Dec 15 2008

Bible Study Week 29 - Becoming Like Christ in Your Desires

Published by Rose under Weekly Reflections

Purpose of This Lesson

This lesson will help you to understand that the process of developing the Courtesy+of+Wikipedia+Christ" rel="tag">mind ofPhoto by Argos'Dad of icon on the outside of A...Courtesy of Wikipedia Christ is through Christ-like desires. Knowing how Jesus thought and what he showed concern for can help you know what God wants to develop in you.

Learning Goals

This lesson will guide the participants to:-

  1. Discover the carnal desires that war against spiritual desires
  2. Discover that a disordered mind leads to ungodliness.
  3. Discover that Christ can set you free from mental conflict.

Introduction

There are many Christians today who are in bondage because of having desires that are in conflict with the desires of the Many of these desires are earthly, selfish and devilish in nature and do not bring glory to God because they are centered on the individual rather than on God. Today we will learn that we have to allow Christ to become the center of everything that we do because this brings glory to God.

Begin Today’s Lesson by Reading: Romans 8:1-17Romans 8:1-17
English: American Standard Version (1901) - ASV
8 1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus made me free from the law of sin and of death. 3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God, sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: 4 that the ordinance of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 5 For they that are after the flesh mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. 6 For the mind of the flesh is death; but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace: 7 because the mind of the flesh is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can it be: 8 and they that are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 But ye are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you. But if any man hath not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. 10 And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwelleth in you, he that raised up Christ Jesus from the dead shall give life also to your mortal bodies through his Spirit that dwelleth in you. 12 So then, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh: 13 for if ye live after the flesh, ye must die; but if by the Spirit ye put to death the deeds of the body, ye shall live. 14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15 For ye received not the spirit of bondage again unto fear; but ye received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. 16 The Spirit himself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are children of God: 17 and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with [him], that we may be also glorified with [him].  

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, Gal 5:22-23Gal 5:22-23
English: American Standard Version (1901) - ASV
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 meekness, self-control; against such there is no law.   and James 3:13-17James 3:13-17
English: American Standard Version (1901) - ASV
13 Who is wise and understanding among you? let him show by his good life his works in meekness of wisdom. 14 But if ye have bitter jealousy and faction in your heart, glory not and lie not against the truth. 15 This wisdom is not [a wisdom] that cometh down from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. 16 For where jealousy and faction are, there is confusion and every vile deed. 17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without variance, without hypocrisy.  

GODLY Vs. UNGODLY DESIRES

In James 3:17James 3:17
English: American Standard Version (1901) - ASV
17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without variance, without hypocrisy.  

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we find eight virtues (qualities) that describe the that we all need to pursue; James writes that: “But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure, then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial, and sincere”.

The reason why most people experience conflict within them is because they have desires that conflict with other desires. For example, they want to be peace-loving but they are not submissive to one another or they are not considerate of each other. Does any of the above qualities conflict with any of the others? E.g. does purity ever conflict with peace? Or peace with mercy? No they do not conflict, and they do not clash with one another. All these qualities work with, not against one another as they enhance one another.

Jesus’ one passion was to do His Father’s will. Scripture indicates this one desire dominated his life from at least his 12th year, through the beginning of his ministry at age 30, and then to about age 32. The night before Jesus died, He prayed, “I glorified Thee on the earth, having accomplished the work which thou hast given Me to do” (John 17:4John 17:4
English: American Standard Version (1901) - ASV
4 I glorified thee on the earth, having accomplished the work which thou hast given me to do.  

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); and this is the attitude we should always have as Christians, to glorify God here on earth with the things that we are doing under His guidance.

The has order; it is an integrated mind because everything works in harmony and unity. Each virtue works perfectly with all the other virtues.
In Galatians 5:19-21Galatians 5:19-21
English: American Standard Version (1901) - ASV
19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are [these]: fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousies, wraths, factions, divisions, parties, 21 envyings, drunkenness, revellings, and such like; of which I forewarn you, even as I did forewarn you, that they who practise such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.  

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, Paul lists the works that hold us bondage and which Christ wants us to be free from. He says “Now the works of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, promiscuity, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, rivalry, jealously, outbursts of anger, quarrels, conflicts, factions, envy, murder, drunkenness, wild partying, and things like that.”

God wants us to replace all these with the fruit of the Spirit as listed in Gal 5:22-23Gal 5:22-23
English: American Standard Version (1901) - ASV
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 meekness, self-control; against such there is no law.  

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where Paul writes “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control”. Let us begin to examine our desires and align them to match with the godly desires that Christ had.

Questions For Discussion - Week 29

  1. What are the eight virtues that come from above according to James 3:17James 3:17
    English: American Standard Version (1901) - ASV
    17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without variance, without hypocrisy.      ? Please list them
    ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
  2. Why do you think it is important for you today to pursue the mind of Christ? Please explain
    ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
  3. Why do you think most people experience conflict within them in regards to their desires? Please explain
    ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
  4. How can you describe the word “desire’? How can we overcome ungodly desires?
    ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
  5. What kind of desires should we have as Christians today?
    ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
  6. Do you think it is possible for us to have godly desires today as Christians living in the 21st century? Please explain
    ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
  7. What is the evidence of a godly life according to Gal 5:22-23Gal 5:22-23
    English: American Standard Version (1901) - ASV
    22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 meekness, self-control; against such there is no law.      ? Please explain
    ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
  8. In your own words please explain briefly why you think some Christians are still bound by the works of flesh listed in Gal 5:19-21Gal 5:19-21
    English: American Standard Version (1901) - ASV
    19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are [these]: fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousies, wraths, factions, divisions, parties, 21 envyings, drunkenness, revellings, and such like; of which I forewarn you, even as I did forewarn you, that they who practise such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.      . Please explain
    ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Memorize James 3:17James 3:17
English: American Standard Version (1901) - ASV
17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without variance, without hypocrisy.  

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“But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure,
then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit,
impartial and sincere”.

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Mar 03 2008

Bible Study Week 1 - What Matters Most In Life?

Published by admin under Weekly Reflections

: 5 Ways In Which You Can Improve Your

In the pilgrimage of life, it is necessary to learn to distinguish the important from the urgent and the unimportant; the things of eternal value from the things of temporal value. (2 Corinthians 2:182 Corinthians 2:18
English: American Standard Version (1901) - ASV
 

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and Colossians 3:1Colossians 3:1
English: American Standard Version (1901) - ASV
3 1 If then ye were raised together with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated on the right hand of God.  ). Start everything by asking yourself will it make a difference 5 years from now, 10 years, 100 years, 1000 years from now? Concentrate on those things which will last and make a positive difference further on …Consider this:- what are people remembered for?- what are the most common wishes of those on dying beds?- what do they say they would have done differently if they were given a second chance? We were created to worship and to give glory to God (Isaiah 43:7Isaiah 43:7
English: American Standard Version (1901) - ASV
7 every one that is called by my name, and whom I have created for my glory, whom I have formed, yea, whom I have made.  ). What is worship? It is not just singing. It is obeying God in everything. Every act of obedience is an act of worship. It acknowledges that God is sovereign in our lives. Obedience is better than even sacrifice before God (1 Samuel 15:221 Samuel 15:22
English: American Standard Version (1901) - ASV
22 And Samuel said, Hath Jehovah as great delight in burnt-offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of Jehovah? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.  ). How do you obey if you do not know what God desires or commands?

1. Read Daily

God communicates through His written word. If you don’t read it you will get out of touch. God also speaks to us in other ways. I reserve that for another day. As you read God’s word, you get to know what He loves and what He hates. You get to know His promises. You get to know Him. When you believe what is in His word and act on it - that is Faith. Without faith it is impossible to please Him (Hebrews 11:6Hebrews 11:6
English: American Standard Version (1901) - ASV
6 And without faith it is impossible to be well-pleasing [unto him]; for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and [that] he is a rewarder of them that seek after him.  

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). Faith comes through hearing the word of God (Romans 10:17Romans 10:17
English: American Standard Version (1901) - ASV
17 So belief [cometh] of hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.  ). Reading God’s word and meditating on it causes us to hear Him. For other ways of hearing God, read on…

2. Listen To “Good” Sermons

Listen to sermons in services, on the radio, on TV, etc. As you grow in your faith, you will be able to distinguish between the good and the bad. As someone said, learn how to get the meat and leave the bones without being critical of the preacher. When someone speaks, he or she may be speaking from God or themselves or even from an evil spirit. Apostle Paul used to distinguish his own opinion from that which came from God (1 Corinthians 7:10-121 Corinthians 7:10-12
English: American Standard Version (1901) - ASV
10 But unto the married I give charge, [yea] not I, but the Lord, That the wife depart not from her husband 11 ; and that the husband leave not his wife. 12 But to the rest say I, not the Lord: If any brother hath an unbelieving wife, and she is content to dwell with him, let him not leave her.  

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). Unfortunately some preachers do not do so. Some believe that everything they say is from God. Therefore ask God to give you discernment for yourself as you grow in your faith.

3. Read Books On Spiritual Development

Learn from others’ experiences in their walk with God and get enlightened and edified. In times of sufferings or hardship, after reading what others have gone through, we get the resolve to prevail over our circumstances through the . The itself contains a rich history of the lives of people who lived victorious lives in spite of adversities. There are others who chose the wrong path and paid heavily for it.

4. Learn to Pray

taught His disciples how to pray (Matthew 6:9-13Matthew 6:9-13
English: American Standard Version (1901) - ASV
9 After this manner therefore pray ye. Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so on earth. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil [one.]  

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). We should always have time to pray and talk to God. Ensure you start every day with the prayer Jesus taught. It is often called the “”. It is more correct to call it the “Disciples’ ” as it is meant for us, His . Pray it slowly and meaningfully meditating on each phrase. Although God knows our needs in advance, our show our dependence on Him. As Jesus said “on our own we can do nothing”. In brief, prayer involves:-

  • Acknowledging God for who He is (our Maker, Defender, etc..)
  • Thanking Him what He has done (our salvation, our provision, our protection, etc..)
  • Praying for the well-being and needs of others (e.g. the sick, orphans, widows, family, friends, pastors, churches, government, leadership, etc..)
  • Praying for our own needs (progress, victory, abundance of his provision, etc..)
  • Pray in name, the only mediator between God and mankind (1 Timothy 2:51 Timothy 2:5
    English: American Standard Version (1901) - ASV
    5 For there is one God, one mediator also between God and men, [himself] man, Christ Jesus,      ). Jesus has promised that whatever we ask in His Name, He shall do so that the Father may be glorified in the Son i.e. Jesus. (John 14:13John 14:13
    English: American Standard Version (1901) - ASV
    13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.      ). It is said that prayers go to heaven - where God is. But God (manifested) comes down to dwell in… read on to find out.

5. Learn To Praise God

God dwells in the praises of His people. We should apply Colossians 3:1Colossians 3:1
English: American Standard Version (1901) - ASV
3 1 If then ye were raised together with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated on the right hand of God.  

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6. We are to admonish others through Psalms, hymns and spiritual songs as we sign gracefully to the Lord in our hearts. (words of the songs) are more important than the tunes. Learn to sing the from your heart. Commit to learning a new gospel lyric (or hymn) every so often. You should also learn to sing the words in your heart. The book of Psalms is full of reasons of why we should praise God. It concludes by these words “Let everything that has breath, the Lord. Psalms 150:6Psalms 150:6
English: American Standard Version (1901) - ASV
6 Let everything that hath breath praise Jehovah. Praise ye Jehovah.  . enriches your meditation. All the best in your walk with God as you worship Him in spirit and in truth.

Paul Muinde, a humble servant and worshipper of .

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