The words of Jesus are in red text.

Words Words are more important than we realize—especially God’s words. Man’s words can be untrustworthy, self- centered, and may be based upon darkened lies and clandestine intent. However, God’s words are true, eternal, unchanging, overcomes darkness, and can speak to the depths of our innermost being. “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12 Not only was Jesus Christ God’s Son—sent as a sacrifice for our sins—He was also the embodiment (manifestation and personification) of God’s word. “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14 “For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak. And I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak.” John 12:49-50 “The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works.” John 14:10 “I and My Father are one.” John 10:30 As such, it is important for all of mankind to know and understand the words declared by Jesus Christ—because they are comprised of spiritual truths that changes lives. This lesson is a compilation of His declarations that relate to salvation, eternal life, and His divine purpose. The lesson content does not include all of the words spoken by Jesus, but are intended as an “introduction” for those who do not know Him, and for those who desire to know Him more. For those who do not know Jesus and what He declared…your perception of Him will be forever changed. For those who have accepted Jesus as their Savior and Lord, your spiritual “eyes” will more clearly see Him. “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.” John 5:24 “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” John 8:31-32 Jesus declared we must be born again to get into Heaven. “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3:3 Jesus declared our sinful nature. “For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness.” Mark 7:21-22 Jesus prophetically declared God sent Him into the world so that we may be saved. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” John 3:16-17 Jesus prophetically declared He will willingly offer himself as a sacrifice for our sins. “Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:28 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.” John 10:11 “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” John 15:13 “The Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death, and deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock and to scourge and to crucify.” Matthew 20:18-19 “Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.” John 10:17-18 Jesus declared we must believe in Him to receive eternal life. “If you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.” John 8:24 “And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.” John 6:40 “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.” John 11:25  Jesus declared He is the source of fulfillment in life. “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.” John 6:35 “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” John 7:37-38 “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.” John 15:11 “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” John 10:18 “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you.” John 14:27 Jesus declared He is the source of light in a darkened world. “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” John 8:12 “I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness.” John 12:46 Jesus declared He is the mirror image of the Father (God). “He who believes in Me, believes not in Me but in Him who sent Me. And he who sees Me sees Him who sent Me.” John 12:44-45 “If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.” John 14:7 “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works. Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves.” John 14:9-11 Jesus declared those who believe in Him will be indwelled by the Holy Spirit. “If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.” John 14:15 “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.” John 14:26 “But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.” John 15:26   “When He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.” John 16:13-14 Jesus declared He is preparing a place for those who believe in Him; and He will return. “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know.” John 14:1-4 Jesus prayed for those who will believe in Him prior to His death on the cross. “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me. Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.” John 17:20-26 Jesus declared He is the only path for salvation, truth, eternal life, and access to God. “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” John 14:6 “I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.” John 10:9 Jesus declared it is wise to fear God and the eternal consequences of unforgiven sin. “But I will show you whom you should fear: fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!” Luke 12:5 Jesus declared it is wise to build the foundation of your house (your life) upon a rock (Him). “Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock. But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great.” Luke 6:47-49   Jesus declared why some walk towards His light (truth), and others turn towards darkness (lies). “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.” John 3:18-21 Jesus declared joy occurs in Heaven when a sinner repents (regrets and asks forgiveness) for their sins. “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety- nine just persons who need no repentance.” Luke 15:4-7 Jesus explained how we can become lost in life, and how we can recover our relationship with God. “A certain man had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ So he divided to them his livelihood. And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living. But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want. Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.’ And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry. Now his older son was in the field. And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and because he has received him safe and sound, your father has killed the fatted calf.’ But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him. So he answered and said to his father, ‘Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends. But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.’ And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.’” Luke 15:11-32 The words declared by Jesus Christ (approximately 2,000 years ago) pierce the heart and soul. How we respond to His words is a matter of a free will decision. Those who decide to believe in His words will begin the spiritual process of sanctification as they move from darkness to light. Those who decide not to believe in His words will begin a process of building “internal protective walls,” and will create justified reasons (which are based upon lies) to deflect His truth—thereby remaining in darkness because of their preference for (and bondage) to sin. “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.” John 10:27-28 So…where do you stand with regards to the words of Jesus Christ? Do you believe they are true, or do you believe they are a lie? If you believe they are true, take time to consider how sin affects your life and your relationship with God. “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” 1 John 1:8 “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23 “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.” Ephesians 1:7 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” I John 1:9 “Neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39 Jesus declared He “knocks” on the door to our heart. “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.” Revelation 3:20 Listed below are various spiritual indicators of what happens when Jesus knocks on our “door.” Each of us have different “doors” built of different materials and “thickness;” thereby requiring different means to let you know He is knocking (to gain attention). Reflect upon each indicator to determine if it is applicable to you. You may have a different “internal” awareness and perspective of what’s on the “inside” as you realize: • There is an unfulfilled emptiness within your soul. • The uselessness of your vain goals and behavior. • When you sin you don’t feel the same way, or you feel bad on the inside. • You have a growing disdain for sin and/or a desire for something better. You may have a different “external” perspective. • You realize you are on a path that is headed towards destruction, or you are at the bottom. • How you see others begins to change, as you become more aware of: o The collateral damage you have caused others. o The sinful influence some persons have upon you. o Some you associate with are confused, lost and unaware of their condition. • You begin to see Satan’s deceptional lies in television, movies, on the Internet, and so forth. • You begin to realize the darkened condition of the world. You may have a different perspective of eternity, God and the Bible. • You have a growing concern that if you die you may not go to Heaven. • You have increasing awareness you are trying to avoid God by holding onto lies and darkness. • You have a growing urge to know more about God. • When you read or hear scripture from the Bible: o You discover new and more relevant meanings to what you have read/heard before. o It speaks to your heart. o You know it is absolute truth. Past and present events in your life may have a greater influence. • That which you have repressed comes to the forefront of your thoughts, such as: o Words spoken to you by Christians. o Scripture you have heard. o Feelings of overwhelming remorse for what you have done. • You may hear God’s voice speak to you. • You may encounter a Christian who provides counsel that speaks to your heart. • God may “close the doors around you” and open only one that leads to Him. • You may experience visions and dreams. You have an indescribable feeling within your heart God is calling you to repent and turn towards Him. If Jesus is knocking on the door to your heart…open the door and let Him in. Why pass up the greatest gift God gave to you: salvation and eternal life! Here is an example of how to open the door and let Him in… by praying: Heavenly Father, I come before you in the name of Jesus Christ. I am a sinner. I believe you sent Your Son into the world and crucified Him as a sacrifice for my sins. God, forgive me for what I have done. Jesus, I open the door of my heart to you. Take control of my life and change me into the type of person You want me to be.   When we ask for forgiveness…God not only forgives, He also forgets. “For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” Hebrews 8:12 “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.” Psalms 103:12 When we realize God’s grace and love in that we are eternally forgiven—because of our belief in what Jesus Christ has done for us—is when we begin the transition from focusing upon ourselves, and seeking how we can love God in return. Jesus was asked which is the first commandment of all. Jesus responded, “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” Mark 12:30-31 The response by Jesus summarized: • The intent of the Ten Commandments. • The Law given to the Israelites. • The declarations made by all of the prophets. • The entire Bible (Old and New Testament). • The creation of earth and everything that lives upon it. “We love Him because He first loved us.” 1 John 4:19 If you desire to learn more about God’s truths, read “3 Types of Death, 1 Source of Life,” and “What is a Born- Again Christian?” Bo th are available for free to read/download on w ww.UniqueBibleStudies.com. Can you think of at least one person who may benefit from reading this lesson? If yes…PASS IT ON!!! All for His Glory! Harold D. Thomas Bible Study Thought-Provoking Questions The purpose of the learning exercise and questions is to facilitate a deeper understanding of the Bible, this Bible study topic and ourselves. The questions may be answered by each reader, or used by a Bible study group leader or church pastor. The following questions should be answered or discussed after reading “Truths Declared by Jesus Christ. ” Each question is designed to enhance learning via the determination of opinions and/or discovering how the lesson content illuminates our personal lives. Each person’s response will be different. As such, no answers are provided. Questions Jesus declared we must be born again to see the kingdom of God. • Why did He make this declaration? • What does it mean to be born again? Jesus declared He has the power to lay down His life, and take it again. What is the significance of His declaration? Jesus describe Himself as the bread of life; and those who come to Him will not hunger or thirst. Are these references to hunger and thirst related to the physical or spiritual. Explain. Jesus declared He is the light in a dark world. Explain the spiritual relevance of this declaration. What does it mean to “walk in darkness?” Jesus declared if you see Him, you also see the Father (God). Is this important? Explain. Who is the Holy Spirit and what is His purpose? Is there any way—apart from believing in Jesus—that will enable one to obtain salvation and eternal life? What does it mean to believe in Him? Jesus declared it is wise to build your life upon a rock (Him). What does the rising flood represent? Why would someone reject Jesus and His words? Jesus declared (Revelation 3:20) He stands at the door and knocks. • What does this mean? • How are “knocks” heard or realized? • Does He knock once, or continually (and possibly more loudly) for those who do not open the door? • Does He ever stop knocking? Or does He patiently continue to knock upon doors that remain closed because of a hardened heart, and/or a preference for sin? Jesus also declared (in Revelation 3:20) if someone hears His voice and opens the door (1) He will come into him, (2) He will dine with him, and (3) he will dine with Him. • How does someone “open the door?” • What does Jesus mean by stating “He will come into him?” • Why did Jesus describe dining from two different perspectives? • What is the “food” that is dined upon? Identify at least three truths declared by Jesus that conflicts with the darkened perceptions of the world. Did you learn anything new about the truths declared by Jesus Christ? You may download a PDF version of the questions by clicking on this button.