- araratchurch
- 4 days ago
- 4 min read
In some of Jesus’ last words to His disciples before he went to the cross, He acknowledged that there were things He wanted to tell them, but they weren’t in a position of being able to receive it.
““There is so much more I want to tell you, but you can’t bear it now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me. All that belongs to the Father is mine; this is why I said, ‘The Spirit will tell you whatever he receives from me.’”
John 16:12-15 NLT
Notice, even though they couldn’t receive all that He wanted to tell them then, He assures them that when the Holy Spirit came upon them, they would be able to hear all that He wanted them to hear, and understand all that He wanted them to understand.
In another place, Jesus said that through Him, the Father could be made known to whoever He wanted to reveal the Father.
“At that time Jesus prayed this prayer: “O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for revealing them to the childlike. Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this way! “My Father has entrusted everything to me. No one truly knows the Son except the Father, and no one truly knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.””
Matthew 11:25-27 NLT
It is within this context that a very familiar verse is found:
“Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.””
Matthew 11:28-30 NLT
So, putting some of the things we know, together, it becomes clear that the knowledge otherwise unavailable, is made available to us through Jesus Christ, by way of the Holy Spirit of God. Indeed, it was by way of the Holy Spirit that now Jesus would be in us.
“If you love me, obey my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you. No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you. Soon the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Since I live, you also will live. When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.”
John 14:15-20 NLT
We have been discussing the new creation and within that context, the importance of having a transformed mind. As we discussed last time, Jesus’ sacrifice for our sins, cleared the way for us to be able to receive His Holy Spirit. And, it is through the Holy Spirit in us, that we can understand the things of God.
“No, the wisdom we speak of is the mystery of God—his plan that was previously hidden, even though he made it for our ultimate glory before the world began. But the rulers of this world have not understood it; if they had, they would not have crucified our glorious Lord. That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.””
1 Corinthians 2:7-9 NLT
Indeed, what human wisdom could not understand, is made clear to us by way of the Holy Spirit of God.
“But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets.”
1 Corinthians 2:10 NLT
Yes, God’s Holy Spirit, helps us to truly know God. And not only that, makes us able to think like Him.
“No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit. And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us.”
1 Corinthians 2:11-12 NLT
As the children of God, we can have His Holy Spirit in us, teaching us and guiding us, in ways that would never have been possible before the work of Jesus Christ.
“When we tell you these things, we do not use words that come from human wisdom. Instead, we speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit’s words to explain spiritual truths. But people who aren’t spiritual can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means.”
1 Corinthians 2:13-14 NLT
Ultimately—because of what Jesus did in taking away that which separated us from God—we can now have the mind of Christ. We can know His heart.
“For, “Who can know the Lord’s thoughts? Who knows enough to teach him?” But we understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ.”
1 Corinthians 2:16 NLT
It is in taking advantage of the access we can have to the mind of Christ, that we can have an ever transforming mind, a mind and way of being and doing, that more and more reflects the image of Jesus Christ.
We’ll talk more about this next time.
Peace to you.
Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!
- araratchurch
- 5 days ago
- 2 min read
In referencing the new creation, we have discussed the fact that through the work of Jesus Christ, our change is more than skin deep. Indeed, the Lord, in providing an antidote for our sin, transfers us from death and darkness, into life and light. That is to say, rather than being controlled by the things of darkness, such that we are doomed to fulfill its lust, now, we can be controlled by the Holy Spirit of God. As such, sensitivity to the Holy Spirit, then enables us to be conformed into the full image of Jesus Christ, inwardly, not just in terms of modified behavior. However, this process requires obedience to the word of God.
You see, when we come to faith in Jesus Christ, although we are given a new heart, a heart sensitive to the Spirit of God, we are not struck with amnesia such that we forget our former life. The sway of the world, the flesh, and the devil, is not abolished, but rather, having the Holy Spirit indwelling, gives us the ability to say no to sin and yes to God’s way of being and doing. And, the more we replace our old way of thinking with what God has said, the less power the world, the flesh, and the devil can be exercised over us.
We all have to be aware of the fact that we are viewing things, analyzing things, perceiving things, through a framework. This framework through which we make sense of our lives, is also referenced as a PARADIGM. The process of being transformed by the renewing of our mind, brings the paradigm shift that makes it possible for us to live a life that is pleasing to God, a life that is victorious over sin.
The Apostle Paul urged the Romans to renew their minds so that they could be obedient to God. Paul urged them to not allow their context, their circumstances, to determine how they thought. Rather, they were to consider their lives as a sacrifice before the Lord. And, by focusing on God‘s way of being and doing, they would be transformed in their minds!
“And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”
Romans 12:1-2 NLT
Child of God, we must humbly seek the Lord, asking Him to fully transform us, to sever from us, the residue of darkness. Only then will we be able to fully share His heart, think His thoughts, and do His will.
Next time, we’ll talk more about the renewed mind.
Peace to you.
Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!
- araratchurch
- Apr 24
- 4 min read
The children of Israel had been in bondage for several generations. In fact, there wouldn’t have been any one living who remembered not being in bondage, when Moses arrived on the scene, saying, “Let My people go.” Having known only bondage for all that time, even after they were liberated, set free to go into the desert, even after the Lord had promised that they would have an inheritance in a pleasant land, they were still steeped in the traditions, the ways of being and doing, and even in the worship of foreign gods, common in Egypt at that time.
In fact, we are told that the Lord had Moses take them in a different way than would have been the shortest route to where they were going, when they first came out of Egypt. The reason for the Lord doing this, was that the people were not yet ready to face conflict. It would take time for the people to learn to depend on the Lord. It would take time for them to walk as free people, people ready to walk into their inheritance.
“So it happened, when Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, even though it was nearer; for God said, “The people might change their minds when they see war [that is, that there will be war], and return to Egypt.” But God led the people around by the way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea; the sons of Israel went up in battle array (orderly ranks, marching formation) out of the land of Egypt.”
Exodus 13:17-18 AMP
Indeed, the children of Israel had come out of Egypt, but it would take time for Egypt to come out of the children of Israel. And—as we know—because of their failure to believe, it would be a grueling 40-year process.
Now, what does this have to do with being a new creation through Jesus Christ? Well, as we have discussed (see “Day 3”), the word of God clearly states that we were all once in bondage to sin.
“Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else.”
Ephesians 2:1-3 NLT
Now, through Jesus Christ, we have been set free from the law of sin and death, so that we may now be inhabited by the Holy Spirit of God. In fact, it is through the Holy Spirit that we are able to grow into the image of Jesus Christ. Yes, through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, we are made alive to righteousness, and can walk (operate), as He walked.
“Now on the last and most important day of the feast, Jesus stood and called out [in a loud voice], “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink! He who believes in Me [who adheres to, trusts in, and relies on Me], as the Scripture has said, ‘From his innermost being will flow continually rivers of living water.’ ” But He was speaking of the [Holy] Spirit, whom those who believed in Him [as Savior] were to receive afterward. The Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified (raised to honor).”
John 7:37-39 AMP
However, although we have been set free from bondage through the work of Jesus Christ, like the children of Israel, we still have the “residue” of the world, the flesh, and the devil, residing in our ways of being and doing. Indeed, it is only through the process of putting off what is of darkness and putting on what is of light, putting on Christ, that we become like Him.
Let’s again consider a scripture we have discussed before:
“The night [this present evil age] is almost gone and the day [of Christ’s return] is almost here. So let us fling away the works of darkness and put on the [full] armor of light. Let us conduct ourselves properly and honorably as in the [light of] day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and irresponsibility, not in quarreling and jealousy. But clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for [nor even think about gratifying] the flesh in regard to its improper desires.”
Romans 13:12-14 AMP
Learning to walk as a new creation is a process in which the Holy Spirit reveals what is not of Himself, what is of darkness, and strengthens us, empowers us, to reject those works, while obeying what God has said. Failure to take that spiritual journey, that journey taking us from only knowing how to live in bondage to sin, to inheriting what God has promised us through Jesus Christ, makes us fall short of what God has provided for us.
We will talk further about this next time.
Peace to you.
Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!