Intermediate Discipleship 201

For no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have--Jesus Christ. Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials--gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. 1 Cor.3:11-13

NLT My second book of the series on discipleship builds on the foundation laid in Basic Discipleship 101. When I first received Christ into my life, I began to change dramatically. However, after the initial change, many other sins still needed to be addressed--some that proved to be more tenacious. Even though other people could not see these sins, I longed to be free from them. Driven by my guilt, I asked Christian leaders how to overcome sin. No one knew how to present principles that would enable me to overcome sin. In fact, many respected Christians denied the possibility of living a holy life, pleasing to God.

One day, I read in the beatitudes: "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled." I started fasting and asking Him to teach me. God responded by showing me principles which enabled me to have victory over my sins. Sometimes it came by watching a program or listening to a message, other times in conversation, and still other times through personal Bible study.

After forty years, I have accumulated Biblical principles that through Christ can enable a person overcome sin. I am not perfect but am being perfected. The more I become like Christ, the more I am aware that I am not like Christ. I am on a journey of progressive sanctification in which I continue by faith to gain victory over sins. We will never become sinless, but we can sin less and less as we surrender our lives to Christ. In this collection of studies, we will examine the concept of sin, identify the causes of sin, and consider the principles from the Bible which will enable us to overcome sin.

Welcome to Intermediate Discipleship 201