Lesson 2-1 What is the Disciple Life?

Objective: To understand our new life in Christ and how to begin growing. Read: John chapter 1 to chapter 3 Memorize: II Corinthians 5:17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! 1. A New Creation 2. A New Relationship with God 3. A New Motivation 4. A New Relationship with Mankind 5. Life Application

The Disciple life begins with receiving the Lord Jesus Christ - the gift of God's love and forgiveness - by faith. It results in a threefold commitment to a person, the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is a commitment to Him of your intellect, emotions, and will. The Disciple life is a personal intimate relationship between you and Christ. This life begins in faith and can only be lived by faith. (Ephesians 2:8-9 8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you cant take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.). Faith is another word for trust. We trust our lives to Christ's keeping because He has proven Himself trustworthy by His life, His death, His resurrection, and His abiding presence - His unconditional love. As you walk in faith and obedience to God as an act of your will and allow Him to change your life, you will gain increasing assurance of your relationship with Him. You will experience God's work in your life as He enables you to do what you cannot do on your own.

A New Creation
1. On the basis of II Corinthians 5:17,

"This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! What has happened to you? What are some of the evidences in your life of new things having come, and old things having passed away? 2. To what does the Bible compare this experience of newness? John 3:3 Jesus replied, I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God" Compare the experience of physical birth with spiritual birth. What are the similarities? 3. How was your new birth accomplished? John 3:16 For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. John 1:12-13 12 But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. 13 They are rebornnot with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God. 4. According to Ephesians 2:8-9, what did you do to merit this gift? God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you cant take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. Why is this important in our spiritual well-being? 5. Colossians 1:13-14 speaks of two kingdoms.
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For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, 14who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins. Describe the nature of each kingdom in relation to your life before and after you received Christ.

A New Relationship with God

1. What are you called? 1 Peter 2:2 2 Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment What should be your desire? 2. What is your new relationship with God? John 1:12 But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. 3. What does it mean to you to be a partaker of the Divine nature?

II Peter 1:4 And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the worlds corruption caused by human desires. 4. How do you know that you are God's child? Romans 8:16 For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are Gods children.

A New Motivation
II Corinthians 5:14-15

1. How does the love of Christ motivate you?

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Either way, Christs love controls us. Since we believe

that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life.15 He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them. What has replaced self as the most important factor? 2. What two things have happened to give you new motivation? Colossians 3:1-4 1 Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at Gods right hand. 2 Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. 3 For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. 4And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory. What has happened to your old life, according to verse 3? What will motivate you to seek those things that are above, according to verse 1? What is the promise we are given in verse 4? How does it affect your motivation?

A New Relationship with Mankind

1. What is new about your relationship with people? I John 3:11-14 11 This is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another. 12 We must not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and killed his brother. And why did he kill him? Because Cain had been doing what was evil, and his brother had been doing what was righteous. 13So dont be surprised, dear brothers and sisters, if the world hates you. 14 If we love our Disciple brothers and sisters, it proves that we have passed from death to life. But a person who has no love is still dead. 2. How can you show you are a follower of Christ?

John 13:35 35 "Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples. In what ways are you doing this in your everyday life? 3. Read II Corinthians 5:18-21
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And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. 19 For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting peoples sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation.
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So we

are Christs ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, Come back to God! 21 For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. Describe the ministry that has been given to you. We are called, AMBASSADORS for Christ. In what ways are you fulfilling your call? 4. As a follower of Christ, what is the greatest thing you can do? Matthew 4:19 Jesus called out to them, Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people! Name at least three ways you can do that in your own life. 5. How can your friends benefit from the message you deliver to them? I John 1:3-4 3 We proclaim to you what we ourselves have actually seen and heard so that you may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 4 We are writing these things so that you

Life Application

may fully share our joy.

1. What is the greatest change you have seen in your life since you became a new creation in Christ? 2. In your new relationship with God, what now can be your response toward problems, disappointments, and frustrations? I Peter 5:7 Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. Romans 8:28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. 3. How will you change your goals as a result of your new motivation?

4. What is your responsibility now to other men and women? How will you carry it out? 5. List two changes you would like to see in your life now that you are a Disciple. Ask God to bring about those changes.