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The law of sowing and reaping:
Gal. 6:7-8 "Do not be deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man sows, that will he also reap. For he that sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption; but he that sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap life everlasting."
The mind is like a farmers field. If a farmer plants corn he will get corn. If he plants wheat he will get wheat. It would be stupid for the farmer to plant corn and then expect to harvest wheat. It is simple, whatever you plant is what you get. If you sow to the flesh you will reap corruption. It is impossible for any person to sow to flesh and get a spiritual harvest. God has given you the ability to control what you sow and thereby control what you harvest. If you experience defeat over sin, lack power, and never really walk in the all the fullness of God then it is time to examine your thoughts.
Romans 8:5-8 "For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. To set our minds on the flesh leads to death, but to set our minds on the Spirit leads to life and peace. That is why the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile toward God. For it refuses to submit to the authority of God's law because it is powerless to do so. Indeed, those who are under the control of the flesh cannot please God."
Col. 3:1-5 "You have been raised to life with Christ, so set your mind and heart on the things that are in heaven, where Christ sits on his throne at the right side of God. Keep your mind fixed on things there, not on things here on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. Your real life is Christ and when he appears, then you too will appear with him and share his glory! You must put to death, then, the earthly desires at work in you, such as sexual immorality, indecency, lust, evil passions, and greed (for greed is a form of idolatry)."
Garbage In - Garbage Out
This is a law of the mind. What you put in is what you get out. It is IMPOSSIBLE to put worldly things in your mind and get spiritual results out. You sow every day, but YOU determine what you sow, not God. Take time now to examine what you are sowing. What do you think about? Do you daydream and have many fantasies? How do you spend your time? If you mind is full of worldly, fleshly, lustful, unclean, carnal or any ungodly thoughts then you must change your mind (repent) and start thinking Godly thoughts.
Who's fault is it if we only harvest the things of the flesh? God has made each of us fully responsible for what we sow. If you are reaping the wrong crop it is NOT GOD'S FAULT. If we are carnally minded then we will experience death, If we are spiritually minded then we will experience life and peace. Gal. 6:7-8 "Do not be deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap. For he that sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption; but he that sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap life everlasting."
A man's life is determined by the nature, or character of the man. A man's nature and life are determined by the contents of his heart. A life beset by sin is determined by the contents of the heart. Your life is determined by the contents of your heart. God has created us in such a way that our actions follow our thoughts. Many Scripture verses display this. For example Jeremiah 11:8 says, "They obeyed not, nor inclined their ear, but walked every one in the imagination of their evil heart (mind)." God, speaking here of a rebellious nation, states that the people acted out what they imagined in their minds.
There seems to be an apathetic attitude among Christians when it comes to disciplining the mind. Some would rather get into the more "spiritual things" of the Christian life and dismiss talk of controlling our thoughts as some gimmicky type of positive thinking. Others assume that thoughts are not all that important as long as you're able to follow a prescribed set of "dos and don'ts" in outward conduct. The person who holds either of these assumptions is only fooling himself. Failing to come to grips with this issue leads to an empty, unstable life, and victorious, joyous living will never be real.
It is easy to see why many Christians remain powerless. No person's mind can be renewed on a starvation diet. The mind can not be renewed on a junk-food diet (e.g., trashy movies TV shows and novels) The reason why so many Christians do not experience transformation is they become what they think, and much of what they think upon is not becoming! They spend more time watching things of the devil and the world than reading things of the Spirit! Our attitudes and behavior are but a reflection of what goes into our minds!
Sowing the Word of God into our heart will produce spiritual power to transform us into new creatures: good trees bearing good fruit. Only doing that, however, will not cause us to quit being corrupt trees bearing corrupt fruit. To quit being a corrupt tree we must cast wrong desires and beliefs from our heart. God says that a wrong desire (lust) brings forth sin. As long as a wrong desire remains in our heart it will continue to bring forth sin. We cannot experience the fulness of God if we plant the Word of God into our heart and continue to hold wrong desires and beliefs in our heart. We must put off the old man as well as put on the new man. Once we have cast wrong desires and beliefs from our heart, we must keep our heart with all diligence to prevent more wrong desires or beliefs from entering our heart. We must separate ourselves from the things of this world that the devil uses to plant wrong desires and beliefs into the hearts of men.
Prov. 4:23 "Keep your heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life."
Romans 10:6-9 "But the righteousness which is of faith speaks on this wise, Say not in your heart, Who will ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:) Or, Who will descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) But what does it say? The word is near you, even in your mouth, and in your heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if you will confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and will believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."
Matt. 15:17-20 "Don't you understand? Anything that goes into your mouth goes into your stomach and then on out of your body? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceeds evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man."
1 Pet. 1:23 "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which lives and abides for ever."
The Word of God sown into our heart produces right desires and beliefs. It produces wisdom and understanding.
Luke 6:45 "A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks."
The Word of God sown into our heart produces the fruit of the Spirit of God. Out of the abundance of our heart we speak words. We are sowers. The words that we speak are sown back into our own heart and are sown into the hearts of others. We sow by speaking words and by giving manifestation to a spirit. If we manifest a spirit of joy, we sow joy into others. If we manifest a spirit of anger or fear that is what we sow into others.
You plant right desires and right beliefs by sowing the Word of God into your heart. The sower sows the Word of God and the seed of that word conceives in your heart to produce right desire and right belief (godliness). Read the Word of God in abundance into your heart. Stop and contemplate what you are reading so that understanding is produced. Read comparing spiritual things with spiritual. Seek God to reveal to you the desires and beliefs that the men of the Bible had in their hearts. Seek him to discover the role of his angels and the role of the devil's evil spirits. This is comparing spiritual with spiritual. Read the Word of God as much as you possibly can. Meditate on the Word of God day and night continuously. Sow so much Word of God into your heart that the devil can't catch it away fast enough and can't choke it out. God says that a man speaks from the abundance of his heart. You must sow enough of the Word of God to go from where you are now to having the Word in your heart in abundance. The more you sow, the faster you will get there.
The Word of God produces the right desires and right beliefs in our heart. It is the power against sin. What a marvelous work God has done so that the Word of God is everything we need and can remain our single focus.
Psalms 119:9-11 "Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments. I have hid Your word in my heart, that I might not sin against You."
Eph. 5:25-27 "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish."
John 15:3 "Now you are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you."
1 Pet. 1:22-23 "Seeing you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that you love one another with a pure heart fervently: Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which lives and abides for ever."
1 John 3:9 "Whosoever is born of God does not commit sin; for his seed remains in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God."
By sowing the Word of God into our hearts in abundance, hiding the Word of God deep within our being, we cleanse our way. Man is born again by the Word of God and the man born of God does not sin because the Word of God remains in him. If you fail to keep the Word of God alive in abundance within your heart, you will fall back into sin. We are not given the nature of God, we are made partakers of his nature. We are the branches partaking of the holy nature of the vine. Only as we abide in the vine, and his words abide in us do we remain righteous with his righteousness and holy with his holiness.
God spoke the word and it conceived in the virgin Mary to become flesh! The Word of God spoken here is conceiving in your heart with spiritual seed to become a new living spirit!
James 1:18 "Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures."
2 Cor. 5:17-18 "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who has reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and has given to us the ministry of reconciliation."
Gal. 6:15 "For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision avails any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature."
Again I say to you, the Word of God conceives in your heart! This is the new birth, the recreation of the spirit of man! The measure to which you sow the Word of God into your heart, contemplate, and do it, is the measure that it will conceive in your heart.
John 6:63 "It is the spirit that quickens; the flesh profits nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life."
The words of God contain the very LIFE, of God! They contain his love, his faith, his righteousness, and his holiness. His word is given to you that you may be a partaker of his life.
John 3:6 "That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit."
You are either conformed to this world or you are TRANSFORMED by the renewing of your mind. If you do not renew your mind you will not be TRANSFORMED.
Romans 12:1-2 "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, [which is] your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what [is] that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."
Eph. 4:22-24 "That you put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And you put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness."
Renewing our minds is the key to growing as a Christian. It is the difference between being CONFORMED to this word or being TRANSFORMED into a new creation because the mind controls life and behavior. Without the renewal of your mind - you will simply stay CONFORMED to this world - you will be no different from the unsaved, your witness for Christ will fail to have any credibility - in Jesus words you will be salt that has lost its savour. This is crucial stuff.
The Greek word is metamorphoo (met-am-or-fo'-o) Lit., "to change into another form" This comes the word "metamorphosis". It is used to describe a change of form. In the New Testament, this word is used to describe: What happened to Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration - Matt.17:1-2
The idea being commanded by Paul is this: Christians are "to undergo a complete change, which under the power of God, will find expression in character and conduct". This "transformation" is something we allow to be done to us not something we do by our own power alone. Rather, we submit to God's power and by His grace. We are "changed into another form". We become a "new creation".
The goal of this transformation is to become like Christ and to live like Christ. The goal of being transformed; indeed, is the goal of being a Christian! Yet why do many never experience the transformation God offers? The only way of being transformed is being conformed to His word. We are not to be conformed to this world or to act like the world and be like those in the world.
We are transformed and changed by the renewing of our mind. The process of transformation continues as we renew the mind. Unless there is a renewing of the mind, any change in our lives will be superficial. Renewing the mind is made possible by where we set our minds. We are to set our minds on things above and on the things of the Spirit. We are to feed our minds with the Word of God, prayer, fellowship, etc. With our minds "renewed" we can experience a true transformation! WE do this by putting off the old man and putting on the new man and by living according to the Spirit.
The process of transformation is really quite simple. You are to set your minds on things above in order to renew your mind. For example you are to meditate and contemplate on God and His Word. With a renewed mind, it becomes possible to put off the old, and put on the new! You can put off the old man with its sins and put on the new man patterned after the example of Christ. Remember that in your efforts, you are not alone; God is at work with you.
We are to meditate on God and on His word.
Joshua 1:8 "This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth; but you shall meditate therein day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success."
Psalms 1:1-3 "Blessed is the man that walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he does shall prosper."
Psalms 63:6 "When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches."
Psalms 77:12 "I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings."
Psalms 119:15-16 "I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways. I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word."
Psalms 119:47-48 "And I will delight myself in thy commandments, which I have loved. My hands also will I lift up unto thy commandments, which I have loved; and I will meditate in thy statutes."
Psalms 119:78 "Let the proud be ashamed; for they dealt perversely with me without a cause: but I will meditate in thy precepts."
Psalms 119:148 "Mine eyes prevent the night watches, that I might meditate in thy word."
Romans 8:4-8 "That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God."
If you are a Christian then you have been called to be "transformed" into the image of Christ. You have all the motivation you need (God's mercies and Christ's love). You have the opportunity to start anew by the washing of regeneration. You must allow your mind to be renewed by setting them on things above. In light of God's wonderful grace, this is your "reasonable" service. Shall you not prove to the world that God's will is "good, acceptable, and perfect"?
Once we realize that we can be like Jesus and believe that we really have that potential, our next step is to set our minds toward being like Him. Any athlete knows that in order to win a race or ball game, he must first set his mind toward winning. If he does not set his mind - if he is not mentally "up" - he will lose. So the Bible warns us - the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace.
Col. 3:1-3 "You have been raised to life with Christ, so set your mind and heart on the things that are in heaven, where Christ sits on his throne at the right side of God. Keep your mind fixed on things there, not on things here on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God."
What does it mean to set the mind on the things of the Spirit? The whole New Testament is designed to help an individual in these matters - to give him guidelines and instructions as to how to set his mind on the things of the Spirit, and what these things are - 2 Timothy 3:16,17 "All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work."
The Bible tells us what we are to think about. Philippians 4:8 "Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things".
The mind is in constant need of renewal. The only way to be transformed or changed is by the process of renewing or reprogramming of the mind. Many people pray for God to change them - God has told us how to be changed: Renew the mind! Failure to reprogram the mind will result in a person being conformed to this world. It is extremely important that the Christian control his mental environment. Outer actions are the reflection of inner attitudes. That is why the Holy Spirit has exhorted us to make sure our minds dwell - live - on excellent thoughts.
Interestingly, our minds receive all the thoughts and ideals from three sources. God, man and the devil. Consider thoughts as beams, which our mind has the ability to decode. Who is bringing thoughts into your mind? Hatred, envy, and bitterness are all thoughts that the devil beams to our minds. Watch your thought life. It is an important way to guard your heart.
The devil can influence us by the thoughts he drops into our minds. Thoughts are very powerful. A little understanding about where thoughts come from and how they can influence us will help us in withstanding the onslaughts of the devil.
Genesis 4:7 "If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin crouches at your door; its desire is for you, but you must master it."
When we accept the thoughts of the devil we open ourselves to the influence of the devil. This is how the devil still gets hold of Christians today. He hides at the door of our hearts as we meditate on the thoughts he suggests to our minds. When we accept these thoughts as our own our hearts are opened to his influence. Any thought that takes you away from the will of God is not of God. As you pray to God for discernment the Holy Spirit will show you those thoughts that are from the devil. Do not entertain them.
Take heed to your thought life. Judas accepted the thought of the devil and it opened his heart for the devil to enter him. The devil and his demonic forces can control us when we accept his evil thoughts. Give no room to the devil. Stop entertaining evil thoughts. They are destructive.
James 3:14-16 "But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but [is] earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking [exist,] confusion and every evil thing [are] there."
James 1:14-16 "Every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust has conceived, it brings forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, brings forth death. Do not err, my beloved brethren."
The battle takes place in your mind. Before you sin outwardly you usually have already visualized sinning. You actually conceive sin or birth sin into existence by vain imaginations, thoughts, fantasies and ungodly visualizations. When you cast out the evil desires and evil beliefs you are putting off of the old man. Planting the Word of God to produce new desires and beliefs is the putting on of the new man. This is becoming new creatures, born, "conceived of the incorruptible seed of the Word of God."
You need to cast down vain imaginations and renew your mind. It is God's desire to bring you into complete wholeness. Jesus died so you could be complete in Him. The God of Peace wants to set you apart, sanctify you wholly - that your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved without fault.
2 Cor. 10:4-5 "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds; Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ."
The bible is full of God's word to us. As we read it, silently and aloud, to ourselves it will produce life and light in us. When you make the study of God's word a regular feature of your life you will find yourself entertaining godly thoughts and ideals. His grace and favor will increase in your life. You will find yourself making decisions based on ideals that God himself dropped in your heart. You will also find it much more easy to discern thoughts that come from the devil. Your discernment will become much sharper. As Hebrews says "But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. Heb. 5:14
We have to exercise ourselves in godly things in order to sharpen and develop our discernment. The first step in doing this is the recognition that our thoughts can come from various sources - us, God and the devil. Secondly, we need to recognize that the devilic thoughts will harm us and allow sin into our life. Thirdly, we need to accept by faith and act in faith by rejecting and not meditating on the devil's thoughts. You will know godly thoughts. For one, they will be devoid of envy, hatred and unnecessary suspicion. One way to eliminate evil thoughts is by paying attention to what you read, hear and see. Make God's thoughts your thoughts.
Do what David did in Psalm 62:11-12. How could David hear twice what God said once? He repeated God's word to himself. When evil thoughts come popping into your mind speak God's word aloud to yourself. Try reading Psalm 119 aloud to yourself. That should put the devil on the run. Remember stop thinking evil thoughts, don't act on them and certainly don't speak them.
Prior to salvation you were unable to think the Lord's thoughts. Many of the beliefs you had and decisions you made were contrary to Divine Law and Principles. You did not - could not walk in TRUTH. Perhaps you were trying to be good or your parents taught you right from wrong or you lived in a community with high moral standards, but your mind was at enmity with the Lord's because your spirit was not connected with Him.
Unregenerate man is corrupt in his thinking. You may have thrown many thoughts and ideas as the Word of God came alive to you and you realized that previous thoughts didn't line up with the new thoughts the Lord was giving you. But there were other things from the Word that just didn't fit what you knew, and you just weren't sure what to do with them. There are many thoughts that the light of the Word has yet to reach.
The main question remains; if the carnal mind is an enemy to God - how do we change it for God's way? This is the point you had to get to before I could tell you. You had to realize that not only are your thoughts wrong, but also your way of thinking is wrong.
The Word always has the answer. "Therefore brethern, present your body as a living sacrifice" - put to death all the ways of the Flesh. And now, - here's the clincher - "Don't be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." Totally change your way of thinking by putting to death your old way of thinking allowing the Lord to give you a new mind. So that "you can prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of the Lord." If you don't know the Will of the Lord, sacrifice your Will and Ways and get your Mind changed.
1 Cor. 2:16 "For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ."
Phip. 2:5-8 "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross."
The Word tells us to have the mind of Christ. Do you know that you can't have "His mind" as long as you have your own mind? That would be double mindedness and the Lord's Word tells us that a double minded man will get nothing from Him. Why are you so reluctant to give up your mind? Do you really think yours is better than Jesus'? The Lord doesn't ask you to be mind-LESS. He tells you to put on Christ's mind, rather than your own. He says if you lack wisdom, ask and He'll give it. But - a double minded man will receive nothing. You can't have two minds. Your mind can't contain the Wisdom of the Lord. So to get His Wisdom, His Will, His answers, you must have His Mind. Christ's mind was in complete submission to God. Jesus only did and said what He saw His Father do and say. Are not we called to follow His example?
And what are you to do when old thought patterns try to return? "Cast down all vain imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of the Lord, and bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Messiah. Our fight is not with men here on earth but with demonic forces in the atmosphere around us. It is against both your old thought processes, and the way you have been trained, to think the way the Lord thinks. When He doesn't meet your perceived needs on your terms, do you revoke His Lordship over that area, because it didn't fit into your way of thinking?
These old ways of the flesh and the world must be put to death, that the Lord's ways will become your ways. When you submit your life to His Lordship, you must submit all of your Life. You must lay yourself completely on the alter of sacrifice; admitting the wretchedness of any area you have not submitted, and allow Him to transform you, change the way you think, redesign you into wholeness. Renewing of the Mind is a process that will last your lifetime. Through the act of rebirth and the process of renewing your mind, you will become all He created you to be, that you will walk in the fullness that he desires for you in Him.
"So, how do I trade my mind in for Christ so I can think the way the Lord does and think His thoughts? Where do I start this process?"
God's Word tells us that we are to give all diligence to add to our faith. "He that comes to God must believe that He exists and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." Do not forget this. The Key is in diligently seeking Him. Without this faith it is impossible to please Him. We cannot know God's thought or how He thinks unless we first know Him - know Him intimately - His personality, character and behavior. Not what we think about Him, but what His Word, illumined by His Spirit says about Him. To go back even one step further, we cannot know Father God apart from Jesus His Son. "No one can come to Father God except by me Jesus." Nor can anyone understand His Word without this birth of his spirit man. "For the natural man does not receive the things of the Sprit. They are foolishness to them, neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned." "You must be born again."
Again, it is impossible to truly know God without knowing His Word - Jesus, or His Word - the Bible. As we see Him in His Word, and as the Holy Spirit speaks understanding of it to our spirit. We will come to see that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Faith will come by hearing and hearing by the Word. We will also see Him as Judge of those that don't seek Him. Coming to know Him this way - in all His fullness - will create in us an awesome, holy Fear of the Lord. The Fear of the Lord is the beginning of Knowledge - All TRUTH, and wisdom - seeing things from God's point of view. We will see His ways - not only recorded in His Word, but we will recognize them in our lives and the rest of His Creation around us.
As we daily lay down our own view, ideas and theories and any thought that we had about anything before submitting those thoughts to the Lordship of God. We must also lay down our exaltation of any man's thoughts, no matter how many degrees he holds, how honored he is, or even how "godly" he's perceived to be. We must turn away from all other thoughts to be able to see what God's thoughts are.
Through diligently seeking Him, through His Word and His Spirit, we are putting on the mind of Christ. We truly know the Lord, we know what He thinks about a given topic or area of life. We know, not only His thoughts, but also His way of thinking so well that they are becoming our thoughts and way of thinking. Our minds are being renewed.
God teaches us that He wants us to be transformed from self-centered sinners to God loving servants. This transformation is accomplished as the mind is cleaned out of sinful, selfish thought, and replaced by the healing, cleansing truth of God's word. This process is called renewing the mind.
What this means to us is that the learning and studying that we see in the Word is more than an intellectual understanding of the concepts. It is a matter of putting into practice the truths of God's word as they are learned. It is a true life transformation.
A specific example of "renewing the mind" is to stop lying, which is part of the selfish sinner, and speak the truth in love to one another which is the life to which we are called."
Col. 3: 9-10 "Lie not one to another, seeing that you have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him."
This new man that Colossians is talking about is awesome. When we accept Christ as Lord and Savior our old man, the person we were died on that cross with him. When he arose we arose with as new creatures."
2 Cor. 5:17 "Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come."
The new person we are in Christ is so awesome it is amazing. We are sanctified, justified and made righteous by the blood spilt on Calvary. We are blessed with incredible spiritual blessings. Renewing our minds means seeing the reality of these things personally.
Eph. 1:3 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us."
Things the Bible tells you that YOU need to put off and put on.
Romans 13:12-14 "The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us PUT ON the armor of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But PUT YE ON the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.
Gal. 3:27 "For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have PUT ON Christ."
Eph. 4:22-24 "That you PUT OFF concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And you PUT ON the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness."
Eph. 6:11 "PUT ON the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil."
Col. 3:8-10 "But now you also PUT OFF all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that you have put off the old man with his deeds; And have PUT ON the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:"
Col 3:12 "PUT ON therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering."
Col. 3:14 "And above all these things PUT ON charity, which is the bond of perfectness."
Now has made all this fully available as a gift in Christ but it will do you no good unless YOU put it on and use it. You must revive it, take and use it before it actually becomes yours. God will not put it on for you. If you do not put it on then you will fail to experience the results of it. This is NOT AUTOMATIC, you will NEVER experience true freedom unless you PURPOSE daily to put these on. If some one gives you a jacket, it will do you no good unless you put it on. You must make a deliberate choice to put these on by FAITH.
You must walk in the spirit
Gal. 5:16-25 "This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and you will not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary one to the other: so that you cannot do the things that you would. But if you are led of the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit."
Romans 8:1-17 "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwells in you. Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if you live after the flesh, you shall die: but if you through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, you shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For you have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but you have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together."
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