HOW TO LIVE THE CHRISTIAN LIFE
Acts 9:20-22 NKJV
“Immediately he(Saul) preached the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God. Then all who heard were amazed, and said, “Is this not he who destroyed those who called on this name in Jerusalem, and has come here for that purpose, so that he might bring them bound to the chief priests?” But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who dwelt in Damascus, proving that this Jesus is the Christ.”
II Timothy 4:6-8 NKJV
“For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.”
I Thessalonians 5:16-18 NKJV
“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
Philippians 4:6-7 NKJV
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
Practicing Christians: (Barna Group)
While approximately 2.4 billion people globally identify as Christian, studies attempting to quantify those who actually live an orthodox or textually defined Christian lifestyle show vastly lower numbers. In the United States, research suggests that only about 2% to 6% of self-identified Christians actively hold a consistent, comprehensive biblical worldview.
I Corinthians 15:10 NKJV
“… by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.”
Philippians 2:12-13 NKJV
“…work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.”
HOW TO LIVE THE CHRISTIAN LIFE?
WHAT IS GRACE?
HOW DO I STAND IN GRACE?
1. WHAT IS GRACE?
GRACE: (Greek: Charis) - Unearned favor
Ephesians 2:8-9
“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
Romans 1:5 NKJV
“Through Him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name,”
SAVED: (Greek: Sozo) - to rescue, heal, deliver, restore, and make whole.
GRACE IS THE POWER OF GOD TO WALK LIKE JESUS WALKED
John 1:16 AMP
“For out of His fullness the superabundance of His grace and truth we have all received grace upon grace [spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing, favor upon favor, and gift heaped upon gift].”
Romans 1:7 NKJV
“To all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Philemon 1:25 NKJV
“The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.”
2. HOW DO I STAND IN GRACE?
Romans 5:1-2 NKJV
“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”
Romans 6:13-14 NKJV
“And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.”
Romans 7:4 NKJV
“…my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another—to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God.”
Galatians 2:20-21 NKJV
“I have been crucified with Christ; 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 for me. I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.”
Galatians 3:1-5 NKJV
“O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified? This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh? Have you suffered so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith”
FAITH: (Greek: Pistas) - to believe and trust with confidence and sincerity.
Galatians 1:15-18 NKJV
But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went to Arabia, and returned again to Damascus.
Galatians 4:25
“And now Jerusalem is just like Mount Sinai in Arabia, because she and her children live in slavery to the law.”
Exodus 3:1-5 NKJV
“Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian. And he led the flock to the back of the desert, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. So he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed. Then Moses said, “I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush does not burn.” So when the Lord saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” Then He said, “Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.”
John 1:16-17 NKJV
“And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.”
Hebrews 4:14-16 NKJV
“Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
Matthew 11:28-30 NKJV
“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”