Seeking First The Kingdom Changes Everything ("Prepare" Day 4)

If God is the one who sanctifies me, then what is my role in my own spiritual growth and development? Is it an active role or a passive role? Embracing spiritual discipline takes work on our part, but it is not sanctification through works. Just the opposite. In this episode, Matt and Rachael discuss biblical obedience as an act of faith: an expression of our confidence in God to be faithful to His promises to do a thorough work in us - if we will only have the faith to obediently follow Him.

Click Here for Week 1 Homework Sheet

BEFORE this episode: Complete DAY FOUR Homework (Matthew 6:33 and 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24)

AFTER this episode: Complete DAY FIVE Homework (Galatians 5:16-26)

Transcript

A Life That Truly Bears Fruit

SPEAKER_00 0:09

Do you ever feel like your life just isn't as productive or effective as it should be? As followers of Jesus, we want our short time on earth to have eternal impact, but often we feel like we're falling short. The good news is that Scripture gives us a promise, a life that's never ineffective or unproductive in knowing Jesus Christ. In 2 Peter 1, we're told to build on our faith, adding goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, mutual affection, and love. As these qualities grow, they keep us fruitful and effective for God's kingdom. I'm Matt Morrow, and my wife Rachel and I have spent nearly 20 years teaching God's word and walking with people in every stage of faith. Our passion is to see lives permanently and radically transformed by Scripture applied. Adding to your faith is here to help you understand biblical truth, practice it daily, and grow to look more like Jesus. We're glad you're here. Let's walk this journey together.

Meet Matt And Rachel

SPEAKER_01 1:19

Hi friends, I'm Rachel, and I'm here with Matt, and we are on week one, day four of How to Study Your Bible. And so if you have not done day four's homework, hit pause now and go spend some time in the Word on day four, and then come back and join us so that we can talk about together what is our role in sanctification. And so, Matt, you know, when we think about like what our role is, of kind of think culturally, we hear a lot of different statements from like God helps those to who help themselves

Our Role In Sanctification

SPEAKER_01 1:56

to Jesus take the wheel to Jesus is my co-pilot to let go and let God. So, you know, kind of out of those, where where, if any of those, does the truth lie? Like what is our role in that?

SPEAKER_00 2:10

Yeah, I don't think that the truth lies right in any of those, really. And even worse in an illustration I used yesterday in some ways, because I used the Rocky Balboa illustration, like, yeah, that's as as I'm hearing you describing, like, yeah, definitely not the same thing at all. It's a training montage and they're cool and they're great movies, but but but ultimately, what the Bible says about our sanctification is that the Lord does it, that God does the work of sanctifying us. Now, that does not mean that we are passive, that we have no role in it. Uh, we have a very important role, but it's very much about coming under his authority and essentially removing the shield of our flesh that is a barrier to him doing the work that he wants to do in our lives of sanctificing and sanctifying us. And so, yeah, I don't know that it really fits super well with any of those descriptions that you made. And it certainly doesn't fit well with the description or the illustration that I used yesterday. It just it's it's a it's a thorough work that God alone is capable of doing and that he alone does, but that he only does it if we are surrendered to his to his authority. And that that means several things. And there's there's

Teachable vs Approachable Hearts

SPEAKER_00 3:20

scripture that we'll read even today that that really lists a whole lot of stuff we should be doing. But those are even those are acts of faith. They're acts that tr that demonstrate that I trust him to do what he says he will do in his word, and I trust him enough to bet something on it. You said this a few days ago, to bet on it, what my life, to be able to get up on the shoulders of the unicyclist who's who's going across the Niagara Falls and and trust that that's for real.

SPEAKER_01 3:52

And you know, one of one of our mentors, Carla McLaughlin, has uh has just been so instrumental, I think, in shaping some of my understanding of of just the process of applying God's word and and just discipleship in general. But I think when it comes to this, one of the concepts that she talks about is being teachable versus being approachable. And, you know, I think when you think about our role in that, it's being actually teachable. And, you know, many of us are are approachable when it comes to the things of God. You know, we'll we'll listen politely and even agree. And even agree, you know, and nod along and and say amen and and you know, give you the hoorah, you know, and and go get them. But we're not really in a heart position where we're asking to be teachable.

SPEAKER_00 4:47

Which means you want to be changed.

SPEAKER_01 4:48

Yeah. Right. Where where I actually I I want the things of the Lord. And so, you know, that's one of the verses is Matthew 6, 33, which is, you know, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and then all of these things shall be added unto you. And when we mix that up, when we try to seek after the other things first, you know, or we're seeking God to get the other things, then we're approachable, but we're really not teachable. You know, we have an outcome in mind that we're trying to to get God to conform to. And and that's that's not ever going to to create the kind of life change that that God really desires for us. And and so really I think our role in that is just making ourselves teachable and then being willing to to walk out those things that that he shows us.

SPEAKER_00 5:48

So, what does it mean to to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness just for their own

Seeking First The Kingdom

SPEAKER_00 5:54

sake? And that's really where we start with the second passage of scripture that's part of today's focus, which is 1 Thessalonians 5, 16 to 24. So if you think about what it looks like to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, just for that sake, not for some other outcome, not for any other end, just for

1 Thessalonians 5:16–24 Walkthrough

SPEAKER_00 6:11

that. It means what we read in 1 Thessalonians 5, 16 to 24. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Couldn't be more clear, right? Do not quench the spirit, do not despise prophecies, but test everything, hold fast to what is good, abstain from every form of evil. Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, he will surely do it. There is so much in that passage of Scripture about what it looks like to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, what a life that's surrendered to his lordship looks like, and then all of the glorious promises that he delivers and brings to the table for uh for anyone who who surrenders in that way. So when we talk about our role in our own sanctification and God's role in our sanctification, that's really what we're what we're really evaluating is we're saying, well, what does it look like? Certainly for the Lord to do what is promised here, that he is faithful and he will surely do it, that he himself will sanctify me completely. That's in his word right here. So we know that's God's role. It's not my role to sanctify myself, but it is my role to seek first the kingdom, to come under his lordship, to surrender to that, and to really trust him enough to walk in obedience to what he calls us to. I mean, it's it's easily confused with a, I mean, people can look at that and sometimes say, well, here are all a list of things that we should do, and that means that these are works, and is that a works theology? Like that's not at all what's being described here. What's being described here is faithful obedience, trusting a loving father enough to say, okay, Lord, you say this is what this is what leads to your sanctification in my life. That's what I want. So I'm gonna trust you by doing what you say. That's what I'm gonna do. I I don't have to know how it works out, I don't have to see how it how it will play out ahead of time. I just know you and your character enough to trust what you say.

SPEAKER_01 8:22

Right. And that's I mean, like when like the word says Abraham believed God, and that was counted to him as righteousness, right? I mean, that's what you're describing. It's believing God and saying, because he said it, I will believe that it's true and I will act on it. And and that's our role in it, is believing God, you know, and so it's it's still an act of faith, and then the Lord does that work in us as we seek after him. But I mean, I think to your point, that's why the order matters so much, right? That's why why you've got to have the building blocks in place and you can't you just can't start there, you know. You you have to to be in kind of that posture of coming under the authority of the scripture and and you know, rightly thinking about God and your relationship to him and understanding salvation and what he's done for you and his grace, and then your role in sanctification is kind of an overflow or an outflow of of all of those other truths. And so as you start to get those right in your mind and and in your heart, then the Lord really starts to transform you, right? He transforms you by the renewing of your mind so that you know him and you know his will and you know what's pleasing to him, and and he changes your desires so that that's who you want to be. And then as you seek that, he also promises then all those other things he's gonna add to you because he's a really good father.

SPEAKER_00 10:01

So when I read that 1 Thessalonians 5, 16 to 24 passage, and I and I at the end go with everything it tells us is true about him, that he himself will sanctify me completely, that that I that my my so my whole spirit, soul, and body will be kept blameless at the coming of Jesus Christ.

Faithful Obedience, Not Works

SPEAKER_00 10:20

And that he who calls me is faithful, that's the character of God, and he will surely do it. It is a promise of God. If I so what I do with this passage, then I take to the beginning, the first part of it, where it lists all the things that I should be doing, how I should be, how I should be living, and and I and I think if I believe the second part, like if I believe that he will sanctify me completely, if I believe that he will keep me blameless, if I believe that he is faithful, and I believe that he will surely do these things, then by faith, what does it look like for me to rejoice always? Like how do I by faith, how do I rejoice always? By faith, how should I go about praying without ceasing? By faith. By faith, how do I give thanks in all circumstances? These are good questions for us to wrestle with as believers, right?

SPEAKER_01 11:16

They are, and they're extremely practical. Yeah, right. I mean, rejoicing is is what? Right? It's it's praise.

SPEAKER_00 11:24

It's it's it's the verb form of joy.

SPEAKER_01 11:27

Yeah, right. Like it's thinking about who God is and what he's done and marveling at that, right? It's it's rejoicing, it's it's really setting your mind on who God is. And then prayer is the process through which we get to know God. It's how we communicate with him and he communicates with us. And so as we spend time in prayer, we're building our our relationship with him, we're hearing from him. We're we're not, it's not just us talking to him or bringing our our list of needs to him. Yeah, right. I mean, if you look at the model of the Lord's prayer,

Practicing Joy, Prayer, Gratitude

SPEAKER_01 12:04

it begins with our father, right? Like understanding who he is as your father. That's hallowed be your name. Right, like hallowed be your name, that your name be holy and set apart, right? That's rejoicing, that's setting your mind on the things that are true, and then and then talking to the Lord, right? Because then in prayer, that's how that's how we build relationships, that's how we know him. And then when we give thanks, we're saying that what the Lord has done is enough for us. That's that's a recognition of his sufficiency.

SPEAKER_00 12:37

And from there, right, then I want just I want to stop before we go from there because I want to take I want to take a little more time with a couple of these, because there they're there is a tendency, there can be a tendency for the follower of Christ to look at these as as almost chores, as almost illicit things that I'm supposed to be doing, and so I just have to sort of gut it out and do it. That's not what's being described here. When it says rejoice always, that means literally, that means have joy all the time. Well, I can't, that's not something that I can just gut out. That's not a chore that I can just do because stuff happens in life that's that's not great, right? And so so if I'm gonna rejoice always, the only way to do that is by faith. It means I have to by faith have joy in the Lord regardless of circumstances. But the great thing about that is that no circumstance can rob me of that joy. That joy is now mine always, in all things, always. It's a it's not just, it's not something that we're called to just do, it's something we're called to to receive. It's an incredible blessing. And then as you said, pray without ceasing. I mean, these are these are things that we're that we're called by faith to do because doing them in this way demonstrates that we trust the Lord wholly and completely. And then He just pours out blessing on that. He allows us to be filled with joy all the time. He allows us to be in communion with Him all the time without ceasing, in just the way that's being described here.

SPEAKER_01 14:09

No, and you have it because it's not rooted in you, it's rooted in the character and nature of God.

SPEAKER_00 14:15

And no one can take it away.

SPEAKER_01 14:17

And nobody can take that away. And and it it grows and it will grow in increasing glory until we step into eternity. And that's the beauty of it.

SPEAKER_00 14:28

Yeah, I mean, give thanks in all circumstances is another another perfect illustration of that, right? We talked yesterday about how about how we one of the practices we can engage in is actually thanking the Lord for the pain of discipline. Like when that's what it says, all circ in all circumstances. So circumstances that we would choose and circumstances we wouldn't choose. Why? Because by faith, we know that he is doing a good work for our good. We know that. And so we can give thanks in all circumstances, and it can it can be genuine, it can be real. Um, and when that happens, then we're and we're blessed beyond measure.

Do Not Quench The Spirit

SPEAKER_00 15:05

Then there are other things that we're called here to do. I mean, I I some of these are actually kind of hard for me to wrap my head around. Like, what does it mean to quench the spirit? What is it, what is I mean, if I'm if I'm supposed to not quench the spirit, Rachel, what does that even mean?

SPEAKER_01 15:19

You know, I think those are are kind of can be really difficult. You know, I think one of the things it means in my life is like when the Lord is is showing me something to to be obedient to it, you know. I I've learned the hard way that that sometimes when I ignore the promptings of the spirit, yeah, he stops talking to me. You can talk yourself out of doing the thing that he prompts you to do. He's he's a he is a gentle a gentleman and he's a gentle God. And so, you know, I mean, I in his mercy and grace, he doesn't leave me where I am. He, you know, he he loves me enough to not turn me over to myself. But but I can quench the spirit by by digging my heels in and refusing to do what he shows me. And you know, and sometimes those moments pass, and so you you can't go back and get them back, and you just have to ask for forgiveness and and know that God is is merciful and sovereign and and you know that that he's still working and and doing what's good and right. And then, you know, I think even just about like testing things and holding those out and saying, you know, is this really from the Lord or is this my heart's desire or is this something that God has for me? And you know, anyone who's walked with the Lord very long knows that sometimes that can be really hard to to divide out and to test out. And so you have to do it on your knees and you have to do it in scripture, and you have to do it in a way that that has a posture of really seeking and and trying to be teachable instead of deciding the outcome and then trying to, you know, kind of fit the Lord into your your path and box. And so, you know, there's a beautiful verse in Jeremiah that that talks about like standing at the crossroads and looking and asking for the ancient path and asking for the good way and then walking in it. And I just I love that picture of just standing there and and just in that moment asking the Lord, like what is like what is the ancient path, right? What is the way that that you have spoken from the foundations of the earth? And then what is the good way? What are you asking me to do and how to walk in it? And and then asking him for the strength to kind of take those first steps and and start walking through

Testing, Discernment, Ancient Paths

SPEAKER_01 17:54

it.

SPEAKER_00 17:54

So a big part of our role, it goes almost goes without saying, and that's of course what we're doing with with the this whole series, is a big part of that role in our own sanctification is to stay directly and personally connected to the truth of his word, to the power of his spirit in that way. So we have to be, we have to be consistent in our in our you know, we we have a Lord who is faithful, and so we have to demonstrate some faithfulness to be able to be to be open to the movement of his spirit to do the work that he wants to do in our lives. And that involves that involves, again, sometimes it means it means opening that that Bible when you're tired or you're or you're a little beat down, or you're maybe your attitude's not not the best, and to be able to come to the Lord and ask him to to to fix that, to, you know, to forgive you for for uh for your attitude toward it in some cases. But but ultimately just to do what's necessary to continue to sort of come under that authority and continue to be to be in a place of surrender where he can where he can do his most thorough work in our lives. I mean, we we can fight him. You mentioned this earlier. We can fight him. We were born fighting him, right? We came into this world fighting him, and so we're capable of fighting God. And while he could break us anytime he wants to, he he typically will back off if we're fighting him. He's he doesn't force himself on us. But when we will surrender, when we will yield, when we will earnestly and honestly seek him, he he he comes in in a mighty and powerful way. So there are many promises in this text, in this scripture. And I think those are the things really to hold on to when we think about our role in our own sanctification, is to really think mostly about his role in our sanctification, to set our mind mostly on what he is doing, and then just trust

Staying In Scripture When It’s Hard

SPEAKER_00 19:55

in the truth of that enough to be able to order our lives around it. I mean, we're prompt. That he will he will sanctify us, not partly, not not some, but completely. It will be a complete work. That's a promise in his word that we will be kept blameless before the Lord. I mean, how how awe-inspiring is that with all of the wickedness that I know is in me, to be blameless before before the Lord Jesus Christ when he returns. And to know that he who calls me is absolutely always 100% faithful. And that he will, I don't just say that he will do it, which would be enough, but he will surely do it. There is no question, and it will be complete. If we set our minds on that, we we put our we begin putting ourselves in the posture that's necessary to be sanctified. Rachel, what uh as we look ahead to tomorrow, of course, will be day five of this week one, and we're gonna we're gonna really focus on this next piece, which is the flesh versus the spirit, and and using God's word to really put on that new self daily, to put our new self on in an ongoing way. That's that's a really important part of the walk. That's part of how we position ourselves to receive these promises of the Lord, to receive those sanctifying, that sanctifying work that he promises to do, is that we really have to practice walking by the Spirit and walking by faith and not by flesh or by sight. And that's a that's a big part of what we'll do tomorrow being Galatians 5, 16 to 26. So please read that passage and and do the homework related to that as well so that you can be ready for that discussion tomorrow. Sound good?

SPEAKER_01 21:45

Sounds great. And I hope that um our listeners are really excited to see what the Lord has for them as they really divide it, you know, like just dive in and and really learn how to to

Promises That Anchor Our Process

SPEAKER_01 21:57

study the scriptures for themselves because it is it is a a treasure beyond compare. And so I hope that that as we're working through this, that it's building just excitement, that there is so much here for you, and and that's our prayer is that that you'll mind the word of God for all that it has for you because it's glorious.

SPEAKER_00 22:19

That is our prayer, and it's why we didn't we didn't start in week one by just diving right into techniques and methods. We want first to really establish that that foundation, that that why for everyone. There is rich, rich reward waiting for us uh as we embrace this. And then it's just a matter of what what methods or techniques you use to get there.

SPEAKER_01 22:39

Yep. So read Galatians 5 and meditate this week on on the fruits of the Spirit.

SPEAKER_00 22:45

Looking forward to talking to you again tomorrow.