Transforming Obedience: Embracing Christ's Teachings Naturally

 

Summary

In our journey of faith, we often encounter teachings that challenge us deeply, such as those found in the Beatitudes. These teachings can sometimes evoke feelings of guilt or inadequacy, as they set a high standard for Christian living. However, the essence of these teachings is not to burden us with guilt but to transform our hearts and minds. The goal is to cultivate a life where obedience to Christ's teachings becomes as natural and routine as any other daily habit. This transformation requires a shift in our mental approach, moving from seeing these teachings as burdensome to viewing them as integral to our lives.

To achieve this, we must immerse ourselves in spiritual readings and practices that reshape our perspectives. Works like William Law's "A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life" or Andrew Murray's writings on humility offer fresh insights that can change our approach to Christian living. These readings, along with others, help us internalize the teachings of Jesus, making them a natural part of our daily actions.

The ultimate aim is to reach a state of "easy routine obedience," where following Christ's teachings is as instinctive as playing a well-practiced piece on the piano. Just as a pianist hits the right notes effortlessly due to practice and internalization, we too can reach a point where living out Christ's commands is second nature. This transformation is not only possible but essential, as it shifts our actions from routine sinning to routine righteousness, aligning our lives more closely with the heart of Christ.

Key Takeaways

- The Beatitudes and other teachings of Jesus are not meant to induce guilt but to guide us toward a transformed life where obedience becomes natural. By shifting our perspective, we can embrace these teachings as part of our daily routine. [11:38]

- Engaging with spiritual literature, such as works by William Law and Andrew Murray, can provide new insights and perspectives that help us internalize Christian teachings, making them a natural part of our lives. [12:26]

- The concept of "easy routine obedience" is about reaching a state where following Christ's teachings is as instinctive as any other habit, achieved through practice and internalization. [14:32]

- Just as routine actions can lead to sin, they can also lead to righteousness when we align our habits with Christ's teachings, making righteousness a natural part of our lives. [15:18]

- The transformation of our hearts and minds is essential for living out Christ's commands effortlessly, shifting from routine sinning to routine righteousness, and aligning our lives with the heart of Christ. [15:33]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[10:51] - Levels of Obedience
[11:20] - Misunderstanding the Beatitudes
[12:12] - Importance of Spiritual Reading
[12:43] - New Perspectives on Christian Life
[13:19] - Internalizing Teachings
[13:51] - Shifting Mental Approach
[14:10] - Routine Obedience
[14:32] - Easy Routine Obedience
[14:52] - The Nature of Human Action
[15:18] - Routine Sinning vs. Righteousness
[15:33] - Aligning with Christ's Heart

Study Guide

### Bible Study Discussion Guide

#### Bible Reading
1. Matthew 5:3-12 - The Beatitudes
2. Romans 12:2 - "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind."
3. Philippians 2:5-8 - "In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus..."

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#### Observation Questions
1. What are some of the feelings people experience when they first read the Beatitudes, according to the sermon? [11:38]
2. How does the sermon describe the concept of "easy routine obedience"? [14:32]
3. What role do spiritual readings, like those by William Law and Andrew Murray, play in transforming our approach to Christian living? [12:26]

#### Interpretation Questions
1. How might the Beatitudes be misunderstood as inducing guilt rather than guiding transformation? [11:20]
2. In what ways does the sermon suggest that our mental approach to Christian teachings needs to shift? [13:51]
3. How does the concept of "routine righteousness" compare to "routine sinning," and what does this imply about human behavior? [15:18]

#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you felt burdened by the teachings of Jesus. How can you shift your perspective to see them as opportunities for transformation rather than sources of guilt? [11:38]
2. What specific spiritual readings or practices can you incorporate into your life to help internalize the teachings of Jesus more naturally? [12:26]
3. Consider your daily habits. How can you begin to align them more closely with Christ's teachings to make righteousness a natural part of your life? [15:18]
4. Think about an area in your life where obedience to Christ feels challenging. What steps can you take to make this obedience more routine and instinctive? [14:32]
5. Identify a habit that currently leads to routine sinning. What practical changes can you make to transform this habit into one that leads to righteousness? [15:33]
6. How can you cultivate a mindset that views Christian teachings as integral to your life, similar to how a pianist internalizes a piece of music? [14:52]
7. What is one specific way you can practice humility this week, inspired by the writings of Andrew Murray? [12:43]

Devotional

Day 1: Embracing the Beatitudes as a Path to Transformation
The Beatitudes, along with other teachings of Jesus, are often perceived as daunting due to the high standards they set for Christian living. However, these teachings are not intended to induce guilt or feelings of inadequacy. Instead, they serve as a guide toward a transformed life where obedience to Christ becomes a natural part of our daily routine. By shifting our perspective, we can embrace these teachings as integral to our lives, allowing them to transform our hearts and minds. This transformation is essential for cultivating a life where following Christ's teachings is as instinctive as any other habit. [11:38]

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied." (Matthew 5:6, ESV)

Reflection: How can you shift your perspective today to see the Beatitudes as a guide for transformation rather than a source of guilt?


Day 2: The Power of Spiritual Literature
Engaging with spiritual literature can provide new insights and perspectives that help us internalize Christian teachings. Works by authors like William Law and Andrew Murray offer fresh insights that can change our approach to Christian living. By immersing ourselves in these readings, we can reshape our perspectives and make the teachings of Jesus a natural part of our daily actions. This practice helps us internalize the teachings, making them an integral part of our lives and guiding us toward a more devout and holy life. [12:26]

"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God." (Colossians 3:16, ESV)

Reflection: What spiritual book or author can you commit to reading this week to deepen your understanding of Christian teachings?


Day 3: Achieving Easy Routine Obedience
The concept of "easy routine obedience" is about reaching a state where following Christ's teachings is as instinctive as any other habit. This is achieved through practice and internalization, much like a pianist who plays a well-practiced piece effortlessly. By consistently practicing and internalizing Christ's commands, we can reach a point where living out these teachings becomes second nature. This transformation is not only possible but essential for aligning our lives more closely with the heart of Christ. [14:32]

"Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord." (Romans 12:11, ESV)

Reflection: What daily habit can you start today to practice and internalize Christ's teachings more effectively?


Day 4: From Routine Sinning to Routine Righteousness
Just as routine actions can lead to sin, they can also lead to righteousness when we align our habits with Christ's teachings. By making righteousness a natural part of our lives, we can shift our actions from routine sinning to routine righteousness. This alignment with Christ's teachings helps us live a life that reflects the heart of Christ, making righteousness an instinctive part of our daily routine. [15:18]

"Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life." (Proverbs 4:23, ESV)

Reflection: Identify one routine action in your life that leads to sin. How can you replace it with a habit that leads to righteousness?


Day 5: Aligning with the Heart of Christ
The transformation of our hearts and minds is essential for living out Christ's commands effortlessly. By shifting from routine sinning to routine righteousness, we can align our lives more closely with the heart of Christ. This alignment requires a conscious effort to internalize Christ's teachings and make them a natural part of our daily actions. As we cultivate this transformation, we move toward a life that reflects the heart of Christ, making obedience to His commands instinctive and effortless. [15:33]

"And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh." (Ezekiel 36:26, ESV)

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you need to align more closely with the heart of Christ? What steps can you take today to begin this transformation?

Quotes

"Interestingly one of the main functions, in practice, of the Beatitudes is to make people feel guilty. You read them and you just feel oh it's so awful I'm supposed to be poor. I don't want to be poor. I'm supposed to mourn but that's why I take Advil or something stronger and so people are just they don't know what to do with it with the teachings of Jesus." [00:11:26]

"Now I've asked you to do a lot of reading that has bearing on this but the main thing that I want to make clear to you now and perhaps it'll help you pull together the things that you did in your reading or are doing in your reading which strikes many people as very strange when they pick up William Law's book on a serious call to a devout and holy life." [00:12:09]

"It gives you a different perspective on things you know, and changes perhaps the whole approach that one has been taking or I ask Howard to have you read Calvin's golden booklet on the spirit Christian life, and it gives you a side of Calvin you may never have heard of or Andrew Murray on humility." [00:12:39]

"If you understand the project now is to bring us to the place to where this would look like business as usual and not something that we have trouble coming to grips with or relating to what we're actually doing in our project or in our life if we can shift that shift that mental approach to what we're doing as Christians." [00:13:26]

"And make that the heart of what then we have a different world emerging and you have to imagine what it would be like for example, where the main membership of our churches and our organizations were comfortable with doing the things that Jesus said out of a life a heart a mind a soul and so on that made them routine." [00:13:56]

"See what we're looking for is easy routine obedience. Easy routine routine obedience is the kind of obedience you do without thinking about it right when it's appropriate it's just there see someone who plays the piano for example, they get a lot of things down to routine obedience and as a result they hit the right notes at the right time." [00:14:32]

"That's the outcome of what they have internalized and that's the nature of human action generally unfortunately it works for sin too because what you see in many people is routine easy sinning and it's a really great issue for us to come to think well that could be shifted so that what was good and right and what Christ has called us to." [00:15:12]

"Is what we do as easily and routinely as we now. The transformation of our hearts and minds is essential for living out Christ's commands effortlessly, shifting from routine sinning to routine righteousness, and aligning our lives with the heart of Christ." [00:15:34]

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Transcript
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