If I had more stars to give, I would! This book was INCREDIBLE and so edifying.
This short booklet went over what it means to change biblically, what the Bible says about change, and how we can change to God’s glory, changing ultimately to be more like Christ. I will put my takeaways from this book down below.
1. Our goal is not merely to transform some aspect of our lives so that we will be happier or more comfortable. The goal of believers is that we would become more Christlike and that this change would be to the glory of God. Change begins with the Gospel.
2. Seeking change in our lives that comes from methods that aren’t in Scripture will not allow us to experience the change God wants for us. We are totally dependent upon God — not ourselves for lasting and true change. Apart from Him we can do nothing. The Gospel is the key to change
3. The Gospel is not only important to us as Christians, at the beginning of our faith journey, but the Gospel is essential for our ongoing growth as believers. We need the Gospel everyday!
4. The only change that pleases God takes place by faith, through His power and for His glory. The change that pleases God takes place when our hearts are changed by the power of the gospel and we are empowered not only to do what is right, but to do so for His glory.
5. Many believers, though they realize that they are justified by faith, still think that God accepts them according to how well we measure up to his standards and law. However, the gospel declares that God accepts us for Christ’s sake and that the only righteousness we possess is the perfect righteousness of Christ.
6. As believers, we rest in the truth that we will never be more or less acceptable to God than we were on the day of our conversion.
7. Remembering who we are in Christ is the key to change–overcoming sin, and doing what is right. Because we are in Christ, the Gospel has changed our identity forever.
8. A key to overcoming any temptation or experiencing change, is realizing that Christ is more satisfying, more enjoyable, than the misuse or attachment to material things. When tempted, we need to learn to “taste and see” the Lord is good. As we learn to feed by faith on Christ instead of trying to satisfy ourselves in the broken cisterns of the world. In Christ, there is unmixed joy and satisfaction.
9. We cannot live transformed lives for God apart from Christ. We cannot bear good fruit apart from the vine. The believer who tries to change on their own merit/power will fail.
10. How do we abide in Christ? By filling ourselves and our mind up with His Word. (If you abide in my and my words abide in you). We also abide in Christ by dependent prayer. Asking the Lord to work or change in us what we are unable to do on our own. We abide in Christ by being obedient to God’s command to love one another.
11. Our daily failure to perfectly keep God‘s commandments, drives us back to the comfort of the gospel, which reminds us that our standing before God comes solely through faith in Christ and not by our works. Our sin drives us to recognize our daily need for the gospel of grace.
12. Because we love God, who so graciously saved us, we are eager to please Him by living the holy, fruitful lives, which are produced by the work of the gospel within us.
13. Our good works of obedience and service can’t add to the merit of Christ which has been imputed to us. Nor do we do what is good and right so that we can feel better about ourselves. The best of us is still the chief of sinners. We obey, not to gain God‘s favor, but out of love for and gratitude to Him who so loved us when we deserved only wrath.
14. Our works of obedience do not add to the righteousness of Christ which has already been imputed to us. Nor can our service make Him love us more. God is already as favorably disposed towards us as He can be. From the moment of conversion when we were justified because of what Christ did for us, God loved us more then than he ever will now, because his love is always the same. His love towards us is unchanging, He will never love us more or less than He already does. We love and obey God, not in order to cause Him to love us, or to make Him love us more than He already does, but because He first loved us.