Understanding Transformation

By Brother Lawrence

Understanding Transformation, Undergoing Spiritual Metamorphosis in Christ, is a book to help readers understand God's plan. Instead of focusing upon the theological ideas of religion, the book provides a deeper understanding of the Spirit behind God's written word. Specifically, chapters 3 to 19 begin with a series of short stories that show how a person without faith can be transformed into the likeness of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The book uses the original translation of key words in the Bible to show His expectations of us and His sufficiency to enable us to fulfil them. See 2 Corinthians 3:5-6. The book shows why we struggle with our faith. It also reveals the means to overcome our struggles.

The final chapter uses a separate short story to introduce the reader to the story of Mary. This is the story Lord Jesus Christ tells us must accompany the message of the gospel. Readers will take away a greater understanding of God's Word that goes beyond textual knowledge. It will help the reader to understand the Spirit behind God's word. Jesus stated, "The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life." (John 6:63).

• Language: English
• Publisher: Brother Lawrence
• Release date: May 4, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393064404

Book preview

Prologue

All souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.

- Ezekiel 18:4, KJV.

I had a dream that I was being chased by my soul. It was desperately trying to keep up with me, to lead me. My soul had a walking stick signifying that it had become crippled, but it was still attempting to lead me. A train station appeared in the distance, so I ran back to my soul and took its staff. Then, I began running towards the train station. My soul was still pursuing me but couldn’t keep up.

When I reached the train station, there was a call made to board the train. A ticket appeared in my hand and I boarded the train. There were several people standing around the station when the call to board the train was given. There was another man that had received a ticket to board the train, but no one else. I asked the other man who had boarded the train with me why no one else was boarding the train. He answered that they were not willing to pay the price to go on. Then God spoke to me and said, You are now in the place where My Spirit can guide and lead you apart from your soul.

Dedication

This book is dedicated to my wife, Shellie for her tireless help and encouragement. She has been instrumental in helping me put this book into a format that is easy to read and understand.

Table of Contents

Prologue

Dedication

Our Understanding [Introduction]

PART ONE – UNDERSTANDING GOD

Understanding the Heart of God [Chapter 1]

In the beginning

His love brought us back

The Word of God [Chapter 2]

The Word of God became Flesh

Presenting the Word of God

Rebuke from Lord Jesus Christ

Learn from Me

Without Spot Wrinkle and Blemish

PART TWO – WHY WE STRIVE AND STRUGGLE

Words Without Voices [Chapter 3]

Our tri-fold composition

Our nature

Reason for the Spirit

The whole person

The Chains of Self-Will [Chapter 4]

The purposed creation of man

The true nature of the Fall

The soul in the work of the gospel

A new way of thinking

Understanding the Self-Indulgent Nature (SIN) [Chapter 5]

The origin of sin

The deception of logic and reason

Sins: the works of the flesh

The solution

The Old Life and Our New Life [Chapter 6]

Two Worlds

Burial means an end

Resurrection means new Life in Christ

PART THREE – GOD’S PLAN FOR OUR RESCUE

Forgiveness [Chapter 7]

The Blood is for God

God is satisfied

Access to God by the Blood

Overcoming the accuser

The Gift of the Holy Spirit [Chapter 8]

The purposed outpouring of the Spirit

The present work of Christ

Receiving the Gift

The diversity of the experience

The Spirit indwelling

The treasure within

The absolute Lordship of Christ

Deliverance from the Power of Sin [Chapter 9]

The power of sin

The way of deliverance

Resurrected to live in holiness

The Last Adam and Second Man

Deliverance from the Law [Chapter 10]

The Law and its purpose

Jesus Christ fulfills the requirements of the Law

PART FOUR – THE WALK

Abiding in Christ [Chapter 11]

A new creation in Christ

Water baptism

Providence

The New Covenant of Grace

The distinction between the covenants of Law and Promise

Remaining in Christ

Provisions of abiding in Christ

Build upon the Rock

The Transformation of Self-Will [Chapter 12]

The basis of all true ministry

Seat of affections and aversions

Breaking and separation of the soul

Conformed to His death

The path of Life

Releasing the Holy Spirit

Our Journey [Chapter 13]

A Gate and a Path

Our new birth and justification

Our deliverance from sin

The gift of the Holy Spirit

Pleasing God

Walking in the Light [Chapter 14]

Divine revelation is essential to our knowledge

Our death with Christ

Union with our Lord through baptism

Knowing this

Knowing that

Know it as fact

Reason for division

Walking in Faith [Chapter 15]

Faith makes It real

Temptation and failure

Walking in Consecration [Chapter 16]

Separated unto the Lord

Ownership

A bondservant

We that have the Son have the Life

Adam’s choice

Adam's choice: the reason for the Cross

We are all of One

Walking in the Spirit [Chapter 17]

A greater Law

The flesh and the Spirit

Our walk

The manifestation of the law of the Spirit

Regaining the sense of the Spirit

Christ is our Life

The works of our Lord Jesus Christ

We have everything in Christ

Manifesting His fruit

Walking in Love [Chapter 18]

The importance of loving our Neighbor

The eye being single

Awareness of His presence

Fearlessness

PART FIVE – THE ABIDING NEW LIFE

The Way of Excellence [Chapter 19]

A more excellent way

Loving the unlovable

Children of the Father

Becoming one with the One

Our living sacrifice

Our Heart’s Treasure [Chapter 20]

Waste

Ministering to His pleasure

Anointing Him beforehand

His fragrance

Our Understanding [Introduction]

Have you ever wondered why your life always comes up short of everything promised in the Bible? To begin to answer that question let us look at an analogy. A new purchase often comes with assembly instructions and directions for use. We open the box with the idea of putting everything together. We take a moment and quickly read through the instructions. In our haste, we overlook important details. To our dismay, we see that what we have put together is not working quite right or not at all. We realize there is more to it than we first thought.

Most Christians believe that the Bible is an important part of Christianity. Yet, it is so much more. God’s Word instructs us in how we are to live our lives before Him every day. God's Word can resolve every circumstance and situation that comes before us in this life. Our Lord Jesus said, It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. (John 6:63).

In our Christian walk, the Bible is our personal instruction manual. Following the manual step-by-step produces God’s Will for us. The Father’s Will seeks to show us the great depth of His love for us. When we learn to live to His will, His will becomes our reality in every aspect of our lives. That is true life. The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. (John 10:10).

The Bible (God’s Word) can guide us so that we may enjoy the abundant life our Lord Jesus died for us to have. Father God places great importance upon the details of abiding in Him by abiding in His Word.

If we are truly abiding in God’s Word, we can always be assured that God’s perfect Will is being done.[1] When we pray for the Father’s Will to be done, we ask in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. His love guides us in our transformation. The full assurance of God’s love is our Lord Jesus Christ. Yielding, and presenting ourselves to our Lord Jesus Christ means we live in continued consecration – abiding in Him as His words abide in us. When these conditions are met, we may ask anything in the Name of Jesus, and our Heavenly Father will do it according to His will.

When we learn and come to know our Heavenly Father through His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, we are no longer afraid of His will, but rather desire it when we pray. We know that His love for us is truly great.[2] The purpose of life, and our salvation is much more than being a saved sinner. God’s goal and purpose is our transformation, to become holy for our God is holy[3]; being transformed into our Lord Jesus’ image.[4]

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.

PART ONE – UNDERSTANDING GOD

Understanding the Heart of God [Chapter 1]

Classifieds: FREE, 2 pairs of baby shoes: one for a boy, the other for a girl, never worn.

– Adapted from Ernest Hemingway

In the beginning

In the beginning, God created Adam and Eve out of God’s love. His intent was to have children. Unfortunately, the devil deceived Adam and Eve. The serpent blinded them from knowing God as a loving Father. Adam and Eve only knew Him as their Creator. They never understood His love. They were unable to understand Him. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. (1 John 4:8).

Adam and Eve gained knowledge for "the eyes[5] of both of them were opened." (Genesis 3:7). The mind of their soul opened, and they became wise, yet alone, and separate from the love of God. The mind of their spirit could no longer see. It was a sad moment for us all when the hearts of God’s children turned against Him. His children lost their child-like innocence. With their knowledge, a knowledge void of His love, they led their lives apart from knowing God as Father.

The first thing Adam and Eve did with their newfound knowledge was to hide themselves in fear of God. Apart from God’s guidance, their souls led them now. They immediately defended themselves with logic, and reason. ‘Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, Where are you? So, he said, I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.’ (Genesis 3:9-10). Adam and Eve never expressed remorse for their actions. They never apologized for their mistake. They only gave a logical progression of reasons for what they had done.

Whenever a person's soul leads them, the soul will instinctively defend itself. The self-justifying soul will always defend its actions. Right and wrong become unimportant. For those that live by the influence of their soul, right and wrong becomes distorted. The soul’s logic and reason will always defend its actions, even at the expense of God’s Word. For every fear and mortal concern, man has a list of proposed remedies that can never trump the Will of God.

His love brought us back

Those who walk according to the Spirit, and walk in the light of God’s Word live apart from the fears of the world. They do not walk by their flesh-led souls. They continue in consecration, walking in love. Their trust in God’s perfect love brings comfort and strength to overcome the world’s wisdom. And even though the winds may blow against them, they stand undefeated upon a rock and refuge founded in God’s love. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. (1 John 4:18).

Since the fall of man, God's thoughts have always been on us. His desire is to restore the lost spiritual connection that occurred in the garden. The devil deprived us of God’s excellence; His love, and instruction. Though delayed, God's plan and purpose for creating us is still unfolding. God's love for us still stands. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. (1 John 4:10).

God's ongoing plan for us emerged in the death of our Lord Jesus. It is a mighty death indeed. Our Lord Jesus’ death went far beyond recovering what the devil delayed. Something greater than the devil's logic and reason rescues us from his devices. God's gift reveals the Holy Spirit abiding in flesh. In redemption, there is not only the forgiveness of sins, but the reception of His Life in us. When we surrender our wills to Him, the power of the Holy Spirit transforms us into His likeness. We pour out our soul as our Lord Jesus Christ poured out His soul in selfless love.

What is God's purpose for us in redemption? First, our redemption glorifies God (Romans 3:23). Next, it delivers us from the corruption of knowledge. When we overcome corrupted knowledge, we share in the glory of becoming God’s children (Romans 8:21). God's purpose for us was glory, but sin hindered us from receiving God's love and glory. By redemption we can experience the excellence of His love towards us. God's purpose in redemption was to bring us back to Him. As faithful children, we may experience His abundant goodness in our lives. It was always purposed in the heart of God for His children to become as our Lord Jesus is.

When we sin, we instinctively think of the judgment, and condemnation it brings. Our thoughts lean towards the punishment that will come from sinning. When we stray from His Word, God's thoughts are always on the glory we miss. We fail to experience the excellence of His all-encompassing love. The self-indulgent nature (sin) deprives us of His glory. The result of redemption is that we are re-qualified again for glory. God's purpose in redemption is to help us experience His love in our lives now and for all eternity.

For whom He foreknew,[6] He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.

- Romans 8:29-30.

The word predestined[7] means that God desires that all have eternal life. From the original translation, the word predestined means to decide beforehand. In proper context, Romans 8:29 says, Father God had already made up His mind to have more than one Son. We see that our Abba Father decided beforehand to have many children. His desire is that all become His children.[8]

God's purpose is that His Son, Jesus Christ, be the firstborn among many brethren - all conformed to His image. God's purpose in our redemption is to make Christ, the firstborn Son, glorified among the many. Our Lord Jesus Christ was God’s only begotten Son, signifying that God had no other Son.

God was not satisfied that Christ should remain the Only Begotten. He also wanted to make our Lord Jesus Christ His First Begotten (Romans 8:29-30). The Only Begotten becomes the First Begotten by the Father having more children. If you have only one child then that child is the only begotten. But if you have other children then the only begotten becomes the first begotten. God’s purpose in our redemption is that He have many children. He wanted us, and would was not satisfied without us. When led by the Spirit of God, we are sons of God. We are no longer led by fear, but by His love, conveyed to us by His Spirit that abides within us. (See Romans 8:14-15). We are to derive our life from our Lord Jesus Christ, and learn from His love, so that we may come to know the heart of God.

He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me.

- John 6:56-57.

Our Lord Jesus represents true life, and the true food from which we are to derive our life - His love! In the world to come, we will all live for Him, but our ability to do so begins with our love for Him now in the present. In pure and continued consecration, we must give our all to Him. When we do, He will continue to show us the heart of God, our heavenly Father. Through our Lord Jesus Christ,

Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us.

- 1 John 4:17-19.

God never wanted man to assert himself to be like Him through knowledge alone. Instead, God wanted us to learn to be one with Him through His love for us. We are to love Him back with the same type of love He has for us. We were always meant to be His descendants. The devil interrupted God’s purpose for us. Our Lord Jesus Christ brought us back to God by revealing the heart of God to us in His ministry and exaltation. Deliverance from fear by the love of God through Jesus Christ is priceless. It is the answer to all human fear and concern.

As true sons of God, we must show and teach the love of God by demonstration. God's love is the true remedy for all worries and concerns. We are to reveal the divine compassion of God rather than human ambition. God's love always blesses, but never injures. We are to reveal to others the way of true love and charity. Love does no harm to a neighbor; thus love is the fulfillment of the law. (Romans 13:10).

Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. (John 12:24). Our Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son represented that grain of wheat! God, the Father of Jesus Christ had only One Grain of Wheat; having no second grain. God placed His One Grain of Wheat into the earth, and It died. But in Its resurrection, many grains came forth. The Only Begotten Son became the First Begotten Son.

Our Lord Jesus will always be the only begotten Son of God. But from the point of His resurrection onward, Jesus Christ is also the first begotten Son. His life is now found in many brethren.

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

- John 1:12-13.

As recorded in Luke 1:35, the angel Gabriel speaks of the conception of Jesus Christ. He is born of the Holy Spirit.[9] By regeneration, the Holy Spirit re-births us into a new creation. Our Lord Jesus tells us to enter the kingdom of God; we must be born of water and the Spirit.[10] We are re-created (born again) through our water baptism, and our Spiritual rebirth.[11] When the Holy Spirit abides in us, we partake of the divine nature of God. As it is written,

His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

- 2 Peter 1:3-4.

By His death, resurrection, and ascension, Lord Jesus Christ made us part of His divine family. It is the Spirit of God who declares that those who have the Son[12] have eternal life, for they are the children of God.

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, Abba, Father. The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.

- Romans 8:14-16.

Through the Only Begotten Son, our heavenly Father has secured many sons. Our Lord, Jesus Christ is the first begotten Son. After His resurrection, He tells Mary that He is ascending to His Father and her Father, to His God and her God. He refers to them as His brethren now.[13] By our Lord Jesus’ death and resurrection, the divine family of God has many brethren. It is most humbling to know that as His children, we cannot do without Him. It is even more humbling to know that He cannot do without us, because of His love for us. For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call [us] brethren. (Hebrews 2:11, emphasis added).

The Word of God [Chapter 2]

Never judge a book by its cover.

– Adapted from Fuller and Rolfe

You can never understand a book’s content without first reading it. But our understanding can change over time. The best way to understand the Bible is to comprehend it with a timeless mind. Seeing by the mind of Christ gives us a deeper understanding of His Word.

It is not just a matter of having an intellectual understanding of what our Lord said. We must understand Him on a spiritual level (Romans 8:5). The ability to understand the spirit of God’s Word comes from deliberating with the mind of Christ. The Apostle Paul writes,

These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

- 1 Corinthians 2:13-14.

Understanding the Word of God with a spiritual mind set comes from God. We do not become spiritual or walk according to the Spirit by using the mind of our soul. It is not some deep intellectual undertaking, nor a feeling or sensation of the soul’s emotions.

From Matthew 22:23-33, our Lord Jesus Christ chided the Sadducees. His rebuke came from their inability to understand God’s Word. Our Lord Jesus stated, You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God. (Matthew 22:29). The Sadducees read God’s Word, yet they could not comprehend the spirit behind It. Our Lord Jesus also admonished Nicodemus, a rabbinic Pharisee (see John 3:1-12). Nicodemus had a faulted understanding of God’s Word. Our Lord stated, Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things...’If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? (John 3:10, 12).

In a second example found in John 6:22-66, we see our Lord Jesus speaking in the synagogue at Capernaum. Many of the listeners that were there had earlier sought to make Him their king. The previous day, they were part of the five thousand people fed from five barley loafs and two small fish. (See John 6:1-21). Our Lord Jesus addressed them stating, Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. (John 6:26).

Our Lord Jesus shows us their lack of true valuation of Him. The people did not understand Him and the purpose of His signs, so they set their minds upon what He did for them. Our Lord Jesus told them not to work for the food that perishes, but for the food that is everlasting and eternal (v. 27). From verses 28-29, we learn what type of work achieves the food that never perishes - our belief in Him! This is more than an intellectual assent of Him. It is the comprehension of His deity and purpose.

Our Lord Jesus clarifies His point by saying, I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. (John 6:35). The food Jesus is referring to is the Word of God and our work is to believe in Jesus, the manifestation of God’s Word (John 1:14).

At the end of His teaching, the people (which included many of His disciples), still did not understand Him. Many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more (John 6:66). Among the disciples that stayed with Him were the first twelve disciples that He chose. What a sad moment it must have been when our Lord turned to the twelve and asked, Do you also want to go away? (John 6:67).

Today, as followers of our Lord Jesus Christ we must re-examine our own walk with Him. As we have seen, we can know God’s Word, and teach God’s Word. We can do many things in the name of Jesus, and still lack spiritual discernment. We must know that the Word of God is the Living Word that abides in us as a Person; the Spirit of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Word of God is not given to us to pick and choose what we will and will not acknowledge, and obey. When we assert ourselves, we walk by the flesh and not by the Spirit; failing to abide in Him as He abides in us. It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. (John 6:63). The Word of God (our Lord Jesus Christ) is the Spirit that gives Life. His Words are to guide and lead us in both the spiritual realm and the physical realm we live in now. It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.’ (Luke 4:4).

The Word of God became Flesh

I share with you now one of the most important spiritual truths I have learned about the Word of God. Let us begin by examining a statement made by our Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.

- Matthew 10:32-33.

Our intellect can understand the text from Matthew 10:32-33 as given. Yet, other statements made by our Lord Jesus Christ seem to conflict with Matthew 10:32-33. Demonic spirits being cast out of people confessed Lord Jesus Christ as the Messiah and Son of God. They believed he was the Son of God. And demons also came out of many, crying out and saying, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of God!’ And He, rebuking them, did not allow them to speak, for they knew that He was the Christ. (Luke 4: 41. See also Matthew 8:28-31 and Mark 5:1-9).

The Bible does not state that our Lord Jesus confesses or prays for demons that confess Him before men. Here we see the need for greater spiritual discernment to understand His words.

In the matter of denying our Lord Jesus Christ before men, the idea of denying Him is rather absurd. We tend to believe as Peter did when he said, ’Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!’ And so said all the disciples. (Matthew 26:35). Yet, Peter later denied our Lord three times, and he did so with oaths, cursing, and swearing (Matthew 26:69-75).

Luke tells us that our Lord Jesus Christ prayed for Peter’s soul, knowing that he would deny Him.

And the Lord said, ‘Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat’ But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.

- Luke 22:31-32.

Instead of denying Peter, our Lord prayed for him. He prayed that Peter’s faith