You want to be a Christian, the kind that God respects. You have seen so many profess to serve Jesus who fail to become beautiful Christians. You sometimes wonder if you can succeed. You ask: "Why start and then give up?"
Jesus is greatly embarrassed when someone starts to follow Him, and then gives up and lets the devil make him worldly again. Satan taunts Jesus, saying, "I've got people on my side better than that." And for one to begin and then quit always drags someone else back. A friend watching is bound to say, "So-and-so couldn't make it, so I'm sure I couldn't either. No use to even start." And for this reason many sincere people never become Christians.
You wouldn't have come this far in these studies unless it is your deepest desire to follow Jesus all the way. This study distills into a few precious drops the essence of how to be a happy, faithful Christian all your life. No subject in our series can be more important. As a Christian, you area link in God's chain let down to save the world. But no chain is stronger than its weakest link. If you fail, it is just the same as if the entire chain fails so far as somebody important somewhere is concerned. That person is depending on you; if you give up and sink, he goes down, too. So, you are not saving yourself; you are saving somebody else! Further, you are standing firm in order to honor and vindicate the Lord who died for you. These are the real reasons why we want to be faithful and happy Christians all the way. Here is the Bible how.
1. What is always the first step in becoming a happy Christian? John 3:16.
ANSWER: "That whosoever __________."
In other words, being a happy Christian does not depend on doing good works, but on exercising faith. The first step is to believe that God loves you as though you were the only person in all the world for whom Christ died. You are the whole world with its sin; the sacrifice of the cross was made for you.
2. If you believe that God loves you like that, what will you also believe concerning your life? Romans 8:31, 32.
ANSWER: "If God be for us, who can __________ __________ __________?"
Here is the answer to our problem of getting discouraged. Whatever you are hungry for, whatever you need, God will provide. Believe this, and you will never make the mistake of messing up your life. The Lord wisely makes you wait before you get your hands on the gift you want, but He will not leave you to wait even one day longer than is necessary for your own eternal happiness. As an example of how one waited for the Lord to give him his heart's desires, read the story of Joseph in Genesis 41:37-45.
3. What is the only gift we can give to our Lord? Proverbs 23:26 ; Matthew 11:28-30.
ANSWER: "My son, give me __________ __________, and let thine __________ observe my ways." "Come __________ __________, ... learn of __________."
To give one's heart to the Lord is the same as taking up the yoke that Jesus mentions. A yoke is what joins two oxen together. Jesus won't force you. It's like getting married--it's a free will response. When you are young is the time to make the commitment, but if you have neglected to make it, it is not too late to do it now. Here is a suggested commitment you can make right now on your knees alone: "Father in heaven, thank You for thinking of me and loving me until today. I haven't always realized that You are my Friend but I believe it now. Thank you for giving Your only Son to suffer and die instead of me, and for suffering with Him. I choose to let You be my Guide from now on. You have promised to accept, forgive, and cleanse me; and I believe You do. Now that I have made my choice and my commitment to be yours forever, keep me in your love. In Jesus' name, Amen."
4. When the going gets rough and you think of quitting, what is the one true reason for never giving up? 2 Corinthians 5:14, 15.
ANSWER: "The love of Christ __________ us." If Christ hadn't died for you, where would you be now? _________. This being so, whom do we choose "henceforth" to live for? "Not henceforth live _________ _________, but _________ _________ which died for them."
5. What has God promised to do when we are tempted? 1 Corinthians 10:13.
ANSWER: "God is faithful, who will _________ suffer you to be _________ _________ _________ ye are _________; but will with the temptation also make a way to _________."
Faith is the depending upon the word of God only, and expecting that word only, to do what the word says. We cannot please our Saviour more than by believing His promises.
6. What will always make the devil run away from you? James 4:7, 8.
ANSWER: "_________ yourselves therefore to God. _________ the devil, and he will _________ from _________, draw _________ to _________, and he will draw nigh to _________."
"Resist" here means to take your stand and say "No!"
7. Why is it that new and "old" Christians always have trials? James 1:2-4.
ANSWER: "That the trying of _________ _________ worketh patience. But let patience have her _________ _________, that ye may be _________ and entire, wanting nothing."
8. When you appreciate God's love for you, how do even trials and troubles work to increase your happiness? Romans 5:1-5.
ANSWER: "We glory in _________ also: knowing that _________ worketh _________; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh _________ _________; because the _________ of _________ is shed abroad in our _________ by the _________ _________ which is given unto us."
9. What simple lesson shows us how to continue growing spiritually? 1 Peter 1:23 and 2:1-5.
ANSWER: We are "born again ..., by the _________ of _________, which liveth and abideth for ever." We "grow thereby," when we "desire the sincere milk of the _________." We are a living _________," in His "spiritual _________."
You need spiritual food or you will starve. Don't let a day go by without "eating" something from the Bible, no matter how busy you may be. When you get a chance, spend more time with the Bible, especially on sabbaths. Keep marking your Bible. Let it be your companion.
10. How did Jesus feel about prayer? John 5:30; Mark 1:35; Hebrews 5:7, 8.
ANSWER: "I can of mine own self _________ _________." "And in the morning, rising up a great while before _________, He went out, and departed into a _________ _________, and there prayed." "Who in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up _________ and _________ with strong crying and tears unto Him that was able to save Him from death, and was _________ ... yet learned He _________ by the things which He suffered."
If you do not pray, it is because (a) you don't realize your real need, your hunger; or (b) you may be spiritually angry with God about something. If the problem is (a), read Matthew 5:6. If it is (b), read Romans 5:10, 11, and then talk to the Lord about it until you "receive the atonement." In other words, until you are reconciled once more to Him.
11. How often did David pray? Psalm 55:17.
ANSWER: "_________, and _________, and at _________, will I pray."
12. How did Daniel keep on praying even when friends or enemies tried to stop him? Daniel 6:7-10.
ANSWER: "He _________ upon his _________ three times a day, and prayed, and _________ _________ before his God.
13. What is the secret of continually receiving good things from the Lord? Matthew 10:8.
ANSWER: "Freely _________ _________ _________, freely _________."
In other words, keep on giving and then you will keep on receiving. Each day, help someone else come closer to the Lord. Then you will grow spiritually.
14. If a husband or wife or engaged person starts flirting with someone else, it makes the other one unhappy. How does Jesus feel when we start "flirting" with the enemy of God--the "world"? 2 Corinthians 11:2; James 4:4; 1 John 2:15-17.
ANSWER: "I am _________ over you with godly _________." "Know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a _________ of the _________ is the _________ of God." "If any man _________ the _________, the love of the Father is _________ in him. For all that is in the world, the _________ of the _________, and the _________ of the _________, and the _________ of _________, is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world _________ _________, and the lust _________: but he that _________ the _________ of God _________ _________ _________."
What would you think of a wife flirting with the men who had murdered her husband? It is the world that crucified Christ; how can we be friends with the world? Look up what the Bible says about:
(a) Worldly dress (1 Timothy 2:9; 1 Peter 3:1-4; Isaiah 3:16-23).
(b) Worldly amusements and associations (Philippians 4:8; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18).
(c) Christian standards of happy living (Ephesians 5:1-11).
15. The Lord will not let us go easily and then forget about us. Some have no clear idea how strong His love is. This is why they fail. They think they must hold on to the Lord's hand and if they let go He won't really care. Who holds whose hand? Isaiah 41:10, 13.
ANSWER: "For I _________ with _________: be not dismayed; for I _________ thy _________: I will _________ thee; yea, I will _________ thee. ... For I the Lord thy God will _________ thy _________ _________, saying unto thee, _________ _________; I will _________ thee."
16. How strongly has He promised to hold you? John 10:27-29.
ANSWER: "No man is _________ to _________ _________ _________ of my _________ _________."
All who have put on the robe of Christ's righteousness will stand before Him as chosen, and faithful, and true. Satan cannot pluck them out of the hand of the Saviour. Not one soul who in penitence and faith has claimed His protection, will Christ permit to pass under the enemy's power. His word is pledged: "Let him take hold of My strength, that he may make peace with Me; and he shall make peace with Me."
17. We are not saved by making promises to God (that's the old covenant). We are saved by believing His promises to us (that's the new covenant). But sometimes we find it difficult to believe! Will you pray the prayer of the distraught father in Mark 9:24: "Lord, I believe; help Thou mine unbelief? _________.
"Casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you." 1 Peter 5:7 "Pray without ceasing." 1 Thessalonians 5:17