January 1, 2017 – Genesis and John (Gospel and Revelation) – Belief and Salvation

Belief and Salvation

Genesis 15:1-6 – New International Version (NIV)

¹ After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision:

“Do not be afraid, Abram.
    I am your shield,
    your very great reward.”

² But Abram said, “Sovereign Lord, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?” ³ And Abram said, “You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.”

⁴ Then the word of the Lord came to him: “This man will not be your heir, but a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir.” ⁵ He took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”

⁶ Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.

What came to Abram (verse 1)?

Who was a shield and very great reward to Abram (verse 1)?

In your opinion, why is Abram concerned about being childless (verse 2)?

Who is Eliezer of Damascus (verses 2 and 3)?

What does the Lord promise Abram (verse 4)?

Why is Abram to look at the stars and count them (verse 5)?

How did Abram respond to the Lord’s promise (verse 6)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

John 16:25-33 - New International Version (NIV)

²⁵ “Though I have been speaking figuratively, a time is coming when I will no longer use this kind of language but will tell you plainly about my Father. ²⁶ In that day you will ask in my name. I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf. ²⁷ No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. ²⁸ I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.”

²⁹ Then Jesus’ disciples said, “Now you are speaking clearly and without figures of speech. ³⁰ Now we can see that you know all things and that you do not even need to have anyone ask you questions. This makes us believe that you came from God.”

³¹ “Do you now believe?” Jesus replied. ³² “A time is coming and in fact has come when you will be scattered, each to your own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me.

³³ “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

How has Jesus been speaking (verse 25)?

What will the disciples do “in that day” (verse 26)?

Why does the Father love them (verse 27)?

Where is Jesus going (verse 28)?

What did the disciples think about what Jesus was saying (verse 29)?

What did the disciples believe about Jesus (verse 30)?

In your opinion, why does Jesus ask “do you now believe” (verse 31)?

What is coming and “in fact has come” (verse 32)?

Why has Jesus told the disciples these things (verse 33)?

What will the disciples have in the world (verse 33)?

Why should the disciples “take heart” (verse 33)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, how is the belief of Abram that caused God to credit “it to him as righteousness” in Genesis 15:1-6 and the belief of the disciples in John 16:25-33 that they believe that Jesus came from God similar?

Romans 4:16-25 - New International Version (NIV)

¹⁶ Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who have the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all. ¹⁷ As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.” He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not.

¹⁸ Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” ¹⁹ Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. ²⁰ Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, ²¹ being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. ²² This is why “it was credited to him as righteousness.” ²³ The words “it was credited to him” were written not for him alone, ²⁴ but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. ²⁵ He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.

How did the promise come (verse 16)?

In your opinion, who is Paul talking about when he says “those who have the faith of Abraham” (verse 16)?

Who was “I have made you a father of many nations” written about (verses 16 and 17)?

Who gives “life to the dead and calls into being things that were not” (verse 17)?

How did Abraham believe (verse 18)?

In your opinion, why is it important that Abraham faced the fact that “his body was as good as dead” and that “Sarah’s womb was also dead” (verse 19)?

What happened to Abraham’s faith when he faced the real facts of his situation (verse 20)?

What was Abraham “fully persuaded” of (verse 21)?

Who were the words “it was credited to him” written for (verses 23 and24)?

Why was Jesus “delivered over to death” (verse 25)?

Why was Jesus “raised to life” (verse 25)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, what does Paul in Romans 4:16-25 help us to understand about what Jesus did to “overcome the world” as He promised in John 16:25-33?

In your opinion, what does Paul saying that Abraham faced the facts of the realities of his situation in Romans 4:16-25 help us to understand about how amazing it was for him to believe the Lord in Genesis 15:1-6?

Revelation 7:9-17 – New International Version (NIV)

⁹ After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. ¹⁰ And they cried out in a loud voice:

“Salvation belongs to our God,
who sits on the throne,
and to the Lamb.”

¹¹ All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, ¹² saying:

“Amen!
Praise and glory
and wisdom and thanks and honor
and power and strength
be to our God for ever and ever.
Amen!”

¹³ Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?”

¹⁴ I answered, “Sir, you know.”

And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. ¹⁵ Therefore,

“they are before the throne of God
    and serve him day and night in his temple;
and he who sits on the throne
    will shelter them with his presence.
¹⁶ ‘Never again will they hunger;
    never again will they thirst.
The sun will not beat down on them,’
    nor any scorching heat.
¹⁷ For the Lamb at the center of the throne
    will be their shepherd;
‘he will lead them to springs of living water.’
    ‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’”

Who was standing before the throne and before the Lamb (verse 9)?

What belongs to God and to the Lamb (verse 10)?

What did the angels do (verse 11)?

Who is to have praise, glory, wisdom, thanks, honor, power and strength (verse 12)?

Who are the ones in the white robes (verses 13 and 14)?

How does God shelter those in the white robes (verse 15)?

Why will they never hunger, thirst or have the sun beat down on them (verses 16 and 17)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, how does John’s vision of the people in white who “washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb” in Revelation 7:9-17 help us to follow the example of Abraham that Paul gives in Romans 4:16-25 and be strengthened in our faith and give glory to God?

In your opinion, how is the salvation and the great tribulation that John talks about in Revelation 7:9-17 show the fulfillment of Jesus’ statement from John 16:25-33 that “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”?

In your opinion, how is the promise of God to Abram in Genesis 15:1-6 that he should try to count the stars in the sky to see how many offspring he would have shown to be filled in Revelation 7:9-17 by the people in white with the palm branches?

In your opinion, what do these passages from Genesis, John, Romans and Revelation help us understand about faith and salvation?

In your opinion, how do these passages help us to have peace in a world filled with tribulation?                 

(sprucewhispers.blogspot.com)