GG Week 9
Of Good Courage/ 2 Corinthians Week 9/12: March 13-17, 2017
1/ Connect - How did your practice of holiness improve last week? ______________________________________________________________
2/ Explore - Read the Scripture. (2 Cor 7.5-16) 1/ Courage To Repent - Can you think of a time when you knew you needed to repent but it just seemed impossible? - What made it so difficult? 2/ The Importance of Repentance
3/ False Repentance See verse 10: What does worldly grief produce? In context, what is the grief about? What might worldly regret over sin look like? Is it possible to feel sorry about sin while never actually doing anything to change? See also “Religious v Gospel-Centered Repentance” on the next page. What stands out to you there? Where does false repentance lead? (v 10) Why is that? 4/ Real Repentance See Luke 19.1-10: How does Zacchaeus give a great example of real repentance?
See Ezekiel 14.6: What was a major need for Israel?
Sketch out what happened to him and notice the order.
See Mark 1.15, Luke 5.32, Luke 13.3: What do you learn about repentance? How should we respond to the Gospel? Who is repentance for? What happens if we refuse?
What does his life teach you about real repentance?
Martin Luther’s 1st of the 95 Theses: “Our Lord and Master Jesus Christ…willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.” Is this true? Why or why not?
Remember 2 Corinthians 5.20-21: Where is repentance and reconciliation found? See 2 Cor 7.4-11: Why was Paul so excited about Titus’ report regarding the Corinthians? v11: What was the proof of their repentance?
4/ Courage to Repent
Religious v. Gospel-Centered Repentance
See verses 10-16: What are some of the reasons real repentance is worth it, even though it may be difficult.
It is important to consider how the gospel affects and transforms the act of repentance. In ‘religion’ the purpose of repentance is to keep God happy so he will continue to bless you and answer your prayers. This means that ‘religious repentance’ is a) selfish, b) self-righteous, and c) bitter all the way to the bottom. But in the gospel the purpose of repentance is to repeatedly tap into the joy of our union with Christ in order to weaken our desire to do anything contrary to God’s heart. Religious’ repentance is selfish. In religion we only are sorry for our sin because of its consequences to us. It will bring us punishment – and we want to avoid that. So we repent. But the gospel tells us that sin can’t ultimately bring us into condemnation (Rom 8:1.) Its heinousness is therefore what it does to God-it displeases and dishonors him. Thus in religion, repentance is self-centered; the gospel makes it God-centered. In religion we are mainly sorry for the consequence of sin, but in the gospel we are sorry for the sin itself. Religious’ repentance is self-righteous. Religious repentance often becomes a form of self-flagellation in which we convince God (and ourselves) that we are so truly miserable and regretful that we deserve to be forgiven. In the gospel, however, we know that Jesus suffered and was miserable for our sin. We do not have to make ourselves suffer to merit forgiveness. We simply receive the forgiveness earned by Christ. (1 John 1:8) says that God forgives us, because he is ‘just’. That is a remarkable statement. It would be unjust of God to ever deny us forgiveness, because Jesus earned our acceptance! In religion we earn our forgiveness with our repentance, but in the gospel we just receive it.
Briefly discuss each benefit: 10 salvation 10 without regret 12 assurance 16 joy in Christian relationships Can you think of more? ———————————————————————————————
3/ Practice 1.
Define Gospel-centered repentance.
2.
What’s one area in your life where you need to repent?
3.
Where are you tempted toward “worldly grief” or “religious repentance”?
______________________________________________________________
3/ Practice 1. Praise God for the glorious gospel that makes it possible to repent. 2. Ask for the ability to truly repent in the love of Jesus. 3. Pray that others would see the gospel and enjoy the repentance that comes from it.
- Tim Keller
1/ Connect - How did your practice of holiness improve last week? ______________________________________________________________
2/ Explore - Read the Scripture. (2 Cor 7.5-16) 1/ Courage To Repent - Can you think of a time when you knew you needed to repent but it just seemed impossible? - What made it so difficult? 2/ The Importance of Repentance
3/ False Repentance See verse 10: What does worldly grief produce? In context, what is the grief about? What might worldly regret over sin look like? Is it possible to feel sorry about sin while never actually doing anything to change? See also “Religious v Gospel-Centered Repentance” on the next page. What stands out to you there? Where does false repentance lead? (v 10) Why is that? 4/ Real Repentance See Luke 19.1-10: How does Zacchaeus give a great example of real repentance?
See Ezekiel 14.6: What was a major need for Israel?
Sketch out what happened to him and notice the order.
See Mark 1.15, Luke 5.32, Luke 13.3: What do you learn about repentance? How should we respond to the Gospel? Who is repentance for? What happens if we refuse?
What does his life teach you about real repentance?
Martin Luther’s 1st of the 95 Theses: “Our Lord and Master Jesus Christ…willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.” Is this true? Why or why not?
Remember 2 Corinthians 5.20-21: Where is repentance and reconciliation found? See 2 Cor 7.4-11: Why was Paul so excited about Titus’ report regarding the Corinthians? v11: What was the proof of their repentance?
4/ Courage to Repent
Religious v. Gospel-Centered Repentance
See verses 10-16: What are some of the reasons real repentance is worth it, even though it may be difficult.
It is important to consider how the gospel affects and transforms the act of repentance. In ‘religion’ the purpose of repentance is to keep God happy so he will continue to bless you and answer your prayers. This means that ‘religious repentance’ is a) selfish, b) self-righteous, and c) bitter all the way to the bottom. But in the gospel the purpose of repentance is to repeatedly tap into the joy of our union with Christ in order to weaken our desire to do anything contrary to God’s heart. Religious’ repentance is selfish. In religion we only are sorry for our sin because of its consequences to us. It will bring us punishment – and we want to avoid that. So we repent. But the gospel tells us that sin can’t ultimately bring us into condemnation (Rom 8:1.) Its heinousness is therefore what it does to God-it displeases and dishonors him. Thus in religion, repentance is self-centered; the gospel makes it God-centered. In religion we are mainly sorry for the consequence of sin, but in the gospel we are sorry for the sin itself. Religious’ repentance is self-righteous. Religious repentance often becomes a form of self-flagellation in which we convince God (and ourselves) that we are so truly miserable and regretful that we deserve to be forgiven. In the gospel, however, we know that Jesus suffered and was miserable for our sin. We do not have to make ourselves suffer to merit forgiveness. We simply receive the forgiveness earned by Christ. (1 John 1:8) says that God forgives us, because he is ‘just’. That is a remarkable statement. It would be unjust of God to ever deny us forgiveness, because Jesus earned our acceptance! In religion we earn our forgiveness with our repentance, but in the gospel we just receive it.
Briefly discuss each benefit: 10 salvation 10 without regret 12 assurance 16 joy in Christian relationships Can you think of more? ———————————————————————————————
3/ Practice 1.
Define Gospel-centered repentance.
2.
What’s one area in your life where you need to repent?
3.
Where are you tempted toward “worldly grief” or “religious repentance”?
______________________________________________________________
3/ Practice 1. Praise God for the glorious gospel that makes it possible to repent. 2. Ask for the ability to truly repent in the love of Jesus. 3. Pray that others would see the gospel and enjoy the repentance that comes from it.
- Tim Keller
