Please read the
following, and by the Grace and Will of God we will study it more in-depth
tomorrow.
May God open our
hearts and minds to all truth and give us all we need to follow in that truth!
Please Lord, help us, save us!
*******
'The Mind Renewed
God desires not only
a change in the mind of His children at the time of conversion; He desires also
a mind that is totally renewed, which is transparent as crystal. We find this
commanded in the Word of God. The reason Satan can work is that the Christian
has not been liberated entirely from a carnal mind. He may start out with a
narrow mentality which cannot tolerate others or a darkened mentality that
cannot comprehend deeper truth or a foolish mentality which cannot bear any
important responsibility; and afterwards he slips into deeper sins. This is
because “the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God” (Rom. 8.7). Once knowing the teaching of Romans 6 many
Christians see themselves as having already been freed from their carnal mind.
What they do not appreciate is that the cross must operate minutely in every
area of the man. “Consider yourselves dead to sin” must be followed by “let not
sin therefore reign in your mortal bodies” (Rom. 6.11-12). Following the change of mentality there must
be the bringing of “every thought captive to obey Christ” (2 Cor. 10.5). The
mind must be renewed completely, since any residue of its carnality is hostile
to God.
For us to have our
intellects renewed we must draw near to the cross. This is plainly called for
in Ephesians 4. The Apostle Paul describes the darkness of man’s carnal
mentality in verses 17 and 18; but in verses 22 and 23 he informs us how the
mind can be renewed:
“Put off your old
nature which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through
deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind.” We know our old
man has been crucified with the Lord already (Rom. 6.6). Here we are exhorted
to “put off” so that our mind might be
renewed. This brings the cross into view as the instrument for its renewal. A
believer should understand that his old brain too is part of that old man which
God wants us to put off
entirely. The
salvation which God imparts through the cross includes not only a new life but
the renewal of every function of our soul as well. The salvation which is
rooted deeply in our being must gradually be “worked out.” A serious lack among
Christians today is in not perceiving the need for their minds to be saved
(Eph. 6.17); they conceive salvation in general and somewhat vague terms. They
fail to recognize that God desires to save them to the uttermost in that all
their abilities are to be renewed and fit for His use. The mind is one of man’s
natural endowments. God calls His own to believe that their old man was
crucified on the cross; thereafter they need to accept single-mindedly God’s
judgment towards the old man and exercise their will to resist or to put off
its deeds including their old thoughts. They must come to the foot of the
cross, willing to forsake their traditional mentalities and trusting God to
give them a new mind. Brethren, the old one needs to be thoroughly put off.
Yes, its renewal is God’s work, but the putting off—the denial, the
forsaking—of your old organ of thought is what you must do. If you perform your
part, God will fulfill His. And once you put off specifically, you should just
as thoroughly believe that God will renew your mind, despite the fact you know
not how.
How many of God’s
children, although hitherto saved and possessed of a new life, still carry
about them an old head. Nothing of their former theories, thought processes, or
prejudices has been altered: only a Christian casing has been added. They use
their old brain to search, to accept and to propagate spiritual truth. Is it
any wonder they fall into countless
errors and precipitate endless conflicts in the church? just as God is
displeased with the wicked man who uses his own strength to do the Lord’s work,
so He is displeased with the wicked man who uses his own mind to apprehend
God’s truth. An unrenewed mentality is spiritually dead; hence everything which
proceeds from it is likewise none other than dead. Many may boast in the depth
of their Bible knowledge and in the excellency of their theological tenets, but
those with spiritual discernment are aware that it is dead.
Upon recognizing the
staleness of his mind and being willing to put it off by the cross, the
Christian now should practice denying all carnal thoughts daily. The renewal
will otherwise be impossible. For how can God ever succeed in His
responsibility of renewing the believer’s mind if the latter still thinks
according to the flesh?
Patiently and
decisively must the Christian examine every one of his thoughts—but in the
light of God. Whatever is not of Him or is contrary to His truth must be
“squeezed” or “pressed” out of his head. Mere mental understanding of truth
similarly must be rejected. Paul has mentioned how our unrenewed mind is filled
with arguments and proud imaginations (2 Cor.10.5) . These prevent men from
arriving at true knowledge of God. Christians must bring all these thoughts
captive to obey Christ. The Apostle says “every thought”; consequently one must
not allow so much as a single thought to escape such treatment. He should not
rest until every idea is brought into subjection to Christ. The examination of
his thought should determine whether (1) it comes from his old mind or (2) it
emanates from the
ground given away, and whether (3) it will yield new ground to the evil spirits
or whether (4) it issues from a normal or renewed mind. He should inquire why
his thinking is confused, prejudiced, rebellious, or infuriated—why he opposes
certain truth before he even examines it—why he is against some Christians whom
he has merely heard about (does he have sufficient warrant for so withstanding
or does he detest them purely out of a natural mind?). During such a period of
investigation every idea and imagination needs to be scrutinized so that those
which arise from the old creation may be detected and discarded. To those who
live out their days foolishly such a regimen no doubt appears to be unbearable.
Being managed by the powers of darkness, their mind is loose and wild. But we
must face the fact that a war is on. And unless we fight, how can we retake the
fortresses of the enemy which are in the mind? The enemy is very real; how then
can we be less vigilant?'
Excerpt from the
Spiritual Man - by Watchman Nee
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