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You Can Change Biblically · Reformed Thinking

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OK, let's let's dig into this. Have you ever felt just
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completely stuck? You know, like you're pushing
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against something you can't see? Maybe fighting a habit you hate
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or a reaction you always regret? Or maybe it's just this feeling,
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this sense that you're kind of on autopilot, just going through
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the motions and you really can't seem to change gears.
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Yeah, that feeling is real. And then that little.
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Thought starts whispering. Right?
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Maybe. Maybe this is just who I am now.
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Maybe I just have to sort of cope, manage this thing, write
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it out. Like someone trying to open a
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door that says pull but they just keep pushing harder and
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harder. Yeah, and feeling totally beaten
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because, well, nothing's happening.
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It's a really defeating feeling. It is.
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It's a well, it's a very common human experience, isn't it?
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That sense of hitting a wall, especially in areas where you
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really, really want to see change.
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Definitely, whether it's patterns and relationships or
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trying to get healthier habits going or just these internal
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battles that keep cropping up and you see.
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People put in so much effort, right?
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You know, willpower, strategies, New Year's resolution, only to
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find themselves maybe weeks or months later right back where
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they started. It's discouraging.
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It really is. But the material we've been
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looking at, it speaks right into that feeling, but from a well, a
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very specific angle doesn't just nod along and say, yeah, you're
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stuck. No it doesn't.
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It actually challenges that idea like head on.
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Yeah, from a biblical viewpoint, it basically says that thinking
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is wrong. True, lasting change is
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possible. Yes, and it's crucial to see
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it's not just talking about, you know, tweaking behaviors or
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surface adjustments. These sources point to something
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much deeper, A fundamental shift a.
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Shift. That's what initiated by
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something else. Initiated and enabled by
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something entirely outside of us, not by our own grit.
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OK, so that's our mission for this deep dive.
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Then, to really take these sources you shared and unpack
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this idea of biblical change, we want to get a handle on why,
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according to the perspective in these writings, God's
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perspective, why this change is not just possible but actually
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necessary. And who can actually bring it
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about? Who is the real agent here?
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Right, and how does it really happen, especially compared to,
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you know, the usual self help ideas or just trying harder,
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gritting your teeth? Exactly.
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It's about looking closely at God's plan as presented here for
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genuine change in a person's life.
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What fuels it? What resources does he give?
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And importantly, what does this mean for you, the listener, if
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you're wrestling with those areas where you long for
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something different? It's looking at change from
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God's angle as revealed in these writings.
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That's the goal. All right, let's jump in.
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The material kicks off by tackling a really basic
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question. Why do we even need to change in
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the first place? And it roots this need,
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interestingly, in God Himself, in his character.
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It does, yeah. When you look at passages like
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Exodus 34 versus 5 to 7 or Psalm 7.010, you get this picture of
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God. He's described as a holy and
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righteous judge. Not just a title, but his
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nature. Precisely, it describes who He
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is, and because of who He is, His standard is well, it's
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absolute perfection. Matthew 5.48 puts it starkly.
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You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is
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perfect. Wow.
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OK, perfection. Yeah, that's his nature.
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So that's his standard for everything.
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For everything and everyone in His creation.
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And because He is holy, He cannot, He will not tolerate
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sin. Sin is fundamentally opposed to
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His very being. The goal isn't just be a good
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person or do better than yesterday, it's perfection
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reflecting him. That's the standard.
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And you know, James chapter 2 verse 10 really hammers this
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home. It says for whoever keeps the
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whole law but fails and one point has become guilty of all
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of it. Guilty of all of it, just for
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one slip up. Think of it like a chain.
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If one link breaks, is the chain only partly?
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Broken. No, the whole chain is broken.
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It can't do its job. Right.
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God's law isn't just a random collection of rules, it flows
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from his perfect, unified character.
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So to fail in any part shows a heart that isn't perfectly
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aligned with him. Shows contempt, really, for the
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whole standard and the one who gave it.
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That is a demanding standard, and then, set against this
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backdrop of God's perfection, the material talks about our
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condition. Hans condition, yes Romans 3.23
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states it very clearly, for all have sinned and fall short of
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the glory of God. This isn't just some people or
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most people, it's all. It's the universal reality for
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humanity. OK, fall short of the glory of
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God. Let's unpack that phrase because
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it sounds significant. What does it really mean?
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Is it just, you know, I told a white lie or I got angry?
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Many people might think, well, I haven't done anything really
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bad. And that's where these sources
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offer some real clarity. They argue that falling short of
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the glory of God isn't primarily about taking off boxes on a list
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of forbidden actions, or even comparing yourself to the person
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next door. So it's not horizontal
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comparison. No, it's fundamentally about
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failing to live entirely. Every thought, word, deed,
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motive, entirely to the glory of God.
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Think about the greatest commandment again.
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Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all
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your mind, all your. Strength, right?
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Just some? No.
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Are your thoughts always consumed with God's worthiness?
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Is your will always perfectly submitted to His?
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Are your affections, your deepest desires, always directed
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fully toward Him? And if the honest answer is no,
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which it is for everyone. Then, according to these
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sources, drawing on thinkers like Martyn Lloyd Jones, if you
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are not loving God with this absolute complete devotion, then
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you are, to use their strong language, a Sinner of the
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deepest eye, whether you feel like it or not, whether you
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recognize it or not. Wow, that's stark.
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It is because this is the root issue, not just the bad fruit,
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the specific sins, but the root not being fully oriented towards
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God. Humans were made, the sources
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say, to know God, enjoy God, live in communion with God, walk
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with him. You see this in John 17.3.
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Eternal life is knowing God and Jesus Christ.
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So if we're not living in that perfect relationship, glorifying
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Him and everything. That is sin.
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The very essence of sin, they argue, is that we do not live
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entirely to the glory of God means we're not living in the
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fullness of joy and obedience He intended for us.
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So sin isn't just the bad things we do, it's also the ultimate
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good we fail to do, living completely for His glory.
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That captures it well. The absence of this total God
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centeredness is sin, and the sources go further, describing
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our natural state apart from God's intervention.
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They call it the old nature. The old nature, What's that
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like? It's described as a fundamental
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orientation where a person is completely oriented towards
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gratifying, pleasing, exalting and esteeming self.
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Our default setting, you might say, is to live for ourselves,
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To seek our own comfort, our own praise, our own control, our own
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agenda. Me first.
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Basically, yes. So biblical change then is
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presented as this radical reversal.
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It's about stopping this self pleasing Dr. and turning
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consciously turning to please the Lord instead.
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The need for change comes right out of this inherent conflict
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between our self orientation and God's demand for His glory.
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That makes sense. If our default is self, and
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God's standard is all for Him, then yeah, there's a fundamental
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clash, a need for a serious overhaul.
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A. Complete reorientation.
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So what happens, according to these writings, if someone just
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stays in that state, that self oriented condition, apart from
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Christ? Well, the picture painted is
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quite serious. A person without a real personal
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relationship with Jesus Christ is described as having a
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spiritual problem that they absolutely cannot fix
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themselves. Only God can.
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It's not just bad habits then. No, it's far deeper, Yeah.
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They're described as being in a state of spiritual death and
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separation from God, hopelessly separated, spiritually dead in
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their sins like Ephesians 2 says.
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Dead. Not just sick, but dead.
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Dead and hostile to God. Romans 8.7 uses that word
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hostile. There's an inner resistance to
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God's rule. They're also described as
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blinded by Satan, unable to see the light of the gospel, and
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held captive by him. Second Corinthians four and
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Second Timothy two touch on this.
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Hostile to God, Yeah. Wow, that's stronger than just
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not caring. It implies an active, though
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perhaps unconscious, opposition in the heart to God's authority
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and his ways. And in this condition, they are
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completely unable to overcome sins grip.
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They can't understand God's truths because, as First
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Corinthians 2 truth says, those things are spiritually
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discerned. So spiritual truths just seem
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like nonsense. Foolishness is the word Paul
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uses. They can't genuinely please God
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or walk in his path. They're incapable of producing
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the kind of spiritual fruit that truly honors God and lasts.
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And standing before a holy, righteous God in that state,
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what are the consequences? Because God is just, his nature
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demands that sin be dealt with. He won't tolerate it forever.
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So this state of rebellion and spiritual death means facing His
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wrath and judgement. The sources talk about God's
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righteous anger against sin and the coming judgement for those
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who don't turn to him. It's a grave reality.
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It sounds like really seeing this, understanding the depth of
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this problem is absolutely critical.
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It's presented as non negotiable, the elephant in the
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room one source calls it. If you haven't grasped your
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sinfulness in this way, not just I make mistakes, but I
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fundamentally fall short of God's glory by not loving Him
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perfectly. If you haven't seen that, the
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sources argue, you'll never truly cherish Christ and
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therefore and therefore you don't possess eternal life.
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Because Jesus said he came to save sinners.
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Those who know they're spiritually sick and lost, not
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those who think they're basically OK or righteous on
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their own. So recognizing this requires.
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It requires, as they put it, being on your face before God,
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humbled, not looking sideways, comparing yourself to others to
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feel better, but looking up, seeing God's blinding holiness
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and perfection as the only standard, and realizing how far
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short you fall. That place of humility,
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recognizing your own powerlessness before God's
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standard, it feels like that's the doorway where the
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possibility of real change actually starts.
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It's the necessary starting point.
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You have to understand how deep the problem is before the
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solution, the gospel, makes any real sense or has its full
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impact. Which leaves us right there.
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The sources present the gospel as the answer, but not just like
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the answer to get you in the door.
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Right. This is a really key idea they
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develop. They strongly argue against a
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common view of the gospel where it's treated like the starter
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motor in a car. You use it once to get the
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engine going. Exactly.
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You get saved and then you kind of move on to other things for
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growth. Maybe discipleship programs?
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Spiritual disciplines, focusing on morality, Trying harder?
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It's not just the Get out of Hell free card you play once.
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Definitely may not, the sources insist.
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The gospel is much more like the motor of the car, the engine
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itself. It's what drives the entire
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Christian life, from the moment of salvation all the way
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through. So if you take the motor out.
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The car stops working. It might look like a car, but
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it's going nowhere. In the same way, they argue, if
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a believer loses sight of the gospel, neglects it in their
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daily thinking and living, they'll stall spiritually.
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They'll stop growing. They won't function as God
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intends. Though the Gospel is for
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salvation and for ongoing growth for change, Sanctification.
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Yes, for both. It's the core truth that fuels
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everything. Without the gospel constantly
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driving us, reminding us, shaping us, lasting biblical
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change just isn't possible according to these writings.
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It's the engine, the fuel, the whole system that keeps the
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Christian life moving forward day by day.
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That's the picture, and they break it down helpfully into
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four essential parts, like looking at the key components of
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that engine. OK, let's look at those first
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part. God.
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We circle back to God's character, but now we see this
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incredible tension, this juxtaposition.
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On the one hand, he is glorious, transcendent, the ultimate
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standard setter, the righteous judge who demands perfection,
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who cannot tolerate sin, who feels indignation towards evil
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every day. That's His Holiness and justice,
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uncompromising, but T and they really highlight this.
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But as crucial he is also, as Exodus 34 reveals, merciful,
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gracious, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love,
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forgiving iniquity, transgression and sin.
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So right alongside absolute holiness, there's this ocean of
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mercy, yes. He doesn't ignore his justice,
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but his character also contains this infinite capacity for grace
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and forgiveness. It's breathtaking, really.
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That's the first component, this holy and merciful God.
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OK, second part. Man, we revisit our condition,
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but now specifically in light of this God.
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We are the ones who have all sinned, who fall short of His
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glory, who are naturally oriented towards self, hostile
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towards Him in our hearts, and completely powerless to change
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our own nature or earn His favor.
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Powerless is a keyword here. Absolutely.
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The sources are very direct. Man on his own cannot fix this.
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He cannot change himself at this core level.
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He is not the agent of change. That feeling of pushing the pole
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door, that's us spiritually without God's intervention.
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So man is totally helpless before this holy yet merciful
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God. Which leads to the third part.
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Christ If man is helpless and facing God's just judgement,
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Jesus Christ is God's gracious answer.
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It wasn't because we deserved it, but out of his own merciful
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love, God gave his Son Jesus as the only possible solution.
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Only Jesus. Man could never save himself,
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could never become good enough to bridge the gap.
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So Jesus, the perfect God, man stepped in.
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He lived the perfect life we couldn't live.
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And then he died on the cross, paying the full penalty, the
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price required by God's justice for your specific sins.
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He took the punishment you deserved.
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He was a substitute. The perfect substitute and God.
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He accepted this payment, the sacrifice, by raising Jesus from
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the dead. This proves Jesus is victorious
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over sin, over death, over the devil.
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His resurrection is the receipt, you could say.
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God's holiness, man's sin, Christ provision.
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It seems straightforward, but you said the sources highlight a
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common stumbling block around the 4th part.
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They do, and this is where they suggest a lot of self deception
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can happen even for people who grew up in church or know the
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Bible well. The sources are really clear.
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Just intellectually agreeing with the first three points.
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Yes, God is holy, yes I'm a Sinner, yes Jesus died.
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That's not enough. That's not saving faith.
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So knowing the facts isn't salvation.
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No, neither is just affirming the right doctrines, or living a
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generally moral life, or even acknowledging you're a Sinner in
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a generic sense, or just wanting to go to heaven to avoid hell.
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None of those things in themselves mean you have a
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saving relationship with Christ. They can all exist apart from
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genuine faith. Wow.
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So what is the required response according to these sources?
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It's described as a response that God himself enables.
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Worked out through faith, God gives you the ability to believe
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in Jesus. And crucially, this belief isn't
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just a one time historical event.
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You look back on like I prayed a prayer back in 98, or I was
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baptized as a kid, or I signed a decision card.
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It's not just checking a box on your past.
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No, the sources point to the language in first John 5.13.
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These things I've written to you, who believe in the name of
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the Son of God. They note that believe there is
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in the present tense in the original Greek.
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It signifies A continual, ongoing reality of belief and
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trust. So my assurance isn't based on
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something I did way back when, but on who I am trusting right
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now. That's the idea.
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Are you right now trusting in Jesus Christ and Him alone for
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your salvation, for your standing with God?
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Are you relying solely on His death for your sins and His
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righteousness credited to you? And is that trust shaping how
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you live? Are you seeking to live for Him
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because of that trust? It's an active present tense
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reliance. Exactly, and part of that active
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belief involves repenting of your sin.
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The sources use that helpful picture of AU turn.
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Not just hitting the brakes. Right repentance isn't just
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stopping the bad stuff like slamming on the brakes, but
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staying pointed down the same wrong Rd.
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It's a fundamental change of direction.
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It's stopping living for yourself, for your own agenda,
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and making a conscious, spirit enabled turn in faith to live
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for the Lord Jesus Christ. It's trusting that He alone can
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save you, forgive you, and lead you in the right way.
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So it's stopping the old direction and actively starting
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a new one towards God. Yes, both aspects are vital.
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It involves, as they describe it, being on your face, humbled
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before God, admitting you are powerless to change yourself,
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and consciously choosing to seek His Kingdom and His
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righteousness first, like Matthew 6.33 says.
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It sounds like tone independence.
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It is. This response shows complete
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active reliance on your Heavenly Father.
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It's the opposite of trying to pull yourself up by your own
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spiritual bootstraps. And without this kind of sincere
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personal relationship with Jesus, which only God can
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create, the sources maintain you are still powerless under sins
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control. That connects right back to
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where the ability, the actual capacity for change, comes from.
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If we're powerless, who provides?
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The Jews. Well, the sources are really
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strong on this point. Man himself cannot produce this
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deep biblical change. He's not the agent of change.
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The real ability the the enablement needed for this kind
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of transformation isn't found in a program or a technique or a
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self help. Book, not a strategy.
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Not a strategy. It is, as they phrase it, bound
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up in a person. OK, not a what, but a who?
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Exactly. And that person is the Savior
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Jesus Christ. Specifically, the ability comes
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through His Spirit, the Holy Spirit who comes to live inside
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every true believer. Change happens therefore, not by
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trying harder in your own strength, but when you have the
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Holy Spirit within you, and this is key, you are actively
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yielding to Him in every part of your life, making sure He isn't
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hindered or quenched or ignored. So just having the Spirit is an
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automatic change. You have to yield.
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Both are necessary. Having the Spirit is the
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prerequisite, the source of potential.
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But yielding allows that potential to become reality.
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The sources. Use that great illustration,
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sometimes linked to Corey 10. Boom.
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About a glove. A glove?
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Yeah. Think of a glove just lying flat
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on the table. I can't do anything by itself,
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right? It's just limp leather or
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fabric. That's like a person without
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Christ. No spiritual ability on their
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own. OK.
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It makes sense. Now put a hand inside the glove.
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Suddenly there's life. There's potential.
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It can grip, point, wave. That's like a believer receiving
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the Holy Spirit. The potential is there.
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But what if the hand inside the glove is just balled up?
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Even a fist, or maybe just a couple of fingers are extended.
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The other fingers are still floppy.
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Useless, right? Yeah, the glove isn't working
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fully. That represents areas in a
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believer's life where they haven't yielded to the Spirit's
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control. Maybe it's fear or pride or a
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particular sin, or just neglecting time with God.
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Those are floppy fingers. The goal is for the hand, the
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Spirit, to fully fill and extend into every single finger, every
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part of the glove, every area of our lives so that the Spirit can
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work through US freely, making it's useful for the Masters
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purposes. It's about letting the spirit
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animate every part, not just some parts.
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Well, we try to handle the rest ourselves.
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That's it exactly. The sources really stress that
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true change flows from relying on the spirits enablement
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working in you to confront sin, to change desires to obey God,
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instead of just relying on your own willpower to do better or
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try harder. Because trying harder is still
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self effort. It often is, yeah.
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Trying to change by sheer self will, the sources warn.
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And it usually ends in frustration, feeling defeated,
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feeling like it's futile because you're still operating out of
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that old self oriented nature, just trying to make it behave
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better. But that old nature can't
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produce fruit that pleases God. Which loops back to that
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starting point of humility again.
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It really does. Getting on your knees,
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metaphorically or literally acknowledging before God.
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I can't do this. I am powerless to change my
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heart to overcome this sin on my own.
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Actively seeking God first. Humbling yourself.
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This posture, this admission is presented as the critical first
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step towards experiencing God's changing work.
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It's this act of dependence that invites the Spirit's enablement.
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Without that living connection to Jesus, mediated by His
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Spirit, a person just remains spiritually stuck, unable to
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break free from sins. Hold.
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So getting unstuck isn't about finding the magic technique, but
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about admitting inability and connecting with the one who is
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able. That sums it up well.
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It's God's work enabled by his Spirit living in the believer.
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OK, so once someone is saved, has the spirit change isn't just
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possible, the sources say it's expected, it's part of the
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package. So the material then talks about
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how this actually works out, the dynamics, the tools God gives
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for this ongoing change. That's right.
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Once genuine salvation happens, change is the expected necessary
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result. God's purpose wasn't just to
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rescue individuals from hell, as wonderful as that is.
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He is, as Isaiah 43.7 says, gathering a people for Himself,
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created for His glory. He's forming a people who will
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reflect His character. He's shaping us for a reason.
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He is. He's actively involved in our
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sanctification. That word just means setting us
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apart for him, making us progressively more holy.
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More like his son Jesus. Becoming little Christs, which
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is what Christian means. Exactly.
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God's desire, His ongoing work in believers, is to conform us
21:02
to the image of Christ. Romans 8.29 makes that clear.
21:06
He's bringing us together as a community, His church all being
21:10
shaped into Christ's likeness so that together we bring him
21:13
glory. And the vital part is God
21:16
doesn't just command this, He provides the enablement for
21:19
believers to grow and change for His glory.
21:22
We're not left struggling on our own.
21:24
So the goal is Christlikeness for God's glory.
21:27
How does this actually look day-to-day?
21:29
How does this change process unfold in a believer's life,
21:32
according to these sources? Well, at its heart, the sources
21:35
describe the Christian life as this constant turning.
21:38
It's about stopping the drive to please yourself, actively
21:41
denying yourself as Jesus taught in Luke 9, and turning instead
21:44
to please the Lord. A continuous choice.
21:46
Yes, and this is often framed in terms of putting off your old
21:49
nature and putting on your new nature.
21:51
Putting off the old self, the self-centered 1.
21:54
Right, that old way of being that is completely oriented
21:56
towards gratifying, self pleasing, self exalting, self
22:00
esteeming self. The sources even connect the
22:03
self focus to Satan's agenda, which is totally opposed to
22:06
God's design for us. And putting on the new nature
22:09
mean. Being oriented completely
22:11
towards God and towards others, that's God's plan.
22:14
They mentioned the simple acronym JY as a helpful reminder
22:17
of God's intended order. Jesus first, other second,
22:21
yourself last. JOY, that's a useful handle.
22:25
It is. It frames God's perspective on
22:27
how life is to work. So how do the sources suggest we
22:30
kind of check ourselves in this process?
22:32
How do we evaluate where we are? They offer a really sharp core
22:35
evaluation question to ask yourself whenever you stumble,
22:38
whenever you fall into sin or find yourself stuck in an old
22:40
pattern. The question is, in that moment,
22:43
was I living to please God or was I living to please self?
22:46
Oof, that cuts right to the motive.
22:48
It does. It gets beneath the surface
22:50
behavior and exposes the root. Was this driven by the old self
22:53
focus or by a desire, however imperfect, to please God?
22:58
The ongoing work of change, then, involves consciously,
23:02
prayerfully relying on the Spirit's help, choosing again
23:05
and again to live to please God rather than yourself, seeking to
23:09
grow in Christlikeness through these daily choices.
23:13
And the good news is, God doesn't just tell us to do this.
23:17
He gives us what we need to actually do it.
23:19
That is such a central message in these writings.
23:21
They are very clear. God has given believers
23:24
everything they need to live a life that is fulfilling and
23:26
pleasing to Him. You're not missing some secret
23:28
ingredient. You're not expected to figure it
23:30
all out alone or rely only on outside experts, although God
23:33
can certainly use wise counsel. The primary resources are the
23:37
provisions He Himself has made available.
23:39
OK. What are those key provisions?
23:41
First and foremost, his word, the Bible.
23:44
The sources emphasize its absolute centrality.
23:46
It's our road map, our instruction manual, our source
23:49
of encouragement, warnings, correction, hope.
23:51
It does everything. Pretty much we need to be
23:53
grounded in it, not just reading it casually, but studying it,
23:57
meditating on it, letting it soak into our thinking.
24:00
But, and this is critical, it's not enough just to know what it
24:04
says. Hearing isn't enough.
24:05
No, the sources point to James 1.25 stressing we must be doers
24:10
of the word and not hearers only, otherwise we deceive
24:13
ourselves. We have to actively apply it.
24:15
We need to let the light of God's Word shine to the corners
24:18
of our lives, exposing the things that need to change.
24:21
One source even calls the Bible a self confrontation manual.
24:25
It shows us ourselves as we really are in light of God's
24:27
truth. Unlike those who don't have the
24:29
spirit. Right.
24:30
First Corinthians 2.14 says the natural person finds the things
24:33
of the Spirit foolish. They can't grasp them
24:36
spiritually. But believers are given the
24:38
Spirit, enabling us to understand the Bible as God's
24:40
authoritative, sufficient guide for life and faith.
24:44
So the word exposes the problem and shows the way.
24:47
What else? His Spirit, the Holy Spirit who
24:50
lives inside every believer. He's described as our helper,
24:53
our counselor or advocate. He teaches us.
24:56
He strengthens us when we feel weak.
24:58
He gives us discernment to understand God's will.
25:01
He guides us in applying truth to specific situations.
25:04
We are not alone in the fight against sin or the challenges of
25:07
life, but. We have to cooperate, not ignore
25:09
him. Exactly.
25:10
The sources warn against squelching or grieving the
25:13
Spirit, basically ignoring his promptings, resisting his
25:16
leading, choosing sin over obedience.
25:19
We need to cultivate sensitivity to Him.
25:21
And we can talk to God directly. Through prayer.
25:23
What an amazing provision, the ability to speak directly to our
25:27
Heavenly Father, to bring our struggles, our confusion, our
25:29
needs, our praises, right to Him, to confess our sins and
25:33
acknowledge our dependence. Prayer is vital.
25:35
Word, Spirit, prayer, Anything else?
25:39
Yes, the church, the community of believers.
25:43
God didn't design us to live the Christian life in isolation.
25:47
The church body is given to build one another up, encourage
25:50
each other, hold each other accountable, admonish gently
25:53
when needed, and just walk alongside each other through the
25:55
ups and downs of this process of change.
25:58
We need each other. We absolutely do, and the
25:59
overall point the sources make is that God hasn't left us
26:03
lacking. He hasn't only given us help for
26:05
the easy stuff. His provisions, word, spirit,
26:09
prayer, community are comprehensive.
26:11
They are sufficient for every struggle, including the really
26:14
deep seated issues that require significant change.
26:17
So real change involves actively using these gifts from God,
26:21
getting into the Word depending on the Spirit, praying
26:24
consistently, engaging with other believers.
26:26
Absolutely, and it also involves the point out actively taking
26:29
our thoughts and emotions captive to Christ, as Second
26:31
Corinthians 10.5 says. Learning to evaluate our
26:35
feelings and thoughts against God's truth.
26:37
Choosing to operate based on biblical principles, not just
26:40
letting our emotions or sinful desires run the show.
26:42
Being ruled by truth, not feelings.
26:44
That's a good way to put it, and the source has also mentioned
26:47
that God's plan involves self confrontation before confronting
26:50
others. Before pointing the finger, use
26:52
the Bible as a mirror to examine your own heart first.
26:55
So the focus is inward first. Yes, and the goal of using all
26:59
these resources, moving towards full willing obedience to God,
27:04
recognizing that as James 1.25 promises, the person who looks
27:08
intently into God's perfect law, the law of liberty, and does it,
27:11
will be blessed in what they do. God's way, even when it feels
27:14
hard or counterintuitive to our self focused nature, is always
27:18
better than our own way. It's the path to genuine
27:20
blessing and flourishing. Living God's way, using His
27:23
tools leads to change and blessing.
27:27
OK, this whole framework needing change, the gospel driving it,
27:30
the spirit enabling it, the tools provided seems to build
27:33
towards something many believers really grapple with.
27:36
Assurance, knowing for sure am I genuinely saved the material
27:40
tackles this directly doesn't. It it does, yes, and it affirms
27:43
strongly yes, you can know it's not meant to be a mystery, but
27:46
it also issues a serious warning about self deception.
27:48
Especially for church raised folks.
27:50
Potentially yes, because as we discussed earlier, just knowing
27:54
the right theological answers, living a decent moral life,
27:57
admitting you're a Sinner sometimes, or wanting to avoid
28:00
hell, none of those automatically equate to saving
28:04
faith. True Christianity, the sources
28:06
insist, isn't just subscribing to a belief system.
28:09
It's knowing God personally through Jesus Christ.
28:14
So what are the real indicators, the marks of genuine assurance
28:17
presented in these sources, maybe especially drawing from
28:19
that first John 5.43 passage? Well, the number one indicator
28:23
they highlight is this. You truly and continually
28:25
believe the gospel. We talked about the present
28:27
tense of believe in first John 5.13 you who are believing.
28:31
It's ongoing. It's an ongoing reality, not
28:33
just a past event. Your assurance isn't readed in a
28:36
memory of praying a prayer, but in the present reality of your
28:38
trust. Are you right now resting solely
28:41
on Jesus Christ for your acceptance with God?
28:43
Do you believe his death paid for your sins?
28:45
Do you rely on his righteousness, not your own?
28:47
And is this trust motivating you to live for him?
28:50
If that describes your present belief, the sources say, then
28:52
first John 5.13 says you can know you have eternal life.
28:56
Know it for sure. Yes.
28:57
The word know there in Greek implies A settled certainty
29:02
based on the object of your faith, Jesus Christ, not on your
29:05
fluctuating feelings or performance.
29:08
It's an assurance based on your current active reliance on Him
29:12
as your substitute and Lord. OK, so present tense belief is
29:16
key. What else?
29:17
Another major indicator is your relationship with God's Word,
29:20
the Bible. Do you understand it and believe
29:23
it to be God's authoritative, sufficient word for you?
29:26
Remember 1st Corinthians 2.15? The person without the Spirit
29:30
can't accept spiritual truth. It seems like foolishness.
29:33
They might read the Bible and grasp the grammar, but the core
29:36
message feels irrelevant or silly.
29:38
Like Thomas Jefferson editing out the miracles.
29:40
That kind of thing. Yeah.
29:42
But for believers, the Holy Spirit opens our minds and
29:45
hearts. We recognize the Bible as God's
29:47
voice. We believe it, We wrestle with
29:49
it. We find it speaking into our
29:50
lives, correcting us, guiding us.
29:52
If you find yourself reading Scripture and genuinely
29:55
believing this is God's truth, for me, that's a powerful
29:58
indicator the Spirit is at work in you.
30:00
It connects spiritually, not just intellectually.
30:02
Exactly 1/3 mark they discuss is the presence of genuine
30:06
spiritual fruit in your life. There is a quote mentioned.
30:09
A faith that does not change you is not a faith that has saved
30:12
you either. Strong words.
30:13
They are, but the point is, while salvation is entirely by
30:17
grace through faith, genuine saving faith is never stagnant.
30:21
It inevitably produces change. Imperfectly, yes, with
30:25
struggles, absolutely. But Christians will begin to
30:27
show evidence of the fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians
30:30
5. Things like Lovejoy, peace,
30:33
patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness,
30:38
self-control. So the fruit is evidence that
30:40
you're saved, not the way you get saved.
30:42
Precisely. It's the outward sign of the
30:43
Spirit's inward work. It's the natural, though
30:46
sometimes slow and contested, result of God living in you.
30:50
OK, belief the word fruit. Is there another key mark?
30:53
Yes, and it's perhaps the most fundamental A genuine love for
30:56
God himself and for his Son Jesus Christ.
30:58
This isn't just wanting the benefits God gives, like
31:01
escaping hell or getting blessings.
31:02
It's a desire for God himself. How do you test that?
31:05
The sources mention a challenging question often
31:07
associated with John Piper. Imagine a perfect heaven, no
31:11
pain, no tears, all your desires met, surrounded by loved ones,
31:15
everything wonderful, but Jesus Christ isn't there.
31:18
Would you still be happy? Would that satisfy you?
31:21
That really clarifies what your ultimate treasure is.
31:23
It does. A true believer's deepest
31:26
longing, ultimately, is for God and Christ.
31:29
You see this all through the songs.
31:31
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
31:34
John 17.3 defines eternal life as knowing the Father and the
31:37
Son. So you examine your own heart.
31:40
Is there, even faintly sometimes, a real longing for
31:43
God, a desire to know Him better, be near him, please Him?
31:47
It might not always be a strong emotion, you might go through
31:49
dry spells, but is that underlying desire, that seeking
31:52
after God himself present, that's a keen sign of the new
31:55
nature he gives. So if these things are present,
31:58
the ongoing belief in the gospel seen the Bible as God's word,
32:01
evidence of fruit, a genuine desire for God, even if they're
32:04
not perfect. Then the sources confidently
32:06
say, yes, you can have genuine assurance.
32:09
You can know you are saved. It's an assurance grounded not
32:13
in your perfection, but in God's promises and the evidence of His
32:16
Spirit's work in your life. OK.
32:18
This whole picture we sketched out, starting with feeling
32:21
stuck, seeing the need for change rooted in God's holiness,
32:25
understanding the gospel isn't just the start, but the engine,
32:28
realizing the Spirit is, the enablement, using the tools God
32:31
gives, finding assurance. It all seems to circle back and
32:35
offer a powerful counter narrative to that initial
32:38
feeling of hopelessness. The final section of the
32:41
material really focuses on hope, right?
32:43
God's promise regarding change. It does.
32:46
It brings it all together with a strong reaffirmation people can
32:49
change. Biblically, that feeling of
32:51
being permanently stuck, of pushing the pull door forever,
32:54
that's a lie. Change is possible.
32:55
But crucially, not by just trying harder or finding the
32:58
right technique. No, the sources hammer this
33:02
home. Real, lasting biblical change
33:05
happens when it's done God's way, relying completely on God's
33:09
enablement and His resources, not human effort alone.
33:12
Man cannot change himself at this fundamental level.
33:16
It always requires that starting point and ongoing reality of
33:19
admitting powerlessness and depending totally on God.
33:22
And God isn't just watching from a distance, hoping we figure it
33:24
out. Not at all, the sources
33:26
emphasize. God is very interested in your
33:28
growth. He hasn't saved you only to
33:31
abandon you. He's present, involved, working
33:34
in the lives of his people even through difficult circumstances.
33:37
He hasn't left you alone. And he gives a guarantee,
33:39
doesn't he? Oh wonderful guarantee.
33:41
God himself has promised He will finish the work of change He
33:45
starts in believers. Philippians 1.6 is such a
33:47
comfort and I am sure of this that he who began a good work in
33:51
you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
33:53
He finishes what he starts. He does, and first Peter 5.10
33:57
adds another layer, and after you have suffered a little
34:00
while, the God of all grace will Himself restore, confirm,
34:04
strengthen, and establish. You notice He will do it.
34:08
God Himself is personally committed to bringing His
34:11
children to maturity, to making them stable and strong.
34:14
That's incredibly hopeful. The pressure isn't ultimately on
34:17
me to perfect myself. The guarantee rests on God's
34:20
faithfulness. That's exactly right.
34:22
Because change is fundamentally God's work, because He provides
34:24
everything needed, and because He promises to complete it,
34:27
there is solid, reliable hope for lasting change when you
34:30
approach it His way. Independence on Him.
34:33
How is that famous verse Philippians 4.13 fit in here?
34:37
I can do all things through him. Strengthens me Sometimes people
34:40
use that for almost anything. Yeah, it gets pulled out of
34:43
context sometimes. The sources explain it within
34:45
this framework of God dependence for God centered living.
34:49
It's not a blank check promising you can achieve any personal
34:52
ambition, like hitting a home run or getting a promotion.
34:56
It's a promise that through the strength Christ provides, you
34:59
can do what God calls you to do. You can endure hardship
35:02
faithfully. You can resist temptation.
35:04
You can repent when you fail. You can turn to God and cast
35:08
yourself on Him. You can keep believing and
35:10
obeying even when it's tough. It's enablement for living His
35:14
way by His strength. That makes much more sense.
35:17
It's strength for obedience and endurance in Him and when we
35:20
actually live like this yielding depending.
35:23
The sources offer this encouraging picture.
35:25
When you genuinely rely on Him, when you yield to His spirit,
35:28
when you engage with His Word and His people, you can, in a
35:31
way, sit back and buckle up and just watch what the Lord does in
35:33
your life. Not passive, but actively
35:36
trusting. Exactly.
35:37
It's an active, dependent reliance that unleashes God's
35:40
ability to work. They mention an anecdote about a
35:43
woman who really wrestled with these truths, went through
35:45
biblical counseling or study, focused on this.
35:48
She genuinely wanted God's change and learned to rely on
35:51
his Word and Spirit. And the result wasn't just
35:53
personal healing. God worked so significantly that
35:57
she eventually became a biblical counselor herself, helping
36:00
others find that same hope and change in Christ.
36:03
Wow, that's a great picture of God's work.
36:05
It shows how God can take our desire for change when rooted in
36:08
Him and bring about real growth and make us fruitful for His
36:12
glory. So, summing it all up, the main
36:14
take away from these sources seems to be that feeling of
36:17
being stuck. It doesn't have to be the end of
36:19
the story. Real, lasting biblical changes,
36:22
Not just wishful thinking. It's possible, but it's not
36:26
another self help project. Absolutely not.
36:28
It's fundamentally God's work from start to finish.
36:31
It's kicked off by the Gospel message.
36:33
It's powered by the Holy Spirit living inside.
36:35
It's fueled by our humble, ongoing reliance on God and our
36:39
active use of the resources He gives.
36:41
His Word, prayer, his people. And it's all centered on that
36:44
crucial turn away from living to please ourselves and towards
36:48
living to please God and bring Him glory.
36:51
It starts and continues with admitting we can't do it on our
36:53
own and throwing ourselves completely onto Him.
36:56
That core decision, pleasing self versus pleasing God, really
37:00
does seem to be the absolute heart of it.
37:02
It's the hinge upon which everything turns.
37:04
So for you listening right now, maybe think about that one area,
37:08
that place where you feel that stuckness, that frustration,
37:11
like you're pushing that door that just won't budget.
37:14
How does this fundamental choice, living to please God
37:18
versus living to please self actually play out in that
37:22
specific struggle for you? And thinking about what we've
37:24
discussed based on these sources, what could it look like
37:27
maybe just this week, to stop trying to fix it in your own
37:29
strength or just resigning yourself to it?
37:31
What would it look like to consciously, actively depend on
37:34
the Holy Spirit, dig into God's Word for wisdom and direction,
37:37
and make that intentional turn away from pleasing self and
37:41
towards pleasing the Lord and that very specific challenge?