Foundations
of the Faith
Week
#9:
The Christian Life
The goal for
every newborn Christian is to become a mature, fully functioning
disciple of Jesus. This means growth—growth in the
Christian life.
The Bible has
much to say about the Christian life. Christians have privileges,
opportunities, and responsibilities. As a priest of God,
every believer has a ministry to perform. This makes it
important for us to look to the Scriptures to find direction
for growth in the Christian life.
1. What does
God want from me? God wants your whole life
- He wants all
of you. (Romans 6:13)
- He wants
you to love Him. (Deuteronomy 10:12)
- He wants your
undivided loyalty. (Matthew 6:24)
- He wants you
to put Him first. (Proverbs 3:6)
2. What will
it take? Personal Discipline
- Discipline
requires perspective. (John 10:10, Proverbs 10:17, 1 Timothy
4:7)
- Discipline
means letting go. (Hebrews 12:1b)
- Discipline
chooses the best over the good. (Luke 10:40, Psalm 39:6,
Proverbs 10:27)
- Discipline
requires supernatural power. (Philippians 2:13)
3. Why should
you do it? The Cross
- 2 Corinthians
5:15 “And he died for all, that those who live should
no longer live for themselves but for him who died for
them and was raised again.”
- Ephesians
1:7 “In him we have redemption through his blood,
the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches
of God’s grace”.
- Romans 12:1
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s
mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy
and pleasing to God—which is your spiritual worship.”
- 2 Corinthians
6:1 “As God’s fellow workers we urge you not
to receive God’s grace in vain.”
- Hebrews 3:2
“He was faithful to the one who appointed him, just
as Moses was faithful in all God’s house.”
Priests
and Temples of God
The believer’s priesthood means that we represent
God to people. Each of us is a bridge builder between God
and other persons as we minister and witness in His name.
As priests, we can offer up the sacrifices of our lives
as we witness, praise, intercede in prayer, give our tithes
and offerings, minister, visit and help people.
Three main points
of the doctrine of the priesthood of believers are:
1. The equality
of all believers before God.
2. The right of each person to direct access to the Father.
3. The responsibility of each believer for ministry according
to his gifts.
In Old Testament
times, priests offered up sacrifices and offerings to the
Lord. Because Jesus paid the full price for our redemption
(John 1:29), there is no longer a need for priests to offer
sacrifices on the altar. All believers are priests, and
our priestly work is to sacrifice ourselves in the service
of Christ, willingly laying our bodies on the altar. Our
spiritual worship is the giving of ourselves as a living
sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God.
If God dwells
in His people and believers are His holy temple, in what
sense are we called temples?
1. You and
I are God’s temple. (1 Corinthians 6:19)
As individual believers by the way we live, we are the
place where God’s presence dwells.
2. A local church is a temple. (1 Corinthians 3:16-17)
The local church is God’s temple, the place where
his presence dwells.
3. God’s
people all together are a temple. (Ephesians 2:21)
The people of God as a whole are God’s temple, the
place where his presence dwells.
The Temple Mount
in Jerusalem is formed with huge rectangular stones. The
Jewish historian Josephus recorded that Herod did not allow
the sound of a hammer or chisel in the Temple area. Every
stone was shaped in the quarry to exact specifications for
its place in the Temple. That is what Christ is building.
By yielding to Him, by taking our priesthood seriously,
we allow Christ to shape us until we fit His plan.
