The Christian Life

• Spiritual Basics
  
  Becoming a Christian is not the end of your spiritual journey. It is simply the gateway to a new journey altogether. The path you will follow will retrace the steps of Christian in Pilgrim's Progress. It will lead you along quiet streams and through green valleys, where you will find rest and strengthening. But it will also take you to places of temptation, danger, perhaps even soul-rending battle. It will be a narrow path, because it was not made to accommodate crowds of travelers. Your walk would sometimes be lonely except that you will always have a companion, the Lord Himself, who will accompany and help you because He desires your fellowship. Yet if you wish to enjoy a continuing sense of His presence, you must meet certain requirements.
  
  
  • Repentance
    • lesson 1
      • Beyond death
      • Repentance defined
      • A threefold understanding
        • He is a sinner.
          • I'm not so bad.
          • I'm pretty good.
        • His sin is wrong, and he deserves the punishment that God has ordained.
        • He is sorry for his sins.
      • Defective repentance
        • Saul
        • Ahab
      • True repentance
      • The lies of Satan
      • Cautionary conclusion
    
    
  • Faith
    • lesson 2
      • Alternatives to Christianity
      • Perversions of Christianity
        • Self-reform
        • Works of righteousness
        • Religious exercises
      • The real remedy
      • Erroneous conceptions of faith
        • Faith with no object
        • Faith in a powerless object
      • The gospel
      • Who Jesus is
      • Saving faith
      • The components of Jesus' name
        • The name Jesus
        • The name Christ
        • The name Lord
      • Summary
    
    
  • Baptism
    • lesson 3
      • Counting converts
      • Mandate
      • Practice of the early church
      • Modes of baptism
      • Purposes in baptism
      • Symbolism
      • False views of baptism
        • Infant baptism
        • Salvation by faith plus baptism
        • Baptism as spectacle
    
    
  • Belonging to a Church
    • lesson 4
      • The epidemic of irresponsibility
      • A battle raging
      • The Great Commission revisited
      • Why a new believer needs the church
      • The divine plan
      • The work of discipling
      • The only valid reasons for not attending
      • The duty of a mature Christian
      • The importance of being part of a church
      • A warning against forsaking the church
    
    
  • Personal Devotions
    • lesson 5
      • The chief end of man
      • Fellowship with God
      • Two-way communication
      • Place of devotions
      • Time of devotions
      • Length of devotions
      • Procedure (seven-step method)
        • Confession of sin
        • Praise and thanksgiving
        • Bible reading
        • Meditation
        • Application
        • Intercession
        • Personal requests
      • Devotional log
    
    
  • Prayer
    • lesson 6: Conditions to Be Met for Successful Prayer
      • A blank check
      • Terms and conditions
        • Condition 1: We must be free of unconfessed sin.
        • Condition 2: We must pray according to God's will.
          • Unconditional guarantees
            • For salvation
            • For forgiveness of a believer's sins
            • For the Holy Spirit
            • For wisdom
            • For fruitfulness in ministry
            • For Christ's return
            • For God's name to be glorified
          • Recommendations
            • For laborers to reap the harvest
            • For material needs
            • For the sick and others with physical ailments
            • For civil leaders
            • For all men
          • Illegitimate prayer
          • The prayer of Jabez
        • Condition 3: We must pray in faith.
      • A modern champion of faith (George Müller)
      • Persevering prayer
        
        
    • lesson 7: Correct Procedure for Prayer
      • In the throne room
      • Protocol
        • The Holy Spirit is our intercessor.
        • The Father is the One who answers.
        • The Son is our advocate
      • Judicial proceedings
      • Manner of prayer
        • Posture
        • Voice
        • Place
        • Time
      • Economies in prayer
        • Eliminating rashness
        • Raising no complaint against God
        • Suppressing all bitterness toward other people
        • Avoiding drowsiness
        • Shunning vain repetition
        • As much as possible, being specific
    
    
  • Bible Study
    • lesson 8: The Bible as God's Inerrant Guidebook
      • Other religious writings
      • Uniqueness of the Bible
        • Trustworthiness of its authors
        • Internal consistency
        • Accuracy
        • Realism in its point of view
        • Caliber of its ethical teachings
        • Treatment of the supernatural
        • Resilience under attack
      • Spiritual nourishment
        • Doctrine
        • Reproof and correction
        • Instruction in righteousness
      • All truth
      • Objection
        
        
    • lesson 9: Principles of Bible Study
      • True love
      • Studying God's Word with profit
        • 1. God intentionally put difficulties in the Bible.
        • 2. To understand the Bible is impossible without the aid of the Holy Spirit.
        • 3. Every passage must be understood as serving the two main purposes of the Bible—to reveal Christ and promote godly living.
        • 4. The Bible contains mysteries that God expects us to explore.
        • 5. Holiness and faith are prerequisites for comprehending the mysteries of the Bible.
        • 6. Regular devotions do not justify neglect of systematic Bible study.
      
      
    • lesson 10: How to Interpret the Bible
      • The next heresy
      • Hermeneutics
        • The rule of authorial intent
        • The rule of univocal meaning
        • The rule of context
        • The rule that Scripture explains itself
        • The rule of literalism
          • Figures of speech
            • Metaphor
            • Metonymy
            • Synecdoche
            • Ellipsis
            • Hyperbole
          • Recognizing figures of speech
          • Symbolism
          • Interpreting history and prophecy
      
      
    • lesson 11: Helps for Bible Study
      • Helps for Basic Study
      • Helps for Advanced Study
      • Digital Books
      • Cautionary Note
    
    
  • Witnessing for Christ
    • lesson 12
      • Soulwinning as a requirement
        • Redeeming the time
        • What the Bible commands
        • What the Bible commends
        • Two kinds of witness
      • Witness by our manner of life
        • Good works
        • Good character
        • Enduring persecution
      • Witness by verbal testimony
        • Hit-and-run soulwinning
        • Correctives
        • Jesus' soulwinning practice
    
    
  • Giving Time and Money to God's Work
    • lesson 13
      • The folly in being stingy
        • Scrooges in the Bible
        • Being rich toward God
      • Old Testament practice
        • Giving time
        • Giving money
      • New Testament practice
      • Old Testament law in the New Testament
      • Underlying moral principles
        • For the Sabbath
        • For tithing
      • Old Testament applications
        • The principle of setting aside one day in the week
        • The principle of generous giving
      • New Testament applications
        • The principle of setting aside one day in the week
        • The principle of generous giving
      • Generosity
        • How to define generosity
        • A practical rule of thumb
      • Rewards
      • Guidelines
    
    
  • Assurance of Salvation
    • lesson 14: Tests of Genuine Faith
      • The imperative to examine oneself
      • Unnecessary doubt contrasted with necessary doubt
      • Invalid tests of faith
        • The test of feeling
        • The test of a past decision
      • Valid tests of faith
        • The belief test
        • The love test
        • The separation test
        • The holiness test
      • Summary
      • Failing the test
      
      
    • lesson 15: Eternal Security
      • The power of God
      • The love of God
      • The truthfulness of God
      • The promises of God
      • Those who disobey the truth
        • The carnal Christian
        • The apostate
        • The backslider
        • Cautionary note
      • Conclusion
    
    
  • Finding God's Will
    • lesson 16: Principles
      • Superstition
      • Seven principles for finding God's will
        • First: the principle of divine truthfulness (God's will is always consistent with His Word)
        • Second: the principle of divine holiness (God's will is always consistent with His character)
        • Third: the principle of appropriate methods (we determine God's will by depending on the Spirit and the Word)
          • Old Testament methods
            • The Urim and Thummim
            • Seeking signs
            • Casting lots
          • Picking Scripture at random
          • Proper use of Scripture
          • Looking at circumstances alone
          • Proper use of circumstances
        • Fourth: the patience principle (if no option looks right, we should wait)
          • If in doubt, don't.
          • We should never let anyone pressure us into a decision that we are not ready to make.
          • We should never pursue an option just because it is the only one we see.
          • It is never necessary to choose the lesser of two evils.
          • Don’t force a door open.
      
      
    • lesson 17: More Principles
      • Principles
        • Fifth: the focus principle (in pursuing God's will, we must often limit ourselves by looking at one option at a time or by taking one step at a time)
          • One option at a time
            • when choosing a new pastor
            • when choosing a ministry
            • when choosing a mate
          • One step at a time
        • Sixth: the surrender principle (to follow God requires that we turn away from self)
        • Seventh: the diligence principle (to know God's will, we must seek it intensely with our whole heart)
    
    
  • Temptation
    • lesson 18: The Temptation of Christ
      • Introduction
      • The baptism of Christ
      • The temptation of Christ
      • First temptation
      • Second temptation
      • Third temptation
      
      
    • lesson 19: Satan
      • The unseen world
      • Misconceptions
        • We must all contend with Satan
        • Satan can do whatever he wants to us.
        • All temptation comes from Satan.
      • The seven principles of spiritual warfare
        • Do not underestimate your enemy.
        • Ignore whatever the devil says.
        • Know yourself.
        • Resist Satan with all vigor and might.
        • Wield Scripture in your defense.
        • Seek divine refreshment after the battle.
        • Expect the devil to return.
      • Intelligence bulletin
        • Satan is a master of deceit.
        • Satan is a sophisticated strategist.
      
      
    • lesson 20: The World
      • Pilgrim's Progress
      • The world
        • Definition
        • Legitimate interaction
        • The primary rule
        • The secondary rule
        • The corollary
      • Rules and standards
      • Objections
        • Rules are not Scriptural.
        • Rules are legalistic.
        • We live under grace, not under the law.
        • All things are lawful.
        • Law is for the unrighteous, not for the righteous.
      • Antinomianism in the Last Days
      
      
    • lesson 21: The Flesh
      • The pitfall of asceticism
      • The fallen body, soul, and spirit
        • The three lusts
        • Desires good and bad
      • Besetting sins
        • Individual differences
        • A four-step strategy
      
      
    • lesson 22: Besetting Sins
      • Practical advice on dealing with fleshly sins
      • Anger
      • Depression
      • Lust
      • Laziness
      • Worry
      • The secret to victory
    
    
  • Suffering
    • lesson 23
      • The suffering of the unrighteous
      • Why the righteous also suffer
        • Because we live in a sinful, dying world under the curse
        • Because of Satanic opposition to the work of God
        • As a witness to the lost
        • As a witness to other believers
        • As a witness to Satan and his angels
        • As a witness to the angels of God
        • To improve our character and build our faith
        • As chastisement
        • To teach us, as Christ's ambassadors, how we can comfort others
        • To remind us that life in this world is ultimately unsatisfying
      • Loving God
    
    
  • Persecution
    • lesson 24: Our Examples of Godly Endurance
      • Foxe’s Book of Martyrs
      • Sheep among wolves
      • Counsel on defending ourselves
      • A warning as to who may oppose us
      • A warning as to how many may oppose us
      • Legitimate responses to persecution
      • Our forerunner in suffering
      
      
  • Brotherly Love
    • lesson 25: Love as the Fulfillment of the Law
      • Love defined
      • Four faces of love
        • Romantic love
        • Natural affection
        • Friendship
        • Charity
      • The essence of the law
      • Inward righteousness
      
      
    • lesson 26: The Excellence of Brotherly Love
      • The nature of God
      • Brotherly love
        • Friendliness
        • Courtesy
        • Hospitality
        • Kindness
        • Sympathy
        • Help
      • Excelling love
        • Impartiality
        • Fervency
        • Forgiveness
        • Self-sacrifice
      
      
    • lesson 27: Sins against Love
      • The works of Satan
      • Checklists
      • Warnings
        • Sexual immorality
        • Wrath
        • Lying
        • Gossip
      • Running away
      • Self-centeredness
      • Replacing vices with virtues
    
    
  • Conflict Resolution
    • lesson 28
      • The first conflict
      • Steps mandated by Jesus
      • 1. Private confrontation
      • 2. Adding witnesses
      • 3. Involving the whole church
      • 4. Discipline
      • Heaven's backing for discipline
    
    
  • Authority
    • lesson 29: The Sin of Rebellion
      • Spiritual pride
      • The lamentable history of Israel’s wanderings
      • The lesson for us
      
      
    • lesson 30: The Scope of Authority
      • Rebels as leaders
      • Chains of command
      • Limits of human authority
      • The highest authority
      
      
    • lesson 31: Godly Leadership
      • America's role model
      • Principles of leadership in the Book of Joshua
        • There is delegated authority.
        • There is a shared commitment to honor and obey God.
        • Everyone recognizes that it is in the organization’s best interest to have a strong leader.
        • All dealings are conducted with personal integrity.
      • The ticket to greatness
      • Conclusion
    
    
  • The Unpardonable Sin
    • lesson 32:
      • Bunyan's agony of soul
      • Jesus' rebuke of the Pharisees
      • Apostasy
      • Chastening
      • Destruction of the flesh
      • Death
      • Our accountability
      • The remedy for sin
    
    
  • The Christian's Hope
    • lesson 33: The Eternal Life That Awaits Us
      • Earthly benefits in being a Christian
      • Eternal benefits in being a Christian
        • A glorified body
          • Whom will we resemble?
          • What kind of body will we have?
          • Will we be able to recognize each other?
          • Will there be marriage in heaven?
        • Escape from evil
      
      
    • lesson 34: Where We Will Live and What We Will Do in Eternity
      • A wonderful home (the new Jerusalem)
      • The finest luxuries
        • Food
        • Clothing
      • Fulfilling occupations
        • Great authority
        • Humble service
      • Fellowship with God
      • The highest good

• Christian Service
  
  We live at a time when few young people in the church are interested in entering Christian service. One reason is that the hearts of many are self-absorbed and self-serving rather than devoted to the interests of God. We will not see greater numbers being recruited for Christian work until revival descends upon our churches.
  
  Yet even now, there are young people answering the call to do God's work. These are the ones with hearts liberated from bondage to self.
  
  
  • lesson 35: Sacrifice
    • The key to success
    • Sacrificing saints
      • The apostle Paul
      • Henry Martyn
      • William Borden
    • Problem
    • Remedy
    • Principles of sacrifice
      • Principle 1: Some sacrifice is no sacrifice.
      • Principle 2: God wants only one thing, and that is everything.
      • Principle 3: There is no such thing as sacrifice.
      • Principle 4: It is not possible to avoid sacrifice.
      • Principle 5: Sacrifice is the key to blessing.
    
    
  • lesson 36: Risk-Taking
    • Definition
    • Problem
    • Risk-taking saints
      • Jonathan
      • Early Christians
    • Lessons
    • Principle 1: Without risk there is no reward.
    • Principle 2: The only risk lies in not serving God.
    • Principle 3: There is no one to fear.
    • Principle 4: There is no power without a step of faith.
    • Principle 5: The proof of the Spirit lies not in the process but in the result.
      
      
  • lesson 37: Standing Firm
    • Persecution around the world
    • First incentive to stand firm despite persecution
    • Second incentive to stand firm despite persecution
    • Third incentive to stand firm despite persecution
    • Fourth incentive to stand firm despite persecution
    • How to be worthy of Christ’s love
    • The blessing in persecution
      
      
  • lesson 38: Compassion
    • Definition
      • What love is not
        • Love is not a romantic feeling.
        • Love is not an uncontrollable feeling.
        • Love is not just doing our duty.
      • What love is
        • Love is an emotion.
        • Love is deep and abiding.
        • Love is particular.
        • Love is subject to the will.
      • Problem
    • Marks of Christian love
      • Just being nice
      • Unselfishness
    • Principles of love
      • Principle 1: The basic motive for Christian service must be love.
      • Principle 2: The highest form of compassion is self-sacrificing.
      • Principle 3: Perfect love casteth out fear.
      • Principle 4: the ultimate goal of Christian service is to build a body of believers notable for love.
    
    
  • lesson 39: Consecration
    • Crisis
    • Consecration
    • A removal
    • A joining
    • Principle 1: A consecrated Christian is heaven-directed.
    • Principle 2: A consecrated Christian is heaven-dependent.
    • Principle 3: A consecrated Christian is heaven-bound.
    • Principle 4: A consecrated Christian is heavenly minded.
      
      
  • lesson 40: Preparation

• Personal Separation
  
  The church cannot pass Biblical truth to the next generation unless it readopts traditional standards, and unless also it devises new standards to combat the latest forms of sinful amusement. The devil is always building new armament to send against the church under siege, and the new armament must be countered by new fortifications. Negative rules (“do not drink”) help the church defend itself from attack, just as positive rules (“love thy neighbor”) help the church carry out evangelistic sorties into the enemy's territory.
  
  
  • Introduction to Personal Separation
    • lesson 41: The Need for Standards
      • Mass defection
      • Biblical principles
        
        
    • lesson 42: Law without Legalism
      • What is legalism?
      • Texts used to oppose standards
      • Biblical vs. man-made rules
      • Rules in the early church
      • Contempt for rules in the Last Days
    
    
  • Bible Teaching on Alcoholic Drink
    • lesson 43: The Case for Abstinence
      • The highest standard
      • Fallacies in moderationism
        
        
    • lesson 44: Against Moderationism
      • Old Testament texts in praise of wine
        
        
    • lesson 45: More Against Moderationism
      • Old Testament texts permitting strong drink
      • Old Testament texts viewing wine or strong drink as a remedy
      • A New Testament text urging the consumption of wine
      • New Testament texts showing that Jesus Himself was a wine drinker
    
    
  • The Evils in Television
    • lesson 46: Medical and Psychological Effects
      • One real cause of our trouble
      • Excessive violence
      • Horror
      • The cult of beauty
      • Preoccupation with sex
      • Encouragement of unhealthy habits
      • Modeling of uncivil speech and behavior
        
        
    • lesson 47: More Medical and Psychological Effects
      • Hindrance of intellectual development
      • Suppression of better activities
      • Promotion of youth culture
      • Promotion of materialism
      • Generation of discontent and escapism
        
        
    • lesson 48: Checklist for Wholesome Viewing
      • Affronts to righteousness
      • Questions for evaluating media content
        
        
    • lesson 49: Should a Christian Get Rid of His TV?
      • The leaven in a little bit
      • A pastor's obligation
  
  
• The Family
  
  God placed man in a matrix of social institutions designed to restrain sin. He founded the church, so that man could hear the law of God. He founded civil government to deter crime and punish criminals. And He founded the family, so that each generation could pass on its best achievements and wisdom to the next, and so that each individual could live in a situation fostering cooperation, unselfish service to others, and love. Although the devil has attacked all these institutions, his special target has been the family, because it is the most important.
  
  
  • The Christian Husband
    • lesson 50: Loving Authority
      • Peter's realism
      • A wife's obedience
      • A husband's love
      • Wisdom in the divine plan
      • The role of helpmeet
      • Why marriage is not unequal
        
        
    • lesson 51: Fidelity
      • Self-knowledge
      • Safeguards against corruption of the eye
      • Safeguards against corruption of the heart
      • General policies to protect your marriage
        
        
    • lesson 52: Dwelling with a Wife according to Knowledge
      • Breakdown in communication
      • Remedies
      • Honoring a wife
      • A woman's weakness
      • A woman's value
    
    
  • Bible Teaching on Divorce
    • lesson 53: The Institution of Marriage
      • The devil's campaign
      • Trends in the divorce rate
      • Divine purposes in marriage
      • God's view of divorce
        
        
  • Rearing Children for Christ
    • lesson 54: Establishing a Spiritual Center to the Home
      • Perilous times
        • The father must exercise spiritual leadership.
        • The whole family must be faithful to the church.
        • The life of the family must include a family altar.
        • Each member of the family should have personal devotions.
        • God must be a constant theme of talk in the home.
      
      
    • lesson 55: Chief Dangers in a Child's World
      • A child's sexual innocence must be protected.
      • A child must be insulated as much as possible from the formative influence of the mass media.
        
        
    • lesson 56: The Best Option in Education
      • Four advantages of a Christian school
      • Comparison of church schools and home schools
      
      
    • lesson 57: Loving Discipline
      • The home must provide daily demonstrated love.
    
    
  • The Crises in Growing Up
    • lesson 58: Youth Culture: The Crisis of Early Adolescence
      • A question of survival
      • Contemporary youth culture
      • Customs
      • Beliefs
      • Origins
      • Driving force
        
        
    • lesson 59: Sexuality: The Crisis of Middle Adolescence
      • The danger in immorality
      • Biblical view of premarital sex
      • Biblical standards for premarital conduct
      • Appendix
        
        
    • lesson 60: Choosing a Mate
      • The single state
      • Guideposts to the right person
      • Principles illustrated
      • Compatibility
  
  
• Neglected Christian Virtues
  Ask young people today to define a word like "prudence" and you will find that they have only a dim notion of its meaning. The same is true of many other words naming important Christian virtues. If the young hardly know what these virtues are, how likely is it that they will perfect these virtues in their lives?
  
  
  • What the Bible Teaches about Money and Wealth
    • lesson 61: A Balanced View
      • How people today view money
      • How the Bible views money
      • What a believer should want
      • What a believer should not fear
        
        
    • lesson 62: The First Beatitude
      • The blessing in poverty
      • The dangers in wealth
      • Proper use of money
      • Tests of materialism
    
    
  • Blessed Are the Meek
    • lesson 63
      • The Third Beatitude
      • The greatest example of meekness
      • The meekness of Moses
      • Humility
      • Ten questions to evaluate your humility
    
    
  • What Is True Wisdom?
    • lesson 64
      • Seek after Wisdom!
      • True Wisdom
        • Meek
        • Pure
        • Peaceable
        • Gentle
        • Easily entreated
        • Merciful
        • Fruitful
        • Impartial
        • Unhypocritical
      • Wisdom of Christ
  
  
• Occasional Talks
  
  
  • On Being Thankful: A Sermon for Thanksgiving Day
    
    As a nation we neglect to give thanks to God and instead we boast in ourselves. God has patiently withheld judgment, giving us a chance to repent. But his patience will not restrain judgment forever.
    
    
    • message 1
      • The curse of prosperity
      • Let us stop putting ourselves in the place of God.
      • Let us stop putting human science and human ingenuity in the place of God.
      • Let us remember past blessings.
      • Let us stop being self-centered and cultivate the habit of thankfulness.
    
    
  • Paying Attention: A Talk to Seniors on Memory Loss
    
    One reason we seniors seem to be losing our memories is that we are becoming more detached from life. It's not that we are forgetting things. We're not noticing them in the first place. We're not paying attention.
    
    
    • message 2
    
    
  • What's in It for Me? A Sermon to Encourage a Small Church
    
    Each of us must guard against falling into the mentality that sees this church as another tool for pleasing self. If you understand that your purpose here is to serve God, you will never be discontent, because here there is plenty of work to do. The question is not, "What's in it for me?" No, don't be self-centered. A self-centered person is soon alone. The question is, "How can God use me?"
    
    
    • message 3
    
    
  • Rejoicing in the Midst of Trials and Temptations: A Sermon on 1 Peter 1:2-9
    
    Peter wants us to look forward to our salvation with hope, because hope is what enables us to rejoice even when we are going through trouble. To strengthen our hope, he gives us here in 1 Peter 1 eight specific reasons why our future salvation is worth all the trouble we must go through before we receive it, and each reason is a reason to rejoice.
    
    
    • message 4

© 2007, 2012 Stanley Edgar Rickard (Ed Rickard, the author). All rights reserved.