Being the Christian that you say you have become

Yes, I know it's a long title for a Bible study but one which I think is much needed in our culture where everyone is a Christian so to speak. We have started a Bible study with some of the former members of the Shepherd's Church who are still between churches. Hopefully this will encourage the group to find churches that preach and teach solid Biblical doctrine.

Last night we started a study series on "Being the Christian that you say you've become."(the faith/grace relationship)
Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892), who was known as the "Prince of Preachers" spent the last 4 years of his life dealing with the Downgrade Controversy. Spurgeon made three main observations about the church:
1. That was a lack of doctrinal understanding by the members
2. The Bible was no longer the rule and the practice of faith for most people
3. The preachers were becoming more pragmatic than they were Biblical in the pulpit
Spurgeon said "Everywhere there is apathy. Nobody cares where that which is preached is true or false. A sermon is a sermon whatever the subject; only the shorter it is the better it is." If you are interested in reading more on this Dr. John MacArthur has written a book on this subject called "Ashamed of the Gospel."

Then I brought us up to the 21st Century with a recent announcement by Bill Hybels the senior pastor of Willow Creek Church. After 30 years of creating a seeker friendly and consumer friendly church he recently said at their Willow Creek Leadership Conference that the church made a mistake. In a two year internal audit they found that people are not growing nor maturing in their Christian walks. If I could be so bold all we need to do is look at Spurgeon's three points listed above and lay it right over the problems that have been experienced at Willow Creek. For those of you studying with us that are unaware of this recent admission by Bill Hybels I have attached in this email two articles for you to read: Article 1 and Article 2. Let me just say how much I admire and respect the fact that Bill Hybels for their admission as a church that this way has not worked. In the article you may not be surprised to find that they are going to go back to the basics of studying the word of God, prayer and fellowship.

If we are going to be the Christians that we say we have become then shouldn't we know the most important thing to God Himself as He reveals it to us in the Bible?
Allow me to ask you the following questions:
1. Who is the most God-centered person in the universe?
2l Who is uppermost in God's affections?
3. What is the primary jealousy of God?
4. What is the chief end of God?
5. Do you feel more loved because God makes much of you or because at the cost of His Son He enables you to make much of Himself?
6. Are you God centered because He is supremely valuable to you or are you God centered because you believe you are supremely valuable to Him?

Then we moved into a discussion about how the Lord Jesus lived His life while here on planet earth. Does it seem that He had a passion for the glory of God?

After that I said if God has a passion for His own glory and Jesus Christ had a passion for the glory of His Father then doesn't it make Biblical sense that we as Christians should have a passion for His glory. My point in this area of our study last night was two-fold.
1. If we have been truly and genuinely reconciled with Christ then we will continue to endure and be faithful.
2. In the endurance we will have what the Bible calls "good works" to bring before Him on the judgment day.

And the question I asked you to wrestle with in "being the Christian you say you have become" is this one:
If we are justified through faith by grace then how can our eternal security be tied to a transformed life of holiness?

Are you a Christian?
How did that happen?
What is your assurance?
How therefore should you be living?
What obstacles are you continuing to run into in living the Christian life?
How are these to be handled?
Are you implementing what God word says daily?

I think as we progress you will find this to be a very practical study for living out your Christian life. What good does it do any of us to receive lots of information but not manifest any life transformation? My goal in this study is that God would use His word and truth to transform you into the likeness of the Lord Jesus.

Before you study and meditate on God's word:
I – Incline your heart (Psalm 119:36)
Incline my heart to Your testimonies
And not to dishonest gain.
O – Open my eyes (Psalm 119:18)
Open my eyes, that I may behold
Wonderful things from Your law.
U – Unite my heart (Psalm 86:11)
Teach me Your way, O LORD;
I will walk in Your truth;
Unite my heart to fear Your name
S – Satisfy my heart (Psalm 90:14)
O satisfy us in the morning with Your lovingkindness,
That we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.

Questions that are good to journal as you study
What is God saying to me?
What am I saying to God?
What verse(s) do I need to study and/or memorize?
What principle to apply right now to my life?
What truth to share with someone else in my life?

God's passion for His own glory:
The chief end of God is to glorify Himself and enjoy Himself forever

Why did God create us?
Isaiah 43:6-7 - Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth, every one who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory.

Why did God call Israel?
Jeremiah 13:11 - You are my servant Israel in whom I will be glorified

Isaiah 49:3 - I made the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah cling to me, says the Lord, that they might be for me a people, a name, a praise, and a glory.

How did Jesus pray prior to going to the cross?
John 17:4 - I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do.

Why does God save us?
Ephesians 1:4-6, cf. vv. 12, 14 - He chose us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and blameless before him. He destined us in love to be his sons through Jesus Christ according to the purpose of his will unto the praise of the glory of his grace.

Why Jesus receives us into His fellowship?
Romans 15:7 - Welcome one another, therefore, as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.

What is a primary ministry of the Holy Spirit?
John 16:14 - He will glorify me, for He will take what is Mine and declare it to you.

How has God instructed us to live our lives?
1 Corinthinans 10:31 - So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

How are we to serve God?
1 Peter 4:11 - Whoever renders service [let him do it] as one who renders it by the strength which God supplies; in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To Him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Christ's passion for the glory of God: What must we learn from the example of the Lord Jesus?
John 17:4 - "I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do.

John 4:34 - Jesus *said to them, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work.

John 5:30, 8:28, 12:49 and 14:10

In the meantime we become involved in a pragmatic evangelical church in which there is a desire to have conversions and numbers so then people:
Walk an aisle
Sign a card
Raise a hand
Pray a prayer
Join a church
Get baptized
And we come to recognize that much information is being distributed but little transformation is being manifested. Could it be that many today in the evangelical church
are not even saved? Does that bother you at all? Where might be a good place to start our evangelism?

Then we start to read and study carefully and we discover that we are to live the Christian life with a passion for holiness. Doesn't this make sense from a Biblical point of view?
God has a passion for His glory - the Lord Jesus constantly displayed a passion for the glory of His heavenly Father - so shouldn't we as Christians have a real passion for righteousness, obedience and holiness?
1Th. 3:12 and may the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love for one another, and for all people, just as we also do for you;
1Th. 3:13 so that He may establish your hearts without blame in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints.

Sanctification is the cleansing of the heart from all "false" pleasures. And the fixing of the human heart on the One pleasure that will give everlasting joy and happiness which is God Himself.

Salvation tied to perseverance and endurance in the Christian life
Hebrews 12:14 - Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord.

Hebrews 3:14 - For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end,

John 5:28 "Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice,
John 5:29 and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment.

Galatians 6:8 - For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.

James 2:17 - Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.

1 John 2:4 - The one who says, "I have come to know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him;

Col. 1:22 yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach—
Col. 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.

Mark 13:13 - "You will be hated by all because of My name, but the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.

Romans 8:13 - for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

And the question is:
If we are justified through faith by grace then how can our eternal security be tied to a transformed life of holiness?

The good works, obedient living or holiness are not the ground of our justification but rather they are the manifestation that our justification is in fact genuine.

The ground of our justification is the death and righteousness of Christ. This means that our justification is through faith and the resulting holiness or good deeds are the manifestation that the ground and means are real.

Therefore the good works are neither:
1. The grounds
2. The means
Of our justification but are evidence of the fact that we have been justified and are necessary at the judgment day