Lesson 17 Looking to Christ
Questions 1 and 2
Hello again, so glad to see you back to the course. In the next couple of lessons, we’re going to remind ourselves why it is vital to be washing at the cross because this will enable us to develop and implement practical strategies for overcoming gluttony.
In my early days of desiring to overcome overeating, I was tremendously self-focused. Everything was all about me. My sin had turned me inward and made me persistently blind to the needs of others. I was not the godly person I wanted to be, and I needed help.
In my studying of God’s Word, I came across the following passage:
“His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. 5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.” 2 Peter 1:3-9 (NIV)
This passage encouraged me that I didn’t have to figure things out on my own. God had made provision for my need through Jesus Christ and His Spirit. God has done this for us, friend.
2 Peter 1:5-7 describes the Lord Jesus Christ in all His beautiful qualities, and invites us to emulate Him in our own lives. The Christian life is one of growing in Christlikeness for as long as we are on this earth. And growing in Christlikeness makes us fruitful and productive in our lives.
Notice, though, that there is something that can stop this process of growing in Christlikeness that can make all our growth as a Christian come to a screeching halt. It can even cause us to go backward, like the Israelites, who wanted to go back to Egypt and return to slavery. What is it?
Question 2. According to 2 Peter 1:9 NIV, if we are not growing in the qualities of Jesus Christ, what is our problem?