Spiritual Warfare – The Transforming Power of the Gospel: Personality, Character and Discipleship – part 7
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
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?
- Personality and character – what aspects can change?
- Two options:
- Copy what Jesus did
- Thinking like Jesus thought
- Not merely copying, but an inner transformation!
- Peter’s “character wheel”
- Sharing Jesus’ values
Paul’s statement in Romans 12:1-2 affirms that 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 – nothing less than the renewing our minds, the transformation of our character, growing to maturity in Christ as we become more and more like Him, filled with all the fullness of God!
But we won’t be motivated to do any of this unless our values are transformed by the Gospel!
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).
Exemplified in the Beatitudes Matt. 5:3-12
Looking specifically at persecution (incorporating troubles and discipline)
Persecution promised! Not pessimism but reality John 16:33
We continue this week with our discussion of the Beatitudes in Matt. 5:3-12 to see what Jesus values. This week we have reached the last Beatitude, Matt. 5:10-12, which deals with suffering for His sake – a very challenging topic! Self-preservation and keeping ourselves out of harm’s way is a very strong instinct. But we follow One Who put Himself IN harm’s way for our sake and who calls us to do the same for Him, and for those around us who so desperately need Him and His salvation.
We are living in increasingly difficult times to be a Christian, but maybe, just maybe, we are here ‘for such a time as this’ and need the attitude of an Esther, “If I perish, I perish” if that’s what doing the will of God could result in? This is not pessimism, but realism (and is reality for a large number of our Christian brothers and sisters around the world).
Matthew 24:4-5; 9-13: “Take heed that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray … Then they will deliver you up to tribulation, and put you to death; and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. And then many will fall away, and betray one another, and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because wickedness is multiplied, the love of most will grow cold.”
2 Timothy 3:12-13: “Indeed all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil men and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.”
1 Peter 4:12-13: “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal which comes upon you to prove you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice in so far as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.”
How does Persecution start and develop?
- Mockery of beliefs
- Then attacks on those beliefs
- Then ridicule of those holding them
- Then segregation of ideas and pushing the ‘non standard’ beliefs to the margins
- Then banning of those beliefs
- Then exclusion of those holding those beliefs from places of influence, e.g. teachers, government
- Then segregation of all those holding those beliefs
- Finally, persecution
Discussion re persecution “A Dying way to Live”
Sword magazine Editorial about Smyrna (Rev. 2:7-11) with David Andrew. You can download and read the Editorial here. The discussion can be viewed on YouTube here
A final thought
From Isaac Watts, (pub. circa 1721)
- Am I a soldier of the cross,
A follow’r of the Lamb?
And shall I fear to own His cause,
Or blush to speak His name? - Must I be carried to the skies
On flow’ry beds of ease,
While others fought to win the prize,
And sailed through stormy seas? - Are there no foes for me to face?
Must I not stem the flood?
Is this vile world a friend to grace,
To help me on to God? - Sure I must fight if I would reign;
Increase my courage, Lord;
I’ll bear the toil, endure the pain,
Supported by Thy Word. - Thy saints in all this glorious war
Shall conquer, though they die;
They see the triumph from afar,
By faith they bring it nigh. - When that illustrious day shall rise,
And all Thy armies shine
In robes of vict’ry through the skies,
The glory shall be Thine.