The 911 Handbook
Study Guide Answers
Lesson 26/Chapter 24
When You're Not Sure You're Saved: Heaven's Entrance Exam
Answers are written in italics
Many people aren't sure whether they are going to heaven. Can anyone have assurance that they have eternal life? (1 John 5:13).
Those who believe in Jesus can KNOW that they have eternal life.
List some reasons why people aren't sure that they are going to heaven.
1. They don't believe in Jesus.
2. They think that they have done too many bad things to go to heaven.
3. They feel that they must be good enough to go to heaven.
4. They aren't sure that Jesus died for ALL of their sins.
5. They have asked Jesus to come into their hearts but aren't sure He came in.
Question #1: Who is Jesus?
Read Matthew 16:13-16. Why did Jesus ask His disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?
Jesus knew what men were saying and thinking about Him. He asked the question to get all the "theories" out into the open. The disciples had heard the various opinions and Jesus wanted them to see how foolish the human opinions were (v.14).
Why did Jesus follow up with the question, "But who do you say that I am?"
He wanted them to look within to see what they believed.
How is the only way we can truly know who Jesus is? (v.17)
The Heavenly Father must reveal to us that Jesus is the Christ (The Messiah).
Question #2: What did Jesus do on the cross?
What did Jesus do to your sins on the cross? (1 Pet. 2:24)
Jesus bore your sins in His own body on the cross.
How could Jesus pay for your sins when you hadn't committed any yet? (Heb. 10:12)
Because God exists in eternity (outside of time), He was able to gather together all sins in the past, present, and future and place them on Jesus.
How many of your sins were in the future when Jesus died on the cross?
All of the sins that you have committed were in the future when Jesus died on the cross.
What does this apply to the sins you will commit tomorrow? (Heb. 10:14)
Jesus paid for all of your sins, including the future ones, through the offering His body on the cross.
Why do people view the cross from different perspectives? (1 Cor. 1:18)
The people who are not saved view the cross as foolishness because they don’t understand what Jesus did for them. Those people who are saved see what happened on the cross, which gives them power to live victoriously.
Question #3: What must I do to be saved?
Read Ephesians 2:8-9. Are we saved by grace or by faith?
We are saved by God’s grace.
What does "grace" mean?
It means that God gives us something that we don’t deserve.
What role does faith play in salvation?
Faith is the channel by which we receive the grace of God.
Using the Atlantic Ocean example on page 221, explain what "not as a result of works, that no one should boast" means (v. 9).
When you are totally helpless to save yourself, then you will become desperate for someone else to save you. If someone else rescues you, you don’t have any right to brag about how you saved yourself. When we call upon Jesus to save us, we can’t boast about how we helped Him be the Savior.
Jason bought the football tickets for Darrin (page 222). What was the only thing Darrin needed to do?
Because the tickets were already paid for, all Darrin needed to do was receive them as a free gift.
Why did Darrin mow Jason’s yard in order to get the football tickets?
He felt unworthy to receive the tickets, so he felt like he needed to earn them.
How does this apply to people receiving salvation?
Jesus already paid for the "ticket" to heaven, yet many people feel too unworthy receive the free gift. Inside of receiving the free gift, they attempt to "earn" it through doing religious activities.
Read Romans 4:4-5. How can our works nullify the free gift? (v.4)
If you work for a gift, it becomes a wage that is due. This is why salvation is a free gift and does not come as a result of our works (Eph. 2:8-9).
How does the person who "does not work" become justified before God? (v.5)
His faith is reckoned (considered) as righteousness.
If you haven’t trusted Christ to save you, pray the prayer on page 223. Then thank Him for saving you.