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Transforming Grace
Discussion Guide, Chapter 8e: Garments of Grace
Central Idea: God’s grace is applied to our lives and made real in our
experience through prayer, the Bible, submission to His sovereignty, and the ministry of
other believers.
Objectives:
- The grace that saves us is the same grace that transforms us. When we feel we are not
bearing fruit, we should:
- Re-establish our understanding of the Gospel message (saving grace)
- Seek our strength from the Gospel message (saving grace)
- The evidence of saving grace (justification) is transforming grace (sanctification).
- We are clothed with the sanctifying garments of grace that are the evidence and
visibility of God’s inner, saving grace.
- There are five character traits that are particularly evident of God’s grace in our
lives:
- Gratitude
- Contentment
- Humility
- Forbearance
- Forgiveness
Garments of Grace
- (Review) What’s the difference between saving grace and transforming grace?
- Saving grace is God’s justification of us by removing our sins and placing them on
Jesus, imputing to us the righteousness of Christ, and declaring us "not guilty"
in the sight of God. This is a point-in-time act of God.
- Transforming grace is God’s sanctification of us by empowering us through the Holy
Spirit to become Christ-like in His holiness. This is a process that starts at
justification and continues until we die. We are enabled to do the good works of God based
on the merits and righteousness of Christ alone.
- Can transforming grace exist without saving grace? In other words, can a person be in
the process of becoming more Christ-like (sanctification) without actually being saved
?
- No. Before we have faith in Christ, we are dead in our sins, incapable of doing anything
good in the sight of the Lord.
- Eph 2:1-2. As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you
used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of
the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.
- Heb 11:6. And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes
to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
- Can saving grace exist without transforming grace? In other words, can a person be
saved, but not be exhibiting at least some fruit of that salvation through the
transforming work of God’s grace? Can a person be justified without starting the
sanctification process immediately upon salvation? In more contemporary words, can a
person truly consider Jesus to be "Savior", but not "Lord"
?
- No. It’s impossible for a new believer to not begin growing in holiness.
- 2 Cor 5:17. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has
gone, the new has come!
- A person who claims to be a Christian but still lives in his sin proves that he is not a
Christian.
- Lk 6:43-49. "No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit.
44 Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or
grapes from briers. 45 The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his
heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out
of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks. 46 "Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,'
and do not do what I say? 47 I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my
words and puts them into practice. 48 He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep
and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but
could not shake it, because it was well built. 49 But the one who hears my words and does
not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a
foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was
complete."
- Eph 5:5. For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person--such a man
is an idolater--has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
- It’s faith alone that saves, but saving faith is never alone. Js 2:14-18. What
good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith
save him? 15 Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of
you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing
about his physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is
not accompanied by action, is dead. 18 But someone will say, "You have faith; I have
deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.
- God created us to do good works. Eph 2:8-10. For it is by grace you have been saved,
through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- 9 not by works, so
that no one can boast. 10 For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good
works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
- Why do you think saving grace and transforming grace are inseparably linked
?
- The salvation that we are given is to be worked out into our daily lives, by the
out-working strength, ability, and desire of God. And what God starts, He finishes.
- Phil 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, 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good
purpose.
- Phil 1:6b. He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the
day of Christ Jesus.
- They are inseparable because they are the same grace that come from the same God!
The grace that saves us is also the grace that teaches us to be holy and to be eager to do
what is good. Titus 2:11-14. For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to
all men. 12 It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and
to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, 13 while we wait for
the blessed hope--the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14 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.
Read Col 3:12-14. Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe
yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each
other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the
Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together
in perfect unity.
- Why do you think Paul likened the acts of being compassionate, kind, humble, gentle, and
patient to clothes that one puts on
?
- It reminds us that virtues that are pleasing to God do not come from within us. They
have to be given to us from an external source. We are not inherently able to do the good
works of God. 1 Cor 1:28-30. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised
things--and the things that are not--to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may
boast before him. 30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for
us wisdom from God--that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.
- Paul may be making a connection between being justified (being clothed in Christ), and
demonstrating the fruits of sanctification (being clothed in the works of Christ).
Gal 3:26-27. You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, 27 for all of you
who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
- Paul understood this inseparable connection between God’s saving grace and His
transforming grace. If we are clothed in Christ, then we are necessarily clothed in the works
of Christ, and demonstrate them as we work out our salvation into the world. Col 3:9-10. Do
not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and
have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.
- Verses that speak of being clothed in Christ by saving grace:
- (Gen 3:21 NIV) The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed
them.
- (Isa 61:10 NIV) I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has
clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness, as a
bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
- (Zec 3:3-5 NIV) Now Joshua was dressed in filthy clothes as he stood before the angel. 4
The angel said to those who were standing before him, "Take off his filthy
clothes." Then he said to Joshua, "See, I have taken away your sin, and I will
put rich garments on you." 5 Then I said, "Put a clean turban on his head."
So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him, while the angel of the LORD stood
by.
- (Mat 22:10-14 NIV) So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people
they could find, both good and bad, and the wedding hall was filled with guests. 11
"But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not
wearing wedding clothes. 12 'Friend,' he asked, 'how did you get in here without wedding
clothes?' The man was speechless. 13 "Then the king told the attendants, 'Tie him
hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and
gnashing of teeth.' 14 "For many are invited, but few are chosen."
- (Gal 3:26-28 NIV) You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, 27 for all of
you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither
Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
- Verses that speak of being clothed in Christ by transforming grace:
- (Rom 13:13-14 NIV) Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and
drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. 14
Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to
gratify the desires of the sinful nature.
- (Col 3:12 NIV) Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe
yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
- (1 Pet 5:5 NIV) Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of
you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, "God opposes the
proud but gives grace to the humble."
- SGD #1.a. What do these verses say about how God thinks of us?
- We are God’s chosen people
- We are holy
- We are dearly loved
- We are forgiven
- How does this make a difference in our efforts to be holy
?
- Jerry Bridges identifies five character traits that are particularly related to grace:
gratitude, contentment, humility, forbearance, and forgiveness. Why do you think these
traits are particularly related to God’s grace in our lives
?
- Gratitude and Contentment
- Motivation
. We not only don’t earn our salvation, but we also don’t earn
any blessings that God gives us in our daily Christian walks. Therefore, our motivation
for obedience should be that of gratitude for what God has done and what He has promised
He will do.
- Attitude of Entitlement
. We need to rid ourselves of the attitude of thinking that
we are entitled to God’s blessing for obeying Him.
- Basis for Contentment
. When we remove our attitude of entitlement, we become glad
and satisfied with what we do have, no matter how little.
- Humility
- Ill-Desert
. Quote (TG, pg 201): "As Charles Hodge so aptly said,
‘Christian humility does not consist in denying what there is of good in us; but in
an abiding sense of ill-desert, and in the consciousness that what we have of good is due
to the grace of God.’ Humility, then gives credit where credit is due, namely to the
working of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Pride, which is the opposite of humility, seeks
to find within ourselves some innate goodness or even to ascribe to our own commitment or
faithfulness the cause of any blessings of God in our lives."
- Basis for Humility
. We can afford to be humble because we know who we are in Christ
and where we are going after this life. Our self-preserving pride becomes unnecessary.
- Forbearance ("Bear with each other")
- Literally means, "to put up with"
- Basis for Forbearance
. To the extent that we consciously live under God’s
grace, remembering the fact that He "puts up with" us every time we sin, we will
be able to "bear with one another."
- Forgiveness
- Quote (TG, 204): "Forgiveness differs from forbearance in that it has to do with
real wrongs committed against us."
- "We are beggers showing other beggers where to find food."
- Basis for Forgiveness
. We forgive much because we have been forgiven much.
Concluding passage: Col 1:3-8,9-12. We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, when we pray for you, 4 because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of
the love you have for all the saints-- 5 the faith and love that spring from the hope that
is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth,
the gospel 6 that has come to you. All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and
growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood
God's grace in all its truth…. 9 For this reason, since the day we heard about you,
we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his
will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. 10 And we pray this in order that you
may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every
good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened with all power according
to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully 12
giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the
saints in the kingdom of light.
- How do we know that Paul is talking about the good works of the Colossians when
he speaks of their faith and love in verse 5
? Because in verse 4, he says that he has
heard of their faith and love for the saints. It must be something that is externally
evident to other people.
- What is the source of their faith and love
? They spring from their hope in heaven,
as testified by the Scriptures in the Gospel.
- At what point did the Gospel start bearing fruit and growing, according to verse 6
?
The Gospel started bearing fruit the day they heard it and understood it in all its truth.
- How should we pray for each other, then, according to verse 9
? We should pray that
God would fill our friends with the knowledge of His will (which is primarily found in the
Gospel message).
- What are the results of these kinds of prayers in our friends, according to verses
10-12? Why should we pray for our friends
?
- Live a life worthy of the Lord
- Please Him in every way
- Bear fruit in every good work
- Grow in the knowledge of God
- Be strengthened with His power and might for endurance and patience
- Joyfully give thanks to God
Summary
- God’s two graces of saving and transforming are not really two different
graces. They’re just aspects, or distinctions, of the same gracious work of God in
our lives.
- Saving grace cannot exist without transforming grace, and transforming grace cannot
exist without saving grace.
- When we seek to become more holy, we should seek to deepen our understanding of the
Gospel message, our own salvation, and go from there. The Gospel is the source and
foundation of our ability and desire to be holy.
- Five particular character traits of the Christian are direct out-workings of God’s
saving grace in our lives: gratitude, contentment, humility, forbearance, forgiveness
- The (true) knowledge of God’s grace drives us to love the Lord and obey Him with
all our heart, mind, soul, and strength, and to love our neighbors with the love that God
showed us.
- Share the wedge and wheel illustrations.
Application
- How will a deeper understanding of God’s grace affect
:
- My prayer life
?
- My worship
?
- My Bible intake
?
- The way I relate to Christians
?
- The way I relate to non-Christians
?
- What are some practical things I can begin to do to gain a deeper understand of this
grace
?
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