attitudes of the heart

1

Attitudes of the Heart


Copyright © 2011 by Rick Cowan All rights reserved

Rick Cowan. 525 Elinor St. Windsor, Ontario, Canada, N8P 1E3

All Scripture quotations are from:

The Holy Bible, King James Version (KJV)


2 Preface

1 God’s Internal Work ................................................................. 1

2 Faith ........................................................................................ 10

3 Obedience ............................................................................... 17

4 Growth .................................................................................... 25

5 Self-Discipline ........................................................................ 34

6 Love ........................................................................................ 44

7 Joy ........................................................................................... 63

8 Hope ....................................................................................... 71

9 Contentment ........................................................................... 81

10 Thankfulness ......................................................................... 91

11 Unity ................................................................................... 102

12 Compassion ........................................................................ 114

13 Humility .............................................................................. 122

14 Forgiveness ......................................................................... 133

Preface Many churches put an inordinate emphasis on outward conformity and reformation and teach very little on

spiritual attitudes of the heart. For this reason, when I became the Pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in April

of 2010, one of my first priorities was to teach a series on internal attitudes that the Holy Spirit desires to

produce in every Christian. This book is the culmination of that series.

How to use this Book

Open the Bible. This book is designed for Bible study. In order to fully benefit from the studies contained

here, you must be willing to open your Bible and search the scriptures for answers. These studies are based

upon the King James Version of the Bible. If you are accustomed to reading another version you may need

to have both opened in order to discover the right answers.

Take your Time. The purpose of any Bible study is not to race to the finish line. If your time spent studying

scripture does not produce a better understanding of the word of God then it is in vain. Take your time going

through these studies. Stop and think about what you’ve read and take the time to apply the truths to your

life.

Reflect. Throughout these studies you will see the symbol REflEct followed by a question. There is no room

to write an answer because these are designed for meditation. Take a minute and think about how the ques-

tion applies practically to your life. Apply the study and be willing to change where God prompts you to.

You will also see questions prefaced by Think. These were originally questions for open discussion in our

church. There are no right or wrong answers for these just your own personal opinion.

Pray. Bible truths are only imparted by the Holy Spirit of God. While you study, pray that God would help

you to understand and apply His word to your life.

Contact

For more studies and audio sermons visit: www.rickcowan.com or www.calvarybaptistwindsor.com

Find me on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/rickcowan and Twitter: @rick_cowan

http://www.rickcowan.com/

http://www.calvarybaptistwindsor.com/

http://www.facebook.com/rickcowan

www.calvarybaptistwindsor.com P a g e | 133

14

14 Forgiveness

Ephesians 4:32

And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another,

even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

s we come to the end of our studies on the attitudes of the heart, what we quickly realize is that each

and everyone of these attitudes is, in some measure, simply a reflection of the character of Jesus Christ.

Each of these is a byproduct of the Spirit of Christ working in us, making us more and more like Him

(Rom 8:9; Col 1:27; Gal 4:19). This study’s attitude of forgiveness is no different. It is a remarkable attribute of

Jesus Christ who came into this world to forgive sinners (Acts 5:31; 1 Tim 1:15; Eph 1:7). Since all Christians

have been the beneficiaries of Christ’s forgiveness, He now commands that we also offer forgiveness to one

another (Matt 6:14-15; Eph 4:32; Matt 18:21-35).

Eph 4:32. Q. How should we treat one another?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Q. What example are we following when we forgive one another?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

In the eighteenth chapter of Matthew we find the very first mention of the church. Here Christ is giving

instruction to his disciples as to how to handle the issue of forgiveness in the church. As we progress through our

look at this attitude of forgiveness, we will consider the Procedure, Perpetuity and Propagation of Forgiveness

as found in Matthew 18:15-35.

A


1. The Procedure for Forgiveness – Matthew 18:15-20

The very fact that Jesus saw fit to give these instructions regarding forgiveness is proof that he expected there to

be offenses in the church. As a congregation of imperfect people who still struggle with sin we will, at times,

offend one another. We will sometimes unknowingly (and sometimes knowingly) hurt each other’s feelings.

These offenses are unfortunate but not unexpected. Since we know that these offenses will come, we should

prepare for them by learning the Biblical procedure for forgiveness.

First of all, Jesus tells us that if a brother sins against us we are to approach him in confidence.

a. Approach Your Brother in Confidence

Matt 18:15. Q. What should we tell our brother?

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Matt 18:15. Q. Who else should we tell?

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Matt 18:15. Q. According to the last phrase in this verse, what is our motivation in approaching our brother?

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

When we are sinned against in the church and find that this offense has damaged our relationship with a brother

or sister, our first priority should be the restoration of that relationship. Or as Christ said, we should seek to “gain

our brother.” Being motivated with a sincere desire to gain our brother we should then approach our brother

privately or “in confidence.”

Think. Why do you think it is important to approach your brother privately and to tell him his fault only

between “thee and him alone?”

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________


Oftentimes when we are offended, our first reaction is one of pride. We immediately seek to justify ourselves or

to condemn those who have offended us. How do we do this? We begin to look for others who will offer a

sympathetic ear to us. Getting others to take up our offense is a surefire way to convince ourselves that we are

justified in our bitterness or in withholding our forgiveness.

Think. What lasting damage might be caused if an offended brother involves others in the offense?

___________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

If, as Christians in the church, we are operating from a starting point of a love for the brethren, then our initial

reaction to offenses will not be one of vindictiveness but of love. We will not gossip. We will not tear down the

reputation of the sinning brother. We will not share the offense with anyone until we have first sought to be

reconciled to our brother.

Consider the following benefits of approaching your brother privately:

I. If it turns out that the offense is simply a misunderstanding then you have protected yourself from

spreading misleading gossip.

II. If the sinning brother readily admits his fault and you and he are promptly reconciled, then you have

ensured that others will not have a lasting, inaccurate, or negative impression of him. Otherwise, those

you have shared the offense with may continue to harbour bitterness toward your brother long after the

two of you have reconciled.

III. By refusing to share the offense with others you have protected yourself from reacting emotionally and

slandering your brother through gossip. It is possible for your reaction to the offense to be a greater sin

than the offense itself (James 1:19-20).

Even when we are offended, our reaction to our fellow Christians must be driven by love. In love we will seek

his wellbeing and his restoration. We will seek to protect his reputation and to be reconciled to him quickly. Any

other motivation in approaching our brother is invalid and unbiblical.

Should We Always Approach Our Brother?

Is there ever a time when it is O.K. to just allow an offense to pass without confronting it? Not only is it O.K. but

in some instances it is preferred. Consider the following principles:

REflEct

Have you ever received a phone call from someone who wanted you to take up their offense in a matter? Have you ever made such a phone call? Considering the

above, what is the better way to handle an offense?


I. The Principle of Graceful Suffering

Matt 5:39. Q. In New Testament times a slap on the face was a tremendous insult. To be struck on the face

by the hand of another was a demeaning act that robbed its victim of human dignity. Christ chose this insult

purposefully, knowing how offensive it was to the Jews. How did Jesus tell us to respond if someone were to hit

us on our “right cheek?”

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Q. Obviously Jesus is not simply giving us instruction in how to respond to slaps. He was teaching a broader

principle about how to respond to offenses. What principle do you think he is teaching when he says “turn to him

the other also?”

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Here Jesus is teaching us the principle of graceful suffering. That is, when others offend us we are not to stoop to

their level and treat them as they have treated us. Instead, we are to respond with grace exhibiting the same

meekness and humility that Christ did when he was abused and reviled (1 Peter 2:23).

Paul taught the principle of graceful suffering when he dealt with the issue of offenses in the Corinthian church.

In chapter 6 of First Corinthians he tells the church how they should have responded when they were sinned

against:

1 Cor 6:6-7. Q. How were the Corinthians handling their disagreements with one another?

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

v7. Q. How did Paul tell the church they should have handled their offenses?

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

REflEct

Has your pride ever prevented you from letting an offense go? How could exercising the principle of graceful suffering have helped you in that situation?


Paul told the Corinthians that they would have been better off if they just learned to “take wrong” and allow

themselves to be “defrauded.” Lawsuits were widespread in Corinth. Neighbours would take each other to court

over even small violations. The church had been so influenced by its culture that it too treated one another with

contempt. There was a constant drive for “justice”, that is, getting what each felt they were owed by others. Paul

told the Corinthians that the behaviour of the world had no place in the church (cf. 1 Cor 13:5).

If each and everyone of us got what we deserved we would be in Hell. Far be it from the forgiven Christian to

seek to exact justice on every brother or sister who offends them (Matt 18:32-33). Paul’s priority was graceful

suffering. It would have been far better if each member, when offended, simply suffered without harbouring

bitterness (Eph 4:31; Heb 12:14-15; James 3:14), and did not retaliate.

There is another principle that we must consider when deciding whether or not we should approach a brother

who has sinned against us and that is The Principle of God’s Sovereignty.

II. The Principle of God’s Sovereignty

Before we become too upset about offenses, we should remember that God is the sovereign of the universe. God

knows everything that we encounter in this life because He is sovereign over circumstance. It may be that he has

brought suffering into our lives for our own good.

James 1:2-5. Q. What should our attitude be when we face

trials?

______________________________________________________

______________________________________________________

______________________________________________________

Q. What does the “trying of our faith” do for us?

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Q. What is the end result of patience being formed in us?

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

We should not become upset every time we face trials in our lives. These difficulties actually have a maturing

affect in us. Through hardship we learn patience and this continuing patience produces spiritual maturity.

Whether our trials are financial, circumstancial, or relational, they all contribute to our spiritual growth as we

learn to respond to them in a way that pleases God. Consider Joseph as an example:

“

”

Through hardship

we learn patience

and this continuing

patience produces

spiritual maturity.


Gen 50:19-20. Q. After Joseph had been hated by his brothers, cast in a pit, sold into slavery, falsely accused

and put in prison, he finally reunited with his family. Everything Joseph’s brothers did toward him was designed

to hurt him. How did Joseph respond to his brothers when they knelt down before him asking forgiveness?

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Joseph responded “am I in the place of God?” He recognized God as the Sovereign One who orchestrated every

hardship for a purpose. He knew that God could overrule the evil intentions of his brothers and turn their blasting

into blessing. Joseph’s understanding of God’s sovereignty enabled him to suffer graciously. Now consider the

example of David:

2 Samuel 16:5-12. Q. In this passage we find David and his “mighty men” being confronted by a man from

the house of Saul, named Shimei. As Shimei saw David he began to curse him calling him a “bloody man” and

“son of Belial” while throwing stones at him. According to verse 9, how did Abishai respond?

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

v10-11. Q. How did David respond to Abishai and the rest of his servants? What was his reasoning?

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

v12. Q. What did David suggest that God might do?

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

David was a king, surrounded by his men of war. He could have easily avenged himself upon Shimei. But David,

understanding that God is sovereign, chose rather to let Shimei curse him. David knew that it could have been

God who allowed this to happen and that God could avenge him this wrong if He saw fit.

Both David and Joseph offer us tremendous examples of suffering graciously in light of God’s sovereignty. They

absorbed the offenses of others and did not react, knowing that God was in control. Proverbs 19:11 summarizes

the principle of graceful suffering well:

REflEct

God’s sovereignty does not excuse the behaviour of an offensive person but it does help us when we are deciding how to respond. How can you apply David’s example

practically next time you are offended?


The discretion of a man deferreth his anger; and it is his glory to pass over a transgression.

Now consider a third principle – The Principle of God’s Justice.

III. The Principle of God’s Justice

1 Pet 2:21-23. Q. What example should we follow when we suffer?

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Q. What did Christ not do when others reviled him and caused him pain?

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Q. What did he do?

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

When Christ was beaten and vilified he did not respond in kind. He did not stoop to the level of his abusers and

threaten or revile back. This is a remarkable example especially considering the fact that Christ was absolutely

sinless and any suffering that he experienced was unjust and undeserved. Christ did not respond to his accusers.

Instead, he “commited himself to him that judgeth righteously.” Jesus is teaching us here that there is only one

who always judges with righteous judgement and that is God himself (John 8:50). It is far better to commit our

cause to God, the righteous judge, than to constantly question whether or not our handling of a situation is right.

We know that however God works out the situation, it will be in perfect harmony with his justice.

Psalms 35:1. Q. What did David ask God to do for him?

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Psalms 9:4. Q. What did the Psalmist say God did for Him? According to the imagery used here, where was

God sitting? Why is this significant?

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________


Psalm 75:7. Q. What is God? What does he do?

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

The Christian should rely on God as the righteous judge. If we are sinned against and are unsure whether or not

we should respond, or how we should handle the situation, it may be better to simply commit our cause to God in

prayer and trust him to vindicate us if need be.

A willingness to suffer graciously, a recognition of God’s sovereignty and a submission to God’s justice will go a

long way in preventing conflicts in the church. If each of us were to practice these three principles, offenses

would rarely escalate to the level of confrontation.

When We Must Approach Our Brother

Now, having seen when it might be better not to approach our brother when we are offended, let’s consider when

we must approach our brother. Consider these principles:

I. The Principle of Protection – Of others who are offended

Psalms 82:3-4.

Q. What should we do for the “poor and fatherless?” ________________________________________________

Q. What should we do for the “afflicted and needy?” ________________________________________________

Q. What should we do for the “poor and needy?” ___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

When we are the only ones offended or sinned against we are perfectly justified in forgiving the offending

brother unilaterally. It is completely within our power to decide to suffer graciously and choose not to approach

our brother. This is not the case when we observe others, especially weaker brothers, being sinned against. In

these cases, God encourages us to protect the weaker brother. See Galatians 2:11-14 where Paul recounts his

confrontation with Peter on behalf of the Gentile believers.

Think. How might a stronger Christian be guilty of offending a weaker Christian? (consider the principles

found in 1 Corinthians 8)

REflEct

Have you ever reacted to what you perceived to be an offense only to later discover that your offense was the result of a misunderstanding? Why would it have been

better to commit your cause to God as the righteous judge?


___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

II. The Principle of Intervention - In the life of the sinning brother

1 Cor 5:4-5. Q. In this passage we read about a man in the Corinthian church who was guilty of committing

adultery. The church had overlooked the fault even though it was “commonly reported” among them (1 Cor 5:1).

According to verse 5, how did Paul instruct the church to deal with this brother?

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Q. According to the latter part of verse 5, what was the motivation for “delivering such an one unto Satan?” for

the destruction of the flesh?”

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Sometimes it is important to confront a brother over his sin in

order to prevent him from continuing down a path of personal

destruction. The Corinthians had to make some severe judgments

on behalf of this sinning brother but even this was for his own

good. It is not helpful to ignore or avoid confrontation in the name

of “keeping the peace” if it means allowing a brother to continue in

a pattern of living that will be detrimental to him in the long run.

III. The Principle of Purification – Of the body of Christ

1 Cor 5:6. Q. Paul goes on to give another motivation for

confronting this brother. Why did he say the “glorying” (or

boasting), of the Corinthians was not good?

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

What Paul is saying is that this one man, having been permitted to continue in sin, could have had a sinful

influence on the entire church (Heb 12:15). Just as a little bit of yeast spreads and permeates the entire loaf of

“

”

The purpose in

confronting the

brother is to

protect his own

spiritual wellbeing

and to maintain

purity in the

church.


bread, sin also spreads in the church thereby defiling the entire congregation. Paul told the church that they

should not have been boasting, but rather mourning over the sin in their midst (1 Cor 5:2).

When sinful or offensive activities are continuing in the church body than it is the church’s responsibility to

approach the sinning brother and confront him over his sin. The purpose in confronting the brother is to protect

his own spiritual wellbeing and to maintain purity in the church. (cf. Acts 5:1-11).

IV. The Principle of Reconciliation – Of both you and the offender

Another principle that we must consider when deciding whether or not we should approach our brother is that of

reconciliation. Because God desires perfect unity in the body of Christ (Eph 4:2-3; John 17:21-23), we must seek

to be reconciled to our brother whenever a relationship is harmed through offenses (Matt 5:23-24; Matt 18:15).

Matt 5:23-24. Q. Using the context of a man bringing a sacrifice to the altar, Jesus gives us a principle

regarding reconciliation. What does the man mentioned here remember?

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Q. Is this man the offender or the offended? _______________________________________________________

The idea here is that this man, while preparing to offer his sacrifice to God, remembers that he has, in some way,

offended a brother in Christ. Once he remembers that he has caused an offense and that a fellow Christian has

something against him, he should go and be reconciled to his brother and then come back and offer his sacrifice.

This again emphasizes the fact that God is unreceptive to worship from Christians who refuse to reconcile with

one another (Matt 6:14-15; Matt 18:21-35).

Matt 18:15. Q. In the previous passage we saw a man who remembered that he had offended a brother. How

is this passage different?

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Q. What does Jesus tell this offended brother to do?

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Q. Considering both Matt 5:23-24 and Matt 18:15 above, who is responsible for approaching their brother, the

person who is offended or the person who caused the offense?

___________________________________________________________________________________________


___________________________________________________________________________________________

Think. If both the one who is offended and the one who caused the offense would follow the principles above,

What do you think the result be in the church would be?

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Jesus said that mutual Christian love in the church would be clear evidence that we are his disciples (John 13:35);

consequently, he has placed a tremendous emphasis on unity and reconciliation in the church (1 Cor 1:10; Php

1:27; 2:1-2). If we have been offended, we should approach our brother, seeking reconciliation (Matt 18:15). If

we have offended others, we should also approach our brother, seeking reconcilation (Matt 5:23-24). The desire

for unity in the church and the desire to exhibit Christ-like love should motivate both brothers to be reconciled.

In review, so far we have seen that when we are offended we should Approach our Brother in Confidence. We

learned that before we approach our brother we should consider the principles of Gracious Suffering, God’s

Sovereignty and God’s Justice. We also learned that there are some principles that demand that we approach our

brother; namely, The Principles of Protection, Intervention, Purification, and Reconciliation.

If we follow these principles and it results in the “gaining of our brother” than no other action is necessary. But,

if our brother refuses to “hear us” and does not respond to our efforts of reconciliation or our confrontation of his

sin, than Jesus gives us another step which we should follow. He tells us that we should approach this

unresponsive brother “with counsel.”

b. Approach Your Brother with Counsel

Matt 18:16. Q. What does Jesus tell us to do if our brother “will not hear” us?

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Here we are told that we should tell our situation to one or two other Christians who can act as objective

witnesses (“that…every word may be established”). These men or women can act as mediators or judges. They

can view the conflict with fresh eyes and help to determine whether there has been a misunderstanding or a

legitimate offense.

REflEct

Have you ever experienced a time of conflict where you were the offender? What kept you from approaching your brother? Were you the offended? What kept you

from approaching your brother? What should have been done?


1 Cor 6:5. Q. As we have already seen in 1 Corinthians 6, Paul is dealing with the fact that the Corinthians

were taking one another to court to settle their disputes. Paul rebukes them for this practice. What did he expect

there to be in the church?

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Deut 19:15. Q. What did God forbid here?

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Q. How did God say the matter should be established?

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

The use of two or three witnesses is a biblical principle stretching all the way back to the book of Deuteronomy.

If the situation with our sinning brother is to rise to the level where the church body becomes involved these

witnesses can serve as confirmation of the offense.

Think. Why is it a good principle to not always accept the testimony of only one accuser?

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

If approaching our brother privately has failed and we must avail ourselves to this second step, we should be sure

that our motivations are pure and that we are not involving others for the sake of justification, or because we are

looking for people to take up our offense. We should be motivated by a sincere desire to be reconciled to our

brother, to keep the church pure, or to intervene in the life of a sinning brother for his spiritual wellbeing. The

best practice would be to seek the elders of the church or other men and women who have a reputation of

spiritual maturity and discernment.

Jesus goes on to give us yet another step in this procedure. If our brother refuses to hear us privately and refuses

to hear the Godly witnesses which we have involved, then we are to approach our brother as a congregation.

c. Approach Your Brother as a Congregation

Matt 18:17. Q. If your brother refuses to hear you and also refuses to hear the two or three witnesses, then

what should be done?


___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Step three in this procedure, after two or three witnesses have deemed there to be a legitimate trespass or offense,

is to bring the situation before the church (1 Cor 5:4-5; 2 Cor 2:6-7). Here, the church acts in unity to admonish

the sinning brother and seeks to restore him to fellowship (Gal 6:1-2). This restoration can happen only after

repentance and reconciliation (Luke 17:3)

Think. Why do you think it is important for the church to act in unity in this matter?

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

If the sinning brother does not heed the admonition of the church then he has made it clear that he is no longer in

submission to the authority of the church. The church then has no choice but to move on to step four in this

procedure for church discipline – Remove your brother from your company.

d. Remove Your Brother From Your Company

Matt 18:17. Q. In the worst case scenario, this brother will refuse to repent of his sin and be reconciled to the

church. What did Jesus tell the church they should then do?

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Lastly, Jesus tells us that if our brother has not taken heed to our desire for reconciliation, or our admonishment

for his sin, neither has he obeyed the counsel of two or three witnesses, nor has he submitted himself to the

authority of the church, then the next step is to remove him from our fellowship.

Paul confirms this principle in his epistles to the Thessalonians and Corinthians:

2 Thess 3:14-15. Q. What was the church to do with a brother who was unwilling to obey the letter that Paul

had written?

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

1 Cor 5:11-13. Q. How did Paul tell the Corinthians they should relate to a brother who is continuing in the

sins mentioned here?


___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

It is no small matter for a Christian man or woman to reject the efforts of the church to reconcile him to their

fellowship. The church is the very body and bride of Jesus Christ and operates with his authority and on his

behalf. When we obey Christ in dealing with these matters we are executing His will on earth. This is made plain

in Matthew 18:18-20.

Matt18:18-20. Q. What will be “bound” and “loosed” in heaven?

______________________________________________________

______________________________________________________

Remember, this passage is still in the context of the procedure for

forgiveness and discipline in the church. What Jesus is saying is

that when the church follows the biblical pattern of church

discipline and executes judgment or restoration, than they are

performing his will on earth. When they, as a church body stand in

agreement concerning their judgment against sin in the church, he

will affirm and bless their decision insofar as they have correctly followed his instructions. He then promises his

presence and his authority in matters of judgment when he states in Matt 18:20, For where two or three are

gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

Think. How should Christ’s promises in Matt 18:18-20 encourage the church to confront sin and offenses in

the church instead of avoiding confrontation at all costs?

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

The church who does not employ this procedure for forgiveness, or in the worst case scenario, church discipline,

does not operate with the authority of Christ and does not have the promise of Christ’s approval on matters of

judgment. It is the faithful adherence to Christ’s commands in Matthew 18 that brings his blessing and authority

upon the church.

“

”

REflEct

It is the faithful

adherence to

Christ’s commands

in Matthew 18 that

brings his blessing

and authority to

the church.

Are you so committed to the purity of the church that you would be willing to ap-prove of the removal of a sinning brother who has not responded to any of the

steps listed above? Why or Why not?


It is sometimes easy to ignore sin or offenses in the church in the name of “keeping the peace.” This is a foolish

thing to do as it foreits Christ’s blessing. He desires the unity and purity of his church and has for this reason

commanded the church to confront sin and seek reconciliation when necessary.

The church who wants to be blessed by Christ will follow his procedure for forgiveness.

2. The Perpetuity of Forgiveness – Matthew 18:21-22

Matt 18:21. Q. After Jesus taught the proper procedure to follow to deal with forgiveness in the church, what

question did Peter ask?

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Having heard Christ’s prescription for forgiveness, Peter wonders at what point the Christian should be allowed

to withhold forgiveness. What if our brother keeps offending us? What if asks forgiveness but sins against us

again? Surely there is a limit!

Matt 18:22. Q. How did Jesus answer Peter’s question?

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Jesus is not telling Peter that he should forgive his erring brother 490 times. He is using a figure of speech to

illustrate the perpetuity of forgiveness. That is, we should be willing to forgive our brother as many times as he

sincerely repents and seeks our forgiveness. In doing so, we are modelling the longsuffering forgiveness that our

Lord has shown to us.

1 John 1:9. Q. What will God do if we confess our sins?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Q. How is God described in this verse? ___________________________________________________________

Q. Has God put a limit on how many times we can come and confess our sin? ____________________________

Eph 4:32. Q. Who should we try to emulate when we forgive others? ________________________________

God’s forgiveness is unending. When we come to God, repenting of our sin, we can count on Him being faithful

to forgive us our sins. As beneficiaries of this endless forgiveness, we should be willing to show the same mercy

to our brothers and sisters in Christ. In Matthew 18:23-35, Christ goes on to illustrates this truth.


3. Passing Along Forgiveness – Matthew 18:23-35

Matt 18:23-35. Q. As the king in this parable takes account of all that he is owed, a servant is brought to him

in verse 24, how much did this servant owe him?

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Ten thousand talents is a huge amount that this servant was entirely incapable of paying (v25). The king ordered

this man, his wife and his children to be sold into slavery in order to pay the debt. The servant fell down and

begged the king to spare him and his family.

Matt 18:27. Q. How did the king respond to the servants pleading?

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Q. What was it that “moved” the king to forgive his servant?

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Think. Remember that this is a parable. Who do you think the king represents? How about the servant?

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

We all owe a debt incurred by our sin against God. We are incapable of making payment for this sin, but God,

through his compassionate forgiveness, has freed us from this debt (Rom 6:18-22). Just as God has forgiven us a

debt that we could not pay (Eph 2:1; Rom 5:6-8; Col 2:13), the king in this parable has forgiven his servant.

Matt 18:28. Q. What did the forgiven servant do to one of his fellowservants?

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Q. How much did his fellowservant owe him? _____________________________________________________


This man, who was forgiven an insurmountable debt by his compassionate lord, turned around and withheld

forgiveness from his fellowservant. Worse than that, his fellowservant owed him far less than what he had owed.

This man had his fellowservant cast into prison until he could pay the paltry sum. When others witnessed the

servants heartlessness, especially in light of the compassion he was shown, they went and told his lord.

Matt 18:32-34. Q. How did the king describe his servant? _________________________________________

Q. Why did the king expect that his servant would have been more forgiving in his dealings with others?

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Just like the servant in this parable, we are all indebted to God because of our sin (Matt 6:12); we are all unable

to pay the debt that our sin has incurred (Col 2:13; Eph 2:1; Rom 5:6); and, we are all undeserving of the

forgiveness that our Lord has given us (Rom 5:8). Futhermore, just as this servant was expected to forgive his

fellowservants in light of his lord’s forgiveness, we too are expected to forgive fellow Christians in light of the

forgiveness that our Lord has shown us.

Q. v34. How did the king respond to his servants lack of compassion?

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Q. In verse 35, Jesus makes a very plain application of this parable, what is it in your own words?

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

The unforgiving servant in this parable is a striking illustration of the unforgiving Christian. Using this servant as

an example, consider what happens when the Christian forgets that he is indebted, unable, and undeserving.

1. v28. He withholds forgiveness for far less than what God has forgiven him

2. v30. He shows far less compassion than God has shown him

3. v31. He forfeits peace and unity among his fellows

4. v34. He faces the discipline of his Lord

God expects us to show the same compassionate forgiveness to our fellow Christians that he has shown to us.

Our indebtedness to God for his unconditional forgiveness should lead us to freely forgive our brethren. God is

so concerned that we propagate this forgiveness that he will withhold forgiveness from the Christian who does

not forgive his brother.

Matt 6:14. Q. When will the Father forgive us our “trespasses?”


___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Matt 6:15. Q. When will the Father not forgive us our “trespasses?”

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Think. The forgiveness which brings salvation to the sinner is unconditional. If the sinner will repent and be-

lieve the gospel, he will receive forgiveness. But the forgiveness that God offers to his children, the forgiveness

that maintains a right relationship with Him after salvation, is not unconditional. Based upon the above verses,

what is the condition? Why do you think God has made this a condition?

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Conclusion

Spiritual growth and Christ-likeness in the life of a believer will lead him to practice forgiveness. On the other

hand, a lack of forgiveness in the life of a Christian is an indication of a spiritual problem. It reveals that he has

forgotten what God has done for him and it exposes his unloving heart. The man who is closest to God is furthest

from pride. He understands the indebted, unable, and undeserving state that he was in when God forgave him and

responds by freely offering the same unconditional forgiveness to others.

In closing, remember that no matter how forgiving and compassionate we are toward others, it will always pale

in comparison to what God the Father has done for us through Jesus Christ. He is never content to simply offer

forgiveness, but with that forgiveness he lavishes upon his children all the blessings of heaven. (Eph 1:3-14).


Review: Forgiveness

1. Why do you think we can expect to experience offenses in the church?

2. Before we approach a brother about an offense, what attitude should we ensure we are operating from?

3. Why are some of the benefits of approaching our brother privately about an offense?

4. How will the principle of graceful suffering help to maintain unity in the church?

5. How does understanding God’s sovereignty help us to handle offenses?

6. How can a trust in God’s justice help us when we are offended?

7. How does approaching an offending brother help him?

8. How does the purity of the church demand that we approach our brother?

9. Why is it a good idea to approach your brother with counsel if he will not hear you?

10. Why must a church practice church discipline in order to have Christ’s blessing upon it?

11. Why should God’s forgiveness toward us motivate us to show forgiveness to others?

1



2 Preface


2 Faith ........................................................................................ 10

3 Obedience ............................................................................... 17

4 Growth .................................................................................... 25

5 Self-Discipline ........................................................................ 34

6 Love ........................................................................................ 44

7 Joy ........................................................................................... 63

8 Hope ....................................................................................... 71

9 Contentment ........................................................................... 81

10 Thankfulness ......................................................................... 91

11 Unity ................................................................................... 102

12 Compassion ........................................................................ 114

13 Humility .............................................................................. 122

14 Forgiveness ......................................................................... 133













life.








Contact







13

13 Humility

Colossians 3:12

Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies,

kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;

umility is required to have the proper, biblical view of God, self and others. Jesus Christ exuded

humility. It was one of His chief characteristics (Isa 42:1-4, Zec 9:9). As such, when the Christian

grows in the faith, maturing into Christ-likeness, he will increasingly reflect the humility that Christ

himself possessed (2 Cor 10:1).

The opposite of humility is pride. Pride is at the top of God’s hate list!

Prov 16:5. Q. What does God think of those who are proud?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Prov 6:16-19; Prov 8:13. Q. What do the things listed with pride in these lists tell us about the seriousness of

pride?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Think. In your opinion, why does God hate pride so much?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

H


Pride was the sin that caused Satan to be cast out of heaven (Isa 14:14-15). Satan sowed the seeds of pride in the

heart of Adam and Eve in the garden (Gen 3:5-6). Pride remains a chief characteristic of Satan and of all who

follow him (John 8:31-59; 1John 2:16). It is pride that is behind all strife, wrath and unbelief (Prov 13:10; Prov

21:24; Ps 10:4). Finally, pride is always followed by shame, destruction and humiliation (Prov 11:2; Prov 29:23;

Prov 16:18).

God is the sovereign of the universe and Jesus Christ is Lord over all. God and God alone deserves honour,

exaltation and praise (Ps 148:13). So, everytime man lifts himself up in pride, he challenges the sovereignty and

glory of God. He vies for the honour and praise that God alone is worthy of.

God hates pride so much that he designed the entire salvation plan in such a way as to eliminate any possibility

that men could boast of their salvation.

1 Cor 1:19-31. Q. What will God destroy?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Q. v26. God has not called many of whom to salvation?

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

Q. v27-28. Why has God chosen to operate this way?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Q. v29. Because God has planned salvation this way, what can no man do?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Salvation is by grace through faith and not of human works “lest any man should boast” (Eph 2:9). God actively

designed salvation in such a way that human pride could play no part. As the hymnwriter put it:

Naught have I gotten but what I received;

Grace hath bestowed it since I have believed;

Boasting excluded, pride I abase;

I’m only a sinner, saved by grace!

“

”

God and God alone

deserves honour,

exaltation and

praise.


Humility – A Key to the Kingdom of God

Jesus Christ’s main opponents during his earthly ministry were the scribes and Pharisees. It is not surprising to

learn that these two groups were known for their self-righteous pride (Luke 16:14-15). They strutted about under

the guise of religious elitism the entire time being children of the devil and on their way to Hell. (John 8:44, Matt

23:15)

Matt 23:1-12. Q. v5. Why did these men “do their works?”

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

Jesus went on to say that the scribes and Pharisees always sought the

best seats at dinners and at synagogue. They loved personal attention

and recognition in public. They relished titles designed to exalt them

above the common people. The position they held within their

religious system was, to them, something to be proud of and they

wasted no opportunity to remind others of that fact.

The scribes and Pharisees were proud legalists. They prided themselves on keeping the rules that they wrote

themselves. They were not concerned with inward purity, but only outward appearance (Matt 23:27). They were

hypocrites who worshipped God with their lips, but not their hearts (Matt 15:1-9). What we see proven over and

over again by the example of the scribes and Pharisees is that legalism and pride go hand-in-hand. The legalist

believes he can please God in and of himself. He is depending upon his own righteousness to earn favour with

God. Naturally, the man or woman who believes they have earned God’s grace will be lifted up with pride by

what they perceive to be their accomplishment. (Rom 10:3; Rom 3:37)

In Luke 18:9-14 we find a striking illustration of this as Christ contrasts the prideful legalism of the Pharisees

with the genuine repentance of a humble publican. The Pharisees were the religious rulers while the publicans

were despised by the Jews and regarded as sinners (Matt 9:10-11; Matt 11:19).

Luke 18:9. Q. Who did Jesus speak this parable to?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Q. v9. As a result of their self-righteousness, how did they feel about others?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

“

”

REflEct

What we see

proven time and

time again by the

example of the

scribes and

Pharisees is that

legalism and pride

go hand-in-hand. God chose to save you when you were both unworthy of salvation and unable to

save yourself. How does an understanding of this help you to be humble?


__________________________________________________________________________________________

Q. v11. Why did the Pharisee thank God?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Q. v11-12. What standards did the Pharisee use to judge himself as righteous?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Think. It is good to not be an extortioner, or unjust, or an adulterer. It is a good thing to fast and to give

money. So, what did this man have wrong?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Q. v13. What would the publican not do? _________________________________________________________

Think. The publican would not even look to heaven and he hit himself on his chest. What do you think these

actions say about his view of God and himself?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

The publican in Jesus’ parable was the complete opposite of the Pharisee. The Pharisee had a distorted view of

God, himself and others. He thought he was good enough to find favour with God. So good in fact, that he had

the audacity to praise himself and his works before God. He felt that as long as his works outshined the works of

others, he had attained righteousness. In contrast, the publican with utter humility would not even look to

Heaven. But he stood with head bowed and smiting himself on the chest (a gesture of disdain for himself and his

sinfulness), he prayed only seven words “God be merciful to me a sinner.”

Q. v14. Who went home justifed? _______________________________________________________________

Q. v14. What truth was Jesus teaching through this parable?

__________________________________________________________________________________________


__________________________________________________________________________________________

The publican had no pretense about him. He knew he could not save himself and was unworthy of God’s mercy.

He humbly, and with anguish, cast himself at the feet of God the Father seeking forgiveness. These men were

simply illustrations in Jesus’ parable. He painted the picture of a prideful and self-righteous man in contrast to a

humble sinner in order to illustrate the way of salvation. The truth in this parable applies to every man or woman

who comes to God for mercy.

Child-like Humility

Matt 18:1-4. Q. v1. What question did the disciples ask Jesus?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Jesus did not accept the premise of the disciple’s question. He told them that they had to be “converted.” That is,

their thinking was completely wrong and unless they understood the right attitude necessary to enter the

Kingdom of Heaven, they would not enter in.

Q. v4. What attitude is required to enter the kingdom of Heaven?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Think. Why do you think Jesus used a child as an example? In what ways must we become like a child in

order to be saved?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

A child is helpless and dependent. He has no accomplishments, no titles, and no lust for worldly exaltation. He

is the epitome of humility. He has no pretense and no hypocrisy, only a simple trust and reliance. To come to

God as a child is to put aside our facades and self-righteousness, casting ourselves at his feet declaring our

unworthiness and inability to save ourselves.

Jesus emphasized this truth in Matthew 5:3 where he said “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the

kingdom of heaven..” To be poor in spirit is to be humble, destitute and utterly dependent upon God. This is the

REflEct

Think about your own salvation. How did humility play a role when you received Je-sus Christ as your personal Saviour and Lord?


attitude that everyone must have when they come to God for salvation. In contrast to this sincere humility,

Psalms 10:4 says The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his

thoughts.

Humility – The Basis of a Biblical Worldview

The Pharisee in Luke 18 was lifted up with pride and unwilling to humble himself before God. Not only did his

pride preclude him from entering heaven, but it perverted his view in three important areas: his view of God, his

view of himself, and his view of others. Likewise, everyone who is prone to pride will also have an ungodly and

unbiblical view in each of these areas.

1. A Wrong View of Self

1 Peter 1:24. Q. What is man’s glory like? What will come of it?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Rom 12:3. Q. How should man think of himself?

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

1 Cor 4:7. Q. Answer the three questions found in this verse.

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

1 Cor 15:10. Q. What did Paul recognizes about his own abilities?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

The psalmist had the right view of himself when he wrote Psalms 8:4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him?

and the son of man, that thou visitest him? Humility recognizes our sinfulness, our inability and our

unworthiness of God’s favour.

1 Tim 1:15. Q. Earlier we saw a parable about a Pharisee and a publican. The Pharisee was self-righteous.

He judged himself righteous by comparing himself to others. He had the wrong standard. How was Paul’s view

of himself different than the Pharisee?

“

”

Humility

recognizes our

sinfulness, our

inability and our

unworthiness of

God’s favour.


__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

2. A Wrong View of God

Isa 42:8. Q. What will God not share? ____________________________________________________

God alone deserves praise. He is the sovereign of the universe, the provider, protecter and enabler. Man has no

right to exalt himself, because all that he is and all that he possesses is graciously provided by God (Deu 8:17-18;

1 Cor 4:7). The prideful man has lost sight of this and places himself in a position that only God should occupy.

3. A Wrong View of Others

Isaiah described the selfish, self-righteous, condescending attitude of prideful rebels when he summarized their

attitude towards others in Isaiah 65:5: “[They] say, Stand by thyself, come not near to me; for I am holier than

thou.” God responded, “These are a smoke in my nose, a fire that burneth all the day.”

In stark contrast to these rebels, Philippians 2:3-4 tells us to view one another as better than ourselves. When we

do this, we will also be concerned with the “things” of others more than our own things. This humility will lead

us to care for, provide for, and pray for one another (1 Cor 12:25; James 5:16). It will enable us to forgive one

another and ultimately serve one another (Eph 4:32; Gal 5:13).

This humble love and care for one another is a far cry from the attitude of the Jews of Isaiah’s day or the Phari-

sees of Christ’s day.

Think. How might our flesh react to the idea of serving one another or esteeming each other as better than

ourselves? What fears might we have in doing so?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Without humility we cannot have a biblical view of God, ourselves or others. We will diminish God’s glory,

exalt ourselves and disregard others. As a result, we will fail to reflect the character of Christ and bring shame to

the name of God. Humility is really a cornerstone of Christian character. It is absolutely essential to properly

reflect the character of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

REflEct

We are often guilty of comparing ourselves to others. Sometimes this comparison makes us feel superior, other times inferior. In either case, why is comparing your-

self to others a bad thing?


Jesus Christ - The Perfect Example of Humility

Matt 11:29. Q. How did Jesus describe himself? ________________________________________________

Jesus said that those who take his yoke upon them would “learn of

him.” What would they learn? Meekness and lowliness. Humility

is one of the hallmarks of Christ-like character. The Christian who

walks with Christ on a daily basis through Bible reading, prayer

and obedience will become increasingly like him. That is, he will

exhibit more and more humility.

In Philippians 2 Paul exhorts us to show humility. He uses Jesus

Christ as the perfect example.

Philippians 2:3-11. Q. What attitude will keep us from doing

things through strife and vanity?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Q. v3. How does a proper view of ourselves (lowliness or humility) cause us to see others?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Q. v4. How does humility change what we are concerned or preoccupied with?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Think. How is humility different from low self-esteem or a poor self-image? How does Christ’s example in

verses 5-8 make the distinction clear?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Q. Pride causes men to exalt themselves, to seek prominence over others, to relish in accolades and to spend

much of their lives ensuring that their projected image is secure. Humility is the exact opposite, according to

Philippians 2:7-8, what did Christ’s humility allow him to do?

“

”

Humility is not

concerned with

self-image or

reputation; it

allows others to be

perceived as

superior.


__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Humility is not concerned with self-image or reputation; it allows others to be perceived as superior. The humble

person does not spend much time defending himself or habilitating his image, nor is he concerned with

maintaining social status. Jesus possessed all the glory of God the Father but “thought it not robbery to be equal

to God.” That means he did not feel compelled to grasp onto or protect his status. He willingly humbled himself

by becoming a man and even subjected himself to the hatred, abuse and humiliation of those who were inferior

to him.

Christ is the perfect embodiment of humility. All who come to him for salvation must humble themselves in the

process. Even after salvation, as a believer grows spiritually, he increases in meekness and lowliness (Matt

11:29). In a striking contrast to this world’s thinking, even (and especially) those who are leaders in the church

are to exemplify humility in the form of servant leadership.

Humility Means Servant Leadership

Matt 20:25-28. Q. How did leaders behave themselves in the “Gentile world?”

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Q. v26-27. How did Jesus say his disciples should behave?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Q. v28. What did Christ appeal to in his own life as an illustration of servant leadership?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

The Example of Christ

John 13:3-15. Q. How did Jesus illustrate humble servant-leadership?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

REflEct

Do you have an image that you are trying to protect? Are you overly worried about what people think about you? How does this contrast with Christ’s humble spirit?


__________________________________________________________________________________________

Q. v13. Who is Jesus? ________________________________________________________________________

Q. Jesus was not instituting a new ordinance for the church in this passage. He was using an object lesson to

illustrate a divine truth. If he was not instructing us to literally “wash one another’s feet”, what do you think he

was teaching us?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Humility Leads to Exaltation

Matt 23:12. Q. Who will be exalted? _________________________________________________________

1 Peter 5:6. Q. What must happen before God can exalt us? When will he do it?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

The Bible says that after Christ took upon himself the form of a servant and became obedient unto death that God

exalted him and gave him a name which is above every name (Php 2:7-9). This passage starts by telling us to let

this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus. God’s exaltation comes when we put down our own fleshly

pride and humble ourselves like Christ. This exaltation may not come in this life, but we can be assured that it

will come. Remember, the Pharisees sought man’s exaltation through pride and got it in this life (Matt 6:5). The

Christian is to seek God’s exaltation through humility and look for exaltation in the next life.

REflEct

Would you be willing to humble yourself and wash the feet of a fellow Christian? It is with this humble attitude that we should carry out all acts of service toward our

brethren. What might keep you from submitting yourself to others in this way?


Review: Humility

1. What does God think of pride? Why?

2. In what ways is humility required to be saved?

3. If we are prideful, we will have a distorted view in three key areas, what are they?

4. How will our view of God, ourselves and others be tainted by pride?

5. How do you think a biblical understanding of the nature of man might help us with our pride? (Rom

3:10,23)

6. How does humility view others?

7. How is Christ the perfect example of humility?

1



2 Preface


2 Faith ........................................................................................ 10

3 Obedience ............................................................................... 17

4 Growth .................................................................................... 25

5 Self-Discipline ........................................................................ 34

6 Love ........................................................................................ 44

7 Joy ........................................................................................... 63

8 Hope ....................................................................................... 71

9 Contentment ........................................................................... 81

10 Thankfulness ......................................................................... 91

11 Unity ................................................................................... 102

12 Compassion ........................................................................ 114

13 Humility .............................................................................. 122

14 Forgiveness ......................................................................... 133













life.








Contact







12

12 Compassion

1 Peter 3:8

Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another,

love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:

n this lesson we are going to consider an attitude of the heart which is closely related to love. Compassion is

inseparable from genuine love. True love always results in loving action (1 Cor 13). For this reason we often

see the phrase “moved with compassion” in scripture (Matt 9:36; Matt 4:14; Matt 18:27). Compassion begins

in the heart, but it doesn’t stay there. It overflows into loving action.

Compassion involves love, sympathy, pity, and even sorrow. To be compassionate is to share in the emotions of

others. It is to be moved by their troubled condition and to seek ways to help. Compassion drives us to offer

ourselves and our resources to alleviate the suffering of others.

Think. Considering the above definition, how has God shown compassion to us? Why is compassion the ap-

propriate emotion to be shown?

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Our God is a God of Compassion

Psalm 86:15. Q. How did the psalmist describe God?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Psalm 78:38-39. Q. What did God’s compassion lead him to do (or not do) for Israel? (4 Things)

I


1. _____________________________________________ 2. _________________________________________

3. _____________________________________________ 4. _________________________________________

Q. v39. What about man, lead God to show compassion?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Lamentations 3:22. Q. For what reason are we not consumed?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

We are all the beneficiaries of God’s compassion. If it were not for God’s compassion upon our sinful state we

would all be consumed by His wrath (John 3:36).

As the the perfect Son of God, Jesus Christ was the embodiment of this divine compassion:

Matt 9:36. Q. Why was Jesus moved with compassion?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Matt 14:14. Q. What did Jesus’ compassion lead him to do?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

The Blind Beggars

Matt 20:30-34. Q. In this passage some blind men heard Jesus passing by. According to verse 30, what did

they ask Jesus for?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Q. v31. How did the crowd react? _______________________________________________________________


Q. v32-34. What did Jesus do for them? _________________________________________________________

Q. How would you describe the attitude of this crowd toward the blind men?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

These blind beggars did not have a sense of etiquette when it came to appealing to Jesus for healing. The men

and women around them would have denied them access to Jesus just to spare themselves embarrassment. They

were more concerned with proper decorum than the severe needs of the blind beggars.

The Weeping Widow

Luke 7:11-15. Q. What lead Jesus to show compassion to this woman?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Think. What do Jesus’ words “weep not” reveal about His care for others?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

It is interesting that no one in this passage asked Jesus to heal the widow’s son. He came upon the funeral

procession, saw the weeping widow and had compassion upon her. He felt her pain, had pity upon her and healed

her son.

Jesus looked upon the plight of the crowd in Matthew 9 and was moved with compassion. He was sympathetic

toward their sinful state and their need for a saviour. In Matt 14 and 20 he had compassion upon the sick. His

compassion lead him to heal the multitudes and ultimately to die for all men so that they could be freed from the

bondage of sin (Rom 6:17-22). Jesus Christ is the perfect example of God’s compassion. Jesus not only exercised

compassion through physical healings and by dying on the cross, but he continues to show us compassion day-

by-day as he forgives our sin and provides us the power to live a successful Christian life (Heb 5:1-2; Heb 2:17-

18). Spiritual growth is a matter of becoming more and more like Jesus Christ. This means that as a Christian

matures spiritually he will grow in his compassion toward others (2 Peter 1:5-7).

REflEct

Do you think you would hesitate about showing compassion to men like the blind beggars? If so, what attitude would cause you to hesitate?


The Character of Compassion

1 Peter 3:8-9. Q. Who did Peter encourage us to have compassion on?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Paul used a similar phrase in Philippians and Colossians when he exhorted those churches to “put on bowels of

mercies” (Col 3:12; Php 2:1-4). This is a strange phrase which we do not use. It literally means to have an inward

affection or pity toward others. In this case he was telling the church to be compassionate toward one another.

Let’s look at the character of this compassion,

Compassion Loves

At its most basic level, compassion is simply an expression of love. Compassion is love rising to the surface

when we perceive the needs or hurts of others. The word itself simply means to suffer (passion) together (com).

Compassion Sacrifices

1 John 3:14-18. Q. What is proof that we’ve passed from death

unto life?

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

Q. v16. What should Christ’s loving sacrificial death motivate us to do?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Q. Laying down our lives for one another seems like a lofty ideal, but John goes on in the next verse to give us a

very practical example of what this sacrificial love is. According to v17 how can a Christian show sacrificial love

toward a brother in Christ?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Q. John uses a phrase to describe witholding “this world’s good” from those who are in need. What is it?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

“

”

Compassion is love

rising to the surface

when we perceive

the needs or hurts

of others.


__________________________________________________________________________________________

Q. v18. How does John describe the compassionate love that sacrifices its personal goods for the sake of others?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

A compassionate Christian will look for opportunities to come to the aid of those who are hurting and in need. He

is moved emotionally and shares in the pain that others are feeling. His compassion motivates him to act in some

way that will alleviate his brother’s pain (Rom 15:25-28; Cor 8:7-15).

In Luke chapter 10 a lawyer sought to “justify himself” by asking Jesus a trick question, “Who is my

neighbour?” In answer to this question, Jesus told a parable about sacrificial compassion. In his parable there is a

man who was stripped, beaten and robbed. A priest and a Levite passed by without an ounce of sympathy toward

him. A Samaritan came along and according to verse 33 of the passage “when he saw him, he had compassion on

him.” The Samaritan’s compassion lead him to treat the man’s wounds, pay for a hotel and cover any other

expenses that he might incur while recovering. Jesus told the lawyer that it was he who showed compassion who

was neighbour to the Samaritan. He then encouraged the lawyer to go and show the same sacrificial compassion

to others (Luke 10:37).

Think. Practically speaking, what are some areas where we might be called on to show compassion in the

church? How might we be tempted to withhold compassion?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

There is another characteristic of compassion that we can learn from this parable. That is:

Compassion Overlooks

Genuine compassion is not hindered by social, ethnic or religious boundaries. Nor is it withheld because of ones

failures. This is what is meant in 1 Corinthians 13 when Paul tells us that “love beareth all things.” Love is

willing to overlook (but not excuse) the sins of others if it means promoting their spiritual growth.

1 Peter 4:8. Q. What does charity (love) do?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

REflEct

What type of circumstances in your friend’s lives would call for you to show com-passion toward them?


__________________________________________________________________________________________

Compassion is moved by the hurts, needs and plights of men in general. It comes to the aid of people because

they need help, regardless of who they are. Remember, Jesus had compassion on us while we were yet sinners

(Rom 5:8).

Compassion Forgives

Matt 18:21-35. Q. What question did Peter ask Jesus?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Jesus took the opportunity of Peter’s question to tell a parable about forgiveness. In it, there is a king who asks

for all of his servants to come before him that he might assess how much money he is owed.

Q. v24. How much did this servant owe? _________________________________________________________

The king’s servant did not have the money to pay his debt. The king ordered his servant, his servant’s wife and

his children to all be sold into slavery. The servant bowed down and begged the king for patience so that he

might find the means to pay his insurmountable debt.

Q. v27. How did the king respond to the servant’s humble plea?

What attitude motivated the king?

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

After the servant’s debt was forgiven he went out to find a fellowsevant who owed him money (which amounted

to pennies). The servant took his debtor by the neck demanding payment. Despite his fellowservant’s pleas for

mercy he had him cast into prison until the debt was paid.

Q. v32-34. When the king heard of how the servant whom he had forgiven treated his fellowservant, what

question did he ask him? What did the king have done to his servant?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Q. Remember, this parable was Jesus’ answer to Peter’s question regarding forgiveness. The king in the parable

is a picture of God the Father, the servant is the sinner. In your own words, how does this parable apply to our

own forgiveness and the way in which we should treat each other?

“

”

God looked upon

our plight as

helpless sinners

and was moved

with compassion to

forgive us.


__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

God looked upon our plight as helpless sinners and was moved with compassion to forgive us (Col 2:13).

Likewise, God expects us to show compassionate forgiveness toward one another (Eph 4:32).

Galatians 6:1. Q. What should we do for a brother who is overtaken in a fault? In what spirit?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Q. Why should spiritual men in the church restore a brother with meekness?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

The unforgiving Christian is a person who lacks compassion. He fails to recall how much God has forgiven him

and fails to recognize his own tendency to sin (1 Cor 10:12).

Compassion loves, sacrifices, overlooks, forgives, and lastly:

Compassion Feels

Eph 4:32 And be ye kind one to another, __________________________, forgiving one another, even as

God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

The word tenderhearted means “pitiful, sympathetic, and well compassioned.” If we are to show compassion

then we must be sensitive toward others. The calloused, detached, self-focused Christian shows himself to be

unloving and consequently, uncompassionate. Compassion requires a purposeful effort to consider the needs and

hurts of others and then to come alongside with the help, comfort and encouragement that they may need (1 Tim

5:14; Php 2:4).

REflEct

Stop and think about the state you were in before you were saved. God showed you compassion while you were a sinner, unable and unworthy. How does the

compassion that you show others compare to the compassion that God has shown you?


Review: Compassion

1. What might prevent us from showing compassion to others?

2. What can we do to overcome these hindrances?

3. If we have compassion toward someone, how will we not respond to them?

4. How will "considering thyself" (Gal 6:1), help you to show compassion?

5. Some people are not naturally emotional. How can these people increase in their compassion for

others?

6. How might someone’s past failures keep us from showing them compassion? What attitude might

we be tempted to have towards them?

7. How should Matthew 5:43-48 affect how and to whom we show compassion?

1



2 Preface


2 Faith ........................................................................................ 10

3 Obedience ............................................................................... 17

4 Growth .................................................................................... 25

5 Self-Discipline ........................................................................ 34

6 Love ........................................................................................ 44

7 Joy ........................................................................................... 63

8 Hope ....................................................................................... 71

9 Contentment ........................................................................... 81

10 Thankfulness ......................................................................... 91

11 Unity ................................................................................... 102

12 Compassion ........................................................................ 114

13 Humility .............................................................................. 122

14 Forgiveness ......................................................................... 133













life.








Contact







11

11 Unity

Ephesians 4:1-3

I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the

vocation wherewith ye are called, With all lowliness and meekness, with

longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; Endeavouring

to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

nity is not technically an “attitude” but the desire for, and pursuit of unity can certainly be classified as

an attitude of the heart. God’s desire for the church is perfect unity. Jesus prayed that the church “may

be one” (John 17) and for this reason, much of the Spirit’s internal work has the purpose of producing

spiritual unity in the church (Eph 4).

Think. How would you define unity?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

1 Peter 3:8. Q. What did Peter encourage believers to be?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

2 Cor 13:11. Q. How did Paul encourage the Corinthians to be unified?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

U


1 Cor 1:10. Q. In what 4 ways is unity described in this verse?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Unity can be described negatively as “a lack of division” or it can be described positively as having commonality

in our thoughts, desires, affections, pursuits and consequently, our actions.

The World’s Unity vs. The Spirit’s Unity

Unity is hard to come by in this world. Generally, worldy unity is artificial and fragile. Unity in the world is

accomplished when individuals see it as in their best interest to lay aside differences. This type of unity is

fleeting. When one party feels that his needs or wants aren’t being met he will, driven by self-interest, disrupt

the unity. Spiritual unity is not this way.

Eph 4:1-6. Q. What did Paul encourage the Ephesians to “keep?”

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

There is a stark contrast between the world’s “spirit of unity” and the church’s “unity of the Spirit.” The focus of

a “spirit of unity” is unity for unity’s sake and often results in compromise and a lowest-common-denominator

type of religion. In our day of countless denominations, worldy compromise and doctrinal ignorance there is a

consistent call for the unification of the body of Christ. Oftentimes these would-be unifiers call for unity “at any

cost.” They are willing to lay aside most anything that causes division, including distinct, biblical doctrine and

standards of personal holiness. This is not Spiritual unity. The “unity of the Spirit” is a principled, spirit-led and

spirit-empowered unity under the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

Spiritual unity keeps the Spirit of God as its center and its circumference. All that we are and all that we do must

please the Spirit of God. For this reason, it makes no sense to compromise doctrine or holiness in an effort to

unify. In doing so, we grieve the very source of spiritual unity and are left only with unity for unity’s sake.

Think. When might division be required instead of unity?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

REflEct

Read Matthew 10:34-36. Have you experienced this type of division since you have received Jesus as your Saviour and Lord? Why do you think there must

sometimes be division and not peace?


God’s Provision for Lasting Unity

Spiritual unity does not come about by organization or outward pressure, nor is it driven by self-interest.

Spiritual unity is produced by the inward work of the Holy Spirit as He motivates us to please our Lord and

Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Spiritual unity was a mark of the early church:

Acts 1:14, Acts 2:1. Q. What phrase in these verses indicates the early church’s unity?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Acts 4:32-37. Verse 32 tells us that the early church was of one heart and of one soul. Q. How do we know

that this unity was not driven by self interest?

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

Q. v33. What spiritual fruit was produced by this unity?

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

After the death of Jesus Christ, the disciples were initially distraught. They did not understand God’s redemptive

plan. The disciples on the road to Emmaus were sad, Peter returned to his fishing trade, Thomas doubted the

resurrection. This was an open door for discord and division but neither of these occurred. Shortly after his

resurrection, Jesus appeared to the disciples and gave them a unified comission (Matt 28:19-20) and told them to

meet together in Jerusalem (Acts 1:4). They were immediately unified in obedience to their risen Lord.

The Indwelling Spirit

The disciples, in obedience to Christ, met together and continued in one accord in prayer and supplication.

Then, in Acts 2, we see how Jesus Christ planned for this unity to continue and to grow.

Acts 2:4. Q. What provision did Jesus Christ send to the church?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

John 17:20-23. Q. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit as actually an act of the Father in answer to the prayer

of Jesus Christ (John 14:26). What did Jesus pray for believers in this passage?

“

”

Spiritual unity is

produced by the

inward work of the

Holy Spirit as He

motivates us to

please the Lord.


__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Christ’s prayer was not primarily about practical unity in daily church life, but about the spiritual union that takes

place at the moment of salvation. This spiritual union with Christ, the Father and all other believers happens as

God sends the Holy Spirit to dwell within the believer. In John 17:22 Jesus prayed, And the glory which thou

gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one. The Holy Spirit is the “glory” which God

the Father has given us and the means by which all believers are united in Him. We are one because we share his

very nature.

The Bible refers to this moment of uniting with God by his indwelling spirit as being “baptized into Christ” (Gal

3:27). For this reason also, the church is referred to as the “body of Christ” (Rom 12:5; 1 Cor 12:27; Eph 4:12).

1 Cor 12:13. Q. What has the Spirit done for us? How does this verse speak of unity?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Eph 4:4-6. Q. What 7 things speak of Christian unity?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

All believers share the same Lord, same faith, same God, same calling, are part of the same body and have been

baptized by the same spirit. Our baptism into the body of Christ speaks of our positional or spiritual unity. This

took place on a spiritual level at the moment of salvation and will never change. This unity is essential for, but

different than, the practical unity which every church must work to achieve.

Unity Through Maturity

After Paul listed the seven things which bring unity from diversity in Eph 4:4-6, he went on to list the diverse

spiritual gifts that exist within the unity of the church.

Eph 4:12-13. Each of these gifts is for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edify-

ing of the body of Christ. In short, they produce spiritual maturity. Q. According to verse 13, what result will the

exercise of these gifts produce?

REflEct

Considering the paragraph above, how is unity in the church different from unity within any other organization? Since you have been saved, have you experienced

this special unity with fellow Christians? How so?


__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Q. Unity, knowledge of the Son of God and Christ-likeness are all marks of spiritual maturity. According to

verse 14, what other mark of spiritual maturity goes hand-in-hand with unity and Christ-likeness?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Think. How do you think spiritual maturity contributes to church unity?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Unity in the church is produced when Christian men and women grow in the faith. This growh entails increasing

in the knowledge of Christ and becoming stable in our doctrine. When we all seek to please the same Lord,

studying and obeying the same Bible and adhering to the same doctrine we will naturally be unified. In contrast

to this unified maturity, division in the church is a hallmark of spiritual immaturity.

1 Cor 3:1-4. Q. v1-2. How could Paul not speak to the Corinthians? Q. What do these verses indicate about

their spiritual maturity?

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

Q. v3-4. What evidence did Paul give of their spiritual immaturity?

________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Prov 6:16-19. Q. What does God think about someone who “soweth discord among brethren?”

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Church unity is the product of men and women growing in the Lord and walking in the Spirit. As an individual

Christian matures he grows in love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and tem-

“

”

Church unity is the

product of men and

women growing in

the Lord and

walking in the

Spirit.


perance. These are the fruit or evidence of the Spirit’s working (Gal 5:22-23). This spiritual fruit is developed in

each and every growing Christian which leads them to new and increasing areas of commonality. The Christ-like

character in me will not clash with the Christ-like character in you!

Rom 15:5-6. Q. What did Paul want God to do for the Romans?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Q. On what basis were they to be likeminded? (according to..)

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Q. What would the result of this likemindedness be?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

In the church we do not need to search in vain for areas of common interest. We are not strangers trying to get

along. We are brothers and sisters in Christ with the exact same Spirit working to make us all like Jesus Christ.

Our love for the Lord Jesus Christ and the transforming power of the Spirit of God is what produces the ability

for us to walk in supernatural unity. For this reason a growing church is a unified church.

Unity Through Labour

Eph 4:3. Q. How does this verse indicate that effort is required to maintain unity in the church?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Like many aspects of the Christian life, unity is two-fold. It involves both God’s sovereignty and man’s respon-

sibility. On one hand there is God’s sovereign provision of the Holy Spirit as the source of our unity and on the

other hand there is our responsibility to endeavour to keep unity. To endeavour means to use “diligence”,

“labour” and “effort.” In other words, unity takes work!

REflEct

How has your spiritual growth helped you to be more unified with your brothers and sisters in Christ? Can you look back at a time of division and see how it was

caused in some way by spiritual immaturity?


Php 2:1-2. In verse 1 of this passage Paul is giving the reasoning or motivations for his exhoration to unity.

The word if found in this verse can be better understood as “because.” Q. What 4 things does Paul list as

motivations for unity?

1._______________________________________ 2.__________________________________________

3._______________________________________ 4.__________________________________________

Q. Being motivated by the 4 blessings in verse one, what does Paul exhort the church to do in verse 2?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

The encouragement and comfort we have in Christ, the fellowship we have with the Spirit and the mercies which

God has shown us should create in us a spirit of gratitude, indebtedness and obedience. It is with this attitude that

we should labour to keep unity in the church.

Spiritual Attitudes That Maintain Unity

As we have already learned, spiritual maturity leads to unity in the church. The reason for this is that spiritually

mature Christians will exhibit Christ-like character qualities. When we learn to respond to hurts, offenses and ac-

cusations with the meekness and gentleness of Christ, we will be well on the way to maintaining unity in the

church.

Now, let’s explore a few of the spiritual attitudes which maintain unity.

Eph 4:2-6. Q. In this passage Paul is telling the Ephesians to walk worthy of their salvation and to work at

maintaining unity in the Spirit. What six attitudes are essential for keeping this unity?

1. ______________________________________ 2. ______________________________________

3. ______________________________________ 4. ______________________________________

5. ______________________________________ 6. ______________________________________

Humility (lowliness)

Humility is an essential character quality that should define all Christians. God abhors pride. It was the very sin

that had Satan cast from Heaven. It had no place in the presence of God in heaven, nor does it have a place in His

church.


Php 2:5-8. Q. What quality of Christ does Paul tell us we should exhibit? How would this contribute to unity

in the church?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Think. How might exercising humility help to maintain unity in the church?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Prov 13:10. Q. What is pride always the cause of?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Pride will, without fail, bring about arguments and offenses in the church. We can expect to find ourselves in sit-

uations where we disagree with others. The question is, how do we respond? Do we allow a contentious conver-

sation to ensue so that we can prove our point? Do we go out of our way to prove ourselves right? Do we dwell

on the disagreement? Do we involve others? All of these responses are driven by pride, show a lack of humility

and will result in disunity.

Phil 2:1-3. Q. In this passage Paul is encouraging the Philippians to be likeminded, to have the same love, to

be of one accord and one mind. In verse 3 he tells us how to maintain this unity. How should we never allow

things to be done?

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

Q. What attitude should we have? How does this affect the way we

view others?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Romans 12:16 tells us not to “mind high things” and to “condescend to men of low estate.” Romans 12:10 tells

us to be “kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love” and to “prefer one another.” Humility involves

considering others as superior to ourselves. In a world driven by pride, that is a very difficult thing to do. Our

flesh naturally desires pre-eminence and oftentimes attains it by looking down upon others. God hates pride and

“

”

Humility involves

considering others

as superior to

ourselves.


has designed the entire salvation plan so as to exclude any human boasting (1 Cor 1:26-31; Rom 3:27; Eph 2:8-

10). For the sake of spiritual unity we should ensure that nothing that we do has even a hint of fleshly pride.

Think. How might thinking of others as better than ourselves show itself practically?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Meekness

“Meekness” is a humble attitude that expresses itself in the patient endurance of offenses. A meek person does

not assert himself. He does not “always have to be right.” He does not engage in arguments which cause strife.

He does not react harshly. He has learned how to maintain unity by putting down his own pride and making

peace his priority.

Prov 16:32. Q. Who is better than the mighty? Who is better than one who taketh a city?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Prov 15:1. Q. If we find ourselves in a situation where someone is upset with us or “looking for an argu-

ment”, how should we respond?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Q. What is the likely result of this response?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Q. What is likely to happen if we respond to this person on their terms with anger, sarcasm or criticism?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

It takes two to argue. Oftentimes those who are disgruntled look for opportunities to cause strife. They approach

you with an angry, irritated tone or sarcastic words hoping to evoke an emotional response from you. When you

oblige them by reacting with the same attitude they have, you have allowed them to successfully “stir up anger”


and consequently cause division in the church. On the other hand, if you were to respond to this person with

meekness, gentleness and humility it would have the same effect as throwing water on a fire. You rob the person

of the fuel they need to fan their anger into wrath and bitterness.

1 Peter 3:8-9. Q. Peter tells us to be of one mind to have compassion one of another to love as brethren to be

pitiful and to be courteous. According to verse 9, how can we maintain these right attitudes?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Jesus told us how to handle offenses in Matt 5:39. He indicates that “turning the other cheek” is the same as “re-

sisting evil.” Sometimes a meek and humble spirit is the best resistance against division in the church.

Longsuffering

Longsuffering speaks of being long tempered, patient and having endurance through negative circumstances. Es-

pecially when dealing with others.

Paul told Timothy to preach and encourage with all longsuffering. In 1 Corinthians 13 we see that longsuffering

is a characteristic of love. Romans 2:4 tells us that God is longsuffering toward us. To be longsuffering is to be

patient and gracious with others even in the face of their shortcomings, immaturity and sin. It is enduring humili-

ty, enduring meekness and enduring love even when our flesh tempts us to give up on others.

Forbearance

Forbearance is even more intense than longsuffering. It literally means to put up with one another. It is loving in

the midst of other’s imperfections, faults, annoyances even when it is taxing on us.

Love and Peace

All of the above must be done in the context of love and with the desire of maintaining peace.

Rom 12:10. Q. How does Paul tell us we should feel toward one another?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Rom 14:19. Q. What does Paul tell us we should pursue? (follow after). What will these things also be good

for?

REflEct

Why do you think we have such a hard time exercising meekness? Can you look back and think of an argument that could have been avoided if you had exercised

meekness?


__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

God hates discord in the church. He has provided everything we need for continual oneness, but because we still

exist in our mortal, sin-prone bodies we must always endeavour to keep unity in the church. The best way for the

church to function in continual unity is for its members to be in a continual state of spiritual growth; consistently

exhibiting the character qualities of Christ and employing the tools for unity which God has left us. When a

church functions this way, it can with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus

Christ (Rom 15:6).


Review: Unity

1. What is the difference between the world's unity and Christian unity?

2. Occasionally groups promote inter-denominational (and sometimes inter-faith) unity. What

is wrong with this type of unity?

3. What is the "center and circumference" of Christian unity?

4. Who produces spiritual unity?

5. How are all Christian's already unified?

6. How will growing Christians become increasingly unified?

7. How might disunity in the church affect its ability to evangelize the unsaved?

1



2 Preface


2 Faith ........................................................................................ 10

3 Obedience ............................................................................... 17

4 Growth .................................................................................... 25

5 Self-Discipline ........................................................................ 34

6 Love ........................................................................................ 44

7 Joy ........................................................................................... 63

8 Hope ....................................................................................... 71

9 Contentment ........................................................................... 81

10 Thankfulness ......................................................................... 91

11 Unity ................................................................................... 102

12 Compassion ........................................................................ 114

13 Humility .............................................................................. 122

14 Forgiveness ......................................................................... 133













life.








Contact







10

10 Thankfulness

1 Thessalonians 5:18

In every thing give thanks:

for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

hankfulness is hard to come by in a selfish, discontented culture but the same should not be true of the

Church of Jesus Christ. Every Christian should exude thankfulness toward God at all times. Although

God has commanded that his people be thankful, this attitude should also freely and willingly flow from

the heart of those who are forgiven by Christ.

Unthankfulness – A Mark of Unbelievers

2 Tim 3:1-5. Q. In this passage, Paul is warning Timothy of “perilous times” which would come. Paul lists

19 characteristics of “evil men.” Considering all that is mentioned in these verses, what is significant about the

fact that “unthankfulness” is also mentioned?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Rom 1:18-21. Q. In this passage we find another description of “unrighteous” and “ungodly” men. According

to verse 21, what should be the proper response to an acknowledgement that God is the creator of the world?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

God made everything and is the sovereign of the universe. A recognition of God’s sovereignty should lead man-

kind to be thankful toward Him. For this reason, anything short of glorifying God through thankfulness is sin. In

fact, unthankfulness is a characteristic of the unsaved. Unrighteousness, ungodliness and unthankfulness go

hand-in-hand.

T


Think. In what ways does an unsaved person evidence their unthankfulness toward God?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Ephesians 5:3-4. Q. What six things should never characterize the Christian?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Q. v4. In contrast to the things you listed above, what should characterize the Christian?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

The unsaved man or woman does not recognize God the Father as the Lord of creation and is therefore, unthank-

ful. This should never be the condition of the Christian. After all, salvation itself is a matter of confessing Jesus

Christ as Lord. Salvation then, is in part, a transition from an attitude of unthankfulness toward God to one of

continual thankfulness toward Him.

Thankfulness – A Matter of Praise and Worship

Hebrews 13:15. Q. What is the continual “sacrifice of praise” mentioned here?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Throughout the Bible, and especially in the book of Psalms, we see thanksgiving, praise and music linked

together.

Psalms 69:30. Q. What did the Psalmist say he would do through thanksgiving?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

REflEct

Think about your own life. How did your salvation change your thankfulness toward God? How do you express this thankfulness?


Psalms 147:7. Q. What should be the content of our songs of praise?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Write out Psalm 100:4.

_____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

Eph 5:18-20. Q. How is thanksgiving connected with the Holy

Spirit?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Jesus said in John 4:23 that the Father is seeking “true worshippers” who will worship him “in spirit and in

truth.” As we have seen above, this spirit-filled worship has a prominent thread of thankfulness running through

it (cf. Ps 18:49; 30:12; 35:18; 69:30; 79:13; 92:1; 100:4; 106:1,47; 147:7). The Christian life then, is one of

praise, worship and song. All of which are to be saturated with thanksgiving. (see also Ezra 3:10-11; Neh 12:46;

Ps 92:1-3 for a connection between thanksgiving and song).

1 Cor 14:16. Q. Although Paul had to correct much of what went on in the Corinthian church, we see from

this passage that they understood that “thanksgiving” should play an important role in the worship service. How

might a church incorporate times of thanksgiving into its worship?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

“

”

REflEct

The Christian life

is one of praise,

worship and song.

All of which are to

be saturated with

thanksgiving

Do you include thanksgiving in your private times of worship? In what ways can you express thankfulness to God in your worship?


Thankfulness for God’s Mercies

Read the following: 1 Chron 16:34,41; 2 Chron 5:13; Ezra 3:11; Ps 106:1; 107:1; 118:1,29; 136:1-3,26.

Q. Why should we give thanks to God?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

There is an unmistakable connection in scripture between thanksgiving and the mercy of God. It is chiefly for His

mercies that we thank him.

Charles Hodge has defined mercy this way: Mercy is kindness exercised toward the miserable; it in-

cludes pity, compassion, forbearance, and gentleness.

Webster, in his 1828 Dictionary has it thus: Pity; compassion manifested towards a person in

distress.

These definitions help us to immediately understand why we are in need of God’s mercy and why we should be

thankful for it. It is no wonder that Lamentations 3:22 says, It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not con-

sumed, because his compassions fail not.

Consider the following,

Eph 2:1-10. Q. v1. What state were we in before salvation?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Q. v2-3. How did we live?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Q. v1. Were we able to save ourselves? __________________________________________________________

Think. Considering the passage in Ephesians, how do you think the definitions of mercy above apply to us?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________


__________________________________________________________________________________________

Q. v5-10. What did God, driven by his mercy, do for us?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Titus 3:5; 1 Peter 1:3. Q. According to these verses, how have we benefited from the mercy of God?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

God’s people have a long history of offering thanksgiving to him in response to his mercy. In fact, under the Old

Testament sacrificial system, God provided for this expression of thanksgiving by instituting the thank offering.

The thank offering was a freewill offering that the Jews could choose to offer in recognition of the mercies which

God had shown them. (Lev 22:29; Lev 7:11-12; 2 Chron 29:31).

Lev 22:29. Q. How was the thank offering to be offered?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

2 Chron 29:29-31. Q. In this passage we see the beginning of the reign of King Hezekiah. Under his rule, we

find spiritual revival in Israel. He cleanses the temple, reinstitutes the feasts and returns to the sacrificial system.

According to verse 31, what did Hezekiah tell the people to bring after the burnt sacrifice had been offered?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Q. What was the attitude of those who brought the thank offerings? ____________________________________

Our Thank Offering – A Living Sacrifice

In the book of Romans we find an ongoing theme of the mercy of God. In chapters 9-11, Paul teaches the

Romans that God is perfectly justified in sovereignly choosing to whom he will, and to whom he will not, show

mercy.

Rom 9:15-16. Q. v15. What did God tell Moses?

__________________________________________________________________________________________


__________________________________________________________________________________________

Q. v16. In your own words, how is someone not saved? How are they saved?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Rom 9:22-24. Q. What does God desire to do “on the vessels of mercy?”

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Q. v24. To whom has God chosen to show mercy?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Paul teaches the gentile church in Rome that Jewish people are temporarily blinded from the gospel because of

their rejection of Jesus Christ (Rom 11:25). He goes on to assure the Romans that this does not mean that God

has “cast away” his people but that he will, one day, save the Jews as a nation (Rom 11:1-2; 11:11; 11:26-27).

He tells them that what appears to be the wholesale Jewish rejection of the messiah does not mean that God has

annulled his covenant with Israel. The reasoning? Even those who are ethnic Jews are not necessarily God’s

people. Salvation is by faith and not genealogy (Rom 10:12-13; Matt 3:9; Rom 4:12; Gal 3:6-11). God sover-

eignly chooses those among the Jews and among the Gentiles upon whom he will shed mercy (Rom 3:29-30;

Rom 9:23-24).

After Paul lays the foundation of the mercy of God in chapters 9-11, we come to Romans 12:1:

Rom 12:1. Q. Considering that chapters 9-11 dealt largely with the topic of God’s mercy, what do you think

is significant about Paul’s use of the word “therefore?”

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Q. Paul has laid the foundation of the mercies of God in the previous chapters. What did Paul, in response to

God’s mercies, ask the Romans to do?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Paul’s use of Old Testament terminology in this verse is very clear. He is making a blatant reference to the sacri-

fices of the Old Testament. Just as the Jews in the Old Testament would offer acceptable sacrifices to God, so


should we. Furthermore, just as the Jews in the Old Testament would offer sacrifices in response to God’s mer-

cies, so should we. Paul is telling us that we should consider the mercy which God has shown us and in response,

offer our entire lives back to him as an acceptable thank offering.

Thankfulness toward God in the life of a Christian is not simply something we whisper in prayer occasionally. It

is an all-consuming lifestyle. We live our lives for God, seeking His will and not our own. This is the ultimate

thank offering, given in response to the mercies he has shown us in salvation.

Think. How might the way that we live reflect thankfulness toward God? Or not reflect it?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

How do we increase our thankfulness? Meditate on the mercies of God and think about all that God has done for

us. He has spared us from hell and he seeks to pour out all the blessings of Heaven upon us. It is no wonder that

those who are furthest from God are the most unthankful. They do not spend time in His word, in prayer or medi-

tating upon what God has done for them. The deeper understanding we have of our sinfulness, God’s holiness

and all that he has done to reconcile us to himself, the deeper our thankfulness toward him will be (Luke 7:47).

This thankfulness will then overflow into praise, worship, song and sacrifice.

In addition to the mercy that God has shown us in salvation, what else should produce a continual attitude of

thanksgiving within us?

Thankfulness for God’s Sovereign Provision

1 Chron 29:9-16. In this passage we find King David encouraging God’s people to give willingly toward the

building of the temple. David himself set the example by giving much of his riches to the project. In verse 10 we

find David blessing the congregation and praying:

Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all

that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as

head above all.

Q. In that short paragraph, David does a wonderful job of describing God’s sovereignty. Based upon that verse,

what belongs to God? What is He head over?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

REflEct

Would you consider your life to be a “living sacrifice” to God? How could you make it more so?


Q. v12. Where do “riches and honour” come from? How about “greatness” and “strength?”

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Q. v11. What belongs to God?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Q. v13. God owns everything, is the source of everything, is exalted as head above all and reigns over the uni-

verse. How does David respond to these wonderful truths? (note “therefore”)

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Q. v14. The thought of God’s sovereignty leads David to praise and thank Him. David then considers how he

and his people compare to their sovereign God. How did David understand his ability to make such an offering

to God?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Q. v14. David felt that he and his people were unworthy to make such an offering to God. What was his reason-

ing? (also consider v16)

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

The Contentment Connection

The Bible teaches not only that God is the sovereign source of all of our possessions, but that he is also the

source of our strength to obtain wealth (Deut 8:17-18). Even when we work and earn money to buy possessions,

God deserves all of the glory!

REflEct

Considering all of the above, what should our attitude be toward our posses-sions? What should our attitude be toward our giving?


Think. If the above is true, what does discontentment with our

possessions, social class or living standard say about our view of

God?

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

The unthankful person is a discontent person. They are unthankful because they feel they deserve more or better

than what they have. At the source of this discontentment is a failure to accept that we have all that God wants us

to have. It is a rejection of his sovereign provision. Unthankfulness says to God, “I am unhappy with what you

have provided for me.”

If we, like David, remember both God’s sovereign provision and our own unworthiness, we will be well on our

way to maintaining a continual attitude of thankfulness. The fact is, we deserve nothing (except Hell) and all that

we do have has come to us by the grace of God (1 Tim 6:6-8; 1 Cor 4:7). It is no wonder then that we are told in

scripture to be thankful for everything (Eph 5:20; Col 3:17; 1 Thess 5:18; Php 4:6).

Not only should we be thankful for everything that God has provided for us in the physical realm, but we should

also be thankful for the spiritual work that he continues to do on the inside of us by His grace.

Thankfulness for God’s Continuing Grace

It was Paul’s pattern to continually thank God for the work he was doing in him and in the hearts of fellow be-

lievers (Col 1:3; Eph 1:16; 1 Thes 1:2, 3:9; Phm 1:4; Phil 1:3). Paul understood that God was to be thanked, not

only as the source of all material provision, but also as the source of all spiritual blessings.

1 Thess 2:13. Q. How did the Thessalonians receive the word of God?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Q. What does the fact that Paul is thanking God for the Thessalonian’s receptive spirit tell us about God’s role in

salvation? (see also 2 Thess 2:13)

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

2 Thess 1:3. Q. Paul did not stop at thanking God for the salvation of the Thessalonians. What else did he

thank God for?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

“

”

Unthankfulness

says to God, “I am

unhappy with what

you have provided

for me”


__________________________________________________________________________________________

2 Cor 8:16. Q. Why was Paul thankful to God for Titus?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

1 Tim 1:12. Q. Why was Paul thankful to God here?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Whenever Paul saw or heard of the spiritual growth of others he thanked God on their behalf (Acts 28:14-15;

Rom 1:8, 6:17; 1 Cor 1:4; 2 Cor 8:16). He understood that God was not only the source of all material blessings

but that he was also responsible for everything good that happens within us spiritually. Paul thanked God for

calling men to salvation, for producing a care in them for the brethren and for enabling them to work in the

ministry. God is to be thanked for our salvation and for every spiritual work that he continues to do in the hearts

of believers (2 Cor 9:8; Php 2:13; 1 Thes 2:13).

Conclusion

The Bible is clear that the Christian is to be thankful at all times, and for all things (Eph 5:20; Col 3:17; 1 Thess

5:18; Php 4:6). And why wouldn’t we be? God has called us to salvation, given us his Spirit, has promised he

will never leave us, that he will provide all of our needs and that he has an eternal inheritance awaiting us in

Heaven. He did all of this “while we were yet sinners”, “without strength” and his “enemies” (Rom 5:6-10). As

Christians, we have every reason to live life in a state of constant thankfulness. After all, even trouble in our lives

is meant for our good (James 2:2-4; Rom 8:28).

Thankfulness is a choice. By deliberately dwelling on all that God has done for us and by purposefully recogniz-

ing God’s grace at work all around us, we can maintain a continual attitude of thankfulness just as he has com-

manded us (Eph 5:4; Col 3:15; Col 4:2). On the other hand, if we live life swept up in the things of this world;

its pride, its materialism and its lust, then it is likely that we will compare ourselves with others and become un-

thankful and discontent with what God has given us. How then should we respond to God’s blessings? With

praise, with worship, with sacrifice and with song. Each of these with thankfulness as its theme.

REflEct

Write a list below of things you are thankful to God for. Use this list to incorpo-rate times of thanksgiving into your prayer life.


Review: Thankfulness

1. List below some things that you are thankful to God for.

_____________________________________ _______________________________________

_____________________________________ _______________________________________

_____________________________________ _______________________________________

_____________________________________ _______________________________________

_____________________________________ _______________________________________

Use the list above next time you are praying and thank God for each of them.

2. How should dwelling on God’s mercy toward us affect our worship?

3. How is thankfulness related to Romans 12:1?

Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a

living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

4. How are contentment and thankfulness linked?

5. Having a right attitude toward our possessions will help us to be thankful. What attitude should we

have toward our material things?

6. Why should we thank God even for the things we have obtained or accomplished through our own

hard work?

1



2 Preface


2 Faith ........................................................................................ 10

3 Obedience ............................................................................... 17

4 Growth .................................................................................... 25

5 Self-Discipline ........................................................................ 34

6 Love ........................................................................................ 44

7 Joy ........................................................................................... 63

8 Hope ....................................................................................... 71

9 Contentment ........................................................................... 81

10 Thankfulness ......................................................................... 91

11 Unity ................................................................................... 102

12 Compassion ........................................................................ 114

13 Humility .............................................................................. 122

14 Forgiveness ......................................................................... 133













life.








Contact







9

9 Contentment

Hebrews 13:5

Let your conversation be without covetousness;

and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said,

I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

n this study we will look at the attitude of contentment. To be content is to be satisfied. It is the opposite of

lust or covetousness. Look at Philippians 4:11-13 where we see the apostle Paul as a great example of

contentment.

Philippians 4:11. Q. What had Paul learned?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Q. v12. In what circumstances was Paul able to exercise the attitude of contentment?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Q. v13. How was he able to do this?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

If there is an attitude that is completely foreign to our present world it is the attitude of contentment. We are

constantly bombarded with advertisements designed to shake us out of our contentment and to breed in us a

sense of need, want, entitlement and discontentment. Driven by discontentment, we head out of our houses and

into the shopping malls. Our economy is driven on the fuel of discontentment.

I


In a society where meaning and fulfillment are often derived from material goods, it can be difficult even for a

Christian to live a contented life. To help us to have a continual attitude of contentment we should remember the

following six principles:

1. Stuff Does Not Produce Satisfaction

Ecc 5:10. Q. According to Solomon (the richest man that ever lived) what will never bring satisfaction?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Think. Why will the man who loves “silver” and “increase” never be satisfied with these things?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

We are a relatively affluent people and as such, we rarely have pressing

needs that cannot easily be met. We have quick access to everything we

could want or need and are provided the means to obtain those things

whether we can afford them or not. We are also told that our success

and self-worth is measured by how much stuff we have obtained. This

world’s distorted view of contentment and material goods is in direct

contradiction to what Jesus taught:

Luke 12:15 Q. What did Jesus warn us to avoid?

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

Q. What does not define the quality of one’s life?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Contentment will not come as long as we have a distorted view of material things. Trying to derive satisfaction

and fulfillment from things is putting an expectation on material goods that only God can fulfill. This world’s

continual quest for more and more stuff is really a quest for meaning, fulfillment and satisfaction – something

material things can never produce.

“

”

Trying to derive

satisfaction and

fulfillment from

things is putting an

expectation on

material goods that

only God can

fulfill.


Think. Why do you think that some of the richest men and women in the world (think “Hollywood!”) seem to

be the most dissatisfied?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

In addition to the fact that stuff does not produce satisfaction, consider that wants are not needs.

2. Wants Are Not Needs

Many people are discontent because they have convinced themselves that their wants are actually needs.

Think. Imagine that you are on a sinking ship and the only way to survive is to throw overboard extra

weight. What things in your life would go first? How much that you own is actually necessary and how much is

just dead weight?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Luke 12:22-28 Q. What did God promise to provide for us?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

1 Tim 6:8. Q. What did Paul tell Timothy we should be content with?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Q. Based upon your answers above, how could you summarize our needs?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

REflEct

Do you have a tendency to spend more when you are down or depressed? Why do you think this is? What would be a better way to deal with your emotions?


God has promised to provide for the needs of his children. But God’s measure of needs and our measure of needs

are often very different. Whereas we might consider convenience and entertainment as necessities, God simply

says “food and clothing.”

1 Tim 6:7. Q. What will happen to everything we have accumulated when we die?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

All the things that we have worked so hard at accumulating in this life will ultimately be left behind and only

those things done for the glory of God will remain (1 Cor 3:11-15; 1 Tim 6:7).

Matt 6:31-34. Q. If God will provide our needs, and material goods are not of any eternal importance, where

should we focus our efforts and desires? (see also Col 3:2)

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

A third principle which well help us to learn contentment is that all that we have comes from God.

3. All That We Have Comes From God

Oftentimes what leads us to a spirit of discontentment or covetousness is a feeling of injustice regarding our cir-

cumstances. We feel we deserve more or are “owed” more than what we have. We compare ourselves to others

and decide that our standard of living ought to be higher than it is. This type of discontentment only comes when

we first lose sight of the fact that God is in control and that He is our provider. We see an unfortunate example

of this in Numbers chapter 11.

Numbers 11:1. Q. What displeased the Lord? What was God’s response?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Numbers 11:4-6. Q. It wasn’t long after God’s fiery judgment that discontentment reared its head once

again. Who started the complaining in verse 4?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

REflEct

Stop and make a sober assessment of what things in your home you actually “need.” How does this change your attitude toward your material things?


_______________________________________________________________________________________

Q. Who else began to complain? ________________________________________________________________

These families became dissatisfied with the manna which God had provided for them and began to lust after the

foods which they had in Egypt. It is not surprising that the ungodly mob that followed the Jews out of Egypt be-

came discontented. But what is shameful is that God’s people, taking their cue from this “mixed multitude”, also

began to murmur and complain.

Numbers 11:6. Q. Who provided the manna? (Exodus 16:15).

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Q. v6. How did these complainers refer to God’s provision of the manna?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

God miraculously provided manna for Israel in the wilderness. This food was both flavorful and filling (Ex

16:18,31). It was enough to satisfy the needs of Israel, but not enough to satisfy their lusts. They became discon-

tent with God’s provision and began to crave the food from the godless nation of Egypt. When we turn to the

world to satisfy our lusts we are no better than the Israelites who were longing for Egypt. Like the Israelites, our

lustful attitude has discontentment with God as its source.

Numbers 11:18. Q. What did Israel say about their life in Egypt?

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

Exodus 3:7. Q. Israel had a short memory. What motivated God to

deliver them from Egypt?

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Israel complained in Egypt, they were delivered by God, and complained some more. This is evidence that dis-

contented people will not be satisfied in any circumstances.

Numbers 11:33. Q. God ultimately sent an abundance of quail to be eaten by all the people. What happened

when they were in the midst of satisfying their lust for meat?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

“

”

When we turn to

the world to satisfy

our lusts we are no

better than the

Israelites who were

longing for Egypt.


_______________________________________________________________________________________

God had already planned to execute judgment upon these discontent, unthankful complainers before he sent quail

for them to eat. He had given them over to their lusts and allowed them to reach the unfortunate end of their

murmuring. Instead of being content with a little and the Lord, they preferred an abundance without Him. They

got their wish.

Summarize Proverbs 15:16.

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Whether we have an abundance or whether we lack, we are in circumstances orchestrated by God. He is the sov-

ereign of the universe and the provider of everything (Rom 8:28, James 1:17). Because God is sovereign, a com-

plaint about our circumstances is a complaint against Him.

4. Needs are an Opportunity for God to Provide

Matt 6:31-33. Q. Why should we not be anxious about our needs? (v32)

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

2 Cor 9:1-15. In this passage Paul is encouraging the Corinthians to follow through with a commitment they

had made to give financial relief to the Macedonian church.

Q. In v6 he is comparing giving financially to sowing and reaping seed. What will the person who gives little re-

ceive? What about the one who gives much?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Q. v8. When we incur a need because of our liberal giving, what is God able to do?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

REflEct

Do you find yourself discontent with your circumstances? How can dwelling on the sovereignty of God help you to overcome this?


When we have needs it is an opportunity to trust God to provide for us. 2 Cor 9:10-12 indicates that God’s provi-

sion is fourfold. He provides us with the substance to give to others; he replaces the necessities we may have sac-

rificed through our giving; he multiplies the effectiveness of our giving; and he uses our giving to bring forth

righteousness and thanksgiving in his kingdom. This is the same truth found in Proverbs11:24.

Proverbs 11:24 There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is

meet, but it tendeth to poverty. (see also Prov 19:17, Luke 6:38)

Abundance – A Mixed Blessing

1 Tim 6:17-18. Q. How did Paul tell Timothy he should warn the rich?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Q. What should they trust in? __________________________________________________________________

Q. According to v18, what should they be ready to do?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Whereas needs are an opportunity to trust and rely upon God’s provision, a lack of want often causes us to forget

God and trust in our own riches.

Rev 3:16-17. Q. What attitude did the riches of the Laodicean church create?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Q. How did Christ feel about this church?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Instead of being anxious about our needs being met and doing all we can to ensure that we never go without, we

should look at trials and needs as opportunities to trust God and to see him work.

Think. How might having a need end up being a greater blessing than having everything we want?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________


__________________________________________________________________________________________

5. Christ is the Source of Continual Contentment

We started this study by considering the example of the Apostle Paul and his contentment in all sorts of circum-

stances. He learned to be content when he had much and when he had little. Q. According to Php 4:13, what was

the source and strength of his contentment?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

1 Timothy 6:6. Q. What, when added to contentment, is great gain? _____________________________

Matthew 6:33. Q. After Jesus told us to not be anxious in seeking the fulfillment of our needs, what did he

tell us to seek?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

It is often a lack of godliness and righteousness that causes us to look to the world for satisfaction. In contrast,

true contentment comes only through a right relationship with God through Jesus Christ. When our focus is right

and we seek the righteousness of God above all else, the material things of this world will tend to lose their lus-

ter.

Think. How might God go about teaching us that true contentment comes only through a right relationship

with Jesus Christ?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Now, having considered that stuff does not produce satisfaction, that wants are not needs, that all we have comes

from God, that needs are an opportunity for God to provide, and that Christ is the source of continual content-

ment, let’s look at one last principle that will help us to maintain contentment – Others are more important than

ourselves.

REflEct

When you have a pressing financial or material need where do you run to? Credit cards? The bank? Do you feel that you sufficiently rely on God through prayer to

provide for you? If not, how can you change this?


6. Others are More Important than Ourselves

The covetous man is a self-centered man. His covetousness prevents him from rejoicing when others are blessed

(1 Cor 12:26). Instead of rejoicing when others are blessed he looks at their blessings with envy. He is preoccu-

pied with getting more and better stuff and, as a result, overlooks the needs of others while indulging in his

wants.

Philippians 2:3-4. Q. How should we view one another?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Q. v4. How will valuing others above ourselves change our view of material goods?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

1 Cor 10:24. Q. What should we seek? In contrast to what?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

1 Cor 13:4-5. Q. What are we expressing when we seek the well being of others?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Discontentment with our own circumstances will make it very difficult to give to others. In fact, according to 1

Cor 13, our self-centered approach to material goods is unloving. It puts ourselves first and other’s last which is

the exact opposite of the example that Christ left us (Php 2:5-11).

1 John 3:17. Q. What appears to be lacking in our lives when we refuse to give our material things to a fellow

Christian who is in need?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

REflEct

Are you jealous of your material things or are you willing to give them up to help others? How might you increase in your generosity toward others?


Review: Contentment

1. It is not uncommon for depression or trauma to drive people to compulsive shopping or hoarding.

Why do you think this is the case?

a. Why will they never be satisfied?

2. How can we maintain a right attitude toward material things next time the latest electronics or fash-

ion catches our eye?

3. How might an understanding that all that we have comes from God help us to cope with needs or tri-

als?

4. All sin is dissatisfaction with God, yet God is the source of all blessings. How can we become more

satisfied with Him?

5. How does contentment with our circumstances enable us to be more giving to others?

1



2 Preface


2 Faith ........................................................................................ 10

3 Obedience ............................................................................... 17

4 Growth .................................................................................... 25

5 Self-Discipline ........................................................................ 34

6 Love ........................................................................................ 44

7 Joy ........................................................................................... 63

8 Hope ....................................................................................... 71

9 Contentment ........................................................................... 81

10 Thankfulness ......................................................................... 91

11 Unity ................................................................................... 102

12 Compassion ........................................................................ 114

13 Humility .............................................................................. 122

14 Forgiveness ......................................................................... 133













life.








Contact







8

8 Hope

Romans 15:13

Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing,

that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.

n this study we will examine another atttitude which should characterize and govern each and every

Christian. It is the attitude of hope. When we first hear the word “hope” we generally think of something

like a “wish.” This type of hope is nothing more than desiring that circumstances randomly align for our

pleasure or benefit. There is no concrete basis for this hope, only a desire that something happen. This is not a

Biblical definition of hope.

Unlike the world’s concept of hope, Biblical hope has no uncertainty about it. It is not helplessly wishing that

something will happen, but it is a confident expectation that God will fulfill what he has promised.

The world does not have this hope.

Prov 10:28; Job 8:13. Q. What will happen to the hope of the wicked?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Job 11:20 tells us that the hope of the unsaved will fail; it will be like a dead person “giving up the ghost.”

Whether it be money, success, good works, or the belief systems they have invented for themselves, it is all

empty and fleeting. The hope of the Christian is not this way.

Heb 6:18-19. Q. What three words reflect the stable and secure nature of the Christian’s hope?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

I


The Christian’s hope is stable and secure because it rests on God’s unchanging promises. This hope is not

“wishful thinking”; it is confidently expecting that what God has promised he will bring to pass.

Heb 11:1. Q. How is hope related to faith?

_________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

Faith and hope are inseparable. Faith is taking those things which we

hope for and counting them as substantive and concrete. It is living in full

assurance that those things which we hope for will indeed come to pass.

This is a reasonable hope founded upon the promises of God.

The Reasons for our Christian Hope

In 1 Peter 3:15, Peter encourages Christians to “be ready always” to explain the reasons for the “hope that is in

you.” Let’s consider some of the reasons that underlie the Christian’s hope.

1. Christ’s Resurrection and Return

1 Cor 15:14, 17-18 Q. What are the consequences if Christ is not risen from the dead?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

If Christ is not risen than our faith and our preaching is vain, we are still in our sins and those who have died

have perished like any other animal. This is a hopeless scenario. Thankfully it is not true of the Christian. Look

at 1 Peter 1:3:

1 Peter 1:3. Q. Because Christ is risen, what are we “begotten to” ?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

All of God’s promises are bound up in the person of Jesus Christ (2 Cor 1:20). It was his resurrection from the

dead that set the fulfillment of these promises into motion. His resurrection was the confirmation that he was

indeed the son of God and that he could and would fulfill God’s promises (Rom 1:4). Look up John 14:2-3 to

see one of these promises:

John 14:2-3. Q. What did Jesus go to Heaven to do? According to v3, What will he do?

“

”

The Christian’s

hope is stable

and secure

because it rests

on God’s

unchanging

promises.


_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

The resurrection of Jesus Christ confirmed that he was the son of God and made all of his promises credible. One

such promise was his pledge to prepare a place in Heaven for us and to come again in order to receive us unto

himself. Look at Titus 2:13 to see just how integral the return of Christ is to the Christian’s hope.

Titus 2:13. Q. What did Paul describe as “the blessed hope?”

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

It is Christ’s return that ushers in the fulfillment of every other promise

which God has given to man (2 Cor 1:20). If Christ had not promised to

return than the Christian would have no hope in this world (Eph 2:12; 1

Cor 15:19) and if he did not rise from the dead then his promises would

have no credibility. Because he has risen, he has left us with a lively,

vibrant hope. This is the same hope that turned the depressed and

discouraged disciples after Christ’s death into powerful, bold proclaimers

of the gospel following His resurrection.

2. Our Resurrection from the Dead

Not only has the resurrection of Jesus Christ given us a hope for his return, but it has also given us a hope for our

own future resurrection.

1 Cor 15:20-23. Q. v20. When Christ rose from the dead, what did he become?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

The firstfruits were the first of a crop to be harvested and were an indication of the full harvest which would

follow. Christ was the firstfruits and his resurrection paved the way for the resurrection of every believer. His

resurrection was the assurance that we too could hope for our own resurrection. In fact, without this hope, the

Bible tells us that the Christian life would be one of misery.

1 Cor 15:19. Q. If our hope does not include our coming resurrection than what does this say about our

present lives?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

“

”

Because Christ

has risen, he

has left us with

a lively,

vibrant hope.


Acts 24:15. Q. What did Paul have hope in God for?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Acts 23:6. Q. How did Paul describe his belief in the resurrection from the dead?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

As Christians we look forward the coming of Jesus Christ and our resurrection from the dead with a confident

expectation. We know it will happen because God has promised that it will and has confirmed it by the

resurrection of his Son. Our hope is not a fleeting, vain or futile hope but a hope which rests soundly on God’s

promises.

Our hope rests in Christ’s resurrection, His return, our resurrection and next of all, it rests in God’s promise of

our future glorification.

3. Our Glorification

Our salvation really has three tenses to it. The moment we were saved, the Bible says we were justified. This has

to do with our immediate deliverance from the penalty of sin. The Christian will never face the wrath or

condemnation of God because Christ has satisfied God’s judgment on the cross. That is the past tense of

salvation.

Secondly, there is the present tense. This is what the Bible calls sanctification. This is a continual process in the

life of a Christian as God makes him more and more like Jesus Christ and gives him daily victory over the power

of sin. In this sense, it is legitimate to say that we are “being saved.”

Lastly, there is a future tense of salvation. Not only have we been justified in the past, and are being sanctified in

the present but we will be glorified in the future.

Romans 8:21. Q. What will we be delivered from? What will we be delivered into?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

The moment we were saved, God made us “spiritually alive” (Eph 2:1). He made us new creatures on the inside

but this did not affect our fleshly bodies (2 Cor 4:7; Rom 7:24). Our bodies are yet to be changed; this is what

glorification is all about. It is the time when we will finally be made like Jesus Christ and even our fleshly bodies

REflEct

Do you ever think about the return of Jesus Christ? How could dwelling on Christ’s return help you with the hard times you face in this life?


will be made new (Rom 8:23). There remains an aspect of our salvation which has not yet come to pass. Because

this final aspect of our salvation is yet to happen, it is something that we hope for.

Romans 8:29-30. Q. What are the five aspects of salvation mentioned here?

1. _____________________________________ 2. _____________________________________

3. _____________________________________ 4. _____________________________________

5. _____________________________________

God loved us from the foundation of the world (foreknowledge

[Rom 11:2]) and predetermined that we would become like Christ

(predestination). He then called us to salvation and at that moment

forgave us all of our sin (justification).

Notice that in this passage those whom he foreknew are the very

same whom he predestined, and called and justified. Likewise, all

who are justified are glorified. God’s promises are so secure that

even those which have not yet come to pass can be referred to in

the past tense (Rom 8:17, 21).

Each and every one of these aspects of salvation from foreknowledge to glorification are inseparable. There has

never been a man who was “foreknown” of God but was not predestined and there has never been a man who has

been predestined who has not been called or justified. Likewise, every man, woman or child who has ever been

saved will be glorified.

Philippians 3:20-21. Q. v20. What are we looking forward to (fully expecting to happen)?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Q. v21. What will Christ do with our bodies when he returns?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

It is because there remains a future glorification for us that we read in the Bible phrases like “lift up your heads;

for your redemption draweth nigh” and “now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.” These refer to our

final redemption and glorification; it is actually the completion of the salvation which began the moment we be-

lieved.

The Christian’s hope includes an anticipation of the return of Christ, our resurrection, our glorification and

finally, it includes hope of an eternal inheritance in Heaven.

“

”

God’s promises

are so secure that

even those which

have not yet come

to pass can be

referred to in the

past tense


4. Our Eternal Inheritance in Heaven

According to Titus 1:2, What was Paul hoping for?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Paul prayed in the first chapter of Ephesians that the believers in Ephesus would enter into a deeper understand-

ing of the “hope of their calling” and “the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints” (Eph 1:18). He

wanted them to grasp and then stand firmly upon the hope that awaited them. The Christian hope looks forward

to an inheritance in Heaven.

1 Peter 1:3-4. Q. According to v4, What are we looking forward to?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Q. v4. In what four ways does Peter describe this inheritance? How does his description emphasize the sure na-

ture of our inheritance?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Once Christ returns a series of events are set into motion. We are resurrected, we are glorified, we are given our

eternal inheritance in Heaven and as 1 Thess 4:17 says, from that time on we will “ever be with the Lord.”

These are tremendous promises which lead to a tremendous hope. We are not wishing for these things to come to

pass but are confidently expecting them to happen based upon the unwavering promises and faithfulness of our

“God of hope” (Rom 15:13).

The Abiding Character of Hope

Since the Christian’s hope in Christ’s future return and redemption is more than simple wishful thinking, it will

have a real, practical impact on his present life. We can summarize the hopeful Christian’s character by simply

saying “he abides in Christ.” We have already dealt with the topic of “abiding” in our lesson on Joy. This repeti-

tion is to be expected since it is “the God of hope” who “fills us with joy” (Rom 15:13).

1 John 2:28-29. Q. According to v28, what is our motivation to “abide” in Christ?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________


The day is coming when Christ will return and we will all stand before him as our judge (Acts 10:42; Rom

14:10). This should motivate us in this life to “abide” in him. It is by abiding in Christ that we can be confident

and not ashamed when he returns.

To “abide” simply means “to continue, remain or endure.” It speaks of the Christian who remains faithful to Je-

sus Christ throughout his entire life.

John 8:31. Q. Who are Christ’s true disciples?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Think. The word “continue” in this verse is the same word translated “abide” in 1 John 2:28. What do you

think it means to “continue in Christ’s word?”

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

John 15:9. Q. What did Jesus tell us to continue or abide in?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

John 15:10. Q. How do we abide in his love?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

1 John 2:29. Q. Immediately after John told us to “abide in Christ” in 1 John 2:28, he went on to indicate one

of the characteristics of abiding. What will be one of the marks of one who is abiding in Christ?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

1 John 2:6. Q. Summarize this verse in your own words.

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

“

”

It is by abiding in

Christ that we can

be confident and

not ashamed when

he returns.


Abiding in Jesus Christ requires that we live a life of continual obedience to his words. This obedience will result

in righteous living and is clear evidence that we are indeed Christ’s disciples. (Rom 6:16-22; 1 John 3:10; John

8:31).

Think. Considering the above verses, what should we think of the man or woman who professes to be

Christ’s disciple but does not obey his commands or live righteously?

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

1 John 2:19. Q. In this passage John is discussing the unfortunate fact that some who had once professed to

be Christians had since left the church. What did their departure from the church reveal (manifest) about them?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Q. If they had indeed been Christians what would they have done?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

The hope which we have in Christ is a pervasive hope. It permeates every area of our lives. It is not accurate or

biblical to claim that someone is a disciple of Jesus Christ and has a legitimate hope for His return if his life is

not characterized by obedience to His commands. In fact, according to John, the failure to continue (or abide) in

Christ is a surefire way to tell if someone is an imposter.

Some would claim that this is an extreme or unreasonable understanding of salvation. They would assert that one

can pray to receive Jesus Christ as their savior without continuing in a life of obedience to God and still be as-

sured of their salvation. One of the main faults of this view is that it fails to give proper place to the doctrine of

regeneration. That is, at the moment of salvation the believer is actually made spiritually new on the inside by

the power of the Holy Spirit of God. This is a real transformation that results in a real change (2 Cor 5:17; Php

2:13; Eph 2:10).

Another doctrine that is essential to understanding this idea of abiding is the indwelling of the Spirit of God. The

Holy Spirit not only makes us spiritually alive at the moment of salvation but he actually lives within us until the

return of Jesus Christ (Eph 4:30). So then, the ability to abide in Christ has the Holy Spirit of God as its source.

This fact alone should eliminate the idea that “continuing in the faith” is too onerous a measure of salvation. The

reality is we abide in Christ because he abides in us. (John 14:16; John 15)

1 John 2:27. Q. Immediately before John told us to “abide in him” so that we would not “be ashamed before

him at his coming” he gave us this verse. What have we received from God? What will this cause us to do?


_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Think. We are told to abide in Christ, yet we are also told that the Holy Spirit is the one who causes us to

abide. Is our abiding in Christ God’s responsibility or ours? How do we reconcile this?

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Like many aspects of salvation, abiding in Christ is both God’s re-

sponsibility and ours. He has promised that every believer who has

been justified will be glorified (Rom 8:29,30); that we will never

be plucked from his hand (John 10:28); that nothing will separate

us from his love (Rom 8:38-39); and that he will continue his work

in us until the coming of Christ (Php 1:6). So why are there so

many other exhortations to endure to the end (Matt 24:13); to hold

fast our profession (Heb 4:14; 10:23) and to patiently continue in

Him (Rom 2:7)? Because these exhortations are some of the very

means which God uses to keep us in the faith until the coming of

Christ (1 Cor 1:8). The true believer obeys God’s commands to abide and he does it through hard work. He

struggles to continue, and endures until the end. He does it by the power of the Holy Spirit of God. This success-

ful perseverance until the end is not for salvation but is the evidence of true salvation and the hope which accom-

panies it.

2 Timothy 4:7. Q. What three ways did Paul characterize his life?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

2 Timothy 4:8. Q. Because he faithfully abided in Christ, what was he looking forward to? How did he feel

about Christ’s coming? How does this compare to 1 John 2:28?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

The Christian’s hope causes him to be faithful to Christ until the end. This includes obeying his words, living

righteously and purifying himself (1 John 3:2). Paul was a man who, driven by his hope of a future eternity with

Jesus Christ, fought to abide in Christ and to endure until the end. This will be the evidence of your hope and my

hope as well. How might your attitude and lifestyle change if you were to spend time dwelling on the return of

Christ and the inheritance that awaits you?

“

”

Like many aspects

of salvation,

abiding in Christ

is both God’s

responsibility and

ours


Review: Hope

1. What is the difference between the world's idea of hope and the Christians?

2. Using page 1 as your source, define Biblical hope.

3. How does the resurrection of Christ offer us hope in this life?

4. How does the Christian's hope enable him to be joyful even in the face of death?

5. How is God's faithfulness related to our hope?

6. How does the Christian's hope help him to be faithful to Christ?

7. Why do you think a life without a Biblical hope would be miserable? (1 Cor 15:19)

1



2 Preface


2 Faith ........................................................................................ 10

3 Obedience ............................................................................... 17

4 Growth .................................................................................... 25

5 Self-Discipline ........................................................................ 34

6 Love ........................................................................................ 44

7 Joy ........................................................................................... 63

8 Hope ....................................................................................... 71

9 Contentment ........................................................................... 81

10 Thankfulness ......................................................................... 91

11 Unity ................................................................................... 102

12 Compassion ........................................................................ 114

13 Humility .............................................................................. 122

14 Forgiveness ......................................................................... 133













life.








Contact







7

7 Joy

Philippians 4:4

Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.

hristian philosopher C.S. Lewis once said, ”I sometimes wonder whether all pleasures are not substitutes

for joy.”1

Our world seems to be on an endless search for joy and satisfaction. Some attempt to find joy in material things,

others in accomplishments, others still in sinful indulgences. Each and every one of these pleasures is simply an

empty attempt to replace the true joy which only comes from God.

Let’s consider what Joy is not. Joy is not the same as Happiness. Happiness depends upon circumstances or

“happenings.” Happiness is an expression of pleasure with outward circumstances. Therefore, when circum-

stances around us are dark or unpleasant, our happiness fails. Joy is much different. It is the outworking of the

Holy Spirit inside of us as he causes us to rejoice more and more in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Chris-

tian Joy is an inward contentment and pleasure in the person of Jesus Christ.

1 Thess 5:16. Q. When should a Christian rejoice?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

In Philippians 4:4 we see how it is possible to rejoice “evermore.” In whom do we rejoice?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

1 C.S. Lewis, Surprised by Joy, p. 170.

C


Let’s consider some of the reasons why we can “rejoice evermore”

Reasons for Rejoicing

1. We Rejoice Because We Are Reconciled

Rom 5:10-11. Q. According to these verses, in whom do we have Joy?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Q. Considering both v10 and 11, why do you think we “joy in God” through our Lord Jesus Christ?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

2. We Rejoice Because We Have Eternal Life

Luke 10:20. Q. What did Jesus tell his disciples to rejoice in?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

3. We Rejoice Because We Will Be Like Christ

Romans 5:2. Q. What did Paul say we rejoice in?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

4. We Rejoice In the Character of God

Rom 5:11. Q. In whom do we rejoice? ____________________________________________________

REflEct

Are there hobbies or habits in your life that you may be using as cheap substitutes for the joy that only comes from a close relationship with God?

What can you do to seek true, spiritual joy?


Php 3:3. Q. In whom do we rejoice? ______________________________________________________

Rom 14:17. Q. In whom do we rejoice? ___________________________________________________

Considering the above reasons for joy, how should our cir-

cumstances affect our joy?

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

The above verses name each member of the trinity and state that a

Christian should rejoice in each of them. The Christian should have joy in God, through Jesus Christ, because he

has reconciled us to himself, has given us the Holy Spirit, promises us eternal life and is making us like Jesus

Christ.

In addition to what God has done for us we rejoice in who God is. God’s promises and His character are the un-

movable foundation for our joy. His righteousness, holiness, love, mercy, forgiveness and every other divine at-

tribute should comfort us and cause us to rejoice in Him. Circumstances change but our God is unchanging and

our salvation cannot be lost, it is for this reason that we can rejoice evermore (1 Thess 5:16).

John 16:22. Q. What can no man take from us?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Real Joy

Ask yourself the question “What do I really take joy in?” If our joy is found in people, possessions, pursuits or

anything other than the promises and person of God it will fail.

Ecclesiastes 2:10,11. Solomon sought to find Joy in all the things of earth, including his own labour. What

was his conclusion?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Joy is not mere happiness. Joy is not an artificial grin pasted on the face of a Christian. Joy is a deep-seated

satisfaction and contentment in the person of Jesus Christ and all that He has done for us. Pleasures, happiness

and circumstances all change, but Jesus and His joy are unchanging.

“

”

If our joy is found in

people, possessions,

pursuits or anything

other than the

promises and person

of God it will fail.


So, why is it important for the Christian to have joy?

The Importance of Joy

1. Joy is Required to Reach the Lost.

Have you ever met a superficial Christian? A great turn-off to those in the world who are seeking answers is that

of the phoney Christian who is faking joy. We’ve all seen the forced smile and semi-enthusiastic tones of the

joyless Christian who is feigning the appearance of joy. Joy is not to be manufactured in our lives, it is to be

produced by the Spirit and displayed by our countenance, demeanor and reactions. If everything we have seen

above is true then the Christian should have a lasting joy which is foreign to this world. This supernatural joy not

only enables us to witness with sincerity but it serves as a testimony of our own salvation. The genuine Christian

displaying real spiritual joy is a powerful witness to the unsaved world.

In Psalm 51 we read David’s prayer to God after his sin with Bathsheba:

Psalms 51:12. Q. David desired the joy of the Lord, what did he indicate would be the result of the restora-

tion of this Joy?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Knowing the gospel message is not enough. If your unsaved friends and family cannot see something different

in your life, like the abiding joy of the Lord, it is unlikely that you will be a successful witness.

2. Joy Provides Strength for Service

Nehemiah 8:10. Q. In the book of Nehemiah we read about a great work for the Lord. Nehemiah desired to

rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. In the midst of this work, the people read and heard the word of God. They wept

because of their ignorance and disobedience toward God. In Nehemiah 8:10, he encouraged the people, where

did he tell them their strength comes from?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

It is the joy of the Lord that will encourage us in His work and strengthen us for service. It comes from the con-

fidence that we are saved, that God is unchanging and that He works all things together for our good (Rom 8:28).

3. Joy is Sustaining Through Sorrow

John 16:20-22. Every man, woman and child will experience sorrow in their life. In John 16:20, Jesus was

preparing his disciples for the great sorrow they would feel after his death. Q. What did he say would happen to

their sorrow?


_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Q. v22. What event would cause their sorrow to turn to joy?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

In 2 Corinthians chapter 6 Paul lists many of the troubles he had encountered as an Apostle. Q. According to

verse 10, what did he always do, even in the midst of sorrow?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Heb 12:2. Q. Jesus is our perfect example. According to Heb 12:2 What enabled him to endure the sorrow

and suffering of the cross?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

2 Cor 7:4. Q. What was Paul joyful in?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

1 Thess 1:6. Q. In what circumstances did the Thessalonians rejoice?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

The Bible says that Jesus was a man of sorrows (Isa 53:3), yet it also says he was anointed with gladness (Ps

45:7). His example is one of maintaining joy even in sorrow. Our circumstances may rob us of happiness, but

they should never rob us of joy. Even when we endure the harshest of times we can rejoice in the God who goes

with us through trials. Ultimately, we can look forward to the joy that awaits us in heaven.

REflEct

Do you allow bad circumstances to steal your joy? This is an indication that you are rejoicing in the wrong things. You are relying on your “happenings”

to produce joy when all they can really do is produce fleeting happiness.


How to Have Joy

We read in John 15:11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy

might be full. Jesus spoke the words in the fifteenth chapter of John so that we could have His joy and that His

joy would remain. It would make sense then to examine John 15 to find exactly what he has said. It is in this

chapter that we find how to have the joy of the Lord.

John 15:4. Q. What must we do if we want to bear fruit?

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

Jesus spoke these words so that his disciples could have fulness of Joy. The joy filled life is one that is spent

abiding in Jesus Christ. In the next section we will learn what it means to abide in him and to thereby

receive His joy.

Joy Through Abiding

Possessing the joy of the Lord is a direct result of our abiding in Christ. To “abide” simply means “to continue,

remain or endure.” It speaks of the Christian who remains faithful to Jesus Christ throughout his entire life. We

will not rejoice in God, his character and what he has done for us if we are abiding in sin. True joy in God will

occur when we are closest to Him. This is what Jesus called “abiding” in Him. So, what does it mean to abide in

Him?

1. Full Surrender

John 15:4. Q. What did Jesus indicate was the only way for us to bear fruit?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

The branch has no life, purpose or ability outside of the vine. Its existent is entirely devoted to the vine. This is

the surrendered relationship we must have with Jesus Christ if we are to bear the fruit of joy. Our lack of joy is

an indication that we have not surrendered all to our Lord.

2. Dependence

John 15:5. Q. Abiding in Christ means we do what through His power?

“

”

REflEct

True joy in God

will occur when

we are closest

to Him.

Are you fully devoted to the Lord Jesus Christ? A half-hearted devotion to Him will never result in joy.


_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

In order to have Christ’s joy, we must depend entirely on Him. What can a branch do without the vine? Anything

we do of any eternal significance will be done by the power of Jesus Christ. We must continually depend upon

Him to do anything that is pleasing to God.

3. Continual Obedience

John 15:9-10. Q. Here Jesus tells us to continue in his love. According to v10, what must we do in order to

continue in his love?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Jesus said in John 15, that he spoke these things that we might have joy. In verse 10 he tells us to keep His

commandments. Obedience to Christ’s commands is directly responsible for producing joy. For this reason, the

growing, obedient Christian is a joyous Christian whereas the saved man who struggles with sin also struggles to

maintain his joy.

Since joy is dependent upon obedience and not circumstances, we can have joy no matter what troubles we face.

In fact, our troubles often drive us closer to God and strengthen our obedience resulting in increased joy.

REflEct

Have you ever noticed the connection between obedience and joy in your own life? What changes in your life would enable you to experience

consistent joy?


Review: Joy

1. How do you think this world defines joy?

2. How is it possible to still have joy in the midst of sorrow?

3. What does it say about us when we allow circumstances to steal our joy?

4. If you had to make a list of the things that contribute to unchanging joy, what would you include?

5. Why do you think it’s important for us to have the joy of the Lord when we are busy serving Him?

6. How does having joy affect our ability to witness?

7. How does a Christian lose his joy?

8. How does a Christian maintain his joy?

1



2 Preface


2 Faith ........................................................................................ 10

3 Obedience ............................................................................... 17

4 Growth .................................................................................... 25

5 Self-Discipline ........................................................................ 34

6 Love ........................................................................................ 44

7 Joy ........................................................................................... 63

8 Hope ....................................................................................... 71

9 Contentment ........................................................................... 81

10 Thankfulness ......................................................................... 91

11 Unity ................................................................................... 102

12 Compassion ........................................................................ 114

13 Humility .............................................................................. 122

14 Forgiveness ......................................................................... 133













life.








Contact







6

6 Love

John 13:35

By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples,

if ye have love one to another.

o far we have seen attitudes of faith, obedience, growth and self-discipline. These attitudes are, for the

most part, God-directed. That is, they pertain to our attitude toward God and our relationship with him.

We turn a page in this study as we look at the attitude of Love. Love is primarily seen in our interactions

with and attitudes toward others. It is the most all-encompassing of the others-oriented attitudes. If a Christian

has in his heart an attitude of love, many other spiritual attitudes will naturally flow from it. Let us first consider

the primary role that love plays in the life of a Christian.

The Primacy of Love

Love is so central to God’s character that it can be simply stated; God is love (1 John 4:8). It was love that

brought Jesus to earth (1 John 4:9; John 3:16), it was love that lead him to heal multitudes (Matt 14:14), it was

love that drove him to seek and save the lost (Matt 9:36; Luke 19:10), it was love that lead him to the cross (1

John 4:10; Rom 5:8) and it is by his love that he dwells within us today (1 John 4:16; Rom 5:5). Because love is

central to God’s character, it is also foundational to the teachings of Jesus Christ. So much so, that the idea of

loving others became known as the “law of Christ.”

James 2:8. Q. What is the “royal law?”

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Galatians 6:2. Q. How can we fulfill the “law of Christ?”

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

S


Christ’s theme of loving was so strong and so clear that it became an evident characteristic of discipleship. Even

the unsaved could observe the love among Christian brethren and immediately conclude that they must have

been disciples of Christ.

1 John 3:11. Q. What message was heard from the beginning of Christ’s ministry?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

John 13:34-35. Q. What commandment did Christ give?

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

Q. What example should we follow in loving one another?

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

Q. What would be the result of our love for one another?

_________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

It is because love is so central to the character and teachings of Jesus Christ that one cannot claim to be his disci-

ple and not also love like he loved.

1 John 4:8. Q. What is not true about someone who does not love? Why?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

1 John 3:23. Q. What two things did John describe as “his [Christ’s] commandment?”

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Think. What does the fact that John has grouped these two things together as one commandment tell us

about salvation and Christian love?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

The power of our testimony for Christ lies in the evidence that He has changed our lives. This change is dis-

played when we love others like He loved. This is the love that seeks the salvation of the lost and loves the breth-

ren even to the point of sacrifice (1 John 3:17; Php 2:4).

“

”

It is because love

is so central to

the character

and teachings of

Jesus Christ that

one cannot claim

to be his disciple

and not also love

like he loved.


Paul taught the primacy of love in the fifth chapter of Galatians when he mentioned love first in the list of spir-

itual character qualities (Gal 5:22). He emphasized its primacy once again in the thirteenth chapter of 1 Corin-

thians:

1 Corinthians 13:1-3. Q. The word charity here is the word Agape, meaning God-like love. What things did

Paul list as secondary to love?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Paul’s ultimate point was that even the best gifts, practiced without love, are useless. In the third chapter of Co-

lossians we read a list of great Christian virtues. At the end of this list, after Paul has listed mercy, kindness, hu-

mility, meekness, longsuffering, forbearance, and forgiveness he again emphasizes the primacy of love (charity).

Colossians 3:14 And ____________________________________________ put on charity, which is the

bond of perfectness.

Love is the virtue that binds all the rest of Christian character together. All of the fruit of the Spirit and all of the

gifts of the Spirit are to be saturated with love. Without it we become empty shells, poor representatives of Christ

and hurtful to his cause.

The Personality of Love

We have already learned the importance of love; that it is central to the character of God and that it should char-

acterize all of his children. Now let’s consider the personality of love. How does love behave? Paul answers this

question in one of the most oft-quoted chapters of scripture – 1 Corinthians 13.

Charity suffereth long,

and is kind;

charity envieth not;

charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,

Doth not behave itself unseemly,

seeketh not her own,

is not easily provoked,

thinketh no evil;

Rejoiceth not in iniquity,

but rejoiceth in the truth;

Beareth all things,

believeth all things,

hopeth all things,

endureth all things.

REflEct

If love is so central to Christianity, what should you do if you find yourself with an unloving heart?


Now, let’s consider the personality of love:

1. Love is Steadfast - 1 Cor 13:4 Charity suffereth long…

1 Corinthians 13:4 begins “Charity suffereth long.” The word here literally means to be “long tempered” or to

“patiently endure.” Practically, this can be seen as one is provoked over and over again yet refuses to retaliate (1

Pet 3:9). It is this love that enables us to forgive others even when they repeatedly offend us (Matt 18:22).

1 John 1:9. Q. How does this verse illustrate God’s steadfast love?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

True love is enduring. It is not swayed by circumstances, nor does it wear thin over time. Love is not diminished

when we are annoyed or irritated by others. A fleeting love is no love at all.

2. Love is Serving - 1 Cor 13:4 Charity is kind…

Because love is steadfast it endures suffering. It can take the hurts, offenses or lack of love that others dish out.

Over and above this longsuffering there is kindness. Kindness does more than endure hurts. It actively seeks to

be gracious and serving toward others. Even more than this, true love serves those who do not deserve to be

served.

Luke 6:27-36. Q. According to v27, who should we love?

_________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

v32-34. Q. What should be distinct about Christian love, compared to the love of “sinners?”

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

v35-36. Q. What will we be if we love our enemies like Christ instructed us in this passage? What does this

mean?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

REflEct

“

”

What does it reveal about your attitude toward others when their faults cause you to treat them unlovingly?

True love serves

even those who

do not deserve to

be served.


v35. Q. Who is God kind to? _______________________________________________________________

It is God’s kindness fueled by his love that lead Him to send Jesus Christ to be our savior (Titus 3:4-6) and He

did this while we were yet sinners (Rom 5:8). God now asks us to show the same loving kindness to others even

when they do not deserve it, just as He has done for us.

3. Love is Sincere - 1 Cor 13:4 Charity envieth not…

Next in 1 Cor 13:4 we read charity envieth not. True love is not jealous. This is not speaking of being “jealous

for” someone as God is for his people (Ex 20:4-5; Ex 34:14) but being jealous of someone. A husband or wife

may be jealous for their spouse, meaning they want their spouse to be faithful and belong to them and them

alone. This can be a healthy “jealousy” but it is not the jealousy that is spoken of here.

The jealousy spoken of here is always sinful and one of the most destructive sins we can commit. Proverbs 27:4

tells us Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous; but who is able to stand before envy? Consider the following

examples.

Who was Jealous of

whom? Why were they Jealous? What did it lead to?

Luke 15:25-30

Gen 37:4,

Acts 7:9

Acts 13:45

Gen 4:3-8

Matt 27:17-18


Jealousy lead the crowd to deliver Jesus to death, Joseph’s brothers to sell him into slavery, Cain to murder his

brother, the Jews to resist Paul and the prodigal’s brother to be stirred to anger. It is easy to see how devastating

envy can be!

Jealousy can be a matter of wanting something that someone else has

or wanting to be something that someone else is (status, acclaim, fol-

lowing, etc). No matter the type of jealousy, it is all rooted in pride. It

is believing that we are more deserving of benefits or privileges than

others. This is the complete opposite of Paul’s exhortation in Philippi-

ans 2:3 to Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in low-

liness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.

As devastating as all envy is, there is one type of envy that is more sinister than the rest. It is the jealousy that not

only says “I wish I had what they had” but goes one step lower and says “I wish they did not have what they

have.” This is the jealousy, rooted in hate that actually wishes ill upon others. There is no possible scenario in

which this type of jealousy and love could dwell in the same heart.

1 Corinthians 12:26. Q. How should the members of a church respond when they see another member “hon-

oured?”

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

4. Love is Self-Effacing - 1 Cor 13:4 Charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up…

Love is not jealous because it is not prideful. It does not vaunt itself (brag), nor is it puffed up (arrogant). Brag-

ging is nothing more than trying to create jealousy in others!

Prov 8:13. Q. If you fear the Lord, what will you hate?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Prov 16:18. Q. What does pride lead to?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

“

”

REflEct

No matter the

type of jealousy,

it is all rooted in

pride.

Have you ever thought negatively toward someone who has been blessed? What does your negative attitude say about your love toward that person?


Eph 2:8-9. Q. Why can’t anyone boast of their salvation?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

1 Cor 1:26-29. Q. How did God ensure that no flesh could boast (glory) in His presence?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

God despises pride so much (Prov 6:16-19; Prov 21:4) that he has designed the salvation plan in such a way that

no one can be saved while also taking credit for their salvation. No flesh will be able to boast or brag in the

presence of God. Whenever we brag about our accomplishments we exalt ourselves and challenge God as the

only one who deserves glory. (Isa 48:11)

Think. How would a Biblical understanding of the nature of man help us to avoid bragging?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

5. Love is Self-Restraining - 1 Corinthians 13:5 Doth not behave itself unseemly…

The word unseemly means “rude” or “discourteous.” Remember that

Paul is addressing the Corinthians who had much to be corrected in

their church. Paul has already corrected them for permitting an adulter-

ous brother to continue in the church without rebuke. He went on in the

eleventh chapter to address their disorderly worship services and their

misuse of spiritual gifts in the twelfth chapter.

1 Cor 11:21. Q. What was happening when the Corinthians came together for the Lord’s Supper?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

What better picture of rudeness than someone cutting in line for the best food! Rudeness comes about when we

put our needs or wants ahead of the desires of others. It seeks to ensure that we are satisfied even at the expense

of other people. The Corinthians had developed a pattern of rudeness in their church. In the fourteenth chapter

we learn that even during their worship services the Corinthians were vying for the spotlight. True love is not

rude but kind, gracious and considerate

“

”

True love is not

rude but kind,

gracious and con-

siderate.


Think. It seems like rudeness can sometimes come very naturally to us while courtesy requires extra effort.

What can we do to ensure that we remember to be courteous to others?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

6. Love is Self-Denying - 1 Corinthians 13:5 Charity seeketh not her own…

Paul goes on to say that love seeketh not her own. That is, it is not selfish but concerned about the wellbeing of

others.

1 Cor 10:23-24. Q. In this passage Paul indicates that “all things

are lawful” for him. What was more important to him than whether or

not something was lawful?

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

Q. If we are less concerned about our rights and what we are “allowed” to do, what will the result be? (v24)

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Php 2:3-4. Q. If we, through humility, esteem others as better than ourselves what will we do?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Someone who is overly concerned with their “rights” is likely to overlook the needs of others while he fulfills his

own lusts. In the fourteenth chapter of Romans Paul tells us that he would be willing to forgo eating all meat if it

meant protecting his weaker brethren from offense. True love is willing to deny itself if it means the betterment

of others.

1 Cor 6:7-8. Q. Once again, the Corinthians serve as an example of how not to love. What were they doing to

one another?

REflEct

“

”

Familiarity with others often makes it easy to behave unlovingly toward them. Are you guilty of being rude or discourteous toward your spouse or kids?

True love is will-

ing to deny itself

for the betterment

of others.


_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Q. What did Paul say they should rather have done?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

The Corinthians were so concerned with their rights and what was rightfully “owed” them that they were suing

one another in secular courts. A loving attitude would have taken a loss before it did anything to harm his brother

or the testimony of Christ.

Matt 20:28. Q. Jesus did not come to earth to be served. Why did he come? How did he do this?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

God is love and Christ is God in the flesh. He is our perfect example of love. Not only did he display his love by

dying on the cross for us, but his entire life is an example of how to deny ourselves and how to serve others.

7. Love is Serene - 1 Corinthians 13:5 Charity is not easily provoked…

Have you ever found yourself short-tempered with others or prone to outbursts of emotion? Another characteris-

tic of love is that it is not easily provoked. The book of Proverbs praises those who are slow to anger and has few

kind things to say about a man who is angered easily.

Prov 16:32. Q. Who is better than the mighty? Who is better than one that “takes a city?”

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

REflEct

REflEct

Have you ever expressed an unloving attitude toward a brother in Christ in the presence of unbelievers? How do you think this made them feel about

the church and Jesus Christ?

Love is not selfish. How are you at giving up your own rights and privileges for others? Are you willing to deny yourself for the benefit of others?


Who are the successful ones in this life? Generally those who outpace their competition, defeat their enemies or

who rule over others. Proverbs tells us that God has a different measure of success. The one who controls himself

is far greater than the one who controls others.

Proverbs 25:28 says He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls.

A person who is angered quickly is susceptible to all kinds of provocation. He allows himself to be severely af-

fected by even small irritations. His spirit is like a city that has all kinds of enemies coming and going as they

please and leaving destruction in their wake.

Prov 14:17. Q. How does someone act who has a quick temper?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

A man who loses his temper makes a fool of himself. He shows others that he has no control over his emotions.

His outburst may last only a few moments, but his reputation for behaving foolishly takes much longer to fade.

Think. Have you witnessed someone severely lose their temper? What did you think of them at that time?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Proverbs 22:24-25. Q. What should you not do with an angry or furious man? Why Not?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

The above proverbs teach us that a quick tempered man is inferior (16:32), foolish (14:17), and friendless

(22:24-25). On the other hand being slow to anger is a virtue to be praised.

James 1:19. Q. What 3 things does James encourage us to do?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

REflEct

Love is not telling someone over and over again how sorry you are that you lost your temper. It is never losing it to begin with. What attitude are you showing

when you lose your temper with others?


How many altercations could be avoided if we learned to be quick to listen to what others are saying and slow to

offer our opinion? Listening to others involves understanding their position or seeing things from their perspec-

tive. Love is quick to consider what others are saying and slow to speak its mind.

It may be that we have suffered a legitimate hurt or offense. Are we then justified in responding with anger?

Proverbs 19:11 tells us, The discretion of a man deferreth his anger; and it is his glory to pass over a transgres-

sion. The word “defer” here brings with it the idea of “prolonging.” As we have already learned, love is longsuf-

fering, but more than that, the loving person is able to overlook offenses committed by those whom he loves

(Luke 23:34; Acts 7:60).

8. Love is Sparing - 1 Corinthians 13:5 Charity thinketh no evil…

The Greek word logizomai translated here “thinks no evil” can actually mean “to take an inventory.” Many mar-

riages and other relationships fail because one or both parties carry with them a history or an inventory of unfor-

given hurts. 1 Corinthians 13:5 indicates that the loving person is not resentful and does not keep a record of

wrongs committed against them.

This is the type of forgiveness that God offers to us (Rom 4:8; 2 Cor 5:19). It is a love that not only forgives and

forgets, but forgives and deliberately chooses not to recollect past hurts (Ps 103:12). What else leads to bitterness

and resentment but repeatedly dwelling on past hurts?

Philippians 4:8. Q. We also find the word logizomai (think) in this verse. If we are not to drum up and dwell

on past hurts, what types of things should we think on? (8)

1. ___________________________________________ 2. ___________________________________________

3. ___________________________________________ 4. ___________________________________________

5. ___________________________________________ 6. ___________________________________________

7. ___________________________________________ 8. ___________________________________________

Think. What are some tell-tale signs that someone is keeping an inventory of past hurts?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

REflEct

Are there some people that seem to constantly irritate you? How can you increase your love toward these people specifically?


9. Love is Sympathetic - 1 Corinthians 13:6 Charity rejoiceth not in iniquity…

Love does not “rejoice in iniquity.” That is, love does not celebrate the sins of others. It is not pleased when oth-

ers fail or fall. Proverbs 24:17 tells us that we should not even rejoice when our enemies fall.

Proverbs 24:17 Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth:

18 Lest the LORD see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him. (see Job 31:29)

Proverbs 17:5. Q. Who will not go unpunished?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

The Germans have a word for this, it is schadenfreude. It literally means to obtain enjoyment from the troubles

of others. One of the clearest examples of this is the gossip. The gossip is one who delights so much in the fail-

ures of others that he can’t wait to spread the news. He repeats the story of the sins of others so that he himself

can look better. How can we love someone and rejoice when they fail or fall? We can’t. These two attitudes are

irreconcilable.

Think. In your own words, how should we respond when others fail? (see Galatians 6:1)

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

10. Love is Sound - 1 Corinthians 13:6 Charity rejoiceth in the truth…

There are many who falsely claim that there is a conflict between love and truth. They say things like “doctrine

doesn’t matter as long as we love one another.” They are willing to compromise just about anything “in the name

of love.” What the Bible teaches us is that true love does not tolerate untruth or unsound doctrine. True love re-

joices in truth.

REflEct

REflEct

Have you ever found yourself dredging up past offenses committed by others when you are confronted with your own faults? This is an easy way to deflect

criticism from yourself and to attack others instead. How does this evidence an unloving heart?

Consider Proverbs 24:17-18 from above. Why do you think God would have the reaction mentioned in verse 18 if we rejoice when our enemies fall?


2 Thess 2:10. Q. This verse is speaking of those unsaved people who will be deceived by the anti-Christ. Ac-

cording to this verse how might they have been saved?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

God is a God of truth (Deu 32:4), Jesus Christ is the truth (John 14:6), the Holy Spirit is the spirit of truth and

guides us into all truth (John 14:17; John 16:13), the word of God is truth (John 17:17), and those who worship

God must do it in spirit and truth (John 4:24). It is no wonder then that in 2 Thess 2:10, “receiving the love of

the truth” is used synonymously with being saved. Everyone who has ever been saved has been because they

have received the love of the truth. Therefore, the Christian life will evidence a love for the truth, and a continua-

tion in it (John 8:31).

Think. If we love the truth, what will our attitude be toward sin and error?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

True love does not allow someone to continue in error if it will damn their souls (1 Cor 5:5). It does not overlook

false doctrine in the name of “love”, but it will lovingly confront sin and error (Eph 4:15; 2 Tim 2:25). All of our

relationships in the church are bound together by a common love for the truth (2 John 1:1; 3 John 1:1).

11. Love Suffers - 1 Corinthians 13:6 Charity beareth all things…

There is a burden to bear with love, because it always costs to love. The moment we decide to love, we make

ourselves vulnerable and open to hurt. This is why some people put up a wall of protection and choose not to

love. God knew this when he gave man the capacity to sin. In order to love, man was given a will, and with the

gift of a will, God made it possible for he himself to suffer hurt. When God chose to love, God chose to suffer.

Isaiah 53:4-5. Q. What did Christ “bear” for us?

_________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

Q. Why was he wounded? ___________________________________

Q. Why was he bruised? ______________________________________________________________________

Q. Why was he chastised? _________________________________________________________________

Q. Why did he receive stripes? ______________________________________________________________

“

”

There is a burden

to bear with love,

because it always

costs to love.


True love is willing to cover and protect (but not excuse) those who have sinned even if it means suffering on

their behalf. As we have already learned, true love does not rejoice in or gossip about the failures of others; ra-

ther, it is willing to bear the hurt caused by the sins of those we love.

The word used here for bear literally means “to roof over.” Like a roof that covers and protects, bearing the bur-

den of the elements, love protects those who have sinned and repented. Out of concern for their wellbeing love is

willing to bear the brunt of sin.

Gal 6:1-2. Q. How will we fulfill the law of Christ?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Q. Considering verse 1, what do you think these “burdens” are referring to?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Every one of us has particular sins that are especially troubling to us (Heb 12:1). True love does not see the sins

of others and judge or condemn them. It hurts for them and seeks to find ways to help them to overcome that sin.

Romans 15:1-3. Q. v1. What should the strong do for the weak?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Q. v2. Why would we do this?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Q. v3. In doing so, what example are we following?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Jesus Christ bore our sins for us on the cross and in doing so He left for us an example of perfect love (1 Pet

2:24; 1 John 4:10). Obviously, we are not bearing sin in the same sense that Christ did. Nevertheless, true love

bears the sins of others by showing mercy, by bearing the hurts that result from their sins, and by overlooking

their failures. All of this is for the purpose of promoting their spiritual growth (Rom 15:2).


Think. How might this aspect of love be especially necessary for a Pastor or one who is discipling younger

Christians to learn?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

James 5:19. Q. Bearing sin is not excusing sin. James here is giving a scenario of a man in the church who is

showing a lack of salvation by continuing in sin. According to verse 19, what does this man need?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Q. According to verse 20, what two things happen when someone is “converted from the error of his ways?”

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

The word “hide” here is the very same word used in 1 Cor 13 for “bear.” Love, far from judging the unsaved,

leads us to seek the salvation of men and women so that their sins can be covered by the blood of Jesus Christ.

Love hates sin but seeks to convert the sinner.

12. Love is not Suspicious - 1 Corinthians 13:7 Charity believeth all things…

When the Bible says that love “believes all things” it is not speaking of blind or naïve belief. The idea is to con-

sistently think the best of other people without cynicism or suspicion. It is an unloving spirit that assumes the

worst of others or is skeptical of their motives.

Think. What might lead us to be skeptical of others?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

REflEct

Have you ever been hurt by someone you love? Has that hurt caused you to withdraw and hold back love from that person? How does you reaction

compare to all that we learned above? What should you change in order to better reflect Christian love toward that person?


If we find ourselves skeptical or assuming the worst of someone, because of a past sin or offense, then we may

be revealing an unforgiving spirit that resides in our heart. This cynicism is actually a defense mechanism, pro-

tecting ourselves from a repeat of some hurt that we have experienced before. This cynicism is not in line with

what we have already learned about love. Love “bears all things.” That is, it is willing to suffer and to bear with

the sins and failures of others. It lovingly endures the pain that the vulnerability of love brings. The same love

that bears the sins of others also seeks to think the best of others even at the risk of being proven wrong. It does

not become cynical because of past hurts or disappointments.

An unloving heart is quick to ascribe ill motives to the actions of others. It assumes the worst instead of erring on

the side of trust. It may be that this trust at some point is broken, but again, the nature of love is that it is willing

to bear with that disappointment and to continue to love.

Luke 7:36-39. Q. How is the woman described here? _________________________________________

This woman had a reputation in her city as a “sinner.” She was probably a well-known prostitute.

Q. What did she bring with her into the Pharisee’s house?

________________________________________________________

Q. How does Mark 14:3 describe this ointment?

________________________________________________________

Q. v38. Luke tells us that the woman was W_____________________

Q. v38. What did the woman do while she was weeping?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Q. What this woman has done is a beautiful picture of faith, humility, repentance and worship (v50), but not eve-

ryone saw it this way. What did the Pharisee think when he saw this?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

This Pharisee assumed that had Christ known this woman’s reputation he would have rebuked her. The Phari-

see’s first and only thought was that this woman was not coming in a spirit of faith or repentance, but with ill

will. It did not enter into his mind that she might actually have come in repentance, with the desire to give her

life over to Jesus Christ the Messiah.

REflEct

“

”

Are you a “negative person”? Are you always looking for someone’s ulterior motives? Or do you often assume the worst? Can you trace this attitude back to past hurts?

It is Christ and

Christ alone who

can see the hearts

and discern the

motives of men.


After the Pharisee “spake within himself”, Christ “answered.” He knew the thoughts in the heart of the Pharisee

and rebuked him for them. This reminds us that it is Christ and Christ alone who can see the hearts of men and

who can discern their motives. The Pharisee saw the woman, remembered her reputation and judged her wrong-

ly. For us who cannot read minds or thoughts, we are to err on the side of trust and believe the motives and inten-

tions of others are pure, until proven otherwise. If we are proven wrong then we are to seek to forgive and restore

that brother and then to keep on loving.

Love assumes the best, bears with the worst, restores the offender and continues loving.

13. Love Does Not Surrender - 1 Corinthians 13:7 Charity hopeth all things…

Not only does love bear with the sins of others and assume the best of others but even when sins persist and trust

is broken, it continues to love and hopes for the return or restoration of the erring brother.

An unloving heart is quick to give up on others. It is quick to pronounce that someone is “getting what they de-

serve”, or to write them off forever.

2 Peter 3:9. Q. What attitude does God have toward us? Why?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

As long as God’s love and grace continues toward men, we should not give up on others. We love them and pray

for them. We pray that God would grant them repentance, that they would come to (or be restored to) the faith.

In short, true love does not “give up” on anyone.

14. Love Stands - 1 Corinthians 13:7 Charity endureth all things…

In summary, love “endures all things.” It does not fail, no matter what it encounters. The word here is the same

used for Christ as he “endured the cross” (Heb 12:2). Christ’s love enabled him to willingly endure the torture of

the cross for those whom he loved.

When we choose to love others (in obedience to God’s command, Mark 12:31; 1 Pet 1:22) we make a forever

commitment. Love is not a fleeting emotion but a rigid, unmovable and purposeful commitment. It refuses to let

go even when it encounters hurts and disappointments.

REflEct

REflEct

Can you think of someone that you used to pray for or encourage but have since stopped? If you love that person what should you continue to do?

Think about everything you have learned about love. How does your love measure up? How about your love toward your spouse? Toward fellow

believers?


Conclusion

Love is an all-important attitude that should saturate the Christian heart. All our actions and words should be sea-

soned with love.

When we accept the primacy of love and learn to apply the personality of love we reflect the character of God

and evidence the fact that we are disciples of Jesus Christ. This is not an easy thing to do in a society that exalts

pride and perverts love. But, as we learn more about God’s loving character and grow in the faith, it becomes in-

creasingly easy.

If you find yourself lacking in love, dwell on God’s love for you. Meditate on the greatest act of love - Jesus

Christ’s sacrificial death on the cross for you. Consider the character of God and then look for opportunities to

show His love to others.


Review: Love

1. What are some things that God the Father and Jesus Christ have done for us through love?

2. Why do you think other gifts of the Spirit, if not seasoned with love, become useless?

3. What is a scenario in which love could show itself "long suffering?”

4. How does the "kindness" of love impact the way we should interact with non-Christians?

5. What does being envious of others say about our contentment with God's provision for us?

6. When do envy and hate overlap?

7. In what ways is pride incompatible with love?

8. Love does not behave rudely. What are some basic areas of consideration that you would appreciate

as expressions of love toward you?

9. The loving person is not overly concerned with his "rights.” What are some rights that we should be

willing to forego for the benefit of others?

10. How might remembering that "love thinketh no evil" help us in our marriages?

11. How do we know that a person who gossips is unloving?

12. Love is willing to bear the consequences of the sins of others. If you love someone who sins, and

others judge or condemn that person, how might you respond?

13. Explain "Love is not cynical.”

14. How does a loving person treat someone who has drifted away from the faith?

15. Is there any particular characteristic of love that you feel you need to work on? How do you think

you could go about this?

1



2 Preface


2 Faith ........................................................................................ 10

3 Obedience ............................................................................... 17

4 Growth .................................................................................... 25

5 Self-Discipline ........................................................................ 34

6 Love ........................................................................................ 44

7 Joy ........................................................................................... 63

8 Hope ....................................................................................... 71

9 Contentment ........................................................................... 81

10 Thankfulness ......................................................................... 91

11 Unity ................................................................................... 102

12 Compassion ........................................................................ 114

13 Humility .............................................................................. 122

14 Forgiveness ......................................................................... 133













life.








Contact







5

5 Self-Discipline

1 Corinthians 6:12

All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient:

all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.

t is not uncommon to hear preachers and evangelist exhort Christians to “surrender” to God or to “lay it all

on the altar.” These phrases are not bad or unbiblical per se, but they tend to paint a picture of a passive

approach to spiritual growth. The Apostle Paul (who was clearly “surrendered to God” Gal 2:20) used much

different language in describing how a Christian should live out his discipleship. Look up 1 Cor 9:24-27.

v24-25. Q. What is Paul comparing our spiritual walk to?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Q. v26. What else does he compare it to in verse 26?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

The Corinthians were thoroughly familiar with sporting events as their city was host to the Isthmian games, an

Olympic-style sporting event held each year before and after the Olympics. The average Corinthian would have

been very familiar with the discipline and stamina required for a man to succeed at the games. Paul uses this fa-

miliarity with sporting events to help them understand the discipline required to succeed in the Christian life. He

describes himself as a runner in a race who has a prize in his sights or a professional boxer who makes contact

with each of his blows.

Q. v29. How did Paul’s self-discipline affect his relationship with his physical body?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

I


_______________________________________________________________________________________

Q. What was his motivation for bringing his body into subjection?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

The phrases “keep under” and “bring it into subjection” literally mean to “subdue” or “make a slave.” In Paul’s

mind, in order to be a spiritual success it required that he become the master of his own flesh and its desires and

not the other way around.

Think. What fleshly tendencies do you think we must be in control of in order to be a spiritual success?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Self-Discipline – A Mark of Discipleship

An integral part of self-discipline is the idea of “self-denial.” We live in a society where self-denial has given

way to indulgence and instant gratification. There is no need, in our affluent society, to go without or to deny

ourselves anything. But that should not prevent the Christian from practicing self-denial. The disciplined

Christian will learn to deny himself pleasures and indulgences, not only to protect his spiritual walk, but to

ensure that he is in constant control of his flesh and that his flesh is not in control of him. This denial of self is a

mark of a true disciple of Jesus Christ.

Matt 16:24. Q. What did Jesus say that a man should do to “self” if he desired to be His disciple?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Gal 5:24. Q. What is a characterstic of those who “are Christ’s?”

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Rom 13:13-14. Q. How should “putting on Christ” affect the way we treat our flesh?

REflEct

Do you consider yourself a disciplined person? In what areas have you allowed your fleshly desires to control you?


_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

To be a disciple of Christ one must be willing to crucify himself. To give his life, his own desires and his own

priorities over to the control of Jesus Christ. Giving over control to Jesus Christ is not an act of passivity. It

involves the constant, day-by-day subjection of our bodies to our control as we are lead by the Spirit of God.

Motivations for Self-Discipline

1. Seeking The Best

A lot of Christians spend their lives trying to find the fine line between liberty and sin. They want to get as much

enjoyment out of this sinful world as they can without falling full-on into sin. Once they find that line they spend

the rest of their lives in the precarious position of trying to balance the world with Christ. Paul had a different

perspective. He not only abstained from out-and-out sin, but also avoided anything that had even the potential to

control or hinder him.

1 Cor 6:12-13. Q. What is true about “all things?”

______________________________________________________

______________________________________________________

Q. v12. What is not true about all things?

______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

It is true that the Christian will be forgiven of every sin when he sincerely repents (1 John 1:9). However, this is

not a license to sin (Rom 6:1-2, 1 Peter 2:16). The question that all Christian’s should be asking themselves is

not “is it wrong”, but rather “is it beneficial to my spiritual growth.” This question raises our concern regarding

spiritual life to a whole new level. It is deciding that although something is not necessarily sinful, it is not best

for me. Paul was willing to forsake all (Php 3:8), if it meant that he would gain a greater knowledge of God and

experience the power of his resurrection (Php 3:10). Like the olympic runner, he was running to win and would

not allow anything to hold him back, even if it was not technically sinful.

Paul’s desire to discipline himself and to avoid anything that might hurt his spiritual life is a great mark of

spiritual maturity. Whereas the spiritually immature often conform to the prevailing standards of a church out of

REflEct

“

”

Do you find yourself consistently falling into the same sin? Is it possible that you are “making provision” for your flesh in that area? What could you change that would

help you to avoid that sin?

Paul not only

abstained from out-

and-out sin but also

avoided anything

that had even the

potential to control

or hinder him.


obligation, the spiritually mature willingly limit their liberty in order to protect the precious relationship they

have with their Lord. Paul’s motivation for self-discipline was not to please people, to fit in, or to earn God’s

favour, but to ensure that he would not become a spiritual failure. True self-discipline starts in the heart. It is

motivated by sincere desire to live a life close to God and to encourage others to do the same.

Self-discipline is a matter of having right priorities. God is first; which is why our first concern is our spiritual

walk. Second in our priority list are fellow Christians and last is self. Therefore, we deny ourselves in order to

please God and to encourage the brethren. An undisciplined life puts self first and everything else last. It violates

our relationship with God and discourages the brethren. It is selfishness at its most basic level.

2. Encouraging The Brethren

1 Cor 10:23. Q. In this passage Paul repeats what he has already said in 1 Cor 6, but adds a phrase. What else

should we take into consideration when deciding whether or not something is right to take part in?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

To edify simply means to build up. Paul not only exhorted the churches to build up one another (Rom 14:19;

Rom 15:2; 1 Cor 8:1; 1 Cor 14; Eph 4:12; Eph 4:29; 1 Thess 5:11), but he himself was always conscious as to

whether or not his actions would be a benefit or a stumbling block to his fellow Christians (1 Cor 8:13; 2 Cor

12:19). The eighth chapter of Corinthians is a wonderful example of Paul’s willingness to deny his own flesh for

the sake of others. He was willing to abstain from eating meat offered to idols if it meant the edification of the

brethren.

Think. What are some things that we might avoid entirely for the sake of weaker Christians even though they

are not necessarily sinful?

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

One last motivation for self-discipline is that of avoiding bondage.

3. Avoiding Bondage

Before salvation we were captives to sin (John 8:34; Rom 6:17; Eph 2:1), but Jesus Christ broke the bonds of sin

when he died on the cross and rose from the dead (Rom 8:3). At the moment of our salvation we were made free

from the oppressive slavery of sin and were given the ability to live in righteousness (Rom 6:18). Now, like a

REflEct

What is your attitude toward others who might be offended by your use of liberty? Do you dismiss them and wish they would “just lighten up” or do you take their

potential offense seriously? How could you be a greater encouragement to others?


slave owner who has lost all legal rights to his slave, Satan does all that he can to entice his freedmen to willingly

submit once again to his control. Sin no longer has dominion over us (Rom 6:6,14), but it still seeks to bring us

into bondage (Rom 6:12-13).

As Christians, whenever we sin it is because we have willingly submitted ourselves to the control of sin (James

1:14-15; 1 Cor 10:13) and not because sin commands us. Self-discipline is a matter of avoiding any situation

where sin can lure us back into its slavery.

Q. Look back at 1 Cor 6:12. What did Paul say he would not allow to happen?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Paul understood that although we are under grace and not the law,

not all things are beneficial for us. He also understood that not all

things edify or build up the brethren. Further still, he understood

that there are some things that are not necessarily sinful but have the

potential to bring us into bondage. For all of these reasons he was

willing to discipline his body and to bring it under his control.

The Flesh – Prone to Indulgence

Would you give your child a box of chocolates and trust him to only eat as much as is healthy? Or would you

give him a limit knowing that he has a tendency to overindulge? Not unlike that child our flesh tends toward

indulgence and left unchecked, indulgence can lead to bondage.

How can you tell if you have become servant to something that used to be just a harmless enjoyment? It might

help to ask yourself the following questions:

Does this thing occupy an inordinate amount of my thought life?

Does this thing prevent me from accomplishing important tasks?

Have I begun to sacrifice social interaction, family life or friendships in favour of this thing?

Have I changed my social circle to one which revolves around this thing?

Do I spend an inappropriate amount of time, money or resources on this thing?

Have I become embarrassed or secretive about this thing?

Do I become irritated or angry when someone I love prevents me from taking part in this thing?

Have I tried to stop or limit this thing only to fail repeatedly?

“

”

Self-discipline is a

matter of avoiding

any situation where

sin can lure us back

into its slavery.


There are some habits which are out-and-out sinful like drugs, alcohol and pornography but what about other

things like food, entertainment and social media? These (and just about anything else) can be done to excess,

thus creating a habit and bringing us unto bondage. Each of us should consider what it is in our lives that tends to

bring us into bondage and then seek to moderate those things or abstain from them altogether.

Heb 12:1. Q. In Hebrews 11 we see a list of great men and women of faith. Following this list in chapter 12

the writer of Hebrews encourages us to follow their example. What two things does the writer tell us we should

“lay aside?”

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Q. What will laying aside these things help us to do?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Remember, we started by looking at Paul’s analogy in 1 Cor 9 of an olympic runner. Here we are told that in

order to successfully run this race we must lay aside, not only sin, but everything that weighs us down.

Everything that produces an unnecessary burden upon us; that distracts or hinders us from focusing on the things

of God.

It is important to realize that what tends to lead you into bondage may not be what hinders others. In order to

obey Hebrews 12:1, we may have to “lay aside” some things that others are able to partake in. We should not

make decisions about self-discipline by comparing ourselves with others. Only you know what things have a

tendency to hinder your spiritual walk and likewise, only you know from what things you may have to abstain.

Think. What are some other things that are O.K. in moderation but are unhealthy in excess?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Learning Moderation – The Key to Self Discipline

Q. Considering 1 Cor 9:25 again, What approach must a serious athlete take toward “all things?”

_______________________________________________________________________________________

REflEct

Considering the checklist above, is there an area of your life where you may be “in bondage”? How could you discipline yourself so as to avoid that bondage?


_______________________________________________________________________________________

To be “temperate” means to exercise self-restraint. Webster’s 1828 dictionary has it this way: “Moderation;

particularly, habitual moderation in regard to the indulgence of the natural appetites and passions;.” Let’s

consider some things that prevent us from practicing moderation.

Enemies of Moderation

1. Laziness

Moderation involves harnessing our appetites and guarding against extremes in everything we do. Moderation

requires a consistent assessment of our behaviour and because it requires consistency it is very difficult for the

lazy or undisciplined person to practice.

Laziness is itself an act of extremisim. It is over indulging in sleep,

relaxation, entertainment etc. The moderate will practice a reasonable

bedtime and waking time (Prov 6:9-11). He will discipline himself to

do all things with reasonableness, avoiding extremes in every area,

including food and rest.

Think. How can physical laziness affect our spiritual life?

_________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

2. Legalism

Another enemy of moderation is legalism. The legalist seeks discipline or temperance through the rigid

adherence to rules.

The legalist is prone to extreme swings in his spiritual devotion. When he finds himself over-indulging his flesh

he will make some new rule or extreme decision to abstain from something that is not necessarily sinful. His lack

of moderation leads him to make unneccessary rules. Unlike Paul, the legalist seeks to control himself, not from

an inward desire to succeed spiritually, but from the outward pressure of a set of laws.

This is different from the “laying aside” of “every weight” which we saw above in that the legalist feels that the

rules themselves will result in spirituality. He hopes that if he abstains from enough sin he will automatically be

on his way to spiritual maturity. What the legalist misses is that Christian maturity is a matter of spiritual

transformation on the inside, not outward reformation on the outside. Rules and standards are important, if they

are for the purpose of allowing our relationship with Jesus Christ to fluorish. The legalist has a tendency to allow

rules to replace relationship.

“

”

Moderation

involves

harnessing our

appetites and

guarding against

extremes in

everything we do.


The legalist is prone to extremism in every area. He can swing from over-indulgence in the flesh to extreme

decisions for God and back to his flesh. He is the one who has “rededicated” his life to God countless times, but

never seems to stick to it. He has never learned moderation.

One doesn’t have to be a legalist to act like one. Sometimes the lazy, undisciplined, unorganized Christian can

get fed up with their inconsistency and as a result make drastic decisions in their life in an effort to get their

spiritual life in order. These folks decide to get rid of their TVs when they spend too much time watching. They

cancel their internet access to combat their obsessive surfing. They start an extreme diet when their eating is out

of control. And, within a week or two they are out shopping for another TV, reconnecting their internet and back

to their old eating habits. Why? Because the extremism that was behind their lack of spirituality is the same

extremism that drove their spike in spiritual interest. What this Christian needs is not more “decisions for God”

or more rules. They need to learn self-discipline.

3. Libertinism

The libertine is one who is not at all concerned with moderation. He feels that since he is “under grace”, he need

not worry about self-discipline. He indulges his flesh, figuring he can simply ask God’s forgiveness if he

stumbles into sin. His overarching concern is not “knowing God and the power of his resurrection” (Php 3:10),

but getting as much satisfaction out of this life as he can.

Laziness, legalism and libertinism are all enemies of moderation. The successful Christian life is one of

consistency and discipline not “mountains and valleys” of spiritual interest. If you are experiencing constant or

extreme “ups and downs” in your spiritual life, you are lacking self-discipline.

Learning Moderation - The Key to Genuine Liberty

Ironically, it is not the lazy, the legalist or the libertine that experiences the most liberty. It is the moderate. The

Christian who has learned to handle his appetites with moderation is free to experience all sorts of things that the

lazy extremist or the legalist cannot. Because the moderate, like Paul, has learned “not be brought under the

power of any”, he can enjoy things that the lazy extremist or the legalist could not handle (1 Cor 8).

While the lazy extremist is in bondage to something and the legalist is making new rules to govern the use of that

thing, the self-disciplined Christian is enjoying it in moderation. Whether it be entertainment, food, social media,

sports, hobbies or anything else, the self-disciplined person can enjoy them all without fear of bondage. He has

learned what is reasonable and enjoys them only to that extent.

Conclusion

Essential to the Christian life is self-discipline. At the moment we became a disciple of Christ we entered into a

lifestyle of self-denial and discipline. Paul understood this well and even likened it to the disciplined life of an

REflEct

You can have standards of personal holiness without being a legalist. Have you ever been guilty of confusing the two? Have you permitted things in your life that actually hinder your spiritual walk because of a misguided

desire of “avoiding legalism”? How can you change this?


Olympic athlete. We do not work for salvation or to earn God’s favour, but we do work diligently to avail

ourselves to the tools which God has given us for spiritual growth (His word, prayer, fellowship, preaching, etc).

We also work diligently to protect our spiritual life by abstaining from sin and by doing everything else in

moderation.

The Christian walk is one of consistent discipline. When we consistently pray, read God’s word and apply it, we

will see growth. But the hit-and-miss, inconsistent Christian who swings between extremes of devotion and

apathy will never make much spiritual progress.

REflEct

Are you consistent in your devotional life? Do you have a faithful Bible reading and prayer time? Discipline in these areas is essential if you want to

avoid bondage to sin.


Review: Self-discipline

1. Paul was concerned with being in control of his own body. What are some examples of times when

it could be said that we are “out of control” or that our bodies are controlling us?

2. Explain what it means to “seek the best” through self-discipline.

3. Many Christians “walk the line” between liberty and sin. Why is this a bad practice?

4. How does our self-discipline help fellow believers?

5. What are we saying about our concern for others if we take part in things that are not necessarily sin-

ful but could be offensive to weaker brethren?

6. If Christ freed us from sin by dying on the cross, why do we still have to worry about avoiding the

bondage of sin?

7. How can a lack of self-discipline make life miserable for the legalist?

1



2 Preface


2 Faith ........................................................................................ 10

3 Obedience ............................................................................... 17

4 Growth .................................................................................... 25

5 Self-Discipline ........................................................................ 34

6 Love ........................................................................................ 44

7 Joy ........................................................................................... 63

8 Hope ....................................................................................... 71

9 Contentment ........................................................................... 81

10 Thankfulness ......................................................................... 91

11 Unity ................................................................................... 102

12 Compassion ........................................................................ 114

13 Humility .............................................................................. 122

14 Forgiveness ......................................................................... 133













life.








Contact







4

4 Growth

2 Peter 1:5-7

And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;

And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;

And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.

n the last two lessons we dealt with two foundational attitudes – faith and obedience. The Christian’s entire

walk with God can really be summed up as a daily exercise of these two attitudes. This lesson naturally

flows from the previous two. When a Christian man or woman consistently exercises his faith through

obedience he will inevitably advance in Christian maturity. This increasing maturity is what we call spiritual

growth. Growth is our next attitude of the heart.

2 Thess 1:3. Q. Why did Paul thank God for the Thessalonians?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

2 Peter 3:18. Q. What two things does Peter tell us to do?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Peter indicates that growth is actually a command from God. God instructs us to grow spiritually and He

provides all the means necessary to do so. He expects our hearts to be orientated toward spiritual growth, which

makes this a legitimate attitude of the heart.

I


What Spiritual Growth is Not

Before we get into a Biblical understanding of what spiritual growth is, let’s consider what it is not. First of all,

spiritual growth is not a means by which we become accepted by God.

Eph 1:6. Q. What has God “made us” by His grace?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Q. What is significant about the fact that this statement is in the past tense?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

2 Cor 5:21. Q. Why was Christ “made sin” for us?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Philippians 3:9. Q. Whose righteousness do we have? How did we get it?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

We were accepted by God the moment we received Jesus Christ as our Saviour and Lord by faith. God’s

acceptance of us had nothing to do with our worthiness. He accepted us “while we were yet sinners” (Rom 5:8),

while we were “dead in trespasses and sins” (Eph 2:1) and while we were the “servants of sin” (Rom 6:17). He

did it, not because we deserved it, but for the “sake of Christ” (Eph 4:32). This acceptance was immediate and

irrevocable (Heb 13:5). Having been accepted by God on the basis of Christ’s righteousness and not our own

merit, it makes no sense to attempt to earn His continued acceptance through obedience or spiritual growth.

Every Christian should strive for continual obedience to the Lord, but this is the outworking of our acceptance by

God and not the reason for it.

Think. What pitfalls might a Christian encounter if he believes his acceptance by God is dependent upon the

rate or quality of his spiritual growth?

______________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________


Next, consider that spiritual maturity is not necessarily linked to how long someone has been saved.

Job 32:9. Q. What cannot always be said about “great” or “aged men?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

A Christian’s stage of spiritual growth is not necessarily related to how long he or she has been a Christian.

Some grow fast, some grow slow, and some recede in their growth. There should be a definite progression in our

spiritual growth all throughout our salvation, but unfortunately this not always the case.

Heb 5:11-14. Q. v12. What did the writer to the Hebrews believe the Hebrews should have been able to do?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

v11-12. Q. What was the writer not able to do because of their immaturity?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

v14. Q. Spiritual maturity does not necessarily relate to time. How does one become spiritually strong?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Think. What could be some of the negative results if a Christian does not grow at a rate proportionate to

how long he has been saved?

______________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________

Next, consider that spiritual growth and Bible knowledge are not synonymous

REflEct

Do you believe that the length of time you have been saved, and your current stage of spiritual growth are proportionate? If not, what has stunted your spiritual growth?


1 Cor 8:1. Q. What affect can knowledge have on a man?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Think. Considering 1 Timothy 3:6 how might equating knowledge with spiritual growth lead to problems in

the church?

______________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________

Head knowledge and spiritual growth are not the same. Growth

comes as a man learns scripture, obeys scripture and becomes closer

to God as a result. There are many men who can quote scripture and

have knowledge of doctrine, but who do not have the spiritual wisdom

or fruit that accompanies growth. A man who learns, but does not

grow is susceptible to pride. He can often cause undue discord in the

church by his immature reactions to what he perceives to be false doctrine. He has not yet grown to the point

where he can handle himself with the grace, meekness or compassion that comes with spiritual maturity.

Now, understanding what spiritual growth is not let’s look at a passage of scripture that deals with the stages of

spiritual growth.

Stages of Spiritual Growth

1 John 2:12-14. Q. What are the three stages of growth found here?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

There are two different terms for children in this passage. The first in v12 seems to encompass all Christians.

This is not an uncommon usage in scripture. Jesus, Paul and John all used this term to refer to the people of God

in general (John 13:33, Gal 4:19, 1 John 2:1). Verse 12 indicates that there is something that all children of God

have in common, regardless of their stage of growth – that their sins are forgiven for the sake of Christ.

In verse 13 we find another greek word translated “children.” This word refers to those Christians who are

spiritually immature.

“

”

A man who learns

but does not grow

is susceptible to

pride.


Children

v13. Q. Why did John write to these “little children?”

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Think. What are some of the characteristics of a physical baby? Using John’s analogy, how can we relate

those characteristics to an immature Christian?

______________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________

A spiritual child doesn’t know much. What he does know is that his sins are forgiven and that he has a new

heavenly Father. For the most part, this is the entire span of his spiritual knowledge – that he has entered into a

new relationship with God.

Spiritual childhood is a necessary and wonderful stage of spiritual growth. The presence of spiritual babes in the

church is an indication that a church is growing and people are getting saved. That being said, when this stage of

growth persists for too long it becomes abnormal and even detrimental to a Christian and the church at large.

1 Cor 3:1-4. Q. Considering Paul’s tone in this passage, what did he expect from the Corinthians? What did

he find?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Q. What were some of the evidences of the spiritual immaturity of the Corinthians?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

As we see in this passage, and as we have already seen in Heb 5:11-14, there is an expected time when a spiritual

child should mature. This maturity might happen at a different rate for each Christian, but that doesn’t mean

there is not an expected rate of spiritual growth. When a Christian passes this point and remains spiritually

immature, there is a good possibility that there is something wrong in his spiritual life. Paul expected a natural

progression of growth to take place in the Corinthian’s lives, but did not see it. He went on throughout his epistle

to correct false doctrine and to rebuke sin. The Christian who remains immature may have misconceptions, false

doctrine or sin in their lives.


Eph 4:11-16. Q. This passage indicates there are gifted men whom God has given to the church. These men

are to use their spiritual gifts to mature the church (v12-13). According to verse 14, what is one of the results of

spiritual growth?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Spiritually immature Christians are susceptible to false doctrine. It is easy for them to be led astray by cults or

other false teachers (Gal 1:6-7, 2 Cor 11:1-4). Like a child, they lack discernment, are vulnerable and are in need

of protection from those who would do them harm (1 Cor 4:14-16). They have a basic knowledge of God but

have not yet progressed to the point in their knowledge of the son of God (Eph 4:13) that they can refute false

doctrine or defend the faith.

Young Men

1 John 2:14. Q. For what reasons did John write to the “young men?”

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Q. John indicates that men and women at this stage of spiritual growth have “overcome the wicked one.” How

did they do this?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Satan’s chief approach to harming Christians is not through

temptation to sin, but through the lure of false doctrine. He often

will “disguise himself as an angel of light” (2 Cor 11:14). This

“light” often comes in the form of false doctrine and cults. The

spiritual young men have overcome the wicked one by becoming

established in their understanding of the gospel through the study of

the word of God. They have built upon the emotional and relational

aspects of salvation and have added a solid, biblical theology.

Col 2:6-8. Q. v7. What three terms are used here to refer to

spiritual stability?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

REflEct

“

”

Consider your own life. Have you passed the childhood stage of spiritual growth? What is different in your life now that you have achieved a measure of spiritual maturity?

They have built

upon the emotional

and relational

aspects of salvation

and have added a

solid, biblical

theology.


Q. v7. The Colossians were to be established in the faith as they had been _____________________

Learning and applying scripture is the key to spiritual growth. This is the main tool which God has left us with in

order to ensure that we mature spiritually. Even the spiritual gifts mentioned in Ephesians 4 are really just

different ways of ministering the word of God to promote spiritual growth.

2 Tim 3:14-17. Q. What four things is scripture good (profitable) for?

1. ___________________________________________ 2. __________________________________________

3. ___________________________________________ 4. ___________________________________________

Spiritual growth depends upon our consistent learning and applying of God’s word. Through scripture we learn

doctrine, are reproved, are corrected and are instructed in how to live righteously. It is through scripture that we

are equipped for “every good work.” The spiritual young man has learned this and spends quality time studying

the word of God.

1 Peter 2:1-2. Q. According to this passage, how should we feel about the word of God?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

We will never progress from spiritual immaturity and instability to being firmly grounded in God’s word if we

do not have a sincere, heartfelt desire to study scripture. The growth of many Christians is stunted because they

do not have the right view of the word of God. They have failed to incorporate it into their daily lives and have

failed to learn how to study.

Think. Spiritual young men know doctrine. They understand the word of God and are rigid defenders of it.

They are ready and willing to go to battle over right doctrine, yet they have much growth ahead of them. What

are some ways that they might make their immaturity obvious?

______________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________

Think. Bible knowledge is necessary to overcome Satan, but it is not enough for full spiritual maturity.

What do you think the spiritual young man must have before he can be seen as a “spiritual father?”

REflEct

Do you study the word of God? Basically, studying scripture is reading it with the intent of understanding and applying it. What must you change in your life in order to be able to say that you faithfully study scripture?


______________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________

Fathers

1 John 2:13,14. Q. Why did John write to the spiritual fathers?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Php 3:10. Q. What was Paul’s desire? _____________________________________________________

Paul was one of the greatest Christians who ever lived. He was a spiritual father to many churches, yet one of his

sincerest desires was to “know God.” This speaks of more than a simplistic awareness that God is our father. To

“know God” in this sense is to have an intimate relationship with Him. These spiritually mature Christians have

progressed from a simplistic knowledge of God their father as spiritual children. They have learned scripture and

have become defenders of it as spiritual young men. But they have progressed even further ,by not only knowing

scripture, but by living it. They have entered into an intimate relationship with God the father.

Think. Considering 1 Peter 5:10 and James 1:2-4, What are some things that may have occurred in the

spiritual father’s life that has promoted his spiritual growth?

______________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________

The spiritual father has experienced answers to prayer. He has endured trials with God at his side. He has seen

the word of God proven true over and over again. He not only knows scripture, but he has applied it, proven it

and lived it. He has prayed for wisdom and has received it. The spiritual father bears the fruit of the Spirit and

has developed a Christ-like character. He not only knows scripture, but he has the wisdom and discernment

needed to practice and share it.

REflEct

REflEct

Has your knowledge of scripture ever lead you to pride? How might you remain rigid in your defense of scripture, but also show compassion and humility toward others?

Are you a spiritual father? What needs to change in your life before it can be said that you have an intimate relationship with God the Father?


Review: Growth

1. We do not gain acceptance by God through spiritual growth, but what negative effects might a lack

of spiritual growth have on our relationship with God?

2. In your own opinion, what types of things might keep someone from growing at a reasonable rate?

(Also consider 1 John 2:15-17)

3. Have you ever met someone who could quote scripture but was obviously not very spiritually

mature? What impression does this leave on people? How could it hurt them?

4. Why do you think Satan chooses to use false religion and false doctrine to lead immature Christian's

astray? Why is it effective?

5. Spiritual young men know scripture. They have a solid understanding of theology. Yet in today's

church there seems to be very few who really understand doctrine. Why might this be so?

6. How can the church help change this?

7. Why do you think trials and suffering are so effective in producing spiritual maturity?

8. How might a trial in the life of a Christian fail to lead to spiritual maturity?

1



2 Preface


2 Faith ........................................................................................ 10

3 Obedience ............................................................................... 17

4 Growth .................................................................................... 25

5 Self-Discipline ........................................................................ 34

6 Love ........................................................................................ 44

7 Joy ........................................................................................... 63

8 Hope ....................................................................................... 71

9 Contentment ........................................................................... 81

10 Thankfulness ......................................................................... 91

11 Unity ................................................................................... 102

12 Compassion ........................................................................ 114

13 Humility .............................................................................. 122

14 Forgiveness ......................................................................... 133













life.








Contact







3

3 Obedience

1 John 2:3-4

And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.

He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments,

is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

n our last study we looked at the the foundational heart attitude of Faith. We learned that faith is trusting

God based upon His revelation of Himself. Because our faith rests on the promises of God, it is not accurate

to say that it is a “blind faith.” Faith is standing firmly on the promises of God as found in His word. It is

then trusting Him to fulfill those promises, based upon what we know about His character (Heb 11:6).

What we will see in this study is that faith does not stand alone as an attitude of the heart but it is inseparably

linked to another heart attitude – obedience.

James 2:17-20. Q. v17. What is faith if it stands alone?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Q. v18. Because faith is an inward attitude of the heart, it cannot be seen. How can our faith be seen?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Q. v21-23. Verse 23 indicates that Abraham believed God. According to verse 21, how was his belief made

visible?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

I


Gen 22:8. Q. What did Abraham believe God would do?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

When Abraham offered his son Isaac, he did it in obedience to the

command of God while trusting in the character of God (Gen 22:2-3).

He believed that God would provide a substitute for Isaac or that He

would raise him from the dead (Gen 22:5, Heb 11:19). Each of the men

and women mentioned in Hebrews 11 have their faith described by an

act of obedience toward God.

Think. What should we think of someone who claims to believe in

God but has no evidence of obedience to God in their life?

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Salvation – An Act of Obedience

Heb 5:9. Q. For whom is Jesus the author of eternal salvation?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Rom 6:17-18. Q. How did these people become free from sin?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Acts 5:32. Q. To whom has God given the Holy Spirit?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Acts 6:7. Q. How does this verse describe the actions of the chief priests?

“

”

REflEct

Each of the men

and women

mentioned in

Hebrews 11 have

their faith

described by an

act of obedience

toward God

What evidence of your faith might others see through your lifestyle?


_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

2 Thess 1:8. Q. On whom will God take vengeance?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

The above verses make it clear that obeying the gospel is synonymous with being saved. It is perfectly legitimate

and scriptural to see salvation as an act of obedience on the part of the unbeliever. The unbeliever does not

produce this obedience on his own however; it is the result of the intervening work of the Holy Spirit of God.

Nevertheless, it remains an act of obedience.

Think. Why do you think salvation can be referred to as both a matter of “belief” and “obedience?”

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Saved By Obedience

Every man or woman who has ever been genuinely saved from their sin has been so by obeying the gospel. In

order to understand why scripture refers to salvation in this way, we must understand two very important yet

neglected aspects of salvation – repentance and the lordship of Jesus Christ.

Repentance involves turning from sin and turning to God (1 Thess 1:9, Acts 26:17-18). It is the obedient response

to the gospel’s claim that sin is a violation of God’s holy character and must be turned from.

Acts 17:30-31. Q. What command does God have for all men everyhwere? Why?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Luke 10:13. Q. Why did Jesus pronounce woe or condemnation over Chorazin and Bethsaida?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________


Acts 2:38. Q. After Peter’s powerful salvation message at Pentecost, the gathered Jews asked him what they

should do. What was Peter’s response?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Repentance is required for salvation (Acts 20:21, Mark 1:15). Jesus said that without repentance we would all

perish (Luke 13:3). Since, according to these verses repentance is a command, it is also a matter of obedience.

Turning from sin to God is in actuality, turning from a life of rebellion against God to a life of submission to

Him.

Rom 6:16-22. Q. v17. What were we? _____________________________________________________

Q. v17. What did we do? __________________________________________________________________

Q. v18. What did we become? ______________________________________________________________

The Bible says that we were once the servants of sin, but have become servants of righteousness. Salvation then,

involves a change in who we serve or obey (Matt 6:24). This, in a nutshell, is what repentance is all about.

For the sake of the redemptive plan, God has put all things under the feet of the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 2:36,

Eph 1:22, 1 Cor 15:27, Heb 2:8) and has ordained that all who would be saved, would be so by submitting

themselves to His authority (Rom 10:9-10, Php 2:5-11; John 12:26).

Repentance and submission to the authority of Jesus Christ is a matter of obedience. Some might accuse us of

“works-salvation” for preaching repentance and the lordship of Jesus Christ. But the fact is, this obedience is the

very essence of saving faith. It is not enough to believe the facts of the gospel. The devils believe there is one

God (James 2:19). They even believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God (Matt 8:29; Mark 3:11; Luke 4:41).

They certainly understand that Jesus rose from the dead and that he is Lord of all (Col 1:16-17). Believing the

facts of the gospel does not save us, but responding to those facts with obedience does. Besides all of this,

repentance and faith could never be viewed as “works” since they are both sovereignly granted to the sinner by

God himself (Acts 5:31; Acts 11:18). Without the intervening work of God, the unbeliever could never be saved

(John 6:44).

At the moment of salvation, the believer does not understand all that repentance and obedience to Christ entails.

All he knows is that Christ is the only way to be saved, and that He is the one whom God has exalted as Lord

over all. As the Christian grows, he learns more and more about what it means to serve God and to obey His Son.

The point is, salvation from its very starting point, involves a willing heart of obedience toward the Lord Jesus

Christ.

Think. If the above is true, how should it affect the way we present the gospel?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________


_______________________________________________________________________________________

Saved To Obedience

The man or woman who understands that salvation is a matter of obedience to God will continue in obedience.

Jesus Christ himself said that this continued obedience is a mark of genuine salvation.

John 8:31. Q. Who are Christ’s genuine disciples?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

1 John 2:3-5. Q. How do we know if we know Christ? In whom is the love of God perfected?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

The genuine Christian understands that the Christian life is a life of obedience. From the moment we hear the

gospel message and God’s command to repent, we understand that He requires obedience. In fact, the very

essence of repentance is turning from disobedience to obedience.

Eph 2:10. Q. What has God created us unto? What has God ordained?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

1 Peter 1:1-2. Q. We are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God. What are we chosen (elected)

“unto?”

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

God’s plan of redemption includes calling out a people from sin and disobedience to submission and obedience.

These are those whom God would create to perform “good works.” The continued, day-by-day work that God

does in our hearts by the Holy Spirit is to make us obedient to His commands. Philippians 2:13 says, For it is

God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

REflEct

Do you view your salvation as merely a way to “avoid hell”? Or have you trusted Christ as your Saviour and Lord with a willingness to obey Him with your life?


Obedience is so integral to the salvation plan that Jesus Christ made it central to the Great Commission:

Matt 28:19-20. Q. According to verse 20, what were the disciples to teach others?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Christ told us that we are not only to preach the gospel, but to continue to teach Christians all that he has

commanded, encouraging them to a life of obedience.

Obedience, an Act of Love

Sometimes we think of obedience as forced or obligatory, but a Christian’s obedience toward God should not be

this way:

John 14:15. Q. What should motivate us to obey Christ’s commands?

______________________________________________________

______________________________________________________

John 14:21. Q. What is evidence of our love for Christ??

______________________________________________________

______________________________________________________

The word of God is plain, if we love Jesus Christ, we will obey Him.

Jesus’ direct statement that a love for Him results in obedience is clear evidence that salvation at its very core is

obedient submission to the authority of Jesus Christ. This obedience is not driven by guilt, fear or obligation. It is

driven by heartfelt love for God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. Christian obedience is a loving submission

to the one who loved us and died for us. It is a legitimate attitude of the heart.

Trust and Obey, For There is No Other Way, To Be Happy in Jesus

James 1:22-25. Q. v25. What will the man be who not only hears the word of God, but obeys it?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

REflEct

“

”

When you first heard the gospel, was Jesus presented as both Saviour and Lord? Could you say that your current lifestyle could be described as “observing all things

that Christ has commanded”? What would you need to change in your life to be able to confidently say that you are following Christ as your Lord and Master?

Christian

obedience is a

loving submission

to the one who

loved us and died

for us. It is a

legitimate attitude

of the heart.


_______________________________________________________________________________________

The word blessed here means “happy” or “fulfilled.” True happiness in the Christian life comes from obedience.

The most miserable person in the world is a disobedient Christian. He can no longer find happiness in sin, nor

does he experience the blessings of an obedient Christian life. Consider some of the following blessings of

obedience.

Answers to Prayer: 1 John 3:22. Q. When can we be confident that we will receive answers to our

prayers?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Spiritual Discernment: John 7:17. Q. Who will be able to discern right from wrong doctrine?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

The Presence of God: John 14:23. Q. Who will experience the presence of God?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Stability in Life: Luke 6:46-49. Q. v48. What is the man who obeys Christ’s words like?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Many of the promises and blessings that accompany salvation are

conditional. That is, they apply only to the obedient Christian life.

The Christian who fails to obey God’s word, to submit to the leading

of the Spirit or who continues in sin, is forfeiting the blessings of

obedience. He suffers from instability in life, spiritual ignorance,

broken fellowship with God and unanswered prayer. True, spiritual

happiness comes only when the Christian lives a life of consistent

obedience to his Lord.

In closing, it is important to remember that obedience is not legalism.

It is not doing our best to follow God’s rules. It is a love-driven attitude of the heart. It is a loving submission to

the one who died for us and the outward evidence of our faith.

“

”

True, spiritual

happiness comes

only when the

Christian lives a

life of consistent

obedience to his

Lord.


Review: Obedience

1. Why do you think James says that faith without works is dead?

2. Why is it accurate to say that salvation is an act of obedience?

3. How do the doctrines of repentance and the lordship of Jesus Christ demand obedience?

4. Continued obedience is a mark of genuine salvation but that doesn't mean that a genuine Christian is

not sometimes disobedient. How might we differentiate between a lack of salvation and simply being

in a backslidden state?

5. Sometimes we think of obedience as something that we are obliged or forced to do. How is Christian

obedience different?

6. Why will a disobedient Christian be unhappy?

1



2 Preface


2 Faith ........................................................................................ 10

3 Obedience ............................................................................... 17

4 Growth .................................................................................... 25

5 Self-Discipline ........................................................................ 34

6 Love ........................................................................................ 44

7 Joy ........................................................................................... 63

8 Hope ....................................................................................... 71

9 Contentment ........................................................................... 81

10 Thankfulness ......................................................................... 91

11 Unity ................................................................................... 102

12 Compassion ........................................................................ 114

13 Humility .............................................................................. 122

14 Forgiveness ......................................................................... 133













life.








Contact







2

2 Faith

Hebrews 11:6

But without faith it is impossible to please him:

for he that cometh to God must believe that he is,

and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

s we learned in the last study, spiritual growth is an inward work of the Holy Spirit in the life of God’s

people. God is not concerned with men conforming outwardly to some religious system but rather that

they be conformed inwardly to the image of His Son (Rom 8:29; Gal 4:19). This conforming process

takes place as we learn more about God the Father and submit ourselves to His word. Although the Holy Spirit is

responsible for producing these attitudes, we are also responsible for obediently submitting to the Spirit’s work

within us (Eph 4:30-32; 1 Thes 5:19).

In this study we will be dealing with an attitude which is foundational to all others; that is Faith.

Heb 6:1. Q. According to this verse, what two things are foundational to Christianity?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Romans 5:1. Q. How are we justified? _____________________________________________________

Faith is the door through which all men must pass in order to enter the Kingdom of God (Gal 3:22; John 3:15).

Basically, it is trust in God.

Hebrews 11:6. Q. What does faith make possible? ___________________________________________

Q. According to that verse, what two things does faith encompass?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

A


Faith in God is believing that He exists and that the revelation he has given of himself is true. It is then trusting

Him based upon that revelation. A Christian has, by definition, exercised faith in God when he trusted Jesus

Christ as his Saviour and Lord (Gal 3:26). He believed that God existed, he believed the testimony God gave of

His Son and trusted that God would save him as He had promised (1 John 5:10-13).

Not only does a man become a Christian through an initial exercise of faith (Eph 2:8-9), but he continually grows

in his faith as he matures spiritually (2 Thess 1:3).

Gal 3:11. Q. How much influence should faith have in our lives?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Faith is Trusting God

We have already seen that faith is believing that God exists, that He is

who He has revealed Himself to be and then trusting Him based upon

that revelation. At salvation, we trust God to fulfill the initial promise

of salvation through Jesus Christ. Following salvation, the Christian

life consists of learning more and more about God and developing an

ever increasing trust based upon our growing knowledge of who He is

and what He has promised (Eph 1:15-17).

In 2 Timothy Paul is writing to Timothy from prison. He has experienced much affliction for the gospel’s sake

and is aware that his death is imminent. It is under these circumstances that he wrote 2 Timothy 1:12:

2 Timothy 1:12. Q. For what two reasons was Paul not ashamed?

1. _____________________________________________________________________________________

2. _____________________________________________________________________________________

Paul’s unashamed faith was firmly founded upon the fact that he knew God. It was because of this elder saints

deep knowledge of God that he was persuaded that God would preserve him at the time of judgment. Deep faith

comes from deep knowledge of who God is.

Many Christians find it difficult to trust God because they have a shallow understanding of who He is. It is hard

to trust someone that you do not know! As we read and obey the Bible, experience answers to prayer and trust

God through our trials, we learn more and more about Him. The more we learn about him the easier it becomes

to trust Him. The more we trust Him, the easier it is to exercise faith.

“

”

Deep faith comes

from deep

knowledge of who

God is.


Paul had experienced both triumphs and trials in his Christian life and through it all he learned to trust God by

faith. In Philippians 4:12 Paul said “I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and

in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.”

Philippians 4:13. Q. What belief sustained Paul through his times of abundance and abasement?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

The Christian life is a life of faith. Q. Gal 2:20. How did Paul say that he now lives?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

For the Christian, all of God’s promises are culminated in the person of Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 1:20 says

For all the promises of God in him [Jesus]are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us. If we ever

doubt God’s loving care for us, or his ability to help us, we need not look any further than the death and

resurrection of Jesus Christ. God proved His endless love by sending Jesus Christ to die for us. He proved His

unlimited ability by raising Him from the dead (Eph 1:19-20). God has provided more than ample reason to trust

him by faith.

The Hall of Faith

Hebrews chapter 11 is commonly referred to as God’s Hall of Faith. In it we see a list of some of the great men

and women of faith found throughout the Old Testament.

Abraham

Heb 11:8-10. Q. How did Abraham respond to God’s call?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Q. Did Abraham know where he was going? ___________________________________________________

Q. v9. If Abraham did not know where he was going and had no rightful claim or ability to take the land he was

in, on what basis was he dwelling there?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________


Abraham did not know where he was going, yet he obeyed. He uprooted his family and travelled to a strange

land all based upon his trust in God. He believed that God would fulfill the promise that He had made even

though the circumstances around him did not reflect it.

Romans 4:16-24. Q. v17. What are two aspects of God’s character in which Abraham trusted?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

v18. Q. Abraham believed even against hope. On what basis?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

v19. Q. What did Abraham not consider?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

v20. Q. Abraham was ___________________ in faith.

v21. Q. What was Abraham persuaded about God?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Heb 11:17-19. Q. What did Abraham do by faith?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Q. What had Abraham received from God? ____________________________________________________

Q. What did Abraham take in to account when he offered Isaac?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Abraham was able to disregard his difficult circumstances and the apparent impossibility of his situation because

he believed God’s promises. He was able to trust God and to remain strong in faith because he knew God. He

knew God enough to be persuaded that He would (and could) keep the promise that He had made. He offered


Isaac knowing not only that God had promised him a seed, but that God was also able to raise him from the

dead.

Faith is standing upon God’s promises and believing that He is not only able, but also faithful, to fulfill them.

Sarah

Heb 11:11. Q. What did Sarah do by faith?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Q. How did Sarah judge God? ______________________________________________________________

Q. Because Sarah judged God as faithful, what did she believe God would do?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Sarah did not have the strength or ability to conceive. The reality of her

situation was bleak. There was no logical reason to believe that she

would have a child naturally, but she did have a child and through that

child a multitude of descendants arose (v12). Sarah not only believed in

God, but she believed God. She knew God was faithful and unchanging

and based upon her knowledge of who God was, she trusted Him.

Joseph

Heb 11:22. Q. What did Joseph do by faith?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

There were no circumstances occurring in Egypt at the time of Joseph’s words which would have lead him to

believe that the children of Israel would ever escape Egypt. He based his claim entirely upon faith in the promise

of God (Gen 50:24-25). He so trusted in God’s promise that he gave the children of Israel instruction as to how

to deal with his bones when they were finally freed from Egyptian bondage (Ex 13:19).

REflEct

“

”

Do you have a tendency to allow circumstances to affect your faith? Spend time reading God’s word and seeing how men and women of faith overcame their

circumstances by trusting God.

Sarah knew God

was faithful and

unchanging and

based upon her

knowledge of

who God was,

she trusted Him.


Looking at the above examples we could say that Faith is resting in God’s promises based upon our trust in

His character and ability. Like Abraham, Sarah and Joseph we should not allow circumstances to affect our

faith. Even when we don’t understand our circumstances, we can still understand our God. In order for us to truly

exercise faith then, we should seek to learn more about God and more about what he has promised.

Faith – Resting on His Promises

List the promises found in the following passages.

Rom 10:9-10 ___________________________________________________________________

John 10:27-28 ___________________________________________________________________

Heb 13:5 ___________________________________________________________________

Php 4:19 ___________________________________________________________________

1 Cor 10:13 ___________________________________________________________________

1 John 1:9 ___________________________________________________________________

James 1:5 ___________________________________________________________________

Rom 8:28-29 ___________________________________________________________________

This is only a small sampling of the multitude of promises God has given to His people throughout scripture. Do

you believe them? Even God’s most difficult promises become easy to believe when we learn to trust Him.

Getting to know our eternal, all-knowing, all-powerful, holy, sovereign, righteous, promise-keeping God, leads

us to real faith. No matter how unbelievable God’s promises might seem at first, they all become believable as

we grow in our knowledge of who God is and what He is able to do.

REflEct

REflEct

Romans 10:17 says “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” If you find that you have a lack of faith the first thing you should do is ask

yourself “Do I read and obey the word of God faithfully”?

Do you sometimes find it hard to trust God? Even the Apostles had to ask Jesus to increase their faith (Luke 17:5). Take what faith you have now and ask God to give

you more, than trust that He will (Mark 9:24).


Review: Faith

1. Christianity is not a matter of conforming to outward religious standards. What is it a matter of?

2. How does becoming like Jesus happen?

3. In your own words, what is faith in God?

4. Faith involves more than belief, what should our faith lead us to do?

5. If we want to deepen our faith, what should we learn more about?

6. How should the fact that God sent Jesus Christ to die for us increase our faith?

7. Why can we still have faith when our circumstances don't make sense?

8. How does learning about God’s character help us to trust His promises?

9. How is Christian faith different from a blind or naïve faith?

1



2 Preface


2 Faith ........................................................................................ 10

3 Obedience ............................................................................... 17

4 Growth .................................................................................... 25

5 Self-Discipline ........................................................................ 34

6 Love ........................................................................................ 44

7 Joy ........................................................................................... 63

8 Hope ....................................................................................... 71

9 Contentment ........................................................................... 81

10 Thankfulness ......................................................................... 91

11 Unity ................................................................................... 102

12 Compassion ........................................................................ 114

13 Humility .............................................................................. 122

14 Forgiveness ......................................................................... 133













life.








Contact







1

1 God’s Internal Work

2 Corinthians 5:17

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature:

old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

od’s work in the life of a believer is an internal work. At the moment of salvation, God sends his Holy

Spirit to dwell inside of the unworthy sinner. From that moment, He begins the life-long process of

making that man more and more like Jesus Christ. This increasing Christ-likeness begins in the heart

and overflows into outward evidences as affections, attitudes and actions are influenced by the Holy Spirit of

God. The good works that are produced by the Holy Spirit are not required for salvation, but are evidence that

salvation has already occurred on the inside. This sets Christianity apart from all other religions of the world.

The religions of this world offer salvation based upon the external performance or good works of their adherents.

The Christian does not inherit Heaven based upon his good works (Titus 3:5, Eph 2:8-9). On the contrary, he

obtains salvation by declaring his utter inability to earn it by his own merits. He then expresses faith in Jesus

Christ and His righteousness as the only basis from which to enter Heaven (Matt 18:4, Rom 4:4-5, 2 Cor 5:21).

Christianity is unique in that its veracity is entirely dependent upon the supernatural, transforming work which

God does in the heart of His followers (1 John 2:5, 1 John 3:14).

Man is naturally prone to self-righteousness. He is content to invent religions which smile upon his efforts to

earn salvation. Because salvation by grace alone excludes the works of men and exposes man as sinfully unable

to save himself, it has always been met with opposition from this self-exalting world. This is true today, just like

it was true in Jesus’ day.

Matt 23:23-28. Q. v23. How did Jesus describe the scribes and Pharisees?

______________________________________________________________________________________

Q. What were the “weightier matters of the law?”

______________________________________________________________________________________

Q. What do you think Jesus meant when he said “Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.?”

G


______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

The Jews in Christ’s day were very concerned with the outward ceremony of the law. They paid close attention

to every detail of every rule concocted by their own religious class. They would go through the pains of giving

precisely ten percent of even their smallest spices, but neglected the matters of the heart like faith and mercy.

Q. In your own words, what do verses 25 and 27 mean?

______________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________

Q. v26. What did Jesus tell the Jews they should have done?

______________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________

Q. v28. What was the difference between how the Jews appeared externally and how they appeared internally?

______________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________

During Jesus’ earthly ministry he continually rebuked the Jews for their religious hypocrisy. He reserved his

harshest words for the religious crowd because they celebrated external legalism above a heart-felt devotion to

God (Matt 23:13-33). God’s desire and design is that those who worship Him not only appear righteous on the

outside, but also possess a genuine, internal righteousness. God hates hypocrisy (Job 13:16; Job 27:8).

Matt 15:7-9. Q. How did the Jews honour God?

______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Q. What was far from God? ________________________________________________________________

Q. How did God describe their worship? ______________________________________________________

Q. What were they teaching as doctrine? ______________________________________________________

The Jews had allowed their religion to become so corrupt that they had begun to value and teach their tradition

above God’s explicitly revealed word. They became so enamored with rules and commandments that they


replaced faith with works and lost the heartfelt motivation that was intended to drive their obedience. Jesus

repeatedly confronted this gross corruption of worship, and as a result, incurred the wrath of the self-righteous

Jews (Matt 15:12).

Always a Matter of the Heart

Jesus was not teaching anything new. Nevertheless, the Jews of his day had so corrupted their religion, that by

the time Christ arrived, they were so steeped in their own tradition and self-righteousness that they rejected the

teachings of their messiah. What they missed was that his message was entirely consistent with what God had

revealed all throughout the Old Testament concerning worship – a relationship with Him begins in the heart.

In Deuteronomy 6 we find what is commonly called the Shema. This portion of scripture is the centerpiece of

Jewish morning and evening prayer services. The Shema is often spoken as a Jew’s last words and is diligently

taught to Jewish children.

Deut 6:4-6. Q. According to the Shema, how were the Jews to love God?

______________________________________________________________________________________

Joshua 22:5. Q. In this chapter Joshua is dismissing the eastern tribes to their homeland after assisting in

battle. Joshua gives them a charge before they leave. In it he quotes Deuteronomy 13. He told them to

______________ the Lord their God. How did he encourage them to serve God?

______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

God has always sought men and women who would wholeheartedly worship Him in love. This is a consistent

theme throughout all of scripture.

New Heart Needed

There is a problem however with the command to love God with all of our heart, soul and might.

Jeremiah 17:9 Q. What does this verse say about the heart of man?

______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Matt 15:18-20. Q. According to Jesus, what comes from the heart?

REflEct

Consider your own life. Are there areas of hypocrisy? How might we determine if we are being hypocritical? How can we remedy this?


______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

The fact is, man cannot truly and fully worship God in the

sincerity of his heart while his heart is in bondage to sin (Rom

8:7-8). Man’s mind, emotions and will have all been tainted by sin

(Rom 8:20-23). Consequently, his sinful heart naturally tends

toward sin, self-righteousness and legalism. What is needed to

bring men into fellowship with a holy God is not more

commandments or stricter rules, it is a renewed heart.

This is the main truth that the schoolmaster of the law was meant

to teach us, specifically, that man cannot please God in and of

himself (Rom 8:8). He must be given a new heart (John 3:3). Man’s need for a renewed heart is the driving force

behind God’s redemptive plan. Jesus Christ lived, died and rose again all so that man could be made new, from

the inside out.

Ezekiel 11:19. Q. Here Ezekiel speaks of the new covenant which God would one day make with His people.

What did God say He would take from them? What would he replace it with?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Jer 24:7. Q. What would God give Israel? How would they return to Him?

______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Jer 31:31. Q. What did God say he would make with Israel?

______________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________

Q. What would this covenant not be like?

______________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________

Q. What would God do with His law?

______________________________________________________________________________________

“

”

What is needed to

bring sinful men into

fellowship with a

holy God is not more

commandments or

stricter rules; it is a

renewed heart.


_______________________________________________________________________________________

God promised that he would make a covenant with his people unlike the covenant which he made with the

patriarchs. This new covenant would involve, not just the giving of the law, but the writing of the law on the

heart of man. He would take out the stony (corrupt, sinful) heart and give him a renewed heart.

Heb 9:15, Heb 12:24. Q. What is Christ the mediator of? ______________________________________

God’s new covenant was not simply that he would be a God to his people, but that he would also give his people

a new heart. With this new heart, they would have the desire and ability to worship him in the Spirit (John 4:23-

24; Php 2:13). When we speak of the heart we are really talking about all of the inward characteristics of man;

his mind, his will and his emotions. All of these must be salvaged from the curse of sin and experience spiritual

renewal (Ro 12:2; 2Co 4:16; Eph 4:23; Col 3:10).

Salvation – The Renewing of the Heart

John 3:3,5. Q. What must a man be in order to see the kingdom of God?

______________________________________________________________________________________

2 Cor 5:17. Q. If a man is in Chirst, what is he? What have all things become?

______________________________________________________________________________________

When a man receives Jesus Christ as his Saviour and Lord, the Bible teaches that he is made spiritually alive

(Eph 2:1,5). He is actually renewed on the inside (Titus 3:5, Col 3:9,10). This is a fulfillment of the Old

Testament prophecies regarding the new covenant.

Titus 3:5-6. Q. What is it that renews us at salvation (regeneration)?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

The fulfillment of God’s new covenant was accomplished by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. When

Christ rose from the dead, having defeated death, sin and Satan, he sent the Holy Spirit of God to dwell inside of

God’s people (John 14:17, John 16:7, 1 Cor 3:16). It is by the Holy Spirit of God that he took away our heart of

stone and replaced it with a heart of flesh. It is also the Holy Spirit which wrote his law on our hearts and

fulfilled every other aspect of the New Covenant (Eze 36:27; Heb 9:14; Titus 3:5-6; Eph 2:5; Eph 3:14-17; Php

2:12)

When a man is saved, there is a real change which happens on the inside. God actually makes a spiritual

transformation inside of him. Now, having been made spiritually new, this man has the ability to submit to the

leading of the Holy Spirit, to worship God in sincerity and to please Him through obedience.

Eph 2:8-10. Q. v10. Whose workmanship are we? ___________________________________________


Q. v10. What has he created us for? _________________________________________________________

Q. v8,9. What part did we play in this transformation?

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

God is very clear. Salvation is not the result of outward works, but of

His divine action on the inside of man. He makes us spiritually new

and enables us to exercise good works. Our ability to please Him

comes only after salvation and is the result of His renewing work in our hearts. This is profoundly different from

those religions which teach we must, by our own ability, earn favour with God.

Attitudes of the Heart – The Spirit’s Fruit

Upon salvation, man is made spiritually new. He has been given a new heart, yet he remains in a sinful body, in a

sinful world (Rom 7:24, John 17:15). The Spirit’s work does not stop at salvation, but continues until the day

that we enter Heaven (Eph 4:30).

Gal 3:2-3. Q. How did Paul describe the person who thinks they can be “perfected” by works?

______________________________________________________________________________________

Not only is it foolish to think that we can be saved by our own efforts, but it is also foolish to think that we can

maintain our salvation through good works. The same Spirit that renews us at salvation, continues his work in

our hearts, making us more and more like Christ (Rom 8:29; Php 2:13). The Spirit’s work remains in the realm

of the heart. He continually seeks to bring man’s thoughts, emotions and will under his control.

Gal 4:19. Q. What was Paul labouring to see done in the lives of the Galatians?

______________________________________________________________________________________

The formation of Christ-like character in believers is the chief goal of the church. All the spiritual gifts given to

the church are for the purpose of bringing men and women into spiritual maturity, that is, Christ-likeness (Eph

4:11-16). As we have already learned, this work takes place in the heart. Therefore, the focus of the ministry of

the church should not be on outward conformity or reformation, but on spiritual transformation. (Rom 12:2)

Eph 3:14-21. In this passage we find Paul’s prayer for the Ephesian church. This offers valuable insight into

Paul’s approach to ministry. Answer the questions below to see what Paul’s emphasis and concern was.

Q. v16. Paul wanted the Ephesians to be strengthened by what? Where?

______________________________________________________________________________________

Q. v17. What would the result of this spiritual strength be?

“

”

God is very clear.

Salvation is not

the result of

outward works,

but of His divine

action on the

inside of man.


______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

The word “dwell” here means to “settle down.” To be strengthened by the Spirit means to have Christ settled in

our hearts. That is, he is comfortable and at home. This happens as our lives line up with his will through

obedience to his commands (John 15:7, John 14:21).

Q. v18-19. What else results from being strengthened by the Spirit in the inner man?

______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Q. v20. God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to what?

______________________________________________________________________________________

Paul desired that the Ephesians be strengthened on the inside by the Spirit. This was the focus of his ministry.

We should also seek to promote the work of the Spirit inwardly. How then should our church go about this? Do

we use guilt, gimmicks, programs or pressure to help develop the heart attitudes of faith, hope, and love? Do we

devise rules to help people live disciplined lives of unity, humilty, joy and thankfulness? Do we offer incentives

and rewards if people exhibit compassion, contentment and self-discipline? Or is there a better way? What is the

Biblical way?

Spiritual Fruit by Spiritual Means

John 6:63. Q. What are Christ’s words?

_____________________________________________________

Hebrews 4:12. Q. What is God’s word a discerner of?

_____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

1 Thess 2:13. Q. What is at work in believers?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Since man’s sanctification (or increasing Christ-likeness) is an internal work produced by the Spirit of God, it

only makes sense to use God’s means to encourage that growth. His main method of promoting spiritual growth

is the ministry of the word. This is why it is absolutely essential that the Christian avail himself to the word of

God (Luke 4:4). This also gives the church a mandate to focus on strong, accurate, Biblical teaching and

“

”

If God’s chief work

is internal, by the

Spirit and through

the word of God,

then it makes no

sense to deemphasize

Biblical teaching to

produce growth


preaching. If God’s chief work is internal, by the Spirit, through the word of God, than it makes no sense to

deemphasize Biblical teaching or to seek new means or methods to produce growth (1 Thess 5:20).

God also does His internal work through the ministry of spiritual gifts. God has given every believer a spiritual

gift (Eph 4:11, Rom 12:5-8) for the purpose of edifying or building up the church (1 Cor 12:7). These gifts

produce spiritual maturity (Eph 4:13), doctrinal stability (Eph 4:14) and, loving unity (Eph 4:15-16) in the

congregation.

Conclusion

God desires men and women to worship Him in Spirit and in truth (John 4:24). Man’s sinful heart has prohibited

him from worshipping God in this way. He continually falls back into sin, self-righteousness, and legalism. But,

from the beginning of time God planned on remedying man’s sin problem by providing him with a new heart.

This is what he called the new covenant. He accomplished the new covenant through the death, burial and

resurrection of Jesus Christ. Upon Christ’s ascension to Heaven he sent the Holy Spirit to dwell within believers.

It is through the Holy Spirit that God renews the hearts of men and women, reconciling them to himself and

enabling them to worship Him in spirit and in truth.

God’s work is an inside job! As the church we must seek to encourage and promote this inner work by using

God’s means and methods. Emphasizing outward conformity to rules is not God’s way. He has not told us to

manipulate, threaten or guilt people into obedience, but to preach, teach and practice His word in the power of

His Holy Spirit.

The faithful teaching of God’s word and the production of spiritual heart attitudes is a long process. Paul

compared it to labouring in birth! But it is God’s way and we dare not deviate from it. This means that, as a

church, we will continue to make the teaching and preaching of God’s word the centerpiece of our ministry. We

will seek to promote inward transformation to Christ-likeness and not outward conformity to rules, preferences

or the standards of men. The life of a growing Christian will predominantly be characterized by spiritual heart

attitudes. Outward changes will occur in every believer’s life, but this is the evidence of an interal work and not a

replacement for it.

REflEct

One of God’s main methods of producing spiritual maturity in His people is through the influence of His word. Are you spending enough time reading and studying God’s

word? What negative effects have you noticed when you neglect His word?


Review: Introduction

1. Why do you think man tends to create religions which rely on good works?

2. What type of ungodly attitudes do you think a works-based religion might lead to?

3. What type of worship has God always desired?

4. Why can’t man worship God in a way that pleases Him?

5. How did God solve that problem?

6. What work is God continually doing in the life of a Christian? Where does He do it?

7. How might we help or hinder the work that God is doing in us?

8. If we lose sight of the fact that God’s work happens in the heart of man by his Holy Spirit, how might

our church become imbalanced?

attitudes of the heart

Documents