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8. Grace-Centered Living

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“I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So the life I now live in the body, I live because of the faithfulness of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20)

How Are Christians Meant to Live?

God does not want believers to live by law, but by the Holy Spirit. Whether someone is living by law (God’s Law or man-made laws) or by grace is determined by two key issues:

1. The issue of motivation: Why you do what you do.

  • Under law, a person works in order to earn the acceptance of God.
  • Under grace, a person trusts in Jesus Christ as her acceptance and works out of love and gratitude.

2. The issue of power: How you do what you do.

  • Under law, a person lives from his own power and resources.
  • Under grace, a person lives by Christ’s life and power imparted by the Holy Spirit.

Life by the Holy Spirit is consistently presented in contrast to living by law.

But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.” (Galatians 5:18)

“He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.... Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” (2 Corinthians 3:6,17)

“For when we were controlled by the sinful nature, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in our bodies, so that we bore fruit for death. But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.” (Romans 7:5-6)

Let’s explore what this looks like.

Day One Study

The Old Testament background of the ministry of the Holy Spirit

1. The Holy Spirit was active throughout history from creation until the New Testament age. Nehemiah recounts the role of the Spirit in the life of Israel as a nation. Read Nehemiah 9:19-20, 30. What was the Spirit’s role?

2. How did the Holy Spirit empower ("anoint") the following individuals for special service?

  • Exodus 35:30-36:1—
  • 1 Samuel 10:1,6-9—
  • 1 Samuel 16:12-13—

3. The anointing of the Holy Spirit on Old Testament believers was not promised to believers of that time nor promised to be permanent when given. (See 1 Samuel 16:14; Psalm 51:11.) However, the prophets spoke of a future day, the time of the New Covenant or Kingdom. Read Joel 2:28-30 and Ezekiel 36:24-28. What did God promise about his Spirit at that time?

The announcement of the Kingdom and the coming of the Spirit

4. What announcement did John the Baptist make in Mark 1:4, 7-8?

5. What did Jesus promise about the Spirit in the following verses?

  • John 3:1-10—
  • John 7:37-39—
  • Acts 1:3-8—

6. How were the promises fulfilled in Acts 2:1-21, 32-36?

Scriptural Insight: Who is the Holy Spirit? The Holy Spirit is God himself, the Third Person of the Trinity. He is described as possessing all the divine attributes and is referred to as God (Acts 5:3-4). It is important to remember that the Holy Spirit is a Person, not a “force” or merely an impersonal attribute or influence of God. He is described as having all the elements of personality: intellect (1 Cor. 2:11), emotions (Eph. 4:30), and will (1 Cor. 12:11). Personal pronouns are used of him, such as “he” or “him” (John 16:7-8).

7. Graceful Living: Does the concept of the Holy Spirit’s existence seem like science fiction to you? Like something out of a movie, e.g. “the force is with you” from Star Wars? We often feel this way because his name is more like a title. We have God the Father (we can relate to “father”) and God the Son (whose name is Jesus, we can relate to “son” and “Jesus”). Paul often refers to the Spirit as the Spirit of Christ or God’s Spirit to help us relate to him. Be honest with God here. Let him know how you feel. Ask him to help you trust what he says in his Word about his Spirit’s presence in our world and in our lives.

Day Two Study

The relational ministry of the Holy Spirit

Jesus said, “Don’t you believe that l am in the Father, and that the Father is in Me?” (John 14:10). He then said that when the Holy Spirit comes, “On that day you will realize that I am in My Father, and you are in Me, and I am in you (John 14:20). Authentic Christian living is when we live in the same relation to Jesus as he did with his father (faith, dependence). We trust; he supplies the life and power!

Your position in Christ is your:

  • Acceptance before God.
  • Assurance of salvation.
  • Identity.

Christ’s presence in you is:

  • Life (regeneration).
  • Power for living.
  • The basis of a relationship.
  • Promise and hope – the Holy Spirit is called a “deposit” or “down payment” on our salvation, giving assurance of the completion of his work. (Ephesians 1:13-14)

When a person hears the gospel and places her faith in Jesus Christ, several things happen instantaneously as a one-time event regarding the work of the Holy Spirit. Let’s look at these.

8. At the moment of salvation (when one believes), the Holy Spirit’s ministry to the believer is…

  • Titus 3:4-6—
  • Romans 8:9—
  • Romans 8:16; Galatians 4:4-7—
  • 1 Corinthians 12:13—
  • Ephesians 1:13-14—

9. Through the Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ has established with believers a relationship to himself similar to the one he enjoyed with the Father. Read John 14:15-21, 26 and John 16:12-15. Describe the Spirit’s role in our relationship to Jesus.

From the Greek: The Greek word translated “Helper” or “Counselor” in John 14:16 is parakletos. Both of these English words have connotations that are absent from the Greek word. Helper connotes an inferior, which the Holy Spirit is not. Counselor can call to mind a camp counselor or a marriage counselor whereas a legal counselor is more in harmony with the Greek idea. In secular contexts parakletos often referred to a legal assistant, an advocate, or simply a helper (e.g., a witness or a representative in court). The verbal form of this word, parakaleo, literally means to call alongside and, therefore, to encourage or to strengthen.” (Dr. Tom Constable, Constables Notes on John, pages 219-220)

The Empowering Ministry of the Holy Spirit

From the beginning of our faith relationship with Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit anoints us with God’s presence and power. We need both to live the kind of life Jesus intends for us to live. After this one-time work of the Spirit to establish God’s presence within us, he has an ongoing empowering ministry in the life of the believer.

10. According to the following verses, how is genuine Christian life to be lived?

  • Galatians 2:20—
  • Philippians 2:12-13—
  • Colossians 1:29—

11. Read the verses below about the Spirit’s empowering ministry to the believer. What does the Holy Spirit empower or enable the believer to do in order to live the genuine Christian life described above?

  • Acts 4:31—             
  • Romans 5:5—             
  • Romans 8:26-27—             
  • 1 Corinthians 2:9-16—             
  • 1 Corinthians 12:4-11—             
  • Ephesians 3:14-19—             

The Holy Spirit is the means by which Christ is “with us” and “in us” (Matthew 28:18-20; Galatians 2:20). Christ is in a glorified human body in heaven. He is with us by means of the Holy Spirit. To sum up: The ongoing ministry of the Holy Spirit has been well expressed by scholar Gordon D. Fee in the phrase, Gods Empowering Presence.” (Gordon Fee, Gods Empowering Presence: The Holy Spirit in the Letters of Paul)

12. Graceful Living: Briefly describe a great need that God has met in your life or a remarkable thing that God has done in your life through his Spirit’s empowering presence in you.

Day Three Study

The Holy Spirit’s Unseen Presence

We cannot see the Holy Spirit inside of us. But, we know he is working inside us because we become aware of the evidence. These are some of the things the Spirit does for us:

  • He helps us understand what the Bible teaches. Has someone explained something to you about the Bible, and you understood what she was saying? That’s the Spirit inside of you helping you to understand. John 16:13; 1 Cor. 2:13
  • He gives us the words to tell others about Jesus and say that Jesus is God. Have you wanted to tell someone about Jesus but didn’t know what to say, then all of a sudden the words just popped into your head for you to tell that person about Jesus? That’s the Holy Spirit living inside of you prompting you with the right words to say. John 14:26; 1 Corinthians 12:3
  • He gives us assurance that we are Gods children. Have you ever felt really loved by God? That’s the Spirit inside of you letting you know for sure that you are God’s child, and He loves you. Romans 8:16
  • He makes us want to do what pleases God. Do you have a desire to please God with your life? That’s the Holy Spirit inside of you giving you that desire. Romans 12:11; Jer. 33:31,33
  • He helps us to feel joy as we serve Jesus and when we do the right things. Have you ever felt really good when you chose to do the right thing or chose to be helpful? That’s the Holy Spirit inside of you letting you feel God’s pleasure. Romans 14:17-18
  • He makes us not want to do what doesnt please God. Have you ever felt something tugging at you inside when you were tempted to do something wrong? That’s the Holy Spirit living inside of you nudging you, reminding you what doesn’t please God so you can choose not to do that. We can ask him to let us know in our thinking or feelings when we are tempted to do something bad. He promises to do that. Galatians 5:16
  • He makes us to become more like Jesus, especially in loving other people. Have you ever started loving someone even more after you started praying for him/her? That’s the Holy Spirit living inside of you doing that. Galatians 5:22-23
  • He makes us want to sing praises to God, in our hearts and out loud, and be thankful for Gods goodness. Do you like to sing praises to God? Do you feel thankful to God for his goodness to you? That’s the Spirit living inside of you filling your heart with praise and thanksgiving to God. Ephesians 5:18-20
  • He prays for us when we need help or dont know how to pray. Have you ever had a huge problem and didn’t know what to ask God to do about it, but God took care of the problem anyway? That’s the Holy Spirit living inside of you working to take care of your need before you even ask. Romans 8:26-27

13. Graceful Living: Which of the evidences you just read have you recognized in your life? Thank God for specific ways and times his Spirit has worked in your life.

Walking by the Spirit

The New Testament encourages believers to “live by the Spirit” (Romans 8:5; Galatians 5:16, 25) and be “led by the Spirit” (Romans 8:14; Galatians 5:18). The Greek word Paul used here in Galatians 5:16 means to literally “walk”—a common idiom for how one conducts one’s life or how one behaves, in this case one’s faith walk. What does it mean to walk by the Spirit?

Walking by the Spirit means walking in submission to and dependence on the Spirit. As Paul wrote in Romans 1:17, “For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: ‘The righteous will live by faith.’” We exercise faith in Jesus Christ for our salvation. We exercise faith for our daily living out the life of Christ within us. This daily faith walk by the Spirit involves every area of life.

At the beginning of this lesson, we stated that you can recognize if you are living by law or living by the Spirit based on two areas:

1) The issue of motivation: Why you do what you do. Under law, a person works in order to earn the acceptance of God. Under grace, a person trusts in Jesus Christ as his acceptance, and works from love and gratitude. You know you are living by the Spirit when your response to God is to serve him out of your love for him and gratitude for what he has done for you.

2) The issue of power: How you do what you do. Under law, a person lives from his own power and resources. Under grace, a person lives by Christ’s life and power imparted by the Holy Spirit. You know you are living by the Spirit when you are stepping out in obedience to Gods Word, depending on God for the ability and power to do what he asks you to do, and trusting God with the results.

Think About It: The normal goal of human childrearing is to raise our children to become more independent of us over time. God’s goal is to raise his children to become more dependent on him over time.

14. Graceful Living: Think about different areas of your life—relationships, health, school, work, emotions, health, parenting, finances, other.

  • In which ones do you feel you are relying on your own power rather than the Spirit’s power?
  • Consider giving over those areas to your God where you are trusting in your own power and begin trusting in the Spirit’s power. Choose to live according to the Spirit and be led by the Spirit in those areas. Trust your God with the results and watch what happens!

Day Four Study

The filling of the Spirit

The Holy Spirit connects us with Christ so that he is with us and in us forever—God’s presence. The Holy Spirit empowers us to live the kind of life our God asks us to live—God’s power. He is God’s empowering presence. We are called to live by the Spirit, that is, to walk in submission to and dependence on the Spirit—by faith—daily.

18. Read Ephesians 5:18. What further instruction does Paul give? Why would the comparison to drunkenness be a good one?

What does it mean to be “filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18)? The contrast between being filled with wine and filled with the Spirit is obvious. Both forces are internal. “Be filled”/ “Be being kept filled by the Spirit” amounts to letting the Holy Spirit who indwells us control us completely. We do this by trusting and obeying him as his Word directs. The wine that fills a person controls every area of her life as long as that person consumes it. Drunkenness results in ungodly behavior. Likewise the believer who allows the Spirit to influence and direct his thinking and behavior will experience his control as long as she yield’s her will to the Spirit. This is our ongoing responsibility (present tense), and it is expected of every Christian, not optional.

Filling of the Spirit involves our yielding to God as God and yielding to his purposes and his truth. God fills what you open. Author Warren Wiersbe says this, “The baptism of the Spirit means that I belong to Christ’s body. The filling of the Spirit means that my body belongs to Christ.” (Adapted from Dr. Constables Notes on Ephesians, page 61)

All that you learned in the Day Three Study regarding evidence of living by the Spirit would apply to evidence of being filled by the Spirit. Both result from yielding to and depending upon the Spirit’s empowering presence in your life, choosing God’s purposes and truth for your life. Both produce the characteristics of God’s life in yours.

15. In Ephesians 5:19-21, Paul referred to four of the many results of the Spirit’s filling. What are they?

16. A parallel passage describing the same evidence of the Spirit’s filling is found in Colossians. Read Colossians 3:12-17. What are the evidences of being filled with the Spirit/living by the Spirit in each of the following verses?

  • Verse 12—
  • Verse 13—
  • Verse 14—
  • Verse 15—
  • Verse 16—
  • Verse 17—

Scriptural Insight: When he [Paul] speaks here [in Ephesians 5:18] of being with the Spirit and when he speaks in Colossians of being under the rule of the peace of Christ and indwelt by the “word of Christ,” he means to be under God’s control. The effect of this control is essentially the same in both passages: a happy, mutual encouragement to praise God and a healthy, mutual relationship with people.” (NIV Study Bible, note on Ephesians 5:18, page 1798)

17. In Galatians 5:22-23, Paul describes similar evidences of living by the Spirit/being filled by the Spirit which he calls “fruit of the Spirit.”

  • What are they?
  • What similarities in this list do you see with what you discovered in Ephesians 5:18-21 and Colossians 3:12-17?

Think About It: “We aren’t able to produce the Christian life—only Christ can produce it. We are to maintain a dependent, receiving attitude—the same attitude of availability that Jesus presented to his Father for 33 years. And Christ will produce the fruit of his life in us. Our response should be, ‘Lord, I can’t, but you can.’” (Bob George, Classic Christianity, page 177)

18. Graceful Living: “The righteous will live by faith” (Romans 1:17). Living by faith is acting according to the Word of God, depending on Jesus Christ for the power, and trusting him with the results. From the evidences of living by the Spirit you discovered in the verses above, choose a few that you desire in your life. Now, ask Jesus Christ to produce these in you by saying for each one, “Lord Jesus, I can’t, but you can. I want you to do this in my life. I trust you to do this in my life.” Watch what he does!

Related Topics: Basics for Christians, Christian Life, Curriculum, Discipleship, Spiritual Life, Women

9. Grace-Motivated Obedience

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“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all people. It [grace] trains us to reject godless ways and worldly desires and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, as we wait for the happy fulfillment of our hope in the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. He gave himself for us to set us free from every kind of lawlessness and to purify for himself a people who are truly his, who are eager to do good.” (Titus 2:11-14)

Jesus said, “I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me – and I in him – bears much fruit, because apart from me you can accomplish nothing.” (John 15:5)

Life in the Until Time

Any attempt to present a realistic and biblical view of Christian living must take into account where we fit in God’s plan of history. We live in an overlapping age—possessing the life of the new creation to come through the Holy Spirit, while still living in bodies of the old, fallen creation in a fallen, evil world. That puts us in an already but not yet tension. We are already justified in God’s eyes, but we are not yet made sinless because we still commit sins. We are citizens of the kingdom, but the kingdom has not yet come to earth. Therefore, we need to understand Christian living in a way that neither underestimates nor overestimates the quality of life available to us in Jesus Christ.

  • Those who underestimate the quality of life and power available to us through Jesus Christ and the giving of the Spirit will tend to approach Christian living legalistically with self-confidence. They believe they can accumulate Christian character through self-disciplined obedience (living by law). In other words, these believers revert to law in an attempt to perfect themselves.
  • Those who overestimate the quality of life and power available through the Holy Spirit will tend to approach Christian living mystically (rather than rationally) with self-confidence. They believe that their possession of the “fullness of the Spirit” has lifted them beyond the power of sin in the flesh and beyond the power of evil present in the world. These believe that success, prosperity and health belong to people of faith. Suffering, failure, and illness result from a lack of faith.

Both lead to what is called a “triumphalist” approach to spiritual growth, characterized by confidence in self and a dangerously low level of respect for one’s sinful potential. Triumphalism is revealed by:

1) A low-level of perceived need for Christ. His words, “apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5), have little meaning.

2) The common response to our own failures or to the failures of other believers, “I can’t believe I/he/she did that!” Shock that we still sin.

Added to the above wrong assumptions about the Christian life is the belief that the flesh improves and becomes “godly” over time, becoming less temptable in the process and becoming less dependent on Christ. Christians who believe this are prime targets for failure, because they tend to play with fire and let down their guard against temptation.

This is the truth: We never outgrow our need to depend 100% upon Jesus Christ. Spiritual maturity is not reached by needing less of Jesus but by depending more on his truth and his power to live a life that brings glory to God and pleases him.

Day One Study

The conflict between the Spirit and the flesh

While we as redeemed and justified believers have new life in Christ, we retain our old bodies in which sin dwells (the flesh or sinful nature).

What is the flesh? The term “flesh” (NIV: “sinful nature”) refers to the unredeemed portion of our humanity—our bodies and souls through which indwelling sin assaults us. We don’t know what it is, but we know how it works—sending messages to the mind that are in conflict with the Spirit. The flesh does not improve or change its nature over time, as long as we are in our bodies! At the moment of salvation, we are born again of the Spirit. Our bodies are not born again, and our souls (mind, emotions, and will) are not instantly transformed. While the flesh doesn’t improve, our choices can change over time as we learn to live by the Spirit (what you learned in the last lesson).

1. The universal experience of people who are trying to be good (on their own) yet are hampered by the flesh is described in Romans 7:14-24. The context is applicable to believers and unbelievers alike. Describe the experience. [Note: those who refuse to see this as applicable to the believer are likely living in triumphalism.]

2. What do James 4:1 and 1 Peter 2:11 add to our understanding of this struggle with the flesh?

3. Read Galatians 5:16-18. How does Paul describe this continual conflict?

Scriptural Insight: “To live ‘according to the flesh’ is to live in keeping with the values and desires of life in the present age that stand in absolute contradiction to God and his ways…Paul is first thinking not about the several ‘works’ of the flesh he will soon describe, but, as he will go on to explain in v. 17, about the basic perspective of life in the flesh. Such a perspective…radically opposes God and his ways, here designated as opposition to [living by] the Spirit.” (Gordon D. Fee, Gods Empowering Presence: The Holy Spirit in the Letters of Paul)

4. Read Galatians 5:19-26. Contrast the evidence of living by the flesh and living by the Spirit.

Living by the flesh

Living by the Spirit

5. Read Ephesians 4:25-5:4 (also 5:8-10). Contrast the evidence of living by the flesh and living by the Spirit.

Living by the flesh

Living by the Spirit

6. Read Colossians 3:5-14. Contrast the evidence of living by the flesh and living by the Spirit.

Living by the flesh

Living by the Spirit

Think About It: Often, we blame people or circumstances for our anger. People and circumstances do not cause our anger, impatience, bitterness, etc.; our reactions to people and circumstances reveal where we are living—by the Spirit or by the flesh.

Although we no longer measure our way of living by the Law of Moses (including the Ten Commandments) which was given to Israel, the New Testament writers certainly gave us plenty of description of what sin looks like in a Christian’s life! Living by the flesh is pretty ugly, isn’t it? Would you say there is a stark contrast between the two lifestyles? The Christian life is not hard; it is impossible apart from Christ himself.

7. Graceful Living: We all have areas of our own lives in which we are still living in the flesh. So, don’t feel alone. Which ones jumped out at you when you listed them? Jesus wants you to trust him to live by the Spirit in those areas.

Day Two Study

Set free from the power of the old slave master sin

Sin is ugly. Very ugly! As shown in the previous day’s study, we are a new creation in Christ, yet we retain our old bodies in which sin dwells (the flesh or sinful nature). We are encouraged to live by the Spirit, yet we are warned that we can choose to live by the flesh which is at war within us, at war against the Spirit. Are we left helpless like a pawn in the midst of the conflict? No, we have God’s empowering presence in us; he is able to help us win the battle over sin. But, we have a responsibility as well. Let’s explore our responsibility.

8. Read Galatians 5:16 and Romans 13:14. In order to live by the Spirit and not by the flesh, what is our responsibility?

Think About It: Paul writes in Galatians 5:16, So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desire of the sinful nature. Notice what this verse does not say. It does not say, “If you clean up the flesh, you will become spiritual” (the logic of legalism). It does not say, “The desires of the flesh will go away” (the logic of triumphalism). As long as we live in these unredeemed bodies, sin remains a source of temptation in us.

In Romans 6, Paul personifies sin as a slave master—a power that enslaves us. Roman Christians understood this concept well as 1 out of every 2 people in the Roman Empire was a literal slave. We may not have a slave society any longer. But what we may not realize is that every human being has a master and is a servant to something—either God and his righteousness or sin and its wickedness—no neutral ground. You might think you are your own master, but you’re not. Self is really following the voice of master sin within.

All of our lives before Christ, the old slave master sin called the shots. When we believe in Jesus, a greater power moves in—the Holy Spirit. He sets us free from the power of that old slave master to become what God intended us to be. But, we are not set free to be our own masters. That’s not what it means to be set free. Our options are still: 1) sin or 2) God. We have a new master, the one who set us free—Jesus Christ.

Jesus is our master, but the old slave master still calls my name and calls your name. That old slave master yells pretty loudly sometimes. And, we listen! Yet, we don’t have to listen or carry out its orders. We are freed from sin’s power over us because a greater power has moved in—God’s Spirit—one who woos us to do right. How we yield to God’s Spirit working in our lives is our choice.

9. Romans 6 is a discussion of life choices to serve God or to serve sin and the consequences of doing either. Let’s see what advice God has for us through Paul. Read Romans 6:11-23.

  • According to verse 11, how are we to think of ourselves?
  • What choices are identified in verses 12-14?
  • What choices are identified in verses 19-23?

10. In Romans 6:14, Paul tells believers we are no longer under law (which only shows us what we do wrong), but we are now under grace, which enables us to do what is right. Read Titus 2:11-14. What does grace do for us?

Whether or not we are presently tempted in a given area, we are capable of committing any sin mentioned in the Bible, given the right set of circumstances, time and temptation. The progression is:

  • A received thought produces familiarity.
  • Continued pondering produces a loss of repugnance and, eventually, curiosity.
  • Desires, sometimes a total surprise, are generated to experiment. The most damaging or dangerous are the ones that blindside you with a desire you didn’t even know you were capable of! So, protect yourself at all times through prayer, “Lord, protect me from myself!”
  • Having tried the activity, the flesh (like a goat) can learn to like, and even grow dependent, on any sensual stimulus.

Conclusion: We never outgrow our need to depend 100% upon Jesus Christ. Recognizing this should lead us to 1) have compassion on one another (Galatians 6:1) and to 2) not take risks with sinful behavior!

Think About It: “When God wants to show you what human nature is like apart from himself, he has to show it to you in yourself. If the Spirit of God has given you a vision of what you are apart from the grace of God (and he only does it when His Spirit is at work), you know there is no criminal who is half so bad in actuality as you know yourself to be in possibility.” (Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest, “The Staggering Question”)

11. What does God promise in 1 Corinthians 10:13 regarding temptation? Through whom does he give us the way of escape—through ourselves or through the Spirit’s empowering presence within us?

Think About It: “Every believer has a choice. If something is causing you to stumble in your following of Jesus, you have the freedom to choose not to continue interacting with that thing. If it’s political arguments, you can choose to stop engaging in political conversations. If it’s pornography, you can turn off your computer. If it’s money woes, you can choose the security of faith over the security of coin. The bottom line is, we have the power to remove obstacles and run a smooth race (Hebrews 12:1). I know several believers who feel ‘trapped’ in their sins and temptations. But God will always provide grace for sin and choice for temptation. There is always a way out of temptation (see 1 Corinthians 10:13). You just have to choose it. If you want to be mentally and emotionally free, that is.” (John Newton, Growing Young blog, “Lessons Learned”)

A habit is easier to maintain than it is to start. Faith can be a habit—a good habit. Make wise decisions to protect yourself:

  • Protect your mind. Desires of the flesh do not go away. They are, however, like a fire: they can burn hot or burn down, depending on whether you are feeding them.
  • Dont play with fire. Make policy decisions to keep your distance from what tempts you.

12. Graceful Living: Martin Luther, the priest who initiated the Protestant Reformation in the 1500s, described it this way, “I cannot keep the birds from flying around my head; but by the grace of God I can keep them from building nests in my hair.” What decisions are you making or should you make to protect yourself from what tempts you?

Day Three Study

Dealing with failure: “What should I do when I sin?”

How long do you think you can go without sinning, without doing something that is a work of the flesh? Six days? Six hours? Can most of us go 6 minutes without having impure thoughts or selfish behavior—unintentional and unrecognized? God understands this about us. Because we still retain our old bodies in which sin dwells, we will sin—unintentionally as well as deliberately. All sin is disobeying God, whether unintentional or deliberate. All sin is covered by Christ’s work on the cross—whether unintentional or deliberate. All sin is forgiven before it is ever committed (you have forgiveness)—whether unintentional or deliberate.

13. Review what is promised in these verses:

  • Romans 8:1—
  • 2 Corinthians 5:19, 21—
  • Ephesians 1:7—
  • Colossians 2:13-14—

Remembering who you are in Christ can help you recognize and avoid two errors in thinking regarding your sin that stem from the logic of legalism: 1) when you sin, God cuts off fellowship from you until you repent, and 2) a believer’s sins build up until she confesses them and asks for forgiveness.

The first error in thinking ignores the fact that Christ is both in us and considers us in him. Nothing in our radical identity even opens the possibility of being alienated from God! If you are deliberately living by the flesh rather than by the Spirit in your life, you may choose to cut yourself off from praying to your God, reading the Bible, and community with other Christians. But, that is not God cutting himself off from you.

14. Read Hebrews 4:15-16 and Romans 8:26. What in these verses gives you assurance that God does not cut himself off from you when you are weak?

God’s throne is open to every believer for grace and help in our time of need, which certainly includes while we are weak from sin’s influence. The Holy Spirit is interceding for us in our weakness, which includes sin. The Spirit does not stop speaking to us or working on us just because we do not want to listen. The fruit of thinking that every time you sin you have broken your fellowship with God is tremendous guilt and insecurity. This is living by law rather than by grace. Because of what Christ did on the cross, we are set free from fear of God because of sin, can bask in His amazing love, and gratefully serve him.

The second error in thinking also is evidence of living by law. What is the fruit of teaching that our sins build up until we confess them to receive forgiveness? It is guilt, worry, and time spent trying to stay “confessed up.” We envision God erasing the “not guilty” verdict on us and considering us “guilty” until we confess and are declared not guilty again. What’s the difference between that and the Old Testament system of sacrifices where sins would build up between trips to the altar? Nothing!

Realistically, we can’t even confess a quarter of our sins in a lifetime of being a believer. It’s not biblical to think that we can do so, and teach that we have to do so, in order to maintain forgiveness or fellowship with God. By the way, just saying to God everyday, “I confess all the sins I’ve done lately” is not what He’s after. He’s after a transformed life. That’s why he went through all this trouble to give us a new identity. Knowing you already have forgiveness leads to confidence, peace, joy and freedom. Remember and rest in your acceptance in Christ because of his finished work on the cross.

Think About It: When we received the great exchange, we received Jesus’ righteousness. Jesus received our sin. God decided this was how it would be 2,000 years ago. Sin doesn’t mix with righteousness, does it? God doesn’t erase Christ’s righteousness from our account so he can add sin to it, does He? No! He gave us Jesus’ righteousness permanently. That means there’s only one place for our sin to go. As soon as we sin, God removes it and puts it on Christ’s account. That’s what Paul teaches in 2 Corinthians 5. It is confirmed in 1 John 1:7 where John says believers are continually purified from sin.

God wanted to remove the sin barrier between him and us permanently. He’s interested in us spending our time and effort producing fruit for him to reflect his glory as he designed the human race to do. The righteous live by faith—in a God—whose grace defies man’s attempt—to still “measure up” (live by law) in some way. We should be thanking him daily for his forgiveness and his love and acceptance of us in Christ and the opportunity we have to live a radically different kind of life. What an outstanding privilege this new identity is!

Sin can no longer enslave us unwillingly because there’s a competing and greater power—God himself— in us. Transforming power in our hearts has set us free to produce his fruit. Living by the Spirit reveals to us through the Word and through prayer what is sin in our lives and helps our repentant hearts follow through with our desire for change.

15. Read Psalm 139:23-24. What should be our heart attitude toward God regarding sin in our lives?

The biblical way for dealing with recognized sin in our lives

Step One: View yourself rightly.

Your identity is not “_______” (coveter, greedy, gossiper, whatever it is). You are in Christ, a child of God, who sometimes “_____” (covets, is greedy, gossips).

Step Two: Recognize (confess) the truth regarding your sin.

To confess biblically means to agree with God about what you and he both know to be true. Confession is not a formula, a process, or dependent on a mediator. Regarding sin in my life, it is not saying, “I’m sorry.” It is saying, “I agree with you, God. I blew it!” See your sin as awful!

Using coveting for example: while reading Philippians 4:12, the Spirit convicts you that you have been coveting rather than being content. You agree with God that your coveting is actually not being content with his provision. Coveting doesn’t fit someone who knows God. That is confession.

Step Three: Confession is incomplete without repentance.

Repentance means to change your mind about that sin, to mourn its ugliness, resulting in changing your actions. Paul calls that godly sorrow in 2 Corinthians 7:9-11, and he says godly sorrow brings repentance. It’s saying, “I recognize what I am doing is wrong. This fills me with sorrow because it displeases You, God. Please help me to live differently.” He will certainly do that! That’s how our lives get transformed.

Using coveting for example: You want to not covet any longer, and you want to be content and grateful for what God has already provided. So, you pray, “Lord Jesus, please have your Spirit nudge me when I want to covet. Replace my coveting with contentment and gratitude. By faith, Lord, I want you to do that in my life.” That is repentance.

Think About It: Repentance isn’t repentance until you change something. You can confess “until the cows come home” (daily, habitually) and never change anything. Jesus called for people to “repent” not “confess.”

15. Paul describes repentance well in Ephesians 4:25-32. (See also 5:4.) What changes in both mind and action can be made to overcome the sinful behaviors listed in this section?

Sinful Behavior

Change of mind/action

Step Four: Repentance leads to dependence.

Depend on the living Christ inside you for that change to take place. Our Lord Jesus Christ is not interested in our compliance (outward conformity) as much as he desires our obedience from the heart.

Using coveting for example: Memorize Philippians 4:12-13 and any other scriptures that deal with being thankful for God’s provision. Be sensitive to the Spirit’s nudging when you are tempted to covet. Choose to be thankful instead.

16. Graceful Living: Is there any ugliness in your life that you mourn? Follow the steps above to live in freedom from that ugliness. What will you trust the living Christ inside you to do for you in that area?

Day Four Study

A realistic view of spiritual growth.

The Lord Jesus said he came to give us abundant life (John10:10), and the whole New Testament speaks in lavish terms about the quality of life God wants his children to experience. We are exhorted to press on to maturity in Christ. But, how is spiritual growth recognized?

Focus on the Meaning: “Spiritual growth is not growing ‘more and more of me’ so I need ‘less and less of Christ.’ It is growing in knowledge and experience as we walk with him, discovering more and more our need to depend totally on him.

Growth is gradual. There is a common misconception that one’s life is either 100% “carnal’” (living by the flesh) or 100% “spiritual” (living by the Spirit) at any given time. In fact, probably every believer is trusting Christ with some aspects of his life at the same time and right alongside other areas of his life where he is living in self-sufficiency. Growth, therefore, involves Christ progressively teaching us to trust him in new unexplored areas of our lives, and deepening our sense of dependency in areas where we have previously grown a little.

You don’t become more aware of your own “holiness” as you grow. On the contrary, the voices of the saints through history consistently agree that as you grow you become more aware of how far short you fall from true holiness. You become more aware of your sinfulness as you grow, not less.

Understanding these things underscores our need to understand the grace of God in Jesus Christ, and our identity in him. Only because of the Lord’s grace can we grow in self-knowledge and handle the ongoing struggle against the world, the flesh, and the devil. We would sooner or later throw in the towel without our assurance of his continued acceptance, teaching, and kindness. (Tim Stevenson, T.E.A.M. Training, Session 17)

17. Graceful Living: Looking at your life, reflect on your growth over time.

  • In what areas have you learned to trust Christ more?
  • In what areas have you recently become more aware of your sinfulness?

Spiritual growth involves God growing us, stretching us, and reconstructing us because he loves us and lives in us and desires that we be transformed into the likeness of his Son. It’s for our good and his glory! Praise Jesus for working out your salvation in such a personal way. Feel free to use any creative way to reflect on your spiritual growth.

Related Topics: Basics for Christians, Christian Life, Grace, Spiritual Life

10. Grace Calls for You to Follow

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“If anyone wants to serve me, he must follow me, and where I am, my servant will be too. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.” (John 12:26)

What Is a Disciple?

Those who trust in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord (“believers”) are called to become “disciples.” A disciple is an active follower or learner. A disciple studies the teachings of another person whom they respect and applies those teachings to her life. For example, the movie Julie & Julia portrays the young woman Julie Powell becoming a disciple of master chef Julia Child through Julia’s cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Julie studies the recipes and follows the procedures. As a result, she experiences the joy of cooking and eating delicious food as Julia has taught her through a book. Towards the end, one realizes that Julie got to know Julia Child “personally” though they never met.

Jesus Christ calls you to intentionally follow him as his disciple. This means committing to learning from him and becoming like him as you obediently apply what he teaches you through his book, the Bible, and what he allows into your life.

Day One Study

Getting to know Jesus through his “book”

1. Read Mark 5:18 and 10:52. What do those who have been healed want to do? Is this a typical response for those who have been healed of their sin and given new life today? Why or why not? Should it be?

2. Read Matthew 11:28-30. What does Jesus promise to those who follow him as his disciple?

Historical Insight: “Yoke” refers to the harness that connected a pair of animals, usually oxen, to a plow. The yoke linked them together so they could work efficiently. Often a young animal was paired with an older one, allowing the younger one to learn “on the job” from the experienced animal. In New Testament times, the phrase “take the yoke of” was used by the Jewish rabbis to mean, “become the pupil of a certain teacher,” in this case the disciple of Jesus. (Illustrated Dictionary of the Bible, page 1066)

As we have seen so far in this study, the rest Jesus offers is from the work of the Law (plus all the additional burdens Israel’s spiritual leaders had loaded onto the people) in order to maintain a right standing with God. This invitation recalls Jeremiah 31:25 where Yahweh offered his people rest in the New Covenant (“I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint”). Jesus, the revealer of God, invites those who long to know God and be refreshed in life to come to him. Jesus’ burden is light compared to the loads Israel’s religious leaders imposed on their disciples.

3. Learning from Jesus involves being a student of his Word (our Bible) and choosing to put God’s truth into practice as a lifestyle. What do the following say are the benefits of doing so?

  • Matthew 7:24-27—
  • John 8:31-32—
  • Ephesians 4:11-14—

4. Jesus knew the Old Testament Scriptures (the revealed Word of God) well and used them in his life and ministry. [Note: the New Testament was not yet written.] Read the following verses. How did Jesus use the Old Testament?

  • Matthew 4:1-11—
  • Luke 4:16-21—

5. Read the following verses. What else is revealed about the Word of God?

  • Joshua 23:14—
  • Proverbs 30:5-6—
  • 1 Peter 1:23-25—

Historical Insight: The Bible is an amazing book. It was written over a 1,500-year period by about 40 different authors living in several different countries. It was written in three different languages—Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek. Yet the Bible is consistent in its central theme and key figure—it focuses upon Jesus Christ. Such a feat would be impossible without one supreme Author—the Holy Spirit of God.

6. Read 2 Timothy 3:16 and 2 Peter 1:20-21. What did Paul and Peter both conclude about the scriptures? Why is this important?

Focus on the Meaning: Inspired means literally “God-breathed” in the Greek. “The meaning, then, is not that God breathed into the writers, nor that he somehow breathed into the writings to give them their special character, but that what was written by men was breathed out by God. He spoke though them. They were His spokesmen.” (John R. W. Stott, Understanding the Bible)

“God-breathed doesn’t mean that the writers of the Scriptures were sleep-walking. What it means is that God used their personalities, their abilities, their understanding, their talents and the real-life situations they were in to bring forth the Scripture that he wanted. Most of the New Testament letters were written to deal with circumstances. God is perfectly able to work through real-life circumstances in a real-life person like Paul, for example, to bring about the end result that he intends to use for the next however many centuries for us.” (Tim Stevenson, TEAM Training, Session 3)

7. Graceful Living: In 1 Peter 2:2, we are encouraged to "long for the pure milk of the Word." Is this how you view the Scriptures—as essential food for growth as a baby must have milk to grow and develop properly? Do you long for the Word every day? Ask God to give you an insatiable longing for his Word and to draw you to himself through reading it.

Day Two Study

The reliability of God’s Word to form our convictions

God and the devil agree on one thing: Both want to capture your mind, because whoever captures your mind will direct the course of your life. Everyone maintains a number of premises for living, both consciously and unconsciously. Premises are assumptions that form the foundation and shape of your thinking. They are important because of a universal law of logic and behavior: “If your premise is off, your findings will be off.” The actions you take will not likely succeed.

God wants your values, beliefs, and convictions to be formed by his Word. Biblical convictions can be compared to the policies of an organization. Like policies:

  • Convictions provide a measure of protection against danger by establishing safe boundaries.
  • Convictions eliminate needless decision-making by settling many issues in advance, thereby enabling greater consistency, efficiency, and productivity.

Because biblical convictions are based on an objective standard of truth (the Word of God), they provide an objective standard for daily decision-making, as opposed to living by fickle emotions.

8. Read Colossians 2:8.

  • What does Paul seeks to take you captive apart from Christ?
  • What do you think Paul means? Give modern examples of hollow and deceptive philosophies that set up against the knowledge of God.

9. Do you want to be taken captive by such things? Of course not! So, what do you do?

  • What does Paul teach us to do to combat such thoughts in Romans 12:2 and 2 Corinthians 10:5?
  • Where does the Christian go to renew her mind? Online news sites? Talk-show hosts? See what Jesus says in John 8:31-32 and John 17:17.

Biblical convictions are based upon what God has revealed about himself. From our study so far, we know that the Bible asserts that man can truly know God and know truth about him. However, because man is finite, his knowledge of God can never be comprehensive. Deuteronomy 29:29 says, “The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law.” We can know what has been revealed.

10. According to John 14:26 and John 16:12-15, what was the Holy Spirit’s role in supervising the apostles’ teaching and writing so that we may have confidence in the reliability of the New Testament?

Historical Insight: “There are 5,686 Greek manuscripts in existence today for the New Testament. If we were to compare the number of New Testament manuscripts to other ancient writings, we find that…there are thousands more New Testament Greek manuscripts than any other ancient writing. The internal consistency of the New Testament documents is about 99.5% textually pure. That is an amazing accuracy. In addition, there are over 19,000 copies in the Syriac, Latin, Coptic, and Aramaic languages. The total supporting New Testament manuscript base is over 24,000…The Christian has substantially superior criteria for affirming the New Testament documents than he does for any other ancient writing. It is good evidence on which to base the trust in the reliability of the New Testament.” (Matt Slick, “Manuscript evidence for superior New Testament reliability,” http://carm.org/manuscript-evidence)

The historical reliability of the Scriptures is an important issue, and they (the Scriptures) can be investigated to show that the biblical records are trustworthy. But ultimately, the truth of the Bible as the Word of God is inseparable from the issue of Jesus Christ. Remember that Christianity is Christ!

11. Graceful Living: We live in a world of controversy and diverse worldviews. Having an objective standard of truth can be both a shield and a weapon (Proverbs 30:5, 2 Corinthians 10:5). Do you have confidence in the reliability of the Scriptures? Have you come across certain parts of scripture in which you question its reliability? Why?

Deeper Discoveries (optional): For more information on the reliability of the Scriptures as we have them in our Bibles, visit www.probe.org and www.bible.org. Search “reliability of the Bible.”

Day Three Study

Walking it out in the issues of daily life

Living in intentional cooperation with the Spirit as he transforms us into the image of Christ involves the practice of “taking every thought captive” to Christ as exhorted by Paul in 2 Corinthians 10:4b-5:

“We tear down arguments 10:5 and every arrogant obstacle that is raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to make it obey Christ.”

When we begin to understand this verse we discover a few things.

First, we need to pass everything that we believe, or that we think we should believe, through the grid of God’s Word. Does it line up with the truth found in Scripture? God will help us recognize error in thinking.

Second, we do not have to entertain every thought that runs through our head on a daily basis. Because the Holy Spirit lives in us, we have the ability to discern God-pleasing thoughts from thoughts that grieve his heart. We can take those thoughts captive and replace them with truth from his Word.

Third, we do not have to be enslaved to emotions that are influenced by lies. The more we practice taking every thought captive to make it obedient to Christ the freer we will be from the tyranny of our emotions. Our emotions will then be based on truth and will be beneficial to us.

Fourth, error in thinking will seriously affect our behavior and our relationships. The more we practice taking every thought captive to make it obedient to Christ, the more we will be transformed by the Spirit into godly women whose lives are filled with love, joy, peace and the rest of the fruit God wants to produce in our lives.

The following are examples of questions commonly asked by people about different issues based on values, beliefs, and convictions. We are exhorted in 1 Peter 3:15 to always be ready to give answers to the hope that is within us, the truths we have learned that produce joy in our lives and more disciples for Jesus as we loyally follow him and tell others about him. Read the question and the common error in thinking. Comment on the effects of that thinking on someone’s life. Look up the verses and determine what the truth is about that issue. Feel free to add other verses to derive your answer. Ask Jesus to help you understand the truth so you can be set free from error and provide answers to each particular question when asked by someone else.

12. Issue #1: Where can I find meaning & purpose in life?

Error in thinking: Find it through people, places and things.

  • Effects of that thinking on a person’s life:
  • Read Ecclesiastes 2:1-11; Matthew 4:4; and John 17:3. Where do you find meaning and purpose in life?

Think About It: “…you have made us and drawn us to yourself, and our heart is unquiet until it rests in you.” (Augustine of Hippo, The Confessions)

13. Issue #2: Are there objective standards of right and wrong?

Error in thinking: Right and wrong are relative; there are no absolutes.

  • Effects of that thinking on a person’s life:
  • Read Galatians 5:16-23. Are there objective standards of right and wrong?

14. Issue #3: What is the source of human evil?

Error in thinking: It is the fault of others, or of circumstances.

  • Effects of that thinking on a person’s life:
  • Read Mark 7:17-23 and Jeremiah 17:9. What is the source of human evil?

15. Issue #4: What if I choose to do wrong anyway?

Error in thinking: I can do what I want without consequences.

  • Effects of that thinking on a person’s life:
  • Read Galatians 6:7-8. What if you choose to do wrong anyway?

16. Issue #5: Where can I find success and security?

Error in thinking: Find security in money and position. Seek success at any price.

  • Effects of that thinking on a person’s life:
  • Read Matthew 6:31-33 and 1 Timothy 6:6-10. Where can you find success and security?

17. Issue #6: How can I become a person of influence?

Error in thinking: Climb the ladder upward over people and circumstances.

  • Effects of that thinking on a person’s life:
  • Read Matthew 20:25-28 and Acts 20:32-35. How can you become a person of influence and power?

18. Graceful Living:

  • Challenge yourself to put 2 Corinthians 10:5 into practice this next week. Start each day by meditating on this verse. Then, ask God to reveal to you areas of your thought life that need to be “taken captive” and held up to the truth of the Word of Christ. Record what you discover.
  • Optional: You can probably think of many other issues affecting you and other women. Write them down and find verses to support the truth. Prepare an answer for each one of them.

Day Four Study

Surrender is a process—seek him, sit with him, surrender to him

In our society, we have so many options to obtain “knowledge” about how to live life—the education system, internet, television, movies, and books galore. Add to that whatever goes “viral”! Facebook posts, Pinterest boards, and other social media outlets grab our attention. Everyone expresses her own opinion about the latest issue of life, and society says all opinions are equally valuable. From the last section, you realized that thinking not based on scriptural truth can lead to some disastrous results.

Think About It: “Jesus asked the rich young ruler to surrender his fortune in order to know true riches (Mark 10:21). He asked the young boy to surrender his meager lunch so that thousands could feast (John 6:5-13). He asked the disciples to surrender their plans, their dreams, their very lives, to follow him (Matthew 4:18-22, Luke 5:1-22). And He asks us to surrender our rights, our reputation, our possessions, and our security. He wants our dreams and desires, our losses and our loves. Why? Because He knows that what He offers is better by far than anything we are holding onto. He knows that surrendering everything we have and everything we are to him yields joy, purpose and peace that we cannot possess any other way He knows that when we put our pain, loss and regret into his loving hands we will finally begin to experience the healing and the hope we long for.” (Woven, The Truth about Redemption Next Step, “Redeeming Hope: Your journey Toward Surrender”)

To grow spiritually, you must pursue your relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Remember, Christianity is Christ! You make the decision to not only be a believer but also Jesus’ disciple—someone who follows him, learns from him, and leads others to do the same. Choosing to become Jesus’ disciple means you choose to:

  • Listen to his speaking voice through the Word. Hebrews 4:12
  • Speak back to him from the heart in prayer. 1 Thessalonians 5:17
  • Maximize input of God’s Word into your mind. 2 Timothy 3:14-17
  • Put truth into practice through obedience by faith. James 1:22-25
  • Pursue relationships with other believers and disciples in the body of Christ. Acts 2:42-47
  • Exercise your faith through serving others in Christ’s name. Philippians 2
  • Share your faith with nonbelievers and be willing to disciple new believers. 2 Timothy 2:2

19. Graceful Living: Are you willing to respond to the call of God’s grace in your life to be more than just a believer but to become a true disciple of Jesus, learning from him and preparing yourself to lead others as well? Looking at the list above, what can you choose to do this week to become more of Jesus’ disciple?

Think About It: Purposely creating the time and space in our lives to sit with God allows him to nurture who we are, not necessarily instruct us in what to do.

Related Topics: Basics for Christians, Bibliology (The Written Word), Discipleship, Spiritual Life

11. Become a Grace-Giver

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“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe in him, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13)

Jesus Christ gave his life for you by grace, so he could give his life to you by grace, so he could live his life through you by grace. Knowing Christ’s love for you and the presence of his life in you should motivate you to “live for him” (2 Corinthians 5:14-15; Galatians 2:20) and to serve him through serving others (John 13:1-15; Galatians 5:13-14; Philippians 2:1-4). Both are responses to God’s grace in your life. So is letting his life in you overflow to others around you, particularly those who need to know Christ.

Think About It: “Often we embrace grace, and then live according to works. If we choose to celebrate His grace and ALL of its implications as part of our daily worship, we become people who experience incredible joy and freedom that we LONG to give away!” (Judy Brower, The Disciplemaking Ministry Guide for Women in Leadership, “Navigate the Disciplemaking Pathway: Establish,” page 30)

Day One Study

Jesus Christ Calls Believers to Join in His Work.

1. Read Matthew 9:36-38. How does Jesus feel about the crowds? What does he declare to his disciples?

The evidences of human distress are everywhere around us. Women are in bondage to guilt, fear, destructive behavior, and fatigue due to the burden of responsibilities. Add to that erroneous views of God that leave them feeling empty, confused, and without meaning and purpose. Failure in relationships leaves women with a sense of rejection, worthlessness and extreme loneliness. Jesus Christ’s plan to meet that need for every woman is…himself. And, he communicated this plan to his disciples in “the Great Commission.”

2. Read Matthew 28:18-20. Discuss what Jesus is actually commissioning his followers to do.

The Great Commission has one single focus: “Make disciples. Jesus Christ chooses to accomplish the Great Commission through people—ordinary men and women like you and I as we are “going” about life sharing Christ by word and action to those around us, baptizing new believers as a symbolic proclamation of their new life inside, and teaching them who Christ is, what he accomplished on the cross for them, and how they can live out their new identity in him.

Historical Insight: MEN WERE HIS METHOD.... It all started with Jesus calling a few men to follow him. This revealed immediately the direction his evangelistic strategy would take. His concern was not with programs to reach the multitudes, but with men whom the multitudes would follow...what is more revealing about these men is that at first they do not impress us as being key men...Yet Jesus saw in these simple men the potential of leadership in the Kingdom. They were indeed ‘unlearned and ignorant’ according to the world’s standard, but they were teachable...What is perhaps most significant about them was their sincere yearning for God and the realities of his life...Such men, pliable in the hands of the Master, could be molded into a new imageJesus can use anyone who wants to be used. (Robert E. Coleman, The Master Plan of Evangelism)

Jesus chooses to have his followers tell his story—what he did for them and through them. You have a story to share. Through sharing your story, you become a grace-giver to those who listen.

Writing Your Faith Story

Focus on the Meaning: “People love to hear stories. This is evidenced by all the money that is spent watching movies, attending the theatre, buying books and by all the time that is spent watching the television. Telling your faith story is just that: your personal story about your faith. It’s an unobtrusive way to speak about the love of God in your life and the love he has for all people…Your life and story is the best tract to be written!” (The Disciplemaking Ministry Guide for Women in Leadership, “How to Share Your Faith,” page 21)

You are a “living letter of Christ” (2 Corinthians 3:1-3). Your story illustrates the power of Christ in your life. Your story allows you to become a grace-giver as our Lord extended his grace to you.

There are two ways to look at writing your faith story. Some may recall a dramatic event or specific point in time when they began a personal relationship with Jesus. Others may have grown up in the church and always knew who God was and their need for Jesus in their life as Savior. Yet, even they must make the decision to be Jesus’ disciple at some point in their teen years or adult life—a childlike faith that becomes an adult faith. Depending on how your story begins, choose one of these two ways to write your story.

3. Graceful Living: Begin working on your faith story using one of the two options given on the following “My Faith Story Worksheet.” Use the prompts to get you started. Just start writing. After you have collected information for your story, choose the highlights to make a “Five-Minute Faith Story” that you can easily share at a moment’s notice when Jesus gives you opportunity. The goal is to briefly share one “slice of life” you can use to give evidence of the working of Christ in your life.

As you tell your story, look for the one big idea you want everyone to walk away remembering. This is your main idea—kind of like a theme. “Jesus satisfied my loneliness” or “To live is knowing Christ in my life.”

— — — — —

My Faith Story Worksheet

Grace-Giving Option 1: Specific Turning Point Leading to Salvation

Before I trusted in Christ

Although the tendency is to spend most of the time on your “before Christ” experience, only give enough information so the women know why you needed Christ in your life. Tell them what you needed so that some may identify with you.

1. Identify what your life was like. What were your attitudes, needs, and/or problems? From what did you get your security or happiness? How did those areas begin to disappoint you? To what source did you look for security, peace of mind, or happiness? In what ways were your activities unsatisfying?

2. Find 2-3 words to describe what only Christ could fill or do in your life (e.g. loneliness, feelings of insignificance, anger, rejection).

3. Briefly share a personal example that captures the needs and attitudes from this time of your life as identified above.

How you came to know Christ (point of salvation)

Share when and how you first heard the gospel and/or were exposed to Christianity. What brought you to the place of being willing to listen? Who influenced you? How and when did you decide to follow Jesus? Describe how you felt, what truths you heard, what you thought about them, how you felt after you made the decision. Give the gospel in this section. Use 1 or 2 relevant scripture verses.

My life after knowing Jesus

1. Spend the most time on this. What conditions before Christ has been satisfied by a relationship with him? What does it look like in your life to have a relationship with Christ? How long did it take before you noticed changes? What are your blessings? Where do you struggle? How do you depend on him through those struggles? What difference does having him in your life make during those times? Emphasize what you have learned about God’s grace to you.

2. Briefly share a personal illustration that shows the wonderful difference that Christ has made in your life.

Wrap up by inviting them to trust in Christ as you did!

My Faith Story Worksheet

Grace-Giving Option 2: Believer to Christ-Follower (Disciple)

Those who trusted Christ as children often feel they “have nothing to tell” because they don’t have a dramatic story. Yet, in the case of childhood believers, there occurs a later, mature decision to follow Christ as his disciple where more obvious life changes occurred. If you are in this category, therefore, focus on that later turning point in telling your story. Although the tendency is to spend most of the time on your “before” experience, only give enough information so the women know why you needed Christ in your life. You want them to be able to identify with you.

Before I became Jesus’ disciple

1. Identify what your life was like as a young Christian or living as just a believer not a disciple. Share when and how you first heard the gospel and/or were exposed to Christianity. What were your attitudes, needs, and/or problems? From what did you get your security or happiness?

2. Briefly share a personal example that captures the needs and attitudes from this time of your life as identified above.

3. Although the tendency is to spend most of the time on your “before” experience, only give enough information so the women know why you needed to trust Christ more with your life.

What brought you to decide to become Jesus’ disciple

What brought you to the place of being willing to listen or of wanting to be more than just a believer? Who influenced you? How and when did you decide to be Jesus’ disciple? Describe how you felt, what truths you heard, what you thought about them, how you felt after you made the decision. Give the gospel in this section if you haven’t already done so in the previous section. Use 1 or 2 relevant scripture verses that God used to draw you to himself. Emphasize what you have learned about God’s grace to you.

My life after becoming Jesus’ disciple

1. Spend the most time on this. What conditions before this time has been satisfied by a deeper relationship with him? How long did it take before you noticed changes? What does it look like in your life to have this closer relationship with Christ? What are your blessings? Where do you struggle? How do you depend on him through those struggles? What difference does having him in your life make during those times? What remarkable thing has Jesus done in your life (or in the last three years)?

2. Briefly share a personal illustration that shows the wonderful difference that following Christ has made in your life.

Wrap up by inviting them to trust in Christ as you did!

— — — — —

4. Graceful Living: Write your five-minute faith story.

As you tell your story, what is the one big idea you want everyone to walk away remembering? This is your main idea—kind of like a theme. “Jesus satisfied my loneliness” or “To live is knowing Christ in my life.”

Whether you like to be spontaneous or need everything written down, it helps to script what you will say. It forces you to think through what you will say to maintain your main idea. It helps you to manage your allowed time.

Write it as you would speak it—shorter sentences, peppy words that are clear and simple. Use everyday terminology. For example, instead of saying “my testimony,” say “the story of my life.” Include specific illustrations that give them snapshots of your life, not only general descriptions of your life events. Practice saying your story several times. May eye contact with the listener to draw her into your story.

Write out your five-minute faith story in the space below. Remember only spend 30% of the time on your “before,” just enough to have them identify with your need at that time. Spend another 30% on the decision time, and spend the rest of the time on what knowing Christ has done for you. Always end with inviting them to join your adventure.

5. Graceful Living: Share your story often. After you have worked on it and are satisfied with it, write a condensed version (~365 words) to create your own “My Faith Story Tract” that you can carry with you. Print it out on one page and include your contact information on the bottom. Pray and watch for God to give you opportunity to share it. Courage and ability come as a result of the grace God gives through Christ. Jesus not only prayed for his disciples, he prayed for the disciples of his disciples (John 17:20). Live intentionally as a GRACE-GIVER to those whom God places in your path.

Related Topics: Discipleship, Evangelism, Grace

Lesson 6: The Responsibility of the Reconciled (Colossians 1:21-23)

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December 6, 2015

One of life’s unpleasant experiences is to be at odds with someone. It may be a falling out with someone in your family. Perhaps it’s a neighbor or someone at work. But whoever it is, it’s never pleasant. Conflicts always cause stress and anxiety.

On the other hand, one of life’s most pleasant experiences is to make peace with a former enemy. When the barrier that caused the hostility is removed, there’s a sense of joy and release. It’s wonderful when a former enemy becomes a friend.

Although many people don’t realize it, they’re at odds with the worst enemy imaginable: the living God! Our sin means that outside of Christ, we are enemies of God (Rom. 5:10). If we’re not reconciled to Him, we will face eternal judgment when we die. Alienation from God should cause far more anxiety than any human conflict! God’s enemies desperately need to be reconciled to Him.

That’s what Paul describes in our text. We were formerly God’s enemies, alienated from Him, engaged in hostile deeds against Him. But God, because of His great love, sacrificed His own Son on our behalf to change us from enemies to friends, from alienation to reconciliation. Being reconciled, we now have the responsibility to continue in the faith and to serve Him.

The Colossian church was in danger of being wrongly influenced by some false teachers. Paul’s corrective was to extol the person and work of Jesus Christ. As we saw in Colossians 1:15-20, Paul lifted up Jesus as the sovereign Creator of the universe, the head of His body the church, worthy of preeminence in everything. In verse 20 he says that Christ’s blood on the cross is the means by which God will reconcile all creation to Himself. This doesn’t mean that everyone will be saved, but rather that God will remove the curse on creation that was imposed because of man’s fall into sin.

Now Paul applies this reconciliation to the Colossians, reminding them of their former alienation from God (Col. 1:21) and of the great price which Christ paid to reconcile us to God (Col. 1:22). He adds that they are responsible to continue in the faith, not moved away by the false teachers (Col. 1:23). And he mentions himself as a servant of the gospel. He’s saying:

We who enjoy the blessings of reconciliation are responsible to continue in the faith of the true gospel.

If you think that you’re immune from the danger of being deceived by any of the false teachings of our day, you may not adequately appreciate either the craftiness of the enemy or your own weakness. As Paul says (1 Cor. 10:12), “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall.” I’ve seen pastors and missionaries get swept away with different errors, such as the “new perspective on Paul,” which undermines justification by faith alone; open theism, which denies God’s sovereignty and omniscience; the Insider Movement, which compromises the gospel in the course of trying to relate it to those in other religions; and, other errors. Many evangelicals have an unbiblical view of trials, as seen in the “health and wealth” heresy, resulting in their inability to persevere when suffering hits. Paul’s instruction here is given to help us stay faithful when confronted with such false teaching.

1. The blessings of reconciliation: We who were alienated from God are now reconciled through Christ’s death (Col. 1:21-22).

First, Paul reminds us of where we were when God intervened in our lives:

A. We all were alienated from God because of our sin.

Colossians 1:21: “… you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds.” You may be thinking, “Now wait a minute! Paul is talking to these pagan Colossians. They may have been like that. But I’ve never been hostile toward God. I was raised in a Christian home. I accepted Christ as a child. I never was alienated from Him.” Or, perhaps you came to Christ when you were older, but you still would say that you were never hostile toward God. You’ve never been an atheist. You’d say that words like “alienated,” “hostile,” and “evil deeds” don’t describe your past!

But in faithfulness to the Scriptures, I must say that if you feel that those words are too harsh, you haven’t yet come to know your own heart in the sight of God. I was only three years old when I “asked Jesus to come into my heart.” I attended church and Sunday school virtually every Sunday of my childhood. But the longer I’m a Christian, the more I’m appalled by the depths of my own sinfulness. Part of that sinfulness is the pride which inclines me to say, “I’ve got my faults, but I’m not a bad sinner!”

Our alienation from God was due to two things. On God’s part, He is completely holy and has a settled wrath against all sin. On my part, I have within me an inborn selfishness and pride which causes me to ignore the God who created me and to pursue my own ways. Thus there is alienation because God in His holiness cannot have fellowship with me in my sin. He cannot compromise His holiness and I cannot eradicate my sin.

Also, note that sin begins in the mind and works its way outward. We were “hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds.” The NIV translation is inaccurate because it makes it sound as if our evil deeds are the cause of our hostile minds. But the reverse is true. We are hostile toward God in our thinking which results in disobedient actions. Jesus taught that all sin begins within, in our hearts (Mark 7:20-23).

Thus dealing with my sin is not just a matter of cleaning up my behavior, but of changing my heart. In Romans 8:7-8, Paul writes that “the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so; and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” In our natural state we are incapable of pleasing God. We may be able to clean up the outside, but we are not able to clean up our hearts. You can put a tuxedo on a pig, but its pig nature makes it still want to wallow in the mud. And the most difficult heart problem to eradicate is the pride that says, “I’m a basically good person. God will accept me because of my good deeds.”

But the good news is that every New Testament passage dealing with this great doctrine of reconciliation emphasizes that God took the initiative in reconciling sinful people to Himself. It’s not dependent on our efforts to get right with God, but on His action centered on the sacrifice of His Son.

B. God reconciled us through Christ’s death.

Note that God takes the initiative (Col. 1:22): “Yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death.” In Romans 5:10-11, Paul puts it: “For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.”

At this point, someone may be thinking, “What’s the big deal about sin separating us from God? Even humans are able to forgive others who wrong them. Why can’t God just let bygones be bygones? Why did Christ need to die for our sins? Besides, my sins aren’t that bad. I’ve never killed anybody. I’m faithful to my wife. I work to support my family. I’m not a bad person. And I don’t have anything against God. Why does God require the radical solution that Christ had to die for my sins?”

If you can relate to those thoughts, then you don’t sufficiently understand who God is or how great your sin is in His sight. Perhaps you’ve been wrongly influenced by our tolerant culture. We live in a time when tolerance of everyone, including their gross sins, is seen as a great virtue. We pull God down by making Him a benign, tolerant grandfather; and we lift ourselves up by thinking, “Compared to those awful terrorists, I’m a pretty good person!” Even as Christians, we’re somewhat embarrassed by the idea of God’s wrath against sin. Over 100 years ago, R. W. Dale (The Atonement [Congregational Union], pp. 338-339) observed, “It is partly because sin does not provoke our own wrath, that we do not believe that sin provokes the wrath of God.”

But if God were tolerant of sin He would not be God. If He denied His absolute holiness by winking at sin, He would be compromising His justice, which rightly demands that the penalty for sin be paid. For example, if a man murdered your mother and the judge came off the bench and gave him a hug and said, “I love you, man! Try not to do that again,” you’d rightly be outraged because justice was not served. While God is love, His love never compromises His holiness and justice.

So the question is, “How can God be both holy and loving?” How can He uphold perfect justice and yet extend reconciling mercy to sinners? The answer is, through the substitutionary death of Jesus Christ on the cross. God sent His eternal Son into the world to take on human flesh and to live a sinless life so that He could pay the just penalty that we deserved for our sins.

Paul here is probably combatting the Colossian error, which taught that Jesus was not truly human. He uses the somewhat redundant phrase, “the body of His flesh through death” to show that Jesus’ death was a real, physical death. Hebrews 9:22 states that “without shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness” of sins. Being God in human flesh, Jesus’ death satisfied God’s just wrath by paying the penalty for all who have faith in Jesus. As Paul states in another great passage on reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:21), “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” God took our sin and put it on Christ who was without sin. Then He took Christ’s perfect righteousness and put it on us. Thus He is both “just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus” (Rom. 3:26). So the basis of reconciliation is judicial: Jesus paid the just penalty of God’s wrath against our sin.

But reconciliation also is a relational word. It points to healing in personal relationships. As Paul states in the context of a great passage on reconciliation (Rom. 5:8), “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Through reconciliation, we now enjoy God’s love.

Perhaps one of the most beautiful pictures of reconciliation in the Bible is Jesus’ parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32). The young man rudely demands his portion of the inheritance before his father has even died. He goes off to a far country and squanders it all on loose living. But when he comes to his senses and returns home in the hopes that he can just serve as one of his father’s hired hands, his father sees him coming (he was looking for him!), feels compassion for him, runs to him, embraces him, kisses him, and welcomes him home with a party.

That’s the heavenly Father’s great love for every sinner who repents! Have you experienced it? In that same story, Jesus also illustrates the alienation from the father that self-righteousness causes. The older brother, who saw himself as loyal and obedient to his father, was angry because of his father’s mercy toward his rebellious brother. The truth is, the self-righteous son needed to be reconciled to his father just as much as his prodigal brother did, but his self-righteousness blinded him to his true need.

Back in the 18th century, Lady Huntingdon was a godly British noblewoman. She invited a number of her upper class friends to come hear the great evangelist, George Whitefield. She got this reply from the proud Duchess of Buckingham (Arnold Dallimore, George Whitefield [Cornerstone Books], 1:132):

It is monstrous to be told, that you have a heart as sinful as the common wretches that crawl on the earth. This is highly offensive and insulting; and I cannot but wonder that your Ladyship should relish any sentiments so much at variance with high rank and good breeding.

To be reconciled to God, you’ve first got to see that you’re alienated from Him, hostile in mind, and engaged in evil deeds. Even if outwardly you’re a relatively good person, your heart is just “as sinful as the common wretches that crawl on the earth”! And you’ve got to see that God provides everything necessary for your being reconciled to Him through the death of Jesus for your sins. But why does God reconcile us to Himself through Christ’s death?

C. God’s goal in reconciliation is to present us before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach.

Colossians 1:22b: “… in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach.” God’s aim is that on judgment day you will stand before Him perfectly righteous. As Jude 24 states, He is able “to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy.” It’s a rare thing to know someone whom you would describe as blameless and beyond reproach. But you’re only seeing part of their outward behavior. But to stand in the presence of the holy God who knows every hidden thought and motive we’ve ever had, and yet to be declared holy, blameless, and beyond reproach, sounds impossible! How can this be true?

It’s true because Paul and Jude are looking at the final result of our sanctification. There are three aspects of sanctification: First is positional sanctification. When we are reconciled to God through Christ’s death, He sets us apart to Himself. We are clothed with Christ’s perfect righteousness and seated with Him in heavenly places. Second is progressive sanctification. As we walk with Christ daily, putting to death the deeds of the flesh and growing in obedience, we become increasingly holy, blameless, and above reproach. This is never perfect in this life, but there will be progress. Finally, when we die or Christ returns (whichever happens first), our sin nature will be completely eradicated. This is perfect sanctification, because we will be like Jesus (1 John 3:2). That’s God’s ultimate aim in reconciling us to Himself through Christ.

So, does the fact that we will be perfectly sanctified mean that we can kick back and not worry about our sin? No! Paul shows …

2. The responsibility of the reconciled: To continue in the faith of the true gospel (Col. 1:23).

Colossians 1:23: “If indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister.” Paul mentions three aspects of our responsibility as reconciled people:

A. Continuing in the faith means being grounded and steadily growing in the hope of the gospel.

When Paul says, “If indeed you continue in the faith,” it could mean, “your personal faith,” but in light of the Colossian heresy, I think he means “the faith.” By saying “if you continue,” he is not expressing doubt, but he is giving a warning. Paul was confident that these new believers would not be carried away by these false teachers and that they would go on with Christ. As he wrote (Phil. 1:6), “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” And yet at the same time, the test of genuine faith is that it perseveres by holding to the gospel. And so there is an implicit warning in “if” that says, “It’s your responsibility to remain in the faith.”

Often the Bible puts God’s sovereignty and our responsibility in the same verse or context. God’s sovereignty gives us comfort that since He saved us, He will keep us. But that’s never an invitation to kick back and cruise. We can trust that God will finally bring us to glory, but He does that through our obedient perseverance in the faith. Both are true and we’re out of balance if we let go of either one.

Here, our responsibility is to be “firmly established and steadfast, not moved away from the hope of the gospel.” As you know, if you’re going to build anything of lasting substance, the foundation is critical. You can throw up a chicken coop without much of a foundation, but to build a house or an office building, you’ve got to lay a solid foundation. The foundation for the Christian faith is the gospel of Jesus Christ. Are you clear on the gospel? If I asked you to turn to your neighbor and explain it in 60 seconds, could you do it? Can you support it with specific Scriptures?

Beyond that, you’ve got to lay the foundation of a basic understanding of the Bible and its core teachings. The enemy always has attacked the basic truths about the trinity, the person and work of Christ, the inerrancy of Scripture, salvation by grace through faith alone, the hope of Christ’s second coming, the need for holiness, and other key truths. Legalism is a constant threat (Col. 2:20-23). If you’re not grounded and steadily growing in biblical truth, you’ll get blown around by every wind of false doctrine that comes along (Eph. 4:11-16). If you’ve never done it, get an ESV Study Bible and set up a plan to read through it in the New Year.

B. Continuing in the faith means holding to the true gospel, especially in the face of false teaching.

Probably the most prevalent topic in the New Testament is warnings against false teaching. And almost all false teaching attacks the essentials of the gospel. That’s why you need to be grounded in basic Bible doctrine. The Bible is clear that genuine faith in Christ perseveres and does not fall away (Matt. 13:19-23). Jesus warned (Matt. 24:11-12) that in the end times, many false prophets would arise and lead many astray and that most people’s love would grow cold. Then He added (Matt. 24:13), “But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.” Perseverance in the gospel is the test of genuine faith (see, also, 1 John 2:19).

C. Continuing in the faith means proclaiming the apostolic gospel to all people.

Paul adds concerning the gospel (Col. 1:23b), “which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister.” Paul is probably exaggerating to make his point, which is, “The one true gospel is spreading everywhere and it’s the same gospel that Epaphras preached to you and that I preach everywhere I go.” The one true gospel has universal appeal. Although we need to be sensitive and wise in how we communicate the gospel to different cultures, we don’t have to modify it or tone it down. The message of the cross will always be foolishness to some and offensive to others, but to those who believe, it is the power of God for salvation (Rom. 1:16; 1 Cor. 1:18).

“Minister” is not a stained glass word referring to a special class of ordained clergy. It simply means “servant.” If you have believed in the gospel, you’re a servant of the gospel. Obedience is not optional for servants (1 Cor. 9:16-23). If you know Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord, you are His ambassador to this lost world (2 Cor. 5:20). See the world around you as your mission field and pray for wisdom to take advantage of every opportunity (Col. 4:5).

Conclusion

There are different ways to apply this message, depending on your situation. If you’ve never been reconciled to God by trusting in Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, that is your urgent need! Don’t delay, because as Thomas Fuller said, “You cannot repent too soon, because you do not know how soon it may be too late” (cited by C. H. Spurgeon, The Treasury of David [Baker], 4:328).

If you’re not grounded in the faith, your assignment is to lay out a plan and get started. Read through the Bible this year. Work through the church doctrinal statement, looking up all the verses. Get John Piper’s Baptist Catechism, read it through, and study it. If you can’t explain the gospel, get some training, pray for opportunities, and do it! We who enjoy the blessings of reconciliation are responsible to continue in the faith of the true gospel.

Application Questions

  1. Some popular Christian authors argue that we are not to view ourselves as sinners saved by grace, but only as saints who sin occasionally. Is this biblical? Why/why not?
  2. Practically, how do we grow in holiness, blamelessness, and being above reproach?
  3. Where is the biblical balance between “once saved, always saved,” and “he who endures to the end shall be saved”?
  4. In light of Col. 1:23, how would you counsel a person who formerly made a profession of faith, but now is not going on with the Lord?

Copyright, Steven J. Cole, 2015, All Rights Reserved.

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture Quotations are from the New American Standard Bible, Updated Edition © The Lockman Foundation

Related Topics: Christian Life

10. Ministry Women Identified by Service: Dorcas

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Time: 30-40 AD Early Days of the Church in Jerusalem and Israel

Background

Perhaps one of the most startling cultural changes as a result of Christ’s ministry was the change in the status of women. Prior to the New Covenant, women were seen as little more than chattel, with no legal rights to speak of except by virtue of marriage. With the introduction of the Church, the true “Body of Christ,” women were seen as founders of churches (Lydia), disciples of Christ (Mary Magdalene), and prophetesses (Philip's daughters). While the dominant culture still held a less than liberated view of women, it seems that in the early church, women were disciples and fellow saints who were held in high esteem by Christians.

Dorcas was one such woman. Though little is known of her background, the account of her restoration from death back to life in Acts is proof not only of Christ’s continuing ministry to women but also a lesson to us all of the impact one person’s life can have in the everyday “good deeds” we so often take for granted.

Joppa was on the southern border of the Palestinian region called the Plain of Sharon, the largest coastal plain of Palestine. Its rich red sandy soil, now under extensive irrigation, contains citrus groves and commercial farms. Five streams and countless underground springs water its surface. Set on a rock that rises about 125 feet above sea level and juts out into the Mediterranean, it had an excellent natural harbor. It was the main seaport of Judah, receiving cedar logs floated down from Lebanon to build the temples of both Solomon (~970 B.C.) and Zerubbabel (~500 B.C.). Under Roman rule, Joppa became part of Herod the Great's territory. Because the people of Joppa hated Herod the Great, he built Caesarea some 40 miles to the north, and Joppa declined in importance. The city of Joppa today is Jaffa, a suburb of Tel Aviv.

Day One Study

1. Read Luke 8:49-9:2. What did Jesus do when He entered the house? Who was present with Him in the room?

2. What other two incidents have we studied where Jesus restored someone from the dead (see Lesson 6 and Lesson 7)? Who was present with Him?

Jesus challenged His followers to become “fishers of people” (Mark 1:17). He spent His second and third year of ministry equipping them with the tools they needed to do this. Reading through the gospels, you will see Jesus preparing them to teach the gospel message, to have compassion on people and meet their needs, and to interact with different kinds of people—both the faithful and the skeptics. As Jesus traveled with His followers, He let them take part in his ministry to prepare them for their own work. They watched Him engage different kinds of people—locals, foreigners, preachers, prostitutes, poor, rich, distraught parents, and more. He sent them to take the gospel to nearby towns and practice what they learned.

3. In Luke 9:1-2, 6. Jesus commissions His 12 disciples to go and do (in pairs, according to Mark 6:7).

  • What authority were they given?
  • What were they tasked to do?
  • What did they experience?

4. Jesus sent them out again (Luke 10:1-2) along with many other followers to once again practice what they learned. Jesus has gone back to heaven. His disciples remain—equipped with the authority to both proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal. Read Acts 3:1-11. Describe what happens in this scene.

5. Remember that the purpose of miracles is to authenticate the messenger and the message being proclaimed as well as to show God’s compassion on His people. Read Acts 3:12-26. What happened after the beggar was healed? How did Peter take advantage of the opportunity given to him by the Holy Spirit to proclaim the truth about Jesus?

Think About It: “Evangelism is not about you involving Him in your outreach efforts. It is Him involving you in His…Only the Holy Spirit can open the eyes of unbelievers to the truth of the gospel…It is the job of believers to communicate the gospel. It is the job of the Holy Spirit to convert the heart.” (David Souther, EvanTell)

6. Living Out His Love: Believers communicate the gospel in several ways. Two of the most powerful are through sharing the gospel message itself and through sharing one’s own faith story. People can reject the facts or logic of the gospel, but it’s very hard to argue with someone about their experience with knowing Christ. If you were given the opportunity by the Holy Spirit to share with a non-Christian about your relationship with Jesus, what would you say? Start now by sharing at least two ways that knowing Jesus has made a difference in your life, given you hope, restored something lost, etc.

Day Two Study

7. Read Acts 8:1-4. Describe what happened in the early church after the stoning of Stephen. How did God make something that looked “bad” work towards good from His perspective?

8. Jesus confronted Paul and gave him a new life’s direction. Paul responded with faith and embraced his new life. Read Acts 9:31. How did this affect the church? What could be the benefits of a “time of peace?”

9. Read Acts 9:32-35. Where was Lydda in relation to Jerusalem (see map in “New Testament Insights”)? What does this indicate about the spread of the Gospel?

10. Discuss how long Aeneas was bedridden, what Peter said to Aeneas and the outcome.

11. Living Out His Love: A man’s life was changed. Others saw it and turned to the Lord. They believed the message about Jesus Christ. Continue to work on your own faith story. Remember what your life was like before you trusted in Christ. Or, perhaps you trusted in Christ as a child so you don’t remember, but later you made the choice to follow Him with your life and experienced His love for you. What did you hear and feel when you heard the gospel message and believed? Or, when you made that choice to be His disciple? Think about how you would share that with another woman who doesn’t know Christ and hasn’t experienced His love for her yet. 

Day Three Study

12. Read Acts 9:36-40. Locate Joppa in relation to Lydda on the map (previous page). Assume news spread pretty quickly back then although maybe not quite as fast as it does today. What could the people in Joppa have known already about Peter?

13. Describe Dorcas, being sure to list her gifts as well as her circumstances.

14. Deeper Discoveries (optional): Why did Dorcas have “two” names (Dorcas and Tabitha)?

15. Reread Acts 9:37-39. Compare how the people of the church at Joppa felt about Dorcas and how they demonstrated their feelings.

16. How did Dorcas’ behavior reflect her faith and benefit those around her?

17. Compare Peter’s behavior towards Dorcas to Jesus' interaction with Jairus’ daughter. Discuss the similarities. Why do you think this is significant?

18. Living Out His Love: Part of your faith story is how you are living it out on a daily basis. Read 1 Peter 4:8-11. What is the ultimate goal of serving in Jesus’ name? Dorcas was a woman who knew her gifts and used them to minister to the saints in Joppa—her “sphere of influence.” Reflect on one or both of the following:

  • Your influence on someone—Are you aware of your gifts and how to use them to serve others? Share an instance in your life when your serving in Jesus’ name made a difference for someone in your “sphere of influence.” Recall the situation, your own feelings, how knowing Jesus motivated you to serve, her response, etc.
  • Someone’s influence on you—Share an instance when someone else using her gifts of serving in Jesus’ name made a significant impact on you in your faith. Recall the situation, your own feelings, how knowing Jesus motivated her to serve, your response, etc.

Day Four Study

19. Read Acts 9:36-43. What effect did the restoration of Dorcas from death to life have on the people of Joppa?

20. Living Out His Love: A man’s life was changed. A woman’s life was restored. Others saw it and turned to the Lord. They believed the message about Jesus. Each had something they could easily tell with just a few words. EvanTell.org suggests that you can create your own faith story beginning with just 3 words. Here’s how:

  • Choose your first word to describe your life, feelings, situation, thoughts, etc. before you placed your faith in Christ. Consider one of these: Angry, Independent, Manipulative, Miserable, Hopeless, Empty, Addicted, Aimless, Restless, Striving, Confused, Insecure. For example, you might choose the word “confused.”
  • Choose your second word to describe how you came to place your faith in Christ. Consider one of these: Creation, Studied, Concert, Grew, Bible, Friend, Trouble, Observation, Evangelist, Spouse, Loved. For example, you might choose the word “awakened.”
  • Finally, choose your third word to describe your life, feelings, situation, thoughts, etc. now that you have placed your faith in Christ. Consider one of these: Approachable, Peaceful, Generous, Loving, Brave, Caring, Teacher, Mentor, Servant, Elder, Hopeful, Compassionate, Confident. For example, you might choose the word “assured.”

Once you have your three words, you’re ready to come up with one or two sentences for each word. Just a brief explanation of how each word relates to your story. Here’s an example:

“Although I believed in the existence of a God, and even knew the story of Jesus, I didn’t fully understand how it all fit together. I was confused about the nature and character of Jesus as God, and how He had provided a way for me to be reconciled to the very Creator of the universe!

Through a series of conversations with new Christian friends in college, as well as exposure to some Christian music with meaningful lyrics, I came to understand Jesus as Savior. I was awakened to the reality that Christ died for my sins and rose from the dead.

Now I am assured that through my trusting in Jesus Christ for salvation, I have an unbroken relationship with the very God who created the universe and everything in it. This relationship is for eternity and my life with Him will not end when my time on earth does.”

3 words + 1 or 2 sentences per word = 3–6 sentences to tell your story. How simple is that! Create yours and share it with some friends soon or in your small group next week.

*Adapted from ”Create Your Own 3 Word Testimony” at http://evantell.org/tools/article-detail/article/143/create-your-own-3-word-testimony

[Go to “My Faith Story Worksheet” to help you write a longer version of your faith story. Use the “Screen Your Language” ideas that follow to check for “churchy” words. Then, pare your story down to 5 minutes, get together with some friends and share it. Woohoo!]

Related Topics: Character Study, Love, Women

Introduction: Jesus, Lover of a Woman’s Soul

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The quest for fulfillment became the driving force behind women of the ‘80s and ‘90s. As women tuned into the highly mobile, high-tech society around them, they begin to turn their energies to new frontiers. To excel, to succeed, even to surpass the accomplishments of their male counterparts, has been the goal of many women who have challenged men’s domain. Now, however, as women examine who they have become, many are wondering where they really belong. It has become painfully clear that achievement and success have not delivered the payoff of personal fulfillment that women have sought. In the brief reflective spaces sandwiched between their frenzied commitments, women are now realizing that external accomplishments do not meet their deepest inner longings. So the search for fulfillment continues.

The desire to find continuity and meaning draws women toward the spiritual arena, where cults are flourishing. As believers, we know that only Jesus can fill the void in a woman’s life. What women desperately need today is exposure to vital Christianity.

All of us rub shoulders with a variety of women every day—women with whom we share a coffee or lunch break, mothers who trade off car-pooling children, neighbors, and friends. They all need to know the answers to these questions, “Who is Jesus Christ?” and “Why did He come?” They also need the answer to “How did He treat women?” and “How can women know Him today?”

To fully appreciate Jesus’ approach to women, we need to resist our impulse to approach Scripture from our twenty-first century cultural perspective. Our understanding of Scripture is more accurate if we step back in time—into the shoes of the women of the first century AD.

The Life of Women in Jesus’ Time

What was it like to be a woman living around the rim of the Mediterranean during Jesus’ time? How was a woman’s role defined by the cultural and religious constraints of that era? By examining the context in which Jesus presented His radical teaching, we begin to appreciate His extraordinary approach in relating to women.

Think back to that time when a man was commended because he killed his wife for appearing in public without her veil. A Roman woman’s rights were completely subject to her father’s power. If she married, then those rights, even the power of life and death, were transferred to her husband.

In both Greek and Roman cultures, women held a second-rate status. Their legal rights were practically non-existent. In fact, only a husband could petition for a divorce. In such a society, permissive polygamy was considered normal—for men. Needless to say, such a practice only further relegated women to an inferior position since they were treated like property, a mere commodity to indicate status or position.

Jewish women fared slightly better than their contemporaries in surrounding cultures. A married woman with children did hold a certain place of honor as a wife and mother, but even that position was tied to her ability to produce male children. It was an agricultural society. Fathers needed sons to help them work the land and lots of them.

There were three common sayings in those days:

1) Hail those whose children are boys; Woe unto those whose children are girls.

2) At the birth of a son, all are glad. But about a daughter, people mourn.

3) When a boy comes into the world, there is peace. And when it’s a girl, there comes nothing.

Those sound bizarre, even cruel, to our modern ears!

Because of a twisted interpretation of the Mosaic Law, the rabbinical leaders taught that women were uneducable. They were considered unreliable as courtroom witnesses. Women were even held responsible for the lustful temptations men suffered. A Jewish rabbi would not talk to his wife or daughter in public. There was even a group called the “Bruised and Bleeding Pharisees” because they would rather cover their eyes than look upon a woman in public. As a consequence they would bump into walls and houses. Notice the transfer—because women were the greatest source of their own personal sin (lust), the woman becomes evil. Rather than face the sin in their own hearts, they make women the scapegoat. That contributed, of course, to the cultural position of women.

But perhaps the plight of Jewish women could best be summarized by the prayer Jewish men daily prayed, “Thank You, God, that I am not a slave, a Gentile, or a woman.”

Enter the Lord Jesus Christ…

Into the midst of this culture, the Lord Jesus Christ entered—with a radically different value system from that of His culture in the way He regarded women. Thus as Jesus’ ministry unfolded, the average citizen of Israel began to witness an extraordinary approach to women, one that cut against the grain of commonly held practices.

  • He spoke to them publicly when a rabbi wouldn't even speak publicly to his wife. (Luke 8)
  • He let them travel with Him during His public ministry and support Him with their own money. (Luke 8)
  • He taught them openly and continually when the rabbis disdained doing so. (Luke 10)
  • He let them be the first witnesses to His resurrection. (John 20)
  • He allowed them to honor Him. (Luke 7; John 11)
  • He was sensitive and compassionate toward women; performed miracles for them. (Luke 8)
  • He never spoke condescendingly to women, never made derogatory jokes about women, never humiliated or exploited women.

And women who knew Him loved Him! And wanted to serve Him!

Jesus treated women as no man had ever treated them before. His warmth, personal attention, tenderness, sound teaching, and compassion toward women were revolutionary. And why shouldn’t He? He created us!

John 1:3 says, “All things were created by Him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created.”

In Col 1:16, we read, “for all things in heaven and on earth were created by Him – all things, whether visible or invisible, whether thrones or dominions, whether principalities or powers – all things were created through him and for him.”

In Gen 1:26a, “Then God said, ‘Let us make humankind in our image, after our likeness...’”

As Creator, He designed us with a mind to know God, emotions to love God, and a will to obey God. This holds true for women as well as for men. Our female minds need to be filled with the knowledge of Him so that our hearts may respond with great love for Him and our wills can choose to obey Him.

Jesus knows us backwards and forwards. He knows about our emotional nature, our need for security and significance, and even our hormones! He understands our need to nurture and to be loved—both from those humans closest to us and from our Creator God. And even though His culture neglected to give women the worth they deserved, He could do no less than show that He loves men and women equally. In fact, He openly demonstrated His love for each individual He met—both men and women—for whom He would ultimately die. We experience His love and are commissioned to live it out in our daily lives so others can experience His love through us.

Living Out His Love

Christianity is Christ! It is not a lifestyle or rules of conduct. Nor is it a society whose members were initiated by the sprinkling or covering of water. It is about Jesus Christ and our relationship with Him. We enter into that relationship by faith—faith in Him as the Son of God who lived a perfect life in a human body, died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins, and rose again from the dead with a new resurrection body so He could give us new life as well.

Jesus gives us a new life. The Apostle Paul described this “new life” relationship in Galatians 2:20,

“I have been crucified with Christ and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So the life I now live in the body, I live because of the faithfulness of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20)

A 20th century Bible teacher simply put it this way:

“He gave His life for you so He could give His life to you, so He could live His life through you.” (Ian Thomas, The Saving Life of Christ)

The moment we accept this call to new life, God “clothes us” with Christ (Galatians 3:27). This means that when God looks on us, He sees His own Son. We become totally loved and accepted in His sight. Have you ever known what it is like to be totally loved and accepted by someone? What a fantastic experience!

We are given a new identity—“in Christ” which comes with many new aspects of our relationship with God (complete forgiveness, peace, reconciliation with God, redemption from the power of sin in our lives, and a sure inheritance of eternal life that will never be taken away). Because of this new identity in Christ and Him living His life through us, we become the walking, talking, and visible representatives of an invisible God as we are following Jesus in our lives.

To follow Jesus means to make the choice to learn from Jesus through what is taught in the Bible and, in dependent obedience, apply those teachings to your life. Through obedience and humility, you see Jesus living His life through you, influencing those around you so they can experience His love as well.

Thankfully, Jesus does not leave us alone to work really hard to do what He’s asked us to do. He empowers us to fulfill our purpose. The power comes from God’s Spirit who comes to live inside us from the moment we trust in Christ for salvation.

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses…” (Acts 1:8)

“Now to him who by the power that is working within us is able to do far beyond all that we ask or think…” (Ephesians 3:20)

Our response is to live dependently on His power in our lives…by faith. We are simply to obey Him and trust His Spirit in us to work through us. And, being a little scared is a good thing because we will rely on Him more. Feel free to say, “Lord Jesus, I can’t do this on my own. I will trust you to do this in me and through me.” Then, watch what He does!

My heart’s desire is to encourage you through this study to have an authentic, loving relationship with Jesus Christ for yourself so that you are willing to share that experience with others around you. It’s going to be a great journey. And, I’m so glad to be walking beside you!

Related Topics: Love, Women

1. Outcast Women Identified by Lifestyle: A Samaritan Woman

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Time Period: Jesus’ First Year of Ministry, ~27 AD

Background: Life for Women

What was it like to be a woman living around the rim of the Mediterranean during Jesus' time? Imagine a time when a man was commended because he killed his wife for appearing in public without her veil; when a Roman woman's rights were completely subject to her father's power. If she married, then those rights, even the power of life and death, were transferred to her husband. Think of what it would have been like to bear and raise a son who would receive more esteem from his father and the rest of society than you would as his mother.

In both Greek and Roman cultures, women held a second-rate status. Their legal rights were practically nonexistent. In fact, only a husband could petition for a divorce. In such a society, permissive polygamy was considered normal—for men. The owning of multiple wives was an indication of wealth. Needless to say, such a practice only further relegated women to an inferior position since they were treated like property, a mere commodity to indicate status or position.

Jewish women fared only slightly better than their contemporaries in surrounding cultures.  A married woman with children did hold a certain place of honor as a wife and mother, but even that position was tied to her ability to produce male children. Because of a twisted interpretation of the Mosaic Law, the rabbinical leaders taught that women were uneducable. They were considered unreliable as courtroom witnesses. Women were even held responsible for the lustful temptations men suffered.

The Pharisees were known to regularly pray: "Thank You, God, that I am not a slave, a Gentile, or a woman." Yet, as the radical rabbi, Jesus treated women as no man had ever treated them before. His warmth, personal attention, tenderness, sound teaching, and compassion toward women were revolutionary. He openly demonstrated His love for each individual He met—both men and women—for whom He would ultimately die.

Day One Study

1. Read John 2:25; 3:1-22. Summarize what Jesus discussed with Nicodemus. 

Historical Insight: To go through Samaria “was the shortest route from Judea to Galilee but not the only way. The other route was through Perea, east of the Jordan River…In Jesus’ day, the Jews, because of their hatred for the Samaritans, normally took the eastern route in order to avoid Samaria.” (Walvoord and Zuck, The Bible Knowledge Commentary New Testament, pp. 284-285.)

2. Read John 4:1-6. In light of these verses and the Historical Insight above, why do you think Jesus traveled through Samaria (see map in “New Testament Insights”)?

3. Deeper Discoveries (optional): Use a commentary, Bible handbook, or study notes to answer this: Why was there such animosity between the Jews and the Samaritans? What were the social consequences of traveling through Samaria?

Historical Insight: “A Rabbinic law of AD 66 stated that Samaritan women were considered as continually menstruating and thus unclean. Therefore, a Jew who drank from a Samaritan woman’s vessel would become ceremonially unclean…The normal prejudices of the day prohibited public conversation between men and women, between Jews and Samaritans, and especially between strangers. A Jewish Rabbi would rather go thirsty than violate these proprieties.” (Walvoord and Zuck, The Bible Knowledge Commentary New Testament, p. 285.)

Day Two Study

4. Read John 4:7-26. Describe the Samaritan woman and her initial circumstances (what is revealed about her in this text).

5. How did Jesus begin a relationship with this woman?

Scriptural Insight: “Jesus being truly human, experienced thirst, weariness, pain, and hunger” as well as “all the attributes of Deity” (all-knowing and all-powerful).  (Walvoord and Zuck, The Bible Knowledge Commentary New Testament, page 285.)

6. To understand vv. 10-15, read Jeremiah 2:13; John 7:37-39 and 1 John 5:11-12, 20.

  • What does the phrase "living water" symbolize?
  • What does the word "drink" symbolize?
  • Therefore, what is Jesus saying to her?

7. Living Out His Love: What do you seek to satisfy your built-in spiritual thirst? If our God created us with a spiritual thirst for a relationship with Him (as the Bible declares), can a relationship with another human satisfy that thirst? Explain your answer.

Day Three Study

8. Read John 4:7-26. How and why does Jesus change the subject in verses 16-18? (What attribute of God is He displaying here? See John 2:25.)

9. How and why does the Samaritan woman change the subject in verses 19-26?

10. How does Jesus use her detour to enlighten her further? What specifically does Jesus declare about Himself?

From the Greek: The title “Christ” given to Jesus is from the Greek word christos, a translation of the Hebrew term “Messiah” meaning “anointed one.” The Old Testament prophets promised that the Messiah, as the anointed one of God, would come and do many wonderful things for God’s people, including restoring God’s Kingdom on earth. Christians are followers of Jesus, who is the Christ.

11. What similarities do you find between this conversation & Jesus' conversation w/ Nicodemus (Day One Study)?

Day Four Study

12. Read John 4:27-42. How did the Samaritan woman respond to Jesus and his invitation to her?

13. How did this woman’s new faith in Jesus impact her peers? What did they urge Jesus to do?

14. Read John 3:16-17; John 6:38,40 and John 14:9. Who did Jesus say He is and for what reason had He come?             

15. Living Out His Love: Have you not yet made the decision to believe that Jesus is who He says He is—God’s Son—and that by believing you have eternal life through trusting in Him? You can put your trust in Him today and experience His love for you right away. If you do this, tell someone. If you are still unsure, pray for Jesus to reveal Himself through the truth of His Word. Ask your group leader or another woman to meet with you and answer any questions you might have.

16. Living Out His Love: Have you already trusted in Jesus to be your Savior? Think about your story of following Jesus and answer the questions below that fit your experience.

  • If you trusted in Jesus as a teen or an adult…What was life like for you before knowing Jesus? What triggered your need for Jesus? What did God use to draw you to Him? That may be how God will use you to reach others.
  • If you trusted in Jesus as a child then drifted away from Him but later returned…What did God use to draw you back to Him? That may be how God will use you to reach others for Christ.
  • If you trusted in Jesus as a child and kept faithful to Him choosing while a teen or young adult to follow Him as a disciple…What kept you faithful? What did God use to keep you drawn to Himself?

17. Read John 4:39-42. What resulted from Jesus' conversation with this woman?

Think About It: Consider the disciples' behavior in this incident. Do you allow racial, cultural or religious barriers to keep you from sharing Jesus' love with other people? Consider what life is like for those around you who have not experienced His love yet. Ask Jesus to give you love for them and to help you understand what they are feeling and needing from Him. Stepping into their lives to build intentional friendships is a means of displaying Jesus’ love and compassion to them.

18. Living Out His Love: Where are those women in your life who have not experienced Jesus’ love yet? Where do you frequently see them? Start with where you are presently connected (school, gym, neighborhood, sports teams, your children’s friends, community activities). How can you make the most of your connection to build a relationship with at least one woman? This next week, trust in Jesus to lead you to begin an intentional relationship with her so you can share Jesus’ love with her.

Related Topics: Character Study, Love, Women

2. Outcast Women Identified By Lifestyle: An Immoral Woman

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Time: Jesus’ Second Year of Ministry, ~28 AD

Background

Hospitality in Jesus’ Time

After Jesus' encounter with the Samaritan woman, he continued teaching and performing many miracles and gained many followers. Consequently, his second year of ministry is known as the “Year of Popularity.” During this period, Jesus chose His 12 disciples and preached the Sermon on the Mount. He spent time traveling throughout Galilee and in the area of Capernaum. Located on the north shore of the Sea of Galilee, Capernaum was a sizable town in Jesus' day. Peter's house there became Jesus' base of operations during His extended ministry in Galilee. The inhabitants of Capernaum had many opportunities to see and hear Jesus.

Hospitality to guests was one of the most important social functions of the ancient East. A guest was highly honored even if he was a stranger passing by. Though there were inns in Jesus' day, most travelers looked for a home where they could spend the night. When a stranger appeared at or near someone's door close to evening, the head of the household almost always let him in and asked him to spend the night. If the homeowner refused to be hospitable, friends and neighbors could snub him. A host always kept in mind that someday he, too, might be a weary traveler looking for shelter and company.

Once inside, the wife or a servant brought water to wash the guest's feet, though the host might do it for a special guest. Since the roads were always dusty and most people walked, washing was an important step in making one's guest feel at home.

When a guest was in the house, a large meal was prepared. Often the guest would be served first, and the host waited until he was finished. Other customs included anointing the guest with oil, which they used as soap, or even providing clothing for the mealtime.

According to custom, a guest should stay no longer than three days in his host's home. While there, the host protected his guest. On leaving, the host was to escort his guest a short distance, sending him on his way.

Day One Study

1. Read Luke 7:18-35. Differentiate between how the general public viewed Jesus' ministry from how the Pharisees and teachers of the Law (lawyers) viewed it.

  • General Public—
  • Pharisees and Lawyers—

2. Jesus gives an illustration in vv. 31-35. What principle did he give in v. 35?

3. How did Jesus view the Pharisees and lawyers? See also Matthew 6:2,5; Matthew15:1-9,12-14 and Luke 11:42.

Historical Insight: The Pharisees were a religious society of ~6,000 men who strictly obeyed the law of God as interpreted by the scribes. This law consisted of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Old Testament) and the tradition of the elders (the oral law), containing hundreds of rules and prohibitions. The Pharisees thought that the oral law, the rules made up by the religious leaders, was equally inspired and was thus to be followed as much as God's Law. They were especially particular about keeping the laws of tithing and ritual purity. Since the Pharisees found that other Jews were not careful enough about keeping these laws, they placed limits on their contact with other Jews as well as with Gentiles (anyone who was not a Jew). Though originally standing against evil in society and in personal lives, by Jesus' day many had become narrow and petty, more concerned with rules than with God. They looked on sinful people as tainted and, therefore, to be avoided. They did not approve of a rabbi or any other important religious person mingling or eating with sinful people.

4. Living Out His Love: The New Testament teaches us as believers that we need to discern between good religious teachers/leaders who really care about “shepherding their flock” and the false ones who tear apart a flock of Christians as savage wolves do to sheep—usually through false teaching and selfish behavior. Who empowers us to discern? See 1 Corinthians 2:10-16 and Philippians 1:9-11. What does the Spirit give us as a basis of truth to be able to discern good influences from bad influences? Have you previously asked Jesus to help you discern influences in your life? What happened? If you need that discernment now, ask Jesus for it. This would be a great time to pray for your church leadership as well. 

Day Two Study

5. Read Luke 7:36-50. Remember that the Pharisees considered themselves to be Israel’s spiritual leaders (Nicodemus in Lesson One), the ones staying faithful to God’s law but also the ones to whom Jesus referred in the previous verses (Day One Study). For what reason(s) might the Pharisee have invited Jesus to have dinner with him?

Think About It: We should not overlook the fact that Jesus accepted an invitation to dinner from a Pharisee. He did not cut all the religious leaders off simply because most of them rejected Him. He dealt with people as individuals. He still does!

6. Describe the scene, including the woman and her actions.

Historical Insight: [The woman’s] presence was not unusual for “social custom allowed needy people to visit such meals and to partake of some of the leftovers. Moreover, it was not unusual for people to drop in when a rabbi was visiting. Luke gallantly omitted describing why the woman "was a sinner," though…she was a member of the social class called sinners, whom the Pharisees regarded as treating the law loosely.” (Dr. Constable’s Notes on Luke, p. 120)

7. Why do you think she was weeping, using her hair to wipe Jesus’ feet?

8. Deeper Discoveries (optional): What is the significance of the alabaster jar of perfume? Find out everything you can about the jar and its contents during Jesus’ time. Jewish women frequently wore such vials suspended from a cord around their necks. What might this jar of perfume have represented to the woman? What was she giving to Jesus?

Day Three Study

9. Read Luke 7:36-50 concentrating on Jesus' teachable moment with the Pharisee who invited Him (as well as others present). How did the Pharisee, in specific, view the woman?

10. How did Jesus view the woman?

11. Discuss the irony in vs. 39-40 about the Pharisee's thought and Jesus' response. Review John 2:25.

12. Summarize the actual parable told by Jesus to the Pharisee.

13. What is Jesus teaching through the parable?

Think About It: Your capacity to love is directly tied to your capacity to get how deeply you have been forgiven. Agree or disagree?

14. How does Jesus rebuke the Pharisee’s harsh attitude through the parable? What is He implying the Pharisee thinks about himself?

15. Living Out His Love: Christians who have been filling their time with church activities and surrounding themselves with church friends for years may develop a critical “stay away from me” attitude towards the nonbelievers around them. We may forget how much we have been forgiven, also. And, we tend to stay comfortable by insulating ourselves from worldly influences through staying away from worldly people, the same people who need to know Jesus’ love in their lives. Read John 17:15-20. Jesus sent us into the world, not to insulate ourselves from it but to impact it for Him. In what ways do you feel this tension in your life?

When befriending those who haven’t experienced the love of Jesus yet, ask Jesus to help you not act shocked or offended by their language or behavior. Expect them to behave like nonbelievers—salty language, immoral lifestyle, or bad relationships. Feel compassion for where they are. Remember, it’s not our job to “fix” them but to give them hope by pointing them to Jesus who can give them new life. With your group, talk through how to be unshockable. Think through gracious and inviting language of your own.

  • What not to do or say: What would not be considered gracious? What words, facial expressions, or body reactions would not be welcoming or inviting?
  • What to do or say: What would be gracious? What words, facial expressions, or body reactions would likely be welcoming or inviting?

Day Four Study

16. Reread Luke 7:36-50 concentrating on the results. Discuss Jesus' response to the woman in vs. 47-50. What does Jesus grant to her and why?

17. What was her greatest need before knowing Jesus? What did Jesus give her to meet that need?

Focus on the Meaning: The Greek word translated “forgiveness” means literally, “to send off or send away.” The result is “to separate the sin from the sinner” as described in Psalm 103:12 and Leviticus 16:20-22). Translated to what Jesus has done for us, forgiveness means, “Man's guilt has been transferred to a substitute (Jesus Christ) and taken away." Our problem before Christ came: Mankind is guilty before a holy God. God’s answer is to take away the guilt. What a gracious gift!

18. Did Jesus give her everything she needed to begin to make a life change? Explain your answer. See also 2 Peter 1:3.

Think About It: Jesus took notice of this “worthless” woman of the town, recognized her faith in Him, cleansed her of sin, and gave her new hope.

19. Living Out His Love: No matter what you've done and who on earth does not forgive you, Jesus does—through faith in Him! Dwell on the FACT that Jesus will cleanse your conscience from guilt. Will you take him at His word? If there is any past sin for which you are still feeling guilty, claim God’s complete forgiveness today. You can simply tell God,

"Thank You for forgiving me, thank You for cleansing me, thank You for redeeming my sin and turning something evil into something good. Thank You for being bigger than my sins, and being able to turn things around in ways I cannot imagine. With Jesus' help, I receive the assurance that You have forgiven me. Help my heart catch up with my head on this. Help me to see that You allowed me to go down that dark path into sin because You are able to redeem even the worst things we do." (Sue Bohlin, Probe Ministries, Sept. 2012)

Now, choose to believe you are forgiven and allow Jesus to cleanse your conscience from any residual guilt. Every time you think about it again, thank God for his amazing gift!

20. Living Out His Love: The best test of whether you have really learned anything or not is by explaining what you have learned to someone else. Review the definition of forgiveness. Then, write how you would explain forgiveness to someone who may not understand it but needs to know the complete forgiveness she has in Christ. Think in terms of someone from a particular age group or stage of life. For example, how would you explain “forgiveness” to a woman who has had an abortion in her past and is feeling awful about it? Or, consider someone you know who is wrestling with guilt over her part in a broken relationship. Explain forgiveness to her. 

As you reflect on this study, remember how much Jesus has forgiven you. We don’t just need a teacher but a Savior who comes in and does for us what we can’t do for ourselves. All of our debt before God is enormous, being incapable of ever being paid back. Look at people with a sense of equality in our need for God’s mercy. Have compassion on non-Christians. Get ideas from Tammy as she reached out to her immoral neighbor…

Tammy’s Story: Intentional Loving

This past fall I sat by my neighbor Michelle at all the high school football games. She lives with her boyfriend in my neighborhood and is a self-professing agnostic. We laughed and enjoyed each other’s company all fall, and our relationship developed. Many of the neighborhood women, including those who identify themselves as Christians, don't even want to be seen talking with her let alone going anywhere with her because of her living arrangements. My husband Tom and I have chosen a different relationship, enjoyed their company and growing friendship along the way. From the beginning, we began praying for them as a couple asking the Lord to reveal himself to them, not because of their living arrangements, but because neither knows Jesus. Rather than holding them at arms length, we have entered into the long slow pull of intentional, grace-filled friendship that seeks to do nothing more than extend the love of Christ to them, and where opportunity presents itself, speak the truth in love.

By spending time together, I have learned a lot about her life that has helped me understand our relationship better. She grew up in a non-religious family that rarely attended worship services. She had many faith questions as a youth that in her view went unanswered and were avoided by her Catechism teachers at a time in her life when she was open to spiritual things. As the years passed she landed on agnosticism, a belief in something, but not knowing what that something is, or whether that something can even be known. With no understanding of God, the revelation of himself and his precepts found in Scripture, she lacked an understanding that it was against God's standards of holiness to live with someone who is not her husband.

By the end of the football season, I was able to naturally extend an invitation to our Women's Ministry outreach event, a ladies tea where she sat with some of those same neighbors, and she and her boyfriend joined us for the Christmas Eve service and dinner afterwards. We had an amazing night together and it is clear God is moving in her life. As we hike together we talk about all kinds of things, including spiritual things.

We have had four other ladies who have started attending Hope Bible Fellowship Church with stories similar to Michelle’s story. In response, my husband Todd offered a class during the school day where they can safely explore the truth claims of the Christian faith. All but one of the ladies decided to attend, and one more lady from our neighborhood and an older, more spiritually mature woman in our church who is very loving and willing to also come along the ladies exploring a relationship to Christ.

After the first class Michelle, and went hiking together. I learned from her that my husband had asked her what drew her to the class privately. Although I know it is the Holy Spirit that is drawing her, she said, “Your wife's persistence.”

I contacted Michelle 7 different ways: 1) sitting by her at football games, 2) inviting her via Facebook, 3) texting her, 4) leaving a message on her phone, 5) dropping the book they would study by her house, 6) calling and reminding her the night before and 7) being available for hikes.

Sounds persistent, but she respected my perseverance and my excitement I had for her faith growing. Believe in breakthroughs for unbelievers! Pray creatively and courageously for unbelieving friends and neighbors. You never know who has an opportunity to speak truth as they begin to discover Jesus and His healing.  Follow through with a willingness to listen and share the freedom Christ has given you.

Related Topics: Character Study, Love, Women

3. Outcast Women Identified By Lifestyle: An Adulterous Woman

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Time: Jesus’ Third Year of Ministry, ~29 AD

Background: Religious "Leaders" in Jesus' Time

Although Jesus gained popularity among the masses during His second year of ministry, the disdain of the religious leaders steadily increased during that time. The Jews who desired to kill Jesus were the scribes, Pharisees, chief priests and the Sadducees, many of whom were part of the Sanhedrin, the highest legal and administrative body in the Jewish state in Roman times.

The scribes, also called lawyers or teachers of the Law, were an upper class group of learned Jews who thoroughly knew and, therefore, interpreted the Mosaic Law as affluent academics. Many of them taught in the local seminary in Jerusalem. According to the tradition of the scribes, there were "secrets" of interpretation that they did not share with the common people thinking that God intended to leave the mass of people ignorant of His reasons for requiring certain things under the Law. Therefore, they had a wrong concept of God and themselves.

The Sadducees came from the leading families (e.g., the priests, merchants and aristocrats). The high priests and most powerful members of the priesthood were mainly Sadducees. The Sadducees rejected the tradition of the elders and did not believe in the supernatural. They were willing to compromise with the political leaders of the country and tended to be more upper class as comfortable compromisers. It has been estimated that in Jerusalem alone there were more than 20,000 associated with the Sadducees. Pharisees, by contrast, were middle class and more religious than the Sadducees.

The Chief Priests usually came from the class of Sadducees. This group included all the temple officers, including the High Priest and the captain of the temple. All sat on the Sanhedrin, a religious governing body of 71 Jewish elders. They were elected, and then ordained by the laying on of hands. Their responsibilities included governing the Jewish community.

Day One Study

1. Read John 7:1-53. Describe how the religious leaders thought or felt about Jesus.

2. What did the religious leaders think of the crowds?

3. How did the crowd think or feel about Jesus?

Scriptural Insight: What was the purpose of miracles? Besides alleviating suffering, miracles were used by God to authenticate the message and the messenger. See John 7:31 and Acts 2:22.

4. How did the crowd think or feel about the Jewish leaders?

5. Why were the Pharisees and Chief Priests unsuccessful in their attempts to arrest Jesus?

6. How, if at all, did the hostility of these leaders affect Jesus in the way He taught or acted?

7. The religious leaders failed at giving hope to those who needed hope. They lost sight of a true “love for God” that would also include a love for people—all people. Read Matthew 22:34-40. This “greatest commandment” question was asked by a young lawyer (scribe). Relate Jesus’ answer with what motivated Him to continue building relationships with and teaching those who needed to know Him, regardless of the resistance?

8. Living Out His Love: Helping women to experience the love of Jesus is an intentional and relational process flowing from a love for God and love from God for people (Matthew 22:37-39). Define the two words: intentional and relational. What would it look like in your life to build an intentional relationship with a woman who needs to know how much Jesus loves her? Ask Jesus to give you His love for people that will lead you to be an intentional, relational disciplemaker.

Day Two Study

The earliest manuscripts didn't contain John 7:53-8:11, the passage we are studying in this lesson. However, reference to this passage can be traced back to ~ AD 100. So, most scholars conclude that this passage represents a genuine episode in Jesus' ministry, preserved for inspiration and instruction.

There was much controversy and conflicting opinions in Judea at this time concerning Jesus' identity. The Feast of the Tabernacles, or Festival of Booths, was the most popular feast of the year in which the people made booths for themselves out of tree branches and celebrated the completion of harvest and God's goodness to His people during the desert wanderings. After the Feast of the Tabernacles, the Jewish leaders attempt to ruin Jesus using an adulterous woman as "Bait for the Trap."

9. Read John 8:1-11. Describe the woman and her circumstances.

10. What were the religious leaders seeking to accomplish by exposing her?

11. Which one person is conspicuously absent? See Deuteronomy 19:15, 22:23,24 and Leviticus 20:10.

12. The religious leaders asked a question “Now what do you have to say?” In light of what you read in John 7 about the fickleness of the crowds, what do you think they wanted to happen?

13. How did Jesus answer their question?

Scriptural Insight: Many have tried to guess what Jesus wrote on the ground. Some suggest He wrote the sins of the accusers. Others propose that He wrote the words of Exodus 23:1, “Do not [be] a malicious witness.” Still others say He simply traced His finger in the dust while preparing to respond.” His words spoken to the crowd are what really count. (Walvoord and Zuck, The Bible Knowledge Commentary New Testament, p. 347)

14. Discuss the response of those who heard Jesus' words. What did they recognize about themselves?

15. Read John 8:7 and 2 Corinthians 5:21. Who was the only person qualified to stone her?

Day Three Study

16. Reread John 8:1-11. Remember the woman. What might have been going through her mind as she was standing there before Jesus and the crowd?

17. What kept her there standing before Him? Explain your answer.

18. What qualities does Jesus display toward the woman and toward her behavior?

19. Why was Jesus able to forgive her instead of condemning her? See also Matthew 20:28, John 3:16-17, Mark 2:5-12, and Luke 5:31.

20. Living Out His Love: Read 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8. The Bible clearly teaches that immorality is not pleasing to God. We are instructed to "flee/avoid immorality." Are you currently in immoral behavior—an affair, pornography, living with someone who is not your husband? What choices do you need to make in order to flee from immorality or "leave your life of sin"? Are you confident that your heavenly Father has given you everything you need in order to do this? Ask your group to pray for you and give you help as needed to start a new way of life. [For additional help, see the “Greener-Grass Syndrome” at the end of this lesson.]              

Day Four Study

21. Read Matthew 7:1-5, Romans 2:1-11 and Romans 14:1. What does God say to us concerning judging others? (More references: Luke 6:35-42; Luke 17:3-4; 1 Corinthians 4:3-5 and James 4:11-12.)

22. After Jesus forgave her, what are His instructions to her and what does that mean? See also Hebrews 4:15-16.

23. Living Out His Love: The snapshots in the gospels of the three women we have studied in the first 3 lessons clearly illustrate the distinction that Jesus makes between the sin and the sinner. He dealt with the sin in their lives while showing His love and concern for the women. In our study, we have contrasted His attitude toward the women with that of the Pharisees and other "religious" leaders. Do you have a hard time making this distinction when dealing with immoral friends or family members? For what can you specifically ask your heavenly Father to give to you that would help you to love them with Jesus’ love?

Greener-Grass Syndrome

by Kimberlee Hertzer

“We were just platonic friends when he added me as a friend on Facebook. A month later, I decided to leave my husband and children for him. After all, I was so unhappy in my marriage. Shouldn’t I be with someone who makes me happy?”

Sound familiar? If not, it will, as more and more Christian married women turn to other men to meet their needs. The “Greener-Grass Syndrome” has been around as long as green grass, but with the popularity of social media, the temptation and ease of grazing in someone else’s yard is greater now than ever.

Are you struggling with the “Greener-Grass Syndrome” or know someone who is? If you’re having an emotional or physical affair, here are four crucial questions that you need to ask, along with some practical advice for how to get back into your own yard.

What Caused the Affair?

If you’re like most women, you were probably drawn into the affair because of an unmet emotional need from your childhood or marriage. Maybe you were sexually abused as a child by a close family member and struggle with being able to trust. Perhaps you’re married to a good man, but you somehow feel disconnected and your needs aren’t being met. Or maybe you feel lonely and unappreciated, because your husband is too busy leading mission trips to concentrate on your marriage.

No one understood what it was like to have unmet needs in a relationship more than the Samaritan woman. Christ reached out to her with compassion and grace, in spite of her having a string of unfulfilled relationships. He gave her an invitation to find intimacy through a relationship with Him when He said, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:13–14 NIV).

After five husbands and who knows how many lovers, this woman finally met the Man who could fill the void in her life. If Christ was able to meet the needs of the Samaritan woman, why can’t He meet yours?

When Did the Affair Start?

Likely, your affair started like most affairs do—with a harmless friendship. Perhaps after a while, you started meeting for coffee regularly and texting throughout the day. Slowly, you let your guard down and began to fantasize about him. In Proverbs 4:23 we’re taught, “Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life” (NLT). But you didn’t guard your heart. You let your boundaries down completely, which led to a full-blown physical affair. For the first few months, it was romantic and exciting, but now, maybe after a year or two, the same old feelings of discontentment and emptiness have returned.

You may also feel stuck—unhappy in your marriage and unhappy in your affair. What should you do? Well, you should end the affair. But how?

How Do You End the Affair?

It’s crucial that you write a letter to the other man, dissolving your relationship and ending all communication with him. You must also get a new cell phone number and e-mail address so that you cannot receive any messages and be tempted to respond. If you work with him, you should consider quitting and changing jobs. And if he goes to your church, you’ll need to switch churches.

These measures might seem extreme, but it’s important for you to take severe steps to prevent you from falling back into a relationship with this man, as well as to protect you from an affair happening again in the future. We are reminded in Matthew 5:30, “And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away” (NIV). Obviously, Jesus wasn’t endorsing self-mutilation but rather making a dramatic point in a dramatic way: do whatever it takes to keep yourself free from the sins of lust and adultery.

How Do You Rebuild Your Marriage?

First, you must seek counsel from your pastor or a trained Christian counselor whom you and your husband can meet with weekly. Second, you’ll need to confess your sin to the Lord and to your husband. It’s often helpful if this is done in the context of meeting with your pastor or counselor. James 5:16 tells us to “confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective” (NIV). Third, you and your husband need to know how and why the affair happened, as well as place firm boundaries in your marriage to prevent it from happening again.

If you’re struggling with the “Greener-Grass Syndrome,” remember that only the Lord can meet all of your needs for intimacy. I pray that the Lord will reveal to you that the grass really isn’t greener on the other side and that He will give you a desire to cultivate your own marriage.

*Source of this article is online at: http://www.insight.org/resources/articles/women/greener-grass-syndrome.html.

Related Topics: Character Study, Love, Women

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