Minds – Me From the Inside Out

Bible study, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, Know These Truths, LGG Study, Quiet Time, Set Apart - Living a Life for God's Glor

A New Mindset

Posted on January 24, 2024January 24, 2024 by

based on the LGG Study, Set Apart, living a life for God’s glory / w3d4

SCRIPTURE: Ephesians 4:17-24 / SOAP verses 22-24

You were taught with reference to your former way of life to lay aside the old man who is being corrupted in accordance with deceitful desires, ²³to be renewed in the spirit of your mind, ²⁴and to put on the new man who has been created in God’s image—in righteousness and holiness that comes from truth
Ephesians 4:22-24 NET

Check out the first words of Paul in this passage, “So, I say this, and insist in the Lord, that you no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking.” Paul, who by the Grace of God has been sent to evangelize, is calling the believing Gentiles of Ephesus to “live set apart.”He wants them to understand that they have been made new in Christ, the old is gone. They are no longer to live as unbelievers and He makes the distinction that the Gentile’s way of thinking was pointless and empty, which had led to ignorance and hardened hearts and being alienated from God. As believing Gentiles they are no longer to be callous, or given to indecency and greed. Instead, being made new in Jesus, they are to put off the old way of life and put on the “new man”, who has been created in God’s image – an image of righteousness and holiness.

This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT

An essential component of this putting off and putting on is a renewed mindset – one that is not futile but filled with the truths of the Gospel and our faith. A mind that understands that out of love God gave His only Son to die for the sins of the world – so that the world might be saved through Him. Our renewed mind is bent toward loving others and having a servant’s heart like Christ. It is a mind that understands that we have been called to be salt and light to those in the dark and to share the Gospel message with the world. This mindset is not futile or without hope it is not darkened by ignorance or alienated from God but it is filled with His life giving Spirit who empowers us to not only understand God’s Word but to live it out – set apart from the world .

So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. ⁶Because of these sins, the anger of God is coming.^[b] ⁷You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world. ⁸But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. ⁹Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds.
Colossians 3:5-9 NLT

WISDOM FROM THE JOURNEY

Put off the old self and put on the new. Walk in newness of life – 🦋

REFLECTION ON THE JOURNEY

How can you embrace your new identity in Christ, letting go of the old self and walking in the freedom He provides?

THE MORE WE KNOW

How can I have the mind of Christ?

Christ wants His followers to be set apart from the world, making godly choices and living godly lives

Bible study, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, Know These Truths, LGG Study, Quiet Time, Set Apart - Living a Life for God's Glor

A New Mindset

Posted on January 24, 2024January 23, 2024 by

based on the LGG Study, Set Apart, living a life for God’s glory / w3d4

SCRIPTURE: Ephesians 4:17-24 / SOAP verses 22-24

You were taught with reference to your former way of life to lay aside the old man who is being corrupted in accordance with deceitful desires, ²³to be renewed in the spirit of your mind, ²⁴and to put on the new man who has been created in God’s image—in righteousness and holiness that comes from truth
Ephesians 4:22-24 NET

Check out the first words of Paul in this passage, “So, I say this, and insist in the Lord, that you no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking.” Paul, who by the Grace of God has been sent to evangelize, is calling the believing Gentiles of Ephesus to “live set apart.”He wants them to understand that they have been made new in Christ, the old is gone. They are no longer to live as unbelievers and He makes the distinction that the Gentile’s way of thinking was pointless and empty, which had led to ignorance and hardened hearts and being alienated from God. As believing Gentiles they are no longer to be callous, or given to indecency and greed. Instead, being new made new in Jesus, they are to put off the old way of life and put on the “new man”, who has been created in God’s image – an image of righteousness and holiness.

This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT

An essential component of this putting off and putting on is a renewed mindset – one that is not futile but filled with the truths of the Gospel and our faith. A mind that understands that out of love God gave His only Son to die for the sins of the world – so that the world might be saved through Him. Our renewed mind is bent toward loving others and having a servant’s heart like Christ. It is a mind that understands that we have been called to be salt and light to those in the dark and to share the Gospel message with the world. This mindset is not futile or without hope it is not darkened by ignorance or alienated from God but is filled with His life giving Spirit who empowers us to not only understand God’s Word but to live it out – set apart from the world .

So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. ⁶Because of these sins, the anger of God is coming.^[b] ⁷You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world. ⁸But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. ⁹Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds.
Colossians 3:5-9 NLT

WISDOM FROM THE JOURNEY

Put off the old self and put on the new. Walk in newness of life – 🦋

REFLECTION ON THE JOURNEY

How can you embrace your new identity in Christ, letting go of the old self and walking in the freedom He provides?

THE MORE WE KNOW

How can I have the mind of Christ?

Christ wants His followers to be set apart from the world, making godly choices and living godly lives

Bible study, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, Know These Truths, LGG Study, Quiet Time, Set Apart - Living a Life for God's Glor

Transforming the Mind

Posted on January 21, 2024January 22, 2024 by

based on the LGG Study, Set Apart, living a life for God’s glory / w3d1

SCRIPTURE: Romans 12:1-2 / SOAP verses 6-7

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. ²Don’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

Paul urges the believers in Rome to give themselves to God as a sacrifice. Paul wasn’t talking about literally throwing ourselves in the fire to be burnt up as the priest would do with the people’s sacrifices in the days of Aaron. However, what he was telling them was extremely radical, as it required them to sacrifice their earthly lifestyles – the normal behavior and customs of the world – for one that was holy and pleasing to God. Paul emphasizes that this is truly the way to worship God. Because we are born with a sinful nature that leads to death, the sacrifice requires a complete transformation of our minds and hearts that only God can perform. His transforming power will change how we think and give us a growing understanding of living a life set apart for God. When I read these words of Paul, I can’t help but think of James telling his readers that they needed to draw close to God, wash their hands, and purify their hearts because their loyalty (their mind) was divided between God and the world.

So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. ⁸Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.
James 4:7-8 NLT

Without the transformation of our minds, we will easily and forever be more swayed by the world than by God. Consider what Jesus told Peter, who had his mind on the things of man rather than God, in Matthew 16:23 – “…you are being a hindrance to me.” It is vital to keep our minds on the things of God not only for our own spiritual walk but so that we do not become a hindrance to those around us; again, this is only possible through the transformation and continual renewal of our mind that enables us to “test and approve what is the will of God -“

WISDOM FROM THE JOURNEY

God’s will is good, pleasing, and perfect – but we will not begin to understand it until we stop thinking and living like the world.
Me-fromtheInsideout 🦋