Morphosis Eusebeia
The power to change
This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned [them]; And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture [is] given by inspiration of God, and [is] profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. II Timothy 3:1, 5, 7, 14-17
This passage starts out in perilous times you can read verses 1-7 and see how terrible people can be, self-centered and following their own desires instead of God, but verse 5 copied above is the saddest one "having a form of godliness, but denying it's power". There are those who out and out have a disrespect for the things of the LORD, but then there are those and I am convicted of this sin who "morphosis eusebeia" who have been transformed or shaped into God likeness or Godliness, but "arneomai dynamis" but deny or reject the power or dynamic of His power in our lives.
Dynamis is strength power, ability, power for performing miracles, power consisting in or resting upon armies, forces, hosts from the root word meaning to be capable, strong and powerful.
In a short devotional I received in my inbox this morning the key verse today was from Zechariah 4:6 which says "Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts."
If we (I) am going to have a total metamorphosis then that only comes by resting in His Holy Spirit. Otherwise, we literally push away the power that He offers and we only appear to have godliness in our lives, but we are powerless not dynamis or dynamic.
What does it mean to be dynamic? Active, driven, effective, influencial, alive, productive. Are you and I being this for the LORD? Are we active for Him? Are we being effective in His purposes? Are we influencing others for Him? Are we vibrant and alive in Christ dead to sin and living in His power? Or are we the opposite of dynamic? Are we boring or bored in our walk? Are we inactive and sitting on the side lines? Are we passive and and unexcited?
What is worse is that verse 5 says we have a form or we look Godly, but we are lacking the dynamis which means to others we look like we are active and influencial, but on the inside we are bored and unexcited and not experiencing His overcoming, resurrecting power in our lives.
I think the word used in Revelation was "lukewarm", the ones who God spit out ... stating He would rather we be hot or cold then He could do something with that, but never lukewarm!
Verse 7 above says that these type of people are always learning, but never growing. They have a lot of head knowledge, but they never take it to heart and apply it to their lives. I have been there at times which is one reason I started this new Bible Reading Plan (see today's previous post).
I resonate with verse 15 that "from a child having been taught the Scriptures ..." I am so thankful for my heritage and for having the priveledge to grow up in a home where I was taught the Scriptures especially through programs like Awanas where I hid His WORD in my heart, but what is the ultimate result to be? In a word, salvation deliverance, preservation, safety, salvation. The words here are "sophizo soteria pistis" for wise, salvation, faith ... His WORD is to make us "sophisticated" in salvation through faith. The world says our faith is unsophisticated or they look at us like we are fools because we believe through faith in things like creationism and other "foolish" things in the eyes of this world, but here the author, who we believe to be Paul (Shaul in his Hebrew tongue) written shortly before his death, he says our faith in the Holy Scriptures (which in his time did not include the "New Testament") was what makes us wise. Is this just head knowledge or wisdom? No, we have already established this, it is wisdom that changes or metamorphosis us unto salvation, powerful or dynamic salvation. To perfect us. To teach us doctrine (our belief system as taught by Scripture), for reproof (conviction), for correction (restoration to an upright or right state, improvement of life or character) and for instruction (the whole training and education of children which relates to the cultivation of mind and morals, and employs for this purpose now commands and admonitions, now reproof and punishment. It also includes the training and care of the body by correcting mistakes and curbing passions. Instruction which aims at increasing virtue. From a root word meaning to scourge.)
Dynamis is strength power, ability, power for performing miracles, power consisting in or resting upon armies, forces, hosts from the root word meaning to be capable, strong and powerful.
In a short devotional I received in my inbox this morning the key verse today was from Zechariah 4:6 which says "Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts."
If we (I) am going to have a total metamorphosis then that only comes by resting in His Holy Spirit. Otherwise, we literally push away the power that He offers and we only appear to have godliness in our lives, but we are powerless not dynamis or dynamic.
What does it mean to be dynamic? Active, driven, effective, influencial, alive, productive. Are you and I being this for the LORD? Are we active for Him? Are we being effective in His purposes? Are we influencing others for Him? Are we vibrant and alive in Christ dead to sin and living in His power? Or are we the opposite of dynamic? Are we boring or bored in our walk? Are we inactive and sitting on the side lines? Are we passive and and unexcited?
What is worse is that verse 5 says we have a form or we look Godly, but we are lacking the dynamis which means to others we look like we are active and influencial, but on the inside we are bored and unexcited and not experiencing His overcoming, resurrecting power in our lives.
I think the word used in Revelation was "lukewarm", the ones who God spit out ... stating He would rather we be hot or cold then He could do something with that, but never lukewarm!
Verse 7 above says that these type of people are always learning, but never growing. They have a lot of head knowledge, but they never take it to heart and apply it to their lives. I have been there at times which is one reason I started this new Bible Reading Plan (see today's previous post).
I resonate with verse 15 that "from a child having been taught the Scriptures ..." I am so thankful for my heritage and for having the priveledge to grow up in a home where I was taught the Scriptures especially through programs like Awanas where I hid His WORD in my heart, but what is the ultimate result to be? In a word, salvation deliverance, preservation, safety, salvation. The words here are "sophizo soteria pistis" for wise, salvation, faith ... His WORD is to make us "sophisticated" in salvation through faith. The world says our faith is unsophisticated or they look at us like we are fools because we believe through faith in things like creationism and other "foolish" things in the eyes of this world, but here the author, who we believe to be Paul (Shaul in his Hebrew tongue) written shortly before his death, he says our faith in the Holy Scriptures (which in his time did not include the "New Testament") was what makes us wise. Is this just head knowledge or wisdom? No, we have already established this, it is wisdom that changes or metamorphosis us unto salvation, powerful or dynamic salvation. To perfect us. To teach us doctrine (our belief system as taught by Scripture), for reproof (conviction), for correction (restoration to an upright or right state, improvement of life or character) and for instruction (the whole training and education of children which relates to the cultivation of mind and morals, and employs for this purpose now commands and admonitions, now reproof and punishment. It also includes the training and care of the body by correcting mistakes and curbing passions. Instruction which aims at increasing virtue. From a root word meaning to scourge.)
The bottom line? The WORD has the power to change us if we will let it. It's not only good for us to get a solid state of beliefs, but ultimately it should be changing (metamorposizing) us from slimy catepillars to beautiful butterflys. We should look totally different and changed when we come in contact with the WORD. We should be powerful in our walks, able to perform miracles, strong and capable to overcome, but not by our own power, but through His Spirit working in us, by resting upon armies, forces and hosts of Heaven. Could you just imagine how our world would be changed if true Believers were this powerful? WOW! Morphosis Eusebeia!!! It just takes one ...
The picture below represents the "form of godliness" ... we can have the form of change or we can truly be changed ... you decide!
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