STEP 5: TEACHING

BEcome like jesus

The second lifelong pursuit of disciples is to become like Jesus. Jesus perfectly loved God with all he was and perfectly loved his neighbor as himself. Becoming more like Jesus is our goal, but how do we attain this goal? Christians are formed into the image of Christ through the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives. This process is often called spiritual formation or sometimes sanctification. It is a lifelong process that will only be completed once we are perfected in glory in the age to come. 1

Though formation into the image of Jesus is accomplished by the Spirit’s work in our lives, we must take an active role in his work. The Spirit’s transformative power occurs most prominently in our lives when we are devoted to Biblical teaching, Christian fellowship, and spiritual habits (often called “spiritual disciplines”). In fact, the Bible describes that the early Christians in the book of Acts were devoted to these three areas. (Breaking bread and the prayers are examples of spiritual habits.)

ACTS 2:42

42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

For better or worse, everyone is being formed into the image of something. We are formed by the stories we believe (worldview), the people we spend time with, and the habits we practice. The Holy Spirit forms us into the image of Jesus. But we have an enemy, the devil. The devil seeks to destroy us by corrupting the character of who God designed us to be. Biblically and historically, Christians have understood there to be three counter-formative influences: the lies of the devil, the sinful desires of the flesh, and the influence of the world.

For this reason, it is crucial for Christians to strategically devote themselves to Biblical teaching, Christian fellowship, and spiritual habits to combat the corrupting influence of the devil.

We will consider fellowship and habits in the following steps. Let’s talk about the importance of devoting ourselves to Biblical teaching to become more like Jesus. Naturally, we are not like Jesus, so we do not perfectly love God and others. In our sinful nature, we love sin. This problem is rooted in what we believe and think—the Bible refers to this as our “minds”—and this affects our actions. Consider the Bible’s description of our sinful state:

ROMANS 1:28

28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.

Notice how this verse says that it is our thoughts about God that affect our minds, which in turn affects our actions. For this reason, our minds need to be renewed.

ROMANS 12:2

2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Due to the three-fold influence of the world, the flesh, and the devil, we are either growing in increasing conformity to the world that does not love God, or we are being transformed increasingly into the image of Jesus by the renewal of our minds.

What does it mean to be conformed to this world?

What are some practical examples of influences that conform us to the world?

Look at this detailed description of how we are transformed to be like Jesus:

EPHESIANS 4:18-24

18 They (those without God) are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. 19 They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. 20 But that is not the way you learned Christ!—21 assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, 22 to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

Again, notice how what we believe and think (v18 “understanding,” “heart”) affects how we live (v19 “practice”). But how do we change from the “old self” to the “new self”? By “learning Christ” (v20), being “taught in him” (v21), and being “renewed in the spirit of your mind” (v23). Through teaching, we grow in “the likeness of God” (v24).

Let’s consider three actions to devote ourselves to in order to be increasingly transformed by the Spirit to become more like Jesus. All of these are related to teaching and learning.

ACTION 1: LEARN FROM BIBLICAL TEACHING

The most fundamental and easy way to devote ourselves to teaching is to hear Biblical teaching at a church gathering regularly.

Have you ever wondered why most Sunday worship gatherings devote half or more of the time to the sermon? It is because listening to Biblical teaching is one of the most essential ingredients for growing as a Christian.

The Bible says that God has gifted and appointed some people to be teachers. 2 In both the Old Testament and the New Testament, God’s people regularly gathered to hear Biblical teaching. 3 For nearly 2000 years in church history, disciples of Jesus have devoted themselves to gathering at least once each week to learn from Biblical teaching.

We need to hear God’s truth taught. Think of all the other types of information that you consume each week (news, social media, television shows, movies, books, YouTube, etc.). Many of these information sources teach a worldview that doesn’t align with the truth of God and his Word. We need to balance the rest of the information we intake by the regular, weekly hearing of Biblical teaching.

Just as God’s people are devoted to learning from Biblical teaching, 4 local pastors, elders, and church teachers are devoted to teaching God’s Word. In the letter of 1 Timothy, this instruction is given to Timothy, a pastor:

1 TIMOTHY 4:13, 16

13 Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. … 16 Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.

It is crucial for disciples of Jesus to devote themselves to Biblical teaching from the pastors of their local church. Local church pastors not only teach the Word of God generally, but they strive to apply God’s Word in relevant ways to their local church congregation.

COLOSSIANS 1:28

28 Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ.

In summary, the first thing every disciple can do to become more like Jesus is to devote themselves to learn from Biblical teaching in their local church.

ACTION 2: LEARN FROM CHRISTIAN RESOURCES

Second, disciples can learn from trustworthy and recommendable Christian resources. Many books, sermons, podcasts, catechisms, and other Christian resources are available. Theological resources are less specific to our lives and contexts than the teaching of a local church pastor, but a benefit is that disciples can learn from them any time during the week.

Though there are many trustworthy and excellent Christian resources, there are also many resources that contain false teaching and harmful ideas. A good place to start is by asking a pastor, mentor, or trusted Christian friend what books are helpful for their learning. Ultimately, the Bible is our final authority. Whatever teaching we read or hear, we should always check the Scriptures to make sure it’s true.5 We must avoid and beware of false teaching. 6

The Apostle Paul is an excellent example of a disciple of Jesus and a lifelong learner. Even when he was imprisoned and awaiting his potential execution, he requested his student Timothy to bring his books.

2 TIMOTHY 4:13

13 When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments.

Books, videos, and other Christian resources never replace the Bible and learning from teaching in your local church. Nevertheless, most people have the opportunity to read, listen, and watch hours of content throughout the week. We will make ourselves available to the Spirit’s work of renewing our minds and transforming us into the image of Jesus by prioritizing trustworthy Christian resources in our weekly routine.

Do you engage Christian resources in your weekly routine?

What resources have been helpful for you? Do you prefer reading, listening, or watching?

ACTION 3: MEMORIZE AND RECITE

Third, we open ourselves up to the Spirit’s work of renewing our minds by filling our hearts with God’s Word.

PSALM 119:11

11 I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.

Have you ever memorized a verse, chapter, or book of the Bible?

What was your experience like?

How did you feel this benefited you?

Our minds have an incredible capacity to memorize. In school, we all likely had to memorize equations and historical dates for tests. Without even realizing it, we have committed countless other things to memory— sports statistics, names of famous people, friends’ birthdays, recipes of your favorite foods, or directions to a loved one’s house.

What we put in our minds affects who we become.

For thousands of years, God’s people have made a daily practice of memorizing and receiving God’s Word. In fact, Jews, likely including Jesus, recited Deuteronomy 6:4-5 from memory every morning after waking and every night before sleep.

DEUTERONOMY 6:4-5

4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.

Imagine the change it would bring by beginning and ending every day by proclaiming this truth: “The Lord is my God, the Lord alone. I will love him today with all that I am!” The passage in Deuteronomy also continues by exhorting God’s people of the importance of teaching God’s Word to their children day and night, inside and outside the home.

What habits do you typically begin and end each day with? (Example: checking email, reading the news, looking at social media.)

How do you think it would change your perspective each day if you began and ended each day by reciting from memory some teaching from God’s Word?

The reality is that the competition of information we encounter each day is not random or passive. The devil is actively working to deceive us with lies. 7 When Jesus was assaulted with the lies and temptations of the devil, he was able to counter with the truth of God’s Word because he had memorized it. 8 We do not know the next time we will be assaulted by a lie, but we can become like Jesus by devoting ourselves to teaching through memorizing God’s Word.

1 Philippians 1:6, Romans 8:29-30, 1 John 3:20

2 1 Corinthians 12:28, Ephesians 4:11, 1 Timothy 3:2, James 3:1

3 Nehemiah 8:8, Acts 5:42, 20:7

4 Acts 2:42

5 Acts 17:11

6 1 Timothy 6:3-5

7 1 Peter 5:8, John 8:44

8 Matthew 4:1-11