Chapter 11 - The Person of Our Joy

Over the past several weeks, we have been learning how to reach into the first 3 'buckets' in order to deal with our past in a biblical and God-honoring fashion. But what's the point? Are we merely learning tips and techniques on how to live our best life now? Or are we engaging in some sort of formalistic therapy that uses Scripture rather than a psychological text when addressing issues in our past?

We've talked about union with Christ at various points in many of our previous groups. Our being united to Christ by faith is what makes us Christians, and enables us to deal with our past in accordance with Scripture. But we are not united to a principle; we are united to a person. Given this, consider that Scripture speaks of Christians as members of one body, with Christ as the head:

Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

(Ephesians 4:15-16 ESV)

As we better understand that our only true source of joy is the person of Christ to the exclusion of everything (and everyone) else, we will be motivated and enabled to deal with our past as we "grow up in every way into him who is the head."