Are You in Christ?

Have you ever been saved?

Explain your salvation experience in detail.

After you were saved, were you baptized?

What was the purpose of your baptism?

I. What is found in Christ?

A. Ephesians 1:3
Where are all spiritual blessings found?

Everyone is blessed with physical blessings but there is only one place one can have spiritual blessings. If you aren’t in Christ, are you entitled to any of His spiritual blessings?

B. Ephesians 1:7
Where is redemption found?

The word “redemption” or “redeem” means “to buy back.”

*When you return empty soda bottles back to the grocery store, they guarantee to “redeem” them.

Read verse again. Redemption is equal to what?

Redemption is through whose blood?

If redemption is found in Christ (and His word says it is) and you are not in Christ, do you possess redemption?

C. Romans 6:23
Where is eternal life found?

If eternal life is in Christ and you are not in Christ, would you possess eternal life?

D. Romans 8:1
If one is in Christ Jesus, what is their status before God?

If there is no condemnation in Christ and you are not in Christ, are you in a guilt free state?

If you are under condemnation, does that mean we are still in our sins?

E. II Timothy 2:1
Where is grace found?

Grace is God’s unmerited favor toward you. Instead of giving you what you deserve God gives you what you don’t deserve. If grace is in Christ Jesus and you are not in Christ Jesus, do you possess the grace of God?

F. II Timothy 2:10
Where is salvation found?

If salvation is found only in Christ and you are not in Christ, do you possess salvation?

II. What is the importance of Christ?

A. Romans 1:28 - 31
Here is a list of things that are not proper in the eyes of God. Have you ever practiced any of these in your past? (Write down which ones.)

In verse 32, what does God say you deserve if you practice any of these things?

B. Isaiah 59:1-2
Does God have a problem hearing or saving anyone (v.1)?

What separates one from God (v.2)?

“Iniquities” are the guilt that sin causes. You sin, you’re guilty.

Are our sins a major problem to God?

C. Romans 6:23
What are the wages of sin?

Wages are something that you earn, you deserve because of your own actions. The “free gift” is not earned but only found in Christ Jesus.

D. Romans 3:23
How many of us have sinned?

There are no exceptions!

E. John 8:24
Jesus expresses what will happen to anyone that won’t accept Him. Is this a serious problem?

F. Revelation 1:5

What releases or washes one from their sins?

Can you earn that?

G. John 19:32-34
Where did Jesus shed His blood?

H. Hebrews 10:12
Jesus’ death that shed His blood brought what?

Remember “redemption”? Only the blood of Jesus can bring it about eternally.

III. How does one enter into Christ?

A. Before proceeding, what do you believe how one enters Christ Jesus?
Write down your answer.

B. Romans 6:3
What did the apostle Paul teach how they entered into Christ?

What two things are one baptized “into”?
(1)
(2)

Remember what Jesus shed in His death?

Remember what releases/washes one from their sins?

Remember what separates one from God?

Would being baptized into the death of Christ and into His blood make a difference?

When does Paul teach that one enters into Christ?

C. Compare what the apostle Paul taught with your salvation experience you wrote down at the beginning of this study.
How do they compare?

D. Acts 9:1-12
In verse 6, what is Saul (whose name will be changed to Paul) told will happen?

In verse 9, why would Saul not eat or drink?

In verse 11, what condition would Ananias find Saul?

Saul was three days and nights without sight, not eating but praying.

Is Saul saved?

Are his sins washed away?

E. Acts 22:1-16
Paul recounts his conversion in this section of Scripture.

In verse 16, what does Ananias tell Saul to do?

After seeing a vision from Jesus, repentance and praying to God, is Saul still in his sins?

If he was forgiven prior, why would he need to have his sins was hed away?

When was Saul told to call on the name of the Lord?

F. Romans 6:4
Notice the word “buried” tied to baptism. If you bury a dead animal and take a handful of dirt and sprinkle over it, has it been buried?

At what point does one “raise to newness of life”?

G. Romans 6:17-18
How does one become freed from a slavery to sin (v.17)?

Were they freed from sin by accepting Jesus to come into their heart? Is that what the apostle Paul has been teaching?

Notice the word ‘obey’ or ‘obedient’. What does that teach us?

Notice the word “that” in the phrase “that form of teaching or doctrine”. Can one be freed from sin by obeying ANY particular teaching or does God only accept the obedient to one particular teaching?

Compare what the apostle wrote to what is normally taught in religion today.

Accepted teaching: believe + saved = baptized
Jesus’ words: believe + baptized = shall be saved – Mark 16:15-16

If a person thinks they are saved when they come to be baptized, are they being baptized:
(1) to wash away their sins?
(2) to enter into Christ?
(3) to be saved?

Romans 6:3-7

What two things happen at baptism (v.3)?
(1)
(2)

At baptism what two things happen (v.4)?
(1)
(2)

When we are raised up with Him through baptism, what do we possess (v.4)?

At baptism, we are united or planted together with whom (v.5)?

What happens to our old self in baptism (v.6)?

If we have died with Christ, we are now freed from what (v.7)?

If you are freed from sin, do you possess salvation?

Conclusion:

If any religion teaches anything different than what the apostles taught, are they teaching free from sin?

Are they free from sin?

II Peter 3:15-16
Did Peter recognize Paul writing Scripture?

Did Peter recognize Scripture can be distorted?

How serious is it to distort Scripture?

You have simply read the verses yourself without any addition.

I Peter 3:20-21
What does Peter remind them how they were saved?

Please read your Bible and be honest in heart with what you read. God will never lead us astray if it is the truth we seek.