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Knowing the Desirous Will of God – The Renewed Mind
As a result of the washing of regeneration and renewing from the Holy Spirit, we now possess a new mind. This renewed mind relates to the Spirit, not fleshly and earthly things; therefore, with this mind we are able to discern Spiritual things because we have a quality of the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:14-16). We are instructed in Romans 12 to stop outwardly conforming to this age. Paul is referring to the legal age and those who are putting on a mask of living under law. We live out from faith through grace, not through law, for law is not out from faith.
And stop being outwardly conformed to this age, but to be transformed by your renewed mind, for the purpose to test for approval what is the desirous will of God, the good and well pleasing and mature. – Romans 12:2
Renewing here is not a verb, therefore it is not an act of renewing, but a noun describing the mind. We now possess a renewed mind that, when used, will transform us in a way that enables us to put to the test any situation and identify what is acceptable for us to do according to God’s desirous will for us in all circumstances we face throughout our day.
Since we have a renewed mind, this week let us focus on using it. Starting each morning with setting our mind on the things above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. These things involve who we are in Christ. Not by seeking to fulfill a set of rules that tell us what not to do, but rather by doing things that show who we are in Christ. Our […]
The Christ, The New Creation
So that since someone is in Christ, a new creation (κτίσις), archaic things have passed away, behold, all things have become new – 2 Corinthians 5:17
This is a very important verse when it comes to understanding what God did in the resurrection of Christ and the creation of the Church, yet, due to very poor translations is often completely misunderstood. Frequently “he is” is inserted into the translation, even though there is no support for its addition. Other translations change the word from creation to creature. κτίσις is creation (Mark 10:6), κτίσμα is the result of creation – a creature (1 Timothy 4:4). By misrepresenting the words used in the original language and adding in additional words, many translations imply that we become either a new creation or a new creature. However, Scripture states that the Christ is the new creation.
It was Christ who died for all so that we who live should live not for ourselves but for Him who died and rose again on our behalf (2 Corinthians 5:15).
The Christ is God’s new creation in which Christ is the head and the Church is the body.
For just as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of the body, being many are one body, thus also is the Christ – 1 Corinthians 12:12
For He Himself is our peace, the one making both one and tearing down the partition of the wall, the enmity in His flesh, having rendered ineffective the law of commandments in ordinances, in order that He should create of the two in Himself unto one new man, making peace – Ephesians 2:14-15
And put in subjection all things under […]
The Standard – Our Commandments
Believe on God’s Son1; love one another (other saints2) as Christ has loved us; abide in Christ, John 13:34,35; 15:1-4; 1 John 3:24, 25. These are the commandments for Christian’s today. Christians are not under any quality of law, but rather under grace3. This does not mean that there is no standard for a Christian or that a Christian may continue in sin without any penalty4. Grace is not a license to sin; rather, through grace we are provided the ability to act righteously. The law5 of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus is the standard by which we live. We fulfill the righteousness of the law of the Spirit when we are […]
Edification
Edification (οἰκοδομή) describes the act of building up and is especially focused on improving the mind and understanding. In Scripture, it is used to describe the building of the temple along with the edification of those within the Church; both are illustrating the act of building.
Edification is an important aspect of our relationship among the saints. Christ commanded us to love other saints in the New Commandment, John 13:34. This is a unique relationship that those of the Church are to have for each other and through our love, others will see that we are Christ’s disciples, John 13:35. One aspect of this love is how we edify others. Within the assembly, those who are strong in the faith support the weak ones. When it comes to how we live out our faith in what we eat and the days that we honor, we are to be respectful of each other’s decisions, pursuing peace so that we build each other up, Romans 14:19. One who is strong in the faith will build up those who are weak, not pleasing themselves, but bearing their weaknesses so that we all can through support, encouragement, fellowship, and learning together, be strengthened in our understanding of the faith, Romans 15:1-2.
When it comes to the manifestation of Spiritual gifts within the assembly, edification should be the main point. When the Church was young and did not have its full revelation, those with the gift of prophecy could edify the saints, where those with the gift of tongues would only edify themselves, for the speaking of tongues is a gift given for a sign to the unbeliever and therefore should not be used among the saints, where the gift of prophecy […]