When Strivings Cease Session Four — Completely Changed

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. — 2 Corinthians 5:17

My life can either point to how awesome I’m trying to be or it can point to how awesome God already is. ~ Ruth Chou Simons

Hi, friends! It’s week four of the When Strivings Cease OBS! I wish this was going slower, but the weeks are flying by. I’m going to go back to this study again and again because it’s so rich! I don’t know about you, but I’ve used the word grace all my life without nearly enough thought into the depth of what it actually means… because if I had considered it more, my life would show it!

Grace, when we really get it, rocks our world!

We are transformed by God’s grace… completely changed.

All the old ways of measuring our worth, determining our place with God, and all the former ways of striving to get what we want are obsolete. They hold no power. They are ineffective in our search for significance. ~ RCS

Doesn’t that just blow you away?! GRACE! God gives us every scrap of this enormous significance, this beautiful worthiness… as a gift.

The Holy Spirit within us does the work of changing us… not us changing us! He makes us like Himself because we are as powerful as caterpillars. We can’t do it. Only He can change us and make us into what we were created to be.

Paul had a thorn because God’s grace was sufficient for him. God’s grace is sufficient for us, too, for our thorns. We don’t have to be awesome. Everything that is lacking in us is the playing field for God to show off His majesty and glory.

We don’t have to brag or gloat, posture or position ourselves. It’s all His grace that suffices. We become people who magnify Him, who reflect Him, who point to Him instead of ourselves. And, everything we do accomplish we recognize as coming through His power and might!

The Holy Spirit’s power is where it is at! When we walk in His strength and not in our own meager bravado we have eternal impact, real meaning and purpose. Right? I want that! Don’t you?

In Jesus, in His grace, we are made new. It’s our identity to be His, in Him, for Him, and unto Him.

Less of me, more of Him. (John 3:30)

Awesome.

This week in your study:

1. Watch the video for session four of When Strivings Cease on our study home page and take notes in your study guide on pages 95-96 and stick around to go through the questions afterward!
2. Grab your Bible and enjoy your personal study this week on pages 97-119.
3. Join the conversations about this week’s teaching and connect with our community in our private Facebook group.

Scriptures this Week

2 Corinthians 5:17
2 Corinthians 12:2-9
2 Corinthians 12:9-10
John 3:30

Jesus, You are so good to us! Holy Spirit, change us by Your grace. Make us new. We want the caterpillar experience! Help us to shed our old selves and rely on Your work within us to become like You, reflecting You, magnifying You. Your grace blows us away, Lord. Thank You, thank You, thank You! We love You, Jesus! Amen.