Faith Foundations
For a life with God
#1: There is a God who created all things (Genesis 1:1)
Genesis 1:1 (ESV): 1:1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
The fact that you exist is not an accident. We don’t need to wonder where the universe, the earth, and we ourselves came from. God reveals Himself to us in the very first verse of the Bible as the One who created all things. So, if God is revealing Himself as our Creator, then we should want to know more about this Great Being and how we can come to have a relationship with Him. That’s what the rest of this study is all about…
#2: From the beginning of creation, God intended things to be good (Genesis 1:31).
Genesis 1:31 (ESV): 31 And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.
God is a perfect being, and created all things perfect. This word here for “very good” means “functional” and “orderly.” God’s world at the time of creation was orderly, functional, and beautiful. There was no evil, no pain, no suffering, no death or destruction. This is the way God intended for life to be from the very beginning. But it was not to last…
#3: When Adam rejected God’s good plan, the curse of sin and death entered the world (Romans 5:12).
Romans 5:12 (ESV): Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—
Adam and Eve were the first humans (Genesis 1-3), and God created them and placed them in the Garden of Eden, a place of perfect fellowship and harmony with God in His perfect world. But Adam and Eve rebelled against God by eating from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, choosing to define good and evil for themselves, rather than allowing God to do it. As a result, they rejected God’s plan for them, and sin and death entered the world, because God is the source of all life, and when they rejected God, they rejected life. But Adam and Eve weren’t the only humans to do this…
#4: We’ve all turned our backs on God’s good plan for creation (Romans 3:23-24).
Romans 3:23–24 (ESV): 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,
Not only did Adam and Eve reject God’s goodness, we’ve all rebelled against God by choosing to define our own path of good and evil, and in so doing, have perpetuated the curse of sin and death in the world. We’ve all fallen short of the glory that God had planned for us from the beginning.
#5: Our sin leads to death (Romans 6:23).
Romans 6:23 (ESV): 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Sin isn’t without consequence. Because God is the source of all life, when we reject God and define good and evil for ourselves, we reject life. As a result, death is what we’ve earned. Not because God wants that for us, as we’ll learn later in this study, but because that’s what we’ve chosen for ourselves by rejecting the true source of all life.
#6: All sin requires a payment to be made (Hebrews 9:22).
Hebrews 9:22 (ESV): 22 Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.
A judge in a court of law is only considered a just judge if they uphold the penalty for breaking the law. Because God is a righteous and just being, He cannot allow sin slide. There MUST be a penalty if God is a perfect being. But if we plan to rely on ourselves for the payment, there’s a problem…
#7: We can’t pay for our own sins, but must rely on God’s grace (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Ephesians 2:8–9 (ESV): 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
Even if we wanted to pay for our own sins, it would be impossible. We are flawed and sinful beings, and our efforts are nothing. The only hope we have is to rely through faith on God’s grace, which He eagerly extends to each and every human who has rebelled against Him (all of us). The way we access that grace will be seen later in this study.
#8: God promised an offspring of Eve (Jesus) to defeat sin (Genesis 3:15).
Genesis 3:15 (ESV): I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”
Back to Adam and Eve. Right after they committed the first sin, rejecting the source of all life, and ushering in the curse of sin and death into the world, God was there to promise that He would one day make it right. Here, God is making a prophesy to the serpent, who had tricked Adam and Eve into rebelling against God. He promises that an offspring of Eve will one day come and crush the head of Satan, while Satan will only crush the heel of this offspring. This is a reference to Jesus coming to destroy the works of Satan and sin and death. Satan will seem victorious for a while after Jesus’ crucifixion, but Jesus will crush Satan’s head when He rises from the grave! More on this later.
#9: God made a covenant with Abraham to bring about a Savior through His descendants (Genesis 12:1-3).
Genesis 12:1–3 (ESV): 12:1 Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
Only a few chapters later in Genesis, God begins to make good on His promise to bring about an offspring of Eve to destroy the works of Satan. God chooses a righteous man named Abram, later renamed to Abraham. God promises that He will use this man’s family to bless all the nations of the world, an allusion to the coming of Jesus through the family of Abraham, the Israelites. All the families of the world are blessed through Jesus, the descendant of Abraham, as He takes away the sins of the world for all who have faith in Him.
#10: Jesus was born of a virgin, a descendant of Abraham, as the fulfillment of God’s promise (Matthew 1:20-23).
Matthew 1:20–23 (ESV): 20 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel”
From Genesis through the rest of the Old Testament, there are many prophesies of the birth of Jesus. Many years later, it’s time for those prophesies to come true, and for God to finally put His grand plan into action to bring about a descendant of Eve (Jesus) to destroy the works of sin and death in the world. Here, God choses a young woman named Mary, and her betrothed, Joseph, to be the earthly parents of Jesus. An angel comes to Joseph and tells him that all this is happening in fulfillment of all the prophesies in the Old Testament saying that Jesus, the Messiah would come through the lineage of Abraham.
#11: Jesus taught that He was the fulfillment of the Old Covenant (Matthew 5:17).
Matthew 5:17 (ESV): 17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.”
Jesus taught that everything in the Old Law (the commandments given to the Israelite nation) were to lead up to His arrival. When Jesus came on the scene, He said that the Old Law (or covenant), is now fulfilled. It has served its purpose, and now, after all this time, the offspring of Eve has arrived to destroy the works of Satan and the curse of sin and death in the world!
#12: Jesus came to restore the abundant life God intended from the beginning (John 10:9-10).
John 10:9–10 (ESV): 9 I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
Remember back to the beginning when God created everything good and perfect and functional? And do you remember how all that was lost when humanity rejected God, the source of all life and goodness? Well, Jesus says that He has come to restore that “abundant life.” Through Jesus, we can be restored to the “very good” life of Genesis 1:31.
#13: Jesus lived a sinless life so He could be a sacrifice for us (2 Cor. 5:21).
2 Corinthians 5:21 (ESV): 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Do you remember how we said earlier that we cannot pay for our own sins because we are flawed and sinful people? Well, Jesus came to live a sinless and flawless life so that He COULD pay the penalty for our sins. We cannot do it, and none of us have, but Jesus did, and so we can rely on Him. Jesus was the only one who “knew no sin,” and so He is the one who took on our sin so we can be become righteous again!
#14: Jesus performed amazing miracles to prove His authority (Luke 7:22-23).
Luke 7:22–23 (ESV): 22 And he answered them, “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them. 23 And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”
Jesus wasn’t a lunatic, a liar, or a charlatan. He proved that everything He said was 100% true by performing amazing miracles that have no expiation other than someone being from God. Jesus proved He was God in the flesh by doing things no human can do. Jesus is wanting you to have faith in these things. He said “blessed is the one who is not offended by me,” Are you offended, or do you choose to believe?
#15: The center of Jesus’ teaching was to love God and love others (Matthew 22:37-40).
Matthew 22:37–40 (ESV): 37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”
Even if Christianity wasn’t true, and Jesus was a liar, the way He taught His followers to live by itslef would change the world! Jesus taught that a godly life is all about loving God, and loving our fellow man. We’re making the point here to show that Jesus is all about love, and that this is the way He taught His followers how to live.
#16: Jesus died as the payment for the sins of the world (1 Peter 2:24).
1 Peter 2:24 (ESV): 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.
To demonstrate total love for humanity, Jesus allowed Himself to be arrested by the Romans, and falsely prosecuted by the Jewish leaders, and put to death using the most heinous punishment imaginable—crucifixion. In so doing, Jesus became the sacrifice for the sins of all humanity. We have the chance to be healed of our sin through His act of love.
#17: Jesus rose from the dead (Mark 16:6).
Mark 16:6 (ESV): 6 And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him.
Jesus didn’t stay dead! After 3 days in a tomb, He came back to life, proving that He has crushed the head of Satan! This is a real historical event, with much proof, including many eyewitnesses! He had defeated death! This proved that everything He said before was true, and that He really WAS the Messiah, the Son of God, and that He could take away our sins and give us eternal life!
#18: Jesus’ resurrection defeated death for all believers (1 Cor. 15;20-22)
1 Corinthians 15:20–22 (ESV): But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.
Sin and death entered the world when Adam and Eve committed the first sin, and we’ve all perpetuated the curse in the world because of our own sin. But Jesus’ resurrection was the moment that this curse could finally be broken! Jesus rose from the dead, leading the way for all of us to one day also be raised from the dead! Jesus was the firstfruits, but we are the second! Jesus has defeated death, and when we are His faithful followers, we too will be raised from the dead!
#19: Through Jesus’ sacrifice, we are reconciled to God (Col. 1:19-22).
Colossians 1:19–22 (ESV): 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. 21 And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22 he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him,
We all have rejected God, and were alienated and hostile to Him, living in sin. But because of Jesus’ death, we can be made “blameless.” Remember, in Hebrews 9:22 we were told that without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sins. Well, when Jesus died on the cross, His blood was shed to forgive us our sins. Because of His sacrifice, we can be reconciled, or brought back to God. We can return to that Genesis 1:31 life with our Creator!
#20: Jesus wants you to believe in Him (John 3:16).
John 3:16 (ESV): 16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
God will not make anyone be reconciled to Him who does not want to be. He always allows us to choose if we want it or not. He give us the choice if we want to believe in Him or not. But for all those who have obedient faith in Him, He grants eternal life!
#21: Jesus wants you to repent of your sins (Mark 1:15).
Mark 1:15 (ESV): 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
Jesus has come to set us free from sin and death! That means He wants you to leave behind a sinful lifestyle and return to the lifestyle of love and obedience that God envisioned from the beginning. This means changing your mind about sin, and choosing to align yourself with Jesus and His commandments, rather than with the world and with sin.
#22: Jesus wants you to be baptized for the forgiveness of sins (Mark 16:16).
Mark 16:16 (ESV): 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.
Baptism is a symbolic burial, an immersion in water. You bury what has died. Since our old, sinful self has died, we symbolically bury it, and come out of the water as a new person, a follower of Jesus, set free from the curse of death. Just like Jesus died, was buried, and rose again, the victor over death, we die to our sins, are buried in baptism, and rise out to a transformed life, no longer held captive by sin and death.
#23: All who are baptized are added by God to Jesus’ church (Acts 2:41).
Acts 2:41 (ESV): 41 So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.
The church is the family of God, the followers of Jesus. These are the ones who have overcome death, and have been given the gift of eternal life. Those who choose to receive (believe) Jesus words, and are baptized will be added to Jesus’ church.
#24: Jesus is Head of HIs body, the church (Col. 1:18).
Colossians 1:18 (ESV): 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.
When we are added to the church by God, Jesus becomes our Lord. He is described as the “head” of the church, making all of us parts of His body. He controls the body, and we live in the world to carry out the mission and love of Jesus to all the lost and those still under the curse of sin and death in the world. Since Jesus is the head of the body, He is our Lord! We worship and serve Him!
#25: Every believer has an important role to fill in the church (Rom. 12:4-5).
Romans 12:4–5 (ESV): 4 For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, 5 so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.
When we are added to the church, the family of God, we can begin to help carry out Jesus’ mission in the world. None of us are the same, and we all come with diverse talents and backgrounds. We all are uniquely suited to serve the church in our own way. Once we become part of the church, we receive the honor of using our abilities to serve the church, and bring the lost to Jesus! This gives our lives deep meaning and purpose unlike anything else in the world!
#26: Jesus gives His Holy Spirit to help believers live their lives in Him (John 14:16-17).
John 14:16–17 (ESV): 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.
Jesus ascended into heaven shortly after His resurrection, but He didn’t leave us without support! He promises His Holy Spirit to His followers to help us live out His mission in the world. In Acts 2:38, we’re told that all who repent and are baptized receive this gift of the Holy Spirit! We then trust and rely on the Spirit to help transform us and lead us in our walk with Jesus.
#27: Jesus is Lord, and every knee will bow to Him (Php. 2:9-11).
Philippians 2:9–11 (ESV): 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Even if we choose to reject the gift of eternal life in Jesus’ church, and we choose to disbelieve, that doesn’t change the fact that Jesus is still Lord. One day, every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. The question is, will we do it now?
#28: Jesus is coming back again to gather His church to Himself (1 Thess. 4:16-17).
1 Thessalonians 4:16–17 (ESV): 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.
We are living in the last period of human history. Before long, Jesus will return to earth to gather his church to Himself and fully put an end to death once and for all. At that time, all of us who have been His followers will be raised from the dead, never to die again. We will then meet Jesus, and live with Him forever!
#29: God will raise us from the dead to either life or judgement (John 5:28-29).
John 5:28–29 (ESV): 28 Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice 29 and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.
There is a judgement coming. No sin will be unpaid for. Either we allow Jesus to pay the penalty for our sins by trusting in Him and letting Him break the curse of sin and death in our lives, or we pay for our sins for all eternity. We choose. How will you be raised? To the resurrection of life? Or to the resurrection of judgment? There’s still time to follow Jesus before it’s too late!
#30: God wants all people to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth (1 Tim. 2:3-6)
1 Timothy 2:3–6 (ESV): 3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.
God doesn’t want judgment for anyone. In fact, He wants ALL people to be saved and come to understand and believe the things that we’ve talked about today. God wants you to know that there is only ONE God, and ONE way to Him, which is Jesus, who died for your sins and for mine. He wants you to have every opportunity to trust in Him and give your life to Him so you can be set free from the curse of sin and death, be added to His church, and look forward to the resurrection of Life!
#31: Jesus is knocking at the door of your heart — Will you answer and let Him in? Will you be added to the church and have the curse of sin and death defeated in your life? (Rev. 3:20)
Revelation 3:20 (ESV): 20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.
Jesus is patiently knocking on the door of your heart. He doesn’t demand entrance. You can choose if you want to let Him in or not. You can choose if you want eternal life and the forgiveness of your sins. But allowing Jesus into your heart is often difficult because it means letting something else out. Often our hearts are so filled with the sin of the world and with self that we have a hard time letting Jesus in. But that’s why He’s so patient. He knows it can be tough, and it still might take time. But know that when you are ready, Jesus is here, knocking and waiting to come in to your heart and break the curse of sin and death and give you eternal life!