We can't go on indefinitely being just ordinary, decent eggs. We must be hatched or go bad.
C.S. Lewis
In the last two chapters, we have considered the importance of life change. God has no intention of allowing His people, purchased by the precious blood of His Son, Jesus, to continue being “ordinary, decent eggs.” His goal is to radically change every part of us, by the power of the Holy Spirit, in order for us to become devoted disciples of Jesus.
Having considered how God changes a person and each Christian’s personal responsibility to cooperate in their life change, we now turn to the ultimate goal. In a previous chapter, I wrote that our “transformation pattern is Jesus Christ.” But, we need more detail to understand exactly what that means for the believer. In what way are we to become “like Christ”?
Beginning in 1993, I began serving at a church in Austin, Texas as Pastor of College Ministries. Over the next 10 years, the university student population in our church grew to more than 1000 students. We had a full-time staff of seven workers and a volunteer leadership team of many more. At one point, we had more than 100 discipleship groups meeting, studying God’s Word and growing in godliness.
As it was, we typically had a student attend our ministry for an average of three years. Upon graduation, many moved out of town and a new group of students would arrive. We knew that we only had three years to “make disciples”—about the same length of time Jesus spent with His followers. This meant that we had to prioritize which spiritual life lessons were most essential for the growing Christian. As each of us determines to walk with Jesus, we must ask, “What are the most important biblical principles we should learn for the greatest life transformation?”
Not to exclude all other spiritual truth, but what are the fundamentals of the spiritual life? Our ministry team focused on four areas of development: Vision, Knowledge, Character and Skills.
Vision
Vision is what a disciple “sees.” Aristotle described vision as a picture in the soul of a person. In his book Visioneering, pastor Andy Stanley writes, “Vision is the clear mental picture of what could be, fueled by the conviction that it should be.” It is the compelling dream or desire set before an individual which drives them day by day.
In the early 1900s, the Wright brothers’ vision of flight pushed them to get the first airplane off the ground. Apple innovator Steve Jobs’ vision of “a computer in every home” produced a whole movement of technology which has since changed the world. African- American Rosa Parks’ refusal to give up her seat on a bus in 1955 was fueled by a personal vision of desegregation and equal opportunity for all people.
Visionaries see a preferred future with their “mind’s eye.” That is, they may not be able to actually see or touch or realize the results of their actions yet, but they possess a firm conviction that their decisions will produce the desired outcome. When Jesus said, “Do you not say, ‘Four months more and then the harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest” (John 4:35), He was urging His followers to imagine the evangelistic fruit which was not yet, but could be if more workers went “into the harvest.”
A person’s vision is what energizes everything they do. If a person has a vision of being rich and successful, every decision they make—from college courses to the clothes they wear to their first interview—will be calculated in regards to its rich and successful benefits. Someone who has a vision of becoming a great athlete will adopt a rigorous exercise schedule and dietary plan to achieve that goal. In fact, every person has a vision of something. It may not be a consciously-formed vision or carved into a monument, but the passions and priorities of each person’s life will express to their vision.
So it is important for the disciple of Jesus to not only have vision, but to have the right vision. Proverbs 29:18 states, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” The vision mentioned in this verse isn’t any vision, but a biblical one. And, if God’s people lack a godly vision, they will never end up where God wants them to be.
Think of Jesus’ final words on the cross. In His last breaths, He gasped, “It is finished!” (John 19:30) and died. What a declaration—to come to the end of your life and have confidence that your mission is complete and that your vision has been realized. A few chapters earlier, Jesus prayed, “I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do” (John 17:4). From the moment He was born, Jesus saw the end and directed every part of His life to fulfilling that vision.
Instead of announcing “It is finished!” at the end of their lives, far too many Christians will wonder “Is it finished?” because they have not looked at life through the eyes of God. As a result, they succeeded in a vision that was self-serving, godless and fruitless, lacking any eternal benefit. Of course, such “success” is no success at all.
What we have concluded is that the disciple’s vision for their life must be God’s vision for their life. And, God’s overarching vision for us is the same as God’s vision for God. What God wants for me is what God wants for Himself through me. So before trying to figure out some nuanced vision for my life, unique from all other people, I must understand what God’s vision is for God and then set my sights on that vision for my life in whatever God calls me to do.
We discover God’s great vision by understanding the overarching theme of the Bible: God’s glorification of Himself through the redemption of sinners. God intends to glorify Himself—to magnify His supremacy in all things. He alone is worthy to be exalted as the true God (Revelation 4:11) and will not “share His glory” with anyone or anything else (Isaiah 42:8, Isaiah 48:11).
God glorifies Himself through “reflecting” and “reigning.” First, He created the world to reflect His glorious power, sustenance and beauty (Psalm 19:1, Romans 1:20). Human beings, made in God’s image, were created for His glory (Isaiah 43:7). Second, He created the world and people as a kingdom where He would rule as our rightful and only King (Psalm 46:10). As people multiplied and lived under God’s reign, His kingdom would grow and God would be further glorified. In this way, the expansion of God’s Kingdom made possible the glorification of God.
Unfortunately, sin contaminated God’s glorious reflection in humanity and violated God’s rightful rule in the world as Satan attempted to assert his own authority and lead people into rebellion. So, to recover His glory, God chose to redeem human beings through the death of His Son, Jesus. He saves and sanctifies people to restore His glory (Psalm 79:9, 2 Corinthians 3:18, Ephesians 1:3-14). “For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6). God’s goal is for His glory to shine through His people and throughout the earth.
So, the Christian’s vision must be centered on magnification and mission—to see the glory of God manifested through the redemption of people everywhere. In Matthew 6:33, Jesus said, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Set your sights on who God is and His reign over all, and everything else will follow. If the disciple desires and delights in the glory of God and the establishment of His reign among all people, this vision will shape the rest of their spiritual journey.