Preparation for Heavenly Living Correspondence School

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PFHL Course 171-- Basics For Christian Living-- Short Answer Version
(by Bill Stevenson)

Directions: First look up and read the referred to Scripture in the 2nd paragraph of the
Introduction. Then, in the main part of the course, use the indicated Bible
passages to carefully answer all of the questions and requests for personal
responses. This assignment is worth 4 units, so write at least 7 quality pages
(single spaced lines).

Introduction

The Bible should be the textbook for every Christian. It should be the most read book by
every Christian. No book has lasted so long. Several attempts were made to destroy it. It will
never be out-sold by any other book. The Word of God will not return void. Properly studying
and living it will always produce good. If you haven’t memorized the order of the books in the
Bible, make a copy of the Table of Contents in your Bible. Then you can easily see which page
each book starts for faster look-up of Bible verses. The best guide for living properly is the
Bible. God’s commandments in it are the best advice we can have. Someone wrote: “My life is
to trust the promises and will of God. My talk and walk is to obey His commandments. I would
rather be poor by the divine will, than rich by my own.”

First read and briefly tell me how you appreciate the following Bible verses--
Matthew 11:28-29; 1 Peter 5:6-7; Ephesians 2:8-10; John 3:16-17; Luke 19:10;
Romans 3:23-25b; John 14:6; 2 Corinthians 5:17; John 3:8; Romans 12:2; John 7:38; John 15:5;
John 8:31b-32; James 3:17-18; 2 Timothy 1:7; Joshua 1:9; Isaiah 41:10; 2 Thessalonians 3:3;
1 Corinthians 10:13; John 14:1-3; 2 Corinthians 4:17-18; Isaiah 26:3; Galatians 5:16-7 & 24-25;
1 John 5:1-5; Philippians 2:14-15; 1 John 1:7; Hebrews 13:5; Luke 6:38; 1 John 5:14-15;
1 Peter 1:3-9; Matthew 5:3-12; Romans 8:28; Galatians 6:9-10; 2 Corinthians 3:4-5.

The following Bible study was made from Jack Taylor’s “Who We Are In Christ” list of
Scripture references. I learned from it that I was not just “a sinner saved by grace”. The Holy
Spirit gave me three categories for the non-controversial Bible verses: “Divine Assurance”,
“Divine Importance”, and “Divine Help”. Try to determine why I put each Scripture reference in
its category. Multi-letters in bold within parenthesis indicate number of answers expected.
Before beginning any part of this course, ask God for understanding. Expect a lot of
encouragement from God’s Word as you read the specially selected Scripture and answer the
questions. Then ask God to help you share with others.

Divine Assurance (Part 1)

1. a.) What does John 3:16 say our world received and why? (Don’t answer from other
knowledge and Bible verses.)
b.) Read Samuel 1, Exodus 1:8-2:10, and 1 John 4:9 & 10. If you had only one child and
could not have any more, how much love would you have to have for someone in order to
give him or her that special child to for even just 34-40 years (the approximate amount of
time Jesus Christ was in human form on Earth and away from God the Father’s Side)?
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 c.) What characteristics or qualifications would that foster parent have to have?
d.) Read Mark 15:6-20. What kinds of people were in the world when Jesus Christ was born
in a manger in Bethlehem, having to leave God the Father’s side in Heaven?
e.) What kind of a person was Barabbas?
f.) Would you let your only child die so such a person could remain living?
g.) What about for Pilate, the Jewish chief priests, and the crowd who yelled for Barabbas to
be freed?
h.) Would you want to die for such people?
i.) Read Matthew 26:24-28 & 36-54. What kind of love does Jesus have?
j.) Read Isaiah 53. What kind of love does this Scripture passage say that God the Father
has?
Reread the five different characteristics of divine love. This same love is given to all who
believe in Jesus Christ as the Savior from eternal condemnation for disobeying God’s
laws. Read Romans 5 & 6 and 2 Corinthians 5:17-6:1 before going on.
2. Reread John 3:16.
a.) What else does God give to true Christians?
b.) What is a main horror of headline news besides politics and crime?
c.) Do you fear about the just indicated happening to you?
d.) How many different ways could it happen to you tomorrow?
e.) How many different ways could it happen to you within the next hour?
f.) What would you rather think about? Read Romans 6:23, John 10:22-29, 2 Corinthians
1:22 & Ephesians 1:3-14, and 1 John 2:22-26.
g.) What does 1 John 5:11-15 mean to you? What kind of confidence or assurance can you
have?
The divine gifts in the last two answers can eliminate worry and stress about death and
bring wonderful peace to a true Christian’s mind. Reread Romans 5:1-11.
h.) Read Philippians 4:4-8, which the Apostle Paul wrote just before he was beheaded for his
Christian beliefs and lifestyle. Can you do such in all, most, or few situations?
i.) List as many specific things you can think, say, and do which would satisfy Philippians
4:4-8 commands contrary to human nature. Examples: from-the-“heart” compliments to a
“significant other” in your life and compliments to an “enemy” or someone who irritates
you a lot. Doing the latter will make you feel better even if you never are able to speak
them to the enemy or antagonist. Read Matthew 5:7-16 & 38-48 to find out why.
3. Are you encouraged and revived yet? Proper courage for living the best you can requires
being assured by what you know of the 100% promise keeping loving God and what He
desires you to think and do. Review the first two groups of questions, answers, and Bible
verses before going on. You might even make a list of what God’s advice is for the best ways
to think and to relate to others. For the first one, don’t just say “believe in Jesus Christ”.
Write all of the things the referred to Bible verses state or imply about believing in and on
Jesus Christ. You won’t regret this review time. You will be encouraged spiritually as much
as your review effort is. This really is one of the most important parts of this course.

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 Why Did God Create You?

4. Read Ephesians 2:1-10, Matthew 22:36-39, Psalm 37, 1 John 4:7-5:3, and Romans 14:17-19.
a.) What does God want to show through true Christians?
b.) Read Galatians 5:13-6:10 and Romans 12. Who should we want to live for and not to live
for? Read Galatians 2:20 and Proverbs 3:5 & 6. When on Earth in human form, Jesus
Christ lived the last referred to Old Testament commandments. This can be said to be the
faith of Jesus Christ. See John 5:30-36.
c.) What goes into living Matthew 22:36-39?
d.) Read Romans 8. Write a list of specific compliments and actions for encouraging/helping
others that you would like the Holy Spirit to urge you to say or do. [Be warned, all
apparently good statements and actions are not Holy Spirit urged or God-pleasing.
Compliments said for selfish reasons can encourage recipients to become more prideful
(which can even lead to divorce by encouraging independence thinking by one spouse).
So think before you say or do anything. Ask yourself, why should you say or do it?
Afterwards, could you say “to God be the glory”? Will God be pleased and give you joy
and peace feelings?
Read Colossians 1:9-11 and Romans 15:1-7.]

Divine Assurance (Part 2)

5. Reread Romans 8. One successful, well-known, week-long Christian living seminar speaker
has recommended many times to his audiences to memorize all of Romans 8. It is full of
divine assurances. Romans 8:28 is my favorite and has maintained hope in my mind many,
many times. I usually think of the assurance-- all situations eventually working out for the
good for those who love God. Every promise that God has made to believers in the Bible
requires loving Him, humbleness (no pride), or/and righteousness (heeding to the
commandments we know).
a.) What do verses 1, 38 & 39 mean to you?
b.) Don’t we usually put more conditions on those individuals we make promises to?
c.) What are the most encouraging verses in Romans 8 for you? Please copy or paraphrase
them.
d.) Read 1 Corinthians 15:58. What guarantee is stated?
e.) What fantastic assurances do Philippians 1:6, 1 John 3, and 1 John 1:28 indicate?
The main thought problem that pauses or stops this divine work in a Christian is coveting
(wanting what others’ have) or thinking things aren’t fair.
f.) Read Psalm 37, James 4, Hebrews 13, Romans 8:28-29, and Philippians 4:11-19. What
verses gave or/and give you assurance that you don’t need to covet or be jealous of
wrong-doers? Please copy or paraphrase them.
6. Read all of 1 Corinthians 15 carefully.
a.) What is the most important promise in the Christian Gospel?
b.) Read Philippians 3 and Hebrews 3:6 & 14. What does the Apostle Paul indicate
Christians should have as a top priority and why?
c.) Should a true Christian have fear of physical death? Read Hebrews 12:1-3 and 1 John
4:15-18.

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 Divine Help (Part 1)

7. Read Romans 5:1-3 & 12-17.

a.) What is unique about true Christians? What should they have with God?
b.) What does “grace” mean to you and how does it help you to be positive thinking?
c.) Reread Matthew 5:3-16 and Romans 8. What does “rejoice in hope of the glory of God...
in tribulations also” mean to you?
d.) What do Galatians 2:20 and Romans 8:1-21 mean to you in regards to what true salvation
does for each Christian? Increasing your knowledge of Jesus Christ is the best way to get
help to live righteously. Galatians 2:20 says that a Christians should be living “by the
faith of the Son of God”. That means there is divine help.
8. Another way we are helped is by being told the truth. Read Exodus 34:1-6, Deuteronomy
32:4, Psalm 91:1-6, Psalm 100:5, Psalm 119:137-144, Matthew 5:17-19, John 18:38, John
14:6-7, John 8:28-32, John 16:7-14, Ephesians 5:9 & Galatians 5:22-26, 1 Corinthians 1:18-
2:16, and Philippians 2:1-16.
a.) What are the two types of truth?
b.) What are the differences between knowledge and wisdom?
c.) What are the characteristics of and purposes for knowledge and wisdom promoted by
non-Christians?
d.) What are the characteristics of and purposes for knowledge and wisdom from God?
e.) Can you think of the Holy Spirit as being the best teacher you can ever have and the Bible
being the best book you can ever read? Why?
f.) How did you read the best novel you ever read?
g.) How did you read textbooks when studying for school exams?
h.) Do you read the Bible in those ways?
i.) What did you think about and do when you were with your best teacher?
j.) What did or do you think and do when you are in the same town or city as your best
friend or/and spouse?
k.) How much time do you spend communicating with God? (“a lot”, “as much as possible”,
“between five and thirty minutes a day”, “at least one church meeting a week”, “rarely”,
“usually just when I need special help”)
l.) How do you relate to God? Do you see Him as an image of a friendly, loving face of
Jesus Christ?
m.) What should be your frequent thinking and action or activity desires for discovering the
truth and wisdom that are the best helps for living an unselfish life of much peace-of-
mind and joy?

Divine Importance

9. Read Ephesians 1:3-14.

What are the important facts about each true Christian?
Read also James 3:17, 1 John 5:20, 2 Corinthians 5:17-21, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 & 15:1-28,
Romans 14:17, Proverbs 3:5-6, 2 Corinthians 3:1-5, James 4:6-10, and 1 Peter 2:3-10.
10. Read Romans 8:30, 1 Peter 2:9, Revelation 1:5-6, Titus 2:11-14, John 15:13, and Ephesians
3:19.
What the always-existing God thought that each true Christian was important enough to do?
11. Did you ever wonder why most of the highly intellectuals, the great athletes, the very
wealthy business people, the movie/TV stars, or the beautiful/handsome models are not
consecrated Christians? Instead, God usually uses individuals with the following character

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 qualities for important ministries. Match them with each of the verses in the following
Scripture passages. Each of the latter may indicate more than one character quality. (a)
converted (fully accepted the Gospel), (b) humble, (c) appreciative of God, (d) pure in mind,
(e) pure in body, (f) obedient to God, (g) committed to others------ Read Exodus 33:11-34:8,
Matthew 18:3-4, Romans 12, Hebrews 10:19-25, 1 John 1:9, and 1 Corinthians 3:16-17.
12. Reread Romans 12:1-3, 1 Corinthians 1:30-31, 2 Corinthians 4:7-10, 2 Timothy 1:7-9, and 1
Peter 2.
a.) A true Christian is to only glory in the Lord and not his or her own accomplishments,
because he or she is specially chosen by God for being a channel of Christ Jesus’
______________________ What does this mean to you?
b.) Read 1 John 3:1-3, Romans 8:28-30, 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14, and Colossians 3:1-17.
What very important thing do true Christians have to look forward to?
c.) Read 1 Corinthians 6:2-3. What important position will each true Christian then be given
by God?
[Read Titus 2 for some more of the important things God-honored, pre-ordained Christians
are supposed to do while waiting for the Second Coming of Christ Jesus.]

Divine Help (Part 2)

13. Read Romans 8:32 and Matthew 6:25-33.

a.) What are God the Father’s desires and reason for aiding believers? What is required of
the latter?
b.) Reread Romans 14:17 and James 1:2-12.
c.) What does God want to give to Christians?
d.) What are the requirements for these gifts?
e.) Read 2 Peter 1 and relate it to the James 1 passage. What are the highlights of 2 Peter 1?
f.) What are the toughest requirements/responsibilities for divine help?
14. Read Isaiah 40:29-31 and 2 Corinthians 12:7-11a.
a.) What do these verses mean to you?
b.) Read Romans 8:26, John 16:13-15, and 1 Corinthians 2:12.
c.) How does the Holy Spirit want to help disciples of Jesus Christ? In Philippians, the
Apostle Paul stated that the most important thing is to know the just mentioned. See also
Colossians 1:5-28.
15. a.) Read Romans 8:35-39. What won’t God allow to happen to true Christians?
b.) Read 2 Thessalonians 3-5 and Hebrews 12:1-3. How does Jesus Christ help?
c.) Read Hebrews 12:4-14 and James 1:12-18. Why does God help us sometimes by letting
bad things happen to us as apparent punishment?
d.) Why should you not blame God for bad things that happen to you in situations where you
are quite sure you did not sin against Him or His commandments? What other reasons
could there be?
e.) According to 1 Thessalonians 5:21-24, what does God desire to do for every true
Christian?
f.) Read 2 Thessalonians 3:3, 2 Timothy 4:18, and Titus 2:11-12. How does God encourage
a Christian to make a commitment to holiness?
16. a.) Read Matthew 7:7-27, 1 John 3:22 & 5:14-15. What are the two requirements for God’s
help?
b.) Read Ephesians 3:20, Philippians 4:19, and Jude 24-25. What kind of confidence can a
humble Christian have? Also, read Hebrews 4:16, 6:13-20, & 13:5-6, Romans 8, and 1
John 5:14-15.

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17. a.) Read Romans 5:1, John 14:27, and Philippians 4:7. What does God want to give His
children so that they can endure living in this world full of unrest and turmoil? Read also
2 Timothy 1:7 and Hebrews 13:5-6.
b.) According to 2 Corinthians 1:3-6, what does God have a lot of for especially Christians in
tribulation and sufferings? Read also 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 and Hebrews 4:14-16.
c.) Read John 14:15-17, James 1:2-4, 1 Peter 1:7, Hebrews 1:14, and Mark 1:13. What do
these verses mean to you in relation to God helping?
d.) How do God’s commandments in 2 Corinthians 10:3-5, Philippians 4:8, and Ephesians
6:11-18 help Christians to say and do things properly in response to opposition?
e.) What does the last answer personally mean to you?
f.) Reread Philippians 4:13. What kind of success will God help Christians have? Read also
Romans 8:28, 1 Corinthians 15:55-58, 2 Corinthians 2:14-17 & 4:15-17.
g.) How do you think the Holy Spirit helps the indicated spiritual success in the last answer?

What About Understanding and Caring for Other People?

18. a.) What does Romans 14 tell you about God’s will for a Christian to understand others?
b.) How can you improve understanding others better?
c.) What different religious traditions and beliefs of relatives and friends should a Christian
not condemn? (Just mention general areas of possible concern.)
d.) What ideas and habits of others should a Christian tolerate?
e.) How do 1 Corinthians 13 and Philippians 4:8 relate to the last two questions/answers?