Who am I? I am born again in my spirit because I believe that Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of God who died for my sins, rose from the dead, and now sits at God's right hand, talking to Him about me. My spirit was once disconnected from God BUT, because I am born-again through Jesus Christ, it is now reconnected to God who is my Father, and I fellowship with God when I study the Bible, pray, praise, and worship HIM. The mind of my born-again spirit is how I communicate with God because I have the mind of Christ in the mind of my spirit. Let me explain.
There are Christians who are immature because they are babies in Christ. They envy, argue and are very contentious. The Apostle Paul describes them well and says that they can only drink milk; they cannot eat meat. This is true about ALL babies so what did he mean when he used it to describe Christians?
“And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?” 1 Corinthians 3:1-3
Paul was saying that these Christians had not grown in Christ from the time they accepted Christ as Lord and Saviour. They had not moved from the level they were at in their spirit when they first became born-again, so he had to give them the simple truths (milk) of the Word of God. He could not feed them with the deep, profound spiritual truths (meat) of the Word of God because they were still babies. They could not manage it then and cannot manage it now. In fact, they were so carnal, they were acting like they were unsaved; they were acting like they were not born-again even though they were.
Paul uses the word 'carnal' to describe them. It is translated from the Greek word SARKIKOS (Strong's G4559), which comes from the Greek word SARX (Strong's G4561). Sarkikos is an adjective used here to describe someone who is controlled by the animal appetites within their human nature; who is not controlled by the Holy Spirit of God. Sarx is a noun that denotes mere human nature. It is the earthly nature of man that is prone to sin apart from divine influence and is opposed to God. Paul acknowledges that even he had struggles between his born-again spirit and the carnal mind (Sarx). But this was very different from being a baby Christian (Sarkikos). Paul says:
"For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin." Romans 7:18-25
Paul was writing to the Roman Christians and he was using himself as an example. Paul said no good thing lives in the flesh (v.18) and even though he wanted to do good, evil was present with him (v.21), warring against the law of his mind and dragging him back into sin (v.23). This very mature and seasoned APOSTLE of God was at war within himself (v.25).
He told us plainly that it was a great struggle. If this happens to mature Christians how much more are babes in Christ completely vulnerable? Paul used the word 'flesh' which is the same Greek word SARX that is mentioned by Jesus as well.
“Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Matthew 26:41
The same word is also translated 'flesh', ‘carnally’ and ‘carnal’ in the scripture below:
“For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.” Romans 8:5-8
Anyone who is under the influence of the flesh is not pleasing God! Christians are urged to be spiritually minded, that is, to be led by the Holy Spirit because this is life and peace. The scripture tells us there is a constant struggle between the Holy Spirit and the flesh because they are opposite.
“For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.” Galatians 5:17
Note the capital 'S' in the word 'Spirit' signifying that this refers to the Holy Spirit. This struggle was Paul's dilemma but he chose to allow his spirit to be led by the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit led him to do many mighty works for the Lord.
HERE IS THE CRUX OF THE MATTER: When Satan attacks, he attacks us where we are most vulnerable. THIS IS THAT PLACE!!! He plays the carnal mind against the mind of the born-again spirit. Most people fall victim to Satan's tactics and give in to the carnal mind because as Christ said, “...the flesh is weak.”
NOW that you know Satan's tactics, how will you make him flee from you? Use the strategy in part 4, the one God gave us through James. We can also tackle the problem another way. The scripture says we should renew the mind and we will be transformed. Change that carnal mind by letting the mind of your born-again spirit dominate you.
“...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
This word 'mind' is translated from the Greek word NOUS (Strong's G3563). It refers specifically to the soul in this scripture. Change that carnal mind by letting the mind of your born-again spirit dominate your soul because born-again believers have the mind (NOUS-soul) of Christ in their spirit.
“For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? but we have the mind of Christ.” 1 Corinthians 2:16
This is the same word NOUS, used for your 'mind' that is used for mind of Christ here.
BORN-AGAIN believers are very equipped against Satan but most don't know these things. Because they don't know, they live defeated lives. NOW THAT YOU KNOW, IT IS TIME TO STOP ALLOWING THE DEVIL TO BULLY YOU!
VICTORY OVER SATAN!!!
S. Morgan on Google+
1 comment:
Thanks for your comment Val and thanks for taking the time to read my blog posts. It is true, God is merciful and God is Love and God desires that none perish (). The Bible is clear about this. The Holy Bible is also clear that God is a just God, meaning He executes perfect JUSTICE (Deuteronomy 32:4; Job 4:17; Revelation 15:3). This means that God punishes sin and if He did not punish sin then he would not be a JUST God. We have many examples of God swiftly punishing sin in scripture and one even tells us that He sent men, women and children directly to hell. I will show you two (2) examples, which will suffice to respond to your comment.
1. In Numbers 16 Korah and others opposed Moses openly. Because they opposed Moses who was speaking directly for God at the time, they opposed God and He brought swift judgment on Korah and his entire household. The earth opened up and swallowed them and they fell straight into HELL. The word 'pit' (vs. 30 and 33) is translated from the Hebrew word shĕ'owl (Strong's H7585), which is HELL itself. See also Isaiah 14:9 where shĕ'owl is also used for the word Hell. THE FACT IS, KORAH, AND HIS FAMILY, EVERY MAN WOMAN AND INNOCENT CHILD WITH ANIMALS AND OTHER POSSESSIONS WENT STRAIGHT TO HELL. Think on this.
2. In Acts 5 God executed swift unimpeachable justice on Ananias & his wife Sapphira because they lied to Peter who was representing the Holy Spirit. Peter told them that they had not lied to him per se, but to the Holy Spirit and they fell dead immediately. Bear this in mind, great fear came upon the church (v.11). Was it because they had been members of the church? Peter said Satan filled Ananias' heart to lie to the Holy Spirit (v.3). The penalty for sin is death but we know that God is merciful through Jesus Christ. Why wasn't he merciful in this instance? That is because He is also JUST, and because they sinned against the Holy Spirit God executed swift justice. WHAT WE ARE SURE OF IS THAT GOD EXECUTES SWIFT JUSTICE. WHAT WE DON'T KNOW IS IF ANANIAS & SAPPHIRA WENT TO HELL. But you already have one example of God sending man, woman and child to hell.
Now let me say this about the scriptures you quoted above. Jeremiah 7:31 is not saying God will not cast someone into the fire. It says that the children of Judah were doing their abominations in the temple which belonged to God and they had built high places where they were sacrificing children to a false God.
God was saying that He had not commanded them to sacrifice their children, especially to an idol, and these sacrificial practices had not entered into His heart. This scripture does not say that God will not put people into HELL.
In Jeremiah 19:5 God is condemning the act of burning sons with fire as a burnt offering to the idol Baal, which was a common practice in those days. God says He had never commanded such idolatrous practices, had never spoken of it, and the thought had never entered His mind. This does NOT refer to Hell or the idea that God will not put people in Hell.
I hope this clarifies some things for you and feel free to ask other questions or challenge other things I write about.
God bless you! :)
P.S.
My blog is in the process of being moved to epignosisministries.wordpress.com Feel free to follow me there as well.
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