Renovation of the Heart
The Children of Light and the Light of the World (2|4)
Pages 231-235
• The Contrasting Picture of Darkness
• Each Dimension of the Human Self Must Change
• The Spiritual Growth Progression as Laid Out by Peter
• The Misunderstanding Most Common Here
TOGETHER read the devotional and the scripture.
INDIVIDUALLY take notes in your journal on what stands out.
Mark 7:21-23 (NIV) “For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and defile a person.”
Titus 2:11-14 (NIV) For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.
John 13:34 (NIV) “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
TOGETHER pray for one another.
INDIVIDUALLY answer the questions in your journal - process your devotional notes and pray.
The Contrasting Picture of Darkness
“Speaking of ‘the last days,’ apparently when evil on earth will have had time to ‘ripen’ he said that ‘men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, [despisers] of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.’ They will be religious in lifestyle but will deny all that is genuine in it. - Now we know from Jesus’ teachings that all of these defiling things come out of a sick and rebellious heart (Mark 7:21-23). The trouble lies in the hidden side of the self.”
Has the evil on the earth had time to ‘ripen’? When reading through the list of ways men will turn from God and become lovers of self - it seems that nothing has changed since the Old Testament. Is there hope for spiritual transformation?
Each Dimension of the Human Self Must Change
“Similarly, the way to a life filled and fruitful with goodness is the transformation of every dimension of the inner or ‘spiritual’ side of the self. You cannot bypass any of those dimensions if the life is to be transformed. Each one must of necessity be a source either of weakness or of strength. The renovation of the heart simply requires that each inner dimension of the human self be rectified and established in righteousness by effectively and thoroughly receiving into it - specifically into it, each particular dimension of the self - ‘the grace of God [that brings] salvation’ (Titus 2:11).”
How do you understand the central thesis of this book, that spiritual transformation to Christlikeness under the direction of a regenerate will act with constant overtures of grace from God? Do you agree or disagree with this claim?
The Spiritual Growth Progression as Laid Out by Peter
2 Peter 1:3-11 NIV His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins. Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
“Starting from the bedrock of God’s ‘diving power that has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness’ - the writer proceeded to point to the ‘precious and magnificent promises’ (NIV very great and precious promises) of God that make it possible for us to ‘become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through excessive desire or lust’ (NIV may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.). - Train yourself to simply do what is right - And, then add on knowledge or understanding. - And then add on self-control. - And then add on perseverance. - And then add on godliness. - And then add on kindness and gentleness of care, And then add in agape love.”
Can people in our churches today put into action the plan for spiritual growth stated by (2 Peter 1:3-11)? Why or why not?
How would you go about adding all of Peter’s add-ons?
The Misunderstanding Most Common Here
“They do not understand the presupposition of inner transformation into Christlikeness that accompanies all of the passages. They assume that we are supposed to ‘do’ all the things mentioned in such passages without loving God with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strength. In fact, they think we must do them while our hearts, souls, minds, and strength are still strongly inclined in the opposite direction, against God. And of course, their despair is totally justified. What they are thinking would be completely impossible.”
What is your response to this statement?
“As Jesus trains them and ‘cleanses them for himself,’ however, all of that begins to reverse (Titus 2:14). The law begins to appear as a beautiful gift of God, as precious truth about what is really good and right. It becomes, in the language of the psalmist, ‘sweeter than honey freshly dripping from the honeycomb.’ - At that point, it is sin that looks stupid, ridiculous, as well as repulsive - which it really is. Resistance to sin is then based upon that new and realist vision of what it is, not on fear or punishment. The illusion that sin is really a good thing arbitrarily prohibited by God is dispelled, and we see with gratitude that his prohibitions are among his greatest kindness.”
Can I get an amen? Sin is conquered even though it runs amuck - In what ways can we serve God in breaking the illusion of sin? How can we participate in exposing the stupidity, ridiculousness, and repulsiveness of sin?
EXTRA READING:
“Above all, trust in the slow work of God. We are quite naturally impatient in everything to reach the end without delay. We would like to skip the intermediate stages. We are impatient of being on the way to something unknown, something new. And yet, it is the law of all progress that it is made by passing through some stages of instability - and that it may take a very long time. Above all, trust in the slow work of God, our loving vine-dresser.”
- Pierre Teilhard de Chardin (1881 -1955)