Comments on: How Does the Disciple Live? http://www.livelikejesus.com/blog/2007/09/09/how-does-the-disciple-live/ living a transformed life Wed, 07 Jan 2009 01:11:32 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: Dirk http://www.livelikejesus.com/blog/2007/09/09/how-does-the-disciple-live/#comment-5528 Dirk Mon, 21 Jan 2008 15:17:09 +0000 http://www.livelikejesus.com/blog/2007/09/09/how-does-the-disciple-live/#comment-5528 Perhaps I am misunderstanding what is being said here, but it appears as though the author is saying if we will on train ourselves in "Christian" disciplines we will eventually become the kind of people that God desires. It seems as though the author is saying we can do these things if only we will take our time, train ourselves in a similar way as an athelete does and we will become the disciples the Lord desires. If I am in error or have misunderstood, I am sorry. But according to the scriptures it is NOT ourselves that will transform our inner man. It is ONLY JESUS, as the scriptures say in Col 2:11, it is JESUS who will cleanse our corrupt, carnal nature from ALL of its desires and lusts. It is not training, it is exchanging. We lay down our lives, allow them to "die" and the Lord Himself places His very own feelings, desires, wants, and nature within us so that we will naturally act JUST LIKE JESUS. If we attempt to do this ourselves, we may appear on the outside to look like Jesus, but the inside will not have change. It is no different than how a professional trains an animal. The trainer can do amazing things, causing the animal to perform and act in ways no one would ever expect or sometimes even believe. YET for all the amazing "tricks' the animal performs, no matter what it may look like, no matter how much the animal appears to have been transformed, the nature of the beast is not altered at all. It remains an animal and only its behavior is different. There may appear to be actions that look like a transformation, but place that animal in certain situations and you will IMMEDIATELY see the animal return. Jesus does NOT do this. He does not offer CONTROLLED BEHAVIOR! He actually changes the very nature of man from beast, sinner, to saint! a bondslave in Christ Jesus, Dirk Perhaps I am misunderstanding what is being said here, but it appears as though the author is saying if we will on train ourselves in “Christian” disciplines we will eventually become the kind of people that God desires.

It seems as though the author is saying we can do these things if only we will take our time, train ourselves in a similar way as an athelete does and we will become the disciples the Lord desires.

If I am in error or have misunderstood, I am sorry. But according to the scriptures it is NOT ourselves that will transform our inner man.

It is ONLY JESUS, as the scriptures say in Col 2:11, it is JESUS who will cleanse our corrupt, carnal nature from ALL of its desires and lusts.

It is not training, it is exchanging. We lay down our lives, allow them to “die” and the Lord Himself places His very own feelings, desires, wants, and nature within us so that we will naturally act JUST LIKE JESUS.

If we attempt to do this ourselves, we may appear on the outside to look like Jesus, but the inside will not have change. It is no different than how a professional trains an animal. The trainer can do amazing things, causing the animal to perform and act in ways no one would ever expect or sometimes even believe. YET for all the amazing “tricks’ the animal performs, no matter what it may look like, no matter how much the animal appears to have been transformed, the nature of the beast is not altered at all.

It remains an animal and only its behavior is different. There may appear to be actions that look like a transformation, but place that animal in certain situations and you will IMMEDIATELY see the animal return.

Jesus does NOT do this. He does not offer CONTROLLED BEHAVIOR! He actually changes the very nature of man from beast, sinner, to saint!

a bondslave in Christ Jesus, Dirk

]]>