Basic Religious Truths

 

SELF STUDY COURSE

 

INFORMATION

We believe that through this course you are going to learn a great deal and that your life – as well as that of those about you – will be enriched by it. As you get to know God better through His Word, your love and your admiration for Him will be enhanced; your relationship with Him as Father will increase and gain strength; and you are going to experience much more joy in your spiritual life than ever before, while you will begin to develop more and more in the image of Christ.

The success of this course will however depend on how much effort you are personally prepared to put into it. If you do it half-heartedly and skimp on the time spent on it, you will not gain much by it, but if right from the start you begin to regularly and purposefully read the Word of God each day, working through the lectures systematically, and making the contents thereof your own, your whole life can be transformed! Take care not to make the mistake of merely reading through this material or even this letter hurriedly and superficially without seeking that which is substantial. The course has been specially compiled to advance thoroughness, faithfulness and self-discipline, all of which are such essential qualities for any disciple of Jesus.

Remember, the word “disciple” is derived from “discipline” and therefore it is imperative that we work on it right from the start to, in the strict sense of the word, discipline ourselves in accordance with the Word of God. Remember, a true disciple is someone who puts in everything to become ‘LIKE HIS MASTER’ [Mat. 10:25].

Undertake this course prayerfully with complete dependence on the Holy Spirit. Jesus himself promised: “… the Holy Spirit … shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance, whatever I have said to you.” (Jn. 14:26).

Rest assured that every lecture of this course has been written prayerfully under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. (You will also observe that the course is really and truly based on the Bible. We do not build on the doctrines of some other church and we do not present our own ideas and glib talk, but only that which we find in the Word. We therefore earnestly pray that as you make progress with the course, the Bible will truly  become the living Word of God to you, and even more than that: yes, that it will also become your Word.)

We wish you all the best with the work. We look forward to working with you and pray that you will have the strength and the blessing and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ!

Guidelines for studying the course:

The course in Basic Religious Truths can be properly worked through in the time of one year. It is divided into 10 lectures dealing with ten important subjects. Each lecture in turn is subdivided into four subdivisions having in mind that one lecture is to be worked through per week. And with that the Bible must be read daily as indicated in the Bible reading program which applies to that subject. At least one text from Scripture must be thoroughly memorised once a week.

We would like to give you a few tips as to how to make the best use of the course.

  1. Read each course through a few times during the week. Do it in a prayerful manner and ask the Holy Spirit to explain it to you Himself. As you spend a fair amount of time on it, it is really going to sink into your heart and become part of you.

  2. Keep your Bible constantly at hand whilst working through the lectures. We have quoted many of the texts in full, but you must look it up yourself in the Bible and also those we have only mentioned, so you could read it in the proper context. Underline it neatly so you can spot it easily and make use of it when the need arises. We have used the New King James version of the Bible throughout, as we regard this translation as being a more accurate rendition of the original source. Where some texts are stated more clearly and to our mind better in the modern idiom in other translations of the Bible, we will endeavour to pass it on to you and then we will indicate the source.

  3. Read daily the specific chapter indicated in the reading from the Bible program. It has been specially drawn up in such a way that it is adapted to the subject of the month, the purpose being to help you to read through the Bible systematically. Tick off each chapter that you have read on your reading from the Bible program. In that way you will read through at least 28 chapters in your Bible each month.

  4. Read daily the specific texts indicated for memorising in the reading from the Bible program, and try to learn it by heart. An easy way is to write down the text on a card, keeping it in your pocket so you can look at it often during the day. These texts are usually the most important ones regarding that specific subject, and if you can store it in your heart and mind, you will easily be able to recall it for re-use in your warfare with Satan or to encourage someone else and give your testimony effectively to that someone. As soon as you are certain that you have memorised the text, tick it off on your program. We expect you to learn at least one text per week, but for the diligent student a second text is given.

  5. Now answer the questions at the conclusion of the lecture. They are not difficult questions and are only aimed at ensuring that you completely understand the specific subject. Refer back to the lecture each time or to the text indicated, because you will easily find the answer there. Then enter it on the reply sheet. Make sure that your name, student number and address is clearly indicated on the reply sheet before returning it to us. Please do pay attention to your handwriting, unless you type your work or process it on a computer. Remember, someone else must be able to red it.

  6. Do not stash away the course after you have worked through it and then forget about it. Continue going back to it. Tell other’s about it. Assemble a group of friends and do Bible study together based on the lectures. Use it as a basis for bringing a message when you are afforded the opportunity to preach the Gospel. Remember: The Word is the incorruptible seed which produces born again people (1Pet. 1:23).

  7. Copyright. Copyright is reserved on all the lecture material that is off-loaded. It is done to ensure that the material is not plagiarised or altered to harm the image and substance of the School or the Word. Therefore you may not in any way duplicate the material or make it available to anyone else for making direct use of it. It is intended for your training only.

Wishing you all the best and blessings for the future.

 

 

Right click on a course and choose "save target as" option. You will need Adobe Acrobat reader (5x) to open files.

Lecture Number One :  God's Plan of Salvation

Lecture Number Two : Full Assurance of Faith

Lecture Number Three :  Spiritual Growth

Lecture Number Four : Prayer

Lecture Number Five :  Testimony

Lecture Number Six :  Sanctification

Lecture Number Seven :  God the Father

Lecture Number Eight :  Jesus - Son of God

Lecture Number Nine :  God the Holy Spirit

Lecture Number Ten :  Who am I in Christ