Transformative Truth

Transformative Truth
By Don Vess

Truth is not hard to find, if we search for it. Jesus said, Jn 14:6 I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and no one comes to the Father but by me.

This is an eternal truth that will transform our lives, but only if we accept and believe it.

Prov. 25:2 TPT- God conceals the revelation of His word in the hiding place of His glory. But the honor of kings is revealed by how they thoroughly search out the deeper meaning of all that God says.

God's purpose and desire for His Sons and Daughters is that we be Transformed by the renewing of our minds by the washing of the water by the Word.

Romans 12:1-3 Amp- I APPEAL to you therefore, brethren, and beg of you in view of [all] the mercies of God, to make a decisive dedication of your bodies [presenting all your members and faculties] as a living sacrifice, holy (devoted, consecrated) and well pleasing to God, which is your reasonable (rational, intelligent) service and spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs), but be transformed [changed] by the [ENTIRE] RENEWAL OF YOUR MIND [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable, and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you.]

When our minds are renewed by transformation, being changed begins on the inside and is manifested in our actions.

The Passion Translation reads like this. Rom. 12:2 Stop imitating the ideals and opinions of the culture around you, but be inwardly transformed by the Holy Spirit through a total transformation of how you think. This will empower you to discern God's will as you live a beautiful life, satisfying and perfect in His eyes.

The book of James puts it like this: James 1:19-25 TPT- My dearest brothers and sisters, take this to heart: Be quick to listen, but slow to speak. And be slow to become angry. 20 For human anger is never a legitimate tool to promote God's righteous purpose. 21 So this is why we abandon everything morally impure and all forms of wicked conduct. Instead, with a sensitive spirit we ABSORB GOD'S WORD, which has been implanted within our nature, for the Word of life has power to continually deliver us. 22 Don't just listen to the Word of Truth and not respond to it, for that is the essence of self-deception. So always let the Word become like poetry written and fulfilled by your life. 23 If you listen to the Word and don't live out the message you hear, you become like the person who looks in the mirror of the Word to discover the reflection of his face in the beginning. 24 You perceive how God sees you in the mirror of the Word, but, but then you go out and forget your divine origin. 25 But those who set their gaze deeply into the perfecting law of liberty are fascinated by and respond to the truth they hear and are strengthened by it”they experience God's blessing in all they do!

Ps. 1 Blessed is the man who doesn't listen to and walk in the counsel of the ungodly. Doesn't stand in the way of sinners  Doesn't sit in the seat of the scornful- the judgmental, self-righteous, bitter people. But his delight is in the law of the Lord and he meditates on it 24/7 and everything he does profits from it.

God's word is like the Seeds of Faith that is sown into the soil of our heartsIf the soil is good and receptive to the seed, it will produce fruit and will reproduce. It will transform us from the inside-out.

Jesus told a parable: Mark 4:3-9 TPT- Consider this: A sower went out to sow. 4 As he sowed some (seed) fell upon the beaten path and soon the birds came out and ate it. 5 Some fell onto gravel with no topsoil and quickly sprouted since the soil had no depth. 6 But when the days grew hot, the sprouts were scorched and withered because they had insufficient roots. 7 Some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. 8 But some fell onto good, rich soil that kept producing a good harvest. Some yielded thirty, some sixty and some a hundredfold! 9 If you understand this, then you need to respond.

When Jesus' disciples asked him to explain the parable to them, He said, The privilege of intimately knowing the mystery of God's kingdom has been granted to you, but not to others, where everything is revealed in parables. For even when they see what I do, they will not understand, and when they hear what I say, they will learn nothing, otherwise they would repent and be forgiven.

Jesus went on to explain the parable to them. Mk. 4:14-20 TPT- Let Me explain: The farmer sows the message (Rom. 1:16) of the kingdom. 15 What falls on the beaten path represents those who hear the message, but immediately Satan appears and snatches it from their hearts. 16 And what is sown on gravel represents those who hear the message and receive it joyfully, 17 but because their hearts fail to sink a deep root, they won't endure for long. For when trouble or persecution comes on account of the message, they immediately wilt and fall away. 18 And what is sown among thorns represents those who hear the message, 19 but they allow the cares of this life, and the seduction of wealth and the desires for other things to choke the message so that it produces nothing. 20 But what is sown on good soil represents those who open their hearts to receive the message and their lives bear good fruit” some yield a harvest of thirty, sixty, even a hundredfold!

Truth that is received and acted upon is transformative truth. It produces lasting fruit that changes everything.

Truth that is heard, but rejected is like seed that is just thrown on the ground and is immediately snatched away and produces nothing. The problem is not the seed, but the SOIL.

The soil represents HEARTS that receive the seed. There are four kinds of hearts.

1.Hard Hearts: cynical, unbelieving, selfish, hearts that will not listen to truth no matter what. This kind of heart can be blamed on the activity of Satan. This kind of heart has been so conditioned by the lies of Satan that it has been hardened to the point of rejecting any truth.
2.Hollow Hearts:  This heart can be blamed on the FLESH. They hear the message and receive it with joy. But when the first sign of resistance comes, they wilt away with no endurance.

3.Half-hearts: These are those who receive the message, but without total surrender to the truth. They want the benefits of the kingdom but want to hang onto the world. Kind of like the parable of the Monkey Trap. This can be blamed on the attraction to the things of the world. James 4:4 Don't you realize that friendship with the world (Cosmos: World system) is enmity with God?

4.Whole-hearts: This is the good soil. Receives the word, acts upon it, and is changed and transformed by it.

God has put agents of truth in our lives. They are represented by the Five-fold ministry of the church.

Eph. 4:11-16 NLT- Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. 12 Their responsibility is to equip God's people to do His work and build up the church, the body of Christ. 13 This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God's Son that we will all be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ. 14 Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won't be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever, they sound like truth. 15 Instead, we WILL SPEAK THE TRUTH IN LOVE, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of the church. 16 He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.

The church body with the five-fold ministry is best illustrated by concept of a hand, or the hand of God.

1.Apostles: The thumb- strongest part of the hand that is used to pick up and support all the other members of the hand. It's the member of the hand that used to grasp and hold, pick up and catch, etc, etc.

2.Prophets: the index finger- used to point or to emphasize a point. The prophet brings the revelation of God's truth to the church and individuals within the church of correction, instruction, and edification.

3.Evangelists: Translated from the Aramaic, Preachers. The middle finger, the one that extends beyond the church with message of the gospel.

4.Pastors: the Ring-finger; Shepherds- care for the Bride of Christ, the church or flock, set-men of the church who tend and care for the flock of God's people.

5.Teachers: The little finger that is used to get into your ear. Their chief concern and mission is discovering and expounding on the truth of God's Word.

What is the end game of truth?  It is to bring us to that place where we are transformed into the image of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  In order for this to happen, we must all have ears to hear and hearts open to receive the truth of God's word that will bring us to that place where God wants us all to be.