The Work of Christ – Part 3 (Discipleship Training)

This post is part of my series on Discipleship Training. See all Discipleship Training Plans here.

Or, read my introductory post on discipleship training here.

The Work of Christ (Part 3): In the first part of our study on the work of Christ, we examined Christ’s estate of humiliation, where he took the form of a servant and humbled himself all the way in obedience to death on a cross. In the second part of our study on the work of Christ, we studied Christ’s estate of exaltation.

In this part of our study, we will examine the way in which Christ gives what he has accomplished to his people: through union with him, by the Holy Spirit.

Training Objective

To understand union with Christ as the means by which we partake of the benefits of Christ’s mediation.

Scripture

Read and discuss:

• John 15:5: Unless we abide in Christ, we can do nothing on our own
• John 16:14–15: The Holy Spirit takes what is Christ’s and delivers it to us (elsewhere, I have described the work of the Holy Spirit as that of the Treasurer of the Trinity)
• 1 Corinthians 2:12–16: It is the Spirit of God who imparts to us spiritual things, even giving us the mind of Christ
• Ephesians 1:13–14: The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee of our inheritance through the gospel of Christ
• Titus 3:4–7: Christ saves us by the renewal of the Holy Spirit

Doctrine

Read and discuss:

• Westminster Confession of Faith, Ch. 8:5–6, 8
• Westminster Larger Catechism #57–59, 66, 69
• Westminster Shorter Catechism #29–30

Discussion Questions

• What does it mean to “abide” in Christ?
• How does the Holy Spirit help us to abide in Christ?
• Some theologians have spoken of the work of Christ as accomplishing redemption, and the work of the Holy Spirit as applying redemption. How do those categories help to explain the doctrines we are studying in this section?

Application

• Reflect on your work of redemption as the work of all three persons of the Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
• Pray that the Father would unite you to Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit

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