How Does Personal Transformation Take Place? (Part 1)
Personal transformation, at its core, means that I take on the character of Christ. How that happens and what I become is already
specified within the pages of God’s Word. In fact, we can use the pages of the Bible to guide our spiritual journey and to evaluate our
spiritual growth and character. Paul writes about this when he directs us on this matter …
And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of
the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. Ephesians 4:11-12 (NKJV)
From these words we can understand that …
PERSONAL TRANSFORMATION FOLLOWS A SPECIFIED PROCESS
It begins when I am equipped by my pastors. Note that God has given you a gift: your pastors who teach you. Think about it this way;
When God desired to bless our lives by showing us the path into His presence, He gave us guides. Each guide God gives us comes
along with a new gift of grace for our lives. God’s vehicle of greater grace is the process He walks us through using His shepherd –
our pastors (‘Pastor’ literally mean ‘shepherd’ in the original language of the New Testament). What is the process?
Step One: I am to be equipped by my pastors. Equipping is a process which implies several dimensions to God’s desires for us.
One, God desires us to become something we are not yet, in order to achieve something He knows is both possible and necessary
to a life of significance. Second, we are incapable of becoming all God has designed us to be without the specific and intentional
designer help of God’s shepherd. Third, shepherds by nature keep us on the path, moving in the proper direction and safe from the
predatory nature of our enemies.
Step Two: I am to work in ministry. The crux of personal transformation and the purpose of being equipped by our pastors lie in this
reality. God changes us as we live out the love of God in the lives of others. Whether we follow the path of outward ministry, becoming
visible to the body of Christ or work behind the scenes to help and care for the needs of God’s people, our lives become something
we never could have imagined. Without our active participation in God’s Kingdom, laboring for His goals and purposes, we remain
dwarfed in our humanity.
Step Three: I am to build up the local church. God’s heart screams out for our contribution to strengthen His body – the Church! You
see, we become what He has desired us to be when we exercise the compassion, mercy and grace we have received from God. As
those around us are lifted from their problems and pain through our service, they quickly share their happiness with others. This
draws new people – those from their spheres of life – into the Church, building the size and strength of the Body of Christ!
The character of Christ develops in us to the extent that we follow this process. In our next issue, we will examine God’s four major
objectives in this process. Help us strengthen and encourage others in their spiritual leadership – forward this email to a friend and
encourage them to subscribe!
© 2007 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith. All rights reserved.
Personal transformation, at its core, means that I take on the character of Christ. How that happens and what I become is already
specified within the pages of God’s Word. In fact, we can use the pages of the Bible to guide our spiritual journey and to evaluate our
spiritual growth and character. Paul writes about this when he directs us on this matter …
And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of
the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. Ephesians 4:11-12 (NKJV)
From these words we can understand that …
PERSONAL TRANSFORMATION FOLLOWS A SPECIFIED PROCESS
It begins when I am equipped by my pastors. Note that God has given you a gift: your pastors who teach you. Think about it this way;
When God desired to bless our lives by showing us the path into His presence, He gave us guides. Each guide God gives us comes
along with a new gift of grace for our lives. God’s vehicle of greater grace is the process He walks us through using His shepherd –
our pastors (‘Pastor’ literally mean ‘shepherd’ in the original language of the New Testament). What is the process?
Step One: I am to be equipped by my pastors. Equipping is a process which implies several dimensions to God’s desires for us.
One, God desires us to become something we are not yet, in order to achieve something He knows is both possible and necessary
to a life of significance. Second, we are incapable of becoming all God has designed us to be without the specific and intentional
designer help of God’s shepherd. Third, shepherds by nature keep us on the path, moving in the proper direction and safe from the
predatory nature of our enemies.
Step Two: I am to work in ministry. The crux of personal transformation and the purpose of being equipped by our pastors lie in this
reality. God changes us as we live out the love of God in the lives of others. Whether we follow the path of outward ministry, becoming
visible to the body of Christ or work behind the scenes to help and care for the needs of God’s people, our lives become something
we never could have imagined. Without our active participation in God’s Kingdom, laboring for His goals and purposes, we remain
dwarfed in our humanity.
Step Three: I am to build up the local church. God’s heart screams out for our contribution to strengthen His body – the Church! You
see, we become what He has desired us to be when we exercise the compassion, mercy and grace we have received from God. As
those around us are lifted from their problems and pain through our service, they quickly share their happiness with others. This
draws new people – those from their spheres of life – into the Church, building the size and strength of the Body of Christ!
The character of Christ develops in us to the extent that we follow this process. In our next issue, we will examine God’s four major
objectives in this process. Help us strengthen and encourage others in their spiritual leadership – forward this email to a friend and
encourage them to subscribe!
© 2007 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith. All rights reserved.
| Transformation |
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| First Baptist Church |
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