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| I hope that if you have progressed this far in these lessons
that you know Christ as YOUR personal savior. Because you have been
"born again," there are guidelines and standards that God
expects you to live up to.
A Christian looks pretty much like any other individual you see every day. Should someone meet you on the street, he might never take a second look. In fact, the clothes, or hair style, even the kind of car they drive might be the same as yours. If there are no "distinguishing" marks on the Christian to identify them as such, how will those you meet know you are a Christian? A Christian's "walk" (the word "walk" simply means a person's conduct or the manner in which he lives his life) will set him apart from the rest of the world. The way he handles life's every day stresses should be different from the way a non-Christian reacts. What do you do when everyone turns on you and everything turns out wrong? Do you act like Jesus Christ did, or will circumstances get the best of you? This lesson will deal, on a very broad base, with how Christians should and should not conduct themselves. Monday Where You Once Walked Before you were saved, your "nature" was corrupt. There was not one good thing about you. You were "dead" in trespasses and sin. No matter what you did or how hard you tried, you could never do one thing that would please God. You may not have acted as badly as some people were acting, but your "nature" (your character and being) was just as sinful as their's was. Even if you had never told a lie (and this is unlikely), your nature was still that of a liar's. You may never have committed murder, but again, your nature was still that of the most gruesome murderer of all time! You were born with this nature and followed its ways because nowhere within you was the ability to do right. Then Christ came into your heart and took up residence. This "indwelling" of God gave you the ability to do what was pleasing in the sight of God. Ephesians 2:1-3 And you hath he _____________, who were ________ in _______________ and _________; Wherein in _________ past ye ___________ according to the _________ of this __________, according to the ___________ of the _____________ of the __________, the spirit that now ________________ in the _______________ of ____________: Among whom also we _______ had our ______________________ in times ___________ in the ________ of our _________, fulfilling the ___________ of the flesh and of the __________; and were by ___________ the children of __________, even as ___________. Questions: Abbreviate the first thirty-five books of the Old Testament and write out the next four. 1______2_______3______4______5______ 6______7______8______9______10_____ 11_____12______13_____14_____15_____ 16_____17______18_____19_____20_____ 21______22_____23______24______25______ 26_____27_____28_____29_____30_____ 31______32_______33______34______35______ ______________, ______________, _______________, ________________. Abbreviate all twenty-seven books of the New Testament. 1______2_______3______4______5______ 6_______7______8_______9______10______ 11_____12______13_____14_____15_____ 16_____17______18_____19_____20_____ 21______22______23______24______25_______ 26______27______ Tuesday Walking Without Fear Fear is a result of a lack of faith. It is not at all uncommon for Christians go through times of fear in their Christian life. Many of these fears arise from not knowing or not understanding what the Bible says. Some Christains don't know the answers to their problems, nor do they know where to go for the answers they seek. Sometimes they are unsure about their very salvation, or question what specific plans God has for their lives. Rest assured that if this is your situation, there are many who have gone before you. In time and with study, these fears will give way to confidence. The more you know about God, the more confidence you have in him. Following are a few scriptures that describe the promises that God will always be there for us, even (maybe we should say especially) in times of doubt. Psalms 27:1 The _________ is my ________ and my ___________: whom shall I __________? The LORD is the ____________ of my _____________; of whom shall I be ____________? Psalms 56:1-3 Be ____________ unto me, O __________; for man would __________ me up; he _____________ daily __________________ me. Mine ___________ would daily ____________ me up: for they be ____________ that fight against me, O thou most __________. What time I am __________, I will ___________ in thee. Questions: Abbreviate the first thirty-five books of the Old Testament and write out the next four. 1______2_______3______4______5______ 6______7______8______9______10_____ 11_____12______13_____14_____15_____ 16_____17______18_____19_____20_____ 21______22_____23______24______25______ 26_____27_____28_____29_____30_____ 31______32_______33______34______35______ ______________, ______________, _______________, ________________. Abbreviate all twenty-seven books of the New Testament. 1______2_______3______4______5______ 6_______7______8_______9______10______ 11_____12______13_____14_____15_____ 16_____17______18_____19_____20_____ 21______22______23______24______25_______ 26______27______ Wednesday Walk With Character The character of a Christian is different from the person of the world (a lost person). Within the Christian is an old nature (sin nature), but with the new birth comes another nature. The Holy Spirit of God himself lives within the Christian. He directs, leads, motivates, comforts, and seals, among other things. He gives us a new character, as described in Galatians 5:22, the essence of which is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance. These God-like qualities enable us to walk like Christ walked; without them, we would be like the rest of the world, engaged in our selfish desires and lust. II Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any ________ be in _________, he is a ________ _____________: old things are ____________ away; behold, ________ things are ______________ new. Ephesians 4:24 And that ye ________ on the ________ man, which after _________ is ________ in righteousness and true __________. Galatians 6:15 For in ________ __________ neither circumcision ______________ any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a __________ _________. Questions: Abbreviate the first thirty-five books of the Old Testament and write out the next four. 1______2_______3______4______5______ 6______7______8______9______10_____ 11_____12______13_____14_____15_____ 16_____17______18_____19_____20_____ 21______22_____23______24______25______ 26_____27_____28_____29_____30_____ 31______32_______33______34______35______ ______________, ______________, _______________, ________________. Abbreviate all twenty-seven books of the New Testament. 1______2_______3______4______5______ 6_______7______8_______9______10______ 11_____12______13_____14_____15_____ 16_____17______18_____19_____20_____ 21______22______23______24______25_______ 26______27______ Thursday Walk With Confidence No matter how determined a person may be not to sin, sooner or later he will. We all have special weaknesses that make us vulnerable to certain sinful tendencies that don't affect others in the same way. What may be tempting to you may not tempt the Christian sitting next to you at all. These are weaknesses and temptations that are sometimes difficult to overcome. However, we must understand that "greater is he that is in you" than he (Satan) that is in the world. The Christian has several enemies they must be on guard against: himself, the world, and Satan all launch an all-out attack against that which is of God. We have overcome the world. Of course, it was not through our own efforts; rather, Christ overcame the world for us. We have nothing to fear from the world. The Bible tells us that the Christian who is submitted to God can resist the Devil, and the Devil will flee from him. The Christian is only as strong as his reliance upon God and His Word. Jesus himself gave us instruction on how to handle the old man within us; "Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me." Matthew 16:24 Galatians 5:16 This I _______ then, ________ in the __________, and ye shall not ___________ the _______ of the _______. John 16:33 These things I have __________ unto you, that in me ye might have _________. In the _________ ye shall have _____________: but be of good __________; I have __________ the world. I John 4:4 Ye are of ________, little _________, and have ______________ them: because __________ is he that is in _____________, than he that is in the __________. Questions: Abbreviate the first thirty-five books of the Old Testament and write out the next four. 1______2_______3______4______5______ 6______7______8______9______10_____ 11_____12______13_____14_____15_____ 16_____17______18_____19_____20_____ 21______22_____23______24______25______ 26_____27_____28_____29_____30_____ 31______32_______33______34______35______ ______________, ______________, _______________, ________________. Abbreviate all twenty-seven books of the New Testament. 1______2_______3______4______5______ 6_______7______8_______9______10______ 11_____12______13_____14_____15_____ 16_____17______18_____19_____20_____ 21______22______23______24______25_______ 26______27______ Friday Walking Like Christ To walk as Christ walked is a pretty big order, yet that is exactly what God expects us to do. The Christian walk (the Christ-like walk) is supposed to imitate the character of Christ. Unless we are expressing the same character as Christ, then our life is not in tune with God's plan for us. We should stay away from places unbecoming to a Christian (unless it for the purpose of spreading the gospel). We pray before our meals. We constantly tell others about Christ. We live a holy and blameless life. Others are able to see Christ living within us. This may all sound great, but how do you do all this? First, you make yourself available to God. You may not know what course he wants you to travel, and you simply tell him of this doubt and tell him you are ready to do his bidding. Then, you begin to study his Word. Maybe you won't understand it at first, but through prayer and meditation God will enlighten you. Then, you put into practice what you have learned through his Word. For instance, if you read Hebrews 10:25 and learn that you are not to "forsake the assembling of yourselves together," then you put that into practice. You go to church Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday night. Many have a tendency to "skip over" things that they don't like. However, if you are to grow and mature as a Christian, you learn one truth at a time, then you put it into practice. You can't wait until you know ALL the truth before you put any into practice. Colossians 2:6 As ye have therefore __________ Christ Jesus the _________, so ________ ye in him: I John 2:6 He that _________ he ___________ in him ought _________ also so to ___________, even as _______ walked. 2 Corinthians 5:7 (For we ______ by _______, not by _________:) Questions: Abbreviate the first thirty-five books of the Old Testament and write out the next four. 1______2_______3______4______5______ 6______7______8______9______10_____ 11_____12______13_____14_____15_____ 16_____17______18_____19_____20_____ 21______22_____23______24______25______ 26_____27_____28_____29_____30_____ 31______32_______33______34______35______ ______________, ______________, _______________, ________________. Abbreviate all twenty-seven books of the New Testament. 1______2_______3______4______5______ 6_______7______8_______9______10______ 11_____12______13_____14_____15_____ 16_____17______18_____19_____20_____ 21______22______23______24______25_______ 26______27______ |