Teen Sunday School- Lesson 1- Salvation

The goal of today’s lesson is that you would know with absolute confidence that you are saved.

John 5:39 (KJV): Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.

The reality is that there are many people who think that they have eternal life, but who are actually mistaken.

Matthew 7:21-23- Not everyone who appears to be saved actually is saved.

Can You Know?

There are many who believe that you must take a “wait and see” approach to salvation.

They would suggest that you can’t possibly know for certain that you will go to heaven.

Their attitude is that you must do all that you can during this life and hope that you have done enough to be allowed to enter heaven.

Yet if we carefully examine the scriptures we will come to an entirely different conclusion.

I John 5:11-14

Let’s pay careful attention to verse 13 and especially to two words in the middle of the verse.

The first is know, apparently John believed that it was possible for a person to have confidence that they are saved.

The second is have, which is in the present tense, meaning that you can know right now that you “have” eternal life.

John tells us here that his purpose for writing was to provide assurance of salvation to those who had believed in Jesus.

How Can You Know?

For the answer to this question we must again go to the scriptures.

There are many people who have many opinions about what is necessary to be saved, but the only thing that matters is what God says in His Word.

John 3:14-18

In this passage, Jesus is speaking with a man who was religious and moral, but who was still unsaved.

Here we have a clear presentation of what is required for a person to be saved from Jesus Himself.

The Problem of Sin

There are several references in these few verse to perishing or being condemned.

Jesus is referring to the consequences of sin in the life of every man.

Romans 3:23 (KJV): For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Romans 6:23 (KJV): For the wages of sin is death…

Because of sin, we are all condemned.

The Solution for Sin

There are many who believe the solution for sin is to do good in the hope that all the good that you do will outweigh the bad that you have done.

Yet nowhere does Jesus tell this man or any other to go and do good deeds in order to be saved.

Jesus does provide the solution and it is a very simple one: Believe.

Notice verse 18 specifically: “He that believeth is not condemned.”

The Way of Salvation

Jesus Christ came not to condemn the world, but to save the world (Vs. 16 & 17)

John 14:6 (KJV): Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

It is clear based on scripture that Jesus is the only way of salvation.

Jesus died for our sins and rose again to save us from condemnation. (Romans 5:8-10)

Though it is our sin that condemns us, our eternal destiny rests on one factor alone: Have we “believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God”?

We receive the salvation that is offered to us in Jesus through faith, trusting in Him for salvation.

Ephesians 2:8–9 (KJV): For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Salvation is by faith alone in Christ alone!

Do You Know?

Romans 10:9-10- these verses describe what a person must do to be saved.

Have you believed from the heart?

A person is not saved simply because they know about Jesus.

You must have believed in Him from the heart in order to be saved.

You must believe that He died for you and that He rose again to secure your salvation.

You must have made an intentional choice to put your trust in Him as savior.

Have you confessed with your mouth the Lord Jesus?

This simply means that you have publicly acknowledged Him as your savior.

This confession of Christ is not a means by which we are saved, but is the evidence that you have believed sincerely.

Why You Need to Know

There are many people in the world today who are trying to do right without the power that is necessary to do so.

Matthew 7:21-23- There will be many who assumed that what they were doing was enough but who will find themselves ultimately disappointed.

The truth is you cannot live for God without having a relationship with Jesus Christ. True transformation is the result of God’s Spirit working within us and anything less will only be temporary.

Galatians 5:16–18 (KJV 1900)

This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.

The power to live for God is found in the Spirit of God which is placed within every individual believes on Jesus Christ.

It is also true that you cannot effectively serve God without knowing Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 3:20–21 (KJV 1900)

Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

God has a plan and a purpose for your life and He wants to use you to make a difference in this world, but in order for this plan to come to fruition you must first place your faith in Jesus and be confident of your salvation.