Have You Heard of the
Four Spiritual Laws?
Just as there are physical laws that
govern the physical universe, so
are there spiritual laws which
govern your relationship with God.
Now available online in other languages!
LAW ONE
GOD LOVES YOU, AND OFFERS A
WONDERFUL PLAN FOR YOUR LIFE.
(References contained in this booklet should be read in
context from the Bible wherever possible.)
Written by Bill Bright. Copyright © Campus Crusade for Christ,
Inc., 1965 All rights reserved. Manufactured in the United
States of America.
God's love
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son,
that whoever believes in Him should not perish. but have eternal
life" (John 3:16).
God's Plan
(Christ speaking) "I came that they might have life, and might have
it abundantly" (that it might be full and meaningful) (John 10:10)
Why is it that most people are not experiencing the abundant life?
- Because...
LAW TWO
MAN IS SINFUL AND SEPARATED FROM GOD.
THEREFORE, HE CANNOT KNOW AND
EXPERIENCE GOD'S LOVE AND PLAN FOR
HIS LIFE.
Man Is Sinful
"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God"
(Romans 3:23).
Man was created to have fellowship with God- but,
because of his stubborn self-will, he chose to go his own
independent way and fellowship with God was broken.
This self-will, characterized by an attitude of active
rebellion or passive indifference, is evidence of what the
Bible calls sin.
Man Is Separated
"For the wages of sin is death" (spiritual separation from God)
(Romans 6:23).
This diagram illustrates that God is
holy and man is sinful. A great gulf
separates the two The arrows
illustrate that man is continually
trying to reach God and the
abundant life through his own
efforts, such as a good life,
philosophy or religion.
The third law explains the only way
to bridge this gulf . . .
LAW THREE
JESUS CHRIST IS GOD'S ONLY PROVISION FOR
MAN'S SIN. THROUGH HIM YOU CAN KNOW AND
EXPERIENCE GOD'S LOVE AND PLAN FOR YOUR
LIFE..
He Died in Our Place
"But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that
while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8)
He Rose from the Dead
"Christ died for our sins . . . He was buried . . . He was
raised on the third day, according to the Scriptures . . . He
appeared to Peter, then to the twelve. After that He
appeared to more than five hundred . . ." (I Corinthians 15:3-6).
He Is the Only Way to God
"Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no
one comes to the Father. but through Me' " (John 14:6).
This diagram illustrates that God has
bridged the gulf which separates us
from Him by sending His Son, Jesus
Christ, to die on the cross in our
place to pay the penalty for our sins.
- It is not enough just to know these three laws . . .
LAW FOUR
WE MUST INDIVIDUALLY RECEIVE JESUS
CHRIST AS SAVIOR AND LORD; THEN WE
CAN KNOW AND EXPERIENCE GOD'S
LOVE AND PLAN FOR OUR LIVES.
We Must Receive Christ
"But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to
become children of God, even to those who believe in His
name" (John 1:12).
We Receive Christ Through Faith
"For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that
not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of
works, that no one should boast" (Ephesians 2:8,9).
When We Receive Christ, We Experience a New Birth.
(Read John 3:1-8.)
We Receive Christ by Personal Invitation
(Christ is speaking): "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any one hears My voice
and opens the door, I will come in to him" (Revelation 3:20).
Receiving Christ involves turning to God from self (repentance) and trusting Christ
to come into our lives to forgive our sins and to make us the kind of people He wants
us to be. Just to agree intellectually that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that He
died on the cross for our sins is not enough. Nor is it enough to have an emotional
experience. We receive Jesus Christ by faith, as an act of the will.
These two circles represent two kinds of lives:
Which circle best represents your life?
Which circle would you like to have represent your life?
The following explains how you can receive Christ:
YOU CAN RECEIVE CHRIST RIGHT NOW
BY FAITH THROUGH PRAYER
(Prayer is talking with God)
God knows your heart and is not so concerned with your words
as He is with the attitude of your heart. The following is a suggested prayer:
"Lord Jesus, I need You. Thank You for dying on the cross for my
sins. I open the door of my life and receive You as my Savior and
Lord. Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life.
Take control of the throne of my life. Make me the kind of person
You want me to be."
Does this prayer express the desire of your heart?
If it does, pray this prayer right now, and Christ will come into
your life, as He promised.
How to Know That Christ Is in Your Life
Did you receive Christ into your life? According to His promise in
Revelation 3:20, where is Christ right now in relation to you? Christ said
that He would come into your life. Would He mislead you? On what
authority do you know that God has answered your prayer? (The
trustworthiness of God Himself and His Word.)
The Bible Promises Etemal Eife to All Who Receive Christ
"And the witness is this, that God has Riven us eternal life, and this life is
in His Son. He who has the Son has the iife; he who does not have the
Son of God does not have the life. These things I have written to you
who believe in the name of the Son of God, in order that you may know
that you have eternal life" (I John 5:11-13).
Thank God often that Christ is in your life and that He will never leave
you (Hebrews 13:5). You can know on the basis of His promise that
Christ lives in you and that you have eternal life, from the very moment
you invite Him in. He will not deceive you.
- An important reminder . . .
DO NOT DEPEND UPON FEELINGS
The promise of God's Word, the Bible--not our feelings--is our
authority. The Christian lives by faith (trust) in the trustworthiness
of God Himself and His Word. This train diagram illustrates the
relationship between fact (God and His Word), hith (our trust in
God and His Word), and feeling (the result of our faith and
obedience) (John 14:21)
The train will run with or without the caboose. However, it would
be useless to attempt to pull the train by the caboose. In the same
way, we, as Christians, do not depend on feelings or emotions,
but we place our faith (trust) in the trustworthiness of God and
the promises of His Word.
NOW THAT YOU HAVE RECEIVED CHRIST
The moment that you received Christ by faith, as an act of the will,
many things happened, including the following:
-
- 1. Christ came into your life (Revelation 3:20 and Colossians 1 :27).
- 2. Your sins were forgiven (Colossians 1:14).
- 3. You became a child of God (John 1:12).
- 4. You received etemal life (John 5:24).
- 5. You began the great adventure for which God created you
(John 10:10; II Corinthians 5:17 and I Thessalonians 5:18).
Can you think of anything more wonderful that could happen to
you than receiving Christ? Would you like to thank God in prayer
right now for what He has done for you? By thanking God, you
demonstrate your faith.
- To enjoy your new life to the fullest . . .
SUGGESTIONS FOR CHRISTIAN GROWTH
Spiritual growth results from trusting Jesus Christ. "The righteous
man shall live by faith" (Galatians 3:11). A life of faith will enable
you to trust God increasingly with every detail of your life, and to
practice the following:
-
- G
- Go to God in prayer daily (John 15:7).
- R
- Read God's Word daily (Acts 17::11)--
- begin with the Gospel of John.
- O
- Obey God moment by moment (John 14:21).
- W
- Witness for Christ by your life and words
- (Matthew 4:19, John 15:8).
- T
- Trust God for every detail of your life (I Peter 5:7).
- H
- Holy Spirit--allow Him to control and empower your
- daily life and witness (Galatians 5:16,17: Acts 1:8).
FELLOWSHIP IN A GOOD CHURCH
God's Word admonishes us not to forsake "the assembling of ourselves
together . . ." (Hebrews 10:25). Several logs burn brightly together; but
put one aside on the cold hearth and the fire goes out. So it is with your
relationship to other Christians. If you do not belong to a church, do not
wait to be invited. Take the initiative; call the pastor of a nearby church
where Christ is honored and His Word is preached. Start this week, and
make plans to attend regularly.
SPECIAL MATERIALS ARE AVAILABLE FOR CHRISTIAN GROWTH
If you have come to know Christ personally through this presentation of
the gospel, write for a free booklet especially written to assist you in
your Christian growth.
A special Bible study series and an abundance of other helpful materials
for Christian growth are also available. For additional information,
please write Campus Crusade for Christ International, San Bernandino,
CA 92414.
- You will want to share this important discovery . . .
IF THIS BOOK HAS BEEN MEANINGFUL AND HELPFUL TO YOU, PLEASE SHARE IT WITH SOMEONE ELSE.
Approximately 100,000,000 copies of the Four Spiritual Laws have been printed, and it is the desire of Campus Crusade for Christ that the message contained in this booklet continue to receive the widest distribution possible. Consequently, these booklets are available at a nominal price for use by any and all interested individuals and organizations. If you wish to have your name or the name of your organization on the booklets that you use, place it in the box provided below.
- Bill Bright, President
In order to maintain quality and protect the contents from changes, neither this booklet nor parts thereof may be reproduced in any form without written permission from Campus Crusade for Christ International.
If you'd like to look up any of the cited Scripture references, try the World Wide Study Bible
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