Spiritual Warfare – The Transforming Power of the Gospel: Personality, Character and Discipleship – part 5

Key points from previous weeks:

• Everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher (Luke 6:40)
• It is enough for a disciple to be like his teacher (Matt. 10:24-25)
• It is God’s plan and goal for our lives:
  • For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. Romans 8: 29.
• The ultimate goal, the only goal, a long-term goal
• The Fruit of the Spirit is the expression of Discipleship – you reap what you sow (in your own life and in the lives of others)
• God has ‘sown’ His DNA for character in us in the new birth – becoming like Jesus! Are we reproducing the family likeness? 1 Pet. 1:23; 2:2

Becoming like Jesus

We saw how personality is largely fixed by the time we reach adulthood and, because we conflate personality and character, we therefore think that we can’t change. So it’s helpful to understand the difference and what it is about us that can change. Otherwise, we may be resistant to process of Discipleship!

What does becoming like Jesus mean? What needs to change in us for that? And how does discipleship address those aspects of our character that can change? Does that also lead to wholeness in our personalities?

We saw that there are two possible ways in which we can become more like Jesus.

• First, the outward dimension, i.e., we can be imitators of him, doing some of the things that we read about him doing in the Scriptures. Mark 16:15-18; John 14:12; 1 John 2:6 However, we don’t have His mission, but we do have our calling
• Second, the inward dimension, i.e., we can think and feel as Jesus does. Rom. 12:1-2; Eph. 4:23

So, in which of these two ways do we need to become more like Jesus? The answer is, both.

Paul’s statement in Romans 12:1-2 affirms Jesus’ desire that we should do more than simply mimic his actions. We are not to be like small children copying the actions of a parent, without really understanding the goal of the action. Something far deeper is required here.

We looked at Peter’s description of some of the character changes required. In his second epistle, ch.1 verses 5-8, between the bookends of his description of salvation as ‘having escaped the corruption that is in the world” and “an abundant entrance into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ”, he gives us some keys to fruitfulness – and, as we have seen, fruitfulness is simply the character of Jesus replicated in His disciples (Gal. 5:22-23). I pictured this as a wheel, but putting it into practice is where the rubber hits the road!

But we won’t be motivated to do any of this unless our values are transformed by the Gospel! It’s not just a question of trusting in Jesus so as to get us to heaven and then going along for the ride in a first class carriage! The Gospel is designed to transform our thinking, which includes our motivations, what we value, what gets us out of bed in the mornings, what keeps us going through difficult and challenging times. What do we will for our lives? As Jesus said, “the kingdom of Heaven is taken by violence, and the violent take it by force.” Matt. 11:12 “If anyone wills to do His will, he will know …” (John 7:17)

Why would Jesus want us to share his beliefs and values?

1.    Adopting Jesus’ values is the key to our apprenticeship

We saw that Jesus’ values restore our true humanity and the likeness of God in which we were created. Phil. 2:1-11

• Counteracts the effects of the Fall in our attitudes and behaviour (vv. 1-4)
• Determines our choices when assessing whether a particular outcome is desired (v.6)
• We pursue that course of action despite the cost (vv. 7-8)
• The rewards are out of this world! (vv. 9-11)

2.    Something that we can do regardless of our personality

We may not be able (or need) to re-shape our personalities so that they are the same as Jesus’ own, but we can re-shape our beliefs and attitudes/values so that they are consistent with his. This is something that we can do regardless of our personality. Personality type need make no difference to beliefs and values.

3.    Values shape our attitudes

The Bible, especially the New Testament, often challenges us as to our attitudes, the ‘thoughts of our hearts’, our orientation to life, the way we look at things.

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matt. 6:19-21

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you. Matt. 6:33

Sin has robbed us of some of our true humanity, to some extent by damaging our personalities, but mainly by corrupting our beliefs and values (or attitudes). So temptations appeal to our values – “But each one is tempted when by his own evil desires he is lured away and enticed. Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” James 1:14-15

This is illustrated in the stories of Achan (Josh. 7:21-24) and of Ahab and Naboth’s vineyard (1 Kin. 21:2-4)

The Psalmist knew how to overcome temptation:

I refused to bend my morals when temptation was before me so that I could become obedient to your word. I refuse to turn away from difficult truths, for you yourself have taught me to love your words.

Psa. 119:101-102 (TPT)

4.    The key to changing our behaviour!

Jesus wants to change our beliefs and attitudes for a more practical reason – because this is the key to changing our behaviour. Psychologists have demonstrated that human behaviour is driven by a number of internal and external factors (or rather, our internal perceptions of external factors), the most important of which are our beliefs and our values. Psychologists call this the ‘expectancy-value’ model of human behaviour. According to this model, the actions that we take in any given situation are determined by: first, what we believe will happen if we do something (i.e. our expectation); and second, the way we value that outcome (is it desirable or undesirable, good or bad?). So, for example, I might believe that by putting a pound coin in a vending machine I will get a bar of chocolate, and because I happen to be very hungry, I value that outcome (obtaining a bar of chocolate) more than I value anything else I could obtain with that pound coin. So, because of these prevailing beliefs and values, I end up gorging myself on chocolate. Although Jesus did not use the jargon of the modern psychologist, we know from things he said that he understood these basic drivers of human behaviour:

• ‘By their fruit you will recognise them. Do people pick grapes from thorn-bushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit’ Matthew 7: 16-18.
• ‘For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.’ Matthew 12: 34.

What Jesus is saying through these illustrations, is that our actions are governed by internal factors, primarily by our values, but also our beliefs, as illustrated by the criticism of the Pharisees’ erroneous belief that ritual external cleansing makes the whole person clean. These are exactly the same principles that modern models of human behaviour are based upon; and it has only taken nineteen hundred years for human social sciences to catch up with Jesus’ wisdom!

5.    Discipleship is designed to communicate Jesus’ values and reform our beliefs and values

Discipleship is therefore designed to shape those aspects of our character that can be changed, i.e. our beliefs and values/attitudes (Matt. 28:19). This process has been variously termed: ‘character formation’, or in theological terms ‘spiritual formation’, or sometimes more poetically as ‘developing Christ in us’.

Matt. 11:28-30 are key in this:

Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and ‘you will find rest for your souls.’ For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

6.    It is NOT optional for believers

Engaging in this process is not an option, it is a command of God:

• ‘Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus, Philippians 2: 5
• Jesus said, “If you continue in My Word, you are My disciples indeed.” John 8:31
• But whoever keeps His Word, truly in this one the love of God is perfected. By this we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk even as He walked. 1 John 2:5-6

Value the things that Jesus Values

We should value the things Jesus valued, e.g. Sermon on the Mount, relationships with people, particularly the groups that the world looks down on (bruised reed). Read the gospels to see what they are, quick look at the Beatitudes Matt. 5:3-12

Virtue	Characteristic	Worldly ‘virtue’	Kingdom Value
Poor in spirit v.3	Humility Psa. 34:18; 138:3; Prov. 16:19; 29:23; Isa. 57:15; 66:2; Mic. 6:8	Pride	Belong to the Kingdom
Mourn v.4	Sorrow for sin Psa. 32:1-8; 51:17; Isa. 61:2-3; 2 Cor. 1:4-7; 7:9-10; Rev. 21:4	No conscience	Comfort – strength
Meek v.5	Controlled strength, not self seeking Matt. 11:29; 21:5; Psa. 37:11	Assertiveness Psa. 27:35-36	Inherit the earth
Hunger and thirst after righteousness v.6	Seeking God’s glory, will and purposes Psa. 27:4; 63:1-2; 84:2; Ezek. 9:4; 1 Tim. 6:11	I did it my way	Will be filled – truly satisfied Psa. 107:9; Luke 1:53; Matt. 6:33
Merciful v.7	Kind & generous Psa. 41:1-2; Prov. 11:17; 19:17; Mic. 6:8; Eph. 4:32; Col. 3:12; James 3:17	Look after number 1 Charity begins at home	Shown mercy (reap what you sow!)
Pure in heart v.8	Integrity Psa. 15:2; 24:4; 51:6; 2 Cor. 7:1; Titus 1:15; 2:11-14	Whatever feels good, do it!	Will see God
Peacemakers v.9	Reconciliation, but ‘in truth’ as Jesus Rom. 12:18; 2 Cor. 5:20; Gal. 5:22; Eph. 4:1-3; Phil. 2:1-3;	Anything for a quiet life	Called sons of God
Persecuted v.10-12	Rejoicing to be counted worthy to suffer for His Name Acts 5:41; Phil. 1:28; 2 Tim. 2:12; 3:11; Jas. 1:2-5; 1 Pet. 3:13-14, 4:12-16;	Avoid pain at all costs	Great is your reward in heaven – those who think most of the next world, do the most good in this one.

(Interesting application to Israel’s salvation and kingdom at the 2^nd Coming of Messiah.)