Powhatan Mennonite Church

P.O. Box 220, 3540 Old Buckingham Rd. 

  Powhatan, Virginia  23139-0220


 

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Mere Christianity - Lesson Study/Outline by Glen Landis

Session 4

May 25, 2008

Book II.  What Christians Believe

Chapter 4.  The Perfect Penitent

 

          A.  His death the Main Thing

 “The central Christian belief is that Christ’s death has somehow put us right with God and given us a fresh start.” (II.4.3)

 

B.  Are Theories about Jesus’ Death Helpful?

 

i.  One Theory Lewis finds Unhelpful

...God wanted to punish the Rebels, Christ volunteered to be punished instead, and we are let go.

 

        ii.  One Theory Lewis finds                 Helpful (II.4.7)

 

          Our rebellion needs to be undone and we need to say we were wrong in trying to go it alone apart from God. Coming to God means to  realize that all our efforts to live life apart from God have really been rotten to the core, and that we are done with that. 

What Jesus gives is the perfect surrender of self to God along with a  total dependance on  the Father to the point of death.

 

 

5.  The Practical Conclusion

 

A.  Christ offers to share his humiliation, death, and resurrection with us.

 

B.  How is this life shared?  

 

                   i. Baptism

...is Christ sharing with us his voluntary death so we may be repaired (II.5.5)

 

                   ii.  Faith

 

                   iii.  Communion

...The very physical act of eating shares/spreads the life of Christ among his body (II.5.7)

 

My Thoughts

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This Is My Body    by Jack Hayford

This is My body that is broken for you

This is the covenant that Christ now renews

My life for your, that your life may be Mine’

This bread is My body; My blood I this wine.

 Eat now and drink, Taking life to your soul’

And feast on the promise- let Jesus make you whole. Health for your weakness and forgiveness anew;

Take now, this is My body that is broken for you.

 

 

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