Who Gets In And Why? 17 Mar

Questions we’ll answer today:

1.  We are told that we are saved when we accept Jesus as Lord, serve Him, and walk by faith. (Read Matthew 7:21-23). The people Jesus refers to in this passage know Jesus is Lord, they serve Him, and the things they do require faith (prophesying and casting out demons), yet Jesus calls them “evildoers” and rejects them. How can I know that I really am saved? I am terrified that when I stand before Jesus, He will say to me, “I never knew you. Get away from me, you evildoer.”
2. How did the people know about God before He became man as Jesus on earth? How were people saved before Jesus came to earth?
3. The Jews believe in the same God Christians do, but Jews do not believe Jesus is the son of God. Is there some way Jews who are already dead can be saved?
4. Is there someway for people (alive or dead) who have never had the chance to learn about Jesus to be saved?

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Download PDF of questions here

Start talking. Find a conversation starter for your group.

• Have you ever wanted to join a specific group or club? Were there requirements that you had to meet?  Were you able to meet them?  Sometimes Christianity can be treated the same as joining a club, but let’s jump into the questions and discuss what the Bible says about who gets in and why?

Start thinking and sharing. Ask a question to get your group thinking and to create openness.

• How do we know the answer to any questions about God?  In order to answer that question, we want to point out that one of the core values of Generations is Biblical Authority. “God speaks to us through the Bible and we recognize it as the final authority for our lives.”  Why is this value important to our discussion?  Read 1 Thessalonians 2:13, Psalm 86:8-10, Romans 1:20, and 2 Timothy 3:16-17.
• Abraham lived in Old Testament times.  Read Romans 4:1-3. What did Abraham “do” in order to be “righteous” in God’s eyes?  What are the first 2 words in all these verses; Hebrews 11:3-9. 11, 17, 20-24, 27-31.  Read Hebrews 11:1-2, 13-16. In what did these people of the Old Testament (before Jesus’ death on the cross) put their faith?
• Read 1 Corinthians 15:3-4. In what do the people of the New Testament (after Jesus’ death on the cross) put their faith?
• In Matthew 7:21-23 Jesus is speaking to people who claim to be Christians, but they are frauds.  Troy points out that this is different than a Christian who has truly trusted Christ as their Savior, but who feels like a fraud. Think about a time when you felt like a fraud because you were dealing with things like sin, busy life, doubts, or something else.  Does just feeling like a fraud mean you’re a fraud?  Why or why not?
• We don’t feel our way to salvation, we faith our way there.  Read and discuss Ephesians 2:8-9 and Romans 10:9-10, 13, and John 3:16.   Read Romans 1:16 and discuss this question, when it comes right down to it, is there really any difference between the OT and NT way to heaven?

Start doing. Commit to a step and live it out this week.

• Have you put a “stake in the ground”? Discuss this idea with your group. Are you struggling with feeling unsaved, that your faith isn’t enough?  What’s stopping you from putting a “stake in the ground” today?

Start praying. Be bold and pray with power.

• Pray for God to help you grow in your knowledge of HIS Word.

Start digging. For further study.

• Continue to discuss the question, “Is there some way for anyone to be saved after death?” Study through this article “What does the Bible say about Purgatory?”
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