Grace, Righteousness, and the Spirit's Guidance

Devotional

Day 1: Grace Empowers Righteous Living

Grace is an unmerited gift from God that enables us to pursue righteousness. It is not a license to sin but a means to live morally pure lives. Grace protects us from the eternal consequences of sin while encouraging us to reflect the character of Jesus. This divine gift empowers us to navigate the tension between grace and righteousness, understanding that while grace is abundant and ongoing, it is not an excuse to avoid righteous living. Instead, it calls us to a higher standard of moral purity and obedience to God's will. [09:06]

Titus 2:11-12 (ESV): "For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age."

Reflection: In what areas of your life have you been using grace as an excuse to avoid pursuing righteousness? How can you allow God's grace to empower you to live a morally pure life today?

Day 2: The Moment of True Conversion

True conversion involves a defining moment of surrender to God, leading to a genuine hunger for righteousness and spiritual growth. Many people may attend church and participate in religious activities without truly knowing God. Genuine conversion is often overlooked in modern church practices, where attendance and participation are sometimes mistaken for true discipleship. This moment of surrender is crucial for spiritual transformation and growth, as it marks the beginning of a deep, personal relationship with God. [16:05]

2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV): "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come."

Reflection: Reflect on your own spiritual journey. Have you experienced a defining moment of surrender to God? If not, what steps can you take to seek genuine conversion and a deeper relationship with Him?

Day 3: Yielding to the Spirit

Walking in the Spirit means yielding to God's guidance, which naturally produces the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. This is not about trying to be good on our own but about allowing God's goodness to manifest through us. True goodness is defined by loving God and loving our neighbors. When we yield to the Spirit, we align our actions and attitudes with God's will, resulting in a life that reflects His love and goodness. [21:40]

Galatians 5:22-23 (ESV): "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."

Reflection: In what ways can you yield more to the Holy Spirit's guidance in your daily life? How can you allow the fruit of the Spirit to be more evident in your interactions with others?

Day 4: The Holy Spirit's Role in Transformation

The Holy Spirit plays a crucial role in our spiritual lives, guiding us and convicting us of our sins. Genuine spiritual experiences often involve moments of conviction and surrender, leading to true transformation and growth. The Holy Spirit helps us recognize areas in our lives that need change and empowers us to make those changes. This ongoing process of conviction and transformation is essential for spiritual maturity and growth. [15:18]

John 16:13 (ESV): "When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come."

Reflection: Think about a recent moment when you felt convicted by the Holy Spirit. How did you respond? What steps can you take to be more receptive to the Holy Spirit's guidance and conviction in your life?

Day 5: Redefining Goodness

Only God is truly good, and our efforts to be good apart from Him are futile. True goodness comes from yielding to God and allowing His Spirit to work through us. Anything we call good must be affirmed by God and must involve loving Him and our neighbors. This redefinition of goodness challenges us to align our actions and attitudes with God's standards, rather than relying on our own understanding of what is good. [22:28]

Micah 6:8 (ESV): "He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?"

Reflection: How do you define goodness in your life? Are there areas where you rely on your own understanding of goodness rather than seeking God's affirmation? How can you align your actions with God's definition of goodness today?

Sermon Summary

### Summary

In today's sermon, we explored the profound relationship between grace and righteousness, emphasizing that grace is an unmerited gift from God that enables us to pursue righteousness. Jesus, in His divine wisdom, could have chosen to display His power in various ways, but He chose to fulfill the requests made to Him, demonstrating His humility and obedience to God's will. This act serves as a model for us to follow, showing that we should rely on Scripture and God's grace in our daily lives.

Grace is not a license to sin but a means to pursue righteousness. It protects us from the eternal consequences of sin while encouraging us to live morally pure lives. This tension between grace and righteousness is something we must navigate carefully, understanding that grace is abundant and ongoing but not an excuse to avoid righteous living.

We also discussed the importance of genuine conversion and the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Many people may attend church and participate in religious activities without truly knowing God. True conversion involves a defining moment of surrender to God, leading to a genuine hunger for righteousness and spiritual growth. This is often overlooked in modern church practices, where attendance and participation are sometimes mistaken for true discipleship.

Finally, we delved into the concept of walking in the Spirit as described in Galatians. Walking in the Spirit means yielding to God's guidance, which naturally produces the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. This is not about trying to be good on our own but about allowing God's goodness to manifest through us. True goodness is defined by loving God and loving our neighbors, and anything that does not align with these principles cannot be considered good.

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Key Takeaways

1. Grace and Righteousness: Grace is an unmerited gift from God that enables us to pursue righteousness. It protects us from the eternal consequences of sin but is not a license to continue sinning. Instead, it empowers us to live morally pure lives, reflecting the character of Jesus. [09:06]
2. The Importance of Genuine Conversion: True conversion involves a defining moment of surrender to God, leading to a genuine hunger for righteousness and spiritual growth. Many people may attend church and participate in religious activities without truly knowing God. This genuine conversion is often overlooked in modern church practices. [16:05]
3. Walking in the Spirit: Walking in the Spirit means yielding to God's guidance, which naturally produces the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. This is not about trying to be good on our own but about allowing God's goodness to manifest through us. True goodness is defined by loving God and loving our neighbors. [21:40]
4. The Role of the Holy Spirit: The Holy Spirit plays a crucial role in our spiritual lives, guiding us and convicting us of our sins. Genuine spiritual experiences often involve moments of conviction and surrender, leading to true transformation and growth. [15:18]
5. The Misconception of Goodness: Only God is truly good, and our efforts to be good apart from Him are futile. True goodness comes from yielding to God and allowing His Spirit to work through us. Anything we call good must be affirmed by God and must involve loving Him and our neighbors. [22:28]
### [22:28]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[09:06] - Grace and Righteousness
[10:36] - The Tension Between Grace and Righteousness
[14:26] - Frustration in Worship
[14:54] - Genuine Conversion
[15:18] - Role of the Holy Spirit
[15:36] - Defining Moments of Surrender
[16:05] - Identifying True Believers
[16:38] - Hunger for Righteousness
[16:58] - The Pandemic's Impact on the Church
[17:20] - Misconceptions in Modern Church Practices
[21:40] - Walking in the Spirit
[22:28] - The Misconception of Goodness
[22:50] - Conclusion

Bible Study Guide

Observation Questions

In Matthew 4:1-11, how does Jesus respond to the temptations presented to Him by Satan?
According to Galatians 5:16-25, what are the "fruits of the Spirit" that should be evident in a believer's life?
What does Romans 6:1-2 say about continuing in sin so that grace may increase?
In the sermon, what examples were given to illustrate the tension between grace and righteousness? ([10:36])

Interpretation Questions

How does Jesus' use of Scripture in Matthew 4:1-11 serve as a model for us in resisting temptation?
What does it mean to "walk in the Spirit" according to Galatians 5:16-25, and how does this relate to the concept of yielding to God's guidance? ([21:40])
How does Romans 6:1-2 challenge the misconception that grace is a license to sin?
In the sermon, what is described as the evidence of genuine conversion, and why is this often overlooked in modern church practices? ([16:05])

Application Questions

Reflect on a time when you faced a temptation similar to those Jesus faced in Matthew 4:1-11. How did you respond, and how might you use Scripture to resist temptation in the future?
Galatians 5:16-25 lists the fruits of the Spirit. Choose one aspect of the fruit of the Spirit to focus on this month. What specific action could you take to cultivate it in your daily interactions?
Romans 6:1-2 warns against using grace as an excuse to sin. Are there areas in your life where you might be taking God's grace for granted? How can you address this?
The sermon emphasized the importance of genuine conversion and a defining moment of surrender to God. Have you experienced such a moment? If not, what steps can you take to seek a deeper relationship with God? ([16:05])
Walking in the Spirit involves yielding to God's guidance. What practical steps can you take to be more attuned to the Holy Spirit's leading in your daily life? ([21:40])
The sermon mentioned that true goodness comes from yielding to God and loving our neighbors. Identify one person in your life who you find difficult to love. What specific actions can you take to show them love this week? ([22:28])
Reflect on the role of the Holy Spirit in your life. How have you experienced the Holy Spirit's guidance and conviction? Share a recent experience where you felt led by the Holy Spirit to act in a way that you wouldn't have on your own. ([15:18])

Sermon Clips

1. "To know that grace is this, this undefinable gift that God continues to bestow on me. Number one, to give me access to even believe in Jesus. And then, it's the, it's the thing that says, when you sin, the consequence eternally that that sin should bring, my grace keeps you from that. My grace doesn't say, don't try to, the grace is not saying don't live righteously. It's saying when you don't live righteously, the consequence you should have I said, do we sin more? So grace could abound, right? May that, right." [09:06] (47 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

2. "I have to saturate myself in truth and, and know that this is God's divine instruction for me and grace. I mean, it's wrapped up in the thing. I mean, it is, and it's, it's present and it's ongoing and it's. It's lavish and it's abundant and it's all these things, but it's not an excuse, right? It's not a past to not then pursue righteousness. It actually is the vehicle by which you can pursue." [10:36] (23 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

3. "I asked her, tell me the last time you heard the voice of God tell you to do something that you know you didn't want to do. Wow. Yeah. Well, I know I should. I said, mm-mm. I want to know when internally. Right. You felt a conviction. Right. And she could tell me times that she tried to act right. Dad was a pastor. That's a good one. Grandfather was a pastor. That's a good way to do it. I have to tell, even when I disciple women, like, this is how you find, this is how you find." [14:54] (25 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

4. "I pray for my kids' salvation every day. Yeah. I'm like, Jesus, what's the earliest age? You haven't told us, but this one right here. But that idea of goodness, Jackie, I think is very powerful that only God is good. And then guess what we got in Acts? We got God not with us, but in us. And so now you have the fruit of the spirit. And there's so much freedom in Galatians. That if you walk in the spirit, like that's the only imperative in that passage. He's not saying don't carry out the flesh. Don't be immoral. Don't do this." [21:40] (60 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

5. "If you walk in the spirit, you can't walk in two directions. And if you walk in the spirit, the evidence is the fruit that he bears. And it's one fruit. It's not apples and peaches and grapes. It's an apple that's round and red and crisp and juicy. It's one thing that this is how we know we're walking in the spirit. So I feel free that I don't have to try to be joyful. And I'm really having a stank day. If I would just yield to the spirit, he's going to tell me what to do, what to say. And that's where the righteousness comes in." [22:28] (32 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

6. "If only God is good. Why am I trying? Why am I not walking? Why am I not yielding? It's the effort apart from God that gets you in trouble. That's right. When it's really the yieldedness, which is the only way you're going to bear fruit. And so I think that's a powerful reminder that only God is good. So I must yield to God in order to exhibit goodness in my life. And anything I'm calling good must be affirmed by God. Must be loving him and must be loving my neighbor. If it's not doing one of those, then it can't be good." [22:28] (28 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

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