SERMON SCREENSHOTS & KEY POINTS
- The goal of the Christian life is “conforming to the image of Christ” (Romans 8:29; Galatians 4:5).
- “God incarnated Himself in Jesus so Jesus would be incarnated in us.” This “double incarnation” is the means by which we become conformed to the image of Christ in us. Jesus lives in us to live His life through us for the sake of others.
- There are three great spiritual truths in the NT—We are in Christ; Christ is in us; and Christ is being formed in us.
- The Gospel Paul preached was:
- Jesus + nothing = salvation/freedom/”everything”
- The anti-gospel of the false teachers was:
- Jesus + obedience = salvation, but it’s actually slavery/nothing
- Spiritual formation is the life-long process by which the Spirit, by faith, forms us into the image of Christ.
- Christ has set us free from performance-based religion and self-effort to earn God's favor.
- We can lose our freedom in Christ, not just by sinning, but by trying to add our own efforts to Christ's finished work.
- The gospel equation is: Jesus + nothing = salvation (freedom). Any attempt to add to Christ’s work diminishes its power and our freedom.
- Our actions should be a response to God's love, not an attempt to earn it.
- Living in true freedom means constantly reminding ourselves of God's grace and responding in love.
*We are a church located in Greenville, South Carolina. Our vision is to see God transform us into a community of grace passionately pursuing life and mission with Jesus.
SUGGESTIONS FOR COMMUNITY GROUP QUESTIONS
Remember, these are “suggested” questions. You do not have to go through every single one of them. In fact, some of these questions may prompt other questions that may be important to group members. So, feel free to explore other questions as long as they don’t become “rabbit trails.”
Opening prayer: Begin by praying to ask God to open hearts and minds to understand and apply these great Gospel truths about our freedom in Christ.
Have someone read Galatians 5:1-15.
- What did you continue to think about this past week from last week’s message and group discussion about how God changes us by grace and not by rule-keeping?
- What does true spiritual freedom mean to you? …How is it different from how the world defines freedom?
- If someone were to ask you—“What is the Christian life all about? What does God really want from those who follow Jesus? ..What is the ‘goal’ of the Christian life?—How would you answer? …What passages of Scripture would you use to answer their question?
- How can we distinguish between actions done as a response to God’s love and grace versus actions done to earn His favor?
- Why do you think it’s so easy for believers to slip back into a performance-based relationship with God? …
- How is it possible to begin the Christian life by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, but then end up living the Christian life by trying hard to keep rules—by trying harder to do better? …
- You have heard it said, “If you’re doing these bad things or if you’re not doing these good things, you were probably never saved to start with.” …How does rebuke impact your assurance of salvation? How does it turn the focus from Christ’s work to your self-effort? …
- As you reflect on the two charts Charlie put up on the screen, which chart best illustrates your journey with Christ up to this point in your life?
- Charlie mentioned that we can “fall from grace” not by sinning but by adding to the Gospel. What are some subtle ways we might be tempted to add to the Gospel in our daily lives?
- Consider areas of your life where you might be slipping back into performance-based thinking. Is there any area of your life where you might unconsciously be attempting to earn God’s favor? …If so, what might that be?
- What else? … What is your biggest takeaway from today’s message?