The Opening

Overview

Creedal Statement

And God spoke all these words, saying,
I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
You shall have no other gods before me.
You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.
You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.
Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
You shall not murder.
You shall not commit adultery.
You shall not steal.
You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.

Key Elements

• Key Passage - Preview
• Scripture Memory - For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to everyone. It instructs us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live sensible, upright, and godly lives in the present age. Titus 2:11-12
• Catechism - Q: What is impacted by our faith in Christ? A: Living.

Introduction

You have been set free! If you trust Christ as your Savior, God has rescued you from your sins, granted you victory over Satan, preserved you from divine wrath, and promised you life unending. Through Jesus, you have been delivered from bondage and ushered into freedom. Your former life of sin, destruction, and corruption no longer defines you and it no longer controls you.

Even though struggle with sin, warfare against evil, and suffering in the world remain common experiences to Christian disciples, our salvation inheritance is safe and secure. As aAn heir in God’s family and a citizen of God’s kingdom, each believer lives in the present world as an exile who longs for a future homeland, a paradise in which sin, evil, and corruption will no longer exist. Certainly, that future world is the ultimate expression of “the best possible life”—an everlasting existence of perfect bliss and intimate communion with God and other believers. All believers are pilgrims on the road toward this uninterrupted and unalloyed joy.

Until we reach that long-anticipated world, God calls us to live our lives in concert with his kingdom principles. The best possible life in this present world is one of faith in Christ and faithful living toward Christ. In Jesus, we have not only been called to believe the gospel but also to live a lifestyle in step with the gospel. As disciples, we grow in faithfulness as we embrace the Christian life as a new covenant relationship with God. Christians not only confess Christ as Savior but also follow Jesus as King. Allegiance to Jesus means a surrender of our whole life to his good and righteous rule. Truly, the gospel brings us freedom—freedom that can be found in no one or nothing other than Christ. However, tasting freedom is only the first part of being a fully devoted follower of Christ. Freedom in Christ involves aligning ourselves to God’s will in all areas of life. To be clear: no one can, or has ever, been obedient enough to earn this life of freedom. Salvation freedom is a gift of God’s grace that must be received by faith. A true life of faith translates into a sincere walk of obedience.

To many, the very idea of obedience paints a picture of drudgery, tedium, and burden. Even for sincere followers of Christ, a call to heed God’s commands can sometimes seem like an impossible task. When we measure our current lifestyle to God’s holy character and righteous standards, we fall desperately short. Often, the very thought of laws, commandments, and rules feels like an imposed restriction that only threatens and hampers newfound freedom in Christ. Aware of our weaknesses, our insecurities, our fears, and our bad habits, the life of obedience can feel like an insurmountable challenge.

In reality, the life of obedience is God’s invitation for us to live the best possible life. The “best of all lives” begins with faith in Christ. We need rescue from sin before we can bear fruit in obedience. We need cleansing from guilt in order to embody holy living. Thus, forgiveness is the precursor to piety. We depend upon gracious salvation as the only veritable foundation for godly conduct. The freedom of salvation ever characterizes a life of authentic obedience. Alternatively, outside of faith in Christ, God’s commands are a burden and an impossible task. God’s holiness and justice is a crushing weight to those still in their sin. But, for believers, God’s commands—in that they reflect all that is true, good, and beautiful—are pathways to live out salvation freedom.

What God forbids is a means of protecting the life of freedom. Conduct beyond the boundaries of God’s word only enslaves and oppresses. What God commands is a call to abundant joy and enduring peace, even if that path of obedience is to tread through a valley of suffering. Consequently, while obedience itself can never bring freedom, the life of obedience is the most free kind of life when embraced by those who have placed their faith in Christ.

Consequently, this is God’s path for the best possible life: cultivate faith in Christ as Savior that leads to submissive obedience to him as Lord. For disciples of Jesus, God’s word is a call to obey God’s commandments, to follow in Christ’s steps, and embrace godly living. This is God’s vision for your life, which exceeds any alternative hope or dream. Adopted into God’s family, God wants us to take on the family traits of his own character. This will necessarily involve spiritual growth and transformation.

God wants to change us. There are old habits God wants to remove and new habits he wants to establish. God aims to align our thoughts with the truth and expose false ways of thinking. God desires to reorder our behavior to reflect his character. In a great work of spiritual renovation, our good and merciful God intends to reshape our desires, refine our appetites, and rekindle our loves toward himself. The scope of this transformation is complete and total. God wants to reform our living in all spheres of life: individual habit, family devotion, community participation, and societal engagement. As such, this spiritual change also involves every facet of life: body, mind, heart, soul, and relationship. Ironically, the more submissive we become to Christ, the sweeter is our freedom.

This book is a series of studies that will outline twelve key principles for the Christian life. Fundamentally, this study is an investigation of Christian living, exploring what it means to live a God-honoring life as men and women who have been liberated by the gracious work of Christ. While each of these principles of godly living represents a unique domain of Christian devotion, we quickly see that each area of the Chrisitan life impacts the others. Our life of faith is an integrated whole. For a brief instance: the way we relate to God impacts our relationships with others and is connected to our inner desires, our speech, and our involvement in the faith community. Consequently, we study these twelve principles in topical fashion, knowing that each domain of Christian living impacts the others.

Although these twelve passages attempt at a comprehensive portrait of godly living, this biblical story set is not exhaustive. There is a lifetime to explore nuances and intricacies of living out our faith in a complex and sinful world. Nevertheless, the foundation laid in these twelve sessions offers a certain foundation for Christian disciples. The biblical narratives do not always depict positive examples of these ethical principles. Some biblical characters embody godliness with exemplary faithfulness. Others demonstrate the destruction and pain that result when God’s ways are unheeded. Nevertheless, even in these latter cases, we learn about godly living by virtue of being warned against godless misconduct. In as much as God’s word is an unfolding narrative of true reality—the story behind it all—it is also a blueprint for godly living—the best possible life.

Therefore, the twelve biblical passages in this study establish believers in essentials of Christian living.

The first narrative provides an example of godliness in the life of a heroine named Ruth (Ruth 1:1-4:22), whose faithfulness to God is put on display in the midst of great loss and suffering. After this overview, we witness Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego resist idolatry and demonstrate complete devotion to God when under the threat of persecution (Daniel 3:1-30). Their example teaches us how to establish God as our first and highest priority. The failure of Aaron and the Israelites, which leads tointo idolatry (Exodus 32:1-35), warns us about giving devotion to other gods and worshiping the true God in a faithless manner. The next narrative depicts sincere reverence to God: through the honorable service of Aaron and the priests and the profane service of Nadab and Abihu (Leviticus 8:1-10:20). Joshua leading the Israelites into the promised land (Joshua 3:1-6:27) commends to us the life of rest and worship. The example of David and Abigail showcase what it looks like to honor God-appointed authority (1 Samuel 24:1-26:25). Cain’s violent attack of his brother (Genesis 4:1-26) warns us against murder and instructs us in upholding the unique dignity of human beings. Samson’s repeated sexual blunders with women nearly compromised his life mission and calls us to a life of sexual purity (Judges 13:1-16:31). When Ahab and Jezebel deceived, murdered, and robbed Naboth (1 Kings 21:1-29), we too are called to guard ourselves from theft and steward our possessions with generosity and charity. Nehemiah’s courageous endurance of verbal attacks (Nehemiah 6:1-7:4) helps us understand the danger of sinful speech and the nature of godly speech. When the Israelites succumb to their cravings and covetous desires in the wilderness (Numbers 11:1-35), we learn the importance of contentment and gratitude. Finally, we explore the whole book of Esther (Esther 1:1-10:3), a heroine who provides a helpful grid by which we can understand phases of spiritual development.

In the pages ahead, we will explore each of these biblical principles in turn, attempting to grow in our understanding and application of these timeless truths. In using biblical narratives, we helpfully see the relevance of these principles in real life. In using Old Testament narratives, we quickly observe the consistency and reliability of God’s ways throughout the generations and across cultures.

In this effort to outline the major contours of a Christian lifestyle, we do so as pilgrims who long for the day when God will decisively and perfectly transform us into the likeness of Christ. Until that day, we progress in godliness by growing in obedience to God and by establishing ourselves in faith to Christ. Far from a life of drudgery or tedium, this is the path for the best possible life, a life of blessing in wilderness sojourn of this life.

Book Overview: Surveying the Landscape

Discipleship is a process of establishing believers in the essentials of the Christian faith. In this section, explore the core content, consider the key idea, and articulate particular areas of interest in this study.

Core Content

An outline of Christian teaching is like a map for the journey of faith. Survey the twelve scriptural passages and associated themes that will set the itinerary for your upcoming study.

Key Idea

Faithful disciples plant firm roots in the soil of biblical principles. Review the main idea of this study. Discuss how the individual narratives and corresponding themes relate to this overarching theme.

Key Idea: Disciples of Christ live godly lives in which they follow the teachings of Jesus.

Personal Interest

The essentials of the Christian faith are extremely relevant to our lives. Pick one or two biblical passages or study themes that capture your attention. Briefly discuss with your community what most interests you about these narratives and topics.

Faith Foundation: Exploring the Terrain

God calls his people to move beyond a superficial understanding of Christian essentials. Use the discussion questions and key quote to ponder with others how the subject area of study is of great importance in the Christian faith.

Discussion Questions

Disciples progress in the faith in the context of committed Christian community. Discuss the following questions with other believers as a means to orient your community to the subject of this study.

Significant Quote

Christians learn from believers who live in different generations and cultures. Read the following quote and discuss with others what it suggests about the importance of Christian witness.

Record any initial observations or community insights below.

Learning Plan: Charting the Course

Formative biblical interpretation fosters Christian growth as the faith community purposefully engages the scriptural text. Review the session framework and use the planning calendar to coordinate your learning for this upcoming study journey.

Session Framework

The Scriptures bear authority over every area of our lives. To deeply understand any particular passage, disciples must engage the text at various levels. In the Narrative Journey series, a common study framework is applied to each core session. This common framework helps disciples engage each biblical passage in exegetical, theological, personal, ministry, and missional ways. This dynamic hermeneutical approach (a spiraling process through five movements that serves to deepen your understanding as you engage the text multiple times) helps believers and churches faithfully engage the Scriptures for life transformation.

Review the five movements of this interpretive framework and discuss how this hermeneutical approach helps individuals and communities engage the biblical text in a way that reforms our thinking and changes our lives.

Planning Calendar

Wisdom calls believers and the community to approach an ordered process of faith development with diligence and preparation. Use the following calendar to plan out dates and teachers for the various sessions in this study.

Core Project: Synthesizing the Faith

Genuine disciples integrate the truth of God’s word into their personal and community life. In this section, you will preview the capstone project, view an example confessional statement, and imagine how God might want to change your life through this study.

Project Preview

Foundational to a mature faith is a firm conviction of Christian truth. Therefore, at the end of this book, you will be asked to write a code of godly living. This creed is a condensed and memorable summary of the core biblical teachings on Christian living. It is also a capstone project for this study. You can write this individually or as a community. The aim of this project is to help you synthesize all that you will learn over the course of this study as it relates to the essential teachings of the Christian conduct. As we trek through the next twelve sessions, it will be important to keep this project in your mind.

The following criteria will help guide your thinking about how you (and your church community) might draft such a statement. The community covenant should be

• short: summarizes the key biblical teachings in a condensed and accessible format
• memorable: articulates biblical principles in a way that is easily memorizable
• usable: expresses the creed as a statement that can be affirmed and confessed together as a church community
• accurate: makes correct, biblical affirmations of Christian belief
• comprehensive: addresses all major areas of Christian teaching

Example Code

As we journey toward Christian maturity, we should learn from other disciples. As we study the Scriptures together, the community of Christ followers helps each of us hone our thinking around what is true. As you prepare to write your own mission manifesto (and share it with other believers), review the following statement as an example of this capstone project.

==We live==

Imaginative Storytelling

Believers in Jesus look forward to the future with hope and anticipation. As you consider the overarching topic of this study, think about how God wants to mature you in the faith. Specifically, imagine how your life would be different as God grows you into a mature Christian.

If I could understand what it means to follow Christ more faithfully, these are some things I would want to understand…

If I could grow in following Jesus more faithfully, this is how my life would look…

Faith Practice: Following the Way

Discipleship involves a lifetime of following Jesus in a context of Christian community. Familiarize yourself with the growth outcomes of this study, identify an area of focus, and pray for God’s transformative work in the course of the upcoming weeks.

Growth Outcomes

Setting growth goals helps to refine our Christian walk. As you look ahead to the upcoming study, read through the following outcomes to clarify ways in which God would have you grow in your faith.

As a result of this study, disciples, families, and churches will …

• establish a mature Christian understanding of the essentials of the Christian living
• cultivate a deepening commitment to godly conduct
• demonstrate clarity and capability in articulating the ways of Christ
• participate in teaching basic Christian living to others

Focused Area

Growth in the Christian life often happens one step at a time. Identify one of the above outcomes in which you want to grow. Name this specific outcome to your community, asking them to support you in prayer.

Community Prayer

We depend upon God’s power to grow each step in our Christian journeys. Pray that God would help each person in your community mature in the identified growth areas. Feel free to use the space below to write out a personal prayer or record requests from other members that you can keep in prayer throughout the course of this study.