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What You'll Discover in this Episode:
162: Passion For Christ
Biblical counselors desire to unleash the power of God into the lives of their counselees. When we look at Scripture, we see so many promises of blessings and comfort found in Christ. Yet, we see many people stuck in bondage to sin, unable to break free from self-destructive patterns. How can counselors help their counselees experience victory rather than defeat?
In this week’s episode of the Biblical Counseling Podcast, Pastor Jeff Christianson and Jennie Christianson explain how a passion for Christ frees Christians from the power and reign of sin. Many counselees seek care after years of fighting sin and destructive habits. Whether a person’s anger, lusts, self-indulgence, bitterness, or ambition, many people reach the point of brokenness where they recognize that they lack the power within themselves to change. Sadly, many Christians fall into this same trap. Christians who sit in church pews for many years never connect the great truths they hear every Sunday to their hearts. Nevertheless, God wants to break his people from these self-perpetuating cycles of destruction through the application of three vital principles to believers.
First, Christians can achieve victory over defeat through understanding the power in the blood of Jesus Christ. When we think about Jesus’s death on the cross, we must remember that Jesus’s work of salvation contains power and transformation for those who trust in him for salvation. The knowledge of the Gospel brings life to dead hearts. Through Jesus’s death and resurrection, his power now reigns in his people. Through this resurrection power, Christ’s people grow, sanctify, and mature through the power of Jesus’s blood. Every Christian knows the feeling of transitioning from darkness to life as the heart awakens to new desires to please God. God seeks to continue this work through freeing us from every area of life dominated by sin.
Second, many Christians have failed to access the full blessings of the Holy Spirit. While every believer is indwelt by the Spirit, many Christians have never experienced a full indwelling of the Holy Spirit, where the Spirit is overflowing in their hearts and bringing Christ’s transforming power to every corner of their lives. The Holy Spirit’s job is to fill us with the full benefits of Christ. We must yield to the active work of the Spirit.
Third, these Christians have never purposed their hearts toward victory over sin. Many Christians play games with their sin, thinking that they can flirt with temptation and walk away unscathed. Scripture commands Christians to set their hearts to forsake sin and turn to righteousness.
Want to learn more? Listen to this podcast to hear Pastor Jeff and Jennie address:
- The power of the blood of Christ for transformation
- The nature of being filled with the Holy Spirit
- Reasons for yielding all of your life to Christ
PS: From time-to-time, we rebroadcast the most popular/favorite episodes. Enjoy this podcast and let us know what your thoughts are in the community section below.
This Podcast has good information regarding the work of the Holy Spirit. Also, the power of the Blood of Christ. When Christ died and overcame death, we no longer need to live in bondage to sin. Romans 8:37 says, “We are more than conquerors.” This whole Podcast was so informative, it is a reminder to all of us of what God has done thru Jesus Christ. This is something we need to pass on to others. As a reminder to them. They may not be able to be an overcomer, alone. But with the work of Christ, and the Holy Spirit living in our lives, God can help us get thru. We just need to pour our hearts out to the Lord and make a determination that we are living for God and His plan for us. Heart and Head. God wants it all. Not living in bondage any longer!
I’m very thankful for your ministry. The church I currently attend was trying to get me to do a counseling program for me and my wife. I initially was very enthusiastic about doing it but I came across the psychologizing of the faith series on the blue letter bible. I then told my pastor about some of the things I was learning from the psychologizing of the faith series. After meeting with the instructor of the integrity life skills chapter in my area he told me they really didn’t use the bible, they wanted the course to appeal to anyone who needed help. I told my pastor I didn’t feel comfortable doing the life skills course due to what I was leaning in the psychologizing of the faith series and what I had been told by the life skills director. But he still tried to get me to do it anyway. To make a long story short, I am now looking for a new church to plug into that will be more supportive in my desire to grow deeper in Christ while focusing on the sufficiency of scripture.
Pastor Jeff made a great point in regard to the apprehension of the baptism of the Holy Spirit caused by the abuses in the church, and how we do ourselves a disservice when we don’t recognize what the Bible teaches about Him. I believe it is not only the abuses in the church, but a misunderstanding of the work of the Holy Spirit.
I absolutely agree. While abuse from the church has regrettably existed, the misunderstanding of the work of the Holy Spirit seems to be something that has been persisting for several generations.
I loved this discussion on sanctification. And the stark reminder that it is the Holy Spirit who sanctifies. Man can not rescue man – Amen. That it is Christ alone who saves and the Lord alone who sanctifies. We yield to the Holy Spirit and we encourage others to do so also. Praise God that we don’t have to walk in bondage anymore, and we don’t have to labour is useless self effort, but we can yield to the Spirit. Amen Jennie that Christ can become our all in all.
This podcast reminded me of when I had my ah ha moment. I was in college and miserable because I was trying to keep living in the world yet live for Christ—trying to serve two masters. One day I was so miserable and decided to pick up my Bible and read. I came to Hebrews 10:19-22. I had read it many times before but for some reason that day it finally hit me so powerfully. God was not in the distance. I could come to be in the Lord’s presence at any time because of what Christ did on that cross. My sin was keeping me from enjoying Him and coming into His presence. It is so powerful to think that before Christ, only the high priest could go into the Holy of Holies, but when Christ made the ultimate sacrifice, that veil was torn and made it so anyone who was saved by His blood could come into the presence of the Lord. I had taken that for granted for so long. Realizing this renewed my faith in God and changed my heart drastically. It was not because of anything I had done, but letting the Lord have His way in my life and spending time in His presence each day. Thank you Jesus!
Angela, very well said. I remember when I was young and trying to do the same thing. God tells not to be lukewarm, but that’s exactly what I was doing. Thank God for bringing me to the knowledge of what I was missing. Some churches just don’t teach the Word the way they should. It’s very unfortunate. But God knows what it takes, listening to the Holy Spirit, to bring us into right relationship with Him. Good Bible teaching. Praise God!
A few things stuck out to me in this podcast. Firstly the scripture John 3:19 came to me. About how the Light has come into the world but men loved darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil. They simply enjoyed their sin too much to give it up. I wonder how many people come to get counsel, but are hoping for some fix that doesn’t force them to give up their sin. The other thing that jump out was the discussion of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. I came from a tradition that did not even speak of the Holy Spirit and when God eventually led me to this experience I had to decide in this moment if I was going to keep going down the road of what I thought was right, or was I going to surrender to what God was telling me was right. I surrendered and it changed my life so drastically that people did not recognize me. And so I think that many people don’t ever surrender what they think is right, turn in humility, and let God counsel them. Pastor Jeff said it, people have to purpose in their hearts and be intentional. Lastly, I think there is a group of people who try very hard to do what is right but the battle rages on and they get tired. I think surrender is key here too, but a reminder for them that God fights their battles, that His yoke is easy, and that they are made strong in their weakness (Paul glorying in his infirmities) will greatly help them. I have definitely been that person trying to be intentional, but having gone through so much I was just bone tired. I had to be reminded that I wasn’t meant to carry all that I was trying to carry, surrender and find freedom.
Amen Joe. We labour to enter into His rest. That now is the battle to be submissive and obedient to the word and the will of God. We can not fight our flesh with more flesh. It is subdued as we yield to the Holy Spirit. Praise God.
Great message!
Our victory over sin and abundant life that Jesus promises His followers is directly related to FULLY understanding and owning His assessment of who we are apart from Him.
I think all unbelievers and MANY Christians simply fail to FULLY grasp the depth of their depravity and consequently lack a depth of passion for Jesus as a result. In short, NO ONE comes to Jesus unless God Himself draws them and Jesus Himself will raise them up on the last day Jn. 6:44. We must recognize that apart from Jesus we are UTTERLY lost and without hope in this world. Until we know this both intellectually AS WELL AS viscerally at the core of our being we will dabble in sin and lack both passion and victory in our lives.
I agree. For me, I had always grown up in the church, yet failed to recognize the depth of my sin and the passion that could be if only I would fully live for Him.
Amen and amen. I don’t think we will ever comprehend the depths of our sinfulness. Praise God for His abounding grace and mercy.
“and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.”
Colossians 2:10 NKJV
When Jennie spoke this verse, I stopped to mediate on. We are complete on HIM! Once we have laid down are burdens, shame, guilt, hurt etc and have understood the power of the Blood that was shed for us, understanding the true work of the Holy Spirit. We are complete in HIM! Of course we must pick up our cross daily and follow HIM, but to Understand these things and really as Pastor Jeff said “soak” in the word, we begin to see Victory taking place in our lives.
I love the fact that we are complete in Him too. That too many of my brothers and sisters don’t even realize this truth and their true identity is often very painful to me because it leads to such struggle. Then there is the world that is incomplete, they know it at some level, but they try to become complete with all the wrong things and that is tragic. But I love that word soak too. If we will soak in the Word, He will show us how to shine His light brightly. What I love about joining the BCA program is that this is really what it is about. Helping my fellow family members find their identity in Him and helping those who are incomplete without Him to find their First Love and completeness. Making disciples, our Great Commission.
I was truly blessed and encouraged by this podcast. While we may say what receiving salvation means to the child of God, listening to Pastor Jeff and Jennie expound the word with so much excitement and passion and clarifying biblical truths I was left inspired. Knowing what the blood of Jesus has done is a testament to the power of the blood. The blood changed me from being a sinner and made me a Child of God. I was most motivated with their discussion on the work of the Holy Spirit in sanctification and the baptism of the Holy Spirit. I am a Pentecostal and we can sometimes be guilty of focusing only on the gifts at the expense of the fruit of the Spirit but this was a well balanced approach to the subject. The Holy Spirit is empowering us to do the work of the ministry to make us effective while at the same time He works in us to conform us to the image of Jesus Christ. That same power gives us victory to live holy and powerful lives.I was truly blessed knowing what benefits I have received through salvation. What Jesus died and left us is such a precious inheritance. I am so grateful to be a child of God.
Amen sister in Christ! I grew up Pentecostal so I completely understand when you spoke of how only the gifts were emphasized, this podcast really gave way to how we are to soak in all of it! Well at least what I took from it, amen and thank you Jesus for saving us and washing us, by the blood that was shed for you and me.
The themes of this episode really stuck out to me: that we must understand what the blood of Christ has done for us, who the Holy Spirit is to us/what he can do through us, and what we have been delivered from and have victory over(our sin and death). I do not understand how I am able to lose sight of the wonderful truth of these three concepts. How can I be so conceited to forget? But, the beauty of it is even though I do forget, His mercy and grace are still there; and they remind me how much I desire never to forget again and to walk in a manner worthy of the gospel.
As we are made in HIS image but also we have flesh, it is very easy to forget and go about our life, but how selfish of us right? Thank goodness for HiS great mercy, love and grace. Thanks for pointing this out. Blessings brother in Christ! 🙂
Amen!
Gratitude for all that God has done is both the salient feature and “fuel” that helps the Christian to not merely traverse this life, but do so victoriously, as an overcomer.
I think its because we forget we have an enemy that is trying very hard to distract us and we get busy or simply forget to keep speaking the Word over ourselves and then find ourselves a bit disconnected. I know I have been there too. The Word is a lamp to our feet, so we have to notice when it’s getting dark and speak that Light out and fill that lamp up with the oil of His Word. But that is true about His grace and His mercies are new every morning! He is such a great Father.