Living A Transformed Life

29 Pages·2011·0.29 MB·English

by  Bill Loveless

Bill Loveless
Christ Is Life Ministries
Contact Information

Christ Is Life Ministries
210-698-1139
Website: www.christislifeministries.com
Email:
CONFERENCE SCHEDULE

SESSION ONE

What Is The Truth About Living
The Christian Life?

SESSION TWO

The Walk of Faith

SESSION THREE

Expectations Concerning The Walk of Faith

SESSION FOUR

The Fight of Faith

SESSION FIVE

Application To Daily Living

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SESSION ONE

What Is The Truth About Living
The Christian Life?

What Is Your Spiritual Destiny?

“For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son,
that He might be the first-born among many brethren.” Romans 8:29

“And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into His
likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”
2 Corinthians 3:18

“My children, with whom I am again in labor until Christ is formed IN you.” Galatians 4:19

Your Spiritual Destiny:
To be transformed into the LIKENESS of Christ
which means that you will think, believe, choose, and behave like Christ.

What Do You Believe About Living The Christian Life?

Jesus says the following: “…I AM the way, the truth, and the LIFE…” John 14:6

“…I AM the resurrection and the LIFE.” John 11:25

What Paul says: “..Christ who is YOUR life...” Colossians 3:4

“For me, to live IS Christ….” Philippians 1:21

Jesus not only came to give you eternal life. He wants to BE your LIFE!
In other words, the Christian life is a Person. It is Christ HIMSELF.

What Does It Mean That Christ Is Your Life?

“He is the SOURCE of your life in Christ Jesus..” 1 Corinthians 1:30

For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things…..” Romans 11:36

“IN HIM we live and move and have our being.” Acts 17:28

Christ as your life means that God is the SOURCE from Whom you are to live life.

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What are some of the ways that God is your Source as revealed in scripture?

 To meet your needs. - Philippians 4:19
 To be your power over sin. - 1 John 3:6
 To produce the fruit of the Spirit in your life. - Galatians 5:22, 23
 To transform your life so that you will think, feel, choose and behave like Christ –
2 Corinthians 3:18

Since God is the Source, He DOES NOT and WILL NOT help you be the source to
solve your problems, resolve your conflicts, or to live the Christian life.

How Do We Know That God Is To Be Our Source?

God put the FULLNESS of
HIMSELF back into man. –
Colossians 2:9, 10
God put His LIFE and POWER in
Christ DIED for
you. – 1 John 5:12; Acts 1:8
your sins.
Ephesians 1:7 God put Himself in UNION
with you. – John 14:20
God is man’s SOURCE for
living life – John 14:6

Since God Is Your Source He Wants To Live His Life IN You

“I am crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives IN me…” Galatians 2:20

The Christian life is not a life you live FOR God.

It is a life He wants to live IN you with the result that you are living FROM Him.

What Does It Look Like For God To Live His Life In You?

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 VICTORY – God as your Source is your victory over the power of sin, the flesh, the
world, and Satan. - 1 Corinthians 15:57

 FREEDOM – God is your Source to free you from your sin patterns and
strongholds that constantly defeat you. – Galatians 5:1

 RENEW – God will renew your mind to believe His truth - Romans 12:2

 HEALING – God is your source to heal you of your past and present woundedness.
- Psalm 147:3

 SUPPLY – God is your Source to meet every need in your life. - Philippians 4:19

 INTIMACY – God is your Source to draw you into an intimate relationship with
Himself. Ephesians 1:5

 TRANSFORMATION – Transform you to think, feel, choose, behave like Christ. –
2 Corinthians 3:18

As Your Source, God Will Is The INITIATOR and CAUSE and EFFECT
To Make His Promises An Experiential Reality In Your Life

“For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began (INITIATOR) a good work in you
will perfect (CAUSE and EFFECT) it until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6
(Parentheses mine)

God will be the cause and effect to make His promises of
TRANSFORMATION a reality in your life.

In other words, it is THROUGH Him that you will fulfill your SPIRITUAL DESTINY.

The Truth Is That You CAN’T Produce What Only God Can Produce In
You!

“…for apart from Me you can do NOTHING.” John 15:5b

Jesus is saying that you CAN’T produce Christ-likeness
INDEPENDENTLY of His life and power accomplishing it in you.

Since You Cannot Produce God’s Promises, What Is Your Part In
Living The Christian Life?

“I am the vine, you are the branches; he who ABIDES in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for
apart from Me you can do nothing.” John 15:5

Your part in the Christian life is to DEPEND ON, RELY ON, and DRAW FROM
the life and power of Christ within you.

We Learn Dependence From Jesus In Relationship To His Father

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Jesus Set Aside His Privileges To Be Co-Equal With The Father

“He (Jesus) had equal status with God but didn’t think so much of Himself that He had to cling
to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, He set aside the
privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave and became human!” Philippians 2:6, 7 NLT
(Parenthesis mine)

Jesus Lived TOTALLY Dependent On The Father

“I can do nothing on My own initiative. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just, because I
do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.” John 5:30

“Jesus therefore said, ‘When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and I
do nothing on My own initiative, but I speak these things as the Father taught Me.’” John 8:28

Jesus Did Not Function Out of His OWN Life and Power But Out of The Life and
Power of His FATHER.

“Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me? The words I say are not my
own, but my Father who lives in Me does His work through Me.” John 14:10

How Did Paul Live?

“For I would not dare say anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to make
the Gentiles obedient by word and deed.” Romans 15:18

“For this purpose also I labor striving according to His power, which mightily works within
me.” Colossians 1:29

Why Do We Struggle With Dependence?

1. PRIDE

2. The world continually gives us the message that you are to be INDEPENDENT.

3. The world also sends the message that dependence is WEAKNESS.

4. There is a part of man’s makeup that resists being dependent on God called THE
FLESH. (Flesh is an attitude that says “I can live my life independent of God.”)

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Self-Focused Grid (Living From the Flesh) Christ-Focused Grid (Living In Christ)
(The Lie) (The Truth)

The Christian Life Is A Life Of Performance The Christian Life Is Christ

The Christian life is a formula, set of rules to follow, Christ Himself is the Christian life.
or a checklist to complete. John 14:6: Philippians 1:21

Self As The Source To Live The Christian Life God As Source To Live The Christian Life

You are the source using God’s truth and your Living from God's life and power as the Source to live
intellect and ability to live the Christian life. the Christian life. John 14:6; Acts 17:28

Living FOR God Living FROM God

Trying in your own strength to please God and to Allowing Christ to live His life in and
earn His love and acceptance. through you. Galatians 2:20

Self-Transformation With God's Help God-Produced Transformation

Trying by your own effort w/God’s help to produce God as the Source to produce victory, freedom,
victory, freedom, healing, and transformation. healing, and transformation. 1 Corinthians 1:30

Independent Life Dependent Life

Living independently of God to try to live the Living in moment by moment dependence on God as
Christian life. your Source for living the Christian life. John 15:5

Faith In Yourself With God’s Help Faith In God

Faith in your intellect, ability, self-discipline, and Faith in God alone with the result that His life and
willpower with God’s help to produce the Christian power will flow in and through you to produce
life. transformation into Christ-likeness. 1 John 5:12;
Ephesians 1:19, 20; Hebrews 11:6

Results In: Results In:

More flesh, sin, frustration, defeat, woundedness. Freedom, victory, healing - Galatians 5:1;
Disillusionment and walking away from the 1 Corinthians 15:57; Psalm 147:3
Christian life or just trying harder to make life work Greater dependence upon God - John 15:5
No transformation Deeper intimacy with Him - Philippians 3:8
Continuing to live a self-sufficient Christian life Being transformed into Christ-likeness -
Ongoing turmoil and conflict 2 Corinthians 3:18; Romans 8:29
More of the same or worse Abundant life - John 10:10

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SESSION TWO

Walking By Faith

Dependence = Faith

“I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the
life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself
up for me.” Galatians 2:20

“And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He
is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6

FAITH
Is a moment by moment dependence upon God believing that ONLY
He can produce the LIFE that He promises.

You Have Two Objects of Faith

#1 - FAITH IN YOURSELF (Ability, self-discipline, willpower, intellect)

“.. the mind set on the flesh (SELF) is DEATH, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace.”
Romans 8:6

The results of going back to self as the source and live independent of God:

 No freedom.
 No victory.
 No transformation.
 More of the same.

#2 - FAITH IN GOD AS YOUR SOURCE

 VICTORY
 FREEDOM
 HEALING
 TRANSFORMATION

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Faith In Yourself As F a it h In God As
Your Source w/God’s Help = Your Source =
Defeat, bondage, unchanged V ic t o r y, Freedom,
life, (more of the same) Transformation
CHOICE
Moment By Moment Choice
What Choice Will You Make?

What Are Some Reasons We Struggle With Faith?

1. We bring the “LEARN and DO” mindset of life into the Christian life.

2. We want to bring our intellect and ability to be a part of the cause and effect of our
spiritual transformation.

3. Legalism nurtures “learn” and “do” Christianity.

What Is A Step of Faith?

“For we walk by faith, not by sight.” 2 Corinthians 5:7

A STEP of FAITH acknowledges that you are seeking God to produce His
transformation promises in your life and to fulfill your spiritual destiny.

A Step of Faith Releases God’s Supernatural LIFE and POWER In You
To Transform Your Life

You Contain ALL of God’s Life and Power

“
For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given
fullness IN Christ, who is the head over every power and authority.” Colossians 2:9, 10

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