I Just do what the Bible says (do you?)

A New Bible Study Series looking at the 1689 Baptist Confession of faith

Wednesday 10th July

1. What is the Law of God?
2. What is legalism?
3. Is the Law of God timeless?
4. Is the Law of God perfect?
5. Is the Law of God still relevant today?
6. Can a Christian keep the Law of God?
7. How should a Christian handle verses like Deuteronomy 22:21? Can they be ignored?

Wednesday 3rd July

1. What do we mean by perseverance of the saints?
2. Did Judas fail because he never persevered?
3. How does the doctrine of perseverance help us to understand the effectiveness (efficacy) of what Jesus achieved on the cross of Calvary (Romans 5:9-10) and how does it help us to understand the doctrine of election?
4. Read Hebrews 6:16-20. How does this help us to understand the doctrine of perseverance?
5. Is King Azariah in heaven? Did he persevere? (2 Kings 15: 1-5)
6. How can you identify a Christian who is a backslider?
7. How can you avoid back sliding?
8. Can you gain any personal encouragement from the Biblical account of King David’s adultery with Bathsheba?

Wednesday 26th June

     1.Is there any difference in having faith in a reliable, trustworthy friend,        and having faith in the Lord Jesus Christ?

2. Can a correct understanding of ‘saving faith’ help us to identify Christian cults?
3. There is a fire in you house, a lady visitor to your home says she needs to put on her make up before escaping the raging fire. Could this illustration be used to explain the meaning of ‘saving faith?’
4. Why is it important to see a distinction between faith and assurance?
5. How are faith and repentance linked?
6. If you are sharing your testimony to an unbeliever, how could you ‘help’ them to understand true repentance?

Wednesday 19th June

Sanctification

1. What is sanctification and how does it differ from justification? 
2. Is sanctification a work of God or man? 
3. You find a professing Christian in sin and they say, “I’m only human, I can never be perfect!” How do you respond? 
4. “Marriage and children are sanctifying.” Is this biblically accurate and consistent?  
5. Are the good works of a believer rewarded? How are good works necessary? 

Wednesday 12th June

1. In a court of law, can a judge allow a guilty to man to go free? Are there any similarities with this scenario and the doctrine of justification?
2. Can you list 3 Biblical texts that demonstrate that true Christians are justified by God?
3. Why do you think that Jesus is sometimes referred to as ‘The Second Adam’?
4. What are the benefits of spiritual adoption?
5. How can the doctrine of adoption encourage us in Sunday School work and evangelism?

Wednesday 5th June

1. What do we mean when we talk about the will of man and the will of God?
2. How can a study of the will of God and the will of man help me in my Christian walk?
3. What does ‘total inability’ mean with respect to man? How will ‘total inability’ help us to have a right view of man’s free will?
4. How might Galatians 3.24 help us to understand the ‘problem’ with man’s free will? “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring usunto Christ, that we might be justified by faith”
5. Can a wrong view of man’s free will affect how we communicate the gospel of salvation and can this be spiritually ‘dangerous’ for unbelievers?

Wednesday 22 May

Christ the Mediator

1. Can you list three things Jesus achieved on the cross (in relation to God, to man or both)?
2. Was the Lord Jesus a real Man or did He, (as some have taught) only ‘appear to be a Man’ Are there verses that indicate His true Humanity?
3. Why do we say Jesus is the God/Man AND NOT that He has the personality of God and a separate personality for Man?
4. Who really killed Jesus and what does it tell us about the need of the atonement? (Jesus dying on the cross for our sins)
5. What is ‘particular redemption’? Over the centuries good Christians have fallen out over their views on this teaching, what should be our approach?

through the lens of the Bible.

Wednesday 15 May

If not for Adam…

1. Why should the whole of the human race be condemned for the original sinful behaviour of Adam and Eve and wouldn’t it have been easier if God simply forgave Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden?
2. How would you biblically explain the word ‘sin’?
3. In what sense are we ‘better’ than Adam?
4. Read Ephesians 2.12. Can you think of any Old Testament characters who God made promises to (agreements/covenants)?
5. Why should Christians rejoice at the covenants of God?

Meeting his brothers again, who had treated him so cruelly, Joseph assures them with the following words: “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good…” (Genesis 50.20). But what does this actually mean? How can we as Christians, draw comfort from the sovereign pronouncements of our Almighty God?

 Wednesday 8th May, we’ll be considering God’s decrees (pronouncements/declarations) and the will of man.

1. What is the difference between what man says and what God decrees?
2. Does God act based on what He sees will happen in the future?
3. If God decrees everything (declares what will happen) why did He create Satan?
4. If God elects people for salvation (saves people because He chose them to be saved) does it mean He elected people to hell?
5. What is Hyper-Calvinism and how can we combat it?

Wednesday 1st May – Part 2 – The Trinity

1. If Christians believe in one God, why does the Bible speak about the Father, Son and Holy Spirit?
2. What do we mean by “Person” when we talk about the Trinity?
3. Is the Holy Spirit a Person? Where does the Bible show this?
4. True or False? There is no ‘Trinity’ in the Old Testament.
5. What Bible verse would you use as strongest proof of the Trinity?
6. What are the main roles of each Person (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) in the Trinity?

Questions for Further Study:

1. In what sense can you speak of a general Fatherhood of God?
1 Cor 8:6; Eph 3:14,15; Heb 12:9; James 1:17; Num 16:22
2. Can you prove the deity of the incarnate Son?
John 1:1; 20:28; Phil 2:6; Titus 2:13; Jer 23:5, 6; Isa 9:6; John 1:3; Rev 1:8; Col 1:17; John 14:1; 2 Cor 2:10,11.
3. How do the following passages prove the personality of the Holy Spirit?
Gen 1:2; 6:3; Luke 12:12; John 14:26; 15:26; 16:8; Acts 8:29; 13:2; Rom 8:11; 1 Cor 2:10,11.
4. What works are ascribed to the Spirit?
Psa 33:6; 104:30; Ex 28:3; 2 Pet 1:21; 1 Cor 3:16; 12:4

Wednesday 24th April – Part 1 – The Holy Scriptures

1. What on earth is a ‘Confession of faith’ and why do we need one?
2. Who wrote the Bible anyway, isn’t most of it just the thoughts of men?
3. How would you respond to somebody who angrily says “I don’t need no Bible to reveal to me when I’ve done something wrong”? Is there any truth in that statement?
4. My Muslim friend says that the Bible has been changed (because of all the different versions) What can I say to him?