Truthfully,
how many times have you seen an ad like that and looked to see just what it was
they were trying to sell? I’m willing to
wager that most, if not all of us would have to confess we have looked at one
time or another. Have you ever noticed
that more and more of these promises seem to appear right after the
holidays? The overindulgence of the
season, plus the arrival of the New Year always makes it appear to be a
wonderfully appropriate time to make a resolution to get into shape. I can’t help but wonder though, if it’s the
season that makes us want to get into shape, should not the realization that we are
in the season of God’s return make us desire to be in spiritual shape as well?
I
have posted this study a couple of times in the past, and truthfully have
taught it often during my ministry because it contains what I believe to be the
basic principles of spiritual growth necessary for all of us. Any exercise program that promises to
transform your look will contain certain steps that they believe are necessary
to insure you get the results you are looking for. Believe it or not, the Word of God does the
exact same thing by teaching us the steps we need to follow to transform our
bodies into the shape God has intended them to be.
I
beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your
bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable
service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the
renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and
acceptable and perfect will of God.
Romans 12:1-2 NKJV
So
we choose to give our bodies to God as a gift, and as Paul tells us, it needs
to be holy and acceptable. But just how do we accomplish that? Well according
to Paul, it is by transforming. The Greek word for "transformed" used
here is "metamorphoō", from where we
get the word "metamorphosis", which
means “to change into another form, to
transform, to transfigure” Now since the New Year is where many choose to
make a resolution to change their physical appearance by going on a diet or
committing to an exercise program, I thought we might look at how transforming
our spiritual bodies could follow some of the same principles as the physical.
One
of my favorite memories of raising daughters was the time one of them looked at
some pictures of me taken when I was an athlete in college. Rather than saying
how good I looked or what a fine example of physical fitness I was, her comment
was; "why don't you look like that anymore?" So it was at that tender
moment I decided maybe I should pay a little more attention to my personal exercise
and fitness program. Of course, at the same time I was busy teaching about
Paul's advice to new believers and as I began to lay out my own fitness
program, I couldn't help but notice that the rules I came up with for physical
fitness were very applicable for spiritual fitness. So let me share with you my
three steps to getting in shape, spiritually first of course, but then the
physical as well.
Desire. Now I know this
might seem to be at first glance a simple, if not entirely logical first step,
but I would like to make the point that it depends entirely on how you define
desire. I rather like the biblical definition myself.
as
newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow
thereby, 1 Peter 2:2 NKJV
The
word used here for "desire" is "epipotheo'"
which is translated “to long for, or to
pursue with love”. Most importantly, however, is the fact that it is a
verb. Now I would be the first to admit I have forgotten most of what I learned
in English class, but I do remember what a verb is. It means action, doing
something. To desire something in the biblical sense is not to just sit on the
couch and wish for it, but to act upon that desire and pursue it. You have to
make the effort. This is our first step to spiritual fitness; to truly desire
to transform ourselves. What is it that we should desire? Paul says it is the "milk
of the word", which to us as believers is knowledge of the
scriptures, the word of God. This brings us to the second step.
Acquire. In order to begin
to grow spiritually, we need the raw material which will make us strong. Just
as our physical bodies need protein as part of our diet, our spiritual muscles
need the protein we get from the word of God.
Wisdom
is the principal thing; Therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get
understanding. Proverbs 4:7 NKJV
Solomon
tells us that as believers we need to "acquire" wisdom and
"understanding". The Hebrew word used here for "get" is the
verb "qanah", which means “to get, acquire, obtain”. Anyone who has
ever tried to get in better physical shape understands the need to carefully
monitor what we take in for nutrition. Certain things will help us grow the way
we want, just as certain foods will help us grow as we don't want. The Bible
makes it clear that in order to get in spiritual shape we need to acquire the
knowledge and wisdom to be found in the word of God in order to become stronger
believers.
Taking
in the right spiritual food, though, won't help us accomplish our goal without
the third and most important part of our program.
Perspire. Unfortunately this
is the part of the program most people fail at when trying to transform their
appearance. It starts out with exercise every day, then three days a week, then
one, then "I just don't have the
time". Exercise is an absolute when trying to get into shape, and it
is no different when it comes to spiritual fitness.
Therefore,
my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much
more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; Philippians 2:12 NKJV
You
will never guess just how hard I had to look to find the words "work"
and "out" used together in the Bible, not to mention the fact that they
are two words and not one? Believe it or not, in the Bible it is one word
translated as two and it is the Greek word "katergazomai",
which means “to work out”, or “to do that from which something results.”
When Paul tells the Philippians they need to "workout" their salvation, he is simply telling them that
as believers, it is time for them to stop relying on his (Paul's) help since he
has left them, and to begin to rely on God's help through the power of the Holy
Spirit to live their lives in such a way as to glorify God. And, as you should
have expected by now, the word “workout”
in the Greek is also a verb.
In
order to transform our lives into a gift to God which He will find pleasing, we
must embrace the concept of action. The Christian life is a life of doing, not
wishing. Desire, acquire, and perspire. Three verbs, three steps to becoming
the believer God expects us to be. If you feel the need to make a New Years
resolution, may it be to become the child of God He wants you to be. But don't
wait too long, who knows how long we have left to get into shape?
Keep
watching.
