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Cathechism Lesson: Eternal Life... A Study by: Richard P. Duffield

The Question: How do we know if we have eternal life?
John 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." And repeating Himself, Jesus goes on to say: John 3:5 "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I say to you, "You must be born again."
He (God) Always Looks at the Heart! ALWAYS!
Psalm 7:10 My shield is God Most High, who saves the upright in heart.
Psalm 73:1 A psalm of Asaph. Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart.
Psalm 101: 4 Men of perverse heart shall be far from me; I will have nothing to do with evil. 5 Whoever slanders his neighbor in secret, him will I put to silence; whoever has haughty eyes and a proud heart, him will I not endure.
Psalm 119:11 I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.
17 times throughout the 119th Psalm alone God speaks about issues of the HEART!
Proverbs 3:1 My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart,
Proverbs 4:4 he taught me and said, "Lay hold of my words with all your heart; keep my commands and you will live.
1 Samuel16:7 But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."
THERE'S A MAJOR DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FACTS & THE TRUTH!
Romans 4:4, However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness.
Romans 10:9, 10, That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.
Romans 10:12, 13, For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile--the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."
1 John 2:25, And this is what he promised us--even eternal life.
1 John 4:15, If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God.
1 John 5:11, 12, 13, And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. 13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. That is the TRUTH!

Before we know & Accept Jesus as our Lord
Romans 1: 20 For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--His eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.
21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.
Ephesians 4:17 So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. 18 They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts.
1 Corinthians 2:18, For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
2 Corinthians 3:14, 15, 14 But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. 15 Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts.
2 Corinthians 4:3, 4, And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4 The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
How can we know if we have eternal Life? The Inerrant Word of God!
Mark 16:16, Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.
John 3:16, 17, 16 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. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.
Acts 2:21, And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'
Acts 4:12, Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." The name is Jesus!
Acts 16:31, They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved--you and your household."
Romans 5:9, 10, Since we have now been justified by His blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through Him! 10 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!
Romans 6:23, For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Ephesians 2:4 ­ 9, But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions--it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages He might show the incomparable riches of His grace, expressed in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.
2 Timothy 1:8 ­ 10, 8 So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, 9 who has saved us and called us to a holy life--not because of anything we have done but because of His own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, 10 but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.
Titus 3:4, 5, But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit

A little something to remember:
1 Thessalonians 5:23 May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 The one who calls you is faithful and He will do it.
Phil. 1:3 I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
Hebrews 7:25 Therefore He is able to save completely those who come to God through Him, because He always lives to intercede for them.
And Finally:
Jude 24 To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy-- 25 to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.

Are you absolutely secure in these truths today? If not, let us know!!!
We'd love to pray with you!

Disclaimer: Items underlined NO NOT signify that they are the most important, they simply apply to this lesson. JESUS is always the most important item!

This was a study that derived itself while I was pondering a Sunday School lesson, I hope it will help you answer questions you or others might have regarding this all important subject!

Please feel free to contact me if there is anything you'd like to discuss regarding this study or if you have pertinent comments, suggestions, or even criticisms!

I pray this study has blessed you as it did me!

Ever in His service!

Richard P. Duffield Jr.