Salvation – being saved – is a free gift from God!  It is not a reward for our good deeds or self-denial. There is absolutely nothing we can do to earn or give God in exchange for our salvation. It is a GIFT we don’t deserve. We are sinners who have been disobedient to God. We don’t deserve anything from Him. Yet God, in His love, has chosen to give it to us. It is called GRACE in the Bible. It is received only through FAITH in the Lord Jesus. There is no other way to get it.

In the Bible, we read:

“It is by GRACE you are saved, through FAITH… not as a result of works.

”This is the simple but wonderful truth of the Gospel!

We rejoice in our salvation. Now, what do we do? How do we live? In the Bible, God says: “I know the plan I have for you.”  Jeremiah 29:11

God has a plan and purpose for our life! Before our salvation, we had our own plans and we were going our own way, living selfishly for ourselves. Now we want to live our new life for Lord Jesus and follow his plan for us. God has lovingly planned a unique life for each of his children. It is not an empty life, it is a fulfilling life, full of good deeds He wants us to do for him. 

What are the good deeds God has for us? Serving God by serving others – like being kind-hearted, loving, and caring, helping people in need, praying for them, telling others about the Lord Jesus and his priceless gift of salvation, etc. The Lord Jesus will lead us along the way and the Holy Spirit will show us how to follow him. All the blessings God has for us will be found only along this path as we follow the Lord. Bible tells us: “God has created us in Christ Jesus to do all the good works which He has already planned for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10 

My dear friend, as we rejoice in our salvation, let us eagerly pray and find out all the good deeds God is calling us to do.  And let us do them with joy!

Prayer: “Heavenly Father, please help me not to live a meaningless life only for myself. Help me follow the Lord Jesus and do all the good deeds which You have planned for me to do to serve others and bring You praise and honor.”

When the Lord Jesus left for heaven, the Holy Spirit came down to all the disciples. They were filled with wisdom, courage, and boldness to live for the Lord Jesus and to tell everyone about Him.

How does the Holy Spirit guide us?

When I gave my life to the Lord Jesus, there was a quiet, gentle voice speaking to me in my heart – the voice of the Holy Spirit. 

He warns me when I want to do something wrong. He always points me in the right direction towards the Lord Jesus.

He reminds me of my past sins and helps me repent (feel truly sorry for them) and ask God for forgiveness for every one of them. He helps me turn away from them.

He shows me specific Bible verses – just the ones I need for the day or for the situation for which I need guidance.  He tells me how to pray and what to pray.

He teaches me God’s truths from the Bible. He opens my heart and gives me understanding. And they become crystal clear to me!   

He comforts me when I feel sick, lonely, or sorrowful.  And when I am too weak or heart-broken even to cry out to God, He prays to God in my place for me!

He gives me courage when I want to tell everyone about the Lord Jesus and what he has done for me and shows me how to do it.

He directs me along God’s path and helps me serve others.

What a wonderful gift God has given us!  He has not left us alone to struggle through our life on our own. He has sent us God, the Holy Spirit, to be with us always.

Prayer: “Holy Spirit, I thank You, Lord, for living in me and guiding me always. Please help me to listen for your soft voice and obey You always.”

After He died and came alive, the Lord Jesus spent forty days with His disciples teaching them and giving them instructions. He said: “The Holy Spirit will come to you. He will give you the power to tell the whole world about Me.” after He said this, He went up to heaven as they watched.

On a Jewish festival day called ‘Pentecost’, many disciples had come together to pray. Just as the Lord Jesus said, all of them received the Holy Spirit that day! The disciples had been very afraid of the people who had killed the Lord Jesus and they had been hiding. When the Holy Spirit came, he gave all of them the courage to boldly face everyone and tell them about the Lord Jesus and the salvation He gives.

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God. The moment we receive the Lord Jesus as our Savior, the Holy Spirit comes to live in our hearts! 

And the wonderful truth is: 

Through the Holy Spirit, God our Father, and the Lord Jesus our Savior, also live in our hearts! Can we be any more blessed than this?

In the next lesson, we will learn about the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

Prayer: “Thank You, Father, for your gift of the Holy Spirit to be with us always and to guide us.”