In the last post, 163, the focus was on “Why we need the Holy Spirit.” We need the Holy Spirit to walk in righteousness, overcoming sin and defeating the enemy, the Devil. We can sum this up as the process of Sanctification. When we receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of our lives, we are declared sanctified or holy; this is our new “position” in the Lord. At the same time, we enter a process of becoming more like Jesus in our thoughts, words, and deeds. This is what a faithful Christian is: a work in progress; becoming more like Jesus is our life’s work. Sanctification has two parts: our position in Christ, which Jesus purchased for us, and the work we must do, with the help of the Holy Spirit, to become more like Jesus in our character.
Understanding the principle of Sanctification is to understand why Jesus sent us a “Helper,” the Holy Spirit, to lead us, teach us, guide us, and most importantly, empower us to live the life He has called us to. While our position of being sanctified never changes, our personal lives continually change. This process of change is called “transformation.” 2 Corinthians 3:18 (NKJV), “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” So, the transformation process is that we become more and more like Jesus in character. Show More
Transformation
As I just said, the goal of transformation is to become more like Jesus in thoughts, words, and actions. Listen to what the Apostle Paul says in Romans 12:1-2 (NKJV), “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
The term “reasonable service” in verse one is usually translated as “spiritual worship.” Therefore, our transformation process is seen as worship by the Lord! Too often, we think of worship as going to church or singing worship songs while, in fact, those are important but not as important as a transformed life. Jesus wants to change you from the inside out.
The phrase “renewing of your mind” in verse 2 means that we must examine what we believe and why we believe it, and if it does not line up with God’s view, presented in the Bible, we must reject it and replace it with the biblical view.
Most of us have been brainwashed by a secular worldview (non-church or humanistic view of life), and now the Lord wants to wash our thinking with the pure Word of God.
What is a Worldview?
In general, a worldview answers five basic questions.
- Origin – where did I come from?
- Destiny – where am I going?
- Purpose – why am I here?
- Values – how should I live?
- Truth – what is the truth?
For a Christian with a biblical worldview, these five questions should be answered in the following way:
- Origin – where did I come from? I was created by the One True God in His image, and all humankind is created equal.
- Destiny – where am I going? I am called to believe and serve the Savior Jesus Christ; therefore, my destiny is to become like Him; and to spend eternity with Him in Heaven.
- Purpose – why am I here? I am called to represent the grace and mercy of Jesus to a lost and dying world, to evangelize, disciple, and build up the body of Christ, the church.
- Values – how should I live? I should live in peace as much as it is possible and demonstrate the values of love, joy, peace, goodness, kindness, patience, gentleness, and self-control (the fruit of the Spirit Galatians 5:22).
- Truth – what is the truth? The truth is found in the Bible because the Bible is “inspired by God, (2 Timothy 3:16).
- Psalms 119:160 (NKJV), “The entirety of Your word is truth.”
- John 17:17 (NKJV), “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. And every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever.”
A secular worldview has very different answers to the five foundational questions mentioned, and to be honest, we are all influenced by secular thinking. Therefore, the mind, what one believes, must be changed or transformed, and it can only be done by faith. What I mean is that we must accept the Bible as the source of truth; the Holy Spirit reveals the truth, and then by faith, we must walk in that truth, regardless of what the world teaches. It requires a mind change directed by the Word of God and the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth.
We know that Satan or the Devil wants us to believe the lie, that a Biblical worldview is not based on truth, and to do that, he makes the secular worldview so natural and attractive. However, if we believe that the Bible is the source of all truth, you can see where the battle comes in. It is a battle for what will you believe! The Lord appeals to the Spirit, whereas the Devil appeals to the flesh. The Apostle Paul recognized this dilemma too.
2 Corinthians 10:3-6 (NKJV) “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,”
Notice the word strongholds in verse 4; strongholds are those beliefs that we hold strongly to, even when they are wrong. Then in verse 5, casting down those ways of thinking that are contrary to our knowledge of God and choosing to line up with the truth of God. This is accomplished by learning how to “walk by faith and not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7).
Renewing of the mind.
I’m sure you have heard it said that our spiritual battle is on the “battlefield of the mind.” We are victorious in our battle as we let go of wrong thinking and embrace the Lord’s view on the five issues of life. The psalmist David of who the Lord said, “he is a man after my own heart” wrote:
- Psalms 25:4-5 (NKJV), “Show me Your ways, O LORD; Teach me Your paths. 5 Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation; On You I wait all the day.”
- Psalms 86:11 (NKJV), “Teach me Your way, O LORD; I will walk in Your truth; unite my heart to fear Your name.”
Practical advantages of transformation
Transformation is the victorious renewing of the mind which is necessary to do the following:
- To walk in righteousness.
- To walk in love.
- To overcome temptation and sin.
- To defeat the enemy of our soul, the Devil.
- To fulfill the great commission to win the lost (evangelism), train them up (discipleship), and send them out (to evangelize and disciple others).
- For boldness as a Christian to live our faith.
- For the right words to speak in a situation.
Communication with the Lord through the Holy Spirit.
The key to transformation is communication with the Lord through the Holy Spirit.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NKJV), “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore, glorify God in your body and in your Spirit, which are God’s.”
Because the Spirit of God lives in us, the channels of communication are open. Prayer is when we speak to God, and the Lord can speak to us in a number of ways. Here are some ways:
- Bible (Logos). First and foremost is the Bible. It is the foundation of all communication with our Lord. We use the word Logos to describe the literal words of the Bible. When we read or listen to the Bible, it is the Logos word. The Bible is the foundation of everything that we believe as Christians. While the entire Bible is true, it is the New Testament or New Covenant that shows us how to live. The life and teachings of Jesus are the models of how we are expected to live.
- Recalling scripture (Rhema). When we are familiar with the Bible and meditate on the truths of the Bible, the truth becomes embedded in our hearts. The Holy Spirit now has the opportunity to recall to our memory the Logos word when we are facing temptation or decisions. This is what the Rhema word is; it is the Word that becomes alive in our everyday lives.
- Conviction. This is the work of the Holy Spirit to persuade us to avoid the wrong decisions and do the right things. Some like to use the word conscience or the ability to discern right from wrong, and this is true if biblical truth is the judge of our thoughts and actions.
- Circumstances. The Lord is able to arrange circumstances. We sometimes use the terms that the Lord opens or closes doors. There are many biblical examples where the Lord orders the steps of His righteous ones. Again, we must ask the question, is what I believe the Lord is doing lining up with His Word?
- Messengers. Throughout the Bible, the Lord used messengers. They might be Angels, which by the way, is translated as messengers, prophets, or even ordinary people. They might be through dreams and visions; however, in all cases, what we believe or understand must line up with the Word of God.
- Peace. As a Christian in the midst of a difficult decision, it is important to trust the Peace of God in a situation. When what you are doing is in line with God’s character, you will sense peace if you experience conviction… don’t do it! Philippians 4:6-7 (NKJV), “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
How can you be sure it is the Lord? That is a good question because we know that there are many spirits in the spirit realm. Ephesians 6:10-20 (NKJV), “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the Devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” As this section of scripture shows us, our spiritual battle is not with people but against the spiritual darkness of wickedness. There are many spirits trying to speak into our minds; therefore, we must learn to recognize the One voice of the Holy Spirit of God. One thing that we can be sure of is that any voice that speaks contrary to the Word of God and the character of Jesus must be a lie! However, the voice or leading of the Spirit that confirms the Word of God is a personal revelation that we must obey.
Personal Revelation
The only way to receive personal revelation from the Lord is to be in the Word of God. It is difficult to recognize the Holy Spirit without the Bible. After all, the Spirit of God is the author of the Word and knows the heart of God. That is why He is called the Spirit of Truth. Too many Christians rely on emotions, but emotions can be very deceiving. As a pastor friend of mine used to say, “Feelings come and feelings go, and feelings can be deceiving, but the Word of God is always true no matter what you’re feeling.”
