Counseling: Biblical Change Flashcards
Why can biblical change make people uncomfortable?
We are not comfortable relinquishing control.
Biblical change is under God’s control
What does God use trials for?
To grow us in perseverance and character
Who led Jesus into the Desert?
The spirit
What was the temptation when Satan said to Jesus “If you bow to me, all the kingdoms of the earth will be yours”
The temptation was not in the receiving of the kingdoms, as this was already God’s will that Jesus become the ruler over all kingdoms, but rather the temptation was to receive it through a means (bowing to Satan) that was not in God’s will
The God-ordained way for Jesus to receive the kingdoms was not to bow to Satan, but through death on the Cross. So Satan was basically saying that “You don’t have to die, ill just give you the kingdoms right now”
The moral is not to settle for human means (man made theories) to try and achieve spiritual results
What does Colossians 2 say about the use of human theories for change?
That they (self-made religion) are powerless against the flesh. It can’t help us change the flesh
Golossians 2
20 If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as, 21 “Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!” 22 (which all refer to things destined to perish with use)-in accordance with the commandments and teachings of men? 23 These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence.
Why is God against our sin?
Because it is a competition for glory, and God will not share his glory with anyone
When we live in sin, which is for yourself, we are glorifying ourselves, which competes with God’s glory
Which is why God wants to sanctify us, to return us to the image of His glory
What is God’s definition of ‘good’
Jesus
When the bible tells us that all things will work out for the greater good of those who believe, it means that it is all intended to make us conform to the image of christ
Is the will of God for us to become self-actualized?
NO
Self-actualization is a competing ideology or competing salvation.
God’s will for us is to become sanctified (conformed to the image of Christ)
Sanctification not Self-actualization
What is the churches mission according to Ephesians 3
To help others mature into the image of Christ (Sanctification)
Ephesians 3
7 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8 Therefore it says,
“When He ascended on high,
He led captive a host of captives, And He gave gifts to men.” 9 (Now this expression, “He ascended,” what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, so that He might fill all things.) 11 And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. 14 As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; 15 but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supply, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.
What is a sign of the end days in terms of sanctification?
Sanctification leads to the ability to discern between good and evil from God’s perspective, which is wisdom
In the last days, Jesus said that people will call good evil and evil good (This means that they lack wisdom, or the ability to discern, they lack sanctification)
Do we play a role in sanctification?
Yes, through our obedience to God’s word, by acting on God’s word, through application.
James 1
23 For if someone merely listens to the message and does not live it out, he is like someone who gazes at his own face in a mirror. 24 For he gazes at himself and then goes out and immediately forgets what sort of person he was. 25 But the one who peers into the perfect law of liberty and fixes his attention there, and does not become a forgetful listener but one who lives it out—he will be blessed in what he does.
Is sanctification possible without first being saved?
NO
Spiritual growth requires union with Christ
Can you council a person that is unsaved?
No
By teaching people to change their behavior, without giving their lives to Christ, you are merely helping them manage or hide their sin
You are doing nothing for their biggest need, which is Salvation in Christ
You are helping them change on the outside, without changing anything on the inside. Basically, turning them into pharisees
What drives change from the inside?
The love of Christ within us compels us to change.
2 Corinthians 5
14 For the love of Christ controls us, since we have concluded this, that Christ died for all; therefore all have died. 15 And he died for all so that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised.
What is “the position for change”
Being in Christ (Salvation)
This is a prerequisite for change because it gives us the freedom to obey Christ, as before we were unable because we were bound in sin.
When we are bound in sin we can only obey ourselves, our lust, our passions, our desires.
without being united with Christ we can’t change in a way that is pleasing to God.
