1 Corinthians 2:11-16
For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man's judgment: "For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?"But we have the mind of Christ.
God calls His children to live holy lives (1 Pet. 1:15-16). This requires both the Holy Spirit's help and our cooperation. We should begin with our thought life because our actions are based upon what we believe.
The first step is to acknowledge that our thoughts need changing. Selfishness, jealousy, and other unrighteous behavior come from ungodly thinking. Examining ourselves (2 Cor. 13:5) will reveal impure thoughts. Our Father wants these replaced with thinking bent toward forgiveness and kindness (Eph. 4:30-32). This will happen as we cooperate with the Holy Spirit in renewing our minds (Rom. 12:2).
Next, we make a commitment to the Lord that we will pursue godliness. This promise is much more than a New Year's resolution. It encompasses our entire being and is expressed as a desire to love God with our whole heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:30). It means dedicating ourselves to become like our Savior.
Daily time in the Word will keep our resolve strong. Through Scripture, the Holy Spirit will transform our mind and strengthen our inner being to bring about any needed changes. If we neglect Bible study, we leave ourselves open to the influence of the world and our "flesh," neither of which cares about godliness.
Becoming holy is a lifelong process that requires understanding of God's ways, plans, and priorities--and adopting them as our own. It means letting the Spirit develop within us the mind of Christ. If we try to change our behavior without adjusting our thinking, we'll find ourselves doing precisely what we want to avoid (Rom. 7:15).
Thursday, June 11, 2009
God Makes It Grow
Paul wrote his first letter to the Corinthian church to correct several problems. The Corinthian's needed instruction in marriage, Christian freedom, worship, and various issues which tended to cause division. He rebuked the church for quarreling about whom they followed: "You are still worldly... For when one says, 'I follow Paul,' and another, 'I follow Apollos,' are you not mere men?" (1 Corinthians 3:3,4).
Apollos was a good teacher, but Paul reminds us that all ministers of the Gospel - all preachers, teachers, parents, and anyone else who desires to share Biblical truths - are simply servants through whom God accomplishes His work. We become worldly and fail to live according to the Spirit of God any time we become followers of a specific minister or feel personally responsible for someone's growth and maturity.
1 Corinthians 3:5-6"What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe - as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow."
We must always remain exclusive followers of Jesus Christ! Though He may use many others to assist in the process, God must receive ALL the credit and glory for our growth. In the same manner, God uses each of us to ASSIST in the growth of others. We can teach truth with our words and demonstrate truth with our lives, but we can never cause someone to accept the truth or even grow to a deeper understanding. Our instructions are to plant the seed of His Word and water with discipleship, prayer, and encouragement at every opportunity; "We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us" (2 Corinthians 5:20).
As we plant and water, it's normal to want to see some growth. We may desire to see blossoms overnight, but God is growing a mighty shade tree with deep roots and wide branches that will not break in the wind - and this kind of growth takes time. We may NEVER see the eternal results of our effort, but we must patiently continue to plant and water, and trust God to accomplish His work; "{My Word} will not return to Me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I have sent it" (Isaiah 55:11).
Each of us knows someone who needs to know our Heavenly Father in a more personal way. There are great ministry opportunities placed in our path every day. Let's obediently follow by being well nourished and casting forth the seed and water of His Word without becoming discouraged. Let's remember we are the servants through whom He works, but let's ALWAYS remember that God makes it grow!
Source: http://starlightmbc.org/blog1/2009/04/god_makes_it_grow.html
Apollos was a good teacher, but Paul reminds us that all ministers of the Gospel - all preachers, teachers, parents, and anyone else who desires to share Biblical truths - are simply servants through whom God accomplishes His work. We become worldly and fail to live according to the Spirit of God any time we become followers of a specific minister or feel personally responsible for someone's growth and maturity.
1 Corinthians 3:5-6"What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe - as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow."
We must always remain exclusive followers of Jesus Christ! Though He may use many others to assist in the process, God must receive ALL the credit and glory for our growth. In the same manner, God uses each of us to ASSIST in the growth of others. We can teach truth with our words and demonstrate truth with our lives, but we can never cause someone to accept the truth or even grow to a deeper understanding. Our instructions are to plant the seed of His Word and water with discipleship, prayer, and encouragement at every opportunity; "We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us" (2 Corinthians 5:20).
As we plant and water, it's normal to want to see some growth. We may desire to see blossoms overnight, but God is growing a mighty shade tree with deep roots and wide branches that will not break in the wind - and this kind of growth takes time. We may NEVER see the eternal results of our effort, but we must patiently continue to plant and water, and trust God to accomplish His work; "{My Word} will not return to Me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I have sent it" (Isaiah 55:11).
Each of us knows someone who needs to know our Heavenly Father in a more personal way. There are great ministry opportunities placed in our path every day. Let's obediently follow by being well nourished and casting forth the seed and water of His Word without becoming discouraged. Let's remember we are the servants through whom He works, but let's ALWAYS remember that God makes it grow!
Source: http://starlightmbc.org/blog1/2009/04/god_makes_it_grow.html
Developing Godly Thinking
Philippians 4:8-9
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, dwell on these things. The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
At salvation, we were set free from the power of sin and given the ability to think and live as Jesus did. To make that potential a reality requires diligent effort on our part--and surrender to the Holy Spirit.
After acknowledging a need for changed thinking, our first step is a commitment to pursue godliness. Then we must measure our opinions and choices against God's Word, regularly asking ourselves, Is my thinking, attitude, or behavior in line with the character of God and the truths of Scripture? Also, we should take note of what is absorbing our attention. It is not healthy to fill our minds with media reports, Web sites, or television programs that do not reflect God's values. The apostle Paul gave us a measuring stick to use in deciding what is worthy of our attention: he said to dwell on those things that are true, honorable, and worthy of praise (Phil. 4:8).
Finally, we must discipline our mind to reject ungodly thought patterns. Those who battle addictions can testify about the mind's power to overcome good intentions. Unhealthy, repetitious desires cause us to feel guilty, keep us from connecting with God, and make us a poor witness to others. Through the Holy Spirit's power, we must learn to reject such thought patterns and embrace what God says.
Developing a lifestyle of righteous living begins with what we believe. As our minds become in tune with Christ's, we will know what is right, good, and wise. Our lives will reflect His more closely, and we will effectively live out our calling as His ambassadors (2 Cor. 5:20)
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, dwell on these things. The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
At salvation, we were set free from the power of sin and given the ability to think and live as Jesus did. To make that potential a reality requires diligent effort on our part--and surrender to the Holy Spirit.
After acknowledging a need for changed thinking, our first step is a commitment to pursue godliness. Then we must measure our opinions and choices against God's Word, regularly asking ourselves, Is my thinking, attitude, or behavior in line with the character of God and the truths of Scripture? Also, we should take note of what is absorbing our attention. It is not healthy to fill our minds with media reports, Web sites, or television programs that do not reflect God's values. The apostle Paul gave us a measuring stick to use in deciding what is worthy of our attention: he said to dwell on those things that are true, honorable, and worthy of praise (Phil. 4:8).
Finally, we must discipline our mind to reject ungodly thought patterns. Those who battle addictions can testify about the mind's power to overcome good intentions. Unhealthy, repetitious desires cause us to feel guilty, keep us from connecting with God, and make us a poor witness to others. Through the Holy Spirit's power, we must learn to reject such thought patterns and embrace what God says.
Developing a lifestyle of righteous living begins with what we believe. As our minds become in tune with Christ's, we will know what is right, good, and wise. Our lives will reflect His more closely, and we will effectively live out our calling as His ambassadors (2 Cor. 5:20)
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