and if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's ______, and heirs according to the ______" (Gal. 3:29).

The Bible deals with two different covenants (also spoken of as wills or testaments). Though both were given by God, the first was only preparatory. After it served God's purpose, it was taken away. Then a new law was given. A thorough understanding of this would clarify much confusion in the religious world.

Because of famine in Canaan, Jacob and eleven of his sons and their families (70 in all, descendants of Abraham -- Ex. 1:5) went into Egypt. Joseph was already there, having been sold into bondage by his brothers. These formed the nucleus of the Hebrew nation in Egypt. After 400 years of bondage and oppression, God sent Moses to deliver them (Ex. 3 and 4). On their journey from Egypt to Canaan, the law of Moses was given (Ex. 20). It lasted about 1500 years, involving most of the Old Testament (from Ex. 20 to Acts 2). Open your Bible to Exodus 20. Hold the place and turn to Acts 2. You can see how much space God saw fit to devote to the Mosaic period. This, we cannot understand the Bible without knowing the purposes and characteristics of the law of Moses.

2. It was "added because of _____________________" (Gal. 3:19). It was one of God's measures to preserve faith in Him, in a world which was being overrun with idolatry. God's law given through Moses, by prohibiting intermarriage with other nations, threw a wall or partition around the Hebrew people and separated them from all other nations. In this manner, the nation through which Christ was to be born was preserved. If the world had been completely enveloped with idolatry, no one would have understood the mission of Christ when he came. In this we see a further unfolding of the promises give to Abraham, both physical and spiritual.

3. The law of Moses was temporary: "till the _______ should come" "which is _________" (Gal. 3:16-19). It served as a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ and to teach us the purpose of his life and death (Gal. 3:24).

4. In preparing the way for Christ, Moses' law furnished a "__________" good things ____ ______" (Heb. 10:1). A shadow has the same form as its substance, but it is no substance within itself. The law typified that which was to come and made it recognizable. For instance, animal sacrifices -- which could never "take away _________" (Heb. 10:4) -- only typified the supreme sacrifice of Christ. They were "shadows" of that which was to come.

5. The old law was faulty (Heb. 8: 6-13), for under it there could be no complete forgiveness of sin. Christ became the mediator of a ______________covenant.

6. Look at the diagram on page 7 (diagram coming soon). Note the different divisions or periods of time under the law of Moses. It is good to recall the major characters of each division. this helps to fix Bible history more firmly in our minds.

1. "Behold the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new ________________" (Jer. 31:31-34). this is quoted in Heb. 8:6-13, which contrast the old law and the new law, showing that the new law is a fulfillment of this prophecy.

2. "And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established ... for out of Zion shall go forth the ____________ and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem" (Isa. 2:2-4). The house of God is the church (I Tim. 3:15) -- so this foretold the coming of the church.

3. These, and other passages, foretold the coming of a new law, a new covenant, and the establishment of the church.

1. It was prophesied that God would send a messenger to prepare the way for the coming of Christ (Ma. 3;1). "In those days come John the Baptist preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, Repent ye: for the ______________ of _____________is _________ __________ (Matt. 3: 1, 2).

2. John recognized that his work was only preparatory: "He that cometh after me is mightier than I" (Matt. 3:11). "He must increase, but I must increase" (Jno. 3:28-30). John's death (Matt. 14:10).

Christ is the central figure of all ages. Even the calculation of time was changed by His coming. He existed from the beginning, being one of the Godhead. Why did He leave his exalted place in heaven and dwell among men for awhile?

1. He was the Promised Redeemer, who fulfilled all the promises and prophecies of God, beginning with Gen. 3:15, and including everything in the law of Moses (Matt. 5:17, 18).

2. He came to show us the Father (Jno. 14:8-10) -- the spiritual image, not physical, for God is a spirit, not flesh and bones.

3. He came to leave us a perfect example to follow, a blessing never before enjoyed by mankind (I Peter 2:21, 22).

4. In the flesh, Christ was "in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin" and therefore became fully qualified as our sympathetic mediator and high priest (Heb. 4:15, 16).

5. He came "to give his life as a ransom for many" (Matt. 20:28), to die for our sins, a necessary part of God's redemptive plan.

Full salvation was not brought to the world by Christ's birth, nor even by his life; but he taught when and how this unparalleled blessing would come. Note some of his promises:

1. Matt. 16:18 -- "Upon this rock I will build _____ _________." The rock is the great truth that Jesus is the Son of the living God (Note: John the Baptist was already dead; the coming of Christ's church still a future event).

2. Mk. 9:1 -- Christ said: "there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death till they have seen the ____________ of God come ______ __________." Kingdom (or church) to come "with power" in that generation.

3. Jno. 16:13 -- "Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into _____ ______." Christ promised his apostles that he would send the Holy Spirit to guide them into a revelation of all truth after he had ascended to heaven. Therefore, truths, taught by the apostles are by direct authority of Christ and the Holy Spirit.