Think Different! - Eph. 4:17-24
"17 So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. 18 They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. 19 Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more. 20 You, however, did not come to know Christ that way. 21 Surely you heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. 22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness."
I love the word transformation! In Romans 12:2 Paul tells us that we are to be transformed by the renewing of our mind. The Greek word translated "transformed" is the word "metamorphoo". It's where we get the word metamorphosis which draws our minds immediately to the transformation process of a butterfly. A radical change takes place inside that cocoon and when the new emerges... it is beautiful. I like to think that the very reason God created the butterfly was to give us a visual aide for what transformation means. Paul tells the believers that they are to be made new in the attitude of their minds. They are to throw off the old-self that just continues to corrupt and put on the new-self. This new self is designed to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
Notice how Paul connects everything to a man's thinking! He says that they must no longer live in the futility of their THINKING! And that they are to be made new in the attitude of their MINDS! It starts with how we think! When we begin to realign our thinking toward the truth, we begin to see transformation take place. There is a direct link to thinking and action! I cannot change a habitual behavior without first changing my thinking! Oh, I can choose not to participate in the behavior every once in a while, but I will fall right back into evil behavior if I don't first change my thinking.
Paul tells us to be transformed by the renewing of our minds! How do we renew our minds. First, we have to understand that our minds are corrupt, and are in need of renewing. For most of us that is not a hard sell! We know how depraved our thinking is sometimes! We know how self-centered our thinking is most of the time! We know we are corrupt, but do we like being corrupt? This is the next step toward transformation... your desire to be like God must out-weigh your desire for evil. Many "Christians" stop right there! They like there sin and will try everything they can to hold on to their sin and justify a relationship with God. This is "old-self" thinking! You have been called to "new-self" thinking, which leads you to become like God! Yes, God desires us to move toward true righteousness and holiness! At the very core of our being He wants us to desire and carry out that which He defines as right, and in this way we become separated unto God (holy)! Our minds are realigned when we saturate them with the Truth of God's Word. If you want to think like God then read and retain what He has said! Jesus prayed that the disciples would be "sanctified (made holy) by the truth. Your Word is Truth." Don't soak in God's Word because you think you have to, but rather soak it in because you desire it to transform your thinking so as to be like God!
So as you go about your day today, think differently... be made new in the attitude of your mind! Allow the Word of God to saturate your mind with TRUTH! Don't try to change your behavior without first changing your thinking, because if you change your thinking, your behavior begins to transform naturally. This is a part of living from the inside out!
Eph. 4:17-24
I love the word transformation! In Romans 12:2 Paul tells us that we are to be transformed by the renewing of our mind. The Greek word translated "transformed" is the word "metamorphoo". It's where we get the word metamorphosis which draws our minds immediately to the transformation process of a butterfly. A radical change takes place inside that cocoon and when the new emerges... it is beautiful. I like to think that the very reason God created the butterfly was to give us a visual aide for what transformation means. Paul tells the believers that they are to be made new in the attitude of their minds. They are to throw off the old-self that just continues to corrupt and put on the new-self. This new self is designed to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
Notice how Paul connects everything to a man's thinking! He says that they must no longer live in the futility of their THINKING! And that they are to be made new in the attitude of their MINDS! It starts with how we think! When we begin to realign our thinking toward the truth, we begin to see transformation take place. There is a direct link to thinking and action! I cannot change a habitual behavior without first changing my thinking! Oh, I can choose not to participate in the behavior every once in a while, but I will fall right back into evil behavior if I don't first change my thinking.
Paul tells us to be transformed by the renewing of our minds! How do we renew our minds. First, we have to understand that our minds are corrupt, and are in need of renewing. For most of us that is not a hard sell! We know how depraved our thinking is sometimes! We know how self-centered our thinking is most of the time! We know we are corrupt, but do we like being corrupt? This is the next step toward transformation... your desire to be like God must out-weigh your desire for evil. Many "Christians" stop right there! They like there sin and will try everything they can to hold on to their sin and justify a relationship with God. This is "old-self" thinking! You have been called to "new-self" thinking, which leads you to become like God! Yes, God desires us to move toward true righteousness and holiness! At the very core of our being He wants us to desire and carry out that which He defines as right, and in this way we become separated unto God (holy)! Our minds are realigned when we saturate them with the Truth of God's Word. If you want to think like God then read and retain what He has said! Jesus prayed that the disciples would be "sanctified (made holy) by the truth. Your Word is Truth." Don't soak in God's Word because you think you have to, but rather soak it in because you desire it to transform your thinking so as to be like God!
So as you go about your day today, think differently... be made new in the attitude of your mind! Allow the Word of God to saturate your mind with TRUTH! Don't try to change your behavior without first changing your thinking, because if you change your thinking, your behavior begins to transform naturally. This is a part of living from the inside out!
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