I once was counseling with a young man who was a part of our church in England on issues of his thought life and consequent sinful behavior. He was in deep need of change in his life—spiritual change. Over a period of years sinful behavioral patterns had taken root and was bringing him in a downward spiral of sin. He needed hope. He needed encouragement. He needed spiritual change. This man shared with me that someone else (very close to him) had suggested that all of his problems were of a psychological nature and therefore what he really needed was a “professional” psychologist/psychiatrist. Unfortunately, this attitude is not too uncommon in our day--even amongst believers. The “experts” of our day will tell us that wrong behavior today is simply an “addiction” that requires years of psychological or psychiatric therapy performed by the “professional”. While it is not the purview of this article to address the psychiatry cult of today, it is my desire for believers to know what needs to be done to bring about true and lasting spiritual change.

So here’s the vital question--how is genuine spiritual change wrought in people today? This question goes to the heart of why believers are left here on planet Earth and what our Lord commanded us to “Go and make disciples.” Of course we know that ultimately God Himself is the One who saves and God Himself is the One who transforms the soul into Christlikeness. Any and all change that is wrought is done so by God Himself. No man can change himself spiritually. The same God who can miraculously save is the same God who can miraculously transform the soul. However, how can a minister of God be an agent of change in others?

The answer to the above question is singular—by skillfully applying the all-sufficient Word of God to souls of those in need of spiritual change. The Word of God which shows us the person of Christ is the only sufficient remedy to the spiritual needs of the soul of man. There are at least three key Scriptures that clearly affirm the Bible’s sufficiency to perform such change. The first one that comes to mind is 2 Peter 1:3-4.

2 Peter 1:3-4 (NKJV)

³ as His ^d divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him ^e who called us by glory and virtue, ^{4 f} by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be ^g partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the ³corruption that is in the world through lust.¹

Clearly the believer has everything that is needed for living and for godliness. The Christian has in the person of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God all that he needs to be all that God wants him to be. In 2 Peter 1:3 the term “life” has to do with everything that we experience this side of heaven. “Godliness” deals with our relationship with God—living a life that is God-centered.

Next Peter proceeds to define what the phrase “everything pertaining to life and godliness” means. He says Christians have “become partakers of the divine nature” (v.4). Believers have been “born from above”. Believers have a totally new nature. “Life and godliness” are possible because our Lord has given the believer a new nature. Other places in Scripture speak of this new nature (Rom. 6:1-11; 2 Cor. 5:17; Col. 3:10; 1 Peter 1:23). Peter says that this “divine nature” has the ability to “escape the corruption that is in the world caused by evil desires” (2 Peter 1:4). As Christians we have the spiritual ability to develop a qualitatively different life. We have the necessary resources given to us from God Himself. Therefore, Christians can cultivate faith, moral excellence, true knowledge, self control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and Christian love (2 Peter 1:4-7).

But how? How does the believer appropriate that which Peter calls “everything pertaining to life and godliness”? In v.3 Peter says it is “through the knowledge of Him who called us…”. In short, the warehouse of the “everything” we need for life and godliness is found in the person of God and the Word of God.

John MacArthur’s writes in his book Our Sufficiency In Christ (pg. 25-27) about a man who was shut out of a house on a cold night. This man obviously suffered from exposure to the cold conditions. All of this could have been averted had the man known that the key to the house was in his pocket. MacArthur’s point, believers have in Christ everything they will ever need to handle any and all of life’s hardships. There are no other resources, no other spiritual assets, no other heavenly riches which the believer in Christ needs to have. Don’t be like the man who had all that he needed to escape the cold. Remember the words of Peter who declares to us, “His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us (2 Peter 1:3).” It isn’t that we need some kind of higher anything. His all-sufficient resources which are found in the written and Living Word of God are all that are needed to change the human heart.

The apostle Paul personalizes the theology of 2 Peter 1:3-4 in Philippians 3 when he says, “that I may know Him and the ^q power of His resurrection, and ^r the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death… Not that I have already ^t attained, or am already ^u perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.” ² The Apostle Paul knew that his spiritual growth was tied to knowing Christ—the Living Word. In Romans 12:2 Paul buttresses this by saying believers are “transformed by the renewing of their minds”. Spiritual change is effected by the Word of God acting upon the soul of man.

When the Apostle Paul arrived in Thessalonica, having just gone though a difficult ordeal in Philippi (Acts 16,17), he preached the Word of God to the Jews first and then to the Gentiles located there. Later, Paul wrote the Thessalonians from Corinth and he said, “…we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the Word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the Word of God, which effectively works in you who believe. For you became imitators of the churches of God… (1 Thess. 2:13-14). Dramatic change was wrought by the application of the Word of God to the souls of men. The Thessalonians believed and became imitators/examples of Christ. As my pastor said just the other Sunday: “It was not a matter of Paul first developing relationships, but of simply speaking with boldness the truth which changes lives.” It’s the truth of God’s Word that changes lives.

Another key text is found in Psalm 19:7-11. Here the Psalmist makes some statements about God’s Word that no one would ever make about the teachings of Freud or any other prominent psycho-babblist! David calls Scripture the following: perfect, sure, right, authoritative, clean, provides insights, more desirable than gold, and sweeter than honey. Furthermore the Psalmist not only describes God’s Word but he also tells us what it is able to do. His Word can: convert the soul, make wise the simple, rejoice the heart, and enlighten the eyes. There is so much richness in this 19^th Psalm!

A third and final text that I want to highlight is 2 Timothy 3:15-17. Here Paul tells us that Scripture is adequate because:

1. It is holy (v.15)

God’s Word is in a class all by itself. It is set apart. No other writing can compare with what is written in the Scriptures.

2. It is able (v.15)

God’s Word has power to operate miracles in the human soul. God’s Word can do to the inner man what the doctor’s scalpel can do to one’s body. It is the tool of the Spirit of God for working in the hearts of men unto Christlike transformation.

3. It is inspired by God (v.16)

Because God’s Word is “inspired” or literally “God-breathed” we are obligated to accept it’s authority. While many would confess to believe in the inerrancy of Scripture they will not truly believe in it’s authority. To me, inerrancy and authority of Scripture are like Siamese twins—they are inseparably linked to each other. Many believers today will acknowledge the inspiration of Scripture but in practice deny it’s authority in their daily lives. If God’s Word is inspired it is ipso facto authoritative. Let’s not ever divorce the two.

4. It is profitable or useful (v.16)

God’s Word declares it’s own usefulness. While God’s Word is not a “how-to” manual for performing a car tune-up. It is certainly able to make sure my heart is right when my car isn’t running good! God’s Word is profitable for obtaining and maintaining a right relationship with God. God’s Word can help my marriage be what it ought to be. It can help resolve interpersonal problems and deep issues of the heart. Truly God’s Word is useful for any and all of the soulish needs of man. It gives me strength when I am weak.

5. It can thoroughly equip the man of God for every good work. (v.17)

God’s Word is all one needs to understand people and their problems. You and I need to be able to prayerfully and skillfully apply God’s Word to the hearts of those who struggle. Then we will see godly change unto Christlikeness.

My struggling friend? He received an earful of relevant verses from the inspired and authoritative Word of God. Praise God, he is on the pathway to godly change unto Christlikeness!