Question 1. According to the video, what happens by the "Blood of the Covenant"?
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Ongoing washing at the cross of Jesus Christ through God’s Word will change everything about us. It will help us lose weight as we live in freedom from the domination of our flesh and develop habits that will last the rest of our lives.
Let’s study how washing at the cross in Scripture changes everything:
“For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15 And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. 16 So from now on, we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.” (2 Corinthians 5:14-19 NIV).
Question 2. According to 2 Corinthians 5:14 NIV, what is the Christian’s motivation for weight loss (hint: we learned this in Lesson 5)?
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Wende is really experiencing the power of the cross, the love of Christ compelling her. She answered the above question here:
"The Christian's motivation for weight loss is the love of Christ which compels us. His sacrifice on the cross has reconciled me to God. This compels and draws me into deeper relationship with Him. As I drink deep at the cross, my hurting and fractured heart is filled; my thirst is quenched. The evil, idolatrous desires for food to fill the void fade away. I am so grateful for this teaching to Wash, Walk and War. This gives me practical access! I have known these Truths for a long time but have not been able to pull it all together until now. God is removing my idols!"
In this passage, Paul will show us how the gospel of Jesus Christ changes everything in the believer's life. He starts with motivation. The Christian has seen, read, felt, and experienced the deep love of Jesus at the cross. This love becomes our compelling motivation for all things we do now.
The Christian has become convinced, fully persuaded, about one thing: “One died for all; therefore, all have died.” We let the love of Christ compel us, command us, control us. It is our strong motivation for losing weight and everything else we do in life.
But notice how the cross of Christ affects not just our motivation; it actually changes the way that we live!
Question 3. How does 2 Corinthians 5:15 NIV show that the cross changes the way believers live?
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Sue has picked up on a very important point, in answering the question above. See if you can spot it in her answer here:
"Since he died for me, I ought no longer live for myself, but for Jesus, who died for me and was raised from the dead.
That is my motivation, after seeing such great demonstration of love, how can I live any longer for myself."
She prefaces her answer with "after seeing such a great demonstration of love..." The important point being the necessity to "see" the cross. Paul prays for the Ephesian Christians, those who are believers, that "the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe." (Ephesians 1:18-19). That is, believers need to both see the cross, and to feel and experience the truth of it. The eyes of our hearts need to be opened by God. This is why we seek the Lord for a heart change, or, stated another way, why we seek the Lord to open the eyes of our hearts so that we can see the cross. Otherwise it is merely doctrine, truth that doesn't open our understanding, or change us in any way.
Paul knew the extreme necessity for people to "see" the cross. Notice how he said that in Galatians 3:1-2: "You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. 2 I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard?"
Friend, do you see the cross? Think about it...