Philippians 1:27

Every Christian exists in two worlds at the same time. He lives in a world¹ teeming with unsaved people captivated by unbelief. This world has rejected his Savior and accepted the lie of Satan. At the same time, if he is faithful to Christ, he also lives in a world (the church) that is a mixture of maturing saints (at different levels of maturity) and a possible few who profess to know Jesus but in reality, do not. Managing life in both worlds is not easy. In fact, each poses a unique set of challenges. Life among unbelievers is difficult because these people approach life from a nearly opposite vantage point from that of a Christian. They are spiritually dead (Ephesians 2) and their thoughts are spiritually empty (Ephesians 4). According to Romans 1, unsaved people can be plotted on the graph of depravity. They are either living according to their natural sinful desires (spiritual uncleanness—Romans 1:24), or they are living according to unnatural desires (vile affections—Romans 1:26), or they are living without any moral constraint (reprobate mind—Romans 1:28). These cannot be discipled because unsaved people are incapable of understanding spiritual truths other than their need for salvation (1 Corinthians 2:14). That comes by the work of the Holy Spirit who convicts of sin and uses the gospel to convince unbelievers of their need of salvation. On the other hand, life among believers is also difficult because being a Christian does not rid one of his sinful desires. While it is God’s plan that Christians order their lives in the guiding power of the Holy Spirit, that does not always happen. Being a Christian does not eliminate the possibility of sin and some Christians commit as horribly sinful acts as the unsaved do. There are times when there is little practical difference between a person who is “of the flesh” (unsaved) and one who is living a life “characterized by the flesh” (saved but living carnally) (1 Corinthians 3). One of the main goals of discipleship is to evangelize the unsaved with the gospel and train up those who believe in the Christian faith. This creates the discipleship chain.

Personal Evangelism

The command of Jesus to the disciples (and to us by extension) is that we must share the gospel with unbelievers with whom we live (our own sphere of influence). We are to be witnesses for the gospel. God has given us the ability to do that through the indwelling Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8a). This is sometimes referred to as evangelizing “our Jerusalem” (Acts 1:8b). What this verse means is that God has given us everything we need in order to fully evangelize our community. The difficulty comes in obeying this command.

It can be difficult to share the gospel without fear. There is both a natural and unnatural fear (Satan causes Christians to fear) that comes with giving the gospel to others. Timothy, even though he was Paul’s own disciple, was no less afraid. Paul writes Timothy to instruct him to “do the work of an evangelist” (2 Timothy 4:5). He was to share the gospel with unbelievers. Just because Paul commanded him to do it did not make Timothy less afraid. Paul says as much in 2 Timothy 1:7. He writes: “God has not given us the spirit of fear.” This fear we experience at the moment of sharing our faith does not come from God. It is a fear that comes from our own pride and from Satan. God gives us what we need to overcome this fear. He gives us “power, and love, and a sound mind.” We have the ability, the motivation (if we are controlled by the Holy Spirit) and the mental acumen needed to obey the command of Jesus. It is not a matter of ability. It is a matter of will.

One of the ways to do this is to become skilled at sharing one’s own personal testimony.² When you enter into a conversation with an unbeliever, you should be looking for opportunities to share your faith. When that opportunity presents itself, you should tell your story about coming to faith in Jesus Christ.

Another means by which we can evangelize unbelievers is to offer to read the Bible together. In this case, God does all of the work. The Holy Spirit uses the words of the text to convict the unbeliever of his sin and present the hope that is in the gospel.

The Chain of Discipleship

If the person to whom you are witnessing trusts in Christ, then you should immediately begin the process of discipleship. Winning someone to salvation in Jesus is winning a disciple for yourself! This is great news. When you begin this process, you begin constructing a discipleship chain. There are at least four places in the New Testament where this chain is evident. In 1 Corinthians 11:1 the apostle Paul commands the Corinthians to be his followers (disciples). They were to imitate him. This was, he wrote, exactly how he was with Jesus. There is the chain. Jesus was in the lead. He is the first link in the chain. Then there was Paul. He was the second link in the chain. After Paul came the Corinthians. The chain looked like this: JesusPaulCorinthians. Another example of this chain is in 1 Thessalonians 1. Paul writes that these believers in Thessalonica became “followers of us,” a reference to Paul and his companions in ministry. The church planting team was the first link in the chain. Then the Thessalonians were examples to other churches scattered throughout Greece. This chain was JesusPaul/Timothy/SilasThessaloniansAsian Churches.

Two other examples are stated even clearer. In 2 Timothy 2 Paul commands his young “son in the faith” to take the doctrines he had been taught and to teach them to others who could in turn teach them to others. Thus, the chain looked like this. PaulTimothyFaithful menOthers. In Titus 2, godly women are instructed to form their own chain. Titus was to teach the aged women so that they could teach the younger women. What was Titus to teach? Titus 2:1 indicates that Titus was to teach “sound doctrine,” ie. what he learned from Paul. The chain looked like this. PaulTitusAged womenyounger women.

The Doctrine of Interdependence

The whole point to a chain is that it creates mutual dependence between the links. Marines coach young riflemen that they are a chain and only as strong as their weakest link. Likewise, Christians are supposed to be interconnected so that each individual saint is part of a greater whole. Interconnection is obvious in our Lord’s metaphor of the vine and the branches (John 15). Jesus refers to Himself as a vine and Christians as branches growing out of that vine. The fruitfulness of the vine is determined on the connectivity of the branches to the vine. Branches that are connected bear fruit because that’s what vines do on their branches. Another metaphor that emphasizes interconnectivity is that one where the Church is a “body.” This body metaphor explains the relationship that Christians have with God and each other. Jesus Christ is the head of this body (Ephesians 4:15, Colossians 2:19). Growing out of this head is the rest of the body, the Church. Christians themselves are the individual body parts—the eyes and ears, the hands and feet (1 Corinthians 12:14-16).

Interdependence is not a minor point of doctrine. Under the broader head of ecclesiology (the doctrine of the Church), interdependence is presented as vitally important. A body that suffers disconnection is in danger of death. To be disconnected from the head, the body certainly dies. Decapitation is fatal. Amputation of limbs can also be very dangerous. On the other hand, a body that is perfectly connected and working as it should is the kind of body every person wants. It is probably the body of an athlete or a soldier. How successful can a basketball player be who has no hands? How effectively can a NASCAR driver race who cannot see? A fully functioning body is a good example of what the Bible means by interdependence. When a Church is filled with members that are connected to the Head (Jesus Christ) and each other, it is a congregation of Christians accomplishing what God intends. Thus, each member is a link on the chain.

What is particularly telling is that there strong emphasis on interdependence in the New Testament, particularly in the portions written specifically to churches or pastors. Take the epistles as an example. They mandate interconnection. Yet this has been overlooked in the study of Scripture to the point that most Christians would have difficulty identifying individual texts in the New Testament where interdependence is demonstrated. This is rather disconcerting because interdependence is literally peppered throughout the entire New Testament.

Here are just a few selected examples:

• John 15:12—the command is given to love one another.
• Acts 4:32—the congregation in Jerusalem was of one heart and one soul to the point that they shared their material possessions with each other.
• Romans 12 is filled with interdependence. V. 15 reads “rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep.”
• In 1 Corinthians 6 the church was chastised by Paul for individuals taking each other to court because these were things they should be deciding within the church.
• 2 Corinthians 8-9 there is the testimony of the Macedonian churches who gave of themselves even in their poverty for the work in Jerusalem.
• This is a reference to Philippians 1:5 where Paul commends the Macedonian believers for their fellowship in the gospel. There will be more about Philippians below.
• Galatians 5 contains the warning not to provoke each other or envy each other but spilling into chapter 6 we are to come together to restore those who are a part of our fellowship who are struggling spiritually—that’s the law of Christ in practice.
• The Colossians with their heresy mixing paganism and Judaism together into some syncretism with Christianity so that they were not, according to Paul, holding onto the Head (a reference to Jesus) from whom the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increasing with the increase of God.
• Paul encourages the Thessalonians to come alongside and speak the right words for the right occasion. The word Paul uses is parakaleo and is often translated “comfort.”
• To Timothy Paul commands that only those widows who are widows indeed should be supported. This was to be known by the test if they have “washed the saint’s feet.”
• To Titus there is the command in chapter 2 for the older to teach the younger.
• In Philemon there are the beautiful words of union—brother, fellowlaborer, fellowsoldier, fellowprisoner.
• Hebrews contains the warning not the abandon the practice of some but to be gathering in one place together.
• James contains that beautiful text in chapter 2 where the believers were not to mistreat each other based upon personal wealth. Spiritual maturity is to see a need of another and to meet it.
• Peter calls Christians living stones built up into a spiritual house.
• 1 John contains the idea of loving the brethren as identification of salvation.
• Jude encourages mature saints to make distinction between immature saints that need help and false teachers who must be opposed.
• In Revelation, interdependence is demonstrated in the choir of voices from all of the nations of the earth that sing the song of the Lamb.

The Importance of Interdependence in Philippians

In Paul’s letter to the church at Philippi, there is a heavy emphasis on interdependence. Paul’s entire argument is based on the idea that Christians are to live in community with one another. This is important because their “worthy walk” depended on their supporting each other (Philippians 1:27-30). In the face of this persecution, they must be unified. They were to “have the same love;” to be “of one accord;” to be “of one mind;” and to do nothing out of selfishness or pride. They were to consider the needs of others as more important than their own needs. They were to put the interests of others ahead of their own interests (Philippians 2:1-4). This kind of spirit is exemplified in Christ (Philippians 2:5-11). Jesus personifies this truth. He served others to the point of an excruciating death on the cross. It is this mind of Jesus that is to be our mind. This is how ministry becomes effective (Philippians 2:12-18). Two examples of this kind of ministry are given. This is how Timothy ministered to others (Philippians 2:19-24). It is also the example of Epaphroditus (Philippians 2:25-30). This entire section in Philippians is stressing interdependence.

22 textual references to interdependence in Philippians 1:27-2:30

1. Stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together: 1:27
2. Possessing the same conflict as Paul: 1:30
3. Since there is fellowship in the Spirit: 2:1
4. That you be likeminded: 2:2
5. That you have the same love: 2:2b
6. That you are one accord, of one mind: 2:2c
7. Esteem each other better than themselves: 2:3
8. Look (pay attention in a good way) to the things of others: 2:4
9. Do all things without murmurings and disputings: 2:14
10. I joy and rejoice with you all…you joy and rejoice with me: 1:17-18
11. Likeminded: 2:20
12. For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ’s (negative sense): 2:21
13. As a son with a father: 2:22
14. I hope to send presently: 2:23
15. My brother: 2:25a
16. Companion in labor: 2:25b
17. Fellow-soldier: 2:25c
18. Your minister (served my wants): 2:25d
19. He longed for you all: 2:26
20. I sent him: 2:28
21. Receive him: 2:29
22. To supply your lack of service toward me: 2:30

How Christians Live Interdependently

The means by which Christians are to live interdependently with one another is in the New Testament use of that phrase (one another—allelon). The emphasis is on reciprocity. Each “link” in the discipleship chain should take as much care for the other links as it does for itself. This kind of “one anothering” is the key to interdependence. Here are some examples.

Love. Jesus gave His disciples a “new command” to “love one another” (John 13:34). This command was not new in the sense that it had never been given before. God’s people were to love others as they loved themselves (Leviticus 19:18). The newness of the command is in the threshold. They were to love others in the same manner as Jesus loved them (as I have loved you). This meant that they were to love each other with the same selfless love of Jesus.

Serve. Instead of living in envy of each other or even provoking selfishly one another, Paul writes that Christians should actually serve each other (Galatians 5:13). This is one of the ways that their mutual love would work itself out in church life. The term serve (doulos) means to serve as if you were another’s slave.

Forgiveness. It is common for unbelievers to harbor grudges against others for wrongs that they have suffered. God’s desire is that His children forgive others to the same degree that Jesus forgives (see the connection between love and forgiveness). Instead of being bitter and angry, Christians should be kind and tenderhearted one to another (Ephesians 4:32).

Encouragement. The biggest pep rally in town should be the gathering of saints in a local church. Instead of being critical and judgmental, Christians should make it a point of order to encourage each other to love God and do good works (Hebrews 10:25). This encouragement comes as one believer speaks the right words at the right time into the ear of someone who needs it (parakalew).

Personal Application Questions

1. Is there a person you are seeking to evangelize? What practical ways are you working to reach that person with the gospel?

2. Is there a person you are meeting with regularly for discipleship? To whom are you connected on the “discipleship chain?”

3. Do you work to live interdependent with other believers or do you try to maintain your distance? Why is that?

Discussion

1. Read Titus 2:1-6.
2. Who is Titus supposed to teach? Which groups?
3. After Titus teaches the “old” women, who teaches the younger women?
4. Read 1 Peter 4:7-10.
5. Why does Peter emphasize the need for interdependence (v. 7)?
6. In what areas should believers depend on each other (vv. 8-10)?

John 14:1

After telling His disciples that He was about to go away from them (John 13:33), Jesus comforted them by the words that His departure and their subsequent separation were not permanent. “Let not your heart be troubled… (John 14:1). The basis of this comfort was the promise that, even though He was leaving them, He would return for them. Then, where He is, they will also be (John 14:3). One of the most important Christian doctrines is the promise of Jesus’ second coming. This topic is discussed in about 4% of the verses of the New Testament. This is what we call “the Christian’s hope.” Remember, faith is “the right response to what God has revealed.” Hope (elpis) is a lot like faith. It is a product of faith. Hope is a confident expectation in the promises of God. It is faith pointed forward. Christians believe that Jesus was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died on the cross, and rose from the dead. That is what God has revealed as having happened in the past. The right response to these revealed truths is faith. Christians also believe in the future events prophesied in Scripture, the second coming of Jesus Christ is the one of the most important prophecies yet to be fulfilled. Hope is a confidence that what God has promised, He will perform. This is the confidence that we have. Since God never lies and never changes (immutability), we can take refuge in Him. The hope we have in Him will never disappoint us (Hebrews 6:18). He is the anchor of our soul, sure and steadfast (v. 19). Even as we believe that the Lord will return someday, we also hope for that day. The subject of this lesson is maintaining a Christian’s hope in Christ.

The Two Sides of Salvation

This hope is the final fulfillment of our salvation in Christ. One of the things that many Christians often misunderstand is that biblical salvation can be understood in two ways, present and future. When a person is saved, on one hand, he is saved in the present. On the other hand, he still awaits a future salvation. At the moment one repents of sin and trusts in the gospel, he becomes a child of God (the present aspect of salvation) and looks forward to eternity with Him (the future aspect of salvation).

The apostle Peter writes about the Christian’s hope in 1 Peter. The theme of 1 Peter is hope in the gospel. This becomes evident in the verses following the introduction (1 Peter 1:3-5). According to the abundant mercy of God, we have been given a living hope that pertains to the resurrection of Jesus (more on that later) (v. 3). This hope is in an inheritance from God in Christ that cannot diminish (more also on that later) (v. 4). Moreover, God keeps us by His own power according to our faith in salvation that will be revealed (future) at the end of time (v. 5). This hope that we have in Christ is the result of the gospel. Peter writes that Christians should praise God because through His mercies we have been “born again.” Every child of God has been born once (physically) and a second birth (spiritually). This is the teaching Jesus gave to Nicodemus in John 3. Jesus said to him: “unless a man is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). Those who are born once die twice—physical and spiritual death. Those who are born twice die once—physical death. Christians do not experience the second death (Revelation 20:14). This is why Peter encourages believers to hope in the Lord. Because of God’s mercies (God does not give us what we deserve—namely hell) believers are “born again” to a living hope in Jesus. While we deserve the wrath and judgment of God (Romans 3:10-18 makes that perfectly clear), those who trust in Jesus for salvation have been born again by God’s mercy. This mercy gives hope to everyone who trusts in Christ. The same kind of trust that looks back at the death and resurrection of Jesus, is redirected to look forward to the future promises of God. Peter helps Christians look forward to the future inheritance that is in Jesus. This is the second side of salvation.

The Resurrection

The resurrection of Jesus is the basis of Christian hope. God did not leave Jesus in the grave. Very early Sunday morning, Jesus rose from the dead by the power of God, the Father. The same power of resurrection will also raise every believer who has died and will die in Christ. Instead of getting what we deserve (death and Hell), we receive eternal life with God. Our living hope is based on the fact that Jesus rose for the dead. Even as we are in Adam, we have a sinful nature (flesh) that must die physically (1 Corinthians 15:21-22). However, everyone who is in Christ will be “made alive” (v. 23). Without this, we have no hope. What is the point of being a Christian if this life is not followed by the resurrection from the dead to life eternal? Because Jesus is the “first-fruits” of this promise of resurrection, we are a part of His new life. That is, just as there was the first “fruit” of a larger harvest, so Jesus is the first to rise from the dead of all who will also rise from the dead. If this were not true, Christians would be the most miserable people on the earth (v. 19) because we would still be in our sins (v. 17) and still subject to eternal damnation (v. 18). Without our hope in the resurrection, we have no hope. Yet we do have hope. Our mortal body will put on immortality (v. 54), and what is corrupt will become incorruptible (v. 54). This promised resurrection will occur when Jesus returns for the Church (v. 52). Death will be “swallowed up” in victory (v. 54). All thanks to God for giving us victory over death in Jesus Christ (v. 57).

Inheritance

The promise of God to believers is that this future resurrection is our inheritance in Christ. An inheritance is a gift from one person to another, generally given at the time of his death. Likewise, believers have an inheritance from the Lord that was secured by the death and resurrection of Jesus (1 Peter 1:3). This inheritance is the object in which Christians hope. Furthermore, it is not a possibility or opportunity. A Christian’s hope in Christ is a certainty. Peter explains the permanence of this hope in three ways. First, it is an inheritance that cannot be corrupted. (v. 4) The treasures of this life are all susceptible to decay. Everything is the process of deconstruction. Archaeologists often dig up buried treasures that show serious signs of rust. Old things are often delicate and must be preserved by the use of special means. However, there is no decay in what God has preserved for His own. Moreover, this inheritance cannot be defiled. Just as the ravages of time slowly destroy earthly things, these can also be defiled. That cannot happen to what God has preserved for His children. The heavenly inheritance cannot be destroyed by anyone. Finally, it cannot simply fade away. It is reserved and preserved for us in heaven.

Heaven and the New Jerusalem

When a Christian dies, he goes to be with God (2 Corinthians 5:1). While we are alive on this earth we are materially absent from the Lord (v. 6). However, when we are (one day) absent from the body (physical death) we will be present with the Lord. This is (or should be) the longing of every Christian. We should desire to be with Jesus (Philippians 1:23). Because Jesus is at the right hand of the Father in heaven (Acts 2:33), this is where a Christian goes at his physical death. The place where God dwells is called “heaven.” Because God is a spirit (John 4:24), this dwelling place is not material. It is not located as if it was on a map. It is not “in the sky.” Heaven is the very real, but immaterial (spiritual) dwelling place of God.

In the future, God has promised to bring this heaven down to earth. God intends to materially change the earth from the way it is now. He will “renovate” the earth. He promises that it will be new (Revelation 21:1). This newness can either be “brand new” or simply “new in quality.” This is what John is revealing in Revelation. The Bible states that the foundations of the earth are eternal (Psalm 78:69, 104:5). It states that the earth will abide forever (Ecclesiastes 1:4). Moreover, it also says that the earth will be changed (Hebrews 1:12). This change is the promise of God for our future. All Christians will inhabit the new earth. On this new earth will be a new Jerusalem. This is what most people think is “heaven.” This new Jerusalem and new earth will only have inhabitants that are saved, born-again people. Unbelievers will not be there (Revelation 21:8). They will experience the “second death.” This new Jerusalem will be beautiful. It will have a great wall with twelve gates that will be clear as crystal. The whole city within it will be pure gold. The foundations of the city will be various jewels and the streets of the city will be gold so refined that it is clear as glass. The city will not need any illumination because Jesus is the light of it (Revelation 21:12-23). There will be trees in the eternal city. They will bear their fruits monthly (Revelation 22:2).

There will be no more curse (Revelation 22:3). God’s throne will be there. His people, all believers for all time, will serve Him. The city will never experience night. This is the Christian’s hope. Here are five things that heaven means for the believer:

1. Physically: Heaven means a glorified body (Revelation 21:4). There will never again be death. Never again will there be sorrow, crying, or pain. These will all be passed away.
2. Residentially: Heaven means a new home (Revelation 21:9-10). This is the eternal dwelling place of Christians.
3. Absolutely: There is no possibility of Hell for the Christian (Revelation 21:27). Nothing that defiles is admitted into eternity. All unbelievers are excluded. Satan is defeated. Sin will not exist anymore. Death will not exist any longer.
4. Spiritually: Heaven is not a place where there is nothing to do. It will be a place of eternal service to God (Revelation 22:3). Christians will be more like the angels in terms of serving God.
5. Specifically: In heaven, there will be eternal fellowship with God. Christians will commune there with Jesus eternally. There will never again be separated from Him.

Until Then

Paul clarifies that in eternity both faith and hope will be no more. The promises of God will be always in the present, in the moment. We are not able to see the future perfectly. We see through a dark glass (1 Corinthians 13:12). One day, however, we will see perfectly. We will know God then even as we are presently known of God. Love is all that will remain then. Until that time, we must live in the here and now. What does our hope mean for us today?

Abound. The command of God to hopeful Christians is that in hope they would abound in their service to Christ. Hopeful Christians should stand fast like soldiers at their posts (1 Corinthians 15:52). This is a reference to the truth. We should be unmovable. Nothing should be able to push us off our mark of fulfilling the duty we have to Jesus. A believer’s faith should not change with circumstances. He should remain still. At the same time, he should be actively serving Christ. The command to remain steadfast in doctrine does not mean we should be lazy or live for this world. We should be “always abounding” in God’s work.

Rejoice. The trials of life can be very difficult. They can be painful. Peter compares them to a fire that can bring grief. Suffering is one of the realities of life. Many Christians have their faith tested in the furnace of affliction. Our hope in Christ through the gospel is the balm for our spiritual wounds. Even though we face tests of our faith, we know that through them the result will be the glory of God (v. 7). Even though we have not seen Jesus with our eyes, we love Him and believe in Him. A Christian can suffer great hardship, but his hope does not have to diminish. In fact, it is during the darkest moments of pain that his hope can burn bright with “joy unspeakable, and full of glory” (v. 8).

Watch. Because our hope is in heaven, we should spend our time on earth in hopeful expectation of the glorious appearing of Jesus. Being watchful is important because Jesus will return with the same stealth as a thief that breaks into a house at night (1 Thessalonians 5:2). Because we are His own, we are “not in darkness” (v. 4). We are “the children of light…of the day” (v. 5). People who are characterized as being in the darkness are “asleep” (v. 7). Those who are of the day are awake. Consequently, we are to “watch” for our Lord’s return in an even-tempered manner (v.8a). We should adorn ourselves with the great virtues of the Christian life—faith, hope, and love. While our faith and love are like a breastplate worn in battle, our helmet is our hope. Our minds are encompassed by the sure promises of God.

Purify. The love of God that He has given to us is so amazing, so incredible. Think about what it means that we are “sons of God” (1 John 3:1). Because of this, the world does not recognize us. That is okay. It refused to recognize Jesus. But we do not fret about it because even while today it is not evident what eternal life means, we expect to one day see Jesus as He is and be transformed to be like Him (v. 2). This does not mean that we should just wait to be holy someday in eternity. Our hope to see Jesus should motivate us to be free of sin even as Jesus is without sin (v. 3).

Personal Application Questions

1. How confident are you in the resurrection of Jesus? Have you ever doubted it? What caused you to doubt? What encouragement can you find in the Bible (and even outside of the Bible) for the resurrection of Jesus from the dead?

2. Do you think about heaven very often? What about heaven interests you?

3. Which of the four verbs (abound, rejoice, watch, and purify) do you do well? Which of them is your weakest area?

Discussion

1. Read Revelation 21:1-27.
2. What do you think it means that God will “wipe away all tears?”
3. Why will the “fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, etc., be excluded from heaven?
4. Why will there be no temple in the new Jerusalem?
5. What does it mean that the nations will bring their glory into the city?

John 4:23-24

God created all things for His own glory (Revelation 4:11). It simply means that we are created to worship God. When we fail to worship God, we fail to operate as intended by our Creator. Everything in life has to be evaluated by that standard. Life without worship is meaningless. Worship encompasses more than the religious ceremonies of a church. Worshipping God involves more than the music we sing, the prayers we pray, and the sermons we hear. Furthermore, it is a little trite to think that worship can be evaluated by some external, cultural standard as if God can only be worshipped while standing or sitting in a particular position, wearing a particular style of clothing, or repeating a prescribed set of words. Worship is practical, but it is not perfunctory. It is also too simplistic to think of worship as only being “authentic” or “real” if it is unrehearsed; if it is “raw.” God is not often honored by the unfiltered, thoughtless eruptions of our heart. If our mind is stayed on God through His Word, and the Spirit is filling us by our yielding dependence and obedience to Him, then unplanned speech can be very worshipful. If our mind is not truly focused on Him, then those eruptions are not worship, even if they take a permitted form of worship within a Christian community.

The Standard of Spirit and Truth

When Jesus met with the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well (John 4), He explained to her that worship is measured by a heavenly standard. Jesus said: “God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth” (v. 24). This statement reflects on the true nature of God as a spirit. While God is the creator of the material, He is not a material being. The fact that God is Spirit requires us to worship God with our inner man or whole heart. Formal service and ceremony are meaningless activities if they do not naturally flow from our inner core. At the same time, the thoughts of the inner man must be focused on truths about Him. We must approach God with honor and reverence which His power and glory naturally demand. Worship that goes through the motions without considering God’s character or works is not worship at all. Therefore, we must worship God in spirit and truth and our worship must be evaluated by these two elements.

Worship Problems

Unfortunately, man does not always worship God properly. Let us look at the example of Cain. He brings his offering to God without the requisite faith of a God-fearer (Genesis 4:5, Hebrews 11:4). His worship was not flowing from an inner man that trusts God and seeks to reverence Him. He was just going through the motions and God called him on it. Sadly, Cain was not the last person who worshipped God wrongly. Humanity has followed his example throughout its history. Even at the end of the world there will be people with serious worship problems (Revelation 9:20).

False Worship

The first category of worship problems is false worship. This is commonly called idolatry. Anything that replaces God as deity in the life is an idol. People who manufacture “gods” of wood and stone, of precious metals and expensive jewels, are performing false worship. They are changing the glory of an incorruptible God into an image, resembling corruptible things such as a man, a bird, an animal, or like a snake (Romans 1:23). Such actions minimize God. He is not like gold, silver or stone that is carved and decorated (Acts 17:29). The One who created all things cannot be contained in a man-made building (v. 24) and cannot be worshipped with anything made by man (v. 25). As such, God hates idolatry. The first commandment in the Moral Law is to have no other gods before Him (Exodus 20:3). False worship is one of the main reasons why God judged Israel with exile in captivity (Ezekiel 14:1-8).

Weak Worship

When the Jews returned from the exile, they were cured of their idolatrous ways. That does not mean their worship problems were ended. The prophet Malachi indicated that the post-exilic Jews still struggled to worship God as they should. God charged the people with despising His name (1:6) because they offered “polluted bread on His altar (v. 7). They had contempt for the table to the Lord. Their offerings consisted of “the lame and sick” (v. 8) and “that which was torn” (v. 13). They also failed to bring their “tithes and offerings” and thus were charged with “robbing” God (3:8). In fact, the people who returned to Jerusalem were so focused on building up their own homes that even the temple of God was not immediately rebuilt (Haggai 1:4). When we come to the Lord with less than complete dedication of our hearts, we offer to Him less than He is due. It is weak worship.

Stolen Worship

Pride also robs God of worship. When we are focused on ourselves, we easily become arrogant. We can start to think that the reason for our success is our own ingenuity, hard work, or personal discipline. We can even believe that we are somehow responsible for our talents. The apostle Paul reminds the Corinthian Christians that the majority of them did not come to Christ as the “wise,” the “mighty,” or the “noble.” They were not from the best of their society 1 Corinthians 1:26-28). Rather, they were from among the “foolish,” the “base,” and the “despised.” How could they steal worship from God by thinking that they were better than they were? Those who are in Christ Jesus ought to boast only in Him. We should turn the attention to Jesus and not to ourselves. All glory should go to Him (v. 31). If God is not glorified, His worship is stolen.

Two Categories of Worship

In a practical sense, there are two categories of worship—public and private. Private worship is something we should do every day on our own. Public worship is something we do when we gather together with other worshippers.

Private

One of the most important aspects of discipleship is learning to follow Jesus in private. The privacy is important because it is a time when the servant listens to his Master. There are people who perform their private worship in public in order “to be seen of men” (Matthew 6:1). It risks stealing worship from God by elevating oneself as an object of worship (“look at me”). Jesus taught that private worship (e.g., prayer and giving) must be kept secret. Thus, every Christian must learn how to meditate on God, pray, and give privately with an intention to be seen by God, not by men.

Mediation on God. Devotions is when you devote yourself to God. Instead of thinking about how you can carve a few minutes for God out of your day, you should think about how you can carve out your day after spending time with God. He must come first. This is the thinking process of the psalmist (Psalm 1). Instead of being influenced by the wicked; instead of joining unbelievers in their pursuits; instead of cultivating relationships with those who mock God; he invests himself in learning more about the Lord through personal Bible study. He who meditates on God’s rule in his life happily yields himself up to the Holy Spirit. This is committed daily time with Jesus. It is planned. It is disciplined. Finally, it must be consistent. Meditating on God should be habitual.

Prayer. Psalm 116 teaches that God is listening when His children pray. Many heathens pray to their man-made false gods which have ears but do not listen and have eyes but cannot see. In contrast, our sovereign God both hears and sees us when we pray. It is through prayer that we abide with Him. When we pray God’s promises back to Him, He loves to fulfill His promises. At the same time, if we doubt Him or His promises, such prayers are empty petitions (James 1:6-8). God desires that we come to Him in humility seeking His wisdom and will (1 John 5:14-15). Those are the prayers God is ready to answer. At the same time, if we pray against His will, we can expect that He will (graciously) not give us what we ask (Genesis 17:18-19). Even when we pray in His will, there are times when we must learn patience in prayer (Psalm 38:15). Daniel presents a great example of someone who perseveres in prayer (Daniel 10). Here is a biblical process for learning how to pray:

• Address God as our spiritual Father (Matthew 6:9-10).
• Adore Him as Lord over everything (Revelation 4:6b-11).
• Repent of any known sin (Nehemiah 1:4-11, Psalm 19:12).
• Make your requests known unto God (1 Peter 5:7).
• Pray for wisdom when you do not know how to pray about a particular issue (James 1:2-5).
• Seek His provisions as He has promised (Matthew 6:11).
• Pray for public authorities and for the salvation of sinners (1 Timothy 2:1-4).
• Pray for discernment regarding others (Matthew 7:1-11).
• Pray for your enemies (Matthew 5:44).
• Pray for God’s blessing to be on the lives of other believers (Philippians 1:9-11).

Giving. Private worship includes our monetary offerings to the Lord (primarily through the local church). It is said that “attitude is everything.” It is especially true in worshipping God. Consequently, a disciple should prepare his heart to worship through giving while having the right attitude. The apostle Paul refers to this kind of worship as “grace giving.” This requires a positive faith attitude (2 Corinthians 8). It is interesting that Paul draws the attention of the Corinthian saints (relatively wealthy) to the situation in Macedonia (relatively poor). Even though the Macedonian saints were in “deep poverty,” and even though the Corinthians were “abounding in everything,” it was the Macedonians who were generous in their giving to the Lord. Paul notes that their generous giving to others despite their poverty was possible because they first gave themselves to God (1 Corinthians 8:5). In fact, their sacrifice was a lot like that of Jesus. Our Lord was rich but for our sakes He became poor, so that we, through His poverty, might be rich (8:9). By the grace of Jesus, He gave up Himself for us so that we could be saved from sin. Likewise, the Macedonians gave up themselves for others. Paul refers to the principle of “sowing and reaping.” Sow to God in giving, and God promises to reward the sowing with reaping (a return of some sort). If they gave to the Lord cheerfully, they would reap huge blessings from God.¹ The result of their giving is that God would be glorified (9:13-15).

Public

The image of a Christian walking alone in the woods evokes the impression that this is a sacred moment. It feels like worship. There is the stillness of the trees, a quiet repose as a child of God speaks with his Master. Another image also evokes the impression of a sacred moment. This one is a congregation joining in unison to sing praises to God; to pray in one accord; to listen together to God’s Word as it is preached. While the first image is about stillness, the second is noisy with activity. Both of these images remind us that while it is important to participate in private worship, God expects Christians to also participate in corporate worship. God desires us to worship together.

Fellowship. Fellowship is a kind of union (koinonia) experienced when a group of people share a common cause. It can be political with a convention nominating a presidential candidate. It can be in a colosseum as fans of a particular team cheer the players as they compete. In biblical terms, fellowship is derived from a common set of beliefs, particularly the doctrines of the gospel. 1 John 1:3 states that the things which the apostles were declaring to the church were the things that they had seen and heard. They were witnesses of the life and ministry of Jesus including His death and resurrection. The hope was that through acceptance of their message there might be fellowship. When people accept the gospel of Jesus they join into fellowship with God. This forms the basis of shared worship. When the vertical relationship (between God and man) is right, then the horizontal relationship (between man and man) also goes well. Fellowship with God forms the basis of shared worship.

This is why a Christian can enter into any church where the gospel is preached and feel a sense of kinship and unity with the believers he just met for the first time. Even where there are cultural and language barriers, these are mitigated by the fact that Christians believe a common set of doctrines—that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; and that He was buried and rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.” The basis of shared worship is mutual belief in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

The Elements of Shared Worship

Once a person accepts Jesus as his Savior and Lord, the Holy Spirit indwells him. Every believer is indwelt by the Holy Spirit of God. Remember, belief in the gospel brings a person into fellowship with God. This fellowship is possible through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. The apostle Paul compares Spirit control with alcoholic intoxication. Ephesians 5:18 “And be not drunk with win, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit.” One of the results of this filling is the worship of God. In Ephesians 5, Spirit-filled saints are described as worshipping God in three ways: speaking, singing and making melody, and giving thanks. They speak to themselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. Out of the heart bursts forth songs to God. These are expressions of gratitude for what God has done. This thanksgiving is given in the name of Jesus, who made our worship possible. Where Spirit-filled saints gather together, there erupts worship out of their fellowship in the Spirit.

There are other ways in which Spirit-filled saints worship God together. Worship includes corporate prayer as one member of the congregation prays aloud while the rest of the assembly silently but attentively joins in. Worship includes listening to the preaching while one member of the congregation (usually the pastor) expounds God’s Word to the rest of the church. This is also true when testimonies are being given. When a church member shares a praise to God for what He is doing in his or her life, worship is being offered to God. The rest of the church joins in praising God for His wisdom, power, mercy, and goodness.

A Culture of Reverence

The glory of God demands a culture of reverence. When God spoke to Moses out of the burning bush (Exodus 3:4) He commanded Moses to put off his sandals. The reason God gave this order was that the ground itself was consecrated to God. The place where he stood was a “holy ground” (Exodus 3:5). Today, God is not worshipped in man-made temples (Acts 17:24). Rather, He is worshipped in God-made lives (1 Corinthians 6:19). Worshippers must approach God with reverence. His holiness demands it. His utter awesome power and glory demand it. The casual approach to God that permeates much of American Christianity is a real danger to the church that seeks to worship God. God will not be honored, not even by His own people, when worship is cheapened. The very nature and character of God requires solemnity when coming into His presence.

Personal Application Questions

1. Which of the worship problems (false, weak, stolen) are most common today (in your opinion)? Why do you think that is true?

2. Are you faithful in worshipping God? In which area (public or private) are you more consistent?

3. Do you strive for the church to worship God in a culture of reverence? In what areas might you encourage this in your own life?

Discussion

1. Read Acts 17:16-31
2. Why was Paul “stirred up” in Athens?
3. What worship problem does v. 23 identify was particularly troubling to Paul about the Athenians?
4. What qualities of God’s character or being are explained in vv. 24-29?
5. What response should an idolater have when confronted with the gospel (v. 30)?
6. What doctrine does Paul preach in Athens (v. 31)?

Romans 2:15; 1 Corinthians 8:1-13

Every person is born with an internal mechanism which helps him understand the difference between right and wrong.¹ The Bible teaches that God writes His own law on the hearts of people so that their own thoughts either accuse them of their actions or provide excuses for them (Romans 2:15). Thus, a teenage boy might “sweat it out” when being questioned about the broken window because he knows that it was his ball that broke it, while an apparently guilty man can stand before a court and testify to his innocence without any shame because he knows he did not commit the crime. This is man’s “moral compass” which the Bible calls a conscience. The word conscience (syneidesis) means to “see together” or “perceive along with.” It refers to the inner conversation one has with oneself. Because every person is created in God’s image, everyone is born with this internal knowledge of God’s moral law. Unfortunately, this moral compass can be damaged or turned off, even in some respect in the heart of a believer. Thus, the Bible teaches that it is imperative that people guard their conscience carefully.²

The Conscience of an Unbeliever

The conscience is man’s moral guide, even without access to the Moral Law (Ten Commandments) of God found in the Bible (Exodus 20, Deuteronomy 5). In every society, laws are written to protect people against injustice. Hammurabi’s Law Code, over 3700 years old, legislates activities between people, outlawing certain human behaviors that harm others. For example, it contains laws relating to crime, slavery, land disputes, family/relationship problems such as marriage and divorce. It even has some civil laws pertaining to how businesses should function.³

In a perfect world, man’s conscience helps him understand the right action to take in every situation. We do not, however, live in a perfect world. The fact that man has this “moral compass” does not mean that it always properly guides him, or his decisions are always moral. Throughout history, humanity has codified laws which are actually harmful to its society. Many non-Christian cultures have indoctrinated ideas which oppress people for their race or gender. This is because human conscience can be influenced by its own sinful flesh (internal forces), by ungodly, worldly powers (external forces), and/or even by Satanic powers (invisible forces).

The Bible indicates that an unbeliever can damage his conscience in two ways. First, his conscience can break. It can be broken. In fact, the apostle Paul indicates that there is a noetic effect of sin on the mind (Ephesians 4:17-19). An unbeliever orders his life after the spiritual emptiness of his mind (worthless thoughts—v. 17). He has no understanding of God because he is estranged from the life that comes only from God (v. 18). Thus, his heart is “blind.” He is “past feeling” any shame or conscience of sin (v. 19). Unbelief is, in this way, a progressive spiritual disease. This is why an unbeliever’s conscience is defiled (miano). It is stained with sin like a piece of clothing is dyed with color. Everything an unbeliever thinks flows through this grid of corruption. His conscience is defiled. The effect on his soul is profound. His conscience tells him that there is a God, that sin is wrong, and that he needs a Savior, but his mind drifts away from those truths. The stain grows progressively worse. The “staircase” of depravity in Romans 1 indicates that as people reject God, He gives them over to sensual sin (v. 24). As they continue to turn towards sin, God gives them over to “unnatural affections” (v. 26). It is only when they completely reject God that He leaves them alone. He removes Himself from their minds so that they willingly take pleasures in abominable things even when they know they deserve God’s wrath (v. 32). There is a reason why suicide is a major leading cause of death in children and young adults.⁴ The “cognitive dissonance” in the human heart puts a strain on the psyche that it cannot bear. Homosexual teens are three times likely to attempt suicide as those who are heterosexual.⁵

The Bible teaches that people with a broken conscience can be rescued by the gospel. In addressing the various sins that were common in the Corinthian culture, Paul notes that among these was homosexuality (1 Corinthians 6:9). But he also notes that “and such were some of you” (v. 11).⁶ God declares those who believe the gospel to be righteous. They are washed from their sins and sanctified in Christ. This indicates that a broken conscience can be restored by God. A defiled conscience does not have to permanent.

Second, if an unbeliever’s conscience is left untreated, it can become “seared” (1 Timothy 4:2). Paul relates this directly to two different factors: a departure from faith through the influence of demons (v. 1). He gives this warning to Timothy after a section about the church’s important responsibility to preach the gospel to unbelievers. There will be some, he warns, who will seem to come to Christ only to “apostatize” or to fall away from the truth. He connects their apostasy to the work of demons—their departure is inevitable because they listen to “wandering spirits” who teach “devilish doctrines” that “seduce” through “hypocritical lies.” As a result, these apostates’ moral compass is seriously damaged. Their conscience becomes “seared” like a steak. That is, they become insensitive to their inner moral guide just like a third-degree burn destroys the nerve endings in the skin. Unbelievers with a seared conscience become “deaf” to the inner voice of conscience which causes them to make choices that are not morally grounded. The implication from 1 Timothy 4:1-2 is that the seared conscience is damaged beyond repair. This is what Paul describes of those who “do not like to retain God in their knowledge” (Romans 1:28). They are given over to a reprobate mind which is “without understanding” (v. 31). Thus, they know that God will judge them for sinful actions but they no longer care about it. The psychological terms for the “seared” conscience are sociopathy and psychopathy. Psychologists explain that psychopaths have no moral compass that helps them to discern between good and evil and do not feel empathy towards the pain of others. Sociopaths share similar traits but psychologists believe that these are usually caused by childhood abuse. As a Christian, it is a blessing to know that our conscience is protected by God. While some Christians, because of abuse, may exhibit some traits of sociopathy, their conscience can be healed and controlled by the power of the indwelling Spirit.

The Conscience of the Believer

The indwelling Spirit is not just abiding in our physical body (1 Corinthians 6:19), but He is also indwelling our immaterial soul (2 Corinthians 1:21-22). Through the latter, we can commune with God. His Spirit bears witness with our spirit (Romans 8:16). It means that the indwelling Holy Spirit (the Spirit of Christ) interacts with our spirit. The value of this indwelling is that our conscience provides a voice for the Spirit of God to speak to us internally. This is basically what Paul confesses in Romans 9:1. The Spirit of God is connected to his conscience. In fact, it is by listening to this internal voice of the Spirit through the conscience that conviction forms. When a believer says, “it is a matter of conscience,” he means that the inner voice of the Spirit either requires or forbids him to do something. At this point, the conscience is functioning as God designed it to do. Likewise, when we sin our conscience informs us that we have violated God’s commands. When Adam sinned against God, it was his conscience that drove him into the bushes (Genesis 3:7-8).

The problem comes when the inner voice of conscience is not biblically informed. God’s Spirit uses the Bible to lead God’s children through life. Just as a Christian grows in knowledge as he matures in Christ, so his conscience develops as it becomes increasingly biblically informed. The more mature a Christian is in Christ, the stronger his conscience will become (by “strong” conscience I mean “biblically informed conscience”). Christian maturity, Paul indicates, prevents a believer from being “tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine…” (Ephesians 4:14). If a Christian fails to mature in some area of life, his conscience in that area can become “weak” or “wounded” or even “damaged.” This causes him major life problems.

A Weak Conscience. Paul explains in 1 Corinthians 8:7-10 that immature believers (or even mature Christians with an area of conscience that is not biblically informed), have a “weak” conscience. He relates this in the section where he is dealing with the problem of eating meat offered to idols (1 Corinthians 8-10). He has already confessed that idols are “nothing in this world” (v. 4). Idols are just ornamented carvings of wood or stone, or molded precious metals. They are not actually “gods” (vv. 5-6). Consequently, there is no spiritual value in eating meat or refraining from eating meat (v. 8). However, some immature Christians in Corinth were struggling with this issue because they were still associating the meat with the idol (v. 9).

A Wounded Conscience. The real problem for those with a weak conscience is that they can actually wound their already weak conscience. That is, by doing the very thing their conscience is telling them not to do, they wound the conscience further (v. 10). When a Corinthian believer with a weak conscience about eating meat offered to idols ate that meat, he wounded his conscience (v. 12). The word wound (typto) means to “strike” or to “beat.” The weak conscience Christian is assaulted spiritually when he does the thing which his conscience forbids him to do.

A Damaged Conscience. By refusing to listen to his conscience, the spiritually immature Christian “perishes” (v. 11). This is not a reference to eternal judgment. Rather, he “defiles” his conscience in a way that causes him to reject the inner leading of the Holy Spirit in the future. When you fail to listen to conscience, even once, you become more likely to reject your conscience in the future. The damaged conscience is still defiled, even though it is not as bad as the defiled conscience of an unbeliever. This defilement is more like becoming dirty. The conscience becomes soiled like a pair of jeans after a day working in the mud. Only through repentance of sin can the “filth” of sin be cleansed from the conscience. This is true, even when the “sin” is not apparently “sinful.” The action itself may not be wrong, but in refusing the counsel of conscience, the believer can sin against himself.

Exercising the Conscience

It is important that a Christian learns to listen to the Holy Spirit speaking through his conscience. How can we learn it? By letting the Holy Spirit illumine His Word upon our spiritual mind. This is how the conscience gets “trained” to think like God thinks. Thus, a “weak” conscience can grow increasingly strong as a believer obeys his conscience according to biblical instructions. Thus, you must train your conscience through the daily intake of God’s Word. The received word (through meekness) must be heeded as the Spirit leads (James 1:19-25). Furthermore, every Christian should consciously determine to respond to the Spirit during a worship service. Every aspect of his heart should be in tune with God. The music should guide his thoughts toward God. His prayers should lead him into greater communion with God. The preaching should challenge, inspire, convict, and encourage him to grow in his Christian walk. By doing this, the Christian protects his conscience from being wounded or worse.

It is also important for Christians to protect the consciences of others. Christian love ought to compel a believer to suspend his own liberty for the sake of another’s conscience (Romans 15:1-2). This is what it means to live like Jesus in this area (v. 3). The context of this section is also addressing dietary restrictions (14:2). In this case, Paul warns those with a strong conscience (a biblically informed conscience) to be careful about how they deal with others who have a weak conscience (a non-biblically informed conscience). The difficulty here is that every Christian is susceptible to a non-biblically informed conscience on one issue or another. You can be “strong” in one area and, at the same time, “weak” in another. Do not despise those who have a weak conscience on an issue. Christian love never allows us to despise our brothers and sisters in Christ. Be extremely careful when you talk about an issue to your Christian friend when you know he has a weak conscience on that issue. If someone believes that eating pork is ungodly (this might be the case for a new convert from Islam or some other religion that outlaws eating pork) don’t serve bacon at breakfast. You know that eating bacon is not a spiritual issue. His conscience may not be ready for that. If you encourage him to go against his conscience, you are guilty of defiling his conscience.

At the same time, those who are struggling with their conscience about an issue should not pass judgment against those who do not think about that issue the same way that they do. Judging other believers (evaluating their “godliness” based upon one’s own position on an issue that is not specifically addressed perceptually in Scripture) is not right. God did not make you the judge of other Christians (14:3). He has a Master in heaven who will judge both him and you.

Finally, if you do have a conscience issue about something, do not go looking for Christians who disagree with you. Paul commanded the Corinthians to not ask about the origin of the meat they were eating (1 Corinthians 10:27). If you try to play detective in order to “judge” the other person, then you may be right about the issue, but you violated Scripture in doing so.

Alarm Bells

The most important things to remember is that as you mature in Christ, protect your conscience and obey it. You might have a non-biblically informed conscience about a particular issue, but do not violate your conscience (even if someone you consider “spiritually mature” is doing it). If the alarm goes off in your heart, listen to the warning. Even if the warning is a “false alarm,” it is better to have the conscience working than to shut it off.

Personal Reflection:

1. Can you point to a specific situation where you know it involved a “conscience” issue?

2. Do you purposefully protect your conscience? If so, list some ways you do that here. If not, list some reasons why you don’t.

3. How can you help others by protecting their conscience? List some ways you might do that.

Discussion:

1. Read Romans 14:1-11
2. What is the problem presented in the text? Why would it be a problem?
3. What principle does Paul give in v. 7?
4. What does Paul mean by the “judgement seat?” How does this apply to the argument?
5. How can we stop “judging” one another?

Collossians 3:9-10

Even though we have put off the old man and have put on the new man (Colossians 3:9-10), you still struggle with sin. One of the most well-known passages in the Bible on sin is David’s adultery with Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11). When Bathsheba became pregnant, David conspired with the commanding general of his army to have Uriah, Bathsheba’s husband, killed in battle. He could have thought that his sin was effectively concealed and that nobody knows what really happened. But he forgot about the God who watches everything. “The eyes of the Lord are everywhere, beholding the evil and the good” (Proverbs 15:3). It is impossible to do anything that God does not know. Nothing can be hidden from him. Moreover, God through Moses said, “If you sinned…, sin will find you out (Numbers 32:23). While David believed his sin was concealed, that no one knew, God informed His prophet Nathan all about it (2 Samuel 12:1). Nathan confronted David concerning his sin and David repented. He said, “I have sinned against the Lord” (2 Samuel 12:13).

The Definition of Repentance

The word “repent” is translated from metanoeo, which literally means “to change one’s mind.” This word also conveys the meaning of “turning away from” something. Christian repentance over sin is a turning away from sin and towards righteousness. This is something a Christian does initially at the moment of salvation. He turns away from his sin and any attempt to save himself and turns towards God by faith for salvation and forgiveness of sin. This is also something a Christian does repeatedly. Believers constantly repent of their sins, not because they need to be saved again, but because they must forsake their sins daily as they take up their cross and follow the Lord Jesus Christ. Repentance is an important part of sanctification. Without repentance, there is no growth in sanctification. Too many Christians experience stunted spiritual growth because they do not repent of their sins as they should. Before we talk about what true repentance is, we need to know what repentance is not. (1) Repentance is not just praying a prayer for forgiveness from God. 1 John 1:9 has been abused by many Christians who believe that God is obligated to forgive their sin if they ask. This flawed interpretation of the verse led so many Christians to substitute a quick verbal confession for true repentance. (2) Sorrow is also not the same as repentance. People might express some remorse after they sin: “I wish I hadn’t done that.” This is demonstrated most clearly in the lives of Esau (Old Testament) and Judas (New Testament). Both men sorrowed over their sin, but they did not repent. (3) Repentance is also not an act of penance. Even though the Roman Catholic Church replaces the word repentance with penance, it is not an act of contrition. It is not doing something in contrition (sadness) in order to gain forgiveness from God. (4) Repentance is also not simply a determination to do better in the future. It is not just reforming one’s behavior by “turning over a new leaf.” Repentance is fundamentally different from human willpower.

True Repentance

When David confessed “I have sinned against the Lord,” he demonstrated the first step for true repentance (2 Samuel 12:13). He verbally admitted his failure before God (and others). Psalm 32 is a longer expression of David’s repenting heart. He wrote: “I acknowledge my sin before you (God) and my iniquity have it not hidden” (v. 5). (1) Repentance is a complete vetting of one’s sinful actions. Our sin nature encourages us to merely repent of the sins that other people have discovered. This half-hearted repentance is not repentance at all. (2) Repentance refers to sin as evil. It does not lessen the impact of one’s wrong-doing. For example, someone who is repenting does not call a lie “a little white lie.” Lying is sinful and someone who repents of lying does not refer to the lie as a mistake, an error in judgment, a slip of the tongue. “Against You and You only have I sinned and done this evil…” (Psalm 51:4). (3) True repentance comes from a heart that is torn by its failure. This is what the prophet Joel meant when he said that God was calling Israel to “return to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and weeping, and mourning; and rend your hearts…” (Joel 2:12-13). (4) True repentance is utter contrition for one’s actions and offers no self-defense. Repentance does not try to hide by pointing to mitigating factors. One is not repentant if he points to other people or circumstances and says, “if that had not happened, I would not have….” Turning away from sin means a full confession of one’s sin before the Lord. (5) True repentance also resolves to avoid sinning in the future. We know that this is practically impossible not to sin at all while we are alive on the earth. Even in repentance, there is a sinful nature lurking about. At the same time, there is a kind of godly sorrow that creates resolution in the heart that sin is something to be hated, not loved; that it is something to be avoided, not cherished. A truly repentant heart will abhor committing the same sin once again. It is angry at self and sin. It fears sinning against God (even one more time). It hopes that there will never be another moment of pleasure in sin.

The apostle Paul gives one of the best pictures of true repentance (2 Corinthians 7:9-11). He had written a letter to the Corinthians after visiting with them. This letter was actually written between 1 Corinthians and 2 Corinthians and is lost in antiquity. Scholars refer to these as the “painful visit” and the “difficult letter.” Apparently, the church had a number of problems that needed to be corrected. There were people who were living in sin in the church. Paul’s “difficult letter” apparently had a profound impact on many in the church, and they responded to the letter by repenting of their sin. He confirmed that there is a worldly kind of repentance that does not result in change. However, the Corinthians’ repentance was not like that. They had the kind of repentance that is “godly” (v. 10). He wrote that they “were made sorry after a godly manner” (v. 9). Then Paul refers to aspects of their repentance. They wanted to be right with God and with Paul. They wanted to be clear of this matter. They were indignant over their own participation in sin. They were fearful about having been taken so low in their sin. They greatly desired never to do it again. They did not want vindication but justice. This is an important part of repentance. Repentance never guarantees the elimination of the consequences of sin. Too many Christians think that if they repent they must be given another chance. That second chance may come, but it is not guaranteed. Moreover, demanding a second chance or even expecting it is not an example of the right kind of heart. God loves genuine repentance and may mercifully limit the consequences of one’s sin. However, we must remember that He may let us face the consequence of our sins like David’s son died after his repentance although he fasted and prayed for his son’s survival (2 Samuel 12:14-23).

It also means a turning towards righteousness. David pleaded with God to “purge away his sin (Psalm 51:7). He prayerfully asked God to “hide” His face from his sin (v. 9). He asked the Lord to “create in [him] a clean heart…and renew a right spirit within [him]” (v. 10). David sought the Lord “in a time when [He} may be found…” (Psalm 32:6). God is always open to the prayer of repentance. Turning to God in righteousness pleases Him. Manasseh, the son of Hezekiah of Judah, was a very wicked king (2 Chronicles 33). He rebuilt idols torn down by his father (v. 3). He built alters to false gods and erected idols in the temple (v. 4, 7). He sacrificed his children to the false god Molech making them “pass through the fire” (v. 6). He was involved with witchcraft and communicated with demons (v. 6). History teaches that Manasseh murdered the prophet Isaiah because he spoke out against the king. When Isaiah hid from Manasseh in a tree, he was sawed in half by Manasseh’s soldiers. Finally, when God attempted to reach out to Manasseh, he refused to listen (v. 10). Because of this, God brought punishment upon the wicked king. He was arrested and imprisoned in Babylon. Apparently while in prison, he repented of his sin. It is an incredible example of God’s grace that He restored Manasseh to his kingship. After his restoration, he removed the false gods from the temple and repaired God’s altar (v. 15-16). He even commanded Israel to serve Jehovah only (v. 16). When he repented, he did not only turn away from his sin, but turn towards God in righteousness.

When Peter betrayed Jesus at the time of His trial before His crucifixion, the Lord exchanged a brief glance with Peter. As a matter of fact, Jesus already told him about his betrayal (Luke 22:61). Peter’s heart was broken and he “went out and wept bitterly” (v. 62). Although the text does not mention the word “repent,” it is obvious that Peter truly repented. After Jesus rose from the dead, Peter was restored fully to the Lord (John 20:22). Within a few weeks, Peter was back to leading the band of the remaining disciples (remember, Judas had killed himself). Peter led them in appointing a new disciple to the twelve (Acts 1:15-23). He was part of the group upon whom the Holy Spirit came (Acts 2:2-4) and preached the sermon at Pentecost that brought thousands to salvation through faith in Jesus (2:14-41).

Practical Tips to Repentance

1. When you sin, go to God immediately and repent of your sin to Him. Tell Him that you are sorry that you sinned (mental/emotional/volitional response) and that you need His help not to commit the same kind of sin in the future.
2. Use biblical words for sin. Do not be overly careful to use “sanitized” terms for sin. If you have lied, refer to your sin as a lie. If you have stolen something, do not simply admit to “taking something.” Admit that you stole it.
3. Consider if your sin had hurt anyone else. If others are involved, you need to go and confess your sin to them, too. Repentance includes asking them for forgiveness.
4. If your sin has tangibly hurt someone else, offer to make amends. This can be highly difficult or costly. You should still offer. Restitution is a big part of repentance.
5. Analyze the lust in your own heart that led you into the sin. Determine ways you are going to fight against that lust. Look into God’s Word for help.
6. You might need to be counseled by the pastor or another church member (discipler). If the sin is something you find yourself doing repeatedly, seek outside help.
7. Take this to God daily in your fight against sin. Don’t think that a few days, a week, or even a month of not sinning like this has “cured” you of the problem. Biblical counselors teach that it takes a month to develop a new habit and five years with no “slips” in order to be considered “over” an addiction. Do not give up on the fight because you experience a few days of victory.

The Danger of Half-Repentance

Sin is very dangerous because it lures us to limit the full force of repentance. It tempts us to repent half-way so as to gain the respect of others or to the point where we “feel” repentant. This kind of attitude prevents us from wholly rejecting the sin that brought us to low. This is extremely dangerous for a couple of reasons. (1) Half-repentance encourages a return to sin because it does not recognize the true nature of sin. Even worse, when we do not wholeheartedly repent of a certain sin, it will greatly impact our attitude towards other sins in life. (2) Half-repentance is also dangerous because it encourages other believers to repent “half-way” themselves. When a Christian witnesses another believer “repent,” but knows that the repentance is not fully genuine, his own Christian walk can be hindered.

How God Responds to Repentance

God loves repentance. Humility is a key to fighting against our sin problem. Jesus told His disciples a story about two men who went into the temple to pray (Luke 18:9-14). One of them was a Pharisee (self-righteous) who prayed “God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers….” (v. 11). This so-called prayer was a betrayal of this own self-estimation. He believed that he was better than other people. In his arrogance he was comparing himself to others. The other man was a tax-collector, one of the most despised people groups in Israel. He could not lift his eyes to heaven because of the shame he felt in his heart (v. 13). His prayer was much different. He prayed: “God, be merciful to me a sinner.” He compared himself to God and recognized that he came up short. Jesus commended his prayer adding that “those who humble themselves will be exalted (v. 14). Jesus’ own half-brother, James, wrote about this kind of humility (James 4). He explained that while we have an internal pull towards sin (wars and fightings among us…that war in our members [body parts] in v. 1) we should come to God in humility. While God resists the proud, He always gives grace to the humble (v. 6). Our approach to God in repentance should be mingled with humility. We should draw close to Him (v. 8). When we do, He will draw close to us. We should also cleanse our hands and purify our hearts, a clear reference to repentance (v. 9). Instead of being filled with laughter and joy (in relation to our sin), we should be sorrowing over it (afflicted, mourn, weep). Those who humble themselves in the sight of the Lord will be blessed. He will “lift them up” (v. 10). Those whose self-estimation is like the Pharisee are in danger of being cast down. Those who approach God with the humble attitude of the tax-collector will be blessed by God. David wrote in another place: “The Lord is nigh to them that are of a broken heart, and saves such as be of a contrite spirit” (Psalm 34:18). When you come to God in true repentance, He will pardon.

There is a great example of this in the Old Testament. There was never a wicked king like Ahab. He is described as doing evil in the sight of the Lord (1 Kings 16:30). In fact, the writer notes that Ahab’s wickedness was “more than all that were before him.” That is a terrible testimony. He followed the example of Jeroboam who introduced idol worship in Israel and married Jezebel, the daughter of a priest of Baal from Sidon (v. 31). He built an altar for Baal in Samaria, capital of the Northern Kingdom of Israel (v. 32). He “did more to provoke the Lord God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him” (v. 33). Jezebel was even worse. She was on a personal mission to murder all of the prophets of God (1 Kings 18:4). In the final analysis, Ahab was the worst of all the kings of Israel. “But there was none like unto Ahab, which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the Lord…” (1 Kings 21:25). Yet, when Elijah told him of God’s intent to judge him for his sin, Ahab tore his clothes (a sign of grief), put on sackcloth (a symbol of repentance), and fasted (v. 27). God’s response was incredible. As evil as Ahab was, more than any before him, God said to Elijah: “see how Ahab humbles himself before Me? Because he humbles himself before Me, I will not bring the evil in his days: but in his son’s days will I bring the evil on his house” (v. 29). Even though Ahab was not repenting to salvation and did not have saving faith in God, the Lord still responded to him for the small measure of repentance he had. That is how much God loves humility. Those who cry out for mercy from God, according to His lovingkindness, will find that God receives the humble (Psalm 51:1).

Personal Reflection:

1. What relationship should be between “sorrow” and repentance?

2. Think of a time when you repented of some sin. How did you feel afterwards? What personal blessings did you receive from that repentance?

3. Verbalize the difficulty you have in repenting for a specific sin problem.

Discussion Questions:

1. Read Psalm 32:1-11 (the background of the Psalm is David’s sin with Bathsheba)
2. How does David consider it a blessing to be forgiven? Look at the language in v. 2 for two specific answers.
3. What was the personal result of David’s failure to repent? Look at vv. 3-4.
4. What qualities are there in repentance according to v. 5?
5. What promises does God give to the repenting Christian in vv. 7-8, 10?
6. How should the repenting saint express himself for God’s mercy? Look at v. 11.

Galations 5:16

There are popular Christian books touting the possibility of living “the victorious Christian life,” promising “the very best” that life can offer. While God does bless His people with great blessing (Psalm 103:2-5), the Christian life is also a struggle against sin. There is a false impression that salvation will automatically bring a victorious life to believers. That is not true. Every Christian, regardless of age or spiritual maturity, struggles against sin. One of the most interesting passages in the New Testament is where the apostle Paul confesses about his personal struggle against sin. He admits that he does not do the things he wants to do (sins of omission), and even worse, he often does the things he does not want to do (sins of commission) (Romans 7:15). “For the good that I would do, I don’t do, but the evil that I would not do, that I do” (Romans 7:19). You should know by now, if you are a Christian, that you are also struggling against sin. Your flesh (along with the world and Satan) pushes and pulls you to do wrong. It is a struggle, often very difficult and sometimes painful, to fight back.

Dealing with Temptation

The Bible teaches the root of our sin comes from within. “Everyone is tempted,” James writes, “by his own lust” (James 1:14). The word tempted is in the present tense indicating that temptation is not a one-time event but something that is ongoing throughout the Christian life. The source of this temptation is inner sinful desire. Our personal cravings are the root of our sinfulness.¹ This does not mean that experiencing temptation is, in itself, sinful. Temptation comes as the result of being human. Many of our desires are not even inherently sinful such as air to breathe or water to drink. Do not think that temptation is sin but that it leads to sin.

The Bible also teaches that we do not have to obey our inner desires. In 1 Corinthians, the apostle Paul warns the Corinthian saints that they were in danger of temptation when it came to the sin of idolatry. Idolatry is a deadly serious. It violates the first commandment (“Thou shalt have no other gods before Me”), can involve immorality, and it is often associated with demons (1 Corinthians 10:5). The story that Paul refers to is recorded in Numbers 25. During their wilderness wandering, the Jews were invited by Moabite women to worship their false gods. Because they followed to Moabitesses into idolatry, roughly 23,000 Jews died in one day as part of God’s judgment. If the Corinthian believers followed their inner desire to worship the Roman and Greek gods, they would be in similar danger of God’s chastening. Paul writes that the story in Numbers was recorded as a warning for them (and us). We should never conclude that we can stand up against temptation on our own (1 Corinthians 10:12). Proverbs 16:18 warns that such pride leads to a fall, literally, to destruction. However, God does not leave us without any hope. Even though temptation (trial or test) is “common to man” (1 Corinthians 10:13), God is faithful to help. He never allows us to be tempted beyond our ability to receive His help. Even though our hearts may desire something sinful, God will not allow the test to be greater than the spiritual strength He provides to resist. God provides by this a way out. The imagery is of someone lost in a desert canyon and in danger of death by exposure. He does not know the way through. God opens up a path to those Christians who want help freeing them from the danger introduced by their own desires.

Radical

Hand-to-hand combat requires three elements—speed, violence, and confidence (proficiency).² The fight against sin requires the same kind of commitment. It must be radical. Here is how Jesus describes the necessary passion in the fight against sin. In Matthew 5, Jesus states that the offending body part should be amputated. “If you eye offends, pluck it out” (v. 29). “If you hand offends, cut it off” (v. 30) While Jesus is not teaching that His followers should actually gouge out their eyes and cut off their hands, He is teaching that this kind of radical commitment is necessary to fight against sin.

Short-term solutions

The Bible provides five measures in dealing with temptation. First, recognize that the world is not your friend. We live in a sinful world. It can appeal to the lust of our eyes, the lusts of our flesh, and the pride of life (1 John 2:15-17). As long as we breathe we cannot escape the world, but we can still reject the world and put as much distance between us and it. Second, take steps to cut off any avenue to sin. If Jesus encouraged the radical approach of cutting off a hand or gouging out an eye (Matthew 5:29-30), it is important that we adopt radical approaches against temptation. A man who is tempted to look at pornographic images on his computer should take steps to block such images (including ridding himself of a computer if need be).³ Third, utilize your resource—other Christians. We should confess our faults to each other (James 5:16). Keeping our sinful desires secret is not helpful. We might appear to be more “godly” than we are, but that initial impression will be ruined when our sins become public (and they will). Instead, we should be freely confessing our sin to each other (Proverbs 28:13). Many Christians find great peace in asking others to pray for them as they struggle against sin. It is not a sign of weakness. It is a sign of strength. Fourth, be active in prayer. When Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane, He told His disciples to watch with Him in prayer. They fell asleep instead. Being wakened by Jesus, they still could not pray with Him. They fell asleep again. This happened a third time. The reason they were to pray with Jesus is so that they would not enter into temptation. The great moment of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross was upon them and they would mostly abandon Him. What prayer would have done for them! Be active in prayer in order to stand against temptation. Finally, flee like Joseph. There may be times when you are in a moment of temptation. A certain sin is about to break upon you and destroy you. In that case, run as fast as you can. Do not just stand there and be destroyed. Run! Literally get out of there! This may involve actual physical movement of your body. Do not let yourself be captured by the sin. Joseph was lured by his master’s wife to sin but he fled from her presence (Genesis 39:12). He recognized that this was wickedness against God (v. 9). Do not just stand there at the moment of temptation.

The Long-Term Approach

These five things will help you deal with temptation in the short-term, but what is the long-term strategy for dealing with temptation? Unfortunately, many Christians (throughout Church history) have adopted one of the two wrong long-term approaches—legalism and licentiousness. These two wrong approaches are a lot like the driver of a car over-correcting in steering his car after hitting something in the road. These wrong approaches are like two ditches on either side of the road. The first of these ditches is legalism. Legalism is defined as attempting to gain favor with God through law-keeping. It is characterized by adhering to a rigid list of rules (the law). Freedom in Christ means total freedom from the law. There is no possible way that law and grace can coexist. If one is “under grace,”⁴ he cannot be also “under the law.” In the fight against sin, it is very easy to over-correct into the ditch of legalism by instituting a series of rules. The thinking goes something like this. If you can keep the rules, then you can prevent yourself from sinning. However, the Old Testament conclusively proved that man is incapable of keeping the Law. Even the greatest Pharisee broke the law of God (Romans 7:7). Legalism does not work.

The second ditch is licentiousness. Some Christians think: “Since I cannot keep the law perfectly, and I am no longer under the law anyway, so why struggle against sin at all?” Thus, they give into their sinful flesh and stop fighting against it. Licentiousness is the opposite of severe law-keeping. This is usually called antinomianism (literally, no law) because it assumes the Christian is free to do whatever he wants to do apart from the law. It is true that a Christian is no longer guilty under the law. But this does not mean that he should stop struggling against sin. Being saved by grace through faith does not permit us to live for sinful pleasures. Such an idea is the result of misunderstanding God’s grace. Grace is given to us so that we may no longer live in sin (Romans 6:1-2), not have a license to sin (Galatians 5:13). Of course, we have been set free from the penalty of sin. Jesus took our place for the punishment for our sin, and His righteousness has been given to us by faith. Grace does not mean that we have no relationship to the law. In fact, our new life Christ requires us to fulfill the law by loving others. Paul writes that the entire law can be summarized into one single command: “love others as you love yourself” (5:14).

The two ditches of legalism and licentiousness are both fleshly responses in the fight against sin. This is not how God designed Christians to react to sin. Because the flesh can never control the flesh (the answer to flesh is not more flesh), this approach never works. The answer to sin is the Holy Spirit. The only way to “walk” down God’s road (chapter 4) without falling into one of the two ditches (legalism and antinomianism/licentiousness) is to “walk” in the Spirit (the middle of the road). Paul writes confidently that someone who is presently ordering his life in the Spirit will not gratify his sinful desires. “This I say then, walk in the Spirit and you will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16). This is one of the most important verses in the Bible about living the Christian life. God is the only One who can help us reject our sinful desires. Spirit-ruled Christians are those who learn how to fight against sin by giving up control over one’s own attitudes and actions to the guiding hand of the Spirit.

The means by which we “walk” the Christian life is to “walk” in the Spirit (as discussed in lesson 4). This is how we must fight against sin. When Christians are “walking” in the Spirit (filled with the Spirit by yielding control over the life to the Holy Spirit) they worship God properly (Ephesians 5:18b-20). Spirit-filled wives will respect their husbands. Spirit-filled husbands will love their wives as Jesus loved the Church (Ephesians 5:22-25). Spirit-filled children will learn to obey their parents. Spirit-filled parents will learn how to bring up their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord (Ephesians 6:1-4). Spirit-filled employees will do their work faithfully whether seen or unseen because they serve their bosses as if they serve the Lord. Spirit-filled employers will run their offices differently from other companies because they know that they are simply servants of Jesus Christ (Ephesians 6:5-9).

The question many Christians have is: “How can I know that I am walking in the Spirit?” There is a universal spiritual principle that every Christian must learn. It is the principle of sowing and reaping. Whatever you sow (plant like a farmer planting a seed) into your life you will reap out of your life. This is true in all of life, but especially the spiritual life. If you sow to your flesh (carnal living) you will reap corruption (Galatians 6:8a). If you sow to the Spirit, you will reap life (Galatians 6:8b). Then you might ask: “How can someone ‘sow’ to the Spirit?” The answer to that comes from God’s Word. (1) Read and meditate on God’s Word. If you come to realize that the Holy Spirit is not controlling your life, read through the problem. That is, take out your Bible and begin to read. If you are struggling with fear or depression, read the Psalms. If you are struggling with sin, read Leviticus or Deuteronomy or portions of the Gospels. Psalms 32 and 51 are good words for repenting Christians. If you are having difficulty at church, read the Pauline epistles (Romans – Philemon). If you are going through a crisis, Job (Psalms again too) will be an especially comforting book. If you are a new believer, a good study Bible can help you navigate through some of the more difficult passages in the Bible. Do not stop reading your Bible until you know that the Holy Spirit is warming your heart. (2) Pray for God’s help. God does not refuse to hear a cry for help from one of His own children. Ask the Holy Spirit for guidance. Seek God’s wisdom. Yield up your situation to the Lord. Give it over to Him. Prayer is the means by which you wield the “sword of the Spirit” which is the Word of God (Ephesians 6:18). Jesus told His disciples to pray so they would not enter into (fall to) temptation (Matthew 26:41). (3) Seek help at church. You might be encouraged through counseling from a pastor or accountability to a fellow church member. This is especially true if the sin you are struggling with is a life dominating sin such as addiction. Fellow Christians are there to help you (Galatians 6:1). There is a blessing in asking church leaders and fellow members to pray for you (James 5:14-15). (4) Don’t give up. Paul encourages the Galatian believers not to grow weary in their fight against sin (Galatians 6:9). Whatever your sin struggle may be, one of temptations is to give up. Don’t do it. Do not give up your fight against sin. The truly victorious Christian life is not a life of rest and comfort. It is a life of struggle. It is a life of continual conflict. Do not be lulled into thinking you can “arrive.” There is no “arriving” here on this earth. The conflict will only end when you “arrive” to be with God (1 John 3:2).

Personal Application Questions

1. Are you struggling against sin right now? What sins are they? What are you doing about it?

2. Think through the list of the “fruits” of the Spirit. Which of these fruits is obvious in your life? Which of them are not? Why not?

3. Do you need to yield yourself to the Holy Spirit right now in some particular situation?

Discussion

1. Read Acts 4:23-37.
2. What qualities of God’s nature do the apostles emphasize? How should we pray in similar situations?
3. What request does the prayer make of God? (vv. 29-30)
4. What two specific things occurred when the people were “filled” with the Holy Spirit? (Hint: the first thing is a direct answer to the prayer in v. 29)
5. What is preventing you (choose from the four areas of help—Bible reading, prayer, church fellowship, constancy) from living a “Spirit-filled” life?
6. How might the word “radical” influence you in these four areas?

Matthew 7:13-14

The American poet Robert Frost wrote about standing in the woods looking at two different paths. They were “about the same” even though one was “grassy and wanted wear.”¹ Frost took the less traveled road and then philosophized as to whether he would ever have the chance to take the other road. Jesus also referred to two roads (Matthew 7:13-14). These roads are not similar at all. They are different in quality (rough vs. smooth) and different in destination (destruction vs. life). In the New Testament epistles (Romans—Jude), there are many references to the Christian road. This is a reference to Christian conduct or the manner by which a Christian regulates his life. The word that describes this way of life is the word “walk.”

The Bible compares the Christian life to a “walk.” Walking is a basic means of transportation. Until recently in world history, most people walked everywhere they went. Cars were not available until the 20^th century. Horses were available before that, and people have ridden horses for centuries, but horses require care and often that care was too expensive or too time-consuming. Most people, for lack of better means, walked. Because of this, the Bible uses the familiar idea of walking as a synonym for living the Christian life.

The Pre-Christian Walk (smooth and destined for destruction)

The Bible describes unsaved people as blindly living in sin. Their “walk” is not the same as the “walk” of a believer and they are not exactly aware of this fact. The apostle Paul states that the unbeliever’s “walk” has three aspects. (1) It is according to the course of the world (that which is opposed to God). (2) It is also a “walk” according to Satan. (3) This “walk” has other unbelievers for company (Ephesians 2:2). There is a sense of ease in this life because it goes with the rest of the world; because it goes with the encouragement of the Devil; because it has company for the journey. This is why Jesus described the pathway as “smooth.”

Likewise, the apostle John states that this “walk” of unbelief is evident in three ways. (1) It is evident because it is characterized by spiritual darkness (1 John 1:6-7). There is no authentic spiritual life in the journey of unbelief. Those who make their way by their own guidance do so in complete spiritual darkness. The apostle Paul describes them as someone fumbling about in the dark for the light-switch (Acts 17:27). (2) It is evident because it is not like the life of Jesus at all (1 John 2:6). Some of the common perceptions of Jesus are way off the mark. Jesus was no political radical who got Himself killed for his political views. He was not a reformer who sought to encourage some change in the Pharisaical class. Jesus is the Son of God who came to bring spiritual life to those who trust in Him. (3) It is evident because it is characterized by hatred for Christians (1 John 2:11). The apostle Paul wrote the same thing (Romans 14:15). Unbelievers do not like believers. Jesus warned His disciples that they should not be surprised when they learn that the world hates them because they hated Him first (John 15:18). Those who follow Jesus find that they experience “afflictions in the gospel” (2 Timothy 2:8). There is something real about suffering for the Lord’s sake.

Some of the common qualities that define this “walk” are sins such as moral impurity and idolatry, anger, rage, and malice, blasphemy against God, lies, and wicked speech (Colossians 3:5-9). Other examples of the sins that characterize the lives of those on this particular path are being drunk, being jealous of others, and being sexually immoral (Romans 13:13). Now it may be that you are still on this non-Christian path, but you believe that your life is not characterized by these particular sins. This does not contradict the Scriptures. If you look at your own heart honestly, you will discover that there are a variety of sins you commit, some of them quite regularly. Be honest. Do you ever get angry and lose your temper? Are you ever selfish? Have you gossiped about others? Are you ever prideful? (2 Corinthians 12:20-21) Have you ever stolen something? Have you ever worshipped a god other than the God of the Bible? (1 Corinthians 6:9-10) Do you love yourself? Do you love money? Do you boast about yourself? Have you disobeyed (or are you disobeying) your parents? Do you forget to thank God for what He has given to you? Have you lied about others? (2 Timothy 3:2-5) The pre-Christian walk, the road that Jesus says leads to destruction, is a life filled with sin. It may not be the “worst” sorts of sins, but it is still a life separated from the righteousness of God.

The Christian Walk (rough but destined to life)

The Christian life is completely different from life of an unbeliever. Saved people live a “new life” that is “in Christ.” This connection is obvious. Paul wrote: “as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him” (Colossians 2:6). This is the “identity” part of discipleship. He encouraged Christians to “walk in a manner worthy of your calling (salvation) by which you have been called” (Ephesians 4:1, 1 Thessalonians 2:12). This is the “conformity” and “activity” parts of discipleship. It is a lifestyle that rejects anything that goes against God (Ephesians 4:17). Instead, this walk is a lifestyle that is in a manner worthy of the Lord by both (1) pleasing Him and (2) by bearing fruit in every action and attitude (Colossians 1:10). This lifestyle is that which Paul taught new believers that he discipled (1 Thessalonians 4:1). Trusting in the gospel of Jesus means being “buried with Him” in His death so that even as He rose from the dead, so we also “walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4). It is a life characterized as “according to the Spirit” rather than “according to the flesh” (Romans 8:4). It is also a walk that is by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7).

The most comprehensive explanation of this “walk” is in Ephesians. Because Christians are saved by grace through faith (2:8-9), they have been created in Jesus for a very specific divine purpose. God has pre-ordained that those who are saved in Christ would do “good works.” This is the Christian way. Salvation is by grace, not good works. However, the Christian life is all about doing good works (God’s will through complete surrender to the Holy Spirit) to the glory of God. Salvation is not by works of self-righteousness, but by God’s mercy (Titus 3:5). The Christian life, however, is about maintaining good works (Titus 3:8, 13). Paul writes: “we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works” (Ephesians 2:10). What are the good works that make up the Christian “walk?” The emphasis in Ephesians is on the personal transformation that occurs (sanctification) after our decision to follow Jesus (salvation).

The Christian’s Change in Christ

A Christian should not have the same attitude as he did before he became a follower of Jesus. It is God’s will that a Christian lives his life in a manner that is worthy of his calling to salvation (Ephesians 4:1). The character quality that Paul emphasizes here is humility. A Christian should have a humble opinion of oneself (lowliness) accompanied by a mild demeanor (meekness). This humility is one of the quintessential character qualities of mature believers. Think about it this way—how weird does it seem that someone who is self-described as a prisoner also has an uppity attitude? Servants of Jesus (or slaves/prisoners of Jesus—4:1) must have a right view of self. He should never lose his temper at other people’s faults. When someone sins against him, he should forbear and forgive because he is called to forgive other people to the same threshold of God’s own forgiveness of his sins. “Be kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake has forgiven you” (Ephesians 4:32). He should also work to maintain peace with others, especially within the church.

The Christian life should also be characterized by righteousness. Humble believers readily put away spiritually harmful sin. Instead of lying, a follower of Jesus should “speak the truth” (Ephesians 4:25). Instead of being sinfully angry, he should put away wrath (4:26). Instead of stealing, he should work so that he can give to others (4:28). Instead of speaking corrupt words, we should speak edifying words (4:29). Instead of speaking bitter towards others, he should speak peace (4:31-32).

The Christian life is also about love (Ephesians 5:1-4). Being controlled by God-like love is part of Christian discipleship (5:1-2). This love is compared to the way that Jesus loves His people. This is sacrificial love. This requires one to put the interests of others before his own. A good example of this godly love is a rejection of committing sexual sin. Man-centered love (5:3-4) is steeped in fornication, sexual activity outside the marriage bond; it is exemplified in uncleanness such as sexual lust (voyeurism, pornography); it is sexual covetousness such as sexual lust for a person who is not his or her spouse. Moreover, even within the boundary of marriage, such lust only seeks to fulfill one’s own desires, not considering the needs of the other spouse. This is not how God ordained marriage to be. Sacrificial love is also expressed verbally. We should not be man-centered love in our words (5:4). We should not use obscenities, engage in “dirty” conversation, or even joke about sexually impure things. This is commonly seen in the “comedy” on television, on the internet, and in the movies, producing laughs. This is not for believers.

Rather, the Christian life is about living in the “light” of God’s truth. Salvation begins the sanctification process whereby a Christian begins to progressively put away sinful activities that characterize unbelievers. These are described as “walking” in a spiritually mindless fashion (4:17). This is because non-Christians are spiritually blind and are without spiritual life (4:18). Just as a Christian should progressively become more like Jesus, unbelievers progressively become more like their “master,” Satan (2:2, 4:19). Unbelievers are becoming increasingly corrupt (4:22). Consequently, Christians should not participate in their sin. Believers should not become attached to unbelievers so as to come to practice their sin. Psalm 1 indicates that the blessed man (the “happy” Christian) is one who disassociates himself from those who provide ungodly counsel, who practice sinful things, or who scorn God’s way. This same concept is reintroduced in the wisdom passages at the beginning of Proverbs. “If sinners entice you, do not consent.” (Proverbs 1:10). This is why God’s wrath is coming upon the wicked (Ephesians 5:6-14). While believers were, at one time, a party to such behavior (or would have been if not saved at an early age), a new life in Christ should mean a complete break from the old life so that there is no participation in sin. Now, instead of being characterized by sinful (death) behavior (5:8) Christians are characterized by righteous (life) behavior (5:8b). Followers of Jesus are to order their lives in righteousness, not in sinfulness. This is what God loves. When the Spirit of God is in control, a formerly sinful person produces the “fruit” of the Spirit, described as goodness, righteousness, and truth. If something is described by God as “the unfruitful works of darkness,” a Christian should not engage in these things but rather, reprove them (5:11). It is shameful for a believer to even talk about such things. Instead, God’s people should expose them in the light of God’s truth (5:13).

This kind of living only occurs as believers live in wisdom of God. Christians must observe to take each step in wisdom and not folly (Ephesians 5:15). The Bible defines wisdom as the combination of three essential qualities. Wisdom involves the knowledge of God. Knowledge itself is not wisdom. There are many very smart people who are really “fools” (Romans 1:22). Knowing God, however, is where true wisdom begins because God is truth. Everything that is right and true is from Him. The second essential quality is ability. This is the skill to apply the knowledge of God to life. Knowing that something is true alone is not wisdom. It must be applied to the life in order to qualify as wisdom (James 1:22-25). The final aspect of wisdom is discipline. This is the actual will to action. Knowing the truth and how to apply that truth to a situation is not wisdom if it is not actually done. The will must be there to do it (Proverbs 22:3). Those who just go with the flow of life are in danger of living in folly. They adopt the same values as their culture. They rear their children in the same manner—they rear fools. Those who go in the will of God adopt His plans for themselves. They know what God wants and are determined to do it.

The Christian’s Enemy and How to Fight Him

The enemy of Jesus is Satan. He is exposed as such (Ephesians 2:2). His desire is to destroy people (John 8:44).² Peter compares Satan to a hungry lion who is roaming about looking for someone to eat (1 Peter 5:8). He cautions Christians to be on their guard against him. John refers to Satan as a dragon and a serpent signifying both his power and his subtlety (Revelation 12:4, 9; 20:2). It is paramount that Christians do not give him any amount of influence in the life (Ephesians 4:27). He has methods (6:11) that can are dangerous to the Christian’s life (they are described as fiery darts—6:16). Unfortunately, Satan has two accomplices in his effort to harm. These are the sinful flesh and the world (2:2-3). While the world is external, the flesh is internal. Christians take their sinful flesh with them everywhere. It is something that cannot be escaped in this life.

It is paramount, then, that Christians learn to fight against Satan, the world, and their own flesh. God has not left His people empty-handed in the fight. Christians can be “strong in the Lord’s strength” (6:10) by putting on God’s armor. The pieces of this armor are comprised of truth, righteousness, the gospel, faith, and salvation (6:14-17a). He also holds in his hand a weapon of great power when put to use—God’s own Word (6:17b). This is described as “the Spirit’s sword.” It is wielded through prayer as the Christian prays for himself personally and in intercession for others.

It is also important to remember that Jesus is greater than Satan. The armor God provides is perfectly able to protect us against the Devil (Ephesians 6:11). While he is in the world and against us, and has our own sinful flesh as an ally, the One who is in us is greater still (1 John 4:4). The fiery darts of Satan cannot harm those who hold onto the shield of faith.

Personal Application Questions

1. In what areas of life (of the five mentioned in Ephesians) is your “walk” different from your “talk?”

2. What specific sins do you need to “put off” so that your lifestyle mirrors your position in Christ?

3. What practical things can you do to help other believers in their “walk” with the Lord?

Discussion

1. Read Colossians 2:6-7, 3:1-4:1.
2. What does it mean to “walk in him (Jesus Christ)?” (from 2:6)
3. What does it mean to “seek” the things above (3:1) or to set our affection on things above (3:2)?
4. What does it mean to you when Paul writes “you have put off the old man” and “have put on the new man?”
5. Recount a few times when you have forgiven someone or needed someone to forgive you.
6. How should your Christian “walk” influence your daily life at work and home (3:18-4:1)?

2 Timothy 4:13

While in prison on account of his gospel ministry, the apostle Paul encouraged Timothy to “bring…the books, especially the parchments” (2 Timothy 4:13). While it is impossible to know exactly which writings Paul was referring to, the general assessment is that he was asking Timothy to bring him a Bible. Of course, it was not the Bible in its present form. In Paul’s day, there was no codified New Testament and the Old Testament was contained in separate scrolls. Paul’s request could have been referring to portions of the Old Testament, but his request for parchments leads many to conclude that he was asking for some of his own writing. This might be an early statement on the canonicity of Paul’s own letters. Even Paul needed the Bible. The truth is, every Christian needs God’s Word. It is the guidebook for Christian living.

The Guidebook

While the Christian walk is hard, it is not without a steady and capable guide. The Bible is the “go-to” resource for living the Christian life. This is true because the Bible where the first step in the Christian life takes place, in receiving the gospel. The Word of God is like a spiritual seed that is implanted in the human heart by the gospel. It is the “incorruptible seed” that bears the fruit of eternal life in all those who receive it (1 Peter 1:23-25). Moreover, the Word of God is the basis by which a believer grows spiritually. Christians are to crave the Word of God like a newborn baby craves his mother’s milk. This causes spiritual growth—sanctification (1 Peter 2:2). This is how Jesus put it. He told those who were following Him that they were like a wise man who built his house upon a rock. When trouble came, the literal “storms” of life, their house (life) stood firm because it was built upon the rock. The winds blew upon the house. The rains fell upon it and the flood waters rose from beneath, but the house on the rock stood firm because it was built on the rock. The “rock” in Jesus story is hearing and doing what He said (Matthew 7:24). The “rock” is Jesus’ own words. From a broader perspective, following Jesus means listening to God’s Word. It is not just hearing but also doing (James 1:22).¹ Those who follow Jesus down the rough road to eternal life are those who follow His words. Consequently, the doctrine of the Bible is really the beginning of every other doctrine. While we know God through His creation and through our own conscience (Psalm 19:1, Romans 1:21), this knowledge is only complete through His Word. It is His Word which is perfect and converts the soul. It is His Word which transforms the fool into the wise. It is God’s Word which gives illumination in spiritual darkness. It is the only guaranteed source of truth. It provides warning for God’s people and reward for those who keep it. This is why God’s Word is more valuable than gold and sweeter than a honeycomb (Psalm 19:7-11). The Bible is like the keystone in an arch. Take it away and every other doctrine falls to the ground. It is the fundamental truth. It is where truth is recorded, disclosed, understood, validated, and authorized.² It is through God’s Word that we come to know God.³ It is through God’s Word that we gain cleansing (through the gospel that is in the Bible) from sin (Psalm 119:9). It is also through God’s Word that we gain wisdom that is greater than any other. Wisdom from God is greater than the wisdom of those who oppose God; greater than “the teachers;” greater than the ancients (Psalm 119:98-100). It is compared to a lamp whose sole purpose is to light up the path ahead (Psalm 119:105). Through God’s Word, His people learn to discern between evil and good and thus turn away from the evil in order to embrace the good (Psalm 119:130-133). It is through God’s Word that peace comes to the human heart (Psalm 119:165). It truly is a “solid rock.”

Seven Important Concepts About the Bible

There are seven important concepts that the Bible teaches about itself. The first important concept is revelation. The Bible is where God is revealed. Like everything God has created, its purpose is to glorify God (Ephesians 1:3-14). Just as creation reveals the glory of God (Psalm 19:1), so the Bible reveals His glory. While there is not a singular verse that communicates this truth, it is obvious that this is its purpose because through the Bible man is brought to salvation (Romans 10:17) and those who are saved are brought to God-honoring spiritual maturity (2 Timothy 3:16). Furthermore, there are three sub-themes of Scripture: (1) The kingdom of Jesus Christ, (2) the redemption of man, (3) the spiritual battle between God and Satan. In each of these themes, the glory of God is revealed (Philippians 2:11, Ephesians 1:3, Revelation 20:10).

The second important concept is inspiration. The Bible was given by inspiration of God (2 Timothy 3:16). That is, God worked supernaturally through the Holy Spirit upon men who were chosen by God to write His Word. God’s Word has a divine and human element. God superintended the writers to ensure the accuracy of the writing while the human writers wrote in their own distinctive styles infusing in their writing their own personalities. Jesus Himself gave credence to the Old Testament. He accepted the events of the Old Testament to be true such as Adam and Eve (Matthew 19:4-5), Cain and Abel (Luke 11:51), Noah’s flood (Matthew 24:37-39), the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Matthew 10:15), David’s taking of the showbread (Luke 6:3-4), Elijah and widow (Luke 4:25-26), the story of Jonah (Luke 11:29-32). He also upheld the prophecies of the Old Testament to be true (Matthew 4:13-16 and Isaiah 9:1-2; Matthew 11:10 and Malachi 3:1, Matthew 12:17-21 and Isaiah 42:1-4 as examples). He accepted its authority (Jesus uses Exodus 3:6 to confirm the resurrection in Matthew 22:29-32 and the abomination of desolation in Daniel 9:27 in Matthew 24:15). Luke writes that God spoke through David by the Holy Spirit (Acts 4:25-26). Stephen gives an account of Jewish history according to Old Testament events (Acts 7). Paul states that Scripture comes from God (Romans 3:2). While men wrote the actual words of the Bible, they were guided and directed by God (1 Corinthians 2:13). Thus, the Bible is considered to be God’s Word not man’s (Galatians 3:16). It is, literally, “God-breathed” (2 Timothy 3:16). Peter writes that Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:19-20). Inspiration is extended to the words of the Bible (verbal) and to the entire Bible (plenary).

The third important concept(s) is infallibility/inerrancy. Infallibility means the Bible cannot teach error. It is perfect as it was given by God. Those who wrote the Bible were not able to make mistakes because they were being carried along by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:20-21). Inerrancy means that because God superintended the writing of His Word, the information given in the sentences of the original autographs (original books themselves) is true. The Bible is without error. Because it was written in the pre-scientific world, the Bible is not intended to explain scientific theories. Rather, it communicates perfectly exactly what God intended to communicate to mankind.

The fourth important concept is canonicity. The word is derived from the Semitic kaneh which in Hebrew has it idea of a reed. The English word “cane” comes from this word. The reed or stalk was used for measurement. It was the idea of a “rule” (Galatians 6:16). In the Early Church, the canon was connected to “the rule of faith” (Regula Fidea). Athenasius first used it in reference to the Bible in 367 A.D. In that sense, the canon of the Bible referred to a list of books determined to be God’s Word. The Early Church struggled at times to make this determination because there were literally hundreds of books that claimed to be from God. There were even, most likely, collections of the sayings of Jesus (Acts 20:35). The sixty-six (66) books in the Bible are those that survived a lengthy process of review, were considered authoritative by their recipients, and accepted by the Church community. The Old Testament contains thirty-nine (39) books. The New Testament contains twenty-seven (27) books. Since the closing of the canon with John’s writings in the late first century, there has been no new special revelation from God.⁴

The fifth important concept is illumination. Illumination is God’s imparting divine knowledge through His Word. There are non-believers who read the truth but cannot understand it. The apostle Paul explains that without God’s Spirit, man is incapable of understanding the Bible. These things are actually considered to be foolish. The reason for his inability to understand is that the Bible can only be discerned spiritually, that is, by God’s Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:14). While the Bible does not illumine itself, illumination is an important aspect of the doctrine of the Bible. Sin blinds man from naturally understanding the truth. Illumination is the means by which God opens blind eyes to see what is true.

The sixth important concept is interpretation. The study of interpretation is called hermeneutics. This quantifies the rules by which interpretation is made of Scripture. The traditional hermeneutic used by God’s people has been literal, grammatical, historical interpretation. From the first use of biblical hermeneutics (Nehemiah 8:8), the purpose has been on determining authorial intent. There is no value in interpretation that comes to a conclusion God did not intend for there is no divine power in empty meaning. The emphasis should be on reading the text normally using language in a typical fashion taking consideration of the context in which the words are given. A priority should also be given to compare Scripture with Scripture. Because God does not contradict himself, any seeming contradiction can be explained giving greater weight to the simpler portions of the Bible instead of the more difficult.

The seventh important concept is authority/application. Many churches include the statement “the Bible is our final authority” because it is the revelation of God. While the Bible is not God, we do not worship the Bible in some kind of bibliolatry, the Bible is afforded special consideration because it was given by God, the One we worship. After a careful study of its words is made, the lessons contained therein must be applied to the life. The apostle James observes that the Word must be first heard, then received, and then obeyed (James 1:19-22). When interpreting the Bible, consideration must also be given to understanding the difference between what God says directly, those are called precepts, and what is derived indirectly, those are called principles. Precepts are given as “thus saith the Lord.” That phrase appears more than four hundred (400) times in the Old Testament alone. Precepts are imperative statements which require immediate acceptance and obedience. When God commanded Noah to build an ark (Genesis 6:14) and Abraham to leave Ur for Canaan (Genesis 12:1), it was by a clearly stated command. By faith, these men obeyed God (Hebrews 11:7-8). They understood that the command came from God (revelation); that He spoke to them specifically (inspiration); that His words were true (infallibility/inerrancy); that they were His words (canonicity); they understood them to be as He said (illumination); the meaning was clear as it was literally given (interpretation); and their duties were obvious (authority/application). Principles have the same authority as precepts, but the meaning is less obvious. Principles are derived from Scriptures being joined with other Scriptures. There is no verse in Scripture which says explicitly that God is in three persons (Father, Son, and Spirit). There are verses which greatly imply that truth (Isaiah 42:1, 63:7-14; Luke 1:35, 2 Corinthians 13:14). These are just a sampling of the references in Scripture that teach a Tri-unity of God. While these are principles because they are not explicit statements, they still carry the full force of inspiration and authority. Applications of both precepts and principles is in practices and preferences. Practices are less defined from principles because they are application of truth. When David writes “I will set no wicked thing before my eyes” (Psalm 101:3), he is applying the truth of God’s holiness to his life. His conclusion, that it is wrong to look on wickedness with any affection or appreciation, is an example of a practice. When Christians read David’s conviction and seek to apply this teaching, they are also “practicing” this truth. There may be differences of opinion as to what is wicked. Christians will have different viewpoints on aspects of life. The lowest form of application is the category preferences. Preferences are the means by which practices are performed. Behind true, biblical preferences is God’s authority, but they are applied differently by different believers in different cultures and at different times.

The Guidebook Utilized

It is according to the leading of God’s Spirit through His Word that Christians are to live the Christian life. Those who attempt a “go-it-alone” approach find themselves open to the theological drift because of the influences of the world and one’s own sinful flesh. To be ignorant of God’s Word is dangerous (2 Peter 3:16). On the other hand, those who adopt an arrogant, “I know it all” attitude are in danger of being blinded to the truth by their own pride. What is needed is a humble approach to Scripture. Christians must learn to open their hearts to God’s truth with humility knowing that without it, they are “flying blind.”

One of the best ways a Christian can do this is to develop a habit of consistent, daily Bible reading. There are so many various ways to do this. Foremost, nearly every Christian in the westernized world has access to a Bible. In human history, that is actually kind of rare. Most Christians today in America can pick up a complete Bible in their first language, in various translations no less, and read it for themselves. A habit of daily Bible reading is one of the best ways to utilize the guidebook of the Bible. There are other means available too. There are recordings of people reading the Bible. Those who have difficulty reading because of education level or eyesight problems, or even if one is particularly busy; these can gain the benefit of listening to another read the Bible to them. YouVersion is an app available on iPhone and Andriod phones and tablets that has dozens of reading plans from the longer “read the Bible in three months” plan to the shorter plans that are targeted to a specific theme or audience.

A second way that Christians can use the guidebook of the Bible is to memorize verses. An early emphasis might be on salvation verses such as John 3:16, Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23, Romans 10:9-10. There are also Bible memory organizations that help Christians memorize God’s Word. One good resource is scripturememory.com. It has different tools for memorizing the Bible available for different age groups or spiritual acumen.

Finally, the way that Scripture reading and memory work their way into the heart is for the Christian to approach God’s Word with a willing spirit. Before opening the Bible, a short prayer such as “Lord, open my eyes to your truth” is helpful. Acknowledging one’s own submission to God’s guidance is key for hearing, comprehending, and obeying. Perhaps a closing prayer is also helpful. You might end your Bible reading/memorization time with a short prayer “Lord, help me to live out what I’ve read/learned from your Word.”

Personal Application Questions

1. In what way do you connect “listening” to “obeying?” How does this influence the filling of the Holy Spirit?

2. Of the seven concepts of the Bible, which of them is the most difficult for you? Why is that?

3. What hindrances do you have to reading the Bible consistently? What practical steps can you take to change that?

Discussion

1. Read Psalm 119:97-104.
2. Three groups are mentioned in vv. 98-110. List them and then try to determine why the Psalmist might be thinking this way. Who are these people? Why does he consider himself to be superior to them?
3. In v. 101, what is the connection between knowing God’s Word and doing it? Discuss some practical examples of “refraining” one’s feet from “every evil way.”
4. After reading v. 103, why do you think some Christians struggle with “enjoying” reading the Bible?
5. What emotion does v. 104 communicate? How does understanding God’s Word cause one to “hate” (reject) a “false way?”

John 14:16

Jesus promised His disciples that after He left them that He would provide them a Comforter (parakleton—meaning “one who comes alongside) who would abide with them forever (John 14:16). This Comforter is the Holy Spirit. His ministry to us is crucial to our living the Christian life. In fact, without the indwelling Holy Spirit, there is no spiritual life at all. It is entirely dependent upon Him. This lesson focuses on the importance of our new life in the Spirit.

The Person of the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is not some divine force of God. He is not some abstract power or energy. He is the third member of the Godhead, a person like God the Father and God the Son. The Spirit is alive, intelligent, and acts according to His divine purpose. Theologian Rolland McCune lists eleven actions the Spirit takes. He comforts, commands, creates, empowers, guides, intercedes, prays, reproves, speaks, teaches, and testifies. The Bible places the Spirit on the same level as God and Jesus (Matthew 28:19, 2 Corinthians 1:21-22, 2 Corinthians 13:14, Galatians 4:6). Together, they form the Trinity (Godhead). He is called God in both the Old Testament (2 Samuel 23:2-3) and the New Testament (Acts 5:1-4).

• He has the same attributes as God. The Spirit is omniscient (Isaiah 40:13), omnipresent (Psalm 139:7), and omnipotent (Psalm 104:30). He is eternal (Hebrews 9:14). He is love (Romans 15:30). He is holy (Ephesians 4:30). He is truth (1 John 5:6).
• The Holy Spirit does the same work as God. He was involved in creation (Genesis 1:2). He is involved in regeneration of believers (John 4:5). He raises people from the dead (Romans 8:11).
• The Holy Spirit is called by many different names in the Bible. He is the author of Scripture (2 Timothy 3:16, 2 Peter 1:21). He is the Comforter (John 14:16). He is also the Spirit of Truth (John 14:17, 16:13). He is the Spirit of the Lord (2 Corinthians 3:17, 1 Peter 1:11). He is the Spirit of Life (Romans 8:2). ¹
• He is illustrated using various objects. He is represented as “wind” or “breath.” This is the translation of the Hebrew ruach and the Greek pneuma². He is also represented as a dove. This is evident at the baptism of Jesus (Matthew 3:16, Mark 1:10, Luke 3:22, John 1:32). He is also represented as water (John 7:37-39, 1 Corinthians 12:13), and oil (1 Samuel 10:1, Isaiah 61:1-2, Luke 4:18-19). Finally, He is represented by fire (Acts 2:3).

The Holy Spirit’s Ministry to Believers

Salvation from sin to eternal life is the work of the Holy Spirit. He reproves unbelievers of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8). He is the means by which the Father draws unbelievers to the Son (John 6:44). When an unbeliever trusts in Jesus for salvation, he does so by the work of the Holy Spirit.³ The Spirit illumines Scripture so that the unbeliever can understand the gospel. At this point, the Spirit “baptizes” the new Christian into Christ (John 1:33). This is called “Spirit-baptism” and is illustrated by water-baptism (Appendix 1). Jesus taught the disciples that they would be baptized by the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:5).⁴ At the moment of salvation, the Holy Spirit indwells the new believer. This is what it means for the Spirit of Christ to be “in you” (John 14:20). This is how Jesus dwells in our hearts by faith (Ephesians 3:17). Moreover, this indwelling is bodily. Christians are temples of God being indwelt by the Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:18). Not only does the Spirit indwell the believer, but He seals him to eternal life. The Holy Spirit is God’s pledge to us that our salvation is permanent (Ephesians 1:13). He is the earnest (down payment) of God’s promise of salvation (2 Corinthians 1:21-22, 5:5). We have the promise of inheritance with Christ because of the indwelling Spirit.

Not only are Christians bodily indwelled by the Holy Spirit, but they can experience the filling of the Spirit. While indwelling is permanent, filling is temporary and can (should) be something the Christian seeks daily. The filling of the Spirit is the control of the Spirit. It means to be guided by the Spirit (Galatians 5:16). Luke’s Acts of the Apostles contains examples of this. Peter is filled with the Spirit (Acts 2:4). Later, he is filled with the Spirit again (Acts 4:8). He experiences it again (Acts 4:31). The apostle Paul is filled with the Spirit (Acts 9:17). He is later filled again (Acts 13:9). The filling of the Spirit is dependent on the condition of the Christian being yielded to God. Obedience to God is the chief condition for Spirit-filling. We can conclude therefore, that this yielding and obedience to God is the most important aspect of our spiritual life. Christians under the Spirit’s control can resist temptation (Luke 4:1-2, be empowered for witnessing (Acts 4:5-6), be equipped for church work (Acts 6:1-3), be courageous in their testimony even to the point of death (Acts 7:54-58), and express worship to God (Ephesians 5:18-20).⁵

The indwelling of the Spirit is the beginning of the Christian’s new life in Christ. The filling of the Spirit is the ongoing action of the Spirit in the Christian’s life. While these may appear to be sequential, the filling of the Spirit is not a second act of grace as commonly taught in Charismatic churches. As already mentioned, the filling of the Spirit is something that should be ongoing. Christians should daily yield themselves to God. The filling of the Spirit is not “the deeper life” or “the higher life.” It is, instead, an ongoing action. There is one baptism of the Spirit, but many fillings. The command to be “filled” with the Spirit is passive meaning we do not grab the Spirit causing the action ourselves. He acts upon us. He is the agent of spiritual change. He does the work.

Conditions for Spirit-filling

Biblically, there are three conditions for Spirit-filling. These are: yielding, obedience, and dependence. Christians can “quench” the Spirit just as a person puts out a light (1 Thessalonians 5:19). A believer can extinguish the Spirit’s influence by wresting control over his life from God.⁶ When we refuse to obey the Lord or yield to His control, we lessen His influence and “quench” the Spirit. A Christian can also “grieve” the Spirit of God. That is, when a believer sins (disobedience) or tolerates sin by not fully repenting of it, he grieves God (Ephesians 4:30). When a Christians comes to faith, he puts off the old man and puts on the new man. This does not mean he becomes “perfect.” Toleration of sin is tantamount to putting the old man back on by doing old man deeds. It is tantamount to putting off the new man by refusing to do what God wants. While this is positionally impossible, a Christian cannot take off the New Man and put on the Old Man after salvation, it happens practically all the time. Believers grieve the Spirit when they lie, become uncontrollably angry, steal, use worthless words, or become bitter against others (Ephesians 4). When a Christian sins, he should be sensitive to it, respond in humility to it, and immediately seek repentance towards God (and other people if his sin has harmed them). Finally, a Christian must be dependent upon the Holy Spirit. Faith in God for salvation does not end there. It is also faith in God for daily living. Christians must put their entire dependence upon God for His control.

The Results of Spirit-Control

There are four obvious results of the control of the Holy Spirit upon the believer’s life. The first of these is guidance. Jesus told His disciples that they should not be troubled (John 14:1). There were human reasons to be troubled. (1) They had a traitor in their midst (John 13:22). (2) Jesus had also told them that He was leaving them (13:36). (3) He also told them that their leader would deny Him (13:38). Of course, the fact that He told them He was leaving was the most significant part of this trouble. In order to relieve their anxiety, Jesus tells them His purpose for leaving. He was going to prepare a place for them so that they could enjoy eternal companionship (14:3). In His place, He promised to send “another comforter” (14:16) who would be the “Spirit of truth.” He would guide them into God’s truth, that in which we alone have confidence. There are other “truths” which are actually not true. These are from the father of lies, Satan (John 8:44). We have confidence in the message of the Spirit because what He says is true. The source of His message is the Heavenly Father (16:14). Moreover, what the Spirit says is about Jesus. This is His purpose. Jesus said: “He will glorify Me.” Those who are indwelled by the Holy Spirit of God have direct access to the truth of God. This is more than just some divine encyclopedia. This connection to truth is a vital link to knowing and understanding God’s wisdom. Our relationship to the Holy Spirit is the key to growing and changing as a Christian. Christianity is a new life in the Spirit. Finally, what the Spirit does is illumines the minds of believers to understand God’s Word. This is critical in the process of progressive sanctification (2 Corinthians 3:17-18). This illumination brings “unction,” the ability to do what God has commanded. This is the anointing power of God on the life of a Christian.

The second result of living under the control of the Holy Spirit is God’s grace in the life. Because of the Spirit’s ministry, believers are enabled to live righteously. Spirit-filled living is the key to spiritual health. Its influence is profound. It influences the believer’s worship of God (Ephesians 5:19-20). It produces a thankful heart that sings with gratitude to God. It influences the believer’s relationship with others. Spirit-filled saints embrace mutual submission in the realm of the local church (v. 21). Spirit-filled wives submit themselves to the leadership of their husbands (v. 22) as part of their submission to God. Spirit-filled husbands love their wives in the same manner as Jesus loved the Church (v. 25). Spirit-filled parents train up their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord (6:4). They teach their children to obey them as they seek to train them in godliness. Spirit-filled Christians are model citizens at work. If they are employees working for a company, they serve their employers as if they are serving Jesus Christ (6:6). If they are employers, they treat their employees with dignity and respect. They do not needlessly threaten their employees instilling a spirit of fear in the office. Rather, they treat their employees as they would want to be treated themselves remembering that they have a heavenly Master (6:9).

The third result of Spirit-filled living is spiritual enablement for ministry. This is called “spiritual gifts” (charisma). These are different from natural talents or developed skills. While it is true that everything we do is a direct result of God’s blessing, talents and skills (education) is not what is meant by spiritual gifts. Rather, the Holy Spirit distributes to Christians special abilities to be used in God’s service. There are two types of gifts mentioned in the New Testament. One type are “sign” gifts which were exercised by the apostles (1 Corinthians 12:28). Apostles were special ambassadors of Jesus who were eye-witnesses of His earthly ministry (Acts 1:21-22). This was essential to the apostolic office (1 Corinthians 9:1; 15:7-9). “Sign” gifts were also given as confirmation of new revelation and the establishing of the church. This new revelation was primarily by those who heard Jesus (Hebrews 2:1-4). Because there are no apostles living today (in the biblical sense at least) and the church has been established, it is most likely that the “sign” gifts are no longer active.⁷ The second type of gifts are for the propagation of the church. The apostle Peter says that “as every man has received the gift…” implying that every Christian has at least one gift (1 Peter 4:10). At the same time, many teach that it is impossible for every believer to have all the gifts.⁸ There is no biblical support for this claim. While the argument in 1 Corinthians 12:12-27 may imply this idea, Paul’s point is not on the number of gifts one possesses but on the importance of believers recognizing that the Holy Spirit is the one who gives these gifts and that Christians should work together and not covet how God is blessing others. Consequently, instead of pursuing gifts, Christians should pursue God’s will. God commands believers to serve one another (Galatians 5:13). When opportunity arises, He will provide the gift of ministering. Likewise, Christians have been commanded to exhort each other (Hebrews 10:25). When the opportunity arises, the Spirit will provide the necessary ability to do so. There is the command to give (2 Corinthians 9:7), to teach (Matthew 28:19-20), to show mercy (Ephesians 4:32), to live by faith (2 Corinthians 5;7), and to evangelize (Acts 1:8). In the same manner, each of these are gifts of the Spirit. God will enable you obey Him when the opportunity arises.⁹

The final result of Spirit-filled living is godliness. When the Spirit has control over believers, it will be evident (Galatians 5:22). Let’s call this the “orchard of godliness.” In this orchard is the tree of love. This is the kind of love that gives without expecting anything in return. It is expressed as generosity and kindness by demonstrating concern for the needs of others. This orchard also has the tree of joy. This is the gladness that comes naturally to those who are ordering their lives in the Spirit. It is heaven-sent joy. Its fruit is bliss and happiness. It gives off this fragrance so that everyone around it experiences some sense of the same pleasure that it gives. There is also the tree of peace. This is the kind of peace that brings needed sleep (Psalm 4:8). It is the blessing of living a meek and quiet life (Psalm 37:11). It is a twin of righteousness (Psalm 85:10). It is the result of loving the Law of the Lord (Psalm 119:165). It is the result of living wisely (Proverbs 3:17). It is no wonder—Jesus is the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). The human mind is at peace when meditating upon God (Isaiah 26:3). There is a tree there with both the fruits of long-suffering and gentleness. This wind that blows over these fruits spread the odor of God’s love all around. Long-suffering means to keep anger out of reach. The patient Christian is one who cannot get sinfully angry. If he does, the Spirit is not in control of him. Gentleness is a kindness towards others. There is no place for harsh and biting sarcasm in the life of a Spirit-controlled saint. There is the tree of goodness. The fruit of this tree is that which does beneficial things for others. There is a sense of generosity here. There is the tree of faithfulness. The faithful fruit is that which is in keeping with the teachings of the Bible. The tree of meekness is that which produces a mild temper. It forebears the problems of others and does not react when provoked. Finally, this orchard has a tree of temperance. This is the self-control that keeps the flesh dominated by the Spirit of God. All these become possible when the Spirit enables us to put to death our sinful desires. Under the control of the Holy Spirit, the Christian “crucifies” his own affections and lusts (Galatians 5:24). A crucified flesh does not have a desire for self-gratification or personal glory. It does not provoke others to anger. It does not envy others (Galatians 5:25). A Christian who is ordering his life in the Spirit cannot live in legalism (because walking in the Spirit precludes the need for law) and also cannot live in licentiousness (because the flesh and Spirit are opposed to each other).

Conclusion on the Holy Spirit

Without the Holy Spirit, there is no spiritual life. While the indwelling of the Spirit is one aspect of being “in Christ,” the filling of the Spirit is dependent on the believer’s yielding of Himself to God. Over time, this yielding brings true spiritual maturity and growth. The longer one “walks” in the Spirit, the greater he learns to depend upon Him for spiritual strength. As the physical body weakens, the spiritual life strengthens. Like Paul, a Spirit-filled Christian can exclaim “when I am weak, then am I strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10).

Personal Reflection

1. Do you think of the Holy Spirit as God? How does that influence the way you think about Him?

2. Can you see the results of Spirit-filling in your life? If you are unable to do so, reflect on why that might be.

3. Are you sensitive to the Holy Spirit so that you are aware of when you “grieve” Him?

Discussion

1. Read 1 Corinthians 12:12-27.
2. Should racial or financial differences have any influence on a person’s role in the church? Why or why not? (v. 13). (Why is gender not mentioned in the verse? Compare Galatians 3:28)
3. Who determines the placement of believers (their role) within the church? Why is this important? (v. 18).
4. Why are the problems of arrogance and jealousy serious challenges to the church? (v. 21, v. 25).
5. How should church members consider the suffering and honor of other members? What are some practical ways we can do that? (v. 26).

Matthew 16:24

The word “discipleship” never occurs in the Bible. Consequently, when discussing discipleship, it is important to realize that the concepts are principles. “Discipleship” is a derivative of the biblical word “disciple” or “follower” (mathetes). In the first century, a disciple was a student who followed and learned from a rabbi, a teacher of the Jewish law. For example, Gamaliel was a famous rabbi who trained the apostle Paul in Judaism. Though He was not trained in the rabbinical schools, Jesus was a rabbi. He taught those who followed Him about God and the law (Matthew 28:20).

A Christian disciple is someone who follows Jesus Christ. For anyone, this is the highest and most noble pursuit in life. It is a commitment to forego whatever blessings this life affords in order to gain the blessings of the next life. A disciple is a simply a follower of Jesus. A good definition of a discipleship is a disciple who demonstrates that he follows Jesus as he “identifies himself with Christ in all things, conforms his behavior and attitudes to reflect Christ for the purpose of living out His commission.” The key concepts are (1) identity, (2) conformity, and (3) activity. These are progressive to the extent that as someone identifies with Jesus, the more he will conform his behavior to reflect this connection. Further, the greater extent someone conforms his behavior with Jesus, the more he will actively do the will of God. This lesson is an overview of the whole concept of Christian discipleship.

Identity

The first step in the Christian life is authentic identification with Jesus. It’s basically saying: “I’m with Him.” In fact, a new Christian literally takes on the name of Jesus Christ. “Christian” means “little Christ.” There is also a kind of false identification. If someone professes to be a Christian, but is unwilling to follow Jesus, then he is not a real Christian. He may claim to have “prayed a prayer” to accept Jesus as “personal Lord and Savior.” Jesus indicates that many will say to Him in the day of judgment “Lord, Lord, have we not cast out demons in your name and done many wonderful works?” Then Jesus will make a public pronouncement: “I never knew you.” Then these will be cast into Hell. The prayer of salvation takes its meaning from a decision to become a follower of Jesus—to authentically identify with Him.¹ Jesus explained the disciple relationship this way: “If any would come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me.” (Matthew 16:24). This statement begins with the conditional “if” meaning that discipleship requires a personal choice to follow Jesus. Of course, we know that there is a lot of spiritual activity going on behind the scene when someone chooses to follow Jesus. Jesus stated that no man comes to Him unless the Father draws him (John 6:44). We also know the that work of the Holy Spirit is to convict men of sin and judgment (John 16:8). Nobody chooses to follow after Jesus all on his own. God is the one who brings a person into a discipleship relationship with Jesus. At the same time, we also know that a Christian is someone who has made the personal decision to follow Jesus.

This decision has two basic parts. The first part is the choice to deny self. This denial means that you must determine that you have no real connection with your own ambitions or goals. It is to forego any selfish motive or pursuit, to lose interest in preserving or promoting oneself. This is particularly difficult because we are hard-wired to be selfish. When Paul wrote that men should love their wives as much as they love their own bodies, he was admitting that self-love is the normal human state. To be a disciple of Jesus, we have to set aside this selfish approach to life.

The second part of the decision to follow Jesus is the choice to “take up your cross.” Think about what Jesus was commanding these people to do. In the ancient world, the cross was an emblem of a shameful death. It was the worst form of capital punishment. The victim being crucified had his clothes stripped away. He was then further degraded by the use of torture such as severe flogging. Then the victim was fastened to the cross with ropes and nails. The end result was prolonged suffering followed by death either by exposure or suffocation. Any who lingered longer than the Romans wanted (if they were in a hurry for the crucifixion to end or if they felt particular pity for the victim) would have his legs broken.

Both self-denial and cross-bearing together form the basis of Christian discipleship. This is how you identify with Jesus. Jesus, even though He is equal with God the Father, did not consider this equality something to hold onto, but made Himself to be of no reputation, took upon Himself the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of man. Further, Jesus humbled Himself to the point of crucifixion (Philippians 2:5-8). To be a disciple of Jesus, you have to admit: “I am with Him.”²

After salvation, the first step of discipleship is usually baptism. See Appendix 1 for more information about the biblical rite of baptism. If you have never been baptized, or if your baptism was not biblical, your pastor will gladly help you publically identify with Jesus in baptism.

Conformity

Identification with Jesus is very important, but it does not immediately confer upon the new believer “maturity status.” Every new believer starts off the Christian life in spiritual immaturity. A new Christian is just beginning a longer journey where he will learn more about Jesus, feel stinging rebuke over his sin, make difficult choices to change, and then learn to live out that change on a day-by-day basis. Following Jesus centers around five personal commitments. These are:

1. New life in the Spirit: this is learning to live daily in the power of the Holy Spirit. The biblical phrase is to “walk in the Spirit” (Galatians 5:16). This means that this life in Jesus can only be lived successfully as it is ordered through the instrumentality of the Spirit. Some new Christians, because of their zeal and love for the Lord, believe that adopting new “Christian” rules of living is the way of discipleship. Jesus never presents discipleship that way. Discipleship is not a return to Old Testament law-keeping. It is an adoption of a new way of living by ordering one’s life entirely through the power and control of the Holy Spirit.

2. Private worship: this is learning to worship God daily through personal Bible reading and prayer; through giving to His church; and by adoring Him as we meditate upon Him. Discipleship is not showy (Matthew 6:1). It is predominantly private as we learn to come to God individually. It is a work of the heart as we commune with God.

3. Public Worship: this is the result of our private worship. It is learning to sing songs of praise to the Lord and make melody in our hearts to Him. It also involves listening to God’s Word through preaching (Ephesians 5:19).

4. Wisdom in tests: this is learning to seek His guidance when facing personal difficulty, either from a trial or temptation (James 1:5). Most new believers do not know how to weather the storm of trials and temptations. They even sometimes question the circumstances God leads them through.

5. Christian Service: this is learning that every part of life is about serving God. Like an offering laid upon the altar to be burned up before God in worship, so Christians are to give their bodies to be “living sacrifices.” Instead of living like our culture, we are to live a transformed life by the mind being renewed in Christ and thereby accomplish God’s perfect will for us (Romans 12:1-2). This is called “yielding” ourselves to God.

These five commitments are difficult. The Christian life is not easy. Jesus compared it to walking on a rough and difficult road (Matthew 7:14). Many Christians stumble and fall as they attempt to develop these commitments. The key is to get back up when you fall down! There are many who have been saved for many years who have not progressed spiritually to the point where they know how to apply God’s wisdom to their trials or have the ability to call others to follow after them.

In His foresight and grace, God has given us three “friends” to help us make the journey successfully. Our first friend is the Holy Spirit. He is God dwelling in us. He comes alongside us to give the encouragement we need exactly when we need it. The indwelling Holy Spirit illumines God’s Word (1 Corinthians 2:9), teaches us (John 14:26, 16:13), seals us to salvation (Ephesians 1:13-15) and gives us assurance of salvation (Romans 8:17-23), empowers us to do Christian service (Acts 1:8), enables us to live a godly life (Romans 8:4, Galatians 5:16), guides us (Romans 8:14), and changes our character (Galatians 5:22). Our second friend is the local church. It is imperative that Christians take part in the life of a local church (Hebrews 10:24-25). God did not intend for Christians to live alone in isolation. It is a strange phenomenon that many professing Christians live in some sort of connection with unbelievers but in isolation from fellow Christians (Ephesians 5:11). We all need the benefit of other Christians speaking God’s truth into our ears. We need the mutual encouragement we have through the ministry of other disciples of Jesus (James 5:13-16). Our fellow church members pray for us; preach to us; encourage us to live a godly life through their example; admonish us when we are wrong; give comfort to us when we are hurting; rejoice with us when God gives us victory over sin (1 Thessalonians 5:14). Furthermore, these are all things we do for them. Our third friend is the Word of God. The Bible reveals God to us (2 Timothy 3:16). We learn from the Scriptures what creation and and our conscience both tell us—that God exists (Romans 1:17-20). The Bible is also our source of ultimate truth. While it is true that “all truth is God’s truth,” the Bible is considered special revelation because it reveals God to us in a special way. Further, the Bible provides for us a way to view life. This is what we call “worldview.” We look at life through the “eyes” of God when we see it from the Bible’s perspective. It gives us instruction as to how to live. Our culture (culture means “how people live”) has its own instructions for life. These are often in conflict with God’s instructions. Christians must know that the Bible is the final authority. The Bible also gives us hope. Through the testimonies of other God-followers, we gain encouragement in their successes and failures. The Bible reveals the men and women trusting God when their situation seems humanly impossible. Finally, the Bible also gives us warning against sin. It teaches us God’s absolute moral standard. It helps us progress from spiritual immaturity to wisdom.

Activity

Identity and conformity is naturally followed by activity. Specifically, the Bible clarifies that this activity is one where the disciple assumes the role of disciple-maker.³ This is accomplished through two distinct activities— by evangelism and by example. Jesus said to His disciples: “follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” (Matthew 4:19). Jesus is promising that if they would follow Him, they would be personally transformed. The three years they spent with Jesus in His earthly ministry were years of their learning to both identify with Him and conform their attitudes and behavior to His will. After Jesus died, was buried, rose again, and ascended into heaven, the disciples unleashed on the world their faith in Him. This is the final aspect of discipleship is activity. This transformation from “fishermen” to “fishers of men” began producing results. Even the Pharisees noted that “they had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13). Their years of following Jesus allowed them to call other disciples to follow after them. They became disciple-makers. They spiritually “fished” for men. Acts 2 presents a powerful story about Peter preaching at Pentecost and thousands of people accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior. This is an example of being a fisher of men in a congregational setting. In Acts 3 there is a story about “fishing for men” that is more personal. A lame man asks Peter and John for some money. Instead of money, they gave to him a greater blessing. Peter said: “in the name of Jesus, rise and walk.’ This more personal example of “fishing for men” led to thousands more being saved. The book of Acts is full of activity of those who followed after Jesus. The activity of a disciple is to call others to salvation in Christ.

The second activity is being a disciple-maker by example. The Apostle Paul called out: “follow me, as I follow Christ.” (1 Corinthians 11:1, Philippians 3:17, 1 Thessalonians 1:6). This call requires some measure of spiritual maturity. The disciple-maker calls others to discipleship through his personal example that he is himself a follower of Jesus. He sets this example by his own godly testimony among the other disciples in his local church. His call for others to follow his example means that he sets a godly example. This is true in his behavior. A disciple-maker lives a moral, God-fearing lifestyle. He approaches the things of life asking the important questions such as: will this activity please the Lord? Will this activity cause others to be offended and stumble? Could this activity bring others to salvation in Christ? Is it possible that others will question my own spiritual walk with the Lord because of this activity? Will this harm my testimony? The disciple-maker is calling people to imitate him. He is faithful in his commitments to the Lord. This faithfulness is evident because of the fruits of the Spirit which demonstrate that he is controlled by the Spirit.

Personal Reflection

1. Are you a disciple of Jesus Christ? Explain your answer. What indicators are there in your life that lead you to your conclusion?

2. Have you followed or do you actively follow another believer in discipleship? Describe that relationship.

3. Have you ever led someone or are you actively leading someone in discipleship? Describe that relationship.

Discussion

1. Read 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10.
2. What are the three things that Paul said they remembered in prayer for the Thessalonians? (v. 3)
3. What was their “work of faith?” (v. 9)
4. What was their “patience of hope?” (v. 10)
5. Their “labor of love” is mentioned in chapter 4. Can you find the verse? What do you think their “labor of love” referred to specifically? (Hint: there might be two answers found in chapter 4)
6. How might we become more active in discipleship?