growth group week thirteen:
walking in grace
Week 13
Day 1: 1st Corinthians 1-2
Day 2: 1st Corinthians 3-4
Day 3: 1st Corinthians 5-6
Day 4: 1st Corinthians 7-8
Day 5: 1st Corinthians 9-10
Memory verse:
Philippians 3:13
Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead,
Focal passage: Philippians 3:12-14; Hebrews 4:16; 10:19
We have been looking at the work of grace in our lives as we've been focusing on the book of Romans the last four weeks. In week 9-11, we sought to understand the grace of God. Last week we saw how we can grow only through grace. This week we want to look at what it means to walk day by day by the grace of God. We move from the theology of Grace to the practicality of grace.
We briefly looked at Titus 2:11–14 last week when we talked about growing in grace. We saw how the grace of God teaches us to live a holy and righteous life. Grace does not give us a license to sin, but it gives us a license FROM sin. When someone is truly walking in grace they are going to desire to live in a way that is pleasing and honoring to God in everything they do. In Titus 2:12, Paul declares that the grace of God teaches us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, that we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age. This week we want to examine how the grace of God practically teaches us to live holy.
In week two, we looked at the gift of repentance. We saw how through the cross of Christ we are able to turn to God through repentance and receive forgiveness. It is through daily repentance that we are actually going to grow and become stronger in our walk with the Lord. Consider with me what Paul is saying here in Philippians 3:12-13 “12 Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. 13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead.”
First thing to understand is that when Paul wrote this, he had been saved for about 30 years. He declares three times in these two verses that he has not arrived at the place of victory and holiness in his Christian experience yet. Of course none of us will arrive at that place until we receive our glorified bodies. But that does not mean that we don't strive to live a holy life. In fact Paul goes on to say in verse 14 that this is the very thing he's pressing on towards. Philippians 3:14, “I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” The reason that this passage is one of my life verses is because there is so much hope for us in the midst of our failures. The key phrase to this passage is where Paul says “ONE THING I DO, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead.” There is only one thing to be done when we fail. It's to repent and turn back to God and forget the things that are behind us and press on to the things that are ahead. Satan's greatest desire is for you to be condemned under the weight of your sin and keep you living in defeat. But God's will for you when you are in sin is that you repent and forget what lies behind and press towards the Lord. This is the key to your spiritual growth.
Which brings us to Hebrews 10:19 where God tells us that we are to “boldly enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus.” Notice that it says that we are to come into God's presence with boldness. The word boldness could also be translated confidence. The confidence that we are to come into God's presence with is not in our own righteousness or holiness, but it is in the blood of Jesus Christ alone. This is where grace becomes very real in our day by day walk with God. I'm to have confidence in the work of the cross which will cause me to stand up when I've fallen down and approach God with boldness because of the blood of Jesus Christ and nothing else.
What is the will of God for you when you are in sin? It is to repent and to boldly approach the Lord based on His grace. This truth is clearly taught in Hebrews 4:16 where it says “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” The truth that is expressed in this verse is so powerful. Think about it. We are to boldly, or confidently, come to the throne of grace so that we might obtain mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. When are you in the greatest need of mercy and grace? When you are in sin. This is the key to living a victorious life. We will never be perfect in this life but we should always be striving for holiness through the grace of God.
Questions:
Action steps:
Be committed to walk with God by His grace through faith and not by your feelings.
Be committed to repent quickly and often based on God's grace.
Pray that God would help you apply these truths into your practical life.
Day 1: 1st Corinthians 1-2
Day 2: 1st Corinthians 3-4
Day 3: 1st Corinthians 5-6
Day 4: 1st Corinthians 7-8
Day 5: 1st Corinthians 9-10
Memory verse:
Philippians 3:13
Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead,
Focal passage: Philippians 3:12-14; Hebrews 4:16; 10:19
We have been looking at the work of grace in our lives as we've been focusing on the book of Romans the last four weeks. In week 9-11, we sought to understand the grace of God. Last week we saw how we can grow only through grace. This week we want to look at what it means to walk day by day by the grace of God. We move from the theology of Grace to the practicality of grace.
We briefly looked at Titus 2:11–14 last week when we talked about growing in grace. We saw how the grace of God teaches us to live a holy and righteous life. Grace does not give us a license to sin, but it gives us a license FROM sin. When someone is truly walking in grace they are going to desire to live in a way that is pleasing and honoring to God in everything they do. In Titus 2:12, Paul declares that the grace of God teaches us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, that we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age. This week we want to examine how the grace of God practically teaches us to live holy.
In week two, we looked at the gift of repentance. We saw how through the cross of Christ we are able to turn to God through repentance and receive forgiveness. It is through daily repentance that we are actually going to grow and become stronger in our walk with the Lord. Consider with me what Paul is saying here in Philippians 3:12-13 “12 Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. 13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead.”
First thing to understand is that when Paul wrote this, he had been saved for about 30 years. He declares three times in these two verses that he has not arrived at the place of victory and holiness in his Christian experience yet. Of course none of us will arrive at that place until we receive our glorified bodies. But that does not mean that we don't strive to live a holy life. In fact Paul goes on to say in verse 14 that this is the very thing he's pressing on towards. Philippians 3:14, “I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” The reason that this passage is one of my life verses is because there is so much hope for us in the midst of our failures. The key phrase to this passage is where Paul says “ONE THING I DO, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead.” There is only one thing to be done when we fail. It's to repent and turn back to God and forget the things that are behind us and press on to the things that are ahead. Satan's greatest desire is for you to be condemned under the weight of your sin and keep you living in defeat. But God's will for you when you are in sin is that you repent and forget what lies behind and press towards the Lord. This is the key to your spiritual growth.
Which brings us to Hebrews 10:19 where God tells us that we are to “boldly enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus.” Notice that it says that we are to come into God's presence with boldness. The word boldness could also be translated confidence. The confidence that we are to come into God's presence with is not in our own righteousness or holiness, but it is in the blood of Jesus Christ alone. This is where grace becomes very real in our day by day walk with God. I'm to have confidence in the work of the cross which will cause me to stand up when I've fallen down and approach God with boldness because of the blood of Jesus Christ and nothing else.
What is the will of God for you when you are in sin? It is to repent and to boldly approach the Lord based on His grace. This truth is clearly taught in Hebrews 4:16 where it says “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” The truth that is expressed in this verse is so powerful. Think about it. We are to boldly, or confidently, come to the throne of grace so that we might obtain mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. When are you in the greatest need of mercy and grace? When you are in sin. This is the key to living a victorious life. We will never be perfect in this life but we should always be striving for holiness through the grace of God.
Questions:
- Paul the Apostle was a gospel preaching force and a grace saturated saint. We get a glimpse of how he became that way in Phil 3:13. He was a man that practiced forgetting what was behind and reaching forward to the things ahead. He goes on to say that he pressed towards the goal of Jesus. He pursued Jesus passionately not allowing his past mistakes, or successes, to get in the way of him moving forward. In what ways have past sins or successes kept you from running after Jesus. How has your past hindered you from running to Him?
- How does being confident in ourselves differ from being confident in Jesus? What does having confidence, or boldness, look like practically in your life?
- How does mercy and grace help us in our time of need? Why would these be the 2 things the author of Hebrews tells us we can access when we come into the throne of grace?
Action steps:
Be committed to walk with God by His grace through faith and not by your feelings.
Be committed to repent quickly and often based on God's grace.
Pray that God would help you apply these truths into your practical life.