“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world; but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Romans 12:1-2).

Introduction

Have you ever heard someone say something like this, “I can’t help it, that is just how I am and how God made me.” This way of thinking is very unfortunate since it denies the transforming power of the Holy Spirit to change lives, and even goes so far as to blame God for personal deficiencies. God certainly accepts us just as we are for salvation (we do not have to try to get rid of our sin first), but His earnest desire is not to leave us the way He finds us. His desire after salvation is to start changing us from the inside-out, that is, to transform us from the depths of our being (changing how we think and act). The emphasis should not be who we are, but who we could be by the grace of God. “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7).

God created us in His image and, to some degree, being created in His image includes being made with three aspects, or parts, just as He is three. Our three aspects are: body, soul and spirit. In general terms, the soul is that part of us that is self-conscious (relating to self and the world around us), while the spirit is that part of us that is God-conscious (relating to faith and our relationship with God).¹ Each aspect has specific functions and needs; thankfully, God has a plan for each (according to His knowledge of the intricacies of His handiwork).

God’s plan for our spirit is regeneration, an instantaneous act of God that saves us by His grace the moment we believe. His plan for the believer’s body is to give us a glorified body in the future (with some earthly assistance for the present time). This article will explore God’s plan for our mind. In Scripture the words mind, heart and soul are often used interchangeably; this pattern will be followed in this article. His plan for our mind is to renew it, to make it completely new, thereby transforming our entire life. Living a sanctified life (holy and God-pleasing) is based upon this renewing, that is, upon the Holy Spirit producing His character, will, values, and desires in our heart. Ultimately, we see that His grace is seen not only in salvation but in every aspect and all times of our life. His power within us helps assure what mankind so desperately seeks—a sound mind. “And be renewed in the spirit of your mind” (Ephesians 4:23).

We humans are a spiritual being in a physical body with a mind (soul) to do what the Holy Spirit teaches.²

Heavenly Instructions

The word transformed (Romans 12:2) in Greek is metamorphosis (meta=change, morph=form) and means, a change in form. In common practice the word transformation is used to describe the change of a rather unattractive chrysalis (larva) into a beautiful butterfly. Christ’s transfiguration in Mark 9:2-13 was a metamorphosis. The Lord wants each of us to be transformed and this is accomplished by having a renewed mind. Our mind has to be changed in such a way that the old nature with its values, beliefs and practices is replaced by that which conforms to the mind of Christ. We are not genetically programmed to transform ourselves, God will not do it for us automatically, nor will He force it upon us. He will only do it as we allow Him and cooperate with Him in the process (walk in the Spirit).

“Believers are commanded to change [if you prefer, exchange]³ the expressions of the old life and nature for that of the new nature which indwells every Christian. This is done by the renewing of the mind by the Holy Spirit. `Renewing’ means `a complete change for the better’ effected by the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5).”⁴ The beauty of transformation is that we will find His good, acceptable (well pleasing), and perfect (complete) will to be exactly what we need in our life. His will in our life will prove to us, family, church, society, even the angels in heaven (Ephesians 3:10) how the perfect will of God is His gracious provision for our mental and spiritual well being.

Why Needed

A good spiritual lesson is afforded by a boy who observed a chrysalis transforming into a butterfly. The boy saw the struggling chrysalis trying to get out of the cocoon and wondered why it had to struggle so hard, why did God make it struggle for so long, wasn’t there an easier way? Finally, the boy intervened in his desire to ease the struggle. He took his pocketknife and carefully cut the cocoon open so the struggling creature could get out. It did, it wiggled out and the boy was delighted with his heroic efforts. But then, the chrysalis fell to the ground, writhing and struggling because it could not fly—its wings were not sufficiently developed. Eventually the chrysalis died. The boy then realized that the cocoon that he saw as a hindrance and an obstacle was instead life sustaining and allowed the chrysalis time to develop into a butterfly. The struggle was a necessary part of life and his well intended shortcuts only had detrimental effects. For the butterfly to fly required metamorphosis, and that entailed struggle and time.

“If we do not become changed from the inside-out—if we don’t morph—we will be tempted to find external methods to satisfy our need to feel that we’re different from those outside the faith.”⁵ If we do not allow our self to be transformed, we will settle for being informed (ever learning, II Timothy 3:7) or conformed to something other than Christ. It is here we Christians must be careful not to fall into one of the adversary’s clever schemes, that is, the belief that by not conforming to the world we are obeying Romans 12. A person can be against everything the world offers but that only makes that person a non-conformist. Non-conformity is not transformation. Non-conformity can result in a person being a cranky, belligerent, isolationist—this is not God’s desire. Transformation is a personal matter between each of us and the Holy Spirit, and, as the Lord produces His mind in us, we are compelled from our heart not to conform to the world. Transformation produces the desired non-conformance, not vice versa!

Perhaps an illustration will help clarify the above statement. If your boss said to you, “an emergency requires that you quickly go to the warehouse, do not walk but take the company car.” Then, if you were to think, “Well, I was told not to walk so I’ll run,” would that be obeying the boss? Certainly not. The boss’ emphasis was on what to do, not on what not to do. While running is not walking, that is not what the boss wants and it will not get the job done—just take the car and that resolves all issues of walking/running. In our case, the Lord’s emphasis is on transformation, which results in conformance to Christ. The degree we are conformed to Christ is the degree to which conformity to the world is averted. Pure non-conformists can end life mean-spirited and negative because no transformation has taken place, only a preoccupation with being against the world.

Too often we think that Romans 12:2 gives us two commands: 1) not to conform to the world and 2) to be transformed. There is no “and” between the two phrases (implying two things); there is a “but,” which indicates the Lord is instructing us to do one of two things (be transformed). We have the choice of either conforming to the world or of having a renewed mind conforming to that of Christ. The choice of a renewed mind avoids the other. The legalists love to teach there are two items here for our obedience and then they come up with a list of do’s and don’ts to measure non-conformance to the world. This is missing the point entirely. Ideally, under grace, transformation creates a mind that has no interest in conformance to the world. In practical terms, our earthly struggle is often the fight between the world and Christ for our mind’s attention; we want to make sure the transformation side is always winning the battle.

Salvation is required before transformation can begin, but transformation should commence immediately thereafter. Any self-transformation attempts are useless. Just as we cannot save ourselves (He has to do it all for us), we cannot transform ourselves; however, He will do it for us, over time, as we yield to Him. Transformation is not an instantaneous act of God like salvation; it is a life-long process conducted by the Holy Spirit. It is the process of growing spiritually (with ups and downs), of growing in grace, with the goal of continually being conformed to the mind of Christ.

Please consider these reasons why we must each be morphed:

• To overcome the defacing of His image due to sin.
• Our mind is polluted from the fall, the world and our own choices—we need mental detoxification, mind renewal, reprogramming, and the mind of Christ.
• We need a new mind to go along with our salvation.
• We need a new value system, desires and goals—His (Philippians 2:13).
• Renewal of our mind removes negative thinking, a prime source of mental and physical illness.⁶
• To put off the old man (sin oriented, self-centered, defensive behavior, unable to admit being wrong, anger, moodiness, etc.) (Ephesians 4:22).
• To put on the new man (Colossians 3:10, Ephesians 4:24).
• To remove the overwhelming burden of thinking our performance is the measure of our standing with the Lord.
• Mental baggage (hidden in the deep recesses of our mind) holds us down, keeps us captive to the past, and we have to get rid of it.

More on Mental Baggage

A woman saw a very large and powerful elephant at a circus that was restrained by a small chain. The woman knew that the elephant could easily break the chain if it wanted, but every time the elephant came to the end of the chain it just stopped and did not even try to break free. The trainer said that the chain was the same one that was used when the elephant was little, and at that time the elephant tried and tried to break it but could not. So the elephant learned at that time that it could not break the chain, and he still remembers that. “You see,” said the trainer, “it is not the chain that holds the elephant captive but his memories.” Sadly, this is true for many of us, our memories hold us captive and we do not experience the freedom that is ours in Christ. Precious memories are the fabric of our lives, but unpleasant memories unravel that fabric.

The author often gets letters, calls, and emails from believers who have had a miserable past. The accounts go on and on about a terrible childhood, physical abuse, sexual abuse, depression, wrong treatment, unfaithful friends/spouses, bad parents, alcohol and drug abuse….Some people seem to be dealt a very poor hand in life, some create it themselves. Sometimes the past is composed of good things that no longer exist (careers, fame, family, friends, wealth); these can also be negative when viewed from the perspective of great loss. The negative memories of the past, when ruminated about (thought about over and over in one’s mind) will only consume a person emotionally and physically. Negative thinking about the past feeds our hostility, bitterness or sense of loss. Since we cannot do anything about the past, we need a new way of viewing it. Constant negative thinking is like a cancer of the soul and is a sure formula for actual mental illness. That is why we are instructed in Philippians 3:13-14 to put it behind us (forget about the past) and look forward to the finish line.

If we wallow in the negative events of our past and do not allow transformation, then the past will continue to be our present and future.

In an effort to relieve the pain of the past and in order to foster healing many people have tried forgiving those who have offended them. Often they are disappointed, stating that forgiveness doesn’t work because they still remember the pain of the past and people still treat them the same. Forgiveness does not mean we will forget the past; only God can forget such things. Forgiveness on our part does not change the past, or others for that matter; what it does is release us from the stranglehold the past has on our present life. Thus, it creates in us a new perspective that allows us to move forward in life. Forgiveness creates a condition in which the memories of the past do not continue to control us emotionally—so a memory of the past does not create sorrow, hostility or tears. In this regard, a Christian friend or therapist using Scriptural principles may be used by the Lord to help a person see and interpret the past and themselves differently. It is better to forgive past injustice than to let it fester into bitterness⁷ that tarnishes the rest of our life. Our future in Christ can be very different, provided we allow Him to make the truth that “all things are become new” (II Corinthians 5:17) part of our daily life.

For clarification purposes, forgiveness and forgetting the past relate to our mind; however, other civil, legal and family responsibilities still remain. One can walk away from an errant mind into a new way of thinking but one should not walk away from earthly responsibilities. So, debts, child support, criminal activities, and similar responsibilities must still be addressed.

When our minds are held captive there is no joy. Renewal of the mind allows the Lord to remove that which holds our minds captive and restore our joy. Consider this Biblical example. After the first destruction of the temple in Jerusalem many Jews were forced into Babylonian exile where they lamented, “By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion. We hanged our harps upon the willows in the mist thereof. For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth…” (Psalms 137:1-3). I believe this text teaches the principle that when in captivity there is no relief from sorrow. Hanging the harps on the willow is very symbolic for it makes two things clear: 1) the harps that normally brought joy could no longer do so, and 2) the willow trees (the bark contains salicylic acid, the precursor of aspirin) could not blunt their pain. (From that time the graceful tree was known as the weeping willow).⁸ In similar fashion, our past, problems, addictions, etc., can hold us captive and nothing in this world will relieve the pain or sorrow—only Christ can.

There is no joy while our mind is held captive to anything but Christ.

Purpose

Pastor Sadler states, “When the present dispensation was committed to Paul, the very nature of `grace’ gave birth to a new revelation in regard to our Christian walk.”⁹ Lewis Sperry Chafer emphasizes, “God has a purpose under grace, for a whole new manner of life for the believer,”¹⁰ that is:

• Adjustment of our life to the indwelling-presence of the Holy Spirit, and of maintaining an unbroken attitude of dependence on that Spirit.
• The law could work no change in the heart/mind, nor can our attempts to keep rules; the Spirit only can do this.
• Under grace, God proposes by the Spirit to first create the heavenly motives and desires, and then, by the same Spirit, to empower the life through the Word unto the full realization of those desires (Philippians 2:13).
• Thus, it may be seen that grace is not a way of escaping obedience to God, it is the only possible way in which true obedience can be secured.

If you squeeze an orange you get orange juice, every time. If you want grape juice no amount of faith or sincere prayer will enable grape juice to come out of an orange. Even a child knows you always get orange juice, “because that’s what’s in it.” The question is, what comes out of us when we are squeezed? What is truly inside is what will come out when squeezed by the stress of life. Does cursing, addictive behavior, bitterness, revenge, or sorrow come out? As the Lord transforms our mind and renews it His fruit is produced in our mind; then what will come out will be love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance (Galatians 5:22-23). “For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth” (Ephesians 5:9).

How Morphing Works

Believers should embrace and clearly understand transformation.

• It is not an instantaneous act of God, it is a process of God (lifelong).
• It is not a gift (it is not acquired all at one time or in a complete form like a gift); it is the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit requiring cooperation and effort on our part. In this regard, it helps to understand that generally a spiritual gift and an act of God go together (example: salvation), whereas, spiritual fruit and a process of God go together (examples: love, joy, peace).
• The passive voice (Greek) in Romans 12:2 means the Holy Spirit will do the transforming for us as we cooperate with Him (listening, yielding, relying, submitting, learning, praying, studying, obeying…).
• We do not get a renewed mind by just praying, asking or believing. There are no shortcuts or quick and easy ways for becoming spiritually mature.
• It results in His fruit growing in us (Galatians 5:22-23, Philippians 1:11, Ephesians 5:9).
• Fruit grows slowly, requiring: nurturing (Word, prayer, obedience…), cultivation (weed removal, i.e., those old things in our life that choke out our new life in Christ), watering (worship and praise), fertile ground (a mind receptive and hungry), pruning (some strategic removal of “self” so that we can be closer to the Vine and produce better fruit), and pest removal (Ephesians 6, spiritual warfare).

The schematics below will be used to help illustrate this important ministry. Concerning the soul and spirit, Hebrews 4:12 indicates that only the Word of God can discern the difference between them because they are so much alike in their nature and activities. Likewise, the activities of soul, mind and heart are similar, overlapping considerably.

In Figure 1, the four circles represent our entire being. On the outside is our temporary house (our body), next deeper down into our being is our soul (mind/heart), and further into the deeper parts of our being (our core) is our spirit. The most inner circle would be a black hole (void of God) for the unsaved, but for the believer the Holy Spirit comes within and fills this most important part of our being. In time past (including the Gospels), the Spirit worked from the outside to create changes within the person. But now, in this dispensation, the Holy Spirit is within the person and works outward—a much more effective means for assuring a Godly demeanor. He works from the deepest recesses of our being, working outward, transforming our mind and life in the process.

As the Holy Spirit works, He is primarily interested in the most important areas of our existence, i.e., our spirit and the deeper parts of our soul. What is contained in these areas where the Spirit primarily works? Well, the core issues of life. Starting at the deepest issues and going toward the less deep, the order is somewhat like this: God-consciousness, faith, conscience, character, value system, will, desires, and so forth. Figure 2 represents a more detailed view of various parts of our composition (from the body to the Holy Spirit) and how they relate. Things like personality and emotions are far from the core; it is not as likely He will change our body, personality or emotions as it is He will change the core issues. He changes our core issues and creates fruit in our life; thus, a person will have inner joy (character issue) but may not display a happy face (emotion). Other examples of His transforming power are seen when a person’s value system is changed from pro-choice to pro-life or when a person’s desires are changed over time such that addictive behavior is overcome. Godly convictions, conscience and behavior are created through a renewed mind.

The Spirit is needed in transforming us because we are incapable to affect any change on our own. As an example, consider our character, which comes from the depths and recesses of our being. Our character is different than our personality, our personality is our outward manifestation to the world around us. Our character looks inward, it feels our hurt and joy, it arranges our inner value system and motivations. Character is the foundation upon which our personality acts. Our character has some very basic needs, and these needs are generally established early in life and are based upon our first and most primitive experiences. The word for character originally meant, “to carve, engrave, scratch, or cut grooves.”¹¹ It comprises the deepest imprints (grooves) in our person, and these grooves are not easily changed. For most people these early-formed imprints are permanently engraved into their being. Those grooves that are in error are the `scars of life’ that cause many people mental health problems their whole life. We need Divine help to remove them (when they are contrary to God’s will). It is like erasing scratches in a phonographic record or CD, impossible for us, easy for Him. If done through self-effort we only “pick scabs” and create permanent scars. We must depend upon Him to make us new from the inside-out to remove the grooves and erase the scars of the past; otherwise, they will control us and hold us captive our entire life.

Prepare for the Journey

The life-long journey of transformation is not necessarily easy and it has frustrations. It is the journey He has planned and will guide; it goes places we did not know existed. None of us could have even dreamed of such a journey.

A. Accept thorns: Recall the boy and chrysalis story; struggle is one means for growth if we want to mature. God uses struggles and trials to mature us; we must bear His cross. Accept the fact there will be many discouragements and even doubts, but do not let them deter you from further growth.

B. Expect Spiritual Advancement: Philippians 3:15-16—Let your level of spiritual attainment be your guide for further advancement, but do not get stuck at some level and think you can not mature more. Your imperfections will be revealed by the Holy Spirit so that you may continue to grow and be more complete (not sinless, but a well rounded Christian). Maturity versus infancy is the issue; God wants to continually transform us so we more and more conform to Christ.

C. Rejoice in the Refiner’s touch: God loves you just the way you are, but refuses to leave you that way; He wants you to be like Christ. We love babies just as they are, but do we stop when they fill their pants? No, that is their nature; we want to help them grow and refuse to leave them that way (II Corinthians 3:18). We do not want to be spiritual babies for long.

D. New light/truth demands change: Transformation enables us to mentally accept the concept that a “reasonable service” for our Lord is to present our bodies as a living sacrifice, Romans 12:1. If you have to give up former ways, habits or addictions, He will first change your desires and then give you the willpower to do it—change becomes easier than originally thought. As we commit to a new way of life it will, over time, become a natural way of life. Change/sacrifice is what God asks, and is a ministry of the Holy Spirit we should take great care not to quench.

E. Stretch Forward: In Philippians 3:1-14 Paul uses a race runner’s analogy. The runner’s speed is slackened by looking backward to those behind, so the Christian’s onward progress is hindered by dwelling on the past. The past, whether bad or good, can hold us captive and prevent future advancement. Forgetting the past means to not let it dominate our present emotions and life. If things have been made right with those involved, we should forget about the past and stretch forward to the things ahead, like a runner leans toward the finish line. You cannot run the race looking backward.

Outcome of Transformation

Transformation results in a closer walk and intimacy with Christ. Intimacy allows us to be ourselves without fear of disapproval. Thus, I can pour my heart out to Him without fear of His disappointment and He can pour Himself into me without my resistance or fear. A transformed mind thinks something like this:

As the Lord leads, I desire to live with a personal, intimate relationship with the Lord—a life infused with a God-given purpose. May my intent be to know Him so closely that everything I think or touch is filled with the fullness of Christ. Furthermore, may my passion be to have a mind with the inclination and desires to believe and pursue Christ-likeness with every aspect of my being.

Transformation creates true empowerment. Power is produced from within, actuating and providing us with the ability to perform what He desires in our lives. As His fruit begins growing in our mind, our lives displays more and more Christ-likeness, and our lives reflects the fruit of growing in grace. We are empowered to glorify God.

Practical help

There is a fairly well known process for getting from the thought of doing something to actually getting it done. First we have the thought of accomplishing something, this is the conceptual stage that involves our will; it takes place in our mind. The next step is to move the thought from our mind to verbalizing it (saying it), this expresses our desire to others and tends to establish it in our heart. Once we have verbalized our desire then we move to establishing our intent (the planning stage): answering the what, how, and when questions that help assure accomplishment of the goal. Then, the final stage is to have a passion about doing (action) what is needed to see the goal become an accomplished fact.

Note how similar this is to what God did for us so that we could be “in Christ” in this present age. First, by His will he developed the concept in His mind (thought it all out before the foundation of the world), verbalized it (let Us make man in our Own image), planned for the whole process of Christ’s death and the life hereafter (He even planned to keep some things secret for a time), and finally He put it all into action and directed the process.

Each step of maturity brought about by transformation of the mind helps assure the next steps of spiritual growth are godly in origin. The renewed mind can then correctly express the desire, plan for change and passionately pursue the goal. But, all too often we quench the Holy Spirit (I Thessalonians 5:19) by finding excuses for not allowing the Holy Spirit to work fully in our life, e.g., “All men lust,” “A bad temper runs in the family,” “I just cannot love my spouse.” How sad, how inexcusable! He commands us not to have this mind-set and has created a way that He can accomplish needed change from the very core of our being. The Lord’s heart must ache for the person who has been a Christian for years and has preferred to retain the mind of the old nature. This compromised holiness is the precursor to a compromised life, with less impact and service than desired.

In addition to quenching the Holy Spirit there is another way we hinder transformation. It has to do with how we view things in general, and how we view something can subconsciously drive our intent and passion. It has been shown that we have best results when we view a situation from the positive, rather than from the negative. If viewed from the negative, there is often a break in the process between Desire and Intent. God puts the thought in the mind, the person translates that into a desire, but Satan (or self) finds a way for partial obedience to seem very godly, and this prevents further advancement. The example below will help clarify this.

A person says, “I hate being so angry.” This is viewing an area of concern from the negative perspective. The problem with this view is that the expressed desire is to hate anger, so in order for this person to hate being angry they must be angry. The intent (plan) follows the desire, so the plan in this case will revolve around how to hate being angry. Unfortunately, in order to continue to hate one’s anger a person must stay angry. It seems absurd at first, but such views inadvertently and subconsciously set a person up for failure; in this case, the person tends to get hung-up on hating anger rather than getting over it. They can find solace in the fact they hate what God hates, but they end up being just partially obedient and do not appropriate God’s provision for victory. A person has to view and state their desire positively, “With God’s help, I will be slow to anger.” Once we have thought it out and verbalized being slow to anger, then plans to accomplish this can begin and the person can passionately practice being slow to anger.

The person above must make cooperation with the Lord a moment-by-moment issue. Cooperation requires searching for Scriptures that apply to the situation, confronting the situation constructively, making no provisions to continue to sin, repenting (immediately stopping wrong behavior and acknowledging the sin), and practicing replacing anger with the things noted in Philippians 4:8. A specific formula/approach for success in overcoming each problem area of life cannot be given because it is the work of the Holy Spirit and may be different in each person’s life. What works for one may not work for another, this is His domain. Again, there are no short cuts and each person must search the Scriptures daily for help and insights, while also searching for strongholds in their life that have to be brought into obedience to the Lord.

How should one verbalize a temper problem: “I wish I did not have a bad temper” or “I will be longsuffering”? How about relationships: “My spouse and I have irreconcilable differences” or “Christ can make something beautiful out of the ashes or our marriage and I will make that my top priority.” Consider this approach for any issue, say, being overweight.

There is instruction in the oxymoron, “Lord give me patience and give it to me now.” Prayer alone will not yield patience. Prayer coupled with a willing mind and obedience to His Word will. The very instance we feel impatience occurring we must cut it off, “make no provision for the flesh,” and replace it with proper behavior. This may require some personal suffering; but recall Romans 5:3 indicates tribulation (suffering) leads to patience, which leads to experience (character building) and that to hope. So, when we seek patience we are likely to experience suffering and gain experience in the process. Transformation is the process of embarking on a journey with the Holy Spirit, trekking into unexplored secret avenues of our lives, going down paths we never knew existed, and accomplishing the impossible. We learn it is a journey based upon obedience, trust and reliance upon Him.

Closing

The first step in God’s plan to make us whole is our salvation. Salvation provides the very deepest spiritual needs a person has; these are the spiritual blessings of Ephesians 1:4-2:6. Although we get these blessings the moment of salvation, it takes the life-long work of the Holy Spirit to help us understand and appreciate them. These blessings help erase insecurity and feelings of worthlessness and hopelessness by replacing them with the comfort and assurance of Christ.

The next step in making us whole (sound-minded) is our transformation. A leopard cannot change its spots; on the contrary, a Christian must. We have access to Divine empowerment to change the spots (core issues) of our life. To say, “I cannot help who I am,” is not true. Christians have the Holy Spirit within them, so the issue is not who you are, but who He is. He determines who you can be. In all stages of our life, no matter what our age, the Lord has work to do; the issue is, are we willing to yield and cooperate. It has been said there are two sides to every person, one minute sweet and lovely to one person and a minute later explosive in rage to another; this does not have to be the case for the believer.

Transformation is accomplished through mind renewal, and as He renews our minds the fruit of the Holy Spirit is produced in our life—slowly but surely replacing the attitudes and character traits belonging to the old nature. Then, when we are squeezed by life’s trials we display the love, joy, peace, and longsuffering indicative of Christ in us. A popular hymn refers to us as worms before our salvation; we may have been worms at that time, but His ministry is changing us worms into beautiful creatures of great worth.

(Steve Shober is a Naturopath (natural health practitioner) and a member of the BBS Board of Directors. If you have questions about this article, you can contact him at: Biblical Health Ministries, 7179 Clover Hill Dr., Waunakee, WI 53597; or shober@chorus.net. Biblical Health Ministries is a non-profit ministry dedicated to teaching God’s provisions for our health.)

Notes:

1. Scofield, C.I.; The Scofield Reference Bible; Oxford University Press; 1945.
2. Vogel, H.C.A.; The Nature Doctor; Keats Publishing; 1991.
3. The phrase in brackets was added by this author.
4. Brock, Robert; “The Commands of Christ for Christian Living”; Expo. Press; 1997.
5. Ortberg, John; The Life You’ve Always Wanted; Zondervan Publishing House, 1997.
6. Morter, Ted M.; Cell Health and Wellness; Lifetime Books, Inc.; 1992.
7. Bitterness has been shown to negatively influence a person’s gall bladder and anger negatively influences a person’s liver. Over time both of these will lead to physical as well as mental illness.
8. Castleman, Michael; The Healing Herbs; Rodall Press; 1991.
9. Sadler, Paul M.; Paul’s Epistle to the Ephesians; Berean Bible Society; 1999.
10. Chafer, Lewis Sperry; Grace; Zondervan Publishing House; 1979.
11. Malone, Thomas & Patrick; The Art of Intimacy, Simon & Schuster, 1987.

PURPOSE OF ARTICLE

The Berean Bible Society desires to have a variety of articles in the Berean Searchlight that cover a range of topics from doctrinal to practical Christian living. Depression is a very important Christian-living topic.

The Bible has much to say about depression; interestingly, the causes and solutions are not what are commonly thought in Christian circles. This article will offer insights that may help erase the stigma associated with depression and to see it in a new light. When seen correctly, there is no more stigma or shame associated with depression than any other illness.

For those afflicted with depression, please understand you are not alone in your feelings, not going out of your mind, confusion is common, and the inexplicable black cloud can be lifted. A sad truth is that many Christians suffer from depression and either do not know it (they are miserable but do not know why) or cannot admit it because they think that would be admitting a spiritual problem. So, they suffer in silence hoping and praying for deliverance; but the consequences of doing nothing often result in further complications.

To be the comforters of II Corinthians 1:6 (and to help ourselves) we have to understand depression’s causes, avoid false assumptions and grasp the concepts of how to gain victory. We will see that our brains malfunction like any organ or system of our body. Would we be gracious comforters if we went to a person with diabetes (or any physical ailment) and told them their problem was due to sin or lack of faith? Generally we would be wrong and we would just be heaping misery upon misery and making matters worse.

UNDERSTANDING DEPRESSION

What is Depression?: Depression is a prolonged emotional tone dominating an individual’s outlook and mood. Normal moods of sadness, grief, and elation are typically short-lived and part of everyday life, but these can progress into a depressed mental state. Other symptoms often accompany depression but the most common symptoms of major depression are:¹

• deep sadness or emptiness,
• apathy, loss of interest or pleasure in usual activities,
• agitation or restlessness, physical hyperactivity or inactivity,
• sleep disturbances,
• weight/appetite disturbances,
• diminished ability to think or concentrate,
• feelings of excessive guilt, self-reproach or worthlessness,
• feelings of fatigue or loss of energy, and
• morbid thoughts of death or suicide.

If a person experiences at least five of these symptoms for one month they have major depression. Mild depression would typically be defined as having two to four of these symptoms for over one month. Bipolar disorder (manic depression) includes swings from deeply depressive moods to wildly manic moods (elation, irritability, hostility, inflated thoughts of self, boasting)—with many intensities and variations.

When asked “what brings you pleasure in life” most unsaved, depressed people will look down and finally say something like “nothing.” The saved are more guarded because they fear if they admit “nothing” they will be thought unspiritual, so they say something like “being saved” or “knowing Christ.” The saved, depressed person generally knows about their eternal and heavenly blessings, for which they are thankful, but they feel trapped now by inexplicable emotional tones and moods. Consider this man trapped by depression’s grip.

“I am now the most miserable man living. If what I feel were equally distributed to the whole human family, there would be not one cheerful face on earth. Whether I shall ever be better, I cannot tell. I awfully (regretfully) forebode (foretell) I shall not. To remain as I am is impossible. I must die or be better it appears to me.”—Abraham Lincoln

Biblical Occurrences: Depression is the ascendancy and tyranny of our emotions over our lives. Thus, Proverbs 15:13 says, “A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance; but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.” Often an initiating discouragement leads to sadness, which leads to prolonged grief, and then into a downhill spiral to depression. Depression is a universal problem, but no one really knows if Biblical characters had what we call depression, or if it would be more appropriate to say they suffered emotionally. However, Paul in I Corinthians 10:13 says, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man; but God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able…”. Temptation can mean trial, calamity, or affliction. Accordingly, we should understand that our present day afflictions were also common to the great Bible characters.

David was overwhelmed with grief and sadness, his heart was desolate, and his tears fell all night (Psa. 61:2, 77:2-3, 142:4, and 143:4). Jonah, Jeremiah (Jer. 15), Job, and Elijah (I Kings 19) are other examples. Whenever characters express rejection, loneliness, self-pity, hopelessness, overwhelming grief, and wish they had not been born, it seems they are expressing more than temporary sadness but classic symptoms of major depression. Paul had classic symptoms: his flesh had no rest, he was troubled on all sides, he was cast down, he had fears within, and he despaired of life (II Cor. 1:8 & 7:5-6). Hannah (I Samuel 1) had many of the symptoms of depression and her spiritual leader instantly and incorrectly accused her of a spiritual problem.

It seems there is a universal truth concerning depression, that is, the non-depressed rarely understand the unrelenting pain involved, the feelings of hopelessness (in this life, not once delivered from this body), and think the person should just pick themselves up and get over it. It is not that easy. In fact, when that part of the brain that mediates emotions is not functioning properly, medical help (not criticism) is often needed.

Depression Considerations: Each year depression strikes ten million people in the United States. Older Christians have more depression than younger; does this mean that spiritual maturity is of no avail? No, what this indicates is that older people have more biochemical and brain malfunctions as they age; depression is a natural consequence. Similarly, more women (two to three times) have depression than men. Women do not have more spiritual problems than men, but they do process adverse events differently than men, and, they have a complex body chemistry that can get out of balance, both leading to depression. Women tend to take adverse events and internalize them and take the blame—this is a thought-processing problem. Men tend to react to the same events with escapism (sports, TV, sexual obsessions, alcohol); which can later result in heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, etc.—again, a thought-processing problem but with different results. There is another difference: women tend to feel their depression (sadness/guilt) while men act it out in their behavior (rage, hostility and frustration).²

Causes: Understanding the causes of depression is very helpful to finding the solution. It is rare that there is only one causative agent, generally there are several at work. Listed below (no specific order) are some factors known to contribute to depression:^{3 4 5}

• nutrient deficiency or excess
• drugs (prescription, illicit, caffeine)
• hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)
• hormonal imbalances
• allergies
• heavy metals
• sexual abuse as a child
• microbial overgrowths/toxins
• medical conditions (stroke, heart disease, cancer, Parkinson’s, diabetes, thyroid)
• natural light deprivation
• psychological factors (generally poor thought-processing)
• spiritual factors

Depression can have its source in our body, soul or spirit. Our body can affect our soul and spirit and vice versa. For example: if one has a low thyroid function it may affect the soul (for example the emotions) leading to depression which then affects one’s spiritual life. Affecting our spiritual life does not mean it changes our standing or position in Christ, it means things like a less productive outreach/ministry and a more self-oriented prayer life.

Research since the 1990’s has helped clarify this whole issue and there is now better understanding on the causes and solutions. The brain’s frontal lobe (behind the forehead) is now known to be intimately involved in emotional well-being. It is recognized that one of the characteristics of virtually all depressed people is a significant decrease in the frontal lobe’s blood flow and activity. The main cause of impaired frontal lobe function is a harmful lifestyle—the same cause of most of our physical diseases.⁶

There is now no question that reductions in frontal lobe function lie at the core of depression. Complimenting this research is the finding that depressed children have significantly smaller frontal lobes than non-depressed children. The evidence indicates that frontal lobe problems are the cause and not the effect. The frontal lobe’s proper function requires adequate blood flow and nerve chemistry.

As fog veils a beautiful meadow, so depression clouds life itself; existence becomes dreary and dark. It has been described as darkness visible. One can go to bed feeling fine only to wake with an overwhelming gloom that cannot be explained or escaped. With proper nutrition, lifestyle changes and a renewed way of processing the events of our lives we can break through that fog into a sunny day.

“A merry heart doeth good like a medicine; but a broken spirit drieth the bones” (Proverbs 17:21).

Consequences: Now that it is clear that depression is related to many factors, primarily to frontal lobe malfunction, let’s consider the consequences of depression. Depression weakens the immune system’s power to attack cancer cells, increases the risk of fatal stroke by 50%, increases the risk of sudden cardiac death in heart attack survivors by 250%, and increases the complications of pneumonia.⁷ It has been found that depression increase stress hormone levels, hypertension, and headaches; it complicates diabetes and is the leading cause of suicide (its close relative). The point is clear, depression should be addressed early or it may lead to fatal consequences. However, because of their illness depressed persons have diminished ability to combat their own disease, so help is often needed to lift them out of the pit of despair.

How the Brain Works: By God’s design, all brain activity (every thought, feeling and emotion, every order the brain sends to the organs and cells) is the product of electrochemical signals. The brain’s electrical signals require a chemical to carry the signal across a small opening (synapse) between cells. The chemicals used to do this are called neurotransmitters. To have a properly functioning system we need an adequate amount of neurotransmitters. The neurotransmitter most commonly associated with depression is serotonin.

Depressed people have low serotonin levels. Thus, they have impaired brain message sending, especially relating to emotions and mood. Serotonin is produced in the brain from tryptophan (a protein), which is converted into 5-HTP, and then into serotonin. Some serotonin is converted into melatonin, the hormone needed for proper sleep (thus the connection between depression and sleep disorders). One cause of low serotonin is the lack of an enzyme that converts tryptophan to 5-HTP.⁸ Before proceeding, just think how unfair it would be to tell a depressed person that is missing this needed enzyme that they have a spiritual problem. As a doctor told a dear sister in Christ who just could not understand why she could not get over her depression, “quit beating yourself up about it, your body just does not produce enough serotonin.”

THERAPEUTIC CONSIDERATIONS

This article will consider botanical medicine, medications, proper lifestyle, nutrition, thought processing, and spiritual direction—the most common causes of depression. Some consider botanical or pharmaceutical medications for depression to be “mind-numbing” or “feel-good” drugs. This is unfortunate because such medications only help a depressed person feel more “normal” (a non-depressed person would feel worse or no change).

If depression were primarily spiritually induced, people should not get better from medications because medications do nothing about the spiritual problem. If the medications merely treat the symptoms and do not get to the root spiritual cause then the depression should always come back once the medications are stopped, which is not the case.

Botanical Medicines: The Scripture makes it clear that because of sin the earth today is not yielding its strength (Gen. 4:12). As a result of this Romans 8:22 says, “For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.” Knowing this, the Lord has made special provisions for us. Psalms 104:14 says, “…and herb for the service of man:…”, which means the botanical (herbal) kingdom was designed for the many services of humans, including medicine.

Often herbal products are slower acting than pharmaceutical medications, but the advantages of herbal supplements is that they can often affect a cure (rather than just address symptoms) and the side effects are minor compared to pharmaceutical drugs. Herbs can be considered the medicine from God’s pharmacy. The most important and well tested herbs to consider in connection with depression are:^{9 10}

• St. John’s Wort (SJW): relieves depression, anxiety, apathy, sleep disturbance, anorexia, and feeling of worthlessness. All these symptoms are caused by low serotonin and SJW increases the level of serotonin in the brain.
• Ginkgo biloba: improves blood flow and function of the frontal lobe. Ginkgo increases the ability of serotonin to do its job in the brain.
• 5-HTP: a plant extract that is just one step from becoming serotonin—the brain readily makes this conversion. It raises the level of serotonin and other brain neurotransmitters. This product overcomes the genetic problem that does not allow for the conversion of tryptophan to 5-HTP.

Pharmaceutical Medications: There are times when medications can save a person’s life. If botanical medicines do not work (in conjunction with the lifestyle, thought processing, and consideration of other causes) then medications are an option. A short-term use of antidepressant drugs may be needed in order to get the mind operating sufficiently well so that a person can function. Medications generally work by keeping serotonin (or other neurotransmitters) at adequate levels in the brain’s synapses. They do not help create increased blood flow or frontal lobe function.

Nutrition: A deficiency of any single nutrient can alter brain function and lead to depression, anxiety, and other mental disorders. The most common deficiencies are folic acid, vitamin B12 and B6. An insufficiency of Omega 3 fatty acids (oils) has been linked to depression. Low Omega 3 oils result in cells throughout the body and brain that do not function correctly, and the mind suffers. The needed Omega 3 oils are found in fish oils and flaxseed oil.^{11 12 13 14 15}

The diet for helping to prevent and correct depression is based upon Biblical insights:

• Increase the consumption of fiber-rich plant foods (fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, and raw nuts and seeds).
• Avoid alcohol, caffeine, and other stimulants; also avoid foods that cause allergic symptoms.
• A good diet is: low protein, high fiber, low-moderate fat, and high complex carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates do not include simple carbohydrates (processed foods, snack foods, white bread, soda). Raw fruit has simple carbohydrates but is good because of the fiber, enzymes and antioxidants.
• Atkins type diets are poor; they actually lead to depression since carbohydrates are needed to get tryptophan into the brain.
• Foods high in tryptophan should be consumed regularly: soy flour, meats/poultry (turkey and chicken), tofu, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, raw nuts, eggs, lentils, and garbanzo beans.
• A good snack before going to bed would be a turkey sandwich on whole grain bread (there is tryptophan in the turkey and the whole grain bread will help keep sugar levels stable and help get the tryptophan get into the brain).

Rule to live by: Eat foods as close to the way God created them as possible: raw, whole, and unprocessed. He created vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds, etc. He did not create processed foods or animal meat full of antibiotics and hormones. Humans cannot improve upon God’s bounty!

Lifestyle: Regular exercise and sleep are essential to combat depression. Exercise at least 30 minutes four times a week. One does not have to jog: but walking, biking, tennis, swimming, gardening, active house/yard work are great. Regular exercise takes time for the effects to be felt, sometimes weeks.

We each have an internal clock that operates on a roughly 24-hour schedule (circadian rhythm). Even mentally healthy people can become depressed if the circadian rhythms are significantly disturbed. Seasonal Affective Disorder is common in the winter months in northern climates because the lack of natural sunlight disrupts these rhythms. Direct exposure to bright full spectrum light can help, or, the serotonin boosting botanical medicines.

A common factor leading to depression is hypoglycemia (low blood sugar); the brain requires a constant supply of blood sugar to function properly. Thyroid insufficiency also causes depression. Women with post-partum depression and those approaching menopause (symptoms often start by mid-30 age) are subject to hormonal disturbances that lead to depression.^{16 17 18}

Biblical Thought-Processing: How we handle bad or disappointing news has a profound effect upon our mental well-being. As long as we believe we are victims, we are not able to achieve full mental health.¹⁹ Positive thinking is more important for overall health than almost anything else. Negative thinking, on the contrary, can destroy the good done by correct diet and lifestyle.²⁰ Many depressed people have a tendency to look at the down side of life. It has been said that it is a positive duty to resist melancholy and discontented thoughts as much as it is our duty to pray. Certainly there will always be things in this imperfect world that give us cause to complain. Often we are helpless to personally do anything about many of these negative things. However, we can focus our mind on the enjoyable and wonderful things of life; this is scriptural, uplifting and therapeutic.

In our self-talk (how we silently talk and think to ourselves) we must replace the negative/compulsive thoughts with Philippians 4:8. But each person must search-out those things that are true, honest, just, pure, etc.—that is the purpose of meditating on God’s Word. As soon as the conscious awareness of an unconstructive negative thought is realized, a positive thought must immediately replace it. This takes practice and preparation, but brings our thinking into captivity. The instruction of II Corinthians 10:5 & 6 is, “…and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.” Applying these words to ourselves, we cannot allow ourselves to entertain negative thoughts, even if true, even if we have been wronged (Prov. 12:25, 15:13, 18:14). Nor can we entertain compulsive thoughts (thoughts that just keep running over and over again in our mind even though they may not be negative in nature).

In the world of secular counseling there has been a shift away from psychoanalysis which was aimed at uncovering “unconscious” reasons for depression. Time was spent on how the individual was raised as a child, and other past events that may have shaped a person’s feelings and behavior. Going through the maze of a person’s past life was thought helpful to present-day healing or identifying causative agents. This therapy has proven less successful than desired. So, a shift has been made toward cognitive behavioral therapy which focuses on the interpretation of life’s events. This is mentioned because secular therapy has, over time, become more closely aligned with what Paul teaches about our thinking, that is:²¹

• erroneous interpretations of events and negative automatic thoughts may initiate or perpetuate the depressed mood and
• our focus should not be on the past (finding circumstances or others to blame) but on what one can do differently.

The essential basics of cognitive behavioral therapy are shown below; each person should provide their own verses to make them more personal and meaningful. Whether in the natural world or in the realm of the mind, science comes to the same conclusion as revealed in the Bible 2000 years ago.

1. Locate and identify the negative thoughts or misbelief in your self-talk. “I am no good because things are not like what I expect or want.”
2. Argue against the negative thoughts. “I am not a failure just because I do not meet unrealistic expectations of myself or others.”
3. Learn how to avoid rumination (the constant churning of thoughts in one’s mind) by immediately changing your thoughts.
4. Replace the negative thoughts the very second they occur with the truth and with empowering positive thoughts and beliefs. “In spite of the sorrow, disappointments and feelings I experience the Lord will help me carry on.”²²

Most depression-causing negative thoughts or misbeliefs enter the flow of self-talk after some loss has occurred. Temporary disappointment or sadness at loss is natural, but it cannot continue long-term without consuming a person.

Don’t get caught in the trap of thinking that God has promised us perfect peace at all times; that will come to those in the Kingdom (Isa. 26:1-3). The instruction and blessing of Philippians 4:6 & 7 are applicable for today. Always understand these verses in light of Paul, who had plenty of struggles and afflictions but God brought him through and kept his heart and mind in the process.

Finally, Philippians 3:13 & 14 says, “…but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Paul is using a runner’s analogy to put the past and future in their proper perspective. He says that runners in a race cannot look back to see where the other runners are, for if they do they may stumble or get out of their lane and be disqualified. A runner can only look ahead and stretch forward, making the focus the finish line, not what may be behind.

We are on a track, running life’s race. The most incredible thing is that each Christian is the only person on his/her track. One does not have to be all that fast, but steady. The only thing that is behind us on our track is our past (forgetting those things that are behind), with its failures, abuses, hurts, regrets, accomplishments, or fame. If you have your eye on the prize the past cannot hurt/catch you. The past contains the thoughts that Paul says to forget about, certainly do not ruminate about them, if you do you will stumble (have mental problems). He implies a Christian’s greatest point of failure in running the race is letting the past keep him/her from running well. Look ahead, stretch forward toward a new day and thank God for all you have in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Spiritual Direction: Depression can have a spiritual source if we live in sin, harbor anger or resentment, etc. We have to be willing to forgive (make the unnatural decision to let someone “off the hook” even though they do not ask or deserve it) just as God for Christ’s sake has forgiven us, Ephesians 4:32. (Note, we forgive because we already have been forgiven, not to be forgiven as is the case in the Gospels.)

Regular spiritual exercise (reading, studying, praying, meditation on the Word) requires use of the frontal lobe of the brain and emphasizes communion with God, thinking His thoughts, sensing His presence, and knowing His will. This is active worship and produces the type of brain waves in the frontal lobe that are very helpful for us all, including the depressed. Hypnosis and the trance-like state of Eastern religious meditation are very harmful; they produce the wrong type of brain waves and information bypasses the frontal lobe, leading to possible mind control.²³

Sometimes a believer is living for the Lord, serving and honoring Him in all parts of his/her life. Over the years, the Lord blesses that person and they are happy, enjoy good health, etc. Certainly there is nothing wrong with enjoying the blessings of the Lord. But, it can all be taken in a moment, not because of spiritual problems, but because it may be that God is taking (or because of the situation He will take) that person to the next level of maturity—it is perplexing and it hurts. Often growth requires loss or brokenness.²⁴ Paul says, “…I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the loss of all things…” (Phil. 3:8).

Romans 12:2 says, “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” Transformed in Greek is metamorphosis and means a change in form; it implies a struggle like when a chrysalis morphs into a butterfly. If we do not become changed from the inside-out—if we do not morph—we will be tempted to find external things to satisfy our needs. Transformation is not an instantaneous act of God, it is a life-long process (journey). One does not get transformed by just praying, asking or believing; there is no “microwave” (quick and easy) way to spiritual maturity.

The passive voice in Romans 12:2 means the Holy Spirit will do the transforming for us if we cooperate with Him (listening, yielding, relying…). Expect spiritual advancement, you can always mature more, Philippians 3:15-16. Your imperfections will be revealed by the Holy Spirit so that you may continue to grow and become more complete (not sinless, but well-rounded). Maturity versus infancy is the issue. God loves you just the way you are, but refuses to leave you that way; He wants you to be made conformable to Christ, II Corinthians 3:18.

Our Lord stripped himself of His glory and “…made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men…and became obedient unto death…” (Phil. 2:7 & 8). His life reminds us of our spiritual growth which often imposes tough lessons, sometimes so tough we shrink back from learning them. It seems we have to learn from actual experience that whatever we depend upon in this life (for joy, comfort, acceptance, etc.), ends up controlling us. God allows and uses life’s events to teach us about misplaced dependencies, so that we finally grasp the concept that Christ is our one true sufficiency.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical diagnosis, offer prescriptive advice or substitute for a personal health care provider. Anyone taking prescription medications, or wishing to significantly change his/her lifestyle, is advised to consult with a medical professional with appropriate expertise.

Steve Shober is a Naturopath (natural health practitioner) and a member of the BBS Board of Directors. If you have questions about this article, would like more information on the use of herbal products, nutrition or lifestyle issues, or would like a presentation on depression at your church, contact him at: Biblical Health Ministries, 7179 Clover Hill Dr., Waunakee, WI 53597; or shober@chorus.net. Biblical Health Ministries is a non-profit ministry dedicated to teaching God’s provisions for our health.

Notes:

1. Textbook of Natural Medicine, 2nd Edition, J. Pizzorno, ND & M. Murray, ND, Bastyr University.
2. Unmasking Male Depression, Archibald Hart, PhD, Word Publications.
3. Depression the Way Out, Neil Nedley, MD, Nedley Publishing.
4. 5-HTP The Natural Way to Overcome Depression, Obesity & Insomnia, M. Murray, ND, Bantom Books.
5. Endocrinology and Naturopathic Therapies, 4th Edition, D. Powell, ND, Bastyr University.
6. Depression the Way Out.
7. Depression the Way Out.
8. Textbook of Natural Medicine, 2nd Edition.
9. Textbook of Natural Medicine, 2nd Edition.
10. 5-HTP The Natural Way to Overcome Depression, Obesity & Insomnia.
11. Textbook of Natural Medicine, 2nd Edition.
12. Depression the Way Out.
13. 5-HTP The Natural Way to Overcome Depression, Obesity & Insomnia.
14. Endocrinology and Naturopathic Therapies.
15. Naturopathic Gastroenterology, E. Yarnell, ND, Naturopathic Medical Press
16. Textbook of Natural Medicine, 2nd Edition.
17. Endocrinology and Naturopathic Therapies, 4th Edition.
18. What Your Doctor May NOT tell you About Premenopause, J. Lee, MD, & J. Hanley, MD, Time-Warner Publishing.
19. The Blessings of Brokenness, Dr. C. Stanley, Zondervan Publishing House.
20. Your Health Your Choice, M. T. Morter, DC, Lifetime Books, Inc.
21. Textbook of Natural Medicine, 2nd Edition.
22. Telling Yourself the Truth, W. Backus, MD, & M. Chapian, Bethany House Publ.
23. Depression the Way Out.
24. The Blessings of Brokenness.

“I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one Body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.” –Eph. 4:1-6

Introduction

Ephesians is a complete book, taking the reader from God’s plan before the foundation of the world to our glorious heavenly hope. It shows how He is presently working that plan out, reveals to us a secret age (present Church age) that was hidden in God, tells us how the new Church was started and given an initial boost, instructs us on how to behave in this age, and informs us of the conflict we will have with the world. With such a carefully worked out plan, and with the fate of countless souls in the balance, the Lord wants to assure that our conduct does not run counter to His intentions. He makes it clear there should be no conflict within the Body of believers; for that reason we are instructed to forbear one another in love and to keep the unity He has created in peace.

The unity, or agreement, of Ephesians Chapter 4 was created by the Holy Spirit, who took seven single entities and bound them together, and in so doing created something new. This is a clear depiction of the Lord’s work in creating His Church. Each of the seven “ones” is bound to all the others making a new unity. An analogy would be seven ping-pong balls (the seven ones) glued together to make a new unity. The Lord’s new unity results in a bond among believers in the church. The agent that will assure a healthy, vital bond is peace. Strife and discord among believers “unglues” the bond as surely as a solvent can unglue the ping-pong balls. The Church is God’s creation; as His stewards and ambassadors we have been given a clear mission to fulfill. We are exhorted to keep this unity because the Church is one Body in Christ, is empowered by one Spirit, is captivated by one hope, is inspired by one Lord in whom we all have our faith, is made one by a divine baptism (I Cor. 12:13), and is one with the Father who is our ALL.

EQUIPPING THE SAINTS

The Lord is not asking us to create anything, but merely to endeavor to keep what He has already created. As always, He does not ask us to accomplish a task without first informing us of His provisions and expectation for us.

A. Vocation/Calling

We have been called to be saints, to be His children (not a child but a full-grown adult with adult privileges in His family) and to be His ambassadors. Thus, we have a heavenly calling, and have been given impeccable credentials—we are well equipped to do the job. In this case, our credentials are those of an ambassador and not those of a soldier. This is because we are primarily asked to endeavor to assure peace “within” the Body of Christ, i.e., among fellow believers. When the battle with outside forces is considered in Chapter 6, then defensive armor and offensive weapons are considered.

B. Manner Of Life

The mission before us as ambassadors is to assure peace among, as it were, the diplomatic corps of fellow ambassadors. Thus we are to walk in lowliness (humility) and meekness, which foster longsuffering and enable us to forbear one another in love.

C. Bond

We are told that the glue that holds this unity together is “peace.” When there is no peace there is enmity, there are partitions between people, there is alienation, we become strangers, etc. The correct bond assures that we will be fellows with other believers and that we will be like a magnificent temple with each member a perfect fit. A perfect fit means everyone has a purpose and Godly function, there are no useless members and all work selflessly and with singleness of purpose toward His ends (Eph. 2:14-22).

D. Empowerment

Each of us is given a gift to handle this job—we are given “grace” (Eph. 4:7). The mere use of the words endeavoring, forbearing, and longsuffering make it clear that this is not going to be an easy task. The ability to be longsuffer-ing seems to be a natural consequence of a humble and meek spirit. Forbearance requires extraordinary patience and restraint of one’s own feelings in deference to another’s. It is clear the Lord has to thus gift us or we could not perform our duty, but, to claim we can not perform it is to imply His grace is not sufficient.

Attending To Business

In II Corinthians 5:20 we are called upon to be ambassadors of Christ, living in a foreign world that has declared war against our Lord. Our duties as ambassadors are to represent Christ, assure communication of Spiritual truth, promote His “culture,” teach reconciliation, and promote peace. A group of ambassadors is a diplomatic corps and, by way of analogy, such a corps is the Body of Christ on this earth. The Lord expects that corps to be a model of Christlikeness to the unsaved world. Since one of the main duties of an ambassador is to promote peace, any discord within the corps itself is a clear indication of ineffective diplomacy to the world. The world looks at the Church for any evidences of discord so that it can “find excuse” for rejecting the messengers and thus the message.

If we were called upon to maintain law and order in the Church we could do it by discipline, rigorous rules, and exacting laws, but our job is to preserve love, respect, feelings, honor, etc. Thus, our job does not require us to control others, but ourselves through incredible self-discipline. The humility and meekness called for cannot be self-generated because they will then be merely spiritual pride in disguise and our testimony will be transparent to others. Where does the real thing come from? As a part of His grace, the indwelling Spirit produces His fruit (love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance, Gal. 5:22,23) in a Christian’s life. Note that it is precisely this fruit that is called for in Ephesians, and it is this fruit that truly equips us to accomplish our God-given duties.

In addition to the fruit of the Spirit, our Head (Christ) effectively uses each member of the Body to build up and edify the Body in love (Eph. 4:16). But we still have our free will and can resist or quench His leading. God’s plan for His Church and desire for us may be hampered by our own agendas and desires. To help prevent this, and in order for us to know how to live effectively in the Body, our Lord gives us more guidance on critical personality/character traits. These traits are not “nice to have” but crucial, required elements in order for the Church to edify itself in love (Eph. 4:25-32). These traits include: speaking the truth, controlling anger, good communication, no bitterness, no wrath, no malice, kindness, tenderness, and a forgiving heart.

At the end of the age these traits will be minimal in some believers. In I Timothy 4:1-3, we see some in the Body will depart from the faith, some will be seduced by other spirits, and some will believe doctrines of devils. All this will no doubt happen because the conditions of people’s hearts will be far from that of Ephesians 4. Believers will be influenced negatively by the world, in which people will be: “lovers of themselves, proud, unholy, without natural affection, heady, highminded…” (II Tim. 3:1-5). The Spirit will not be able to work as effectively as desired in some believer’s lives, resulting in their inability to keep God’s bond of peace. In the foregoing passage, the Word makes it clear that people in general will be truce-breakers and traitors—hardly the desired traits of an ambassador.

Applications

If we are to keep the unity produced by the Spirit in the bond of peace, we have to consider some typical relationships and consider how peace can be promulgated in them.

A. Peace With God

As believers we understand that we are at peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. We should also understand that being at peace with God means that He supplies all our needs. The moment people put their faith in Christ they are brought into a relationship with Him that fully satisfies their deepest needs. These deepest needs are those of our spirit. These deep needs involve our need for security (that God has a purpose for us and that we are important to Him). With these critical personal needs already met, we can now be less preoccupied with ourselves and strive to help others in the Body. We can now begin to practice unconditional love with believers, that is, we can ignore petty differences in order to love another (generally our differences are petty but when we are not tenderhearted we make them major issues).

Fellow Christians may lack a clear understanding of Christ meeting our deepest needs, but for this we can provide great counsel. For example, we can assure them that Christ is our peace (with God, Eph. 2:14) and that we are important to Him. We can not add in any way to the fact of our security and significance in Christ, but we can to another person’s understanding and appreciation of this truth. As we endeavor to help others we must be aware that people often understand something but do not have a comparable “feeling.” Thus, their feelings lag behind their understanding, i.e., one may know they are significant but still feel insignificant. These feelings change as part of the spiritual maturation process, but they must be given proper regard because the feelings of our fellow Christians are critical to their, even our, effective functioning. Thus, we must continually build each other up in a way to reinforce truth and feeling. We must search for ways to edify each other and to assure a peaceful existence in order to keep the unity expected by our Lord.

B. Peace Within

The unity produced by the Spirit is not just maintained by being at peace with God or with other people. We must assure that the Spirit’s unity is maintained within ourselves. We must ask, how do I strain the bond produced by the Holy Spirit? Here are some possibilities.

First, we must maintain balance between the seven entities, and to the extent we do, this is one measure of a peaceful bond. If we emphasize one or several entities above the others, or if we fail to see the true spiritual significance of an entity, then we lose balance and the bond is strained. For example, if we continually discuss and foster the one baptism but fail to see that it is the baptism of the Spirit, the real thing, not some water symbolism, then the internal bond is damaged.

Second, we must appreciate who we are in Christ, as a result of God’s grace, in order to have internal peace. We must look to Paul and believe what he said in I Corinthi-ans 15:10, “But by the grace of God I am what I am….” While we are not apostles like Paul, we still must appreciate that we are a unique creation of God and accepted in the Beloved. Each believer is God’s “special order” for His Body. This appreciation is not sinful pride or vanity, it is thankfulness and acceptance of His work of grace. Accepting this work of grace is essential for peace within the Body, because those who detest themselves have trouble living in harmony with others. Because of their own shortcomings they tend to throw stones at others. These stones can be very injurious and certainly they break the bond of peace. Such stone throwing (criticism, intolerance, innuendoes, anger, superiorness, cold shoulder/snubbing…) can be likened unto a spiritual cycle of abuse. We must break the cycle, leaving our stones at the cross, in order to promote the peace Christ seeks.

Third, our emotions are powerful motivators, and, while they must be respected, they also must be kept in control. If we crave the “emotional lift” resulting from the praise of others we will find it a debilitating ride. If we think we can dabble with hate and anger and are confident we can control them, we will lose the battle and learn their incredible power over us. The power of revenge is intoxicating, causing us to act irrationally. In all these things we must learn to handle emotions in God’s manner; if not, we will inadvertently chip away at the very peace we endeavor to keep.

Closing

It is no coincidence that the chapter preceding our text closes with this benediction: “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us. Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all, world without end. Amen” (Eph. 3:20-21). How perfectly this benediction leads into chapter 4 where we are exhorted to forbear one another in love and endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. The unsaved and an immature Christian expect a life of fun and independence, but as spiritual adults we waive our “rights” and instead realize we must endeavor and forbear in this life. We do this because we realize that the pain and struggles we experience now help us and if they bring glory in the church, then it glorifies Him.