Life, Light and Truth: A Guide to a Transformed Life

By Nico Van Zyl

This book has been written as a guide for seekers of truth and seekers of God. It serves as an introduction to what Christians believe about God and how seekers can be reconciled to God for eternity. Each chapter deals with core truths about God and salvation and will help individuals who need abundant life. This book has been written to transform people who are desperate for lasting change in their lives. People who are lonely, destitute, bound, enslaved and see no light at the end of the tunnel will find hope and life and joy if they apply the truths found in this book. This book is about finding lasting life in God and enjoying life in God.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse UK
• Release date: Nov 12, 2019
• ISBN: 9781728395449

Nico Van Zyl

Nico van Zyl (MDIV, University of the Free State). Nico has been a missionary in South Africa for more than 20 years and works currently for African Pastors’ Conferences. Nico has a passion to know God and make God known to as many people as possible. He is involved in online evangelism and discipleship with Truths Transform. He is an elder at Birchleigh Baptist Church in Kempton Park, South Africa. He is married to Roxanne.

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© 2019 Nico Van Zyl. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse  11/11/2019

ISBN: 978-1-7283-9545-6 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-7283-9544-9 (e)

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Scriptures marked NKJV are taken from the NEW KING JAMES VERSION (NKJV): Scripture taken from the NEW KING JAMES VERSION®. Copyright© 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright ©1982 by Thomas and Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to all seekers of truth, new believers in Jesus Christ and believers in God who long for a solid foundation in their walk with God. This book was also written to guide and instruct seekers of truth and believers in God in their new-found relationship with God Almighty.

CONTENTS

Dedication

Foreword

Preface

Introduction

Part 1.   Foundational Truths

1   Creation

2   Mankind’s Fall into Sin

3   The Covenants of God

4   God’s Moral Law Given to Moses

5   The Promises and Prophesies about the Messiah

6   The Incarnation of God—God Becoming Man

7   The Perfect Life and Perfect Death of Jesus Christ

8   Demolishing the Power of Sin, Satan and Death

9   Jesus Christ’s Ascension and Work in Heaven

10   The Coming of the Holy Spirit

11   God’s Family

12   God’s Eternal Kingdom

Part 2.   Salvation

13   How People Aare Saved From their Sins

14   What is Sin and Biblical Repentance?

15   Not by Works—It is a Gift from God

16   Have You Received Jesus as Your Saviour and King?

17   Election

18   The Evidence of Saving Faith—Fruit; Treasuring Christ

19   What are We Saved For? Displaying God’s Worth

Part 3.   Special Revelation the Bible

20   Where did the Bible come from?

21   How do I know the Bible is the Word of God?

22   Is what is written in the Holy Bible, sufficient and enough for us to know God eternally

23   Why are there only 66 books in the Bible?

Part 4.   Living with God

24   The Importance of Prayer

25   The Importance of Meeting with Fellow Believers

26   The Importance of Holiness and ongoing Repentance

27   True Identity—Christians are the Sons of God

28   Friends of God

29   The Reality of Unity with God

30   Walking with God

31   Assurance of Eternal Life

32   Knowing God

Part 5.   Working with God

33   The Means of Grace/ Ways grace comes to man

34   God uses Imperfect People

35   You Shall be My Witnesses

36   Go and Make Disciples

37   The Reality of Suffering and Persecution of God’s Children

Part 6.   Consummation–End Times

38   God’s Final Judgement—The Day of the Lord

39   The Reality of Eternal Conscious Punishment of Unbelievers

40   The Eternal Blessedness of God’s Children

41   The End of Everything as We Know It—The New Heavens and the New Earth

42   Christianity is not a Religion—It’s about a Restored Relationship with God

Final Word: Where Do You Stand?

Appendix I:   The Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:2-17)

Appendix II:   The Lords Prayer

Appendix III:   Core Truths to Transform

Studyguide Questions

Recommended Sources and Bibliography

Recommended Websites for further growth and equipping in your christian walk

All the names in brackets in this guide refer to books in the Holy Bible. The numbers after the names refer to chapters and verses in the applicable book found in God’s Holy Book called the Bible. In Lessons 20-23 we will be looking into the origin, authority and sufficiency of this book.

FOREWORD

The Great Commission requires us to make disciples, teaching obedience to all things that the Lord has commanded us (Matthew 28:18-20). We are commanded to entrust to reliable men, who will also be qualified to teach others. 2 Timothy 2:2.

Discipleship is not complete until the disciple is discipling. A disciple is a learner. Discipleship is the process of following the Lord in relationships of accountability with other believers. It involves studying the Bible and discovering and practising what it means to follow Christ. If you hold to My teaching, you are really My disciples. (John 8:31).

Disciples listen to Christ (John 10:27). A Disciple serves Christ (John 12:26). A Disciple glorifies God by bearing much fruit (John 15:8). A Disciple is willing to give up everything for Christ (Luke 14:33). A Disciple denies himself and takes up his Cross (Matthew 16:24). A Disciple loves other believers (John 13:25). A Disciple is willing to endure suffering for Christ (1 Peter 2:21). A Disciple separates himself from sin and works to become useful in the Lord’s service (2 Timothy 2:21).

We praise God for Nico van Zyl and for this New Believers Discipleship Guide. It is greatly needed and very well presented. These 42 lessons covering Foundational Truths, Salvation, Special Revelation, Daily principles of Walking with God and Working with God, are invaluable.

May God abundantly bless you in your adventure of Discipleship as you persevere in studying the Scripture and applying the Lordship of Christ to all areas of life.

Dr. Peter Hammond, Director, Frontline Fellowship, www.frontline.org.za

Yours in His service

PREFACE

The request by Nico to me to write a preface for this study guide came as a bit of a surprise and an honour. As I was involved in the translation of the project, I have intimate knowledge of the guide. Then I am also a missionary, evangelist and author and the focus of the study guide falls squarely in my field of expertise and experience. I therefore decided to comply with the request. I believe that the effort and diligence of Nico in this writing project may just become one of his legacies here below besides his legacy in eternity because of his passion for the gospel and his farming. Farming? I hear you say. Well yes, farming, as Nico is a fulltime missionary and evangelist and his labours in the field of the gospel of Good News includes sowing seeds, watering and weeding and harvesting. This guide is crucial in all three areas. It will serve the new inquirer of Christianity to the truth of the gospel very well with its detailed and yet not complex step by step guidance. Then the Individual who has heard the gospel, or does not have assurance, will find in it the guidance needed to reach the decision of becoming a real disciple of Jesus Christ. To the individual that has submitted his life Christ it is also a great start in the Christian life of witness and testimony. It gives all the basic facts and proofs that will give any young believer the confidence to start living a life of testimony in obedience to Christ.

We must always understand that there are two lives to live. There is the physical existence on planet earth which is of a transient nature and must come to an end. That leads us all to realize that there must be more to life than living on planet earth. That is what makes most people on the planet unhappy at the core of their beings and they live in denial. This refers to the second life or spiritual life. This is when they realize that God has planted a seed of knowledge in the core of their spirits that He exists. At some point they then also realize that there is an existence after death and a price to be paid for displeasing God. This leads to seeking a way to reconcile with God. Most look in all the wrong places as they object to surrendering the way they lead their lives to what they inherently know God expects. We call this sin of course and sin is doing what displeases God.

This guide is the perfect tool to lead you as the reader to understanding who God is and what his plan is for reconciling you with himself.

My hope and prayer is that by working through this guide you will do so with an open mind and a teachable spirit so that God will speak to you through its pages. That it will give you the wonderful assurance that your sin can be forgiven, and you can be reconciled with God to share his glorious eternity with him and us.

Yours in Christ

Gerhard Potgieter

INTRODUCTION

This book can be used in several ways. It was initially written as an introduction to what Christians believe about God. It was initially written for seekers of God and seekers of truth on the Internet in areas of the world where Jesus Christ is not yet known, especially among people in the 10/40 window, where people have little chance to hear the true gospel of God. According to the Joshua Project and other mission organizations, there are still millions of people in the world who are destitute of the true gospel of Jesus Christ. Missionaries have lately realised that many least evangelised people groups don’t only live in the 10/40 window but are in fact scattered across all parts of the globe, especially in the cities of the world. The fact of the matter is that young people of every generation are also, in a sense, least reached or unreached with the true gospel of God.

So, although this guide is written for unreached (or least reached) people groups in the world, it is also written for any person among any ethnic group who wishes to know the good news of God. This book can be used as a guide for personal Bible Study or as a Guide in Bible Studies you are leading wherever you are. I used it together with my colleagues at Welamlambo Baptist Mission among teenagers in South Africa as a Discipleship Guide and on the Internet for the global community in least evangelised ethnic groups.

Whoever you are, a new believer in Christ, a seeker for truth, a Bible Study leader or discipler, may God help you, guide you and equip you with the truth, for the glory of Jesus Christ and for the coming of His Kingdom.

In Christ,

Nico van Zyl

PART 1

FOUNDATIONAL TRUTHS

1

CREATION

When you look at the sky, trees, variety of animal life, insects, sea creatures and human beings, do you ever wonder where they all came from? Many people believe we are some kind of accident because of an explosion billions of years ago. When we look at the order, design, beauty and complexity of creation, it seems logical to conclude that there is intelligence behind all we see, hear and experience (Romans 1:19-21). Many scientists today have come to the same conclusion. There is so much design and irreducible complexity in the normal functioning of the human body alone, that the most intelligent people have concluded that there is a Mastermind behind all of creation.

If you examine the complexity of the human eye and how it operates, or the human ear, let alone the functioning of the brain with its billions of electrical impulses, it is logical and marvellous to realize that God created all of this with so much insight and wisdom (Psalm 139: 13-16). As Psalm 19:1 says: ‘The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows His handiwork’. When you look at a machine like a motorcar, or a tall building or a toy, it is reasonable to conclude that someone designed and made it. Most cultures and religions have concluded that there is a God behind all of creation (Acts 17:23-29). Creation itself, therefore, is evidence of the existence of a Creator just as the existence of a bicycle is evidence of someone who designed and made it. God’s Book also states that God made the world in six days (Exodus 20:8; 31:17). The fact that we have a seven-day week in the world, testifies to the fact that God created the world in six days and that He rested on the seventh day, just as He told us in the Bible. Many people will dispute the fact that God could create the universe in six days; yet even today many scientists believe this to be the truth. Scientists cannot empirically observe the age of the earth: sound science requires observation and experimentation. God alone existed in the beginning, so we can believe what He says in His holy Book. Those who try to calculate the age of the earth are not scientists but speculators. If God is God, then He could have created the universe in only a few seconds, let alone in a few days. Nothing is impossible for God (Mark 10:27)!

The proponents of Darwinian evolution have a strong belief in the absurd. From a huge explosion millions of years ago (according to the Big Bang Theory) they expect to get order, design and complexity through a time span of millions of years. Because no one could observe the theories they propose (macro evolution, and changes from one kind of animal to another) Darwinian evolution is based on faith and a lot of imagination! Darwinian evolution doesn’t make any sense and, sadly, many a believer in God has fallen prey to their fairytale lies. The fact remains: no one knows the exact age of the universe. What we do know is that God created everything that exists out of nothing; a feat only God could accomplish (Hebrews