In order to walk in the Spirit we must have life in the Spirit. (Refer to this blog)
Life in the Spirit begins when one is born of the Spirit. (refer to this blog)
When one is born of the Spirit they learn to walk in the Spirit. (refer to blog below)
Learning to walk in the Spirit requires having the mind of Christ. That is my topic today.
How do born again believers acquire the mind of Christ?
By being renewed in the spirit of our mind. Ephesians 4:23
Lets take a look at this scripture closer.
To be renewed in the Greek is ananeoo.
It means to ‘make new’ or to renovate. To change into something new through an ongoing process.
What is being made new? The spirit of our mind.
It’s kind of interesting that these two words are joined together.
The spirit or breath of God, which is our inner born again person and our human intellect. Our thoughts, feelings and will.
In other words, the born again person needs to grow in the knowledge of God, just like the mind needs to be changed into the mind of Christ.
The Lord wants to transform both our spirit and our mind into the mind of Christ.
But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen. 2 Peter 3:18
For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Romans 8:29
By what means does God want to grow our spirit and renew our mind?
By the word of God (Bible) through revelation of the Spirit!
First we need to learn the basics of scripture. Then we go on to learn deeper things in the word.
As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby. 1 Peter 2:2
But strong meat belongs to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. Hebrews 5:14
Strong meat doesn’t work so well when feeding babies or immature Christians. They will choke on strong meat.
Immature Christians often balk at the word of God. It is difficult for them to swallow!
Like children new or immature Christians can be ‘know it all’s.”
They make faces and turn their noses up at scriptures they are unfamiliar with or don’t understand.
Often immature Christians will appeal to authority rather than study scriptures for themselves.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argument_from_authority
This is the reason Paul said not to put an immature Christian into a leadership position in the church.
Ignorance, pride and little fruit development can cause problems in the church.
Not a novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil. 1Timothy 3:6
For example, at one church I visited they had an unstable person with a mental disability in leadership. This person did much damage to others with judgements, criticism and brow beating due to immaturity and ignorance of the word of God.
Lets take a look at Hebrews 5:14 more closely.
Strong meat, is trophe in the Greek.
Stable, steadfast and sure food or nourishment.
This word trophe was used in context with soldiers. Trope or trophy means to defeat the enemy. To win the victory. Its where we get the word trophy.
The mature Christian is a warrior in the kingdom of God. One who is of full age. One who is mature with mental and moral character. One who through reason of use or habitual practice, have their sences or perception and judgment exercised to disern (judge, estimate, rightly divide) both good (virtuous, moral, worthy and honest), as well as what is evil. (injurious, harmful with evil intent)
It takes maturity in the Lord to make a proper estimation or evaluation of something to know whether it is good or evil.
Satan is very good at twisting the scriptures. Unless one is mature in the Lord, their estimation or evaluation of something may be eschew.
Take for example the word ‘unity’.
On face value ‘unity’ sounds good. Everyone should be unified. We should have no divisions. Everyone should flow in the same way with the same vision.
But on closer evaluation we may see something different. Lets look first at context.
Where is this unity being directed?
Who are the people involved in this unity?
What are we to unify with?
Scriptures tell us that to be unified with the world system is to be in enmity (opposition) with God.
Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. James 4:4
To be unified with unbiblical ideology is to be in error.
But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. Galatians 1:8
To be in unity with unbiblical practices is to be in idoltary.
Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen. Colossions 2:18-23
To be in unity with sin is immoral.
You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord’s table and of the table of demons. 1 Corinthians 10:21
Get my point?
Christians should not unify with just anything. The devil’s workers use the word unity as a code word for ‘be quiet, don’t question anything, do as you are told, don’t upset our applecart’.
Is that Biblical? I don’t think so.
Test all things; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil. 1 Thessalonians 5:21
Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15
These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so. Acts 17:11
Renewing of the mind with God’s word is important to know the truth of scriptures so we don’t get duped by devious people. Many have ulterior motives that don’t always line up with the word of God. Even in churches.
Renewing our mind with the word of God brings peace, assurity in God. Knowing that we are in the truth even if others are teaching something different.
You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. Isaiah 26:3
Renewing our mind with the word of God transforms us to think like Christ.
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind. Romans 12:2
When negativity or doubt try to take up space in our minds, we can counter those thoughts with God’s Word.
Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. Philippians 4:8
Born again believers are exhorted to guard our mind from unbiblical ideas and rest our hope fully upon God.
Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 1 Peter 1:13
Born again believers are to set our minds on spiritual things as set out in God’s word.
For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace. Romans 8:6
In conclusion, to walk in the Spirit the born again Christian should have their mind continually under construction of the Holy Spirit. This is accomplished through reading, meditating and studying the word of God. (Bible).
That way we can have the mind of Christ. Being assured that we are in the will of God, going from one degree of his glory to another.
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. Romans 12:2
But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. 2 Corinthians 3:18
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