I’ve been learning quite a few things about myself and I will share some of them with you. Do any of you recall Ginny’s devotion with the tea bag? When a tea bag is placed in hot water what is inside naturally seeps out. Her visual was an example of how our problems/trials work in our lives. As we go through the hot waters of our trials it seeps out the bad crud of character imperfections that stunts our Christian growth. God’s purpose is for our good and to make us better.
Like I said, I’ve been learning a few things about myself from different things I’ve read. The Bible says…. ”And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” –Romans 12:2
Before we got saved there was a lot of worldly ways, family upbringing and personal experiences that influenced or corrupted our thinking. Some things we didn’t know were wrong until we started to see things in the light of God’s Word.
That's why God instructed us to renew our mind because we still have the indwelling sin nature that wants to corrupt every part of us making us ineffective for God.
Before I got saved I knew I had a very strong self-will that was wrapped in a blanket of pride filled with rebellion and independence. I was going to be the one that controlled the destiny of my life. I felt I had to in order to survive.
Through great conviction from the Holy Spirit I trusted Christ as my personal Savior. And at that time I received the indwelling of God’s Spirit and also the power of my sin nature was broken. I no longer had to obey the desires of my flesh.
Bible says…… ”There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” --Proverbs 14:12
This fleshly nature of ours is perpetually at war with God, when we begin to submit to the Spirit of God as He works in our lives, than very flesh rises up and resists the work of God. We may be willing to share our self sometimes, even sacrifice our self for a desired end, but we are never willing to completely de-throne our self to God.
I found, myself, living my Christian life my own way instead of God’s Way. I was going through life flying by the seat of my pants instead of walking with God in a way to know God, Himself.
I was merely in love with Christian ideals and principles. I tried to live by them as long as they went along with my plans and expectations for my life.
Let me say walking a Christian life in my own way was quite miserable. Because I set standards of perfection that I could not live up to. My life was a roller coaster ride with many crashes and struggling to pick myself back up and going on in my way of Christian living. I had usurped God’s control and replaced it with my own way. Any attempts we make to live independently from God are doomed to failure.
The Bible says….. ”For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. –Romans 8:13
Way back when Flip Wilson was popular he said, “The devil made me do it.” Blame shifting has been going on since the Garden of Eden. We would like to think that in this or that sin, we have been defeated because of the sin nature that still is indwelling us.
The humble reality is that we have chosen to disobey. The flesh’s power to demand our obedience to sin has been broken through the cross of Calvary and receiving Christ. We may choose to sin but we are no longer under the power of sin. We must not give Satan so much credit in our lives when the truth is-- it’s our own disobedience.
The solution to all this does not lie within us. We are the problem. The reality of life is that life isn’t supposed to make sense or bring any lasting peace and satisfaction without God—apart from God’s Way.
In going back to my text verse—How are we transformed by the renewing of our minds?” We must see the ugly, wickedness of our sin nature and humbly confess any sin that separates us from the obedience of choosing God’s Way.
We must die constantly to our flesh by submitting ourselves to God.
We must have a daily Bible study time and prayer with God. (Let me confess to you this is the point where I went off track and walked my Christian life my own way. My attitude was I’ll-pursue-God-if-I-have-the-time-and-if-I-remember-to-do-it. I wouldn’t submit to this daily time with God.)
As we wholeheartedly study and ponder on God’s Word the Holy Spirit will reveal more of God, Himself to us. This is how our mind is renewed and this is how we are transformed into new creatures.
So let me close with these questions.....Are you unhappy in your life? Does your life feel like a roller coaster of spiritual ups and downs? We CAN have a biblical change in our lives by doing it GOD’S WAY.
Like I said, I’ve been learning a few things about myself from different things I’ve read. The Bible says…. ”And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” –Romans 12:2
Before we got saved there was a lot of worldly ways, family upbringing and personal experiences that influenced or corrupted our thinking. Some things we didn’t know were wrong until we started to see things in the light of God’s Word.
That's why God instructed us to renew our mind because we still have the indwelling sin nature that wants to corrupt every part of us making us ineffective for God.
Before I got saved I knew I had a very strong self-will that was wrapped in a blanket of pride filled with rebellion and independence. I was going to be the one that controlled the destiny of my life. I felt I had to in order to survive.
Through great conviction from the Holy Spirit I trusted Christ as my personal Savior. And at that time I received the indwelling of God’s Spirit and also the power of my sin nature was broken. I no longer had to obey the desires of my flesh.
Bible says…… ”There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” --Proverbs 14:12
This fleshly nature of ours is perpetually at war with God, when we begin to submit to the Spirit of God as He works in our lives, than very flesh rises up and resists the work of God. We may be willing to share our self sometimes, even sacrifice our self for a desired end, but we are never willing to completely de-throne our self to God.
I found, myself, living my Christian life my own way instead of God’s Way. I was going through life flying by the seat of my pants instead of walking with God in a way to know God, Himself.
I was merely in love with Christian ideals and principles. I tried to live by them as long as they went along with my plans and expectations for my life.
Let me say walking a Christian life in my own way was quite miserable. Because I set standards of perfection that I could not live up to. My life was a roller coaster ride with many crashes and struggling to pick myself back up and going on in my way of Christian living. I had usurped God’s control and replaced it with my own way. Any attempts we make to live independently from God are doomed to failure.
The Bible says….. ”For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. –Romans 8:13
Way back when Flip Wilson was popular he said, “The devil made me do it.” Blame shifting has been going on since the Garden of Eden. We would like to think that in this or that sin, we have been defeated because of the sin nature that still is indwelling us.
The humble reality is that we have chosen to disobey. The flesh’s power to demand our obedience to sin has been broken through the cross of Calvary and receiving Christ. We may choose to sin but we are no longer under the power of sin. We must not give Satan so much credit in our lives when the truth is-- it’s our own disobedience.
The solution to all this does not lie within us. We are the problem. The reality of life is that life isn’t supposed to make sense or bring any lasting peace and satisfaction without God—apart from God’s Way.
In going back to my text verse—How are we transformed by the renewing of our minds?” We must see the ugly, wickedness of our sin nature and humbly confess any sin that separates us from the obedience of choosing God’s Way.
We must die constantly to our flesh by submitting ourselves to God.
We must have a daily Bible study time and prayer with God. (Let me confess to you this is the point where I went off track and walked my Christian life my own way. My attitude was I’ll-pursue-God-if-I-have-the-time-and-if-I-remember-to-do-it. I wouldn’t submit to this daily time with God.)
As we wholeheartedly study and ponder on God’s Word the Holy Spirit will reveal more of God, Himself to us. This is how our mind is renewed and this is how we are transformed into new creatures.
So let me close with these questions.....Are you unhappy in your life? Does your life feel like a roller coaster of spiritual ups and downs? We CAN have a biblical change in our lives by doing it GOD’S WAY.
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