Grace-energized Minds are: God-controlled Minds

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March 16, 2012

By John Barnett

Read, print, and listen to this resource on our website www.DiscoverTheBook.org

As we open to I Thessalonians 5, we open to Paul preparing new believers for spiritual warfare. As believers and followers of Christ, they were going to be attacked in their minds, by the Devil. That is where he starts. Your body only goes where you mind directs. Your mind is the key to following God. Only a mind stayed on the Lord can have perfect peace (Isaiah 26:3). A mind devoted to Christ is the road to God's plan for your life (Proverbs 3:5-6).

When Paul spoke of living in a world that loves darkness, ruled by a prince of darkness he exhorted those new believers to remember who they were. The way to get through dark days in this world was simple as long as you wore your helmet:

1 Thessalonians 5:5-8 "You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness.6 Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober.7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night.8 But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation." NKJV

We need to wear our helmet! Paul explained that helmet as part of a complete way of life in Ephesians 6. If you could have seen Paul as God saw him in his battle gear you would have seen an old, gray headed man with a badly dented war helmet. Many dents, slices, and marks show how often the enemy had struck at him.

Renewing a God-Controlled Mind

The best way to get your mind back under God’s control is to think the truth. The helmet that we are to wear as believers is the helmet of what? Salvation. Pull on the straps and fasten tight your helmet of salvation. Surrender again your mind to God’s control. Energized by grace, allow God’s truth to saturate your mind and see what He can do with you.

The “helmet of salvation,” was Paul’s confidence of knowing that he is saved and will be saved. That mind of his, guarded-by-God was assured of the past, present, and future aspects of his salvation allowed him to stand against all of Satan’s vicious assaults.

Ephesians 6:17 "And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;" NKJV

Paul told Timothy to stir up the gift given to him. We aren’t sure what exactly it was, it might have been faith, or the teaching gifts of a pastor. But it was miraculous and came by the laying on of Paul’s hands, from God.

2 Timothy 1:6-7 "Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." NKJV

But this evening we will learn about a miraculous gift we must stir. That gift also came the instant that God laid His Hands upon us. And that gift is our salvation.

As you begin each day, each month, and as we come to the end of this month, one of our greatest privileges is to open and enjoy the gift of salvation God has given to us. By faith we please God when we believe what He's said about us. We need to not live by what others say or have said about us all your life.

Start a New Spiritual Exercise

Satan is the Accuser and wants us to only remember all the many times we have fallen; Satan delights in the days, weeks, or months he can keep us condemning ourselves for what we've done. That is his plan, so don’t fall for it. Resist Satan as you believe the truth; speak the truth; and preach the Gospel to yourself.

And when ever we fall down, God says to just turn back to Him and repent right then. Don’t wallow in your pain and guilt and punish yourself, confessing our sin immediately--and believe that what God has promised in His salvation. We are forgiven, justified, regenerated, reconciled, adopted, redeemed, and sanctified. That makes us precious in His sight, special in His plan.

One of the most powerful habits you could grow is to take this list of the ramifications of having received the gift of salvation!

Keep this list in your Bible, at home, on your computer, put one on your mirror where you start your day, and in your car. Where ever you need to keep reminding yourself of what great things God has promised and done through Christ's death for us!

Slowly as you understand and lay hold on these truths a life-changing transformation take place in our minds, and then in our emotions, and finally throughout our entire life as we live each day based on God’s eternal truth. It starts as we:

Focus on your Forgiveness

Because of our sin—we are all debtors to God’s Righteousness; so we need forgiveness.

Forgiveness. Nothing matters more to any who have sinned—and God says all have sinned.

One moment before your last breath, one thing will matter more than anything else—whether you are dying forgiven or unforgiven.

The peace you can have one moment before you die is available on a daily basis if you understand what God has done in Christ and if you choose to respond by faith to Him.

In Forgiveness we go from hopelessly offending God stained by sin to the peace of complete forgiveness.

We need to experience what the Scriptures often declare—God is a God who offers His children complete forgiveness. Trace with me again those life giving words in your hearts as I read them to you.

Then repeat the truth of what God has done!

• “… as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us”. (Psalm 103:12). God said all my sins are gone. Say that aloud with me.

• “ Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the LORD, “ Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool..” (Is. 1:18). I am white as snow in God’s sight. Say that aloud with me.

• “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” (Jeremiah 31:34b). God has forgotten all my sins. Say that aloud with me.

• “She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.” (John 8:11). “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus...” (Romans 8:1). Jesus will never condemn me for my sins. Say that aloud with me.

Celebrate your forgiveness that is only in Christ.

Focus On your Justification

Because of our sin—we are all guilty convicts in God’s sight; so we need justification.

Jesus died to take guilty convicts and destroy any record that that ever committed a crime and takes their place in the punishment—that’s justification! A Sinner stands before God as accused and is declared righteous by His imputed righteousness.

In Justification we go from being accused and guilty before God to being righteous and with no record of wrongs!

We need to experience what the Scriptures often declare—God has once and for all through Christ's sacrifice justified us. That means that He has accused us, declared us guilty of sin and then made us righteous and forever deleted the record of all our wrongs .

• Romans 8:33-34 “Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.” I have been justified and by Christ justifying me and because the record has been erased —I am free now & forever from condemnation.

• 1 Corinthians 6:17 “But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.” By Christ justifying me—I am forever united with the Lord.

• Ephesians 1:4 “… just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love”. By Christ justifying me—I was chosen by Jesus to be holy and blameless in his sight.

• Ephesians 2:6 “…and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus”. By Christ justifying me—I am already seated with Christ in Heaven.

Focus on your Regeneration

Because of our sin—we are all dead in our trespasses and sin; so we need regeneration.

Jesus died to take us who are dead in our sins, bring us to life and welcome us as family members, full of endless life and brand new—that’s regeneration!

In Regeneration we go from dead and decaying to alive and overflowing.

We need to experience what the Scriptures often declare—God Himself has regenerated us. That means that He has sought us out in our dead and decaying condition, breathed eternal life into us, and brought us into His family by the new birth. Then He comes to live within us so we are forever having an abundant and overflowing, eternal life .

• 1 Corinthians 12:27 “Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually”. Because Jesus regenerated me—I am a member of Christ's Body.

• 1 John 5:18 “We know that whoever is born of God does not sin; but he who has been born of God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him”. Because Jesus regenerated me—I am born of God and the evil one cannot touch me.

Focus on your Reconciliation

Because of our sin—we are all enemies of God; so we need reconciliation.

Jesus died to take enemies and make them friends—that’s reconciliation! A Sinner stands before God as an enemy and is made a friend by His peace.

In Reconciliation we go from being an enemy at war with God to being His treasured friend!

We need to experience what the Scriptures often declare—God has ended His war against us in our sin by Christ's reconciling sacrifice and has established not a truce, He has made us His treasured friend.

• John 15:15 “No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you”. Because Jesus reconciled me—I am Christ's friend.

• 2 Corinthians 5:17-20 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation,19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God”. Because Jesus reconciled me—I am Christ's ambassador of reconciliation.

• Ephesians 1:6 “… to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He has made us accepted in the Beloved”. Because Jesus reconciled me—I am accepted In Christ Jesus.

Focus on your Adoption

Because of our sin—we are all strangers to God; so we need adoption.

Jesus who died to take strangers and make them part of the family—that’s adoption! A Sinner stands before God as a stranger and is called a Son by His choice.

In Adoption we go from being a stranger and an outsider to being His son or daughter and in partnership with Him!

We need to experience what the Scriptures often declare—God has taken me from being a stranger outside of His presence and blessing and has made me his child and the son and daughter of His family in partnership with Him .

• John 1:12 “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name”. Because I was adopted by God—I am God's child.

• John 6:47 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life”. Because I was adopted by God—I have everlasting life.

• Romans 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose”. Because I was adopted by God—God is working everything in my lifetime out for His good.

• Romans 8:29 “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren”. Because I was adopted by God—I am being conformed into Christ's likeness.

Focus on your Redemption

Because of our sin—we are all slaves to unrighteousness; so we need redemption.

Jesus died to take slaves and make them freed forever—that’s redemption! A Sinner stands before God as a slave and is granted freedom by Christ's payment.

Christ's death to pay the price of our sin is so wonderful that we, the redeemed of all the ages will be joined by the angels so that together we may sing a new song, as Revelation records:

Revelation 5:12 saying with a loud voice: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, And strength and honor and glory and blessing!” NKJV

In Redemption we go from being a slave chained to our sins to complete freedom by God and a new focus.

We need to experience what the Scriptures often declare—God has liberated us from our slavery to sin, broken sins chains that long had enslaved us and freed us to focus our lives on what really matters to Him.

• 1 Corinthians 6:20 “For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s”. Christ bought me with a price—I belong to God.

• Philippians 1:6 “…being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ”. Because Christ bought me in redemption—God will finish what He started in me.

• Ephesians 2:10 “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them”. Because Christ bought me in redemption—I am God's workmanship.

Focus on your Sanctification

Because of our sin—we are all defiled; so we need sanctification.

Jesus died to take our soiled and misdirected lives that always get wasted and make them clean, focused and fruitful—that’s sanctification!

In Sanctification we go from our formerly wasted and empty life to holy purposeful life.

We need to experience what the Scriptures often declare—God has come into me and taken over my wasted life and made me new, entered my empty life and filled it with Himself to make me holy and filled with His purposes more and more until He gets me Home .

• 1 Corinthians 3:16 “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” Because of Christ's sanctifying work in me—I am God's temple.

• Ephesians 1:1” Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and faithful in Christ Jesus”. Because of Christ's sanctifying work in me—I am a saint.

• 2 Timothy 1:7 “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind”. Because of Christ's sanctifying work in me—I never need to fear again.

As you begin each day, and each month, one of our greatest privileges is to open and enjoy the gift of salvation God has given to us. By faith we please God when we believe what He's said about us. We need to not live by what others say or have said about us all your life.

Satan is the Accuser and wants us to only remember all the many times we have fallen; Satan delights in the days, weeks, or months he can keep us condemning ourselves for what we've done. That is his plan, so don’t fall for it. Resist Satan as you believe the truth; speak the truth; and preach the Gospel to yourself.

And when ever we fall down, God says to just turn back to Him and repent, confessing our sin immediately--and believe that what God has promised in His salvation. We are forgiven, justified, regenerated, reconciled, adopted, redeemed, and sanctified. That makes us precious in His sight, special in His plan.

Slowly as you understand and lay hold on these truths a life-changing transformation take place in our minds, and then in our emotions, and finally throughout our entire life as we live each day based on God’s eternal truth.

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