This week was our 5th Sunday and we listened as Malcolm and Tilly shared their story. Next week we will continue with our study in Hebrews with Chapter 3 and possibly more...
This would be a good time to reflect on a verse we looked at last week: Hebrews 2:1:
"Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away."
I want to encourage
you to ESTABLISH three things in your life in order to keep from "drifting
away" from God and His purpose for your life:
1) Establish spiritual reference points
- When a jet airliner is descending through a cloud layer to land at an
airport, the pilots follow very strict guidelines to ensure the jet
does not deviate off the vertical or lateral course. If it does, the jet
could hit a mountain, building, tower or miss the runway completely and
crash. Both pilots are quick to call out any variances and make rapid
corrections.
The same goes for our spiritual life, we need to have
reference points that show we are deviating off course. These might be:
missing your daily time with God for more than a few days; not attending
church or Bible study for more than a couple of weeks; finding yourself
laughing or being entertained by sinful things you see on TV or a
movie--the same things that Christ died for you now find funny and
entertaining.
2) Establish an accountability relationship with another Christian
- We need someone in our life that is serious about their relationship
with Christ to be accountable to. It is almost impossible to live a
committed life for Christ without accountability to another person or
group who is focused on living for Christ and walking in Truth. This
might be a co-worker, a spouse, your Bible study class. Accountability
plays a bigger part in our staying on course than we can imagine.
3) Establish the habit of praying for discernment and courage -
We need to pray everyday: "Lord, help me to see trouble coming a mile
away and give me the courage to do something about it before it hits, no
matter what it cost!"
It might be that business deal that might be a
bit shady; or that coworker (opposite sex) you have been getting too
friendly with; or that TV show that you love the story line but
continues to minimize immorality and ungodly behavior. Constant
exposure to these types of entertainment begin to desensitize your
spirit to Godliness. You begin to drift and compromise. The results are
that your spirit grows hard and cold towards the things of God.
Establishing
these three things will help to keep you from "drifting away" from God.
Drifting is a slow process, but one that will soon take you far from
the shore.
Today we looked at Chapter 1:4-14 and Chapter 2:1-18. The main argument the author is making with his audience is that JESUS IS BETTER THAN THE ANGELS. He also gives the first of five warnings.
ANGELS:"...having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they." (v. 4)
The word angel means messenger. Angels were a prominent part of Jewish religious life. They were second in importance only to God Himself. By the time Jesus came to earth, Jewish culture had practically venerated angels, as can be seen in the Dead Sea Scrolls. The Essenes (a sect of Second Temple Judaism) even possessed a book called the "Angel Scroll" which is filled with mystical imagery and descriptions of angels.
The Jewish culture became fascinated by angels, mostly due to the numerous stories of God using angels throughout the Old Testament (see examples in slide #7). They usually appeared to men in powerful and imposing ways as they came bearing a message from God. They normally appeared as brilliant light or in mysterious dreams. They had powers and knowledge beyond men and didn't die, get sick, or suffer like a sinful man suffers. Jews respected angels.
The Jews struggled with where to rank Jesus as a messenger of Christ. He
was a man, fully human yet fully God. His humanity presented a dilemma
for many Jews in the early church. Can a message delivered by a man be
greater than the message God entrusted to angelic beings? The value of a message often depends on the reputation of the messenger. The writer of Hebrews must convince his Jewish audience that Jesus (the Messiah) is greater than the angels, otherwise, he has no hope to convince them that Christ's message is greater than the ones delivered by angels.
To do this, the writer draws his proof from the Jew's own scriptures, the Old Testament (the Septuagint). He knows he will be more likely to win his argument if he uses a trusted source. Quoting form the OT is a common practice the author uses throughout the book of Hebrews.
The pieces of "evidence" used to prove the argument that Jesus is better than the angels are found in Hebrews 1:5-13. The author sets off the entire section with an inclusio (bracketed by vs. 5 and 13), which is a literary device intended to highlight a section of the text. "For to which of the angels did He ever say:" (v. 5) and "But to which of the angels has He ever said:" (v. 13). Everything said between the inclusio, verses 5-13, is in reference to the two bookend statements. Here is the evidence given by the author as he quotes from the OT.
"For to which of the angels did He ever say:"
(v. 5)"You are My Son..." (Psalms 2:7; Acts 13:33)
(v. 5)"I will be to Him a Father, And He shall be to Me a Son.?" (2 Samuel 7:14)
(v. 6)"Let all the angels of God worship Him." (Deuteronomy 32:43; Psalm 97:7)
(v. 7)"Who makes His angels..." (Psalm 104:4)
(vs. 8-12) Jesus has a throne and is worshiped; He is anointed by God. (Psalm 45:6, 7; Isaiah 61:1, 3; 34:4; 50:9; 51:6; Psalm 102:25-27)
(v. 13) "Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool"? (Psalm 110:1; Matthew 22:44)
Using the Old Testament, the writer of Hebrews worked carefully to explain that the Father has always declared His Son to be superior to angels.
In verse 14, the author closes Chapter One by telling his audience that angels are ministering spirits sent out to serve us. They are not ruling agents. They are not judging agents. They are ministers, which is the Greek word for servants. Their principle mission is to serve those who are appointed to inherit salvation.
LEST WE DRIFT AWAY: "Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away." (v. 2:1)
In the beginning of Chapter 2, the author begins to transition to his first WARNING. This warning is built on the premise he has presented in Chapter 1, that is the superiority of Christ to anything in creation. If Christ's message is superior to that of the angels, we must pay much closer attention or we will "drift away."
When something drifts away, it soon gets farther and farther from the edge of the shore. Soon, the shore is no longer in sight. The shore represents the message of the Gospel that declares Jesus as Lord. The author is concerned that the evidence of their unbelief is found in their unwillingness to consider that Jesus is above the angels. They were letting the truth of the Gospel pass them by. They may have been assembling in the church but they were not yet part of the church spiritually speaking.
This has always been a reality in the church; people attending church but never knowing Christ as their Lord. The author begins by calling out those in the church who continue to live in unbelief, citing as his proof their continued reliance on angels over a reliance in Christ. To that group, the writer issues a WARNING in verses 2-4.
Is our modern-day culture drifting away from Christ? Statistics say that we are. Statisticians report that it is no longer a priority among most Christians to regularly assemble together. Those gathering statistics say that a "regular church attender" is someone who attends church only twice a month. In addition, statistics tell us that many of those who call themselves Christians rarely read their Bibles, pray only in times of crisis, tragedy or when there is a personal need, and minimize sexual sins such as premarital sex and homosexuality. Not to mention the apathy towards anger, unwillingness to seek forgiveness, hateful gossip, and other sins that rob Christians of the peace Christ offers (see 1 Corinthians 6; Romans 1). Just as the writer of Hebrews warned his audience, we too should heed the warning that any compromise with sin in our lives will result in a "drifting away."
Note: "There is always a tremendous battle before sanctification is realized--something within us pushing with resentment against the demands of Christ" Oswald Chambers
LOWER THAN THE ANGELS: "You have made him [for a little while] a little lower than the angels..." (v. 7) "But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone." (v. 9)
The Jews might think: If Jesus is to be so powerful and His message so important, then why did he appear in such a lowly way--lower than the angels? This was the problem that the Jews in the early church were struggling to answer.
During the time that Jesus spent as a man walking the earth, he was no less God, yet He willingly took the lessor form of man for several reasons (see slide # 12). Becoming lower than the angels was only for a short time in order to give way to an eternity of glory and honor. By His suffering, He was perfected--meaning, brought to an end, or accomplished. His suffering didn't make Him perfect--He was already perfect. It accomplished something that could only be accomplished through His death.
SO GREAT A SALVATION: "...how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation..." (v. 2:3)
When His suffering was done, He rose from the grave, promising His brethren we would be sanctified in the same way. If you have placed your trust in Jesus Christ, then the devil has been rendered powerless over you because of Jesus. You are free to live for Christ without fear of death. You can live out the rest of your days knowing that death simply ushers you into glory as it did Christ. The Lord humbled Himself to grant you that victory!
I divided the entire book of Hebrews into three sections (see slide 2):
Section 1: Chapter 1:1-3 - A brief introduction
Section 2: Chapters 1 thru 10
Section 3: Chapters 11-13 - Faith, Endurance, and Spiritual Truths
I further divided the ten chapters in section two into four parts (see slide 2):
Part 1: Chapters 1-2 - Angels
Part 2: Chapters 3-4 - Moses
Part 3: Chapters 5-7 - Priests
Part 4: Chapters 8-10 - Sacrifices
The author of Hebrews is writing primarily to Hellenistic Jewish believers (Grecian Jews) that are scattered in the Diaspora, a region of ten Greek cities outside of Jerusalem. The Diaspora are communities of Greek people living outside the traditional Greek homelands.
These believers were typically more liberal in views and practice and desired to integrate into the secular Greek culture. They were heavily influenced by false teachers and Judaizers who traveled from place to place countering Paul's teaching with their own false theology.
The author of Hebrews quotes exclusively from the Septuagint version of the OT (Hebrew Bible translated into Greek) and aimed his teaching at correcting liberal Jewish thinking common among Hellenistic Jews. The author disputes Jewish folklore and myth, he reorients their understanding of Jewish history and scripture, and reminds them of the serious nature of their own salvation and the coming judgment.
In many ways, this letter was a response to the same kinds of spiritual immaturity that runs rampant in the Western, Gentile church today. For example, the inappropriate and unhealthy emphasis on angels; hearing the Gospel without actually embracing it; making the false assumption that the association with believers and attending church makes one a Christian; and giving in to the temptation to sin and choosing to live an unsanctified life.
Sadly, sinful lifestyles have become the norm among many circles within our modern churches. It is not uncommon for believers to spend more time rationalizing their fleshly desires rather than submitting to the authority of God's word and to the Holy Spirit. It is not uncommon that believers in our modern churches find compromise with premarital sex, unforgiving attitudes, hateful gossip, drunkenness, and the continuous consumption of TV shows and movies that glamorize and minimize ungodly behavior. "I will walk with integrity of heart within my house; I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless." (Psalms 101:2-3) "So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin." (James 4:17)
The writer warned believers not to live in a perpetual state of spiritual immaturity oblivious to the coming judgment.
In the opening verses of Hebrews the author is making a strong emphasis on the superiority and supremacy of Jesus. He does this by structuring his arguments by using contrast. He contrast what God has done in the past with what God has done through His Son. While the old things were good in their way, Christ is far better. The writer's point is to elevate Christ above all things.
In his initial contrast the author looks at the way God delivered revelation to His people in days past as compared to the way He has revealed Himself to men today. "Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by His Son..."
In the past, God used Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Daniel, Jeremiah, the Minor Prophets, etc. He used prophesy, dreams, miracles, His spoken words, and even a burning bush. All of these things were done "in part" or "in portions" and in "many ways". None of these men heard everything from God, but each one presented one piece to the puzzle. It was a progressive revelation.
The writer then says, "but in these last days" to emphasize that all of the earlier revelation has now reached its intended purpose. We have now received the full measure of God's revelation in the Person and Words of Jesus Christ. There is no more revelation to come, no greater prophet, no greater portion waiting to be revealed.
In verse 2, the author points out that Christ was in the beginning, "...through whom also He created the world." God created the world through Jesus. "He [Jesus] was in the beginning with God." (John 1:2) "All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being." (John 1:3) Therefore, the only Person in the Godhead Who has entered into and become a part of the physical creation is Jesus.
In verse 3, the author says that "He [Christ] is the radiance of the Father's glory and the exact imprint of His nature."
How do we know the sun has risen? We can see the beams of light that emanate from it. Those rays of light are the radiance of the sun. Likewise, the Son of God is the radiance of the Father's glory.
In Greek, the word "exact imprint" is the same word for character. Jesus is an exact imprint of the character of the Father. So when we learn about the character of Jesus, we are learning about the character of God. "If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him." (John 14:7) "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation." (Colossians 1:15) So to know the Son by His Word is to know the Father.
"...and He upholds the universe by the word of His power."
It is through Jesus' Word and power that all things continue to exist. He created all things and He sustains all things.
When God the Father determined to reveal Himself to a Creation through His son, He began that revelation with His Son as the Creator speaking it into existence. Now that Jesus has appeared in physical form, He has given us the final, complete and full revelation of Who God the Father is.
Next week we will look at how Jesus is better than the angels and the warning given to the Hebrew Christians (Chapter 1 and 2).
Today we began our study of the book of Hebrews. This is a tremendous book. It is a difficult book. It is a book that has many, many deep truths, difficult to understand lest we be diligent and faithful in our study (both in class and in your personal study). If we'll open our hearts to hear how the author of Hebrews urgently exhorted his original audience, we'll see how crucial it is that we stand strong in our faith, no matter what opposition we may face.
Can you imagine how tempting it would be to compromise what you believe to protect yourself, your spouse, your children and closest friends from serious harm? How could we possibly encourage fellow believers in these conditions?
This was the challenge that faced the author of the book of Hebrews. He wrote to a group of Christians who had suffered in the past and were now threatened with even more suffering. They’d done well years ago, but the author of Hebrews feared that they might now turn away from Christ to avoid further persecution.
NOTE: Christian persecution is not only a thing of the past. As the map below shows, the persecution of Christians is happening today (Ref: Open Doors - World Watch List - Serving persecuted Christians worldwide: www.opendoorsusa.org).
The lesson today focused on five essential elements that will provide the needed perspective for our better understanding of Hebrews. We looked at who wrote the book, when it was written, to whom it was written, what style was it written, and the central themes of the book. Having an understanding of the background behind this amazing book will help tremendously as we unpack the 13 chapters.
One of my references stated that he had an Old Testament professor who said that you cannot understand the book of Hebrews unless you first understand the book of Leviticus, because the book of Hebrews is based upon the principles of the Levitical priesthood. So this week I decided to read the book of Leviticus. After reading the entire 27 chapters of Leviticus (thanks to The Word Of Promise app), I better understand what the professor was talking about. Only after a thorough and complete reading of Leviticus do I now, like never before, understand the power of what Jesus did on the Cross. As we will see, the superiority of Jesus is the foundation of the book of Hebrews.
WHO WROTE THE BOOK OF HEBREWS?
By the end of the patristic period (Apostolic Age to the end of New Testament times) the majority of influential interpreters in the eastern and western church came to recognize Hebrews as part of the Canon. And they generally agreed that the apostle Paul was the author.
Throughout the medieval period, most leading scholars continued to believe that Paul wrote Hebrews. But during the Reformation, Protestant Reformers questioned many ecclesiastical traditions, including the traditional view of Pauline authorship. Martin Luther suggested that Apollos was the author. John Calvin didn't suggest an alternative, but he insisted that the book could not have come from Paul.
Today, the majority of interpreters reject Pauline authorship for three reasons:
1. It was Paul’s practice to name himself in his epistles. He was deeply concerned that forgeries had spread under his name (2 Thessalonians 2:2)
2. The book of Hebrews emphasizes subjects that don't receive much, if any, attention in Paul's letters. For instance, the author of Hebrews mentioned Melchizedek three times. He drew attention to the Old Testament tabernacle. And he dealt at length with Christ as the high priest. Taken together, these themes distinguish the book of Hebrews from books that we know were written by Paul.
3. The strongest reason for doubting Pauline authorship is the way the writer of Hebrews distanced himself from the first generation of Jesus' followers (Hebrews 2:3). The author's admission that he received his Christian faith secondarily contrasts with passages like Galatians 1:1, 11 and 12, and 1 Corinthians 11:23 where Paul insisted that he received the gospel directly from Jesus.
WHEN WAS THE BOOK OF HEBREWS WRITTEN?
Although the exact date for Hebrews remains uncertain, the earliest and latest dates for this book can be established rather firmly using the scriptural and historical evidence. It obviously had to be written sometime after Christ's ascension, which would have been about 30 A.D., and sometime before the destruction of Jerusalem, which would have been 70 A.D., because Jerusalem is still standing when Hebrews is written. Later I will show you how we can further bracket the earliest date by looking at a verse in Hebrews.
There had to be time for the apostolic missionaries to get going and we know that there weren't really any apostolic missionaries from Jerusalem until at least seven years after the church had been founded there. And likely it was sometime later that they would have reached this little Jewish community in Greece. And also after they had been reached, they had to have a certain amount of time to grow spiritually, because in Chapter 5, verse 12, the Holy Spirit says to them: "For when for the time as long as it's been you ought to be teachers. You have need that one teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God." So it had to be written sometime after the apostolic missionaries went out, establish the little congregation, and have sufficient time to have matured spiritually (which obviously they hadn't).
A fact that helps us confirm the earliest possible date is found in Hebrews 13:23. Here we see that “Timothy [had] been released” recently from prison. We don’t hear of Timothy’s imprisonment anywhere else in the New Testament. In fact, in the book of 2 Timothy, Paul’s last letter written shortly before his death, Timothy was free to travel and bring Paul supplies. Yet, this verse tells us that by the time Hebrews was written Timothy had been imprisoned and released. For this reason, the book of Hebrews must have been written after Paul’s death, which took place sometime around A.D. 65.
The latest possible date would have been A.D. 70. Many commentators have observed that, in passages
like Hebrews 5:1-3, the author used the present tense to describe the
sacrificial duties of the high priest. This is important because in the rest of
his book the author consistently used the Greek past tense when referring to
past events. So, it’s likely that these priestly activities were still going on
when Hebrews was written.
Also, in 8:13 the author encouraged his audience not
to turn back to the “obsolete” sacrificial practices established by God’s
covenant with Moses. He explained that in light of the new covenant, these
practices would “soon disappear.” We know that the high priest’s activities,
and the Levitical sacrificial system as a whole, came to an end in A.D. 70 when
the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and its temple. So, these evidences suggest a
date for Hebrews sometime after Paul’s death around A.D. 65 and before the
destruction of the temple in A.D. 70.
TO WHOM WAS THE BOOK OF HEBREWS WRITTEN?
The author doesn't clearly identify his audience by name, city or region, but in general terms, we can be confident that the author wrote to a specific audience with whom he was personally familiar.
There were three basic types of people in view throughout the book. The point is to show all three groups that Christ is better than anything in the Old Testament, that the new covenant is better than the old, and that they can let the rest go because of everything they have in Christ is infinitely sufficient.
Group 1:Hebrew Christians: They were still hung up in the temple ritual and temple worship. Between the pressure and persecution, their weak faith, and their spiritual ignorance, they were in great danger of mixing the new with the old. They were in great danger of coming up with a ritualistic, ceremonial, legalistic Christianity. So the letter to the Hebrews is written to give confidence to these floundering believers.
Group 2: Hebrew non-Christians (convinced): People who know the truth, but have never committed themselves to it. I'm sure you know or have met many people like this. People who've heard the truth of Jesus Christ, they believe it, they're intellectually convinced that Christ is indeed who he claimed to be but they're not willing to make a commitment of faith to him. This group of Hebrews were at the point of believing it but not committing to it, resulting in the great sin of neglecting to do what they had been intellectually convinced was right. The author says, you ought to know better. (2:1, 2,4; 6:4; 10:26, 27, 29; 12:15)
NOTE: James 4:17 warns us of having this attitude: "Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin."
Group 3:Hebrew non-Christians (not convinced): People who need to be convinced that Christ is real (9:11, 14, 27).
One of the keys to interpreting Hebrews is to understand to which group
the author is speaking. The Holy Spirit (through the author's voice)
pulls these three groups together and meets each of their particular
needs and questions in this one book.
In the book of Hebrews there is confidence and assurance to the Christian. In the book of Hebrews there is warning to the intellectually convinced that He must receive Christ or his knowledge will damn him. And finally there is a convincing presentation to the unbelieving Jew who is not intellectually convinced that he indeed should believe in Jesus Christ.
IN WHAT STYLE WAS THE BOOK OF HEBREWS WRITTEN?
The book of Hebrews has often been characterized as highly rhetorical. By this we mean that it employs many literary devices that were associated with persuasive oratory or urgent debate in the first century. Many of these rhetorical devices appear now and then in other New Testament books, but we find them far more often in Hebrews.
SYNKRISIS: One rhetorical device, called synkrisis in Greek, is a detailed comparison between two or more things designed to convince audiences to affirm the speaker’s point of view. (Hebrews 7:11-28)
EXEMPLA: Another rhetorical device in the book of Hebrews is known as exempla. Exempla are lists of illustrations or examples that follow one after the other to build a persuasive argument for a particular point of view. This oratorical technique appears in the familiar list of the faithful in Hebrews 11. There the author listed by name: Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, the Israelites, Rahab, Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets. This long list was designed to persuade the audience that servants of God should remain faithful throughout their persecution.
QOL WAHOMER: A third rhetorical device used by the author of Hebrews is known by the Hebrew expression qol wahomer. This expression is well known from both Greco-Roman and rabbinical traditions and may be translated “light to heavy,” “less to great,” or “simple to complex.” This type of argumentation begins with a simple premise that isn’t disputed by the audience. It then builds to a more complex conclusion that the audience initially doubts, but can now more easily accept. Simply put, this argument says that because the simple premise is true, then surely the more difficult conclusion must also be true. Read how this rhetorical device appears in Hebrews 10:28-29.
These examples help us see the urgency of the author’s intentions. He was convinced that his audience faced a very serious situation and that it was time for them to make some very difficult decisions. So, he did all he could to urge and persuade them to make the right choices.
WHAT ARE THE CENTRAL THEMES OF THE BOOK OF HEBREWS:
Any book as long and complex as the book of Hebrews is written with many different purposes in mind. Interpreters have summarized the overarching purpose of the book in a variety of ways. But here are the two main themes that seem to permeate the entire 13 chapters:
1. To elevate Jesus as superior to all things and people.
2. To exhort the audience to reject the local Jewish teachings and remain faithful to Jesus, despite persecution.
The book of Hebrews is one of the most challenging books of the New Testament. It offers so much that we may never uncover more than a small portion of what it teaches. Yet, we can benefit in many ways from these complex teachings. As modern followers of Christ, we also face temptations to avoid troubles in this life by compromising our commitments to Jesus. But if we'll open our hearts to hear how the author of Hebrews urgently exhorted his original audience, we'll see how crucial it is that we stand strong in our faith, no matter what opposition we may face.
Next week we will look at the sections and layout of the book as we dive into chapter 1.
This week we completed our study on discipleship with the lesson: TRANSFORMATIONAL DISCIPLESHIP.
I think the following quote and verses sum up what is required if we are to answer, "Yes!", when Jesus says, "Follow me."
"It cost us nothing to become a Christian, it will cost us everything to live like one."
"Now great crowds accompanied him and he turned and said to them. 'If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. 27 Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.'" (Luke 14:25-27)
"And he said to all, 'If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.'" (Luke 9:23)
I began this week's lesson by trying to get us to think about our most fundamental mode of orientation to the world: LOVE. I asked the question: "What are some of your great loves?"
God made us to love and there is nothing wrong with having great loves. For the believer, our great loves become a threat when they become habits that turn into addictions that consume us and take priority over our first love: Christ!
When your great loves take hold of your life you will grow cold to God's Word. You will be drawn more toward your great loves than you are to the things of God. You will begin to compromise your behavior and tolerance of sin.
Scripture defines God as Love (1 John 4:8). He is the reason that we are able to love (1 John 4:19). However, He desires to be our greatest love!
"Our wants and longings and desires are at the core of our identity, the wellspring from which our actions and behavior flow. Our wants reverberate from our heart, the epicenter of the human person." (James K.A. Smith - "You Are What You Love")
Knowing that the great loves coming from our heart have the power to derail us from following Christ, scripture warns "Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it" (Proverbs 4:23). "ABOVE ALL ELSE..."
This is where we highlight the word "TRANSFORMED." Being transformed into the image of Christ does not simply mean that we begin "acting" differently. Transformation is not about a behavior change. Transformation is defined as to change in form, appearance, or character; a metamorphosis. Think of what happens when a caterpillar "transforms" into a butterfly. When we are "transformed" we are no longer the same person. We no longer do the things we once did. We no longer continue willingly, continuously in sin. We are changed. We are new creatures, much like the caterpillar transforming into a butterfly.
"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." (2 Corinthians 5:17)
Ultimately, it is God who transforms us, but we have to be willing. So how does God transform us? What are His tools?
God transforms us using three primary tools…
1. GOD USES HIS HOLY SPIRIT TO TRANSFORM US.
"Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer;" (John 16:7-10)
Here are a few ways the Holy Spirit transforms us:
- The Holy Spirit comforts, encourages, and helps disciples of Jesus. (John 14:16)
- The Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. (John 16:8)
- The Holy Spirit guides disciples into all truth. (John 14:26; 16:14)
- The Holy Spirit reveals truths about Jesus. (John 15:26; 1 John 2:20,27)
- The Holy Spirit illuminates God’s Word so that His people can understand it. (1 Cor. 2:9-11)
- The Holy Spirit affirms to His people that they are God’s children. (John 14:18, 21,23; Rom 8:16)
- The Holy Spirit reveals the mystery of the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. (John 14:18-20; 1 Cor. 2:10,12, Ephesians 3:3-5)
- The Holy Spirit empowers the desires and abilities of His people. (John 14: 21,23,34; Phil. 2:13)
2. GOD USES HIS WORD TO TRANSFORM US.
To know God is to know His Word. In John 17:17, Jesus prayed that we would study God’s Word. He said, “Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.” Therefore, to be transformed into the image of Christ, we must regularly intake God’s Word. God mandates the need for us to be firmly grounded in biblical truth. (2 Tim. 4:3-4)
Here are a few ways God’s Word transforms us…
- The Word of God renews the minds of disciples. (Rom. 12:2)
- The Word of God teaches, reproofs, corrects, and trains disciples in righteousness. (2 Tim. 3:16-16)
- The Word of God illuminates the path of His disciples. (Psalm 119:105)
- The Word of God sustains His disciples. (Matt. 4:4)
- The Word of God discerns the thoughts and intentions of the disciples heart. (Heb. 4:12)
- The Word of God gives hope to disciples. (Rom. 15:4)
Five ways to intake God’s Word:
Hear God’s Word: (Luke 11:28; Romans 10:17), which means that listening to sermons, lectures, and audio Bibles is very beneficial. Read God’s Word: (e.g., Revelation 1:3) as Jesus often did. Study God’s Word: (e.g., Ezra 7:10; Acts 17:11) as Jesus often did, which caused people to be amazed at His insights (Matthew 7:28–29). Memorize God’s Word: (Psalm 119:11; Proverbs 22:17–19) as Jesus did, which enabled Him to freely quote Scripture as needed (e.g., Matthew 4:1–11). Meditate on God’s Word: (Psalm 1:1-2; 19:14; 119:15)
So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32)
3. GOD USES HIS PEOPLE TO TRANSFORM US.
Throughout the biblical narrative, community is always emphasized and commanded; it is never presented as optional. A Christian’s faith may be personal, but it should never be private. In fact, the more personal the faith of the believer, the less private that faith becomes. There are 59 “one another” commands God gives to the New Testament church, and these commands cannot be lived out in isolation. Most discipleship happens not from pulpit to congregation, but from person to person.
Here are a few “one another” commands God uses to transform us:
- Love one another. (John 13:34)
- Accept one another. (Rom. 15:7)
- Instruct one another. (Rom. 15:14)
- Greet one another. (Rom. 16:16)
- Serve one another. (Gal. 5:13)
- Submit to one another out of reverence to Christ. (Eph. 5:21)
- Admonish one another with all wisdom. (Col. 3:16)
- Encourage one another and build each other up. (1 Thess. 5:11)
- Confess your sins to one another and pray for one another. (James 5:16)
- Be devoted to one another. (Rom. 12:10)
The implication is clear: God uses His people to transform us as we live out these “one anothers.” It should be noted, most people say they want community, but when that means accountability or commitment, people tend to run the other way. This should not be. We need each other in order grow. Christian community is a beautiful reflection of the gospel. Jesus’ prayer in John 17 is a major statement of His intention for those who claim to be His to be united in community.
“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me." (John 17:20-23:20)
So how do people spiritually grow? The Spirit of God, the Word of God, and the people of God are the three primary components God uses to bring about spiritual growth in peoples lives.
WHAT IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY IN SPIRITUAL TRANSFORMATION?
Some Christians drift toward passivity in their approach to spiritual transformation. They rightly believe that God is the one who transforms, but they wrongly assume zero responsibility for their maturation. Jonathan Edwards said, “The supreme proof of a true conversion is holy affections, zeal for holy things, longings after God, longings after holiness, desire for purity.”
There is a righteousness in Christ that we already possess (Rom. 3:21-26), but there is also a righteousness we pursue. Pertaining to righteousness, from the overflow of being comes doing. The Bible is full of commands that God expects us to obey through effort.
For example, we are told to:
- Put off the old self and put on the new (Ephesians 4:22-24)
- Put to death what is earthly in us (Col. 3:5)
- Fight the good fight (1 Tim. 6:12)
- Strive to enter the narrow gate (Luke 13:24)
- Run the race (1 Cor. 9:24)
- Press on; strain forward (Phil 3:12-14)
- Toil and struggle with all His energy (Col 1:29)
- Make every effort (2 Peter 1:5)
- Be Holy (1 Peter 1:16)
- Let us not grow weary in doing good (Gal. 6:9)
- Train yourself for godliness (1 Tim 4:7)
From these verses, it is clear that we are expected to put forth effort in our spiritual growth. That word “train”, from 1 Timothy 4:7, can also be translated “discipline.” In other words, we are to “discipline ourselves for the purpose of godliness.” Who is the most godly person you know? Without exception, godly people are spiritually disciplined people.
SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES
While many churches in our day emphasize convenience and comfortability, one of the key ingredients to a life of lasting discipleship is discipline. In other words, like marriage, or excelling in a particular career path, being a Christian is not always fun, but often involves hard work, faithfulness, and perseverance.
Spiritual disciplines serve to lead people to the end of themselves and the beginning of Jesus. Why do we fast? So we realize Jesus is the bread of life that feeds our deep hunger. Why do we pray? So that we'll acknowledge our deep dependency on Jesus to do it by the power of the Spirit. Spiritual disciplines are not an end in themselves, but a means to an end. Spiritual disciplines put us in a position for God to change us. As we engage in spiritual disciplines, the Holy Spirit transforms us into the image of Christ. People naturally drift into sin, not into righteousness. Therefore, the road to godliness is a road of discipline.
In Acts 2:42-47, we see that the early church disciples were committed to these things in order to spiritually grow:
The word “discipline” sounds restricting and binding, but it is actually a means to spiritual freedom. As physical discipline promotes strength, so spiritual discipline promotes godliness.
The goal of spiritual discipline is godliness, and when we remember this the spiritual disciplines become a delight instead of a drudgery. Jesus Christ was the most disciplined man to ever live and yet the most joyful and passionately alive. He is our example.
(I would like to thank Dan Tankersley, Discipleship Pastor, Calvary Baptist Church, for giving us permission to use his book "Discipleship Foundations" as the basis for our study)
Next week we begin our study of the Book of Hebrews.
Today we completed the third section of our four-part series on discipleship titled "I AM A DISCIPLE."
The question we should ask ourselves is: AM I A DISCIPLE? How do you know if you are a disciple? Jesus clearly spells out the marks of a disciple in John 15:7-13:
"7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. 9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments,
you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments
and abide in his love. 11 These things I have spoken to you, that my
joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. 12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends."
NOTE: Other marks of a disciple are listed in the PowerPoint, slides 27-28.
Every human being lives by a story narrative that they believe--if not
explicitly, they live by it implicitly. It is a story narrative
that has been provided for them, or one that they have chosen.
We are living in a unique time in history where you have to choose which story narrative you are going to live by--the modern, secular narrative or the Biblical narrative. One author describes these conflicting narratives as "cross-pressure" (exposing someone to different, incompatible opinions).
Five-hundred years ago the default story was always to believe in God and the supernatural. At that time it was even considered irrational and ridiculous not to believe in God. But today, due to the many voices claiming and exerting pressure on us to believe the modern, secular narrative, the default story is always going to be the modern, secular, capitalistic, consumerist narrative.
On a practical level, everyone is making choices based on a guidance system powered by the narrative (modern, secular or Biblical) they believe to be true. To some degree both narratives might exist within a person. Amazingly, in such a case, it is possible for a person to keep moving forward while feeling the tension from the internal conflict. This "cross-pressure" is one of the reasons we find disagreement within churches and Bible study classes. This is also why we often find pastors who are unwilling to preach/teach on sensitive issues that might "ruffle the feathers" of those who are trapped within the "cross-pressure".
In the rise of the modern, secular age it is not that people don't believe, but it is an age where everyone is uncertain about what is ultimately true. The result is cross-pressure and spiritual lethargy. This creates a struggle between situational ethics and moral absolutes. There is the chronic compromising of sin (Romans 6), especially in the areas of business ethics, greed, drunkenness, and sexual immorality.
If I am going to believe in the story of Jesus, I'm going to have to actively and consciously cultivate that belief. This is done by developing the habit of immersing myself in the Biblical narrative!
"I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect" (Romans 12:1-2).
Next week we will complete the Discipleship Series with the final lesson: TRANSFORMATIONAL DISCIPLESHIP. In this lesson we will discuss the role the heart and the mind play in transforming the believer into the image of Christ.
This week Tommy T. taught the lesson "The Great Commission" in our Discipleship Series. I will summarize a few of the highlights from the material.
THE GREAT COMMISSION
16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them.17 And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted.18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them inthe name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:16-20)
The Great Commission is worshiped in many North American churches, yet not obeyed. I'm not just talking about sending mission teams to foreign countries. I'm talking about each believer personally accepting Jesus' call to follow Him and become His disciple. To fulfill the Great Commission every day. To embrace the cross--the true gospel of Christ. We do this by:
- Saying "no" to self.
- Surrendering the direction of our lives to Jesus.
- Choosing God's will over our own will.
- Enduring any sacrifice for the joy of obedience to Jesus.
- Following Jesus wherever He leads.
- Boldly proclaiming the gospel.
We either choose to follow Jesus, or we choose to follow the culture and the world. We embrace the commandments that Jesus taught, or we find reasons to compromise His Word. We are either all in or all out. You can be sure that Satan is always ready to help you find a compromise to being "all in." He is quick to whisper in your ear and tell you, "That isn't what that means..." or "There is nothing wrong with doing that..." or "The Bible was written long ago and in some cases doesn't apply today..."
This lesson reminds us that the Great Commission was Jesus' last words to us. You could say it was His GREATEST PASSION that we "Follow Him and become His disciples..." and then "Go make disciples...". In commanding us to "Go..", He made sure we understood that we would be going with His authority: "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me."
We fulfill the Great Commission through four primary actions:
1. The Great Commission is fulfilled by GOING: Being intentional in our effort to reach the lost for Christ. Being sensitive to always be willing to intercede for others.
2. The Great Commission is fulfilled by PREACHING: Telling others about Christ. This is done in our everyday encounters with people God brings in our path. As we listen to others talk about their troubles, we should be in prayer asking God to give us an opportunity to point them to Jesus. Rarely will a day go by that your path doesn't cross someone who is hurting and in desperate need of Christ.
3. The Great Commission is fulfilled by BAPTIZING: We baptize the new believers in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Next, we incorporate them into the fellowship of the local church where they can be taught (discipled) all that Jesus commands.
4. The Great Commission is fulfilled by TRAINING: We teach the new believer all the things Jesus commands of us, including the command to make other disciples.
As a new grandparent, I have been reminded what is required to care for an infant. My grandson is totally dependent on his parents to take care of his EVERY need. There is nothing wrong with him being an infant and living on milk while someone else is attentive to his every need. But there would be something very wrong if he continued to desire only milk. This analogy also holds true for the new believer in Christ. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 13:11:
"When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me."
Discipleship is an important part of our spiritual growth process. It all begins with the Great Commission.
