25/9/17 CCP SERIES STUDY WEEK 14 – GOD IS...SAVIOUR (PART 2)

COMMUNITY GROUP/FAMILY AND DAILY STUDIES BASED UPON OUR PREACHING SERIES AT COMMUNITY CHURCH PUTNEY

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COMMUNITY GROUP/FAMILY STUDY

Peter says,“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)

But what is unique about Jesus to qualify Him as the only Saviour? Last week we looked at what He does for us from election to glorification; this week we will think about how only Jesus could have achieved this. 

WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR GOD TO BE THE SAVIOUR?

In study 2 we saw how God is Trinity: Jesus, along with the Father and Holy Spirit is the eternal God. But Jesus, when He came to earth also became fully man (the incarnation). Jesus was, and is, both fully God and fully man (two natures in one person), which, like the trinity, is a great mystery.

Read Philippians 2:2-6 and discuss:

Ø What is Jesus essential nature? (2:6)

Ø What ‘likeness’ did He become? (2:7)

Ø What did His humanity enable Him to do for our salvation? (2:8)

Ø What happened to Jesus after His death? (2:9-11)

Read 1 John 4:1-3 and discuss:

Ø Are we to believe all teachers? (4:1)

Ø What will true teachers, inspired by the Spirit, hold to? (4:2)

Ø What does the ‘spirit of antichrist’ teach? (4:3)

Only Jesus, as God and man could be our Saviour because,

‘It was not fit for any to satisfy God’s justice but a man; none could do it but God; therefore, Christ being both God and man, is the fittest to undertake this work of redemption.’ (Thomas Watson)

John Stott puts it,

‘In order to save us in such a way as to satisfy Himself, God through Christ substituted himself for us. Divine love triumphed over divine wrath by divine self-sacrifice. The cross was an act simultaneously of punishment and amnesty, severity and grace, justice and mercy.’

This is why Paul says of Jesus,

1 Timothy 2:5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, 

GOING DEEPER PERSONAL DAILY STUDIES

Monday: The incarnation of our Saviour

John 1:14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

The Word (who is God v.1) became a man. Jesus is fully God and man. He has come to us to fill our lives with ‘grace and truth’. Do you live amazed that the Son of God has died to save you, no matter who you are or what you’ve done?

The incarnation

‘"Remaining what He was, He became what he was not." In other words, while Jesus continued "remaining" what He was (that is, fully divine) he also became what He previously had not been (that is, fully human as well). Jesus did not give up any of his deity when He became man, but he did take on humanity that was not His before.’ (Wayne Grudem)

Chalcedonian Definition

Over the rest of these studies we will look at the Chalcedonian Definition of the incarnation written in a.d. 451.

Tuesday: Perfect in Godhead and manhood

Excerpt 1 from The Chalcedonian Definition: ‘We, then, following the holy Fathers, all with one consent, teach men to confess one and the same Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, the same perfect in Godhead and also perfect in manhood; truly God and truly man, of a reasonable [rational] soul and body…’

Jesus is fully God and man (including ‘soul and body’), both natures existing, fully, in one person, sometimes called the ‘hypostatic union’, which means the union of Jesus’ human and divine natures in one being. As Paul writes,

Philippians 2:6-8 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death – even death on a cross!

Wednesday: Fully man but without sin

Excerpt 2 from The Chalcedonian Definition: Consubstantial [coessential] with the Father according to the Godhead, and consubstantial with us according to the Manhood; in all things like unto us, without sin.

Consubstantial means to have the same nature: Jesus is perfect God and perfect man, but without sin. As the author to the Hebrews expresses it,

Hebrews 4:15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.

Thursday: Eternal God born of Mary

Excerpt 3 from The Chalcedonian Definition: Begotten before all ages of the Father according to the Godhead, and in these latter days, for us and for our salvation, born of the Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, according to the Manhood.

Jesus, as God the Son is eternal, but His human nature came into existence at His conception. Christmas celebrates Jesus becoming man in order to be able to die for us.

Friday: two natures in one person

Excerpt 4 from The Chalcedonian Definition: One and the same Christ, Son, Lord, Only-begotten, to be acknowledged in two natures, inconfusedly, unchangeably, indivisibly, inseparably; the distinction of natures being by no means taken away by the union, but rather the property of each nature being preserved and concurring in one Person and one Subsistence, not parted or divided into two persons, but one and the same Son, and only begotten, God, the Word, the Lord Jesus Christ, as the prophets from the beginning [have declared] concerning him, and the Lord Jesus Christ himself has taught us, and the Creed of the holy Fathers has been handed down to us.

Jesus is God and man. Not as two persons in one body, but two distinct natures mysteriously united in one person. This is our Saviour. His unique personhood qualifies Him alone to be our perfect substitute on the cross.

Saturday: Receive the love and give the love of our suffering shepherd

Acts 20:28 Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.

1 Peter 5:1-4 To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder and a witness of Christ’s sufferings who also will share in the glory to be revealed: Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; ³ not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.  And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.

God died for His church-His flock. The ‘Good Shepherd’ has laid down His life for the sheep by entering this world and dying to saving the lost sheep. Do we see ourselves as dearly loved, demonstrated by His incarnation and death? Do we live each day knowing that the risen Saviour is caring for us? Do we also show love to this world by going, with the message of Christ, to save? Do we also love His flock, the church?

Only Jesus, being God and man could have been the Saviour of mankind, let’s embrace Him is all His beauty and mystery.

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18/9/17 CCP SERIES STUDY WEEK 13 – GOD IS...SAVIOUR (PART 1)

COMMUNITY GROUP/FAMILY AND DAILY STUDIES BASED UPON OUR PREACHING SERIES AT COMMUNITY CHURCH PUTNEY

You can listen to all the messages at 

Link to audio content

COMMUNITY GROUP/FAMILY STUDY

Think back to the process of your becoming a Christian. Think of all of the countless coincidences and decisions that have led you to be who you are and where you are. Are you the result of happenstance? Over the next two-weeks we will be looking at what it means for God to be our Saviour

WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR GOD TO BE THE SAVIOUR?

Why are you a Christian? There are only two answers:

Firstly, “people did it! I’m a Christian because of my family, those around me, my culture, my decisions...” Or, Secondly, “God did it! God chose me (election) and raised me from spiritual death.”

Ø What did Gabriel say to Joseph about Jesus in Matthew 1:21?

Salvation from beginning to end is of God. We make real decisions but the greater reality is that God, in His sovereignty, chose to save us. 

Salvation is a gift from its beginning to its end. As you look at the following list, notice how salvation is so much more than forgiveness. Here is a summary of the ‘order of salvation’: 

1. Election/predestination (God chooses who will be saved) 

2. The gospel call (salvation is through the message of the gospel)

3. Regeneration (being born again through the Spirit) 

4. Conversion (the response of faith and repentance) 

5. Justification (right legal standing through faith in Christ) 

6. Adoption (becoming members of God's family) 

7. Sanctification (the ongoing process of our lives being changed) 

8. Perseverance (remaining a Christian) 

9. Death (going to be with the Lord) 

10. Glorification (the completion of God’s work and receiving a resurrection body)

All of this process of salvation is God’s gift from beginning to end!

Read Romans 8:28-30 and discuss:

Ø What are the things that God does in regard to our salvation?

Ø Which things do we do (in this passage) in regard to salvation?

Read Ephesians 1: 4-6 and discuss:

Ø Whey did God choose us?

Ø What did He predestine us for?

Ø Through whom is our salvation possible?

Ø What should be our response to God’s grace? (v.6)

GOING DEEPER PERSONAL DAILY STUDIES

Monday: He has done it all!

Romans 8:30 ‘those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.’

John Piper wrote about this, ‘What’s the point of a chain of statements like this? The point is certainty and confidence and assurance and security. The point is that God is the one who saves his people, really saves them. He does not just offer salvation, he saves them. From beginning to end he is the One who decisively and infallibly acts so that not one of his own is lost. The point is that the chain cannot be broken: all the foreknown are predestined; all the predestined are called; all the called are justified; and all the justified are glorified. The point is to guarantee that everyone in the chain will reach the goal of glory!’

Tuesday: “I chose you”

John 15:16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit…

Ephesians 1:4-6 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will - to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 

‘Election (predestination) may be defined as that eternal act of God whereby He, in His sovereign good pleasure, and on account of no foreseen merit in them, chooses a certain number of men to be the recipients of special grace and of eternal salvation.’ (Berkhoff, theology, Page 114)

We may ask if it is fair that some are called whilst others are left to face judgement. There is no easy to answer to this dilemma. Some, in an effort to make God appear more ‘fair’ have made salvation more about our choice than God’s choice, but this does disservice to what the bible actually says – God alone is the Saviour!

Wednesday: Growth in salvation is by His grace

Philippians 1:6 ‘being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.’

Why are you a Christian? Fundamentally it’s because the Holy Spirit has given you new life – eyes to see and ears to hear in place of spiritual blindness and deafness. But, we must remember that salvation is also an ongoing process of spiritual growth throughout our lives and this, also, is only made possible as He works in us.

In saying that we are saved by God’s grace I am not saying that your decisions and cooperation are not real. Make a decision today to press on to growth in utter dependence upon God! As Paul says,

Philippians 2:12-13 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfil his good purpose.

What sins do you need to turn from? What good things are you being challenged to do? How is your bible reading and prayer life? Make decisions, aware of your need for God’s power, to press on in your growth.

Thursday: death has no sting!

Are you worried about death? Fear is caused by lack of certainty that God has justified you (forgiven), will be with you, and receive you to Himself.

Hebrews 2:14-15 Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death ­– that is, the devil – and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.

John 5:24 “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life. 

The devil cannot drag you to hell if you have put your faith in Jesus - the One who bore our sin and death in His body.

Friday: the worst of sinners is saved

Read the account of the Apostle Paul in Acts 9 and consider God’s grace in saving him and how this is also true of you and me.

Ø  Was Paul a good person, open to Jesus, the kind of person that one might think God would save? (9:1-2)

Ø  Did Paul play any part in his conversion? (9:3-9)

Ø  Did Paul’s place in church history as the greatest servant of God, writing much of the bible, depend on him or God’s grace? (9:10-19)

Ø  What power did He (and we) need in order to fulfill God’s calling? (9:17)

Ø  What is the initial response for all believers in Jesus? (9:18)

Saturday: The song of all the saved

Let’s end this week of considering the Saviour by using these verses to worship Him.

1 Timothy 1:15-17 Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. ¹⁶ But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life. ¹⁷ Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

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