Day 57: How Do We Continue in THE Way?
Today we complete our journey through Phase 1 of MilktoMeat – Discovering THE Way. If you have followed along so far, you should feel a real sense of accomplishment. We end this unit by focusing on Christ and all that He has done for us. We also give a “sneak peak” of what is coming next.
1 John 5:11-13
And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 5:12 The one who has the Son has life. The one who doesn’t have the Son of God does not have life. 5:13 I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.
Jesus Christ is the “true light” (John 1:9) which has come into the World to set us free from the power and Dominion of Darkness (Colossians 1:13). If we respond to this light and truth by trusting in what God has revealed, the light that He places in our hearts begins to spread and grow, transforming who we are from the inside out. If we accept the Good News of Christ by faith, we also receive that type of life that He Himself possesses—eternal life.
Don’t ever forget this simple truth: Christ is always the Only Ultimate Savior and Hero of your story. God did not send His One Unique Son to empower you to be the hero of your own story. Christ came so that we might look to Him in faith in our helplessness to see that all we need and desire comes from Him.
You must always remember that Christ’s own faithfulness has accomplished what your faithlessness could not. God desires for you to put an end to your self-willed and self-empowered works and simply trust Christ who works through His Spirit to do in and to you what you cannot do in and of yourself. As He works in you, He will also work through you.
The two dangers that we have considered help us not only see what to avoid in faith and practice but clarify the one true Gospel. These two errors always lead to an abject form of slavery that never brings power, joy or freedom. The religious legalist destroys the idea of faith. The irreligious relativist destroys the idea of hope. They both destroy the possibility of living in and expressing divine love.
Paradoxically, only as we become completely captivated (enslaved) by the power of God in the Message of the True Gospel do we become truly free. This is the point that Jesus Himself makes and Paul repeats:
John 8:31-32
So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, you really are My disciples. 8:32 You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
Romans 8:2
For the law of the life-giving Spirit in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death. {NET}
Galatians 5:1
For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not be subject again to the yoke of slavery. {NET}
So how will we use our freedom in Christ? That is the topic of the next study unit of MilktoMeat entitled “Walking in the Truth.” In that study we will pick up right where we are ending here and take a look at two large topics: 1] The Reality of our New Identity and Position in Christ and 2] The Reality of Spiritual Warfare. Our Adversary’s greatest fear is that we begin to think and behave like Father-God’s beloved Children, living our lives wisely using His power. We need to know who we are and how we have been equipped to deal with our day-to-day battles. We have been set from the slavery of the Dominion of Darkness so that we may be captivated by the glory of the Kingdom of the Beloved Son.
Now that you have gone through this study, go back and review the major points of all that we have presented. Ask yourself these questions:
Can I share the “Master Story” with some else?
Can I ask the Six Basic Questions and give a basic answer for each using my Bible?
Can I defend the One True Gospel against the other false Gospels?
Every Bible student is a Bible teacher in training. Our prayer is that the Father will bring people into your life with whom you can share the things you have learned in this study. We hope this study will motivate you to push further into your own journey with Christ and that you will become His willing student, hungry to know Him more deeply and personally.
Congratulations!
You have finished the second study unit in MilktoMeat.
You are ready to continue in Phase 2 – Walking In The Truth Part 1: Realizing Your New Identity in Christ
*You can find a complete list of all the MilktoMeat readings here.
