What's in your mind? The key to faith and Christian living

What's in your mind? The key to faith and Christian living.

The core of your faith and of Christian living is based upon what's in your mind. Are you operating in a mind that is renewed by the Word of God and based on the principles of spiritual wisdom and truth or are you still functioning with a darkened mind that is based upon worldly knowledge and vanity? That's quite a contrasting picture, not so. Well, let me confirm this with two contrasting scriptures in the epistle of Ephesians that says the same thing.

Eph 4:17-20  This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in THE VANITY OF THEIR MIND,  (18)  Having the understanding DARKENED, being alienated from the life of God through the IGNORANCE that is in them, because of the BLINDNESS of their heart:  (19)  Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.  (20)  But ye have not so learned Christ;

Paul writes, but you have not so learned Christ. What is it to learn Christ? Well, if the above statement is being without Christ in edification, then what is it to learn Christ? Paul already provided the answer to this question in chapter 1:

Eph 1:17-19  That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the KNOWLEDGE of him:  (18)  The eyes of your UNDERSTANDING being ENLIGHTENED; that ye MAY KNOW what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,  (19)  And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,

Fellowship and friendship are good. Praise and worship are important. Prayer and intercession are of great value. But there is something that far exceeds the scope of these activities. It is reading and studying the Word of God. To gain in knowledge of the rightly divided Word is the core of your life and strength. It increases faith, it feeds you with truth, it fills you with God's Spirit, it empowers you to walk worthy of the Lord, it's the armour to war against the enemy. Increasing in knowledge of spiritual truth is the most important, yet the most undervalued activity in most Christian's lives. Let's see what value the Bible places upon this.

The epistle of Romans is the foundation of our faith. Several times in chapters 6 to 8, Paul asks the reader if they know certain things:

• Rom 6:3  Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
• Rom 6:6  Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
• Rom 6:9  Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.
• Romans 6:11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
• Rom 6:16  Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
• Rom 7:1  Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth?
• Rom 8:22  For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
• Rom 8:28  And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. 

Until you know these things, you are not educated or walking in the principles that stablish your faith and empower you to yield in obedience unto righteousness, delivering you from sin and fruitlessness, Rom 6:16-17. 

Priori knowledge is a philosophical idea and has no scriptural endorsement

Priori knowledge is a philosophical idea and has no scriptural endorsement

STATEMENT:

Jeremiah 1:1–6 mentions our life before our human birth. We were made with the knowledge of right and wrong, kindness and cruelty. In old language, this was called a priori knowledge. Socrates in Plattos Dialog, Phaedo, explains our pre-birth knowledge as remembering concepts such as empathy, beauty, loyalty, honesty, courage. It's a vital discourse one must read.

RESPONSE:

I’m not sure how you obtain “knowledge of our life before birth” from Jer.1:1-6.

Jer 1:5  Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.

DM#22: Let him become a fool, that he may be wise

Doctrine of the Mysteries #22

Let him become a fool, that he may be wise

1Co 3:18-21  Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.  (19)  For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.  (20)  And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.  (21)  Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours;

This passage is not a mystery, (being referenced in the prophets, see: Job 5:13; Ps 94:11; Jer 9:23-24), but I could not pass it by due to its relevance and the necessity of hearing and understanding this truth again, considering the society in which we live today, which revels in its pride and pomposity.

The world will be completely ignorant to this passage. Unfortunately, most of Christianity will too. There is not much to take from this passage if one does not apprehend the type of wisdom it refers to. The carnal man produces his own wisdom and will boast in it. But the wisdom spoken of here is a wisdom that originates in Christ. It is a wisdom that is provided, not produced.

DM#20: We speak wisdom among them that are perfect

 

Doctrine of the Mysteries #20

We speak wisdom among them that are perfect

1Cor 2:6  Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought:  (7)  But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:

My previous post ended by saying that due to ignorance of the progressive curriculum of Paul’s epistles, many believers today remain babes and children in Christ, unable to comprehend its spiritual nature. Let me explain this statement with a simple analogy. If a student, who is new to mathematics, ignores a prescribed mathematics curriculum, and skips over the first few chapters, jumping to calculus or trigonometry, it is safe to say that they will quickly get lost in the advanced concepts. The first few chapters would have introduced them to concepts that are crucial and relevant to the later understanding of these higher disciplines and theories.

As grace believers, what is our primary objective? (Part 4)

Paul’s Encouragement to Increase in Knowledge and Understanding

Start this series of posts with: Part 1

Paul’s letters are full of statements that encourage one to learn, to increase in one’s knowledge of God’s Word, and to gain understanding of it, so that it embeds in one’s heart and becomes part of the outflow of one’s life, in thinking, reasoning, speech, and actions. You cannot go far in Paul’s epistles and not read statements that encourage growth and increasing in knowledge and understanding.

In Romans, the foundational epistle that establishes us in ‘the faith’, Paul immediately starts to fire up our minds, compelling us to think upon things, or to know things, coercing our learning and understanding. Have a look at the following statements that we encounter so early in the mystery curriculum,

A Sobering Thought of Gratefulness

A Sobering Thought of Gratefulness

God is all powerful and all wise. God knows everything there is to know. In the scope of His righteousness and holiness, He can choose how to manage a scenario according to His influence and design.

With this said, consider the following,

When the Son of God went to the garden that night and bowed his head and said, “Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me:”, do you know what that means?

In all of God’s knowledge, and in everything that there is to know, God determined that there was ONLY ONE WAY He could justify sinners, and it was that his Son had to drink that cup, bear our sins in His body, and die on the cross.

In all of wisdom, creation, and time, that was the only way that God could remain just, but also be the justifier of the ungodly.

Rom 3:26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

What a sobering thought.
Oh Father, how grateful I am for your grace and wisdom.

The Four Cornerstones of Romans (Part 11: Dispensational Wisdom)

Start this post series from the beginning, here.

The Four Cornerstones of Romans (Part 11: Dispensational Wisdom)

The epistle of Romans is the foundational epistle of the Christian faith. An analysis of its contents reveals that the letter can be divided into four parts, each part representing a cornerstone of the Christian faith. Missing any one of these four cornerstones, the faith foundation of a Christian can become compromised and shaky. It is vitally important to have a good understanding of each of these four cornerstones to ensure that the foundation of your faith is stable and secure.

In this series we have already covered the first two cornerstones, (1) God's Righteousness, and (2) God's Grace. The third cornerstone of Romans is "Dispensational Wisdom". Since my entire blog is based on a dispensational view of scripture, I'm not going to write much about this cornerstone, but rather point you to specific posts that I have already written in the past.

Not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect

Not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect

The vain babblings of unregenerated men

How many philosophers, teachers, students of scripture, so-called wise men, debaters, and counselors are out there, speaking the things of the Bible, judging and arguing the deep things of the Word, correcting, advising, and reprimanding others, all the while thinking that they understand the oracles of God, that they have the credentials to speak truth, and that they have their theology grounded because of research, study, and experience. To these individuals, I address the fact that if you have not been regenerated by the gospel of grace and received the Spirit of Christ within you, then your theological wisdom is foolishness, and your biblical teachings are vain jangling's and rife with lies.

Ask yourself truthfully, what is the origin of your theology? From what fountain of knowledge has your wisdom been syphoned from? Are you glorying in an invented truth? Has it not by chance been handed down to you from the vain imaginations of others who came before you? Could it be that you are gloating in reused fabrications of theology that others have once blended together for their own glory or purpose?

The apostle Paul arrived at one time in Athens and encountered a city fraught with idols. In the center of all this deception sat wise men who daily spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing. 

Acts 17:16 Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry. ... 18 Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoicks, encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler say? ... 20 For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears: we would know therefore what these things mean. 21 (For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing.) ... 23 For as I [Paul] passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, "To the Unknown God". Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.

Limit your Exposure to Worldly Wisdom Avoid overexposure with too many sources. The Bible is our only true source.

The Simplicity of Grace Living

A short while ago I watched a video of a theological debate featuring 3 prominent speakers who represent 3 different denominations. As a host asked various questions, each of the panelists would respond, and the theology of these participants differed from mild to wild depending on the questions. It was interesting to watch how each defended their particular view of theology, and even though they validated their points with scriptures and good arguments, it was quite sad to see how they made the whole debate complex and divisive based on their differences.