What Are You Seeking?
Sunday, January 16, 2011
John 1:35-39 (New American Standard Bible): Again the next day John was standing with two of his disciples, and he looked at Jesus as He walked, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God!" The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. And Jesus turned and saw them following, and said to them, "What do you seek?"
They said to Him, "Rabbi (which translated means Teacher), where are You staying?" He said to them, "Come, and you will see." So they came and saw where He was staying; and they stayed with Him that day, for it was about the tenth hour.
How do we become like Christ? By following Him... Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we learn what Jesus knows... and we do what He does...
Transformation comes only through the Holy Spirit. That involves training ourselves to change the way we think to the way Jesus thinks... to be taught a reliable pattern of transformation.
Romans 12:2: Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God--what is good and acceptable and perfect.
If you learn to think as Jesus thinks and to do the kinds of things He did, you can live an amazing life.
Galatians 5:16-25 (New International Version): So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.
"Jesus understood how people change... If we adopt Jesus' narratives (stories) about God, we will know God properly and right actions will follow." (James Bryan Smith, "The Good and Beautiful God", pp. 22-23)
Over the next several weeks we will look at Jesus' narrative about God... and see how:
God is Good...
God is Trustworthy...
God is Generous...
God is Love...
God is Holy...
God is Self-Sacrificing...
God Transforms...