Understanding Biblical Change Session 1 Understanding Biblical Change

Our Family Mission To passionately know our God, and to love and please Him by living together in harmony, serving each other in humility, growing together in godliness, helping others with cheerfulness, and thereby, as a family, to provide a “living advertisement” of Christlikeness for others in this generation and for our children in the generations to come.

Knowledge Objectives Explain God’s primary goal for wanting you to make biblical change. Summarize the Holy Spirit’s role in making biblical change. Explain the three parts of biblical change. Define the term “discipleship” and explain the important part it plays in life’s relationships.

Application Objectives Respond by identifying specific areas of your life that need biblical change. Respond by noticing times during your day when you can cooperate with God’s plan to sanctify you. Respond by asking God to burden you for the needs of others around you who also need to make biblical change.

Understanding Biblical Change Session 1 Understanding Biblical Change

Christopher Columbus Award This award goes to those who, like good old Chris, when they set out to do something, don’t know where they are going; neither do they know how to get there. When they arrive, they don’t know where they are, and when they return, they don’t know where they’ve been. (Source Unknown)

Biblical Change This study is about sanctification. Sanctification, in the sense we are discussing in this study, is progressive.

Not Just Any Change Will Do! A spoiled teen stops his sulking. A depressed wife becomes “her old cheerful self.” A college student gets better grades. An embittered dockworker stops his complaining.

Mark 7:21-23 “For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness [shameless sensuality], an evil eye [envy], blasphemy [slander], pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.”

James 4:1 “From whence come wars and fightings among you [the outward visible problems]? come they not hence, even of your lusts [the inward desires of the heart] that war in your members?”

Hot water didn’t create the taste; it revealed what was in the bag. Lessons from a Tea Bag Hot water didn’t create the taste; it revealed what was in the bag.

The Goal of Change The result of sanctification is a believer who looks increasingly like Christ—the “grown-up Christian.” Spiritually mature humanity is in essence Christlike humility—the humility of a servant.

The Power of a “Cat”

The Person of Change The Holy Spirit is one of the three Persons of the Godhead. We are changed by Him as we cooperate with His leading (Rom. 8:14; Ps. 23:3). He leads through His convicting voice. “Be filled with [controlled by] the Spirit.”

The Process of Change The Spirit of God takes the Word of God and changes us to become like the Son of God.

The Process of Change Mortification of the flesh The flesh is restrained through the Spirit’s enablement. Meditation on the Word The mind is renewed through the Spirit’s illumination. Manifestation of Christlikeness Christ is revealed through the Spirit’s fruit.

Table of Contents Part One: Restraining Your Flesh Part Two: Renewing Your Mind Part Three: Reflecting Your Lord

Spiritual Parenting This study is about sanctification and discipleship. Biblical discipleship is a certain kind of relationship between two believers. Discipleship is helping another believer make biblical change toward Christlikeness.

The Centrality of Discipleship Parenting is discipleship. Edification in the local church is discipleship. Christian education is discipleship. Counseling is discipleship. Management in Christian work is discipleship.

Your Role in Discipleship You must have a working knowledge of sanctification. You must be practicing it in your own life.