Seven Commands For Christian Living

[Paul]

On this week’s show…the mind of Christ…seven commands for Christian living…and music from Sarah Bauer.

Seven Commands For Christian Living (http://www.biblestudyplanet.com/podcast/)

[Paul]

Here is a transcript of the bible question and study. Next week's show is on The Holy Spirit.

The Bible Study Planet Show (http://biblestudyplanet.com/podcast)
Episode 4 – Seven Commands For Christian Living
Original air date: September 22nd, 2007


Bible Question: What Does It Mean To Have The Mind Of Christ?

1 Cor 2:12-16 tells us that…

“We have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. For "who has known the mind of the LORD that he may instruct Him?" But we have the mind of Christ."

When we come to Christ we’re new creations. The Holy Spirit lives within us and gives us the mind of Christ which means we’re now able to understand and discern the spiritual things of God. Before, we viewed Man as the highest being, so we couldn’t understand anything higher. To think of anything higher was foolishness. But now the mind of Christ allows us to view God as the highest being and the Holy Spirit can now instruct us in His ways.


Bible Study: Seven Commands For Christian Living

If you have your Bible turn to 1 Thessalonians chapter 5:16-22.

In this passage Paul is summing up how the Christian should live his life. He tells us to…

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies. Test all things; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.

In seven verses Paul gives us seven commands for Christian living. Let’s go through them one by one.


1) Rejoice Always

In 1 Peter 1 we’re reminded that we rejoice with “joy inexpressible” because we have a “living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ”. And even though we go through hardships we still rejoice because we’re focused on this hope.

It’s not so much that we rejoice when we have troubles. We don’t say, “The bank’s about to foreclose – awesome.” No, no, we rejoice in spite of the fact that the bank is about to foreclose, or the doctor has bad news, or the in-laws have dropped by unannounced – ooh, that last one’s bad -- because the source of our joy doesn’t come from our earthly circumstances, it comes from our heavenly standing.

We’re to rejoice always because we’re always to remember that we belong to Christ.


2) Pray Without Ceasing

If we’re always rejoicing, and always focused on our relationship with Christ, that will lead us to being continually in prayer.

Now to pray without ceasing doesn’t mean we’re to go on and on repeating the same words. Jesus told us not to do that in Matthew 6:7, “when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.”

To pray without ceasing means that there shouldn’t be a long gap in our prayer life. In other words, we shouldn’t just pray once in a while, we should pray all the time.

In Mathew 6:9-13 Jesus teaches us how to pray. We learn that it’s through prayer we praise God, make our requests known to Him, ask forgiveness for our sins and forgive sins done against us, and ask for His protection against evil.

Someone once described prayer as the breath of the Christian’s life. Just as we can’t live without breathing, the Christian life can’t be lived without praying. And just as we don’t wait a long while in between breathing we shouldn’t wait a long time in between praying.


3) In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

If we’re rejoicing in Him, and we’re constantly in prayer, the result will be a heart that gives thanks for all things.

Thankfulness is a characteristic of the Christian. A.J. Gossip once said that “thanksgiving is the language of heaven.” This is in contrast to the unbeliever who, we’re told in Romans 1:21, "neither glorify God nor give thanks to Him."

We praise God from who all blessings flow. From who all things work together for the good of those who love Him. Who gives us beauty for ashes, whose strength is made perfect in our weakness.

We don’t always understand the reasons for our hardships but we’re promised that even though these things aren’t good, God will bring good out of it.

In John 16:21-22 Jesus was talking to the disciples about His death and resurrection. He told them that, “A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.”

In other words He was saying to them, “you won’t understand what’s happening now, and it will grieve you, but later you’ll understand and when you do you’ll have a joy no one will ever be able to take away from you.”

Now you’ll notice that Paul adds, “For this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” We always ask, “What’s God’s will for me?” Here’s our answer: rejoice always or always keep focused on your relationship with Christ, pray without ceasing or don’t go a long time in between praising God and seeking His blessings, and in everything gives thanks or be glad that even in bad times God is working in your life. If you’re doing these things then you’re doing the will of God.


4) Do not quench the Spirit.

John 16:8 tells us that the Holy Spirit convicts us of sin. Romans 8:14 says the Spirit leads us. 1 Corinthians 2:12-16 tells us the Holy Spirit teaches us the spiritual things of God and us discernment.

So we shouldn’t quench or, as the NLT puts it, “stifle” the Holy Spirit as He works in our lives to make us more like Christ.


5) Do not despise prophecies.

In other words don’t reject the preaching, interpreting and applying of Scripture. Remember Acts chapter 8 where Philip meets the Ethiopian who’s reading Scripture? Philip asks him, "Do you understand what you are reading?" And he said, "How can I, unless someone guides me?”

God has given the Church teachers to help them understand the Bible. We should never reject good bible teaching.


6) Test all things; hold fast what is good.

But just because someone claims to be a teacher that doesn’t mean we’re to automatically accept their teaching.

Jesus warned us in Matthew 7:15 to “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.” 2 Corinthians 11:14-15 warns us that “Satan transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.”

False teachers present themselves to the Church as good teachers.

Charles Spurgeon gave good advice, “Do not believe all a man says because he is a clergyman, or eloquent, or learned, or even because he is kind and generous. Bring all to the bar of Holy Scripture, and if they cannot stand the test, do not receive them.”

Do not accept any teaching from anyone unless it lines up with Scripture.


7) Abstain from every form of evil.

If we’re holding all things up against Scripture then it’s inevitable that we’ll find teachings and actions that are unbiblical. When we find these things we’re to stay away from them.

But when we accept unbiblical things 1 John 1:9 tells us that “If we confess our sins, Christ is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

To sin is to go against God’s will and to be out of fellowship with Him. To abstain from sin is to draw closer to the Lord. Closer to the Lord is the place every should Christian want to be.

[head1982]

:clap
Great Study

[RobinB]

Thanks for posting that. :nod

[Paul]

Thanks guys. The next couple of shows look something like this...

Ep 5 - The Holy Spirit
Ep 6 - The Holy Spirit In The Old and New Testament
Ep 7 - The Holy Spirit In The Life of Christ
Ep 8 - The Church
Ep 9 - Angels and Demons

[OwnedByJesus]

Love His Word, thanks Paul!

[head1982]

Thanks guys. The next couple of shows look something like this...

Ep 5 - The Holy Spirit
Ep 6 - The Holy Spirit In The Old and New Testament
Ep 7 - The Holy Spirit In The Life of Christ
Ep 8 - The Church
Ep 9 - Angels and Demons

:spit
any pun intended on this last episode Paul ?

[Paul]

:lol That was unintentional. The Church is filled with many wonderful people and I'm sticking to that story!

[head1982]

:lol That was unintentional. The Church is filled with many wonderful people and I'm sticking to that story!

:heh ok point taken