The “How People Change” study by Timothy S. Lane and Paul David Tripp “is not one that comes naturally for us. It’s hard for us to connect the ways we think, feel, and act in the midst of struggle with our ultimate destination of life in heaven with Christ. It is a work of the Spirit in our lives. But when we learn how to respond to that work, the impact on our lives is enormous.” These videos are a part of a CtK Study and are shared for participants who missed the earlier sessions.
Lesson 9 – CROSS 1 – New Identity & New Potential
Big Question: In what specific ways are you failing to let the cross shape your situations and relationships? What would change in these areas if you lived in a more cross-centered way?
Video: 15 minutes
Discuss:
Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Your Potential: The Indwelling Jesus Christ
- The redemptive fact: “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live.
- The present reality: but Christ lives in me.”
Because of the work Christ did on the cross for us:
- We live with personal integrity.
- As recipients of grace, we will create a climate of grace in our relationships.
- We will act with courageous grace and constructive truth.
Central Point: Because Christ now lives in me, I have everything I need to respond in new ways to what I face daily.
Personal Application: I must consistently ask where God is calling me to respond to the heat in my life with a cross-centered perspective.
Relational Application: I must help others recognize the practical daily importance of remembering that Christ lives in them.
Make it real:
- Where have you failed to live up to your full potential as a child of God? Where have you failed to take advantage of the wisdom, strength, and character that is yours because Christ lives within you? In what specific situations and relationships do you have God-given opportunities to exercise the new things that are yours in Christ?
- Where, specifically, would a cross-centered perspective change your relationships? (Forgiveness? Patience and grace? Compassion and gentleness? Making peace? Speaking the truth? Humble service? Saying no?)
Lesson 10 – Cross 2: The Cross and Daily Living
Big Question: Who are you? What is your new identity? How does believing this help you to identify and repent of the heart sins beneath your behavioral sins? How does it help you move in new directions that are pleasing to God?
Video (21 Mins)
Discuss
Lesson Nine’s point: we are new creations with new potential because of who Christ is and what he is doing in us by the work of his Spirit.
Lesson Ten: dealing with the reality of daily sin in our life.
The dominion of sin has been broken, but the presence of sin and struggle with sin remains.
New Foundation
1 John 2:1-2
My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.
Foundation of holiness #1 = justification by faith
Effect: We stand before the Father perfectly free from condemnation.
1 John 3:1-2
See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, r we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.
Foundation of holiness #2 = adoption
Effect: We relate to God as his children; he is our good, heavenly Father.
See Luke 15 – The Prodigal Son
Illustration: Living for comfort on the drive home leading to irritation/anger violation of the 6th commandments
- Problem: comfort is a good thing…it’s just not God.
- Anecdote: living in light of the cross
- “Comfort, when did you ever die for my sins?…”
Upshot: “I get rescued from myself…and my family gets rescued from me.”
Discussion
Central Point
- Cross-centered lives that transform us into the likeness of Christ are characterized by repentance and faith, which look deeply at sin as well at the grace of Christ.
- Deep repentance is the fruit of a continual reliance on Christ’s work on the cross for us.
- Lasting change occurs when our heart’s idols are unmasked and rejected, as we rely instead on Christ.
Personal Application
- To live a cross-centered life, I need to exercise a repentance and faith that sees the depth of my waywardness and the power and glory of my redeemer.
- To change, I need to rely on my new legal status before God, which is mine because of what Christ has already done for me.
- As I turn from my idols and turn to Christ, I can enjoy the freedom of faith and repentance in a new lifestyle that is pleasing to God.
Relational Application
- Helping others live cross-centered lives involves helping them to see their ruling idolatries alongside the superiority of Christ.
- To help others grow in holiness, I must link a clear call to repentance and faith to their new identity in Christ.
- Biblical ministry calls me to help others unmask their idols (repentance) and encourage them to experience the joys of Christ’s work in their behalf (faith).
Make It Real
With your personal growth project before you, and in light of your typical ruling idolatries, what specifically about Christ do you need to see and believe as you engage in faith and repentance?
- What about Christ is more attractive than what you have settled for?
- What about Christ do you need to worship and adore? Be specific.
In light of your answers to questions 1 and 2, what passages of Scripture will help you see what you need to see about Christ?
- Avoid picking single verses. Instead, choose larger portions of Scripture that address both what you need to see about Christ and what new behavior should follow.
The “How People Change” study guide is written by Timothy S. Lane and Dr. Paul David Tripp who is a pastor, international event speaker, and a best-selling and award-winning author. With more than 30 books and video series on Christian living, Paul’s driving passion is to connect the transforming power of Jesus Christ to everyday life. Click here to view videos and podcasts featuring Dr. Tripp.
Click here for the How People Change series of blogs.
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