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The Lessons
4:
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Lesson Four
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You and Your Changing
Life |
Discipler's Notes |
How to Live As a Christian in
a Sinful World
God did not save you simply to take you to heaven but to make you "conformed
to the image of his Son" (Romans 8:29). The greatest privilege you now have
in your new life is the opportunity to represent Jesus Christ and to have
fellowship with God. If you will yield yourself to Him and obey Him, He will
change your life to accomplish this purpose. |
Review last week's memory verse, Matthew 7:7.
See if the disciple had any specific answers to prayer this past week. If
so, thank God for these as you open the session in prayer. |
The Believer's Different Life
1 Your life before you were saved is repeatedly contrasted with your life
after your salvation. List the contrasts in the following verses:
II Corinthians 5:17 - old things contrasted with
things becoming new.
Ephesians 5:8 - darkness contrasted with
light in the Lord or children of
light.
1 John 3:10 - the children of the devil contrasted with
the children of God.
2 Difference is a key aspect of holiness!
Conversation
in the old English language meant
lifestyle.
To what extent does God intend for your new life to be different, according
to I Peter 1:15? God
intends my life to be holy in every area.
3 We should reflect outwardly what we are inwardly. What do the following
verses say about a Christian's appearance?
I Corinthians 11:14 For a
man to have long hair is a shaine.
Deuteronomy 22:5; 1 Peter 3:3-4
A woman shoud not dress in man's
clothing or seek to attrack attention with excessive jewelry, etc.
4 In II Corinthians 6:14-17, what promise is given to those who decide to
obey God by separating from evil?
Believers who separate
from evil are promised the privilege of enjoying being a child of God. |
"All things are become new" could better be
rendered, "all things are becoming new" pointing to a continual process
which will go on until the day we see Jesus.
See also I Thessalonians 5:5 and I Peter 2:9.
See also John 8:44 and Romans 8: 16.
If the disciple hasn't, you may need to bring up music, entertainment,
relationships at home and/or work, and other aspects of personal separation.
To be externally correct and internally corrupt is hypocrisy.
For internal righteousness to never affect the "externals" is impossible. |
The Believer's Destructive
Enemies
5 Your primary enemy is an invisible spirit, nevertheless a real person.
What is his name? (I Peter 5:8; John 8:44)
His name is the devil.
What two terms describe his character and indicate his methods according to
John 8:44? The devil is
described as a murderer and a liar and the father of it.
6 Your second enemy is internal. It is your own sinful nature, which the
Bible calls "the flesh."
Your flesh is a servant to what? (Romans 7:25)
My flesh serves the "law of sin."
Why is it impossible for the "carnal," or fleshly, mind to ever be right
with God? (Romans 8:7) The
carnal mind is hostile toward God.
7 Your third enemy is external, but it is organized by the devil to appeal
to your flesh. The Bible calls this enemy the world. Notice the three
components of worldliness in I John 2:16:
The lust of the flesh
The lust of the eyes
The pride
of life
The Believer's Devotion to
Christ
8 What must you deny to follow Christ? (Matthew 16:24)
I must deny myself to
follow Christ.
9 What are you told not to love? (I John2:15)
I am commanded not to love
the world
10 How can you avoid being pressed into the mold of the world? (Romans
12:1-2)
I can avoid conformity to
the world by having my mind renewed.
11 To whom do you belong now? (I Corinthians 6:19-20)
I belong to God.
12 How do you demonstrate your love for God? (John 14:15)
My love is demonstrated
through my obedience to Christ's commands.
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In I Peter 5:8 stress "adversary" - opponent
in legal battle; "lion walking about"- fierceness and tireless energy.
The name Satan means, slanderer or false accuser.
Our only hope is to "hear the Spirit" (Rev. 2:7), be controlled by the
Spirit (Eph. 5:18), and "walk in the Spirit" (Gal. 5:16). Praise the Lord we
are assured of victory if we do! Note especially Galatians 5:16.
Deception is one of Satan's main tools used to destroy Christians (Gen. 3;
II Cor 11:3; 1 Tim. 2:14; Rev. 20:10). He shows us the pleasures of sin but
not the consequences.
The "pride of life" is the self congratulation of a person who has obtained
what he wanted without God. "I got what I wanted, and I didn't need God to
get it" is the boasting of the pride of life.
Explain the term world. We are to love the people of this earth, but we are
to hate the godless system which lures us from devotion to Christ.
If you have time, you may want to examine the process of temptation at this
point by looking at James 1.13-15. The words "drawn away" and "enticed" in
verse 14 are hunting/fishing terms. Our own desires lure us away from the
right path until we are caught. |
The Believer's Deliverance
from Temptation
13 What does God promise to those who are tempted? (I Corinthians 10:13)
Christians are guaranteed
the opportunity to escape any temptation.
14 How can you avoid many temptations? (Romans 13:14)
I can avoid many
temptations by not planning ways to fulfill my fleshly desires.
15 When Satan tempted Jesus, what did Jesus use to defeat Satan?
(Matthew 4:4, 7, 10)
Christ used scripture.
16 What is your spiritual weapon against sin and Satan? (Ephesians 6:17)
The Word of God is my
weapon.
17 Has there been a noticeable difference in your life since you accepted
Christ? Explain. - (Relate
how your life changed after you were saved.)
18 Check any area(s) in which you now fail to bring glory to God because you
are being pressured by the world, drawn away by your own desires, or tempted
by Satan:
[ ] Attitudes [ ] Drugs [ ] Entertainment [ ] Sexual Conduct [ ] Music
[ ] Language [ ] Appearance [ ] Other
19 Should you wait for some "special conviction" by God before you obey what
His Word says about your attitudes, appearance, and actions? (James 1:22;
4:17)
No, I should obey God's
Word immediately.
MEMORIZE
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 What? know ye not that
your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of
God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore
glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's. |
Remind the disciple here about the importance
of memorizing his weekly Bible verse. In Ephesians 6:18, prayer could also
be considered a spiritual weapon against sin.
Deal with any areas that the disciple has checked. Refer him to the pastor
if there is any area in which you do not feel you can give biblical counsel.
To refuse to let God change us is to require that He chasten us! (Hebrews
12:6)
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Give the disciple the brochure, How Can I Decide What Is Right for Me? by
Dr. David Innes. |
Give the disciple Lesson 5. Make an appointment for your next session.
Complete a Progress Report and submit it to the church office.
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