Happy new year! I know you will all want to catch up after the holidays and share your experiences. Take a few minutes to do that, then get down to the questions, below!
Who did you most want to be like when you were growing up?
What does it mean to imitate someone? When is imitation a positive thing? When might it not be?
Before we look at today’s Scripture passage, what do you think the life of someone who imitates Christ should look like? What actions and character traits would imitating Christ involve?
In the passages we’ll look at today, the cross changes a centurion.
Does the cross change me? Does it change you?
ON Sunday, we talked about the lifestyle of Christians vs. the lifestyles of the world. There’s no doubt about it… We’re called to be different. We are not to imitate people who don’t know Christ. We are called to imitate Christ Himself.
Then Jesus uttered another loud cry and breathed his last. And the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.
Mark 15:37-39 NLT
When the Roman officer who stood facing him saw how he had died, he exclaimed, “This man truly was the Son of God!”
What does the centurion’s confession say about his view of Jesus? How do you think his view had changed over the course of the past several days?
What effect did the cross have on the centurion’s life? In what ways has the cross changed your personal life?
A centurion stood guard at the cross as a member of the execution detail. This man saw the way Jesus died. It affected the centurion to the point that he exclaimed, “This man really was God’s Son!” Some think the man simply saw Jesus as a divine hero and that the centurion did not become a Christian at that point. Whether the soldier knew the full implications, he stated a basic Christian truth. Later in the New Testament, Paul speaks to how the gospel specifically changes the lives of those who confess Christ as the Son of God.
With the Lord’s authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused. Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him. They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity. But that isn’t what you learned about Christ. Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy. So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body. And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil. If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need. Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.
Ephesians 4:17-32 NLT
How would you compare the moral standards of today with the moral standards of Paul’s day?
How should Christians be different from the people described in these verses?
The Gentiles (the first-century term for non-Christians) lived lives characterized by darkness. Their minds were closed and their hearts hardened to the things of God. The minds of the people were on themselves and what could serve them best, not God. How a person thinks affects his or her choices and behaviors. The lives of the Gentiles in the first century are not too different from the world today, where so many people are focused on lusts and impurity, worshiping them as idols.
What does it mean “to put off your old self” (v. 22)? To “put on your new self” (v. 24)? What does that tell you about everyday change in the life of a Christ follower?
Paul’s instruction for believers was blunt and to the point. He wanted the Ephesians to know the lives of the non-believers were not acceptable for someone who trusted in the Lord. Change begins with Jesus and the truth that comes from Him. This truth pushes believers to take off the old sinful nature, and put on the new nature. Both cannot be worn at the same time, one must take off the old to put on the new.
According to verse 32, what should be the primary motivation for pursuing holy living?
Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God. Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people. Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes—these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God. You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. Don’t be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the anger of God will fall on all who disobey him.
Ephesians 5:1-6 NLT
What can we learn from Jesus about loving as God loves?
Jesus modeled, among other things, love and sacrifice. Because of how much He loves us, He sacrificed His life for us, and that should motivate us to love others. Imitating God is a matter of character and action. The sins Paul listed in verses 3 and 4 are examples of self-gratifying sins through which people find value and acceptance in things other than their identities as children of God.
How does God’s standard for our bodies, minds, and speech in verses 3-4 compare or contrast with society’s standard?
Don’t participate in the things these people do. For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true. Carefully determine what pleases the Lord. Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them. It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret. But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them, for the light makes everything visible. This is why it is said, “Awake, O sleeper, rise up from the dead, and Christ will give you light.”
Ephesians 5:7-14 NLT
What products are the result of “the people of the light”? How do these compare with the fruit of the darkness in Ephesians 4:18-19 (above)?
What role does the Holy Spirit play in helping us live in the light? What role do other Christians play?
The fruit of the light are qualities the Holy Spirit brings about in our lives to help us live as children of God. When we choose daily to live in the light of God’s truth, we put on goodness (moral excellence), righteousness (a characteristic we gain through Christ’s sacrifice for us), and truth (honesty, integrity, and trustworthiness). The fruit of the light reminds us of God’s activity in our lives while the hurt, scars, and pains of past sins remind us of our great need for God’s grace, truth, and direction.
How have you seen evidence of the Spirit’s transforming power in your struggles?
So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 5:15-21 NLT
Why is wisdom necessary if we want to live in the light and imitate God’s love? Give some practical examples of what it looks like to live as wise people.
What is the first step to living a life of wisdom? (hint, it is the first statement Paul makes, above.)
Of all the broad commands given in Ephesians 4 -5 for Christian living—holiness, love, light, and wisdom—which seems to be the major command God is challenging you with in your life? How can you act on His challenge?
As a group, commit to praying for one another as we pursue real life change. Spend time discussing the best way to do this together.