SALVATION
Lesson Four:  God's Plan of Salvation

Keeping all the previous lessons in mind, read through all the following 
passages carefully.

    "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, 
for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree." (Galatians 3:13)

    "He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to 
sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. For you 
were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and 
Overseer of your souls.(1 Peter 2:24-25)

    "Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to 
the Father except through me." (John 14:6)

    "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever 
believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his 
Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." 
(John 3:16-17)

    "While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and 
said to them, "Peace be with you." They were startled and frightened, thinking 
they saw a ghost. He said to them, "Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise 
in your minds? Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; 
a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have."  When he had said this, 
he showed them his hands and feet. And while they still did not believe it because 
of joy and amazement, he asked them, "Do you have anything here to eat?" They gave 
him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate it in their presence." 
(Luke 24:36-43)

    "After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him 
from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when 
suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. "Men of Galilee," they said, "why 
do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you 
into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven." 
(Acts 1:9-11)

    "But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord 
Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, 
will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body." 
(Philippians 3:20-21)

    Romans 4:18-25  "Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of 
many nations, just as it had been said to him, "So shall your offspring be."  Without 
weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead--since he 
was about a hundred years old--and that Sarah's womb was also dead.  Yet he did not 
waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith 
and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.  
This is why "it was credited to him as righteousness."  The words "it was credited to him" 
were written not for him alone,  but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness--
for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.  He was delivered over 
to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification."
 
    Romans 5:1-21 "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God 
through our Lord Jesus Christ,  through whom we have gained access by faith into this 
grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.  Not only 
so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces 
perseverance;  perseverance, character; and character, hope.  And hope does not disappoint 
us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has 
given us. 
    You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the 
ungodly.  Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man 
someone might possibly dare to die.  But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: 
While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.   Since we have now been justified by 
his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him!  For if, when 
we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much 
more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!  Not only is this so, 
but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now 
received reconciliation.  
    Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in 
this way death came to all men, because all sinned--  for before the law was given, sin 
was in the world. But sin is not taken into account when there is no law.  Nevertheless, 
death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin 
by breaking a command, as did Adam, who was a pattern of the one to come.
    But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one 
man, how much more did God's grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, 
Jesus Christ, overflow to the many!  Again, the gift of God is not like the result of 
the one man's sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift 
followed many trespasses and brought justification.  For if, by the trespass of the one 
man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant 
provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, 
Jesus Christ.
    Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also 
the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men.  
For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also 
through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.
    The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace 
increased all the more,  so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might 
reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."


ASSIGNMENT 4d:  After reading through these verses and having reviewed the entire lesson four, 
write a final summary explaining your understanding of God's plan of salvation and how His 
character of love, justice and mercy fits in with the fall and redemption of Man. In this 
final summary, also include the following:

Read the following verses.  What does this suggest to you what God's purpose is for redeeming 
mankind and what is His will as you keep the character of God in mind and as to how Man was 
created in His image and in His likeness from the beginning? 

"And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes 
for the saints in accordance with God's will. And we know that in all things God works for 
the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God 
foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be 
the firstborn among many brothers." (Romans 8:27-29) 

"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing 
of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing 
and perfect will." (Romans 12:2)



Remember, try your best to answer the questions on your own. After giving it 
your best try, you can contact us for further guidance if you are still stuck on a point.

Submit your assignment to oamoam@hotmail.com and put Lesson 4d in the subject 
line.

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