The Pastor's Corner

Egg, larva, pupa and adult, the stages of being a butterfly. Infant, toddler, childhood, adolesence, young adult, middle age, elderly–stages of human development. The believer goes through stages as well. In this new study, we will see the metamorphosis that takes place in the child of God. Ready?

Belief and Trust

There’s a big difference between belief and trust, and we really need to come to terms with it. Believing something is just a casual nod to an idea, kind of like saying, “Yeah, sure, I guess that’s true.” For example,

Man: “I think a Christian should read their Bible daily.”

Christian:      “That’s great!  What di you read about today?” 

Man:   “Oh, I don’t read the Bible. It’s impossible to understand.”

Belief is theoritical. You might get it on some level, but it doesn’t change you. Trust goes beyond just nodding your head or saying you agree. When you really trust, your life matches what you believe. You get it, and you act on it.

Do you trust the Lord? Honestly, I like the word “Entrust” better. We “entrust” God when we hand our problems over to Him, let Him take the wheel, do stuff that doesn’t always make sense simply because He said to, and keep believing even when everything around us is saying otherwise.

So, do you actually entrust God? It’s definitely not an easy thing to do. A lot of people don’t, and honestly, they seem pretty fine with that.

The Great Commission

“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:  Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen,” Matthew 28:18-20.

People often think the Great Commission is just about winning souls, spreading the word, and doing missions. Basically, it’s our job to connect those who are lost with Jesus so they can receive salvation. So, toget out there and share the message that “Jesus saves.”

That is absolutely right, as far as it goes. But, it is far from the full meaning of the commission.  If you compare the three times the Great Commission is mentioned, you will notice “preach,” “witness,” and “teach” are synonymous, yet distinctly different?

Once you get what the word “teach” means in Matthew 28:18-20, you realize that the commission is much more than salvation.

The word “teach” is actually “mathēteuōin,” which means “disciple” or “follower,” and it’s all about “making disciples.” So, what Jesus is saying wherever we go, make followers of Christ and encourage them to “observe everything I’ve commanded you.

We’re all about helping people grow as disciples through teaching that’s centered on the Bible. It begins with the Gospel message, turning you into a child of God. And while that’s the unparalleled, it is simply the first transformation, the jumpstart for everything else. The next changes, metamorphoses, help you live like a true child of God—it’s all about the journey from mere belief into extreme trust.

In the next blog I will discuss what happens when we ignore spiritual metamorphosis.