Becoming a Woman of Godliness

As we move into a new season of study, with a brand new Bible study before us, I wanted to share how this study came about, and what verses drove this study to what it has become.

I have been teaching through Women of the Bible for the last four and a half years.  That study was quickly coming to an end, and I did not know what direction the Lord wanted me to go.  I thought I was going to go through names of God and Jesus, but it just didn't seem to be the right thing.  I asked my husband to pray that I would know the will of the Lord, and I asked my pastor to pray the same thing.  I decided to take a break from studying the names of God and study Galatians and Colossians instead.  These were two books that I had not yet studied for myself.  I am on a quest to study every single book of the Bible, and I am keeping a record of what books I have studied so far.  Galatians and Colossians seemed to be calling my name (or rather, God seemed to lead me in this direction), and so I dedicated some time to these books.  As I studied through them, Galatians specifically, I began to put a series of lessons together on how I should live my life as a Christian. 

This led into me looking back in my notes of Ephesians, Philippians, Romans, Hebrews, and other books of the Bible, and bringing together this series that I am calling, "Becoming a Woman of Godliness."  There are two main verses that are driving this series of Bible study lessons:

Philippians 2:12-13 

12 So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.

Philippians 1:6

6 For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.

"Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960,1962,1963,1968,1971,1972,1973,1975,1977,1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission."

We are to work out our salvation with fear and trembling.  What does this mean for us on a daily basis?  It is God who is at work in us.  GOD is working in ME! What an amazing thought!  He [God] who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.  God will continue this work in us until we are glorified.  God is working in us, will continue to work in us, is perfecting us, and will continue to perfect us.  We are to work out our salvation.

This series of Bible studies contains 17 different lessons, with a couple of them being two parts.  Since this is a once a month study, this will last well into a year and a half.  I am excited about sharing this study with you, as I have grown more, been humbled more, and have come to more of a true realization of how I am to live my life as  a Christian through this study.

Here is the list of lessons and Scripture that we will look at over the next year and a half:

1. A purpose and a warning - Colossians 2:1-8
2. Did Jesus not work out our salvation on the cross? - Ephesians 1:1-23
3. Justification, part 1 - Galatians 2:16-3:29
4. Justification, part 2 - Colossians 2:9-3:3
5. Justification then sanctification - Colossians 1:9-23
6. Old self vs. new self, part 1 - Ephesians 2:1-22
7. Old self vs. new self, part 2 - Colossians 3:5-17, 23-25
8. The Holy Spirit in us - I Corinthians 2:12-16
9. Deeds of the flesh vs. fruits of the Spirit - Galatians5:16-26
10. Sanctification - Ephesians 3:14-20
11. How should we live our lives? - Romans 11:33-12:21
12. How to live in the new self - Ephesians 4:1-2:20
13. To live is Christ - Philippians 1:21-2:15
14. Approve things that are excellent - Philippians 1:9-11, 4:4-8
15. True Christians - Philippians 3:1-14
16. The armor of God - Ephesians 6:10-18, Romans 8:35-39
17. Discipline - Hebrews 12:1-11
18. Responding to other believers by examining ourselves - Galatians 6:1-10
19. Glorification - II Timothy 2:11-13, Philippians 3:12-16, 20-21, Galatians 5:5, Colossians 3:4, II Timothy 4:7-8

I pray that the Lord will use this study for His honor and glory.