Resisting Sin and the Renewing of the Mind

[marks]

Romans 12 tells us to be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

There's just one little wrinkle. "Be transformed" is in the passive voice, meaning, I don't do that to myself, that would be reflexive. Passive voice means I receive the action, that is, it's done to me.

My mind is being renewed, but I'm not the one renewing my mind.

Ephesians 4, "be renewed in the spirit of your mind", same thing there, passive voice.

Colossians 3, "having put on the new man, which is renewed in the knowledge of his Creator", same thing there, renewed is passive voice.

We are not renewing our own minds.

I believe we have a part to play. As we choose to focus on God instead of our flesh, or the world, as we choose to eat His Word, to reckon the old man dead, we cooperate with what God is doing.

I don't want to be guilty of claiming something to be my doing when it's really God doing it.

Philippians tells us, work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God Who works within you both to will and to do what pleases Him.

So how should we understand our lives in Christ, when we are in process of being renewed, and it's God Who is working in us to both Want to do, and Be able to do what pleases Him, how should we understand our failings? When we don't obey?

Does that mean we cannot, because He hasn't "worked it in" yet? Does it mean that He has, and we just don't realize it?

1 Corinthians 10 tells us that every test has it's own way out, intended to get us to a certain place.

Could it be that one of God's ways of "working it in" to us is to give us a test that takes us a little further than we can go, and if we choose faith, we will go further?

I know this . . . He won't test us past what is possible for us to endure.

Hebrews 5:12-14 EMTV

12) For indeed, although you ought to be teachers by this time, again you have need for someone to teach you what are the elements of the beginning of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food.
13) For everyone who partakes only of milk is unacquainted with the word of righteousness, for he is an infant.
14) But solid food is for the mature, for those because of their practice have their senses trained for the distinguishing of both good and evil.

Much love!

 

[Truman]

Romans 12 tells us to be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

There's just one little wrinkle. "Be transformed" is in the passive voice, meaning, I don't do that to myself, that would be reflexive. Passive voice means I receive the action, that is, it's done to me.

My mind is being renewed, but I'm not the one renewing my mind.

Ephesians 4, "be renewed in the spirit of your mind", same thing there, passive voice.

Colossians 3, "having put on the new man, which is renewed in the knowledge of his Creator", same thing there, renewed is passive voice.

We are not renewing our own minds.

I believe we have a part to play. As we choose to focus on God instead of our flesh, or the world, as we choose to eat His Word, to reckon the old man dead, we cooperate with what God is doing.

I don't want to be guilty of claiming something to be my doing when it's really God doing it.

Philippians tells us, work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God Who works within you both to will and to do what pleases Him.

So how should we understand our lives in Christ, when we are in process of being renewed, and it's God Who is working in us to both Want to do, and Be able to do what pleases Him, how should we understand our failings? When we don't obey?

Does that mean we cannot, because He hasn't "worked it in" yet? Does it mean that He has, and we just don't realize it?

1 Corinthians 10 tells us that every test has it's own way out, intended to get us to a certain place.

Could it be that one of God's ways of "working it in" to us is to give us a test that takes us a little further than we can go, and if we choose faith, we will go further?

I know this . . . He won't test us past what is possible for us to endure.

Hebrews 5:12-14 EMTV

12) For indeed, although you ought to be teachers by this time, again you have need for someone to teach you what are the elements of the beginning of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food.
13) For everyone who partakes only of milk is unacquainted with the word of righteousness, for he is an infant.
14) But solid food is for the mature, for those because of their practice have their senses trained for the distinguishing of both good and evil.

Much love!

Yeah, that's what I mean! He does it and we do our part. Maybe this stuff is more visual for me because I need pictures as well as words! Lol Hey, if it gets the job done, great! Lol

 

[marks]

Yeah, that's what I mean! He does it and we do our part. Maybe this stuff is more visual for me because I need pictures as well as words! Lol Hey, if it gets the job done, great! Lol

We each have a unique relationship with our Creator. And He has most certainly promised to get the job done.

But I've learned this . . . be it to you according to your faith.

Much love!

 

[stunnedbygrace]

The only cooperating I am aware of having done is to make note of where I’ve failed in trust when He shows me I’m not fully trusting Him but am trying to also put my trust elsewhere and then standing back up and racing to trust again.

 

[Truman]

When someone wrongs me, I decide to resist retaliating and instead decide to forgive. AKA Take up my cross.
A guy once kicked me in the face. I freaked and dropped him, breaking his nose. He bled like a stuck pig. We were friends. We forgave each other. We actually cried...it was pathetic! Lol
I'd told him to leave me alone. I'd got fired illegally...I worked too good and made the other guys look bad. They set me up.
My friend was trying to get me to talk about it. I was working on my second bottle of wine when he accidentally clipped the end of my nose with his foot. SMH Lol

 

[Abaxvahl]

So how should we understand our lives in Christ, when we are in process of being renewed, and it's God Who is working in us to both Want to do, and Be able to do what pleases Him, how should we understand our failings? When we don't obey?

Our part is to occupy until He comes (Lk 19:13), which not only applies to eschatological things but our moral life. Occupying in the works He has given us to walk in (Ep 2:10) until the Day-Star arises in our hearts (2Pe 1:19) which is Himself, transforming us into His likeness (2Co 3:18) and renewing our minds. This works include chiefly praying, fasting, and almsgiving/service to others (Mt 6:1-18), in short doing all He has instructed us to do (Mt 7:24-27). But of course as you have pointed out, our doing anything is not the source of this transforming grace.

When we fail and fall (and even a just man falls seven times a day Pr 24:16 but gets up again, which is repentance continually) we should understand it as God has revealed it: "each one is tempted when he is dragged away and enticed by his own desires. Then desire, after it has conceived, gives birth to sin, and sin, when it is brought to completion, gives birth to death." There is no lack in God's grace which is sufficient for everything (2Co 12:19), so if there is any evil and any lack and any sin anywhere it is most certainly on our part. This is why we don't obey, we do not want to.

But as the Proverb says you are to get up again and not remain in evil, repent, go again doing what God commanded, and grace will eventually get the better of you and voila: a transformed and divinized (2Pe 1:4) person (Ph 1:6)! The sixth Psalm is a great example and prayer of this sort of repentance, which remains trusting in God even in the depths:

O Lord, rebuke me not in thy indignation, nor chastise me in thy wrath.
Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak: heal me, O Lord, for my bones are troubled.
And my soul is troubled exceedingly: but thou, O Lord, how long?
Turn to me, O Lord, and deliver my soul: O save me for thy mercy's sake.
For there is no one in death, that is mindful of thee: and who shall confess to thee in hell?
I have laboured in my groanings, every night I will wash my bed: I will water my couch with my tears.
My eye is troubled through indignation: I have grown old amongst all my enemies.
Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity: for the Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping.
The Lord hath heard my supplication: the Lord hath received my prayer.
Let all my enemies be ashamed, and be very much troubled: let them be turned back, and be ashamed very speedily.

 

[MatthewG]

Romans 12 tells us to be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

There's just one little wrinkle. "Be transformed" is in the passive voice, meaning, I don't do that to myself, that would be reflexive. Passive voice means I receive the action, that is, it's done to me.

My mind is being renewed, but I'm not the one renewing my mind.

Ephesians 4, "be renewed in the spirit of your mind", same thing there, passive voice.

Colossians 3, "having put on the new man, which is renewed in the knowledge of his Creator", same thing there, renewed is passive voice.

We are not renewing our own minds.

I believe we have a part to play. As we choose to focus on God instead of our flesh, or the world, as we choose to eat His Word, to reckon the old man dead, we cooperate with what God is doing.

I don't want to be guilty of claiming something to be my doing when it's really God doing it.

Philippians tells us, work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God Who works within you both to will and to do what pleases Him.

So how should we understand our lives in Christ, when we are in process of being renewed, and it's God Who is working in us to both Want to do, and Be able to do what pleases Him, how should we understand our failings? When we don't obey?

Does that mean we cannot, because He hasn't "worked it in" yet? Does it mean that He has, and we just don't realize it?

1 Corinthians 10 tells us that every test has it's own way out, intended to get us to a certain place.

Could it be that one of God's ways of "working it in" to us is to give us a test that takes us a little further than we can go, and if we choose faith, we will go further?

I know this . . . He won't test us past what is possible for us to endure.

Hebrews 5:12-14 EMTV

12) For indeed, although you ought to be teachers by this time, again you have need for someone to teach you what are the elements of the beginning of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food.
13) For everyone who partakes only of milk is unacquainted with the word of righteousness, for he is an infant.
14) But solid food is for the mature, for those because of their practice have their senses trained for the distinguishing of both good and evil.

Much love!

Not sure if an given a test by God ; but rather that an loved by God and that He desires for believers to be holy - set apart from the normalcy of the world and it’s ways. The flesh vs the spirit is a subjective experience for all Christians to go through. When you are in the wrong you’ll know cause the understanding from the spirits grievance is made known. To reconcile this would be to go back to God and talk to him about what done wrong and that it wasn’t right for you to do whatever the thing was.

A never end process and cycle. It goes up and down like the lines of the stock market .

 

[Nancy]

Not sure if an given a test by God ; but rather that an loved by God and that He desires for believers to be holy - set apart from the normalcy of the world and it’s ways. The flesh vs the spirit is a subjective experience for all Christians to go through. When you are in the wrong you’ll know cause the understanding from the spirits grievance is made known. To reconcile this would be to go back to God and talk to him about what done wrong and that it wasn’t right for you to do whatever the thing was.

A never end process and cycle. It goes up and down like the lines of the stock market .

You got that right Matthew, it IS a viscous, never ending cycle. I can understand why some go insane!

 

[marks]

Not sure if an given a test by God ; but rather that an loved by God and that He desires for believers to be holy - set apart from the normalcy of the world and it’s ways. The flesh vs the spirit is a subjective experience for all Christians to go through. When you are in the wrong you’ll know cause the understanding from the spirits grievance is made known. To reconcile this would be to go back to God and talk to him about what done wrong and that it wasn’t right for you to do whatever the thing was.

A never end process and cycle. It goes up and down like the lines of the stock market .

I see our reconciliation to God to be through Jesus' death alone, and that we receive that reconciliation.

It's an interesting thing to me that "test" and "tempt" come from the same word, and God doesn't tempt anyone with evil. He intent, as I see it, for our every contrary circumstance or thought is that we would stop and choose to trust Him regardless of anything else.

Much love!

 

[Truman]

He freed me from a bondage through the consistent use of the daily cross, the next day He brought me here, and through using the fruit of the Spirit called self-control, I've stayed free. He is faithful!
Give God the glory!

 

[MatthewG]

Agreed Marks. Amen Truman.

 

[farouk]

He freed me from a bondage through the consistent use of the daily cross, the next day He brought me here, and through using the fruit of the Spirit called self-control, I've stayed free. He is faithful!
Give God the glory!

@Truman The Lord Jesus in Luke indeed speaks about taking up one's cross daily and following Him (Luke 9.23).

 

[farouk]

Not sure if an given a test by God ; but rather that an loved by God and that He desires for believers to be holy - set apart from the normalcy of the world and it’s ways. The flesh vs the spirit is a subjective experience for all Christians to go through. When you are in the wrong you’ll know cause the understanding from the spirits grievance is made known. To reconcile this would be to go back to God and talk to him about what done wrong and that it wasn’t right for you to do whatever the thing was.

A never end process and cycle. It goes up and down like the lines of the stock market .

@MatthewG Romans 8 is a great tonic and guide for this whole experience...

 

[Truman]

"Your name is like honey on my lips...Your Spirit like water to my soul...Your word is a lamp unto my feet, Jesus, I love You!" by j.b.

 

[farouk]

"Your name is like honey on my lips...Your Spirit like water to my soul...Your word is a lamp unto my feet, Jesus, I love You!" by j.b.

@Truman Is this a song?