Please Read the Following Passages: Genesis 6:5; Proverbs 15:26, Proverbs 16:25; By Contrast: Proverbs 3:5-7; Isaiah 55:6-9; Jeremiah 9:23-26; Romans 8:5-8; Romans 12:1-3; 2 Corinthians 10:3-5; James 3:13-18; Colossians 3:1-2; Philippians 4:4-8; Matthew 5:1-12.
As we are continuing to study every command that Jesus Christ gave in the New Testament, we will find that Messiah's third command is located at the end of what is affectionately called the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:12; cf. 2 Timothy 3:12). In fact, a great number of the next Commandments Jesus gave in the New Testament will be found in this very powerful Sermon on the Mount. That being the case, it only makes sense that the next few blog entries should focus on the entire Sermon on the Mount in biblical order. For myself I make it a point to review the sermon every year anyway, because of the great promise that it contains at the end, (Matthew 7:24-25).
The reality is that we will not be able to obey Christ's third command in the New Testament (Matthew 5:12), unless and until we have a thoroughly transformed mind. It's just not natural to our human sensibilities to rejoice and be exceedingly glad, when we are persecuted and misused for doing the right things. That's One of the many examples of the reasons that God must transform our minds, and we must cooperate with Him to do it. Otherwise, we cannot successfully obey this command along with many others that Christ gave. So, if we are going to successfully obey God and Jesus Christ, then we must allow God to change our mind. This whole study is about letting God change your mind so that we will agree with and choose what God says is good, so that He can and will rightly bless us, as He already desires to do.
As I said in the introductory teaching to the series called, “Christ's First Sermon Glimpses God's Kingdom," we must thoroughly understand that if we are truly born-again into children of God, then the remainder of our life down here is meant solely as a preparation, a rehearsal, or training ground to prepare us to live in God's Eternal Heavenly Kingdom forever.
God's people are called and required to learn to think differently, to desire differently, to pursue different things, to choose differently, to speak differently and to behave vastly differently from the way that the sinful world does. If we are truly born-again (John 3:3, 7), then we will progressively desire, and submit to God to allow Him to change us so that our thinking, desires, pursuits, choices, and our behaviors agree more and more with His love and righteousness, and what God says is good (Philippians 2:13; Ezekiel 36:25-27). If we do not progressively submit to God and allow Him to make those changes, then we are not truly born-again, and we will not be allowed to remain in God's household. It's that simple. Either we allow God to change us so that we are in agreement with His True Love and Righteousness, or we will not be permitted to remain in His household. It's really not complicated, (John 8:34-36).
In fact, one of the proofs that we are truly born-again is that we desire for God to make those changes in us, and we progressively cooperate with Him throughout our lives until the changes are fully accomplished. The proof that we are God's children is that we obey God as our Father, and when we realize that we are missing that mark of obeying God, we take it very seriously, and we are eager to repent and return to God's ways as quickly as possible. If that does not describe who we are, and the way that we choose to function, then we simply are not truly born-again, period.
This IS a Salvation Issue
We may not always keep it in the forefront of our conscious mind, but allowing God to change our thinking truly is a life or death, salvation or damnation, heaven or hell issue. It's a hard fact to swallow, but even the New Testament teaches as much:
God wrote through the apostle James that the wisdom that comes from our earthly sinful fleshly or earthly mind is DEMONIC (James 3:14-15). It's not just bad, it's demonic. That means that if I allow my mind to remain agreeable to my sinful nature, I am actually being controlled by demonic thinking. Now, I put it to you plainly. If I choose to retain my own sinful fleshly earthly mindset, which God says is demonic, will I then be allowed to dwell in the Fellowship of the Almighty God and His people forever? Of course not! If I do not submit to God and allow Him to change my thinking, but instead I choose to continue thinking in ways that agree with demons, then I will end up living with demons forever.
Scripture tells us that out of the mouth of two or three witnesses every truth is established. So is there another scriptural witness that says the same thing? There most certainly is:
Romans 8:5-8 For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. (Romans 8:5-8 NASB)1. This passage carefully identifies the differences between those who have their mind set on their fleshly earthly and sinful nature, and those who have their minds set on the things of the spirit (Romans 8:5). So what does the passage clearly tell us? Let's unpack it carefully.
a. The carnal mind (the mind set on the flesh) is death. The word DEATH used in this passage is the exact same Greek word as it is used in Romans 6:23, describing the wages of sin, and used again in Revelation 21:8, to describe the eternal consequences of sin.
b. The mind set on what the spirit desires is life and peace. The word LIFE here is the same word that Messiah used in John 17:3. The word PEACE used here is the same word that Messiah used in John 14:27.
c. The mind set on the flesh (or the sinful nature) is hostile against God (literally an enemy of God; cf. James 4:4).
d. The mindset of the sinful nature does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so. Please keep in mind, that this is how Paul (the so-called apostle of Grace) describes people who refuse to be subject to God's Laws and Commandments. Paul himself describes that as the result of being carnal minded, and hostile against God. The exact same principle was also stated by the apostle John: (John 14:21; John 15:14; 1 John 1:5-7; 1 John 2:1-6).
e. Those who have their minds controlled by the sinful nature CANNOT please God.
As you can see, having a Holy Spirit mind transplant is indeed a salvation issue, because if I do not submit to God and allow Him to transform my mind so that I desire, agree with, choose, and then do what He says is good, then I will not be permitted to enter, let alone live in God’s Eternal Kingdom (Matthew 7:21). There is no getting around it. If I want to become a citizen of and live in God's Eternal Kingdom, then I MUST have my mind transformed so that I will desire, agree with, choose, and do what God says is good.
Principle Review
1. Ultimately there are only two possibilities when it comes to my thinking or mindset. Either my thinking in my mind set will be controlled by the devil, the sinful world, or my sinful nature (which all essentially the same thing, and that is our natural default position), which results in eternal death and separation from God, or I will submit to God and allow Him to transform my thinking, my attitudes, my desires, my motives, my choices so that they come into agreement with what Almighty God and His Word says is good.2. Allowing God to change my thinking in my mindset IS a salvation issue. The earthly fleshly sinful mindset with its wisdom is literally demonic (James 3:14-15). I simply cannot hold on to demonic thinking and live in God's Eternal Kingdom forever.
3. I cannot truly successfully desire, successfully choose or successfully do what Almighty God says is good and pleasing to Him, unless I have a genuine Holy Spirit mind transplant, so that my mindset will be controlled by the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:5-8). If I submit to God and allow Him to make those changes, then I will be able to successfully desire, successfully choose and successfully do what God says is pleasing to Him (Matthew 22:36-40; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; Psalm 1:1-3; Isaiah 26:3; Ezekiel 36:25-27; Isaiah 55:6-9; Isaiah 56:4-7; Philippians 2:13; Philippians 4:8).
4. If I choose to submit to God and allow him to transform my mind so that it is truly controlled by His Holy Spirit, I will have eternal life and peace (John 17:3; John 14:26-27; Romans 8:5-6).
5. So the ultimate question that remains is am I willing to submit to God and allow Him to transform my mindset by His Holy Spirit, so that I will agree with, desire, choose and be able to do what He says is good? Otherwise, I cannot obey God and I cannot please God, and then I would not be allowed to live in His Kingdom (Matthew 7:21).
Suggested Prayer: Almighty God Who made heaven and earth and Who is Perfect Love. I confess to you that I believe that Your Words and Standards are true. When I compare my thinking to Your Highest Desires in Your Word, I can see that my mindset has been broken and damaged by the devil, by the sinful world with its traditions and customs, by my own sinful desires and choices, and by sins done against me, and my response to them.
Have mercy upon me and save me according to Your unfailing love. I give and commit to You my very broken mind. Please accept it. Please heal, transform, convert, fill, and control my mind with Your Holy Spirit, Who moved on the face of the deep in creation, and who resurrected Yeshua the Messiah from the dead. Mercifully transform my mind so that I will be able to agree with, delight in, desire, choose, and then successfully do what truly pleases You, and will at the same time bring me into eternal life and peace. Help me to recognize and repent quickly when I am falling short of this. Help me to persevere in cooperating with You as You accomplish this mighty work of Grace in my life. Mercifully grant these requests, according to Your unfailing love, and Your precious Son Yeshua the Messiah, amen.
Next Time: How God Defines Being Blessed.
Until next time, remember that God loves you, and I'm learning how to love you better. Thank you for being patient with me while I learn. God bless.
Brother R. Michel Lankford.
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