Christian Growth & Victory Part 2

MEMORY VERSES: John 15:4; Ephesians 4:22-24; Philippians 3:13-14; 1

John 1:9

The “keys” to Christian growth are found in the entire New Testament, but the following are some of the major elements. In this lesson we will look at the first four: abiding in Christ, putting off the old man and putting on the new, confessing sin, and pressing toward the mark.

ABIDING IN CHRIST ( John 15:1-10)

The true Christian life is not a religion. It is not merely a bunch of regulations and rituals; it is a personal relationship with the resurrected Christ. Those who have spiritual victory are those who know Him personally and walk in fellowship with Him day by day, serving Him and learning of Him. This is “abiding in Christ.” If the believer forgets Christ and starts living his life apart from conscious fellowship with Christ, he is in spiritual danger.

 

In John 15:1-10, Jesus emphasized that it is God’s will for the believer to bear fruit (verse 2), more fruit (verse 2), and much fruit (verse 8). We should be growing, and the growth is the product of abiding in Christ.

Jesus taught that the key to abiding in Him is obedience to His Word (John 15:7, 10). Abiding in Christ is not mystical in the sense of the popular contemplative philosophy. It is not a feeling or a sensual experience. It is not being “overcome by the Spirit,” speaking in tongues, falling on the floor, laughing hysterically, being swayed by powerful music, entering into a meditative state through contemplation, or being moved by candles and incense. It is simply walking in fellowship with Christ by honoring and obeying His Word.

PUTTING  OFF  THE  OLD  MAN  AND  PUTTING  ON  THE  NEW

(Ephesians 4:22-24)

 

The Christian life is presented in this passage as a matter of growing. It is a process of putting off the old man, which is the sinful nature that we inherited from Adam, and putting on the new man, which is Christ. Paul explains how to do this in the succeeding verses. Putting off the old man means to stop lying and to deal with anger and to stop stealing and to put away corrupt speech and many other such things (Eph. 4:25-29). To put on the new man is to speak the truth and to give to meet needs and to use edifying speech and other such things (Eph. 4:25-29).

 

These are high and holy standards that go much deeper and are farther reaching than the Law of Moses ever went. To stop lying involves learning to be honest in every way and situation. There are a thousand ways that the corrupt human heart, the old man, lies and dissimulates. To let NO corrupt communication proceed out of the mouth, to put away ALL bitterness, wrath, anger, clamour and evil speaking, is an amazingly high standard.

 

Confessing sin (1 John 1:5-10)

 

Again we see that the believer can and does sin, but to sin is to walk in the darkness rather than in the light. When we sin, God has given us a way to restore fellowship with Him, and that is confession. Confession of sin keeps me in the light and in fellowship with God. He is light and holiness and He will not fellowship with sin and darkness. He will not walk in fellowship with me in darkness. If I want to fellowship with Him, I must walk with Him in the light.

 

Confession of sin means to agree with God against my action. It is the opposite of making excuse for my sin. Making excuse and blaming others is the way of Adam. Our first father blamed his wife for the sin, while she blamed the serpent. We have a natural tendency to follow in these unwise footsteps. We blame our nationality, our age (“I’m young” or “I’m old”), our sex, our background, our

circumstances, and many other things for our sin. For example, if I get angry and bitter at my wife, that is a sin, but it is easy to make excuse and blame her or blame something else, such as the fact that I am having a bad day or that she is unreasonable, instead of admitting that I have done wrong in God’s eyes. Or if I lie, I can make excuses and say, “Well, everyone lies sometimes.” Or if I disobey and dishonor my parents, I can make an excuse and say that they are too demanding or they are hypocritical. On the other hand, I can admit to God that I have sinned and agree with Him that it is evil. If I make excuse for my sin, I am walking in darkness rather than light and I do not have fellowship with God.

 

God promises that He will forgive us and cleanse us if we confess our sins to Him. He is faithful and just to forgive us because Christ died for our sins.

 

How many times will God forgive? He will forgive as often as we confess. Doesn’t He get tired of us sinning and then confessing? No, we have His promise that He will forgive and cleanse every time. Jesus taught that if someone sins against us we should forgive him 490 times (Matthew 18:21-22). If we are expected to forgive that many times, how much more will God forgive! Remember that God’s mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:23), so get up and obtain fresh mercy (Hebrews 4:16) and move ahead!

 

Confession makes things right with God. It puts us in the light. It is the way of victory. It stops the spiral of sin. When we sin, we must not get discouraged and faint; we must confess it honestly and claim God’s promise of forgiveness and stand on our spiritual birthright (Ephesians 1:3).

 

PRESSING TOWARD THE MARK (Philippians 3:13-14)

 

After we confess our sin we need to put it behind and not fall into the temptation to dwell on it and to fear that God hasn’t forgiven. To do that cripples the Christian’s life. The way to put sin behind is to keep one’s eye on the goal of fulfilling God’s perfect will. Keep looking ahead, not behind. When God convicts us of sin, He does so in order to lead us to confession and cleansing and

victory, but when the Devil accuses us he does so in order to discourage and devour us.

 

 

REVIEW QUESTIONS ON CHRISTIAN GROWTH PART 2

 

1.  The true Christian life is not a                   ; it is a                          

                                with Christ.

 

2.  In what book and chapter did Jesus instruct the believer to bear fruit?

 

3.  Jesus taught that the key to abiding in Him is what?

 

4.  What is the "old man"?

 

5.  How does the believer put off the old man?

 

6.  What chapter and verse says that if we say we do not sin we are liars?

7.  Confession of sin means to                                    against my action.

8.  Confession of sin is the opposite of                                                     for my sin.

9.  Who was the first man who blamed others for his sin?

10.  How many times did Jesus tell Peter that he should forgive others?

11.  What verse says God's mercies are new every morning?

12.  What verse invites the believer to come to God's throne of grace to obtain mercy?

13.  In what book and chapter did Paul say he was pressing ahead?