I. Transformation in the Inner Man

Our journey to become wholehearted lovers of God begins with our understanding of who God is, what He’s like, and who we are to Him. Our ideas and perceptions of who He is directly effect not only the way we relate to Him in our daily walk, but how we relate to others around us. It is vital that we have a correct understanding of the characteristics, attributes, and emotions of God.

It’s important that we know that God is mostly glad and happy with us when He relates to us in our weakness. He is tender and long-suffering with us in our immaturity. However, He does not want us to remain “babes” but rather grow to perfection, lacking nothing.

James 1:4, “…that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”

In order for our hearts to grow in full maturity we must be “transformed” on the inside by the renewing of our minds.

Rom. 12:2, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind…”

This is an important part of living a life of worship and service to God. A change in our outward behavior and actions will be the natural expression of the change that has taken place in our inner man. Wiersbe paints a picture of this reality when he says, “You would never produce a butterfly by pinning wings on a worm!” In other words, there must be a fundamental change that originates on the inside if we are to change or grow on the outside.

II. Beholding and Becoming Principle

So how do we do this? How can we experience change in our inner man? According to the apostle Paul, if we are to be transformed into the image Christ, we should go no further than Christ Himself. This seems like the obvious place to start, but the subject of God is one of the least taught subjects in the body of Christ. Other subjects such as morality, ethics, relationships, and ministry skills often eclipse the study of God. However, Paul says that if we want to live a transformed life, we must behold the glory of the Lord.

Whatever we behold in God’s heart towards us becomes awakened in our heart back to God (transformation). To behold God’s heart refers to studying it, or meditating on it, until we understand it more and thus encounter God.




II. Cor. 3:18, “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.”
How do you expect to be changed if you neglect the main point and the main character in the whole Bible? On every page of the Bible, the main character is God, and the Bible is meant to communicate to us His glory.
We cannot neglect the subject of God, because He is the central figure and object of our worship. What we are and what we do are both determined by our worship. In other words, we become like that which we worship.

Psalm 115:8, “Those who make them [idols] are like them; so is everyone who trusts [worships] them.”

III. How Can We Get To Know Him

Jesus is the perfect representation of the Father.

John 14:9, “…He who has seen Me has seen the Father…”

Col. 1:15, “He is the image of the invisible God…”

By gazing or beholding the character, the emotions, the attributes of Jesus, we are transformed into the same image (become Christ-like).

King David declared that the primary preoccupation of his heart was to gaze upon God’s beauty. God’s beauty was the powerful force that empowered and conquered David’s heart.

Psalm 27:4, “One thing I have desired of the Lord, that will I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple.”

When Mary of Bethany “sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word” instead of serving like her sister Martha, Jesus validates her actions as “needed” and “good.”

Luke 10:42, “But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part which will not be taken away from her.”

We must become a people of “one thing” if we want to truly live a transformed life. Our sole passion must be Christ, and becoming more like Him must be our aim. We must be a “Proverbs 2” people who “understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God” by seeking Him as a hidden treasure.



IV. Common Arguments To Draw Back

We must be wise to the tactics of the enemy. Satan’s goal is to get us to quit (discouraged/spirit of heaviness), feel disqualified (impurity/lack of faithfulness), stay spiritually shallow (mismanagement of time/pursuing too many things), and/or become cynical (jaded/angry). There are many arguments that empower people to draw back from perseverance in pursuing a deeper life in God. Each argument can easily be overcome by truth.

Argument 1: The Word is too boring – Press through by staying in the word with a plan and help from study guides, books, commentaries, small groups, etc.

Argument 2: The worship sets are too boring – Engage your spirit by singing to God, not the air. Simple statements like, “Jesus, I worship You” or “I love You, Lord” have a powerful impact on the heart when directed to God.

Argument 3: I don’t have enough time – One of the greatest hindrances to spiritual depth is not necessarily a lack of time, but rather a mismanagement of time.

Argument 4: I don’t know what to do in the place of prayer – Getting an action plan is very important. For example: read 10 chapters of the New Testament per day (6 days a week) to read through the entire New Testament once a month (journaling as you go), make a personal prayer list to focus on receiving a breakthrough in your own heart, make a prayer list for others (praying for things such as revival in our families, city, school, and nation).

Argument 5: I am too tired – Develop a lifestyle that helps you worship hard by understanding that what you did and ate last night and even five days ago affects how you feel today. In other words, you prayer life is at the top of your priority list and not an inconvenience to your “other life.”

Argument 6: I need to be realistic and practical – Seeking to do the work without contending for the anointing or getting/maintaining oil of intimacy in your lamps of ministry (Matt. 25) will lead to burn out. Nothing is more practical than developing a tender and passionate heart for God.

Argument 6: I need to draw back because I am under a lot of spiritual warfare – We have only two options in our spiritual lives (not 3 as some believe). Option #1 is to press in and keep our vision high, resisting the onslaught of darkness, until God releases the breakthrough. Option #2 is to draw back by lowering our vision and resolve. This will result in being unnecessarily overcome by temptations or Satan’s attacks. Options #3 does NOT exist. It is a deception to think that we can draw back and lower our vision and gain peace and safety. Satan has no times when he ceases to attack. He will not call a “time out” or “cease fire.”



V. Action Plan

Getting Started

Pick your top 10 “most wanted” books of the Bible to study.

Study one book at a time.

Select the specific times in the week that you will dedicate for study.

Print out a schedule of your week with the “study time” included.

How To – Five Simple Steps

1. Select two commentaries on the book of the Bible that you are studying, read each one, highlighting the key sentences. Do this for one paragraph at a time. Go slowly.

2. In your own words, write a title for each paragraph that you study.

3. Write insights from the commentary for the key verses from each paragraph.

4. Keep a journal, writing down your personal meditations and observations.

5. Write a brief prayer from the passage when applicable.

Materials and Helps

Here is a list of internet resources that I have found helpful in my study:

www.ccel.org
www.crosswalk.com
www.soniclight.com
http://vines.mike-obrien.net/
http://www.biblegateway.com/
http://eword.gospelcom.net/comments/
http://www.spurgeon.org/mainpage.htm