The journey of biblical transformation from the inside out.

There is a continuing problem most evangelical churches face. I think this problem must be addressed. Many professing Christ followers should finish their journey toward spiritual maturity journey well but become discouraged and drop out. My research reveals that many churches do not have a viable pathway for discipleship and theology. This is especially true with Millennials and younger generations.

I prefer to avoid buying discipleship programs because many of these are fill-in-the-blanks using an approach of various Scripture references. A firm foundation of sound theology is paramount for spiritual maturity in a person from the inside out. Then, when a disciple owns their convictions from an inductive study of Scripture, they can integrate it into their life with the help of the Holy Spirit.

Several methods may be used to accomplish healthy discipleship. First, train the church leaders in sound theology. This can be done in a small group or at a theological roundtable. In addition, we need to equip leaders with basic rules of interpretation of Scripture. These two concepts should be taught concurrently. For example, start with carefully studying the Book of Romans or the Gospel of John. Encourage the student to read the text slowly several times and make observations from what they read. This will help the student analyze the passage using the historical/grammatical method of interpretation. The result should be to discern how the original readers heard the text.

Have the student note theological concepts within the text when the observations have been made. For example, highlight texts which point to the doctrine of the Trinity and the relation for the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Note the pericope of Scripture if it speaks to the Person and work of Jesus Christ. These are just a few examples of journeying through discipleship.

There is a key to conducting a small group or theological roundtable effectively. Leaders need to be trained to ask questions allowing students to think critically about a passage. This will be addressed in my next blog.

Please reply in the section below if you have any comments or questions.

When God called Abraham out of Ur in what is now modern day Iraq, Abraham was a very wealthy business man who was a pagan. God called Abraham to go to a strange foreign land to become the father of a great nation. This nation and people, Israel, would reveal God to the whole world so that other nations might come to God by faith.

We are told that Abraham obeyed God by faith and God began to chip away at Abraham’s character from the inside out. This was a long slow process, but Abraham learned to fall in love with the God who loved him and obeyed God out of love. This is all recorded in Genesis for us.

Let’s jump ahead a bit and look at Jonah, the reluctant prophet. It becomes obvious early in the book that Jonah hated the Ninevites who also hated the Jews. The last thing Jonah wanted to do was bring the message of repentance and faith to this pagan nation. So, Jonah ran from God or at least tried to run. God wouldn’t let Jonah off the hook. God disciplined Jonah until Jonah agreed to carry out God’s will to preach in Nineveh.

Well, the king of Nineveh and his people, repented from their sin and trusted God. You might think that Jonah would have been glad, but he was still angry because he hated the Ninevites. The book ends with God still dealing with Jonah and his attitude. Sometimes, God will teach us from our failures to learn more about us and more about Him.

I would challenge you to look at the lives of Peter, Matthew, John, and Paul in the New Testament. God transformed each one from the inside out to be authentic and effective for the kingdom of God.

God is still willing to do transformational discipleship with born again believers. He doesn’t do this with external rules or laws. When we receive Jesus by faith, He gives us a new heart that is willing and free to obey God out of a love relationship with Jesus.

So, by faith and with the help of the Holy Spirit, we can submit to God and let the Bible change us from the inside out to become more like our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. This takes some sacrifice from us: a sacrifice of time and effort, along with a willingness to submit to God and His Word. God always invites us to enter into discipleship when we receive Christ as a personal Lord and Savior. Read the Great Commission in Matthew 28.

Everyone has a worldview. In fact, all of the decisions we make are based upon our worldview. There are many factors that help form our worldview. Here are a few: family of origin values and practices, secular and religious education, media, social media, and peer pressures. The problem with this is that we develop a worldview which can be unbiblical and not even realize it.

If we are honest with ourselves, we can start to see the secular worldviews are informed by sinful inclinations. The Apostle John points this out, For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world (1 John 2:16 NIV). Do you agree with John?

In the process of transformational discipleship, we need to let the Scriptures, the Holy Spirit, and good theology from the Scriptures start to transform our worldview from the inside out. As our worldview is formed by biblical principles, we can now make better decisions about issues and challenges we face. This includes issues like honesty and integrity and godly living in our families, in our studies, in our work, and in our communities. It will have a positive influence on our marriage and parent-child relationships. We need to understand that the moment we responded to the grace of God and trusted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit came to reside in us. As we yield to Him and the Word, He will begin the process of changing us from the inside out to make us more like Christ. This involves our hearts, minds, and wills.

I believe this what Jesus meant when He gave us the Great Commandment in Matthew 22:37-38:

“ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

The New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011), Mt 22:37–40.

So, let me challenge you to start to ask some difficult question of yourself. Start to list what you believe about honesty and integrity and see if it lines up with the Bible. List what you believe about your work ethic and see if it lines up with the Bible. List what you believe about love and marriage and see if it lines up with the Bible. List what you believe about family and God and see if it lines up with the Bible. List what you believe about humanity. There are many more issues that can be listed. I believe this is a valuable exercise to do. The Holy Spirit can start to transform our worldview from a secular one to a biblical one. More than that, it will result from deeply held biblical convictions from the inside out.

Next time, I will present some examples from Scripture of transformational discipleship.

Allow me to define transformational discipleship. It is a change of the inner man through the power of the Holy Spirit, under the authority of the Scriptures, that produces real change from the inside out. I would suggest that transformational discipleship is absolutely necessary to live in our post Christian world that seems to be hostile to Christianity.

Today, I would like to look at the theological foundation upon which transformational discipleship stands. First, when we are born again by faith in the Person and work of Jesus Christ, we are regenerated by the Holy Spirit (John 3:1-21; Romans 5:8; Ephesians 2:8-10). The Holy Spirit give us a new heart, mind and desire for the Scriptures and for the Lord Jesus Christ. Our old nature which was dead to spiritual things of God no long has authority over born again believers.(2Cor. 5:16-17).

Before we were born again, we were living in the world’s culture and system which is not friendly to the Gospel and the Word of God. We begin to realize this as we start to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. According to the Great Commission, born again Christians are called to be disciples of the Word and Jesus Christ. The goal is a continual transformational process (sanctification) from the inside out.

Discipleship of this nature must be intentional on our part, of course, with the help of the Holy Spirit. It takes prayer, effort, sacrifice, mentorship to enter into the process of discipleship. Progressing in transformational discipleship means that, over time, we become more and more like our Savior from the inside out. I would suggest it is the continuation of regeneration and sanctification.

The Holy Spirit’s work through the Word and prayer will slowly change the secular worldview we had before we were born again to a Biblical worldview. This is vital to transformational discipleship which transforms us the inside out. We begin to see the world through the eyes of Christ and His Word.

In my next blog post, I will discuss the importance of worldview in our lives.

There is so much going on in our country, culture, and the world that could overwhelm us. Born again believers are not exempt from trials and temptation (James 1:2-7). I believe we live in a post Christian culture in which the Bible is looked at as written by ancient people. Therefore, many believe it has no relevance for us today. I also believe that our culture is trying to suppress God and cancel the Person and Work of Jesus Christ.

Also, many churches have neglected discipleship that is founded on good biblical theology and a high Christology. As a result, we haven’t been developing effective leadership in the church. Biblical discipleship is both informational and transformational from the inside out as we yield to the Holy Spirit. Only then will we have leaders who are well integrated and well adjusted and who will live Christianity as a lifestyle.

Now factor in the negative effects of the Covid-19 pandemic which, unfortunately, caused many churches closed. Some closed for a very long period of time. Many people stopped gathering for worship and discipleship. I believe that during the pandemic, churches should have been open while taking good and reasonable precautions following Covid-19 protocols. Generally speaking, church attendance in most churches are about 30-50 percent of per-Covid attendance.

God ordained the church to be His body and the means of sharing the good news of the Person and Work of Jesus Christ. We need to encourage congregants to become reengaged corporate and individual worship. We need to be teaching sound biblical theology with a high Christology. We need to mentor and disciple congregants and encourage them to develop a vibrant individual and corporate prayer life. Nothing and no one should ever cancel out the church and its mission.

The bottom line is that God desires His church to go forward and be faithful to Christ no matter what! People still need a Savior. Born again believers need to continue to mature in Christ from the inside out. We need to be faithfully obedient to the command in the Book of Hebrews, “23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

The New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011), Heb 10:22–25.

The benediction is the blessing of sending people out from the worship service to minister in a hurting world. Paul writes a powerful benediction in Ephesians 3:20-21:

20) Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21} to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen

The New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011), Eph 3:20–21.

Are our hearts prepared to live this out?

I will be speaking at Crossbridge Community Church in Forked River, NJ on how to live life in God’s grace Monday through Saturday. These principles will help a Christ follower to become more like Jesus from the inside out.

1. Lead worshipers, that is those who plan and lead the service, need to be right with God and seek the leading of the Holy Spirit. In verse 19 Paul says ,”Do not quench the Holy Spirit” (NIV). Lead worshipers need to be men and women who are in the process of letting God transform them from the inside out to become more like Christ. We need to be people who are willing to confess and repent of specific sin before God and serve people with the towel and wash basin.
2. The congregants need to prepare their hearts through the week so that, when we walk into Sunday worship service, we are teachable and prepared for what God has for us. Paul gives us a strong  command in regard to this: 19) Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not treat prophecies with contempt 21) but test them all; hold on to what is good, 22) reject every kind of evil.The New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011), 1 Th 5:19–22.
3. Exciting and sacred worship cannot be manufactured by us. It must be a matter of being open to God, the Scriptures, and the Holy Spirit. We need to be willing to confess our sin and repent from it. We need to have a teachable heart. We need to be open to God.