The Spirit of Your Mind

.

The Spirit of Your Mind

The way we tend to be  often shows  the “spirit of  our mind.”     We can change our mind  when we see the facts involved  in a situation.     Paul was very concerned  about the spirit  in the minds  of the Christians  at Ephesus.     They grew up  in a heathen,  idol-worshipping atmosphere,  but when Paul preached the gospel to them,  they saw how grossly sinful  their old lifestyle was  in comparison  to the love  and salvation found  in Christ.

Consequently,  the spirit of their minds  were changed  and they began living  in the Christian faith.     But,  as time went by,  these weak Christians started falling back  into their old heathen habits.     They didn’t even realize  that they were losing ground  in the spirit  of their minds.     So,  in Ephesians 4:17-24,  Paul reminds them  of how their minds are being influenced.    He says,

This I say  therefore,  and affirm  together with the Lord,  that you walk no longer  just as the Gentiles also walk,  in the futility  of their mind,  being darkened  in their understanding,  excluded  from the life  of God,  because of  the ignorance  that is in them,  because of  the hardness  of their heart;  and they, having become callous,  have given themselves over  to sensuality,  for the practice  of every kind  of impurity  with greediness.

But you did not learn Christ  in this way,  if indeed you have heard Him  and have been taught  in Him,  just as truth is  in Jesus,  that,  in reference  to your former manner of life,  you lay aside  the old self,  which is being corrupted  in accordance  with the lusts of deceit,  and that you be renewed  in the spirit  of your mind,  and put on the new self,  which in the likeness of God  has been created  in righteousness  and holiness  of the truth.

Paul wanted the Ephesian Christians  to intelligently look  at the differences  between their old heathen lifestyle  and the lifestyle they chose  when they first  turned  to Christ.     He wanted them  to evaluate the differences  between what they used to be  as heathens  and then,  what they had chosen to be  in Christ.

Paul pointed out  that the ways  of the Gentiles were obviously nothing  but a “futility of their mind”.     Their ways  of living  are futile.     Because they clung  to their heathen traditions,  they had no true understanding  about the reality  of the Lord God.     The tighter they held onto  their futile ways,  the more hardened their hearts became  to the truths  of God.     It’s like a never-ending spiral  going deeper  and deeper  into more kinds  of sins.

Then Paul reminds the Ephesians  that when they turned  their lives over  to Christ,  they were renewed  in the spirit  of their minds.     No longer  do they have to get sucked  deeper and deeper  into the degradations  of all sorts  of sin.

Instead,  as they look to God  and see His righteousness  and holiness  of truth, their minds  can become renewed  in that very same righteousness  and holiness.

And so,  we look at our minds.     We can let the loose morals  and sins  of this world  drag us down  into futility.     We need  to think about that.     Is that really  the way we want  to be?     Or,  we can allow God  to guide our minds  into everything  that is true,  and righteous,  and holy.

The spirit  of our minds  can be changed  by the rather small steps  of taking time daily  to read  and meditate on God’s word  in a quiet place  —  spending some time  in prayer.     These small steps  will lead  to leaps  in understanding God’s love  and learning  to put our faith  in Jesus.

As we choose to live  in God,  we will find the peace,  love  and holiness  that only comes  from being washed clean  in Jesus Christ.    Then, with sins forgiven,  we say,  “Hallelujah!     Lord,  thank you  for faithfully loving us,  even in our weaknesses.”

Love,
Margaret

.

A Christian devotional to glorify the LORD of lords and God of gods

 

Pray for our country.

 

This is the day which the LORD has made;
Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Psalm 118:24

The word of the LORD is tried;
He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.
Psalm 18:30

Sing for joy in the LORD,  O you righteous ones;
Praise is becoming  to the upright.
Psalm 33:1

How blessed are those  who dwell in Thy house!
They are ever praising Thee.
Psalm 84:4

Just as a father has compassion  on his children,
So the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.
Psalm 103:13

Oh give thanks to the LORD,  for He is good;
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
Psalm 107:1

Glory in His holy name;
Let the heart of those who seek the LORD be glad.
Psalm 105:3

Not that I have already obtained it, or have already become perfect, but I press on in order that
I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:12

.

.

.

.