DISCUSS HOMEWORK

REVIEW

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· Truth #1: Above all, we need God and his truth to live as we were created to live (Genesis 1:26ff; 2 Timothy 3:16–17). Lesson 1.

· Truth #2: Each of us is called by God to be his instrument of change in the lives of others, beginning with our families and the body of Christ (Ephesians 4:11–17; Colossians 3:15–17). Lesson 1.

· Truth #3: Our behavior is rooted in the thoughts and motives of our hearts. People and situations only prompt our hearts to express themselves in words and actions (Proverbs 4:23; Matthew 23:25; Mark 7:21; Luke 6:43–45; James 4:1–10). Lessons 2–3.

· Truth #4: Christ has called us to be his ambassadors, following his message, methods, and character (2 Corinthians 5:14–21). Lesson 4.

· Truth #5: Being an instrument of change means incarnating the love of Christ by sharing in people’s struggles, identifying with their suffering, and extending God’s grace as we call them to change (2 Corinthians 1:3–11; Colossians 3:12–14; Titus 2:11–3:8; Hebrews 2:10–11). Lessons 5–6.

· Truth #6: Being an instrument of change means seeking to know people by guarding against false assumptions, asking good questions, and interpreting in a way that is distinctly biblical (Proverbs 20:5; Hebrews 4:14–16). Lessons 7–8.

· Truth #7: Being an instrument of change means speaking the truth in love. With the gospel as comfort and call, we can help people to see themselves in God’s Word and lead them to repentance (Romans 8:1–17; Galatians 6:1–2; James 1:22–25). Lessons 9–10.

· Truth #8: Being an instrument of change means helping people do what God calls them to do by clarifying responsibility, offering loving accountability, and reminding them of their identity in Christ (Galatians 6:2; Philippians 2:1–14; 2 Peter 1:3–9; 1 John 3:1–3). Lessons 11–12.

CONCEPTS AND OBJECTIVES

Concept: Human beings always live out of some sense of identity. It is vital for the believer to understand his identity in Christ.

Personalized: I must always ask myself, “Do I view my life and myself from the vantage point of who I am in Christ?”

Related to others: Do I seek to provide encouragement and accountability to those who are following God’s call to change?

LESSON CONTENT

Does it ever seem that the job God has assigned you is impossible? Are you ever overwhelmed by your responsibilities? Do you ever feel weak and unprepared? Do you encounter situations where you lack practical wisdom? Have you ever found yourself failing at the same thing over and over again? Have you ever been discouraged at the height of God’s standards? Have you ever thought it would be easier if you had someone standing with you? Have you ever felt as if you were left to struggle through change all alone? Have you ever thought that you would benefit from being accountable to someone else? Have you ever sought an accountability relationship, only to find that no one was willing or available?

This lesson teaches that encouragement and accountability are very important parts of the truth application process. We were never created to live in isolation. God has designed us to live in community, first with him and then with one another. In the difficult process of change, we see our need for one another. We are not autonomous, self-sufficient beings. As we begin the process of change, we need others’ encouragement and oversight.

3. Instill Identity in Christ

Human beings are always living out of some kind of identity. We are sons, daughters, bosses, employees, parents, friends, neighbors, consumers, and so forth. Our sense of identity has a powerful influence on our choices and responses. As we call people to the difficult process of change, it is important that they are living out of a gospel identity. They need to understand their position and resources as children of God.

It is easy to forget who we are as we deal with life in this fallen world, as we address age-old habits of thought, motive, and behavior, and apply new insights and commitments to daily living. This is why it is vital to keep reminding people of their identity in Christ. We want to stimulate the practical faith and courage that come from knowing who we are and what we have been given.

Peter addresses this issue in 2 Peter 1:3–9. Let’s consider the important points of this passage.

• Peter proposes (2 Peter 1:8) that there will be people who know the Lord but whose lives are ineffective and unproductive. These people do not produce the harvest of good fruit that we would expect from a believer.

• Peter says that these people do not produce the expected fruit of faith because they are missing essential character qualities (faith, goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love). Because these qualities are not rooted in their hearts, they do not produce the expected fruit (2 Peter 1:5–8).

• When we see Christians who do not exhibit Christian character and are not producing good fruit, we ought to ask, “Why?” What is missing in these people? Peter says, “These people are missing character qualities that result in good fruit because they have forgotten who they are (“nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins,” 2 Peter 1:9). These people have lost sight of their identity in Christ, so they do not realize the position and resources that are theirs.

• Peter reminds us of one significant aspect of our identity: that in Christ we have been given “everything we need for life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3). As the children of God, we are rich! We don’t just have some things. We have all that we need!

Notice the tense of the verb in 2 Peter 1:3. Peter says that everything “has been given.” The verb is in the perfect tense, which refers to an action in the past that has continuing results into the future. Peter is saying that the giving has already been done. It is not something we have to wait for. As a result of the redemptive work of Christ, everything we need has been placed in our storehouse. When he says “everything,” what exactly does Peter mean? He tells us. We have everything that we need for “life and godliness.” Peter is not only saying that God has provided all we need for eternal life but for godliness as well. What does he mean by godliness? He means a God-honoring life from the time I am accepted into God’s family until the time I go to be with him in eternity. We have been given everything we need to think, desire, and behave in a godly way in the situations and relationships in which God has placed us! What an awesome provision!

• Peter tells us the purpose of this great provision. It is not so that we would be personally happy (nice job, marriage, family, church, neighborhood, vacations, retirement, etc.). No, God’s purpose is that we would become participants in his divine nature! God’s ultimate purpose is not personal happiness but personal holiness. God is addressing my most significant need, which is not external or emotional but moral. It is a heart ruled by the Lord rather than by “evil desires.” If my heart is ruled by evil desires, I will participate in the “corruption in the world” rather than in the work of Christ. I will not have a harvest of good fruit. Peter is saying that the most significant thing that God saves us from is us! Because of his abundant supply, we no longer have to live “unto ourselves,” but for “him who died for us and was raised again” (2 Corinthians 5:15).

• Finally, Peter tells us what will happen when we start living out our identity in Christ (vv. 5–8). It will change the way we live. We will not settle for a little bit of Christian character. We will want all that God has provided. We will see the relationships and situations of daily life as opportunities to get in increasing measure what belongs to us in Christ. If we understand our identity, we will have a progressive growth paradigm for life. We will not look at life as a minefield. We will not live to avoid, escape, or defend. We will live with hope, expectancy, and courage. We will live as one who is rich, not poor.

As people begin to apply the new insights they have been given and the new commitments they have made, this is the identity they need. They will tend to forget who they are. (Moses: “Who am I, that I should go?” Gideon: “But Lord, how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest . . . and I am the least in my family.”) They need to be reminded of their position (children of God) and their resources (everything they need) over and over again.

4. Providing Accountability

As change is applied to daily living, the Bible gives us two things to remember. First, as we help restore a person to where God wants him to be, we should “carry each other’s burdens” (Galatians 6:2). We are also told that we should “encourage one another daily” (Hebrews 3:13). These passages have much to offer us as we think about accountability.

• Accountability is not about being a private detective.

• It is not about trying to do the work of the Holy Spirit.

• It is not about being someone’s conscience.

• It is not about forcing someone to obey.

• It is not about chasing someone who is running or looking for someone who is hiding.

Accountability is about providing loving structure, guidance, assistance, encouragement, and warning to a person who is fully committed to the change God is working in his life. Let’s look at these five elements of accountability.

1. Accountability provides structure. Life is often messy and chaotic. Change seems easier when being discussed than it does when being applied to life. Accountability provides an outside system of structure (“Do these things during this period of time”) that can be immensely helpful to the person attempting something for the first time.

2. Accountability provides guidance. Often a person will want to do what is right but won’t be sure how to do it. At these times it is a great benefit to have someone standing alongside to provide ongoing wisdom as to the “where,” “when,” and “how” of change.

3. Accountability provides assistance. There are times when the person is not able to make the needed changes alone (example: a difficult talk with a wife, friend, child) and he literally needs someone there with him, helping him make the changes that are needed.

4. Accountability provides encouragement. Change is difficult and people get beaten down. They are tempted to question their commitments or even to quit. In these times, they need someone they trust alongside them, who knows their situation and who can encourage them to continue.

5. Accountability provides warning. There are times when people confess the need for change, but then begin to rebel against it when they realize the cost and work involved. These people need to be warned of the consequences that their disobedience and rebellion will bring. They need to be reminded that they will harvest what they have sown (Galatians 6:7).

Accountability is not about chasing a person who does not want to change or trying to do the work of the Holy Spirit. It is the willingness to provide ongoing help to the person who is fully committed to the “put off/put on” process.

There are three questions to ask as you seek to provide ongoing accountability.

1. What kinds of ongoing help will this person need?

2. How often will I need to be in contact with him for change to continue?

3. Are there other resources in the Body of Christ that would be helpful during this period of change? How can I connect this person to those resources?

Remember, as the person begins to apply new insights and new commitments to his situations and relationships, it is important to remind him of his identity in Christ and to provide ongoing accountability.

THE BIG QUESTION: Do you help others bear the burden of change by providing biblical accountability and affirming their identity in Christ?

CPR

Concepts

1. Human beings always live out of some sense of identity.

2. Every believer needs to understand his union with Christ.

3. In times of change, each of us needs loving accountability.

Personalized

1. Do I look at myself and my life from the perspective of who I am in Christ?

2. Does a daily recognition of my identity in Christ shape the way I think, speak, and act?

3. Do I humbly seek and receive accountability as God calls me to change?

Related to others.

1. Do I look for opportunities to remind others of their identity in Christ?

2. Do I look for where and how I can help others bear the load of change?

3. Am I willing to provide loving accountability to others as they apply new insights and commitments to their daily lives?

Make It Real

Consider your Personal Ministry Opportunity using the following questions.

1. What kind of accountability do you need to supply so that change and growth will continue to take place?

2. Where has this person (group) tended to forget who he is in Christ? What Scripture passages could you use to encourage a clear sense of this identity?

3. Describe how you would use one of these passages with the person.

4. Look back over your work on your Personal Ministry Opportunity and list some of the specific things you have learned about being an instrument of change in God’s redemptive hands.

5. What prayer requests do you have for the person you have sought to serve? What prayer requests do you have for yourself?

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Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands

Instilling Identity with Christ and Providing Accountability

As we continue examining the ways God can use us to help people change, think about your own life for a moment. Aren’t you also a person in need of ministry? Whether you are an influential Christian leader or a brand new believer, if you examine your life, you will see that you too need the ministry of others.

This chapter examines the fact that encouragement and accountability are important parts of the truth application process. Scripture makes it clear that we were never created to live in isolation. God designed us to live in community, first with him and then with one another. According to the Bible, personal change is a community project. In fact, it is in the process of change that we really begin to see our need for one another. My need for others is not because I am a moral or intellectual cripple in a world of healthy people. Rather, God created us to be dependent on each other to live life righteously, just as he created us to be dependent on his revelation to interpret life accurately.

‣ Objective 3: Instill Identity in Christ

The Importance of Knowing Who You Are

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People need encouragement as they pursue the hard work of change. They need truths that will motivate and strengthen them. The gospel motivates us not only with the presence of Christ and the surety of his promises, but also with our brand new identity. In passages like Romans 6:15–17 and 1 John 3:1–3, Scripture lays out this new identity for us. We learn that we are not only forgiven, but have in fact been adopted into the family of God. We are children of the King of Kings! The God of the universe is our Father!

Another way the New Testament describes this dramatic new identity is to say that we are “in Christ.” This means that we have been fully united to him and received all he has promised us. This goes far beyond the fact that we have been forgiven and are going to heaven. Something more fundamental has happened. Paul describes it in Ephesians 2:6–7: “And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.” John 15 captures this identity with a metaphor, saying that as believers we are like branches attached to a vine. We can only bear fruit because of our union with Christ the Vine. We have life because we are “in” the Vine.

All of this is important in times of change because we always live out of some kind of identity, and the identities we assign ourselves powerfully influence our responses to life. As people pursue the process of lifelong change, they need to live out of a gospel identity. They, like us, need to be reminded of who they are again and again.

In the press of everyday life, it is easy to forget who we are. As we try to replace old behaviors with new ones, it is easy to take our eyes off our status as children of God. In fact, the longer we struggle with a problem, the more likely we are to define ourselves by that problem (divorced, addicted, depressed, co-dependent, ADD). We come to believe that our problem is who we are. But while these labels may describe particular ways we struggle as sinners in a fallen world, they are not our identity! If we allow them to define us, we will live trapped within their boundaries. This is no way for a child of God to live!

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There is a radical difference between saying, “I am a depressed person,” and saying, “I am a child of God ‘in Christ’ and I tend to struggle with depression.” The second statement does not pretend that the war isn’t raging, but it is infused with hope. It says, “Yes, I wrestle with depression every day, but I am not alone. I do not rest on my own strength and wisdom. I have come to understand that my Creator and Savior is also my Father. I am beginning to grasp how rich I really am because of my place in his family, and I am learning to live out of the riches he has provided, rather than the poverty of the identities I used to assign myself.” It is never a waste of time to remind people of who they are in Christ. Doing so stimulates hope, courage, and faith.

One of the best identity passages in the New Testament is 2 Peter 1:3–9. Study it until it has mastered you! This passage should be a tool you can use wisely, practically, and well with others.

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. 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. But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.

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Let’s examine the important points of this passage.

• Peter acknowledges in 2 Peter 1:8 that there will be people who know the Lord, but whose lives are ineffective and unproductive. Maybe their home is a war zone. Perhaps they are consumed with bitterness or are resistant to those in authority. Whatever the issue, their lives have not produced the good fruit you would expect from someone with the full rights and privileges of a child of God.

• Peter says in 2 Peter 1:5–8 that these people do not produce the expected fruit because they are missing essential character qualities (faith, goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love). But Christ lived, died, and rose so that they would possess these qualities.

• When we see Christians who do not exhibit Christian character or produce good fruit, we ought to ask why. What is missing? Peter’s answer is, “These people have forgotten who they are” (2 Peter 1:9). They have lost sight of their identity in Christ, so they do not realize the resources that are theirs. Because of this, they fail to live with hope, faith, and courage. Their problems worsen and new layers of difficulty are added. This heightens their potential to walk through life with a problem-based identity. There are probably more people living like this than we would ever imagine. When I work through this passage with people, I am frequently impressed by how often they respond as if they have never heard these truths before. Their sense of who they are has usually been shaped by their problems.

• Another significant aspect of our identity is that in Christ we have been given “everything we need for life and godliness” (). As children of God, we are rich! We don’t just have some things; we have all we need! God supplies his children with everything they will ever need to do what he has called them to do. 2 Peter 1:3

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Notice the tense of the verb in 2 Peter 1:3. Peter says that everything “has been given.” The verb is in the perfect tense, which refers to an action in the past that has continuing results into the future. The giving has already been done; it is not something we have to wait for. As a result of the work of Christ, everything we need for “life and godliness” has been placed in our storehouse. The two words here are not redundant; Peter is making an important distinction. God has not only provided all we need for eternal life, but for godliness as well. Godliness means living a God-honoring life from the time I am accepted into God’s family until the time I join him in eternity. We have been given everything we need to think, desire, speak, and behave in a God-honoring way. What an awesome provision!

This gospel identity and its amazing resources are a powerful defense in the war for our hearts. As people step out in new obedience, the Enemy will come to them and say, “You don’t have what it takes to do this. If only you had _______ or _______, then maybe you could, but you don’t.” In these moments, the war for the heart is a war of identity. How people respond to Satan’s attacks depends on the identity they have embraced. Unfortunately, many people leave God out of the story when they talk about their troubles. They are preoccupied by the sins of others and the difficulties of the situation. But if there is no God in their story, there will be no biblical sense of identity, because biblical identity is always rooted in him. The Enemy knows that he doesn’t have to tempt us to forsake the faith to get a victory. He wins daily skirmishes with us by clouding or attacking our identity.

When you forget your identity and the riches that are yours in Christ, you live like a poor person. In Philadelphia, it has been reported that 3,500 homeless people live on the streets. Their lives are little more than finding something to eat and somewhere to sleep. At the end of the day, they are happy simply to have a place to lay their head in peace. They don’t ask for more.

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Many people in the midst of a struggle live as if they were spiritually homeless. They live the same survivalist, distracted, fearful, escapist, and “for the moment” existence. They do not think about growth and change or pursue the good things that are their inheritance as children of God. They just try to get through the day. They live as if they were poor, when, in fact, they are amazingly rich.

When we live with a poverty identity, the problem is not that we ask too much of the Father, but that we settle for too little. We settle for hammering together some kind of spiritual survival with the hope that things will be better in eternity. But the Bible never presents our life on earth as a meaningless time of waiting for the good stuff that comes later. The biblical model of waiting is not simply about what you will get at the end of your wait, but about who you will become as you wait. God has promised you real, abundant life in the here and now. We have a Father. We have a home. We are rich. We struggle a great deal, but we can expect much as well.

• In 2 Peter 1:4, Peter tells us what to expect of the great provision God has made for us in Christ. God’s purpose is not that we would be personally happy (nice job, marriage, family, church, neighborhood, vacation, retirement), but that we would become participants in his divine nature! In doing this, God is addressing my most significant need. This need is not external or emotional, but moral. What we need most is a heart ruled by the Lord rather than by “evil desires.” We need to be progressively freed from our slavery to the god-replacements that imprison us in self-absorbed pursuit of our own glory.

Peter’s point is that if my heart is ruled by evil desires, I will participate in the “corruption of the world” rather than the work of Christ. I will not have a harvest of good fruit. Too many Christians think they do what they do because of what they have experienced. Peter reverses the order. Rather than the corrupt world causing us to have evil desires, Peter says that our evil desires cause the corruption of the world! Scripture, in all its earthy honesty about the trouble we experience in this world, always brings us back to the heart. And it comforts us with the gospel promise of the heart-transforming, life-changing grace of Jesus Christ.

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A subtle monasticism still exists in the church today. The theology of the monastery taught, “It’s an evil world out there, so the way to be pure is to separate from it.” Yet history records that the monastery duplicated all the ills of the surrounding society. Why? Because they made a tragic mistake: They let people in! And as sinful people came in, they brought with them the full range of evil desires, corrupting the very environment that was their hope of purity.

Peter’s model is very different. It is an inside-out model. God has made ample provision for the progressive change of my heart, so that as I deal with the problems of life in a fallen world, I can do what is right and reap a harvest of good fruit. Peter is saying that the most significant thing God saves us from is ourselves! Because of his abundant grace, we no longer have to live enslaved to ourselves, but for “him who died for us and was raised again” (2 Cor. 5:15).

If we apply these truths to Sharon and Ed (from 2 Cor.10), we see that they are both trapped in their own heart environment. Sharon is convinced that Ed is her greatest problem; Ed is convinced that Sharon is his. Neither one wants help for him- or herself. It’s not that they want too much from their Father; they are willing to settle for far too little! Their marriage has been corrupted by their own desires, many of which were in place before they got married. If they fail to deal with these heart issues, their marriage will either be locked into a cycle of blame and recrimination, or they will divorce and repeat their mistakes in new relationships. This is why identity issues are so important. They are not icing on the cake. They are the cake.

• Finally, Peter tells us what will happen when we start living out of our identity in Christ (). It will change the way we live. We will not settle for a little bit of Christian character. We will not see our relationships and situations as dangers to be avoided, but as opportunities to experience what already belongs to us in Christ. We will be expectant and active because we have a progressive growth paradigm for life. We will not give in to patterns of avoidance, escape, or defense. We will not settle for a slightly better marriage, or marginally honest relationships. Each day we will want to experience more of the resources that are ours as children of God. This expectant, progressive model of change is critical for people applying new insights and commitments to their lives. Let me illustrate. 2 Peter 1:5–8

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Imagine that I get a call one afternoon from a bank officer who informs me that I have inherited $50 million from a distant relative. I get off the phone quite excited to tell Luella of our newfound fortune. I then run down to the bank, produce the requisite documents and withdraw $10,000 to take Luella out to eat (in Paris, for the weekend of her life!). Six weeks later, Luella, who does the finances in our family, is still struggling to stretch dimes into dollars. Confused, she says to me, “Paul, I thought you said we were rich beyond anything we thought we would ever experience. Yet we are living as if we are as poor as we have ever been. Why aren’t we living out of the inheritance you were given?”

Imagine me saying to Luella, “Do you know how hard it is to get down to that bank and draw out that money? First, the bank is in the center of the city. The traffic is unbelievable and the parking is worse. When you get to the bank you have to stand in one of those long, Disney World lines, and when you finally get to the counter, they treat you more like a criminal than a customer. [The bank has a fingerprinting pad next to each teller window for those who make major withdrawals.] It’s too much of a hassle!”

If you were Luella, wouldn’t you be thinking, You’re rich! How can anything keep you from the inheritance you have been given and the life it would give us? You need to keep going to that bank until you have received everything that is rightly yours!

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Peter ties our ability to persevere through difficulties to our grasp of our identity in Christ and the resources that come with it. If we really understand it, we will make every effort to obtain more and more of what is ours in Christ. He has promised to progressively conform our sinful hearts to the likeness of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

As we apply new insights and make new commitments, this is the identity we need. But just like heroes of our faith, we will tend to forget who we are. Moses said, “Who am I, that I should go?” and Gideon said, “But Lord, how can I save Israel?” We need to be continually reminded of our status as children of God and our spiritual resources in Christ.

Philippians 2:1–12 is another helpful identity passage, particularly because of its “if-then” construction. Verse 1 gives us the “ifs” by listing four redemptive realities in the life of every believer:

• If you have been encouraged by your union with Christ

• If you have experienced the comfort of Christ’s love

• If you have enjoyed fellowship with his indwelling Holy Spirit

• If you have experienced God’s tenderness and compassion

Philippians 2:2–12 give us the “thens” by detailing how we should live in light of the grace we have been given as children of God:

• Then be one in spirit and purpose (Philippians 2:2).

• Then do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit (Philippians 2:3).

• Then consider others better than yourselves (Philippians 2:3).

• Then look not only to your own interests, but also to those of others (Philippians 2:4).

• Then make sure your attitude is the same as Christ’s (Philippians 2:5–8).

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The if-then structure of this passage provides a practical description of what it means to live in light of my identity in Christ, including the radical heart changes that God is progressively working in me by his grace. Imagine what would happen to Sharon and Ed’s marriage if they began to live this way! Think of the changes that would take place if humble, unified, loving service replaced proud, self-interested, demanding disunity. They do not have to live as they are living. They have already been given something better in Christ.

‣ Objective 4: Provide Accountability

The Gift of Loving Accountability

Like the concept of confrontation, the concept of accountability tends to carry negative connotations. People can conjure up intrusive images when they hear the word. Yet the biblical picture is very loving in at least two ways. First, as we help restore people to where God wants them to be, we are called to “carry each other’s burdens” (Gal. 6:2). We are also told to fight the deceitfulness of sin by “encouraging one another daily” (Heb. 3:13). We must love people enough to do more than expose wrong, pronounce right, and walk away. Accountability requires a willingness to roll up our sleeves and get alongside people as they fight the war between sin and righteousness.

In personal ministry we call people to exercise faith in new and deeper ways—to forsake things they have done for years and do things they have never done before. We call them to new motives, purposes, and goals. We call them to make peace where there has been war, to serve where they have demanded and controlled. We call them to give up things that have been precious, and to do all these things not just once, but with long-term commitment and perseverance.

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Yet as people step out in faith, they are often still confused and afraid. They have committed to a new and better way, but they are not yet ready to be on their own. The disciples provide a wonderful example of this phenomenon. They had been with Jesus for three years and seen the glory and power of his presence. They had learned much about the kingdom of God, but in many ways they were still wobbly and uncertain. In his last few moments with them before the cross, Jesus recognized that they were not ready to be on their own. (See John 16:12–16.) Their fear and confusion at his crucifixion (which Jesus had warned them was coming) reveal what spiritual babies they were. Confused and afraid, they hid together, wondering what to do next. Even after they saw the resurrected Christ, they were still asking the wrong questions (Acts 1:7–11). But Jesus didn’t leave his wobbly disciples alone. He sent the Holy Spirit to guide, teach, encourage, warn, convict, and strengthen them.

God calls us to the same ministry by the power of the same Holy Spirit. He calls us to stand with people as they step out in faith, obedience, and courage. This is the ministry of accountability. It is not about lying in wait to catch them doing wrong. The purpose of accountability is to assist people to do what is right for the long run. It provides a presence that keeps them responsible, aware, determined, and alert until they are able to be on their own. It directs eyes that have just begun to see, and strengthens weak knees and feeble arms. We seek to encourage flagging faith and to keep God’s goals before people’s eyes. We help them to understand when they need to flee from sin and when they are called to stand and fight.

Like all personal ministry, accountability is incarnational. By standing alongside people, we incarnate the presence of the Holy Spirit who is not only with them but in them. We preach the gospel of an ever-present Redeemer who doesn’t just command, but enables. He doesn’t just convict; he forgives and restores. Biblical accountability is not fearful, abusive, or intrusive. It is loving, sacrificial, ambassadorial, incarnational, and holy. How could we serve Immanuel (“God with us”) and do anything less?

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By contrast, accountability is not about being a private detective, trying to do the work of the Holy Spirit, being someone else’s conscience, forcing someone to obey, chasing someone who is running, or looking for someone who is hiding. Accountability provides loving structure, guidance, encouragement, and warning to someone who is fully committed to the change God is working in his life. The person who makes accountability work is always the person being held accountable. He doesn’t see our presence and help as scary or intrusive. He doesn’t run and hide from it. Rather, he is glad to know that as others stand with him, God stands with him. Accountability works because he is a seeker, not a runner. The runner doesn’t need accountability; he needs rebuke. Accountability is help for those who are committed to change.

What Accountability Provides

Accountability provides help on a practical level in ways like these:

Accountability provides structure. Life is often messy and chaotic. Change seems easier to discuss than to actually achieve, so accountability provides an outside system of structure (“Do these things during this period of time”) that can be immensely helpful to someone attempting something for the first time.

Accountability provides guidance. Often a person will want to do what is right but won’t be sure how to do it. It is a great benefit to have someone provide practical, ongoing wisdom as to the where, when, and how of change.

Accountability provides assistance. There are times when a person is afraid to make the needed changes alone (for example, a difficult talk with a wife, friend, or child) and needs someone to help him do it.

Accountability provides encouragement. Change is hard, beating at the borders of people’s faith, courage, and hope. People are often tempted to question their commitments or even quit. They need someone they trust alongside them, who knows their inner struggle and can encourage them to continue. They need someone to incarnate the presence of the One who is their help and hope.

Accountability provides warning. Sometimes people confess their need for change, but begin to rebel against it when they realize the cost and work involved. These people need to be warned of the consequences of their disobedience and rebellion. They need to be reminded that they will reap what they sow (Gal. 6:7).

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Accountability brings ongoing help to the person who is fully committed to the “put off/put on” process. Ask yourself three questions as you seek to provide such accountability:

1. What kinds of ongoing help will this person need?

2. How often will I need to be in contact with him or her for change to continue?

3. Are there other resources in the body of Christ that would be helpful during this period? How can I connect this person to these resources?

Change in a fallen world can be burdensome. As people bring new insights and commitments to their lives, they need to be reminded of their identity in Christ and the presence of the indwelling Holy Spirit.

The Simplicity and Grandeur of Personal Ministry

If you were to summarize this book, what would you say? Perhaps you would describe it as a book of strategies for personal change. Maybe you would say it is about counseling in the local church. Some might say it explains how to bring Scriptural principles to the problems of life. Others might say it is about the necessity of personal ministry in the body of Christ.

All of these answers would be correct, but this book is first of all a call to live a daily ministry lifestyle rooted in God’s Word. We have laid out a whole Bible, whole life, whole body lifestyle. This lifestyle doesn’t look to the Bible as an encyclopedia for problem solving, but finds in God’s great story a perspective that transforms the way we deal with the circumstances of life.

Second, this book is rooted in the belief that God has called and positioned all of his children to live as his ambassadors. His claim is on all of our time and each of our relationships as we serve as his representatives.

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Finally, this lifestyle is not simply for the few who are privileged to minister as a career. God’s kingdom work involves every member of the body of Christ. Whether you are a child, a spouse, a neighbor, a relative, a pastor, an employer or employee, a teacher, a student, or a friend, all of your relationships must reflect your ambassadorial calling. You must always seek to faithfully represent his message, methods, and character. God sends unfinished people to unfinished people with the message of his grace so that he can reclaim every heart for his glory.

Core Truths of an Ambassadorial Lifestyle

We have seen that eight principles and perspectives characterize this ministry lifestyle.

· Truth #1. We need God and his truth to live as we were meant to live (Gen. 1:26; 2 Tim. 3:16–17). We need to forsake any delusion of autonomy or self-sufficiency. We cannot figure life out on our own nor do what God calls us to do. Our utter dependence on the Lord is not rooted in the Fall, but in our humanity. We were created to worship the Lord and depend on him.

· Truth #2. Each of us has been called by God to be his instruments of change in the lives of others, beginning with our families and the church (Eph. 4:11–16; Col. 3:15–17). Ministry is not an activity that takes place outside our primary relationships. Rather, God intends to use us in these relationships as he does his redemptive work.

· Truth #3. Our behavior is rooted in the thoughts and motives of our hearts. People and situations only prompt our hearts to express themselves in words and actions (Prov. 4:23; Luke 6:43–45; Mark 7:20–23; Matt. 23:25; James 4:1–10). Without denying the sad realities of suffering and being sinned against, we must reject any view of human behavior that forgets the heart. Instead, we affirm that God changes people’s lives as his grace transforms their hearts. Thus, in personal ministry, no matter what the difficulty, the heart is always our target.

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· Truth #4. Christ has called us to be his ambassadors, following his message, methods, and character (2 Cor. 5:14–21). Our calling allows us to represent the Lord of the universe to people around us! God is taking lost, confused, discouraged, rebellious, and self-absorbed people and making them into people who are empowered by his grace and motivated by his glory. Nothing is more important!

· Truth #5. Being an instrument of change involves incarnating the love of Christ by sharing in people’s struggles, identifying with their suffering, and extending God’s grace as we call them to change. We should seek relationships that are more than mutually fulfilling. We are to build relationships in which God’s work of personal transformation can thrive. We do this by sharing the love Christ has poured out on us. We do it by coming to those who suffer as fellow sufferers who offer God’s comfort and compassion. And we do it by coming as sinners to other sinners, extending to them the grace that has transformed our hearts—and can do the same for theirs.

· Truth #6. Being an instrument of change means seeking to know people by guarding against false assumptions, asking good questions, and interpreting information in a distinctly biblical way (Prov. 20:5; Heb. 4:14–16). We cannot be content with casual relationships among God’s people. We want to really get to know people and discover where change is needed. We learn to ask questions that cannot be answered without self-disclosure. And we filter everything we learn about people through the grid of Scripture. Our goal is not only to know others biblically, but to help them know themselves in the same way.

· Truth #7. Being an instrument of change means speaking the truth in love. With the gospel as our comfort and call, we can help people see themselves in God’s Word and lead them to repentance (Rom. 8:1–17; Gal. 6:1–2; James 1:22–25). When we confront people with the truth, we want to be instruments of seeing and agents of repentance. It is easier for people to see problems in people and situations than it is to see them in themselves. That’s why we lovingly hold the Word of God before them, so they can see themselves clearly and repent. Our prayer is that the words we speak will expose and change their hearts as they respond to the comfort and call of the gospel.

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· Truth #8. Being an instrument of change means helping people do what God calls them to do by clarifying responsibility, offering loving accountability, and reminding them of their identity in Christ (Phil. 2:1–14; 2 Peter 1:3–9; 1 John 3:1–3; Gal. 6:2). We must not confuse insight with heart and life change. Acquiring biblical insight is a necessary part of the process, but it is not, in itself, change. Change comes when people identify the specific things God is calling them to do and begin doing them by faith. We encourage this process by standing with people, offering the wisdom, guidance, and encouragement of biblical accountability. Lastly, we encourage change by helping people live out of an accurate sense of their identity as the children of God, with all the rights and privileges that this identity entails.

These are the biblical principles and perspectives that shape our ministry to others. The King has called us, and he will prepare us for his work. We have been bought with a price, and our lives do not belong to us. Receiving grace means becoming a conduit of grace to others. Suffering commissions us to comfort other sufferers. Being changed is to become an ambassador for change to others. There could be no more meaningful life this side of Glory! We should be deeply grateful to be included in the plan. But perhaps you wonder if you’ll ever be able to live the lifestyle this book describes. Maybe you are dizzy with all the details, strategies, and skills. Perhaps you are overwhelmed by what you’ve seen about your own heart.

Two things always come to my mind as I finish teaching this material. First, I am hit with the utter simplicity of biblical personal ministry. It is not a secret technology for the intervention elite, but a simple call to every one of God’s children to be part of what God is doing in the lives of others. It is living in humble, honest, redemptive community with others, loving as Christ has loved, and going beyond the casual to really know people. It is loving others enough to speak the truth to them, helping them to see themselves in the mirror of God’s Word. And it is standing with others, helping them to do what God has called them to do. It is basically just a call to biblical friendship!

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It is almost embarrassingly simple: Love people. Know them. Speak truth into their lives. Help them do what God has called them to do.

At the same time, there is a grandeur to personal ministry that cannot be captured with words. God is painting his grace on the canvas of human souls. One day we will stand with him in Glory and see that canvas completed, and we won’t be able to do anything but worship. What is our part in all of this? We are God’s brushes. He wants to soak us on the palette of his grace and paint more of his goodness on yet another soul. The question is, “Are we soft brushes in his hands?” A hard, dried-out brush doesn’t pick up the paint well and mars the surface it was meant to beautify. I hope this book will help you become a soft brush in the hands of a Redeemer who will continue to paint until his canvas is complete.

As we stand before him on that last day and see the awesome beauty of the universe’s most glorious canvas, God’s voice will penetrate the sounds of our worship with these wonderful and mysterious words: “Well done, good and faithful servants!” Then we will know that each moment of ministry was worth it. We will know that we have been part of the most important, lasting, and beautiful thing that has ever been done—redemption. We will experience the reality of the words of the hymn:

Who are these like stars appearing, these before God’s throne who stand?

Each a golden crown is wearing; who are all this glorious band?

Alleluia! Hark, they sing, praising loud their heav’nly King.

Who are these of dazzling brightness, these in God’s own truth arrayed,

clad in robes of purest whiteness, robes whose luster ne’er shall fade,

ne’er be touched by time’s rude hand? Whence come all this glorious band?

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These are they who have contended for their Savior’s honor long,

wrestling on till life was ended, foll’wing not the sinful throng;

these, who well the fight sustained, triumph through the Lamb have gained.

These are they whose hearts were riven, sore with woe and anguish tried,

who in prayer full oft have striven with the God they glorified;

now, their painful conflict o’er, God has bid them weep no more.

These, like priests, have watched and waited, off’ring up to Christ their will;

soul and body consecrated, day and night to serve him still;

now in God’s most holy place blest they stand before his face.^[1]

These are the rewards awaiting God’s faithful. May they encourage you in your service to the King!^{^[1]}

Chapter 14 Study Questions Instilling Identity with Christ and Providing Accountability

^[1] This hymn, with lyrics by Heinrich T. Schenk, is taken from The Trinity Hymnal (Philadelphia, Pa.: Great Commission Publications, 1990), #542.

^{^[1]} Tripp, Paul David. 2002. Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands: People in Need of Change Helping People in Need of Change. Resources for Changing Lives. P&R Publishing Company.

Biblical Influence & Life Application

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Sunday, June 18, 2023

Chapter 14 Study Questions Instilling Identity with Christ and Providing Accountability