25 points: Gospel Presentation

Part I. TRUTH OF THE CROSS

Part II. BENEFITS OF BELIEVING IN JESUS

17. What are man's ways of reaching God? They created many religions and all their founders were dead. We require a concrete evidence - any founders must first conquer death for if they cannot help but die - they are disqualified. If they cannot save themselves how can they save you? Man are taught moral living, be good don't do evil. I do not object moral living but by itself it is not good enough. Sometimes I still may sin in my thoughts, in my heart I may be selfish or proud. That is way the Main truth of the Gospel is not asking you to do good - we cannot. Our sin and death had to be dealt with first. All man's way have failed!
    
    
18. God's way of salvation is through Jesus Christ. He shed his blood to cleanse our sins and died in our place so that we are at peace with God and have fellowship with Him. We are saved by the grace of God - not by our works or good deeds but by the grace of God. Ephesian 2:8-9 "For it is by grace that you have been saved through faith. It is not the result of your own efforts, but God's gift, so that no one can boast about it".
    
    
19. What are the benefits of believing in Jesus Christ? First, all you sins are forgiven - the past, present and future sins. You are reconciled to God and now have fellowship with Him. You are born again! In other words you have eternal life or a new life. What does born again mean? Nicodemus asked Jesus, "You mean to go back into my mother's womb and be born again? No. Not physically born again. This is a spiritual birth that gives a new spiritual life when the Holy Spirit of God enters into a person.
    
    
20. Jesus used the wind to illustrate this. You cannot see the wind but you can feel it. Similarly, when one is born again - he knows it and can feel the joy and peace of God. That is too subjective. Do you see the Holy Spirit in me? Even though you may not feel the wind blowing when you are in an enclosed room but you know the wind is blowing when you see falling leaves or dust or tree branches swaying. Similarly, though you cannot see this new life but you can see the evidence of it's existence - this we Christian call it living testimonies.
    
    
21. Since this is a new life, firstly, it will be hungry and will require food. Our physical body requires physical food and since this is a spiritual life it requires spiritual food. What is spiritual food? Bread? Butter? No. It is none other than the Word of God - reading the Bible. How do you know that person is born again and has a new life? In the past he may have gone to church or fellowship and maybe out of curiosity read the bible once in a blue moon. But after he believe in Jesus, there is a transformation. He hungers and thirsts for God's word. It is no longer a matter of choice - to have or have not but a matter of necessity and it's indispensable. Another testimony is that this new life will bring about good behavior change. In the past he may like to gamble, now he hates gambling - not just trying to restraint himself from gambling but he has lost all the interest in gambling. Before he became a Christian he had very bad temper and was a bitter person - hated people for the slightest reason. But now he can love even his enemies. (I suggest you use your own personal testimony)
    
    
22. Don't misunderstand the Gospel. We are not asking you to do good. Christians do not object to moral living and good deeds. We just cannot do good. But you may say that you know of some non-Christians who really do good deeds. From a human stand point - I agree. What human determines good is relative and differ from people to people - we all can only judge what he has done and called it good and moral. But God's goodness is a higher standard - not only what you do or not do but also what you think. Your selfishness, pride, self-righteousness, hatred, prejudice...etc all are sin before God. Jesus used a simple illustration, "A good tree bears good fruits and a bad tree bears bad fruit (Matt 7:17)." The tree determines the type of fruit. You don't expect apples from an orange tree nor a banana from a coconut tree. Jesus used this to explain that our life determines our behavior. If you wash a pig clean and shampoo it - it will go back to the dirt and muddy water. Why? Because it is a pig! That is why the gospel is not asking you to be a good moral person but first believe and have your sins forgiven, you have a new life and the Holy Spirit lives in you and you have fellowship with God - then and only then one can do what God considered good and moral - by God's standard.
    

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