How People Change 6

I love the comfort of God's grace, the hope of the cross, and the power of Christ at work in us that is expressed in this chapter! He is redeeming a people for Himself, a pure and spotless bride, and He will not fail. He's at work in us through the storms, through the fires, through the heat of this life, and it's all His acts of mercy and grace in conforming us more into the image of His Son. 

The end of this chapter meant a lot to me. God enters our stories. He doesn't leave us alone. In fact, He's sovereign over whatever we're going through, and He's right in the middle of all the mess, sanctifying us and redeeming it all for His glory. What an amazing God!

Chapter 6: The Big Picture

“The Bible cannot be reduced to a set of directions for successful living. This does violence to the very nature of the Word of God and robs it of its power. The Bible is the world’s most significant story, the story of God’s cosmos-restoring work of redemption” (80).

A God of Grace and a World of Metaphors

“…when you have an overall sense of what God is doing [you can] make sense of the details of your life” (81).

“God does not want us to stumble through life in terminal blindness. He is not willing for us to be tricked by the Enemy’s lies and half-truths. He loves us too much to leave us to our own explanations and interpretations. Our God is a God of wisdom and revelation. He is the ultimate source of knowledge and he determined that we too would understand truths we could not understand without him. His world is his instrument to bring spiritual sight” (81).

The Big Picture

Jer 17:5-10—main verses of the model presented in this book

“Verses 9 and 10 show us a God who does not simply focus on our behavior. Though he does not ignore it, his focus is on our hearts. He is the ultimate searcher of hearts, because they are central to the change process he undertakes in us as our Redeemer” (83).

From these verses come 4 elements:

1.     Heat- situation in daily life, including difficulties, blessings, temptations, etc.

2.     Thorns- the person’s ungodly response to the situation; includes behavior, the heart driving the behavior, and the consequences that result

3.     Cross- the presence of God in His redemptive glory and love; through Christ, He brings comfort, cleansing, and the power to change

4.     Fruit- the person’s new godly response to the situation resulting from God’s power at work in the heart; includes behavior, the heart renewed by grace, and the harvest of consequences that follow

Using the Big Picture

1 Cor 10:1-13—places 4 elements in context of life’s hardships (big picture model)

2 Cor 1:3-11—presents 4 elements in context of Pauls’ personal experience (case study)

Num 11-14—“If we are honest, we would have to admit that in times of trouble, more complaint comes out of our mouths than praise” (86).

“Before long, our complaining becomes an assessment of blame. Then the blaming goes vertical as it questions God’s wisdom and goodness” (86). Makes me think of Job and God’s response to him at the end of the book!

A Personal Story

From 2 Cor 1:3-11

“Paul talks about the Thorns of self-reliance (9) and worldly wisdom (12) that so often shape our responses to this kind of situation. He powerfully points to the Cross: God’s compassion and comfort (1), God’s presence (8,9), his power—‘who raises the dead,’ his deliverance (10), and his provision of the body of Christ, ‘as you help us by your prayers.’ Paul also describes the Fruit of faith as he shares his story; visible joy and praise (3), endurance (6), trust in God (9), right behavior (12), and ministry (5-7)” (91).

“Where do you feel like you are beyond your ability to endure? The Bible speaks into just that kind of experience. God enters our stories with the hope of Christ and shows us where we are and where we need to go” (91). So comforting!!!

“We do not have to wonder how we got where we are and how we will get where we need to be. You can know exactly what Christ has provided so that you can live as he has called you to live. As he did in these passages, God meets us and changes us in the middle of life’s challenges. The Heat may not go away. In fact, it may get hotter! Yet we are never alone. God is with us to provide the grace we need to face what he calls us to face” (92).

Life as God Sees it, Change as God Does It

Heat- what is your situation?

Thorns- how do you react? What do you want and believe?

Cross- who is God and what does He say and do in Christ?

Fruit- how is God calling me to seek Him in repentance and faith?