Passage: Spiritual Disciplines | Lesson 07
Spiritual Discipline of Obedience, Holiness and BaptismJoshua Yuan | April 26, 2015
Opening Questions:
1. Who do you consider to be super "holy" and why?
2. Between you and your friends/siblings, who is the most obedient? What makes them obedient?
3. Why do you think one gets baptized?
Definitions:
Obedience - compliance with an order, request, law or submission to another's authority.
Holiness - the quality or state of being set apart and pure.
With the following passages below, we will be trying to answer (most are straightforward):
- What does obedience or holiness look like?
- Why should you be obedient or holy?
1. Philippians 2:5-11
We should have the mindset of Christ. That is, we are here to serve, not to be serve. And like Christ we are to be obedient, even to the point of death [death on a cross].
2. Matthew 16:24-27
For Christians, the act of 'taking up our cross and following Him' is obedience. A cross isn't some burden we must carry in our lives. It means the act of dying to one's self and surrendering our lives to follow Christ.
3. John 14:15-32
The Bible makes it clear that we show our love for Jesus by obeying Him in all things.
4. Matthew 23:23-28
It is important to understand that it is the spirit of obedience, not simply the act of obedience. What good is our act of service if we grumble and complain within our hearts?
5. John 13:33-35
Obeying God as His disciples is loving one another.
6. Matthew 22:34-40
Love is the greatest commandment to follow. So do it.
7. James 1:25-27
If you are obedient, you will be blessed.
8. Colossians 3:18-25
You will be rewarded based on how you work.
9. 1 Peter 1:13-16
Be holy, because God is holy, and because He said so.
10. 2 Corinthians 7:1-4
We should be perfecting our holiness out of reverence and respect for God.
11. Hebrews 12:14-17
Holiness, although something you can't exactly measure, is something you pursue, rather than something you earn just once.
12. 2 Timothy 1:6-12
We should be holy because we are saved by grace.
13. Psalm 119:9-16
We can be holy or strive towards holiness by living according to the Word.
14. Ephesians 5:1-20
To be holy, there should not even be a hint of sexual immorality, impurity or greed in our lives.
15. Amos 5:14-15
As we seek God, He is faithful to be with us.
16. Philippians 2:12-18
When we do things, whether out of love or service, we should do them without grumbling, arguing or complaining, so that we can be blameless and pure.
How does Holiness and Obedience guide me towards godliness?
Holiness challenges lukewarm living. A lot of Christians are turning away from the call to holiness. If you are truly seeking God, this should be something you are always striving towards. A call to holiness challenges our lifestyle; it forces us to confront our idols and remove destructive habits. Do you love the world more? Or the things of God?
J.C. Ryle writes: "holiness will cost a man his sins. He must be willing to give up every habit and practice which is wrong in God's sight... There must be no separate truce with any special sin which he loves. Our sins are often as dear to us as our children: we love them, hug them, cleave to them, and delight in them. To part with them is as hard as cutting off a right hand, or plucking out a right eye. But it must be done. The parting must come."
Holiness comes with a price, there is a cost - death to self and crucifixion to the world. To be filled mightily with the Spirit, we must first be emptied of self. Pride and arrogance hinder holiness. We are to overcome sin, not surrender to it.
Baptism
Definition: the religious rite of immersion in water, symbolizing purification or regeneration and admission to the Christian Church.
1. Acts 2
Peter tells the Israelites to repent and to be baptized. We learn from this chapter that baptism is a church "must have".
2. Matthew 28:19
Though it does NOT equate to our salvation, it is a command of God to be baptized.
3. Matthew 10:32-33
It is a public profession of our faith and testimony of our identification with Christ.
4. Romans 6:4
It symbolized that we are crucified with Him, buried with Him and then raised with Him.
5. 1 Corinthians 11:23-29
Communion or Lord's Supper (as it relates to baptism at FCBC) is God's prescribed way to remind us of our savior. It is also a way to proclaim the gospel.
How does getting Baptized guide me towards godliness?
God commands us to be baptized (and to baptize others). God tells us to do it. It doesn't get much simpler that that. There are a lot of excuses out there not to, but it's pretty clear here. So we can be obedient, and in doing so string towards holiness.
Application
What specific area of weakness in your life do you need to bring into obedience to Christ?
What steps can or will you take to become obedient in this area?
Recognize your sinful areas and look to change that through accountability and/or prayer.
Posts
