SCRIPTURE: Romans (NIV) 8:5 Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; 7 the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8 Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God. 9 You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.
OBSERVATION: One of the great changes in a person’s life when they accept Jesus as Lord is the way they think. Their perception changes and continues to change the more they are in God’s Word.
People who are trying to please God through their flesh by keeping the law, or even by doing good works, have their minds set on the things of the flesh. Their mind is set on what they can do to please God.
APPLICATION: A good example of this is a question I was asked from a young person in India. “Does outward adornment affect inward holiness?” To those walking in the flesh, the answer they believe is “yes.” But, those walking in the Spirit will come to understand that the answer can never be “yes,” only “no.”
In fact, just the opposite is true. It is the inward holiness that affects the outward adorning. The closer a person walks in relationship to Jesus through the Holy Spirit, they will begin to think differently. The more they think differently, the more their outward adorning will be affected. As they grow in their love for the Lord, as their mind begins to think about how to please Him, and as they grow in understanding of what pleases Him they will adorn the outside of their earthly temple accordingly. We ask ourselves, “What does Jesus think about this? What does Jesus say?”
PRAYER: Holy Spirit, as you live inside me, help me align my thoughts to honor the Father. Teach me with the word! Amen
Pastor Leon
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