May 13, 2019 RENEWAL OF OUR SPIRIT
Psalm 51:10 “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Ephesians 4:23 “and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind.”
Our new identity in Christ is that God has made us new creations with new hearts, new spirits and a new minds; however, living out of our newness does not happen automatically. We have a part in walking in our newness-we must ‘put on’ the new man as Ephesians 4:24 instructs us; we are renewed in our spirit when we put on the new man that we are in Christ. There is a pulling or drawing that would cause us to live according to the natural, or according to our human nature instead of the Spirit of God who is at work in our spirit, calling us to walk in newness-to the ways of God. If we are not consciously and purposefully walking according to our true identity, then we will revert back to living according to our old nature. What we believe and what we think about is all important-it defines our life. It is possible to say we believe something, but at the same time our thoughts and actions are contrary to what we say we believe. So, it’s good and fitting to examine ourselves-our beliefs, our thought life, and our actions. This all leads to the point of do we know our true identity as believers. Primarily, we act out of what we believe; this point is made in Proverbs 23:7: “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he:” Being renewed in the spirit of our minds is an on-going process-it’s not a one-time deal. Even though we may love the Lord with all of our heart, there are times when our thoughts, our actions, and our responses are wrong, we may feel discouraged or hopeless; in such times, the Holy Spirit begins to convict us that we are not living with a renewed mind and spirit. Let us be reminded that living according to the gospel involves making choices; there are really only two choices; we choose to live at any given moment according to self-what we want to do, or we live according to Spirit who indwells us and who equips us and enables us to make the choices that are pleasing to our Father. If we are to live in such a way that pleases the Father, then we must live with renewed minds and sprits. We are renewed when we read the scriptures with a desire to know the ways of God, when we meditate on His word, and when we obey what the Father has said and will say to us. Even though we live in the world and have responsibilities in this life, let our focus and our motivation be on the Kingdom of God, and not on the kingdom of the world.
Colossians 3:2 “Set your mind on things above, not on things that are on the earth.”
Romans 12:2 “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”
Blessings,
Buddy
Psalm 51:10 “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Ephesians 4:23 “and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind.”
Our new identity in Christ is that God has made us new creations with new hearts, new spirits and a new minds; however, living out of our newness does not happen automatically. We have a part in walking in our newness-we must ‘put on’ the new man as Ephesians 4:24 instructs us; we are renewed in our spirit when we put on the new man that we are in Christ. There is a pulling or drawing that would cause us to live according to the natural, or according to our human nature instead of the Spirit of God who is at work in our spirit, calling us to walk in newness-to the ways of God. If we are not consciously and purposefully walking according to our true identity, then we will revert back to living according to our old nature. What we believe and what we think about is all important-it defines our life. It is possible to say we believe something, but at the same time our thoughts and actions are contrary to what we say we believe. So, it’s good and fitting to examine ourselves-our beliefs, our thought life, and our actions. This all leads to the point of do we know our true identity as believers. Primarily, we act out of what we believe; this point is made in Proverbs 23:7: “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he:” Being renewed in the spirit of our minds is an on-going process-it’s not a one-time deal. Even though we may love the Lord with all of our heart, there are times when our thoughts, our actions, and our responses are wrong, we may feel discouraged or hopeless; in such times, the Holy Spirit begins to convict us that we are not living with a renewed mind and spirit. Let us be reminded that living according to the gospel involves making choices; there are really only two choices; we choose to live at any given moment according to self-what we want to do, or we live according to Spirit who indwells us and who equips us and enables us to make the choices that are pleasing to our Father. If we are to live in such a way that pleases the Father, then we must live with renewed minds and sprits. We are renewed when we read the scriptures with a desire to know the ways of God, when we meditate on His word, and when we obey what the Father has said and will say to us. Even though we live in the world and have responsibilities in this life, let our focus and our motivation be on the Kingdom of God, and not on the kingdom of the world.
Colossians 3:2 “Set your mind on things above, not on things that are on the earth.”
Romans 12:2 “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”
Blessings,
Buddy
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