Today I'm Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram. You know, we've all seen those advertisements about instant weight loss, you know, getting in shape for five minutes a day. The problem is those quick fixes don't last.
So what does it take to experience real, lasting life change? I mean the kind of life change that helps you become the person you've always longed to be.
Well, today I'm going to give you some specific steps from God's Word about how that really happens from the inside out. Stay with me. Hello and welcome to Living on the Edge. I'm your host, Dave Druy. If you've ever felt spiritually stuck, like you're surviving the week instead of actually living, today's message is for you.
We're at the start of a series called Free at Last, How to Break Out of a Destructive Lifestyle. And today Chip is going to walk us through how the process of transformation actually works and why the place God designed for it to happen might actually surprise you.
Well now here's Chip Ingram with his Bible open to Ephesians chapter 4, starting in verse 4. Green Caterpillars. are transformed in cocoons or pupa. Christians are transformed. in community.
The reason many Christians who genuinely have come to Christ, who have some initial outward changes and a few inward ones, and then plateau and never deal with the deep, deep issues of the heart, The reason those deep issues never change is they are not in community where the real them shows up meeting real needs for the right reason in the right way and where they are vulnerable and someone loves the broken parts of you. And loves you enough to encourage you and accept you, and at the same time, hold you accountable and not let you keep being the same person. And so he says, this is how transformation works. There's a reason, however, and the reason is really critical. He says there's one body, one spirit, just as you were called in one hope.
That you were called one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father. Every time the word one is used here, could you underline that? There's seven of them, so let me give you a minute. Where it says there is, where you put a box around there is, because, and again, our English Bibles are absolutely fantastic, but just now and then the Greek text is there in a way that's a little bit more in living color. The there is isn't in the original text, but it makes the sentence make sense.
Because what Paul has done is used a very unusual grammatical device. And basically, what he's saying is three chapters of all that God has done for you. Therefore, walk in a manner worthy. Let your life and lips tell the same story. Here's how to do it: get together in deep, authentic community and treat each other with humility, and gentleness, and patience, and put up with stuff.
And the only way you'll do that is draw on his resources, and then literally he goes off. It's like you've got to understand how important this is. And this is so important. It's not about your happiness. It's not about it, does it work for you?
It's not that it improves your life. He's going to do seven staccato one, one, one, one, and then you'll notice there's four alls. All, all, all, all. There's a focus of unity. There's a focus of consistency.
And then he does something where it's in triads. There's three ones followed by three ones, followed by another three ones. And the Trinity is in this. And usually we think of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, but he doesn't go that direction. It's very unusual.
He's talking about the church. He's talking about what Christ has done. He's talking to them and to us about this transformation. And so he starts with: well, how does it work? The Spirit of God is what convicts us.
The Spirit of God is what gives us spiritual birth. We're born of the Spirit. The Spirit of God is our pledge or down payment for heaven and our hope. And so notice what he does. I mean, when they're reading this, I can imagine them opening the scroll and they're going, bam, bam, bam, bam, bam, bam, bam, seven times.
And basically, what he goes, there's one body, the church, one spirit who creates it, and one hope. You're the new church. The Spirit does it. He's taking you to heaven. And then, for what?
Who's the focus? One Lord Jesus, one faith, one baptism. Jesus is the focus of it all. Each one of you have taken this step of faith, and each one of you have graphically, publicly told the world and said, Your past is behind you. And what you did is you said, My old life died, and I've been resurrected with Him, and all the privileges.
And all the persecution, think about when this was written. This was written when there was a God on every corner. There's one Lord One faith. One baptism, and then it goes to the Father. There's one God.
But he's different than this God that makes everyone afraid. Notice there's one God, He's the Father. He's kind. He's a dad. He's an ABBA.
He's the father of all, and then notice he's sovereign. He's the creator, he's what? who is over all and through all. And in awe. Listen carefully.
Here's what he's saying. This is what God's done for you, chapters 1 through 3. Here's the command. Let him live his life through you.
so that your behavior and your lifestyle match what's true. The way to do that isn't about activity or do's and don'ts or external rules. It happens in community, in deep, authentic relationships, where you give to people what you really don't have to give. And so you draw on dependencies, you abide in Christ, and you love others. In fact, the way Jesus loves people, He gives you a moment with His Spirit.
He speaks to you through His Word. But the way Jesus is going to hug most of us is you're not going to get like an angel from heaven at the foot of your bed tomorrow morning going, hey, I need a hug. He's going to hug you through me. He's going to hug me through you. It's going to be the person in your small group.
It's going to be the Jesus living in this body. And he says, as you do that, Do you remember what Jesus said? The way the world will know. that the Father has sent the Son Is what? by the authenticity and the genuineness of our love for one another.
And Paul says that's what at stake.
Now, we're going to be on a journey, okay?
So I I can't cover Most of you are thinking you've already covered too much, your head hurts. But what I want to do before we go on is, I want to give you the three reasons as you flip this text around and when you look at people's life experience, I want to give you some practical tools about: so, what keeps us from metamorphosis? What are the barriers for all of us? And you know, as I go through this, and I mean, don't get covered over with, oh, that's me, I'm a terrible person. No, no, no.
God brought us here to say, let's go on a journey. And so let me give you these three things. I'll give it sort of top level, and we're going to be unpacking these. Three reasons. We fail to be transformed.
Reason number one, is spiritual ignorance. Not stupidity. This isn't that people are stupid. We just don't know. Our failure to understand our true identity in Christ destines us to the try-hard, do-good, fail syndrome.
The problem is a lack of knowledge. The solution is discover your new identity. I mean, I didn't know. I kind of grew up in a church that didn't preach the Bible, and I became a new Christian, and the Spirit came into my life, and I got around a group of people that were really activity-oriented, which was good. And so I tried hard, do good, failed, try hard, do good, failed, try hard.
Do not so good, fake it. And then I quit trying. I remember I was a Christian just about a year and a half or two years, and I had this poster, I was in college. And I had a poster, and it had my Bible there, and it was some poster about God.
So when people came in my room, you know, hey, you know, yo.
Okay. And I remember like, okay, some things changed. And that is just... You know, it's playing basketball and baseball and I was an RA. And in my private moments, I realized lust had not changed.
My ego really hadn't changed. I was now reading the Bible. And I don't want to be a hypocrite and I knew I was. I, all I knew was, I was trying as hard as I could in my energy to be like Jesus because I thought that's what a Christian was. And I got news for you.
You can't do it. No one can live the Christian life but Jesus. And the way the Christian life is lived is when we abide in relationship, and the Spirit of God takes the Word of God in the context of the cocoon of community, and He produces the life of Christ. We have a part. Make every effort.
And so you have to discover your identity in Christ. I'll give you one verse to get you going and maybe a couple resources. Galatians 2.20 is the Apostle Paul in one sentence saying, if you don't understand the Christian life and you want to know the identity of Christ's truth, here's in one sentence. If you want the longer version, read Ephesians 1, 2, and 3. If you like a more technical version, read Romans 6, 7, and 8.
But let me just give it to you. I mean, you know, this is the elevator pitch on your identity in Christ. Paul says, I have been crucified with Christ. Nevertheless, I live. Yet not I, but Christ lives within me.
And this new life that I live, I live by faith. In the Son of God who loved me. and gave himself for me. See, Paul realizes when he trusted Christ, he died with Christ. His old man died.
He was resurrected with him. He's living out of who he already is. And yet he's saying, I still live in this world. But yet, not I, but it's Christ lives in me, and the way you appropriate grace, the way you experience the truth of Ephesians 1, 2, and 3, it's a faith walk through grace. That's why the metaphor of walk is so important.
You're listening to Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram and we'll continue the lesson in a moment. But while you're with us, did you know that Chip's teaching is also available on YouTube? The Living on the Edge channel has full video series, short form clips, and a growing library of content you can watch anytime. Check out Chip's other series like Sacred Strongholds, exploring the lies we believe that quietly destroy the lives we love. Just search Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram on YouTube and hit subscribe so you never miss what's new.
Well now here's Chip. I uh I'm starting to feel like I'm old. I want you to know I'm not really old. I started very young, and Teresa started even younger. But I can tell you from when my kids were small, and now with all these little grandkids, can you remember what it was like when.
You saw children learn to walk for the first time. You know what walking is? Walking is moving out of your comfort zone and getting ready to fall, and then getting out of your comfort zone and ready to fall again. And then you do it again, and it's amazing. It's an off balance out of where you were from comfort to a moment of fearful indecision.
Now, with practice, let me show you something. It can be done like this eventually. But when your little kids fell down and they took two steps, what did you do? Oh, that was so good, that was so good, that was so good. Did you focus on their falling down or the few steps they took?
Could I tell you the Apostle Paul said, walk in a manner worthy, because he wants you to know that the Father and God. He rejoices at your steps of faith, and he's not shocked when you fall down. And what we really need to do is realize God is cheering for every step of faith. And we need to be in that cocoon of community where we can be loved through that journey and process. But you have to learn.
You have to learn how to, I call it, appropriate grace. You have to learn how do you allow Christ to live his life through you. The second Reason we fail to be transformed is spiritual isolation. Our failure to actively, no, that's a key word, actively participate in deep, Christ-centered, honest relationships makes transformation impossible. The problem And please don't feel too bad about this one, but it's pride.
I don't mean necessarily just the pride where you stick out your chest and you think, it's the pride of self-dependency. Because if you don't have deep, authentic relationships, and whether that's in a small group or whether that's around the table in your family or with a couple guys or a couple gals or two or three couples, I'm not talking about just being in a small group. That's the container. I'm talking about really doing life authentically and openly and lovingly, and people who know what's really going on. And you get accepted even when you blow it, and you get kind of kicked lovingly.
When you know you need kick because they really care.
Okay. See, the reason we don't do that is my agenda. Is I think is more important than God's agenda. I mean, when you tell me we don't have time, Well just all I have to do is say well tell me what your schedule looks like Well, I work, work, work, work, work, and then we have youth sports, and then I have this, and then I have this hobby, and I work out, and then I go to the gym, and then I, oh, okay.
So all you're telling me is That matters more than what God says. is the very place where he's going to transform you. At the end of the day, everyone does what matters most, period. We never have a time problem. All of us have priority issues.
And for some of you, I mean, here's the application. I mean, it's very, very simple. The solution. is do life in community. And for some, it's changing how life happens in your home.
For others, you need to join a small group. I mean, we are off the charts on that because. Butterflies get transformed in cocoons. Christians get transformed in community. But there's a second application.
It's not just join a group. It's get real in the group. And if you can't do it with a whole group, maybe there's a couple people or even one or two you really get close to and you feel like, you know what, I could really do life at a deeper level with this person. I um Uh pretty comfortable kind of sharing what's going on. I've worked with great people.
Uh my wife is very open. We can share things and But it was probably about three or four months ago as I was kind of looking at: okay, the next year and this next season, and see what God's doing at the church, I see what He's doing at Living on the Edge, I kind of see these things bubbling up. You know, when God starts to prick you and you realize, you know, I need to address some things, and well, who would I do that with? I have a friend that I've known for 30 years. We did ministry.
I mean, when I was 28 years old, and we were partners together in a ministry together in a church of about 35 in Texas. And we got to work for another 15 years later, and he's now a pastor. And we just tried to get on each other's schedule. And I remember realizing no one knows me on this entire planet better than him. I've got issues that could make or break what God wants to do in my life and through my life.
And in my self-dependency and overscheduled arrogance, I've not taken advantage of that. And about three months ago, I asked if we could have breakfast and it took us, you know, your schedules, three weeks to even get breakfast on one morning. And I asked, would you meet with me? Every other week. And he said, well, like for what?
I said, I I need a place. Of someone who has all my history, that I can be as honest with you as I am with Teresa. And I I know God wants to do some things to take me to a level. And and I don't know where to go. I mean, I can go down to, you know, like a lot pretty deep.
But There's a lot of these people now, they think I'm way smarter than I am. They think I'm more holy than I am. And you know the truth of all of that, right? It's been 30 years. And the only way I could do it is on a day that I really wanted to reserve for other things, and every other week.
We've been meeting. And we got done uh This last week, early in the morning, he turned to me and We're finishing up at Starbucks and he just looked at me Kinda his eyes wet and my eyes wet. He goes, Man. I'm sure glad we're meeting again. I said me too.
D do you have that? The third. Reason we fail to transform. Is I call it spiritual myopia. That's a word for nearsighted.
And in other words, we fail to see the big picture. The problem is our our our culture of consumerism. The solution is to get a high, holy View. of God. And here here's all here's all I want to say.
And I'll try not to go off on this. I'm going to try and contain myself. The Christianity of the last 30 or so years in America, or 40 that we've Sent to the world. Is a consumeristic God is my cosmic vending machine. Jesus is my personal trainer, self-help guru.
And the whole goal of the Christian life is: Am I happy? Am I fulfilled? Do I have a great marriage? Have I found the right person? Do my kids all turn out right?
Are we upwardly mobile? You know, am I healthy, wealthy, and everything going my way? And if not, Uh Jesus, you're not coming through for me. Yeah. When did you forget that I, this narcissistic, consumeristic Christian, have taken your word and made all of it about me, and you're supposed to make me happy and healthy and wealthy and wise and wonderful.
And someday all my kids around the Thanksgiving table singing kumbaya and everything turns out right. I never have a problem. Tragedy never happens. Cancer never happens. And if I really believe, then everything goes my way.
And we've been exporting that stuff around the world. I got news for you. He gives you a rich, deep marriage. He gives you health. If he prospers your business, If your kids grow up and love God, All those are really wonderful, wonderful byproducts.
But I will tell you Christians living like Christians are the acid test of whether God sent his Son. There is one Spirit, there is one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father over all. One, one, one, one, one, one, one, all, all, all. And how we live or don't live says to the world: God is really God, Jesus is the Savior, and when we don't live like Christians, your happiness and my happiness and our fulfillment is very secondary. He's the creator.
It's about him. He has an agenda. And we sign up to say, How can I serve you, O Lord, and Master and Creator, who is worthy of glory and honor and power? For you have created all things, and by you all things have created, and in and by you they have their being. And we are finite little people in this teeny, teeny thing called time.
And time will go away and there'll be all eternity. And we will worship a living God in a new heaven and a new earth. And what we do now matters for that and forever. And he calls us to live those kind of lives. And like you, I'm inundated.
I mean, if you thought, where did you get that rant and rave about, I've done that? We've had cancer in our house. I've had struggles with my kids. Things have gone wrong. And I find myself starting to whine instead of, well, wait a second.
The Bible says those are all the things that are going to help change me. I don't like them. But is God good or not? Is God sovereign or not? Is God in control or not?
Is He the sinner or am I? This is Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram, and a message called Is a Changed Life Really Possible? Part of our series, Free at Last, How to Break Out of a Destructive Lifestyle.
Now, if you've missed any part of this lesson, you can easily catch up online at livingonthege.org. This series is also now streaming on the Living on the Edge podcast. Subscribe so every new episode comes to you automatically. And the Chip Ingram Sermon Podcast has each message in full, unedited, wherever you listen. You know, the key to authentic lasting change isn't more effort or discipline, it's knowledge of how to make that change happen the way God intended.
That's the kind of pivotal truth that Chip builds on throughout his book, Yes, You Really Can Change. If you've been stuck in that try-hard-fail cycle, working at it and sliding back, this book is written for you. And right now we're including a second copy with every order so you can read it alongside a friend, a family member, or someone in your life who needs it. Just look for Chip's book, Yes, You Really Can Change, online at livingonthege.org/slash offers. You know, for 30 years, Living on the Edge has helped Christians learn to live like Christians because of the faithful support of listeners like you.
Every donation, whatever the size, helps keep this teaching on the air and reaching more people. Join us today, won't you, by giving online at livingonthege.org or call us at eight eight three three three six zero zero three. You can also mail your gift to LivingOn the Edge, PO Box 3007, Atlanta, Georgia, three zero zero two four.
Well, now here's Chip. As you think about how big God is, and I hope that as we were listening to this together, you thought to yourself, you know, He is big, He is powerful, He is all-knowing, He can change my life and my marriage, and He can turn one of my kids around, and He can change my attitude, my job. And wow, God could really change me. And then maybe a thought, So why isn't he? And you know something that reminded me of a uh Of an interview that I had on a talk show.
And this material that you're studying came out in a book. And usually, when a book comes out, you end up on a number of these kind of live call-in radio programs, and people call as you discuss the topic. And we were on this very topic, and a lady calls in and basically says, Hey, you said in this book that, you know, God is bigger and He can handle all this stuff. And then, I mean, she spent like a long time telling me about the marriage that wasn't working and the kid that wasn't working and the finances and her disappointment and her depression. And she said, Basically, if God is that big, How come he's not helping me?
I've asked him to. And I remember asking her, you know, as gently as I could, Ma'am, would you tell me a little bit about your own personal time in God's Word? And she goes, well, you know, I kind of read the Bible. And I said, okay, well, do you spend some time praying? She goes, oh, man, I'm telling God about all this and asking Him for help.
And, you know, I'm thinking I'm kind of running out of possibilities. And so then I said, well, excuse me. Are you involved in a local church? And if so, is there really a close community of people that really love you that you're doing life together with? and there was a long pause at the end, She goes, No, I don't go to church.
And I did a couple of times, but I I'm not close to anyone. And then I thought about the message of to day, Life change happens for Christians in community. We learn today there are four attitudes and one practice where God changes us, and at the core of it is relational authentic community. As we close today, one question. Are you an authentic community?
You have close, deep, Christ-like relationships, and if not, That will tell you why change isn't occurring like you want it to and like God wants it to. And in the next broadcast, I'm going to help you learn how to get there if you're not there.
So don't be discouraged. Join us next time as we learn how to break through the barriers that keep life change from happening. It's a powerful lesson on knowing where the power to change actually comes from.
So be sure to listen next time to Living on the Edge Chip Ingram Growth. Uh Bye. Today's program is produced and sponsored by Living on the Edge. Uh
