RE-EDITING YOUR MIND
By
Promise Monday
Romans 12:2-Do not
conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the
renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's
will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will. (NIV)….
There is a saying that if the world is sitting, you the church should
stand up; if the world is standing, you stand out; if the world is standing
out, you be outstanding. There should always be a high concentration gradient
between the church and the world. The church is from Greek word ‘ecclesia’
meaning ‘the called out ones’. The church has been called with a purpose of giving spiritual worship (
Heb.13:15 (NIV) -Through Jesus,
therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise--the fruit of
lips that confess his name. Rom.12:1 (NIV)- Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer
your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual
act of worship), and with a mission
of building disciples to mentor nations (tribes, culture, background,
religion) and teaching them how to live (Matt.28:19,20(The Message Bible)-Go out and train everyone you meet, far and
near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name:
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I have
commanded you. I'll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right
up to the end of the age). But the church cannot do this until there is
re-editing of their minds (a part of the soul which is the seat of
thought/intellect)…Psalms 23:3 (NIV) he
restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake;
1 Peter 1:9 (NIV) - for you are receiving
the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls. 
The Greek word for ‘renew’ in Romans 12:2 says to ‘rebuild’, you to
have a change of mindset into that of Christ (This way, love has the run of the house, becomes at home and mature in
us, so that we're free of worry on Judgment Day--our standing in the world is
identical with Christ's.1John 4:17 The Message Bible), it means a change in
the attitude of the mind in Ephesians 4:23, 24 (NIV)…to be made new in the attitude of your minds and to put on the
new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. In
renewing your mind you are transformed (Greek: ‘metamorphose’-change,
transfigure, transform). The same Greek word is used for metamorphosis in
modern biology for metamorphosis of insects such as butterfly: at the early
stage, you have the egg which opens up to become larva (the wingless immature worm-shaped form of many insects that develops
into a pupa or chrysalis before becoming an adult insect), then larva to
pupa (an insect at the stage between a
larva and an adult in complete metamorphosis, during which the insect is in
cocoon or case, stops feeding, and undergoes internal changes), then pupa
to imago (an insect in its sexually
mature adult state). The word ‘imago’
in Latin means ‘likeness’. The same
way the church is to grow in to the likeness of Christ, fully mature adults
with the capability to reproduce disciples for Christ, to be transformed from
the carnally minded beings to spiritually minded beings.
You are therefore to re-edit your mind by the word of God…and have put on the new self, which is being
renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator (Colossians 3:10 NIV),
this you can do by studying and meditating on the word (Joshua 1:8(NIV)…Do not let this Book of the Law depart from
your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do
everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful;
1Tim.4:15(KJV)…Meditate upon these
things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all.
Meditate in Greek ‘meleteo’ means ‘to
revolve’, in Hebrew ‘Hagah’ means to ruminate (mull something over: to think
carefully and at length about something. Refer to ruminants)…Acts 20:32KJV-And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and
to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an
inheritance among all them which are sanctified. You are sanctified (Greek
word ‘hagiazo’ meaning to ‘purify’, ‘make holy’, ‘set apart for use’) by the
word…. (John 17:17NIV…Sanctify them by
the truth; your word is truth)
Let us therefore give ourselves to prayer and meditation on God’s word
so we can offer our spiritual worship and be able to mentor the word we live
in.
Promise Monday
5pm Wednesday 28th September, 2011.
