Realizing Salvation: Knowing Your Enemy to Overcome Defeat

Chapter two is an important chapter that teaches the real gospel of salvation to the readers. It tends to make one realise that Jesus saved human beings to the uttermost point. However, the chapter presents how many people have not realized that they are saved because they do not know the antics of their enemy adequately. It is also based on the fact that they do not know how the devil approaches them and misguides them and how often they find themselves in the crossroads of defeat even when they are fully saved by Jesus Christ.

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This chapter also guides people on how to know the enemy. One of the ways that the authors illustrate how to know the enemy is to understand how to entice people. For example, enticement to evil, physical infliction to disease, spiritually by inducement to rituals, intellectually by seduction into error among other works. The reason that the evil one defeats people is that individuals lack understanding of these mechanisms that he uses to destroy the relationship between them and God, and gets a chance to override them.

However, through his death, the author shows that Jesus Christ gave us complete salvation. It is not just complete salvation but also eternal salvation. This salvation is eternal as exemplified by his death on the cross. When he said,

"It is finished," on the cross, Christ had exemplified that one could know all the works of the evil one and could defeat him through God's word.

Thus, the death of Christ simplifies complete victory over the devil and our uttermost salvation.

II. Questions on Chapter Two:

1. In what four ways do the powers of darkness attack?

The powers of darkness work in four major ways.

The first major way is moral, where it entices someone into evil. The second way is physically through disease, the third way is spiritual, where one may be induced to rituals, and lastly, it may attack intellectually be seducing one to error.

2. Do upbringing and heredity play a role in a person's problems with sin?

No, there is no correlation between the upbringing of a man and his heredity and sin. Whereas the modern man is being influenced to believe that he is fated to sin from a heredity perspective, Jesus Christ gave everyone uttermost emancipation when he died on the cross and therefore no one is fated to sin or destined to do wrong regardless of where they are raised.

3. According to Jesus, where does sickness come from?

Sickness comes from the doings of the devil. Jesus came on Earth to destroy the works of the devil. One of the works was to cast out demons. According to Jesus, demons are just the messengers of Satan, and they come to make people seek and cause them undue afflictions. Through fighting sicknesses, it is clear that it came from the pit where the devil will finally be thrown.

"Men and women are at the same time responsible and not responsible for their sin. Insofar as we have all been born with a degree of spiritual corruption, the atonement of Christ covers our guilt."...

4. What is the form of godliness, and why is it not enough?

The form of godliness is trying to look like a Christian by merely going to church and singing hymns and living among Christians. It is not enough because it does not entirely reflect the life of Christ in the man. Every real Christian instead should reflect the inward life of Christ, not just being religious.

5. How does Satan attack you intellectually?

Satan, being an intelligent being, knows what is right and what is wrong. Therefore, what he wants to do to change someone is to persuade them to believe false doctrine. This same approach is the one which he used in the Garden of Eden and made Eve to believe a lie.

6. Why are many people afraid that life will pass them by?

Many people are afraid that life will pass them by and leave them unfulfilled. They are afraid because they do not realize that Jesus Christ offers full salvation, and it is only by him that they can fulfil their goals in life and leave the world as satisfied people.

7. Compare and contrast complete Salvati eternal salvation and unchanging salvation

Complete salvation is the notion that Jesus Christ can save fully and not partially. Eternal salvation, on the other hand, shows that he can save forever, meaning that one does not just get saved for the moment. Unchanging salvation means that for all time, and regardless of the condition, Jesus can save. Though the three have different meanings, they all reflect on the wondrous saving ability of God, fully, never changing and forever.

8. List four pieces of evidence which confirm the centrality of the cross

The centrality of the cross can be defined by the following four pieces of evidence:

The pre-eminence of the death of Christ.

The willingness of Jesus to die on the cross.

The calling of every one of us to be willing to be with Christ in his death in our spiritually.

The death of Christ on the cross is identified as the ransom for our sins.

III. Chapter Reflections:

From this chapter, I have gained instrumental knowledge of how Satan takes advantage of the being of people. For example, he can use various ways to defeat individuals either morally, physically, or intellectually. Therefore, after this study, I am now armed in better ways to realize the avenues that the devil may use to try to deceive me.

I have also learned some instrumental knowledge from the death of Christ. I am now more assured that he died for me and that the salvation from the cross was complete and eternal. Just like Christ, I aspire to live a life of victory, and I will not just seek to be a Christian who goes to church but one who reflects the life of Christ in everything I do. This way, I will prove that Christ saved me to the uttermost.

Chapter Three

The Power of the Cross

I. Summary:

In two or three paragraphs and in your own words, summarize the theme of this

chapter, and make a personal application as is appropriate:

This chapter, in my view, effectively displays the power of the cross. The chapter proved to be the quintessential necessity of the cross to a Christian. However, many people may not have the same reflection of the cross once they have read this chapter. This is because it moves one from the wooden cross to a deeper understanding of a righteous man dying for the sins of the world. Indeed, a greater concentration on the suffering of Christ while on the cross makes me realize how powerful the cross was in saving me.

While on the cross, Christ underwent physical and spiritual pain. His body was pierced, and he was wounded because he was a perfect substitute for our sins. Thus, given the fact that he was in a human body, this physical pain was tormenting of him. Besides, the cry, "I thirst!" reflected the way he was bruised and crushed, and the grief went beyond physical to a spiritual feeling for the lost souls. The chapter reveals the intensity of sin, which needed the son of God to die on the cross and become sin so that we may become his righteousness and live free from condemnation.

II. Questions on Chapter Three:

1. What role in Christianity odes the cross-play?

The cross is the central idea of the Christian message. The cross makes Christians reflect on the life of Christ and his death. It makes Christians reflect on the heavy burden Christ bore so that the sick would be healed and the sinful might be forgiven. Therefore, the cross is the resemblance of the victory over Christ over the power of darkness.

2. What was the only indicator that Jesus gave of physical pain?

The day that Jesus died on the cross had been a long one that was full of violence. All through, Jesus had not cried, nor had he shown his inability to endure the pain. However, at one time, he cried, "I Thirst!" This was the only indication that he was suffering physically because it showed that he was in physical pain.

3. What were the six types of wounds that Jesus suffered?

Jesus suffered six types of wounds. One of them was the abrased wound since blows scraped off his skin. The other one was the contused wound, which was caused by heavy blows. He also suffered the incised wound because he was pierced by a spear. Jesus also suffered the lacerated wound since his skin was torn. The other wound he suffered was the penetrating wound, given the fact that the spear pierced through his flesh. Lastly, he suffered the punctured wound, which is caused by a spiked instrument.

4. Why did God abandon Jesus when he cried for help?

It is sometimes appalling that God abandoned his son when he cried out for help. He abandoned him because he would either save him and leave the world in sin or save the world and let his son die. Due to his love for the human race, God abandoned his son and left him to die for the world to be saved.

5. Who was the first man in history to be deprived of God? Explain why.

The first man to be deprived of God was David when he said,

"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?..."

David sang this psalm when he was at the crossroads of life having sinned, and he wanted God to forgive him since he saw that if God let him any longer, he would end up suffering more.

6. Why do people want to be clean and feel clean?

Even when people have achieved much in life, they tend to feel clean and want to be clean. The reason that they feel so is that their spiritual realms tend to make them feel restless such that they can only look to a higher spiritual power to cleanse them. Therefore, for cleansing, human beings need God to be cleansed as the scripture says, "Truly no man can ransom his brother, or give to God the price of his life."

7. What about the Cross makes us invincible to the paralyzing effects of sin?

The cross gave us the power over sin because after Jesus died, our sins were forgiven. It also gives us a solace where we can take our cries and woes and seek help from God. Therefore, the cross is the place where we can be saved from sin and not suffer eternal death, and hence, it paralyzes every effect of sin.

In the face of what five things should you be determined to know only Christ and him crucified?

One needs to know Christ and him crucified in the face of sin. This is because we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Also, in the face of sickness, one needs to know Christ and him alone as he conquered our sicknesses when he was crucified. Also, in the face of a sceptical world, one needs to know Christ and him alone because the preaching of God looks like foolishness before a sceptical world. Also, in the face of a collapsing world, one needs to know Christ, who is the hope of life for everyone. Lastly, one needs to know Christ in the face of death because as the scripture says, "He poured out his soul unto death," We can also affix our hope in life after death through the crucifixion of Christ.

III. Chapter Reflections:

The chapter gave me a huge understanding of the cross of Christ and its power. It was a powerful chapter that made me realize the power that came to believers after Jesus died on the cross. Even God for his love to save the world could not save his only son from the pangs of death, and hence, the cross should have such a great meaning to me as a Christian.

From the chapter, I have taught myself to know Christ in all circumstances. I need to know Christ and himself crucified in the face of a mocking world, in the face of sickness and even in the face of death. From this chapter, I realize that there is such an invincible power in the cross that makes me powerful over sin and its pangs. The chapter has increased my faith in the cross and given me a new revelation of the God I believe in.

Chapter Four

Alive f...