Real Change: Conversion (9marks Healthy Church Study Guides) - Softcover

Jamieson, Bobby

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1433525402 ISBN 13: 9781433525407

Verlag: Crossway Books, 2012

Inhaltsangabe

<p>Part of the 9Marks Healthy Church Study Guide series, this study explains what God does and what we do in conversion, as well as the implication for us and for the church in being saved.</p>

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Über die Autorinnen und Autoren

<p><strong>Bobby Jamieson</strong> (PhD, University of Cambridge) serves as an associate pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, DC. He previously served as assistant editor for 9Marks. Jamieson and his wife have four children.</p>

Bobby Jamieson (PhD, University of Cambridge) serves as an associate pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, DC. He previously served as assistant editor for 9Marks. Jamieson and his wife have three children.

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Real Change: Conversion

By Bobby Jamieson, Mark Dever

Good News Publishers

Copyright © 2012 9Marks
All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-1-4335-2540-7

Contents

Introduction An Important Mark of a Healthy Church: A Biblical Understanding of Conversion, by Mark Dever, 
WEEK 1 Do We Need to Change?, 
WEEK 2 Is Change Possible?, 
WEEK 3 What Is the Change We Need?, 
WEEK 4 How Does This Change Happen?, 
WEEK 5 What Are the Fruits of This Change? (Part 1), 
WEEK 6 What Are the Fruits of This Change? (Part 2), 
WEEK 7 Conversion and the Church, 
Teacher's Notes, 

CHAPTER 1

DO WE NEED TO CHANGE?

GETTING STARTED

I like to think that I'm open to criticism, but when my wife actually offers some constructive feedback I get defensive and touchy. What's going on here?

1. It seems that many people get offended if someone even suggests that they need to change. What are some reasons why people get offended at this?

2. Do you get upset when someone suggests you need to change? If so, why? What does that show about your heart?

MAIN IDEA

All people desperately need to change because by nature we are alienated from God, rebellious toward God, and subject to the wrath of God.

DIGGING IN

Regardless of the fact that many people would oppose this idea, the Bible teaches that all human beings are in need of fundamental change.

Consider what Paul says about humanity in Romans chapter 1:

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

26 For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; 27 and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.

28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. 29 They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32 Though they know God's righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them. (1:18–32)

1. Who is Paul talking about in these verses?

2. What are all the things that Paul says people do in this passage? List them all below. Does anything Paul says strike you, surprise you, or raise questions for you?

3. What is God's attitude toward humanity as described in this passage?

4. What does Paul say can be known about God (vv. 19–20)? How are these things made known (v. 20)?

5. How should we respond to this knowledge (v. 21)?

6. What have people done to the truth about God (See vv. 18, 21, 22, 23)?

7. What has happened to our minds and hearts as a result? (See v. 28.)

8. How would you summarize this passage's teaching about human nature and God's attitude toward humanity as a whole?

9. In light of this passage, how would you respond to someone who said that human beings are fundamentally good?

10. What evidence do you see in the world that this passage's teaching is true?

11. Why do you think it's important for us as Christians to clearly proclaim that people are in need of radical change? What would happen if we muted this part of the Christian message?

12. What are some ways that the local church as a whole can clearly communicate this need for change?

As Christians, we rejoice that this bad news about humanity is not the end of the story. We know that because God is good, he will punish sin. This is a fearful prospect since, as we've seen, all humans are rebels against God. Yet we also know that because God is merciful, he sent Jesus Christ into the world to live the perfectly obedient life that we should have lived and to die on the cross as a substitute for the sins of all who would ever trust in him. On the cross, God poured out his wrath against sin onto Jesus — not for any sin that Jesus had committed, but for our sins. And after three days Jesus rose from the grave, conquering death and vindicating his claim to be Lord and Savior.

And now God calls all people everywhere to the most radical, fundamental change possible: to repent of our sins and trust in Christ in order to be forgiven, accepted by God, reconciled to him, and given eternal life in fellowship with him.

The bad news is, we are in desperate need of change. The good news is that through Christ's death and resurrection, the change we need is possible. Our sinful natures can be renewed in God's image by the Holy Spirit, and we can be reconciled to God through Christ.

In the following studies we're going to consider more about how God changes us through the gospel, beginning with the fact that through Christ, the change we need is possible.

CHAPTER 2

IS CHANGE POSSIBLE?

GETTING STARTED

Many people today believe that people can't really change. We may be able to make some minor adjustments here and there, but we can't fundamentally change who we are.

1. What are some reasons why people believe this?

2. Do you think that people can really change? Why or why not?

MAIN IDEA

By God's grace, through the gospel, we can change. Through faith in Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit, we receive a new nature that delights to do God's will.

DIGGING IN

In Acts 9 we read of the radical change God brought about in the life of Saul of Tarsus, who is primarily known to us as the apostle Paul.

1 But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 3 Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. 4 And falling to the ground he heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" 5 And he said, "Who are you, Lord?" And he said, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 6 But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do." 7 The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no...

Details zur Ausgabe

• Verlag: Crossway Books
• Erscheinungsdatum: 2012
• Sprache: Englisch
• ISBN 10: 1433525402
• ISBN 13: 9781433525407
• Einband: Taschenbuch
• Anzahl der Seiten: 64
• Kontakt zum Hersteller: Nicht verfügbar
• Verantwortliche Person: Nicht verfügbar