(So apparently, the last post wasn't what dad had in mind when he said to get a big picture of Christianity and the bible. So he asked me to read the notes from the Back to Basics sermons from our church in Singapore. I'm taking care to study the passage in question, not the sermon, but it definitely helps with extrapolating the application side of things.)
6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, 7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
8 See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.
9 For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, 10 and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority. 11 In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead
O - (Some notes from the written sermon that captured the main points of the passage.)
Christianity is all about Jesus - who he is and what he has come to do. We started with Jesus, we continue with Jesus and we will end with Jesus.
Greatest sin is to move on from Jesus.
Don't move on from Jesus. Jesus is enough. He is all I need to be acceptable to God (contrary to the Colossian herecy)
Only Jesus can save sinners without compromising God's holiness, can save us, and can take our rebellion.
but what about Jesus that we need to know?
The Gospel:
We are saved by grace alone
Christ alone
the Bible alone
and faith alone.
God saves me by grace - his grace is Jesus, we know of Jesus from only one source - the Bible, and we received him in one way alone - by faith. We don't need anything more or less than Jesus (in adding we have subtracted from Christ).
v6 continue to live in him
Be cautious that our subjective experience of the Christian life doesn't become the objective measure. If not, our experience of Jesus or the Bible would become the determinant of what is true.
Another way to understand Jesus - 1 Corinthians 15
v3-6 "Christ died for our sin according to the scriptures. That he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then the twelve."
- the gospel is a message that is preached
- the gospel is received and passed on from person to person
- by this gospel we are saved
- but we must hold firmly to it
- the message of the gospel is about Jesus
The most significant thing about Jesus is his death. He died for our sins, he rose, and it was according to what God had been saying in the OT.
We aren't saved by ANYTHING ELSE. (not spiritual experiences, not feeling close to God)
Without Jesus & the Gospel - if we just teach how Jesus came to die for us without teaching WHY - we end up practicing religion in stead of practicing righteousness.
Gospel can lead us to 2 problems though
Galations 5:1 "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery".
Means we are free not to sin. Can be easily misinterpreted to be free from everything!
Jesus = grace of God and the Law of God.
In believing Jesus, we keep God's law because he has kept it fully for us.
The legalist focuses on all law, and no grace (like Pharisees). "You have to..."
The libertine focuses on all grace and no law. "I don't have to..."
but the true Christian who knows Jesus "In knowing Jesus, both the grace and law, I want to (1) live God's way, (2) read God's word, (3) pray to God, (4) meet with God's people, (5) share Jesus".
The Gospel
Gospel
Minus
|
The
Gospel (saved by…)
|
Gospel
Plus
|
Grace
alone
|
Grace +
Works
|
|
Jesus the
liberator
Jesus the
religious man
Jesus the
moralist
Jesus the
blesser
(all
subtracts from Jesus himself)
|
Jesus
alone
|
Jesus +
the Law
Jesus +
Circumcision
Jesus +
Baptism
Jesus +
Holy Spirit
|
Bible
Alone
|
Bible +
Tradition
Bible + Experience
Bible +
Rational
|
|
Faith
Alone
|
Faith +
Works
|
Gospel Living
Libertine
|
Gospel
Freedom
|
Legalist
|
Belief:
Anti-Law or anti-nomian
Behaviour: I don’t have to Too much grace, no Law |
Belief:
Christ is our Law
Behaviour:
I want to
Christ = Grace + Law |
Belief:
Keep the "law"
Behaviour: You have to Too much law, no grace |
Jesus
takes me as I am!
Cosmetic changes to life
No change
in values
|
1) Live
God's way:
Say no to… Say yes to... |
Focuses
on non-essentials
|
Listen to
man's word
|
2) Listen to
God's Word
|
Listen to
Translation
Listen to Bible reading |
Talk
about whatever
Immanence problem |
3) Talk to
God
|
Talk
about the posture (e.g. must kneel while praying!)
Transcendence problem |
I walk
alone
|
4) Meeting
with God's people
|
Focus on
"fellowshipitis"
Focus on "encouragement/comfort" |
It's all
predestined anyway
|
5) Evangelise
|
Focus on
method
Focus on building bridges |
Back to Basics Overview
Saved by Christ alone - Romans 5
Saved by Faith alone (Ephesians 2), Grace alone (Titus 2), Bible alone (2 Timothy 3)
trust in Christ by grace, live God's way listen to God's Word
Saved to Pray (Philippians 4), to be God's family (Hebrews 10), Saved to save the world (Colossians 3)
talk to God meet to keep going share Jesus
A -
1) Living God's way
our Success can then be defined when we are called in the kingdom of God
Priority - to live for Jesus - Godliness
Value - defined by God - I am who I am by grace
Commitment - base decisions and actions around Christ
2) Listening to God
For me, I'm delving into the scriptures this Back to Basics thing covers. I think that I'm not even that solid with Christian basics as yet. Reading God's word everyday and making notes. Then the plan is to read Foundations of the Christian Faith by James Montgomery Boice so then when I go read the whole bible systematically, I'll be able to understand it better and fit each passage and each book into the big picture of Jesus.
3) Praying to God
Some different prayers suggested were
- Biblical prayers: Pray from God's Word, pray from the Bible for people
- Trinitarian prayer: talking to God our Father, through the Son led by the Spirit
- Kingdom prayer: focus on what matters to God because Jesus is King
- Trusting prayers: Talk to God about daily needs
- Simple prayers: Talk to God from the heart, raise issues and leave them with Him
- Changed prayers: Expect God to answer prayer. Expect to be changed by God's yes, no and wait answers.
- In groups, pray first. Spend more time praying than sharing. (This one is going to be hard, but I'll pray about it)
4) Fellowshipping with God's people
- Make meeting God's people a priority in big groups (church service ) and small groups (youth and smaller prayer group) and one-to-one relationships (not doing at the moment)
- Meet to remind one another of Jesus - his life, death, resurrection and coming again (not all the time)
- Meet to encourage one another in faith, obedience and Godliness (faith and obedience are ok, Godliness itself not really spoken about)
- Meet one-to-one with one person from church/youth to read the bible, pray and encourage to Godliness (not doing at the moment...I think this is the hardest for me)
- Meet to love and serve one another, not to judge one another (another hard one...especially on music worship team)
5) Evangelism
- Learn what is the Gospel of Jesus. Focus on Message. (Trying to do now!)
- Learn How to share Gospel e.g. 2ways to live. Focus on presenting message clearly
- Pray, practice, plan to do evangelism in youth groups
- Pray for friends specifically. Focus on a person. Think friendships.
P - I was really challenged by this passage and the sermon delivered from it. Pray that I won't border on the libertine or legalistic "Christians" but come to understand the true person of Jesus and the Gospel. Pray that God will be guiding me as I change my bible reading to starting with the basics first.
The applications above that I noted as more difficult for me - one to one bible reading and true, quality fellowship. Also prayers. Pray that I will continue to work on them for Jesus alone, to glorify God.
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