Changing

Cover from Amazon.com for Jim Berg’s study material

I think I’ve mentioned before that Second Daughter gave me the Study Guide for “Changed Into His Image” as a Christmas present, thinking it was the book, so the book arrived a bit after Christmas.  I’ve spent some time with it, but I can’t say that I’ve “read” it.  It’s not designed for reading, it is designed for studying.  That studying does not come easily to me, even though the Bible is what is being studied (which you know I read some every single day.)  Working through this course of study requires a life change – or tossing the book aside for “later.”  Admittedly, I’ve opted for “later” along the way, but I’ve always returned to the study.

I’ve been thinking about a question, “Where are you on your spiritual journey,” that does not come from this book, but the book does bring out attention to milestones laid out in the Bible.  What came to my mind first were the Beatitudes, or what I wrote about some time back, “The Be Attitudes.”  They are good milestones for measuring one’s spiritual life and the progress we’ve made along the way.

Jim Berg offers another set of milestones – making it clear that Galatians 5:22-23 is representative, but not all-inclusive.  Not so much in the same order, and not in the same words, but I think you'll find the same meanings in Matthew 5:2-10 as Paul writes in Galatians regarding our fruit of the spirit.

Where Paul writes meekness, Matthew says meek; Paul says peace, Matthew peacemakers; Paul, longsuffering; Matthew, persecuted.  The case could be made that the other words are interchangeable, too.  We begin with Matthew's poor in spirit, which brings us to seek what Paul describes as love.  These are the some milestones we may to use as measurements along our spiritual journey.

What good is a milestone unless we know our journey’s end?  That’s in the Bible, too.  To be increasingly as Jesus taught and as He is.

For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: (Ephesians 4:12-13 KJV)

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. (Romans 8:14 KJV)

And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. (1 Corinthians 6:11 KJV)

It is a journey many are taking.  It is a life-long journey filled with changes.  Some are using a multitude of study guides, some only the word of God and prayer.  Sometimes we have taken a step backward, for that, please forgive.  Offer admonition, exhortation, and walk with us along the way.