August 4, 2024
Discipleship Essentials
Week 2 – “God in Us”
Service Overview: All people have been broken because of sin, and all are in need of a savior. God provided the only Savior in Jesus, and calls all people to place their trust in him. When we do that, God begins a process where he then helps us grow to become more like Jesus.
Memory Verse for the Week:
“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12 (NIV)
Pre-Message Insights:
- [God saved us] without breaking the law of justice or canceling its demands. What He did in love was to satisfy its demands. The demands of justice were not ignored or canceled. They were fully satisfied. And the only way that God could do that was by having His spotless Son take the punishment that was due to us. What we see here is an amazing love. He did for us what we could not do for ourselves. We call this grace, the result of which is salvation. (Ajith Fernando, The Supremacy of Christ, 143)
- Our adoption as sons of God…comes through union with Christ and cannot be experienced apart from it. In Christ, and in Him alone, we receive the adoption that gives us an undeserved share in the promises that were made to Him and the privileges that He has earned as God’s Son (Gal. 3:29). Indeed, the reason that Christ came to this earth was so that He might give us adoption as God’s sons (Gal. 4:5). (Iain Duguid, The Family of God, Tabletalk, March 2007, 10)
- Sanctification is a work of the Triune God, but is ascribed more particularly to the Holy Spirit in Scripture… Though man is privileged to cooperate with the Spirit of God, he can do this only in virtue of the strength which the Spirit imparts to him from day to day. The spiritual development of man is not a human achievement but a work of divine grace. Man deserves no credit whatsoever for that which he contributes to it instrumentally. (Louis Berkhof, Systematic Theology, 595)
- Adam and Eve were created in God’s image, after His likeness. But in Adam’s sin, the human race was given over to corruption (Rom. 5:12-21). We are still image-bearers (Gen. 9:6; James 3:9), but the image has been distorted (Gen. 6:5; Eccles. 7:29). The goal of sanctification is the renewal of this image. The holy person is being renewed in knowledge after the image of the Creator (Col. 3:10), which means growing in righteousness and holiness (Eph. 4:24). This does not happen all at once, but rather, we are transformed into the image of God one degree of glory to another (2 Cor. 3:18). God is holy, so most basically being holy means being like God. This is why it’s so critical that Christians know the character and work of the one they worship. If you want to know what holiness looks like, look at God. (Gen. 1:26) (Kevin DeYoung, The Hole in Our Holiness, 38)
What’s so beautiful about God’s work in us personally when it comes to our discipleship journey?
- How it begins as we are awakened to our sin and need for a Savior.
(Psalm 37:39; Isaiah 59:2; John 3:3; 3:16-17; 3:36; 14:6; Acts 2:38; 4:12; Romans 3:23; 6:23-24; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 John 1:8-10; 1 Peter 2:24)
Sanctification is simply the marvelous expression of the forgiveness of sins in a human life, but the thing that awakens the deepest well of gratitude in a human being is that God has forgiven sin. (Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest, Devotion for November 20)
To tell men the worst about themselves is not to hinder conversion. On the contrary, the real impediment to conversion is the absence of conviction of sin. The preacher’s first duty is to address that fact by awakening the conscience to the meaning of sin, and to sin understood not simply as wrong action requiring forgiveness, but as an evil principle governing man’s very heart. A sinner’s knowledge of his own inability is therefore part of the knowledge which leads him to recognize that what he needs is a new nature. (Iain Murraym Revival and Revivalism, 370)
Unless we are thoroughly convinced that without Christ we are under the eternal curse of God, as the worst of His enemies, we shall never flee to Him for refuge. (John Owen, Meditation on the Glory of Christ, 1684, ch. 15)
- How in turning to and trusting Jesus to save, God’s Spirit then lives in, and empowers us as His followers.
(John 14:17; Romans 5:5; 6:6; 6:23; 8:9-11; 1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:19; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 2:20; Ephesians 1:13-14; 5:18; 1 John 1:9)
As we turn to Jesus, He transforms us. As we die to ourselves, we live in Him. He gives us a new heart – cleansed of sin and filled with His Spirit. He gives us a new mind – an entirely new way of thinking. He gives us new desires – entirely new senses of longing. And He gives us a new will – an entirely new way of living. (David Platt, Follow Me, 148)
Any concept of grace that makes us feel more comfortable about sinning is not biblical grace. God’s grace never encourages us to live in sin; on the contrary, it empowers us to say no to sin and yes to truth. (Randy Alcorn, The Grace and Truth Paradox, 82)
What transforms us is the will to obey Jesus Christ from a life that is one with his resurrected reality day by day, learning obedience through inward transformation. (Dallas Willard, The Great Omission, 66)
Enjoyment empowers effort. Doing is the fruit of delighting. Performance is energized by pleasure. (Sam Storms, One Thing, 142)
- How the Holy Spirit then continues to work in us cooperatively to help us become like Jesus.
(John 15:1-27; Acts 26:18; Romans 6:1-23; 1 Corinthians 6:11; 2 Corinthians 7:1; 1 Thessalonians 4:3; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Timothy 1:9; 2:21; James 4:7; 2 Peter 1:2-4)
The Christian life requires hard work. Our sanctification is a process wherein we are coworkers with God. We have the promise of God’s assistance in our labor, but His divine help does not annul our responsibility to work (Phil. 2:12-13). (R.C. Sproul, Essential Truths of the Christian Faith, xix)
Progressive sanctification is subjective or experiential and is the work of the Holy Spirit within us imparting to us the life and power of Christ, enabling us to respond in obedience to Him. (Jerry Bridges, Transforming Grace, 105)
Those who have been justified are now being sanctified; those who have no experience of present sanctification have no reason to suppose they have been justified. (F.F. Bruce, Romans, 135)
The role that we play in sanctification is both a passive one in which we depend on God to sanctify us, and an active one in which we strive to obey God and take steps that will increase our sanctification. (Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology, 754)
- How this journey is life-long and unique to each follower of Jesus.
(John 8:31; Eph. 4:15-16; Phil. 1:6; 2:13; Col. 1:9-10; 3:5-6; 1 Peter 2:2; 2 Peter 1:5-8)
Nowhere does the Bible call the [Christian] faith a leap – it calls it a walk. Think about it. What is a walk? It is a lot of little steps in the same direction. It is a journey taken one step at a time. (Eddie Rasnake, The Book of Ephesians, 117
Living God’s way means putting away your self-centeredness and committing yourself to follow God’s Word in spite of any feelings to the contrary. (John Broger, Self-Confrontation Manual, Lesson 5, 5)
Sanctification will be marked by penitence more than perfection. (Kevin DeYoung, The Hole in Our Holiness, 139)
Jesus is not offering a makeover. He’s calling for a takeover, very different from the easy kind of Christianity light that we’re so familiar with. (John MacArthur, The Extreme Nature of True Discipleship – Part 2, www.gty.org)
Trials are lessons that shouldn’t be wasted. Though not enjoyable or necessarily good in themselves, trials constitute a divine work for our ultimate good. Jesus never promised an easy journey, but He did promise a safe landing. (George Sweeting, Who Said That? 22)
Christianity is a lifelong process of growing from glory to glory into the image of Christ. We are never going to be finished, until we get to Heaven. Until then, when we yield, when we surrender, when we abide, the natural result of that is going to be fruit. The natural result of a branch yielded to the Vine is a changed life, a fruitful life. (J. Delany, Abiding in Christ, Chapter 7, Used by Permission.
Challenge question…
Where are you on the journey? What’s your next move?
The greatest issue facing the world today, with all its heartbreaking needs, is whether those who, by profession or culture, are identified as ‘Christians’ will become disciples – students, apprentices, practitioners – of Jesus Christ, steadily learning from him how to live the life of the Kingdom of the Heavens into every corner of human existence. (Dallas Willard, The Great Omission, xii)
Spiritual Challenge Questions…
Reflect on these questions in your time with the Lord this week, or discuss with a Christian family member or Life Group.
- Can you recall a point in your life where you realized your need for Jesus? What was that like? What led up to that point?
- How have you been changed since the God’s Spirit began working in your life? How is God’s Spirit continuing to change you?
- If you were sitting in a room with Jesus, what would he say would be your next step in becoming more like him?
- How have you witnessed the uniqueness of the discipleship journey play out in other disciples of Jesus you know?
- What might be some important things to keep in mind as you interact with others whose journey is different than yours?
HFM Discipleship Essentials Statement
on God’s work in us Personally:
The journey of discipleship begins in us personally as we turn to and trust Jesus.
All people have been broken because of sin, and all are in need of a savior. God provided the only Savior in Jesus, and calls all people to place their trust in him. Therefore, we joyfully invite all to turn to, trust, and follow Jesus; finding life, joy, peace, and ultimate fulfillment in him. (John 3:16; 14:6; Romans 3:23; 5:1-2; 6:23; 10:13; 1 Timothy 2:5; 1 Peter 3:18)
When one turns to, trusts, and follows Jesus, God not only grants forgiveness and eternal life, but begins a process whereby he then helps that person grow to become more like Jesus in this life. This is a lifetime experience, empowered by the Holy Spirit, and is uniquely experienced by each believer.
(John 17:3; Acts 2:38; Romans 5:5; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 2:20; Philippians 1:6; 1 Thess. 5:23; 1 John 1:9)
Quotes to note…
But spirituality in many Christian circles has simply become another dimension of Christian consumerism. We have generated a body of people who consume Christian services and think that that is Christian faith. Consumption of Christian services replaces obedience to Christ. And spirituality is one more thing to consume. I go to many, many conferences and talk about these things, and so often I see these people who are just consuming more Christian services. (Dallas Willard, The Great Omission, 52)
The gospel Jesus proclaimed was a call to discipleship, a call to follow Him in submissive obedience, not just a plea to make a decision or pray a prayer. Jesus’ message liberated people from the bondage of their sin while it confronted and condemned hypocrisy. It was an offer of eternal life and forgiveness for repentant sinners, but at the same time it was a rebuke to outwardly religious people whose lives were devoid of true righteousness. It put sinners on notice that they must turn from sin and embrace God’s righteousness. It was in every sense good news, yet it was anything but easy-believism. (John MacArthur, The Gospel According to Jesus, 21)
Once justified, Christ saves them from the power of their sins through the lifelong process of sanctification. In sanctification, Christians are made more and more like Jesus Christ. But a lifelong process never ends, and the final goal is never reached until death. At death, Christians are glorified; they are then made completely perfect for the first time. (Jay Adams, Christian Living in the Home, 10-11)