Thursday Thoughts for Parents | "The Empowered Will to Obey"

This post is based on Rick Gamache's sermon, The Empowered Will to Obey, given on July 30, 2017.

 

This week, Rick Gamache served us by helping us consider the balancing inherent in the Christian’s sanctification. He focused on both the work we are to be doing and the work God is accomplishing in us. In thinking about this with the picture of a high wire act, Rick gave us two errors we can commit that can cause us to lose our balance. We can be tempted to work out our salvation in a legalistic manner, or we can give ourselves to “celebratory failurism”. This is a helpful reminder because our necessary efforts aren’t pointless—they’re possible through the gospel. And because of what Jesus is producing in us, our efforts will ultimately succeed in revealing the family resemblance of the family of God in us!

Read Philipians 2:12-13

 When reading this passage, how are we called to live worthy of the Gospel? What hope does this passage give us?

How does the biblical tension of this passage keep us from falling off the tight rope toward legalism or “celebratory failurism”?

Parents, take time to consider the verses below with your children that highlight the relationship between God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility:

  • 1 Cor. 15:10
  • 2 Cor. 8:16-17
  • Rom. 8:13
  • 1 Pet. 4:11
  • Col. 1:29

Rick used John Piper’s quote on sanctification when he reminded us to “Act the miracle!” Have each family member share one area of their sanctification where God is calling them to gospel-activated work for greater holiness.

 

[post written by Tyson Ziegler]