THE MEANING OF LIFE

The Meaning of Life How To Become A Christian

a scripture guide

Prepared by Daniel Keeran, MSW, Victoria, Canada.

No rights reserved. Print and distribute freely.

Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture references are from the New International Version.

Date of Publication: April 21, 2013 ISBN-13: 978-1484180440 ISBN-10: 1484180445 Email collegemhc@gmail.com Phone: 778-433-1547 Website: www.becomebiblechristian.com

Printed in the United States of America.

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Dedicated to

The Author of Life

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CONTENTS How To Use This Guide

7

Foretold

9

God With Us

9

Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Christ

10

The Lamb Sacrificed For Our Sins

11

What Jesus Wants Everyone To Do

12

Forgiveness of Sins

13

Crucified With Him

15

How To Be Happy

16

Why Be Baptized

17

Encouraging Words

18

Shall We Go On Sinning After Baptism?

21

What About Little Children?

25

Can One Be Forgiven After Baptism?

26

How To Stay Faithful To God

28

A Final Question

29 5

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How To Use This Guide If you want to help someone decide to become a Christian, ask the person to read the scriptures aloud from this guide book or from the Bible. Then ask them to read and answer the questions aloud. Then ask the person if they believe what they have read.

Another approach is to refer to the guide while inviting the person to read the scripture verses from their Bible. Then after each reading, ask the corresponding questions from the guide.

If you are not yet a Christian, simply read the scriptures and answer the questions for yourself. If you decide you want to become a Christian as described in this guide, contact the person who gave you this booklet or find a church using websites on the internet such as www.church-of-christ.org God bless you as you seek the peace that only God can give.

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FORETOLD Read Isaiah 53 (written in the 8th century before Christ) Question: Who is this chapter speaking about?

GOD WITH US Read Matthew 1:21-23 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins. All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel (which means “God with us”).

Question: According to the verses above, who is Jesus and what was he to save people from?

Do you believe it?

Read John 1:1-3,14 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; 9 Want to learn more? Visit www.wbschool.org

without him nothing was made that has been made.... The Word became flesh and lived among us.

Question: According to the verses above, who was the Word?

Do you believe it?

Read John 20:28-29 Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!” Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

Question: According to the verses above, who is Jesus?

Do you believe it?

DEATH, BURIAL, AND RESURRECTION OF CHRIST

Read 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have 10 Want to learn more? Visit www.wbschool.org

believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures....

Question: According to the verses above, what must we believe that is of first importance?

Do you believe it?

THE LAMB SACRIFICED FOR OUR SINS Read John 1:29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

Read 1 John 4:10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

Question: According to the verses above, what did Jesus do?

Do you believe it?

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WHAT JESUS WANTS EVERYONE TO DO Read Matthew 28:18-20 Then Jesus came to them and said, All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.

Read Mark 16:15-16 He said to them, Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

Question: According to the verses above, what does Jesus want everyone to believe and do to be saved?

Do you believe it?

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FORGIVENESS OF SINS Read Luke 24:45-49 Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.”

Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.” (ESV) Question: According to the verses above, where would forgiveness of sins in Jesus’ name begin to be preached to all nations?

Do you believe it?

Read Acts 2:1-5 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.

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Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven.

Read Acts 2:14,36-41 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven (apostles), raised his voice and addressed the crowd.... “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.”

When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”

With many other words he warned them; and 14 Want to learn more? Visit www.wbschool.org

he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.

Question: According to the verses above, what two things were the people told to do to receive forgiveness of sins?

Do you believe it?

CRUCIFIED WITH HIM Read Romans 6:1-4,6 What shall we say, then?

Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.... 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body 15 Want to learn more? Visit www.wbschool.org

ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin...

Questions: According to the verses above, how do we enter into Christ and his death, in order to live a new life? When is a person crucified with Christ, to give up sin?

Do you believe it?

HOW TO BE HAPPY Read Acts 8:32-39 This is the passage of Scripture (Isaiah 53) the eunuch was reading: “He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he did not open his mouth. In his humiliation he was deprived of justice. Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from the earth.”

The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?” Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus. As they traveled along 16 Want to learn more? Visit www.wbschool.org

the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?� And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing.

Question: According to the verses above, what does the eunuch want to do immediately after he was told the good news about Jesus? When does the eunuch rejoice? Why do you think he was so happy?

Do you believe it?

WHY BE BAPTIZED? Read Acts 22:16 And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.

Question: According to the verse above, why should one be baptized?

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Do you believe it?

I wonder if you have thought about being baptized for the forgiveness of your sins and to start a new life following the teaching of Christ.

ENCOURAGING WORDS Read 2 Timothy 1:10 ...it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.

Read 2 Peter 1:16 For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.

Read 1 Peter 1:3-6 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance 18 Want to learn more? Visit www.wbschool.org

is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.

Question: Do you want to be happy knowing your sins are forgiven and hopeful that you will go to heaven when you die? What will you do?

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Sixth century immersion baptismal basin at Nocera Superiore, Italy

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Crucified with Christ Fourth century immersion baptismal basin in the shape of a cross, San Pedro Alcantara, southern Spain

SHALL WE GO ON SINNING AFTER BAPTISM? Read Romans 6:1-5 What shall we say, then?

Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried 21 Want to learn more? Visit www.wbschool.org

with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his.

Read Romans 6:6-13 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.

Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him.

The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer any part 22 Want to learn more? Visit www.wbschool.org

of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness.

Read Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Read Colossians 2:12-13 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead. When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins...

Questions: According to the verses above, when is one done with sin, crucified with Christ, made alive with Christ, and forgiven of sins?

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Read 1 Peter 3:20-21 ...in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also窶馬ot the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ...

Question: According to the verses above, what saves you, and what is a pledge to God? Do you believe it?

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Immersion baptism of Christ, depicted by Paolo th Veneziano, artist of the 14 century, Venice, Italy

WHAT ABOUT LITTLE CHILDREN? Read Matthew 18:2-5 He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never 25 Want to learn more? Visit www.wbschool.org

enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.�

Question: According to verses above, what is the spiritual condition of little children?

Read Acts 8:12 But when they believed Philip as he proclaimed the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.

Question: According to the verse above, what did people do when they heard the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ? Were little children baptized?

Do you believe it? What will you do?

CAN ONE BE FORGIVEN AFTER BAPTISM? Read Acts 8:13,18-23 Simon himself believed and was baptized.... When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money and 26 Want to learn more? Visit www.wbschool.org

said, “Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”

Peter answered: “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord in the hope that he may forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.”

Question: According to the verses above, what was Simon told to do to be forgiven when he sinned after being baptized?

Do you believe it?

Read 1 John 1:8-9 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

Read 1 John 2:1 My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody 27 Want to learn more? Visit www.wbschool.org

does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. Question: According to the verses above, how can we be forgiven of sins committed after baptism?

Do you believe it?

HOW TO STAY FAITHFUL TO GOD Read Hebrews 3:12-14 See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.

We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end.

Read Hebrews 10:24-25 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

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Question: According to the verses above, what can help us stay faithful to the end?

Do you believe it? What will you do?

A FINAL QUESTION: HOW SOON WERE PEOPLE BAPTIZED? Read Acts 2:40-41 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.

Read Acts 8: 35-38 Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture (Isaiah 53) and told him the good news about Jesus. As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?” And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him.

Read Acts 16: 32-33 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his 29 Want to learn more? Visit www.wbschool.org

house. At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized.

Question: According to the verses above, how soon were people baptized after they heard the message or good news about Jesus?

What will you do?

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