Using the knowledge of Christ to drive lasting change

Through reading this book, you can obtain the essential tools to build a life focused on God and let go of their prior habits of unrighteous thoughts.

Merely professing one's faith without genuine repentance is as meaningless as empty talk. Unfortunately, many in today's society value a single prayer over a life transformed by a renewed heart. Jesus teaches that His path is narrow, and as a child of God, one should bear fruit and rely on the firm foundation of God's Word. Ignoring these warnings can lead one down the wide path to destruction. Don’t think you are going to heaven if you don’t have conviction to follow Christ and His example.

This book gives the tools for:

  • Practical steps for spiritual growth.
  • Actions that a true believer in Christ will show.
  • Nailing down what sin is and the weight of it.
  • How to overcome temptation.
  • Rejoicing in any circumstance.

The Bible is clear, we are to “examine ourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? – Unless indeed you fail to meet the test!” (2 Corinthians 13:5).

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Excerpt from Insight To Impact © Copyright 2023 Ian Carlson

To live a righteous life means to be characterized by continuous gratitude, because continuous gratitude means that you have a grip on the goodness of God in your life, that you’re literally swept up in what God is doing in your life. You have a Godward focus; and that’s the essence of righteous living, that’s the essence of godliness. That’s what it means to be filled with the Spirit. A Spirit-filled life is characterized by continuous thanks.

Once our spiritual life aligns with the Word of God and our thoughts and actions are dominated by it, the initial outcome is a joyful expression of praise, followed by an emotion of gratitude. This leads us to give thanks for everything in the name of the Lord Jesus and to remain grateful for all that we have.

One of the questions my wife has sometimes is, “What about when trouble comes? What about the bad times?” Philippians 4:6 answers this perfectly, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication (petition) with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” God tells us that if we have some problems that can create anxiety for us… don’t be anxious about them; just start praying, start petitioning before God, but be thankful in the process. In the midst of that thanksgiving, let our requests be made known to God. Spirit-filled people, children of God are marked by thankfulness.

Colossians 2:6-7 states, “6Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him.” This is talking about our daily life, our daily conduct. As we allow God to direct our daily life, then we will be “7rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.” We were rooted in Him at the point of our salvation; now we’re being built up, we’re being edified, we’re being sanctified, we’re being “established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.”

Colossians 4:2 says, “Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving.” We need to conclude that our greatest need, our greatest weapon is prayer. Whatever is going on in our life, we must take our petitions to the Lord. While we do this, we must stay alert and we must continue in a posture of thankfulness. Even in the midst of our struggle, we can give thanks.

Let’s be reminded of Paul and Silas in Acts 16 as they were beaten and broken sitting in the Philippian jail. They were praying and singing hymns of praise to God. That’s the gratitude and joy pouring out of them in the midst of the worst imaginable suffering that any of us can even think of.

We can also be reminded of Jesus. He was thankful for whatever the Father gave Him to do, even if it was to die on a cross. He said, “Nevertheless, not My will, but Thine be done.” When He was in the upper room at that Last Supper, He took some bread and after He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them and said, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” And there He was thanking God for the bread which essentially was thanks to God for the privilege of suffering for all mankind.

Paul says, “In everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

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