Tag: set apart

Posted in Bible study, Christ is All I Need, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Quiet Time

Chosen, Set Apart, Loved…

Posted on by MaryEllen

Wednesday (w5,d3) / Put It On
Read: Colossians 3:12-14; 1 Corinthians 13:1-10 SOAP: Colossians 3:12, 14

11 In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.

12 Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 13 Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. 14 Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.

Colossians 3:11-14 (12, 14)

Our new life in Christ is not based on our race or our adherence to the law, how educated we are, or how we live. Because bondservants were common in his day, Paul even wrote that it didn’t matter whether they were slaves or free… what mattered, and what he desperately wanted them/us to understand, is that in Christ all are equal. In Him, we are new creations, unified in Him. Friends, don’t miss how Paul describes us here:

  • Chosen: by God
  • Set Apart: for God
  • Dearly Loved: by God

As such, we are to look, live, and love like Him. If you’re wondering what that looks like, remember ~ Christ was God in the flesh. Scripture paints a very vivid picture of who and what Christ was and how and why He lived. He was merciful, kind, gentle, patient, humble – even to the point that He took on the form of a servant (Phil 2:7-8), and He was abounding in love all the way to the cross, which He endured for us. In this, He made a way where there was no way – not only for us to come to the Father, but to be unified as one body made new in Him, set apart for Him, and dearly loved by Him.

While we might be tempted to say I just cannot live up to His standards, or to think for a minute that He doesn’t really expect us to be like Him, let’s think about some of the things we have been told in the Scriptures…

  • “I give you a new commandment—to love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. John 13:34
  • “Be holy, for I am holy” is a foundational command found in the Hebrew Bible (in books like Leviticus 19:2) and repeated in the New Testament (1 Peter 1:16), calling believers to reflect God’s pure and set-apart character in their daily lives. (Gotquestions.org)
  • “If you love me, keep my commandments” John 14:15.

Therefore, if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort provided by love, any fellowship in the Spirit, any affection or mercy, 2 complete my joy and be of the same mind, by having the same love, being united in spirit, and having one purpose. 3 Instead of being motivated by selfish ambition or vanity, each of you should, in humility, be moved to treat one another as more important than yourself. 4 Each of you should be concerned not only about your own interests, but about the interests of others as well. 5 You should have the same attitude toward one another that Christ Jesus had, 6 who though he existed in the form of God did not regard equality with God as something to be grasped,7 but emptied himself by taking on the form of a slave, by looking like other men, and by sharing in human nature. 8 He humbled himself, by becoming obedient to the point of death —even death on a cross! Phil 2:1-8

Friends, I know I use this next reference from 2 Peter all the time, but it bears repeating, and our minds need to know it and our mouths should say it often: God has given us everything we need for living as He has called us to live (my paraphrase). Whether it is loving others like Jesus did, forgiving as He has forgiven, thinking like Him, serving like Him, submitting like Him, dying to self (a.k.a: putting off the old nature and putting on tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience…). No, living a life of godliness isn’t always easy – actually, it is rarely easy – but He has equipped us for it, so let’s commit to remember that we have been chosen by God, set apart for God, dearly loved by Him, and equipped by and for Him.

 By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. 4 And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.

2 Peter 1:3-4 NLT

Response of Worship

Response of Prayer

Father, God ~ thank You for choosing me and setting me apart for You. Thank you for loving me so dearly and equipping me so fully to do all that You have called me to do as Your child. Thank You for setting me free from the bondage of the sinful nature and making me alive in Christ! For whoever the Son sets free is truly free, and it is an indescribable joy to be able to say ~ I’m a child of God! Please help me to faithfully clothe myself with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. May the mindset of Christ rule and reign over my thinking, words, and actions.

Reflection and Application

  • What do you think a life of mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience looks like?
  • How can we strive to live like this every day?

The More We Know

(From the LGG Journal, Christ Is All I Need, p 152)

Reading today’s passage makes us realize how far we fall short of all that we are meant to be. How I would love to be more merciful, kind, humble, gentle, and patient. How I long to be able to truly love others.

This is when we have to be reminded of what Paul said earlier: “For in him all the fullness of deity lives in bodily form, and you have been filled in him” (Colossians 2:9-10). When God calls us to put on the clothes of Christ-likeness, He Himself will give us these clothes. They are already hanging in the wardrobe of our new, risen life. We only have to take them out and put them on.

However, a righteous life doesn’t happen automatically. If it did, Paul wouldn’t urge us to “put it on.” We “put on” the virtues of Christlikeness when we trust Him to provide all the love, mercy, and patience we need in any given circumstance.

In faith, we need to ask God for it. And then, in obedience, we simply go and do as we are told, loving others in word and deed, and thanking Him in advance for providing us with everything we need.

Everything God demands of us, He Himself wants to accomplish in and through us (Philippians 2:13). God calls you to love others. Ask Him for that love. When you walk by faith like this, moment by moment, day by day, Jesus Himself will increasingly live the life of love through you.

And never forget that you are God’s elect, holy and dearly loved by Him. He has chosen you because He loves you. He will continue His work of sanctification in you. He won’t give up on you.

Heavenly Father, thank you for choosing and loving me. Please fill me with your love so that I can go and love others. Amen.

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, Firm Foundation, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, Know These Truths, LGG Study, Quiet Time

Sanctification

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For a thing to be sanctified means it is set apart for a special use. 

based on the Love God Greatly Study, Firm Foundation, w5d2

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8(SOAP vs 3); Hebrews 10:14-18 (SOAP vs 10)

God’s will is for you to be holy(sanctified-KJV), so stay away from all sexual sin. 

1 Thessalonians 4:3

 For by that one offering he forever made perfect those who are being made holy(sanctified-KJV).

Hebrews 10:14
Observations from the Journey

Because today’s passages focus on the believer being holy/sanctified, let us understand holiness/sanctification as God’s Word defines it. To be holy/sanctified is to be set apart for God (Leviticus 20:7; 1 Peter 1:15). Yesterday’s journey revealed or reminded us that we can not be made right with God (declared righteous) apart from faith in Jesus Christ. The same is true of God’s call for believers to be holy/sanctified – it is not possible apart from faith in Jesus Christ.

It is helpful to start with the passage from Hebrews and the message about the “one offering” perfecting – those who are “made holy.” Remember, it used to be animal sacrifices repeated again and again that would temporarily cover the sins of the people.1 However, the blood of the animal never truly removed the sin. But God, in His loving mercy, made a way! Through the blood of Jesus, the sacrificial system was made complete. For the perfect, spotless blood of Jesus is sufficient to wipe away sins – not just temporarily but forever! Hallelujah and amen!

What can wash away my sins?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus!
What can make me whole again?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus!
Oh precious is the flow
that makes me white as snow –
No other fount I know,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus!

Application: Living Out the Journey

When Paul closes out his instructions to the Thessalonians, he reminds them that God’s will is for them, as believers, to be sanctified, meaning to be “set apart for a special use2.” The example he gives with this instruction is for them to stay away from “sexual immorality,” a sin that undoubtedly was rampant in Thessalonica, a pagan culture steeped in sexual sin. However, we know from the totality of Scripture that sin of any kind, accepted or unaccepted by the culture we live in, is wrong and unacceptable in the eyes of our Holy God. To be set apart for God requires the believer to “keep away.” as Paul wrote, from all sins. Should we find ourselves wanting to make excuses for certain sins – let us understand that John explained sin to be anything that is contrary to God’s Word,3 and Paul was clear that the wages of sin is death,4 but he finished that statement with the clear and present promise that the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus – the perfected – solitary and all-sufficient offering – the spotless, sinless, Son of God – through whom (by faith) we are made holy and acceptable in God’s sight! – All glory and praise to God!

To be sanctified is to be “set apart.” Synonyms for sanctified are holy, consecrated, and hallowed. The Bible speaks of things being “sanctified,” such as Mt. Sinai (Exodus 19:23) and gifts to the temple (Matthew 23:17); days, such as the Sabbath (Exodus 20:8); names, such as God’s (Matthew 6:9); and people, such as the Israelites (Leviticus 20:7–8) and Christians (Ephesians 5:26).

Gotquestions.org
Prayer of Response to the Journey

Father, Son, and Holy Ghost – Thank You that through You I am made holy and set apart for You. Thank You for the reminder to walk faithfully in Your ways and stay away from all sin. Thank You for the blood that washed away my sins, the indwelling of Your Spirit that alerts me to sin and temptations and empowers me to turn away from them – even showing me the way of escape, as Paul wrote.5 Thank You, God, for the one offering that has perfected for all time those who are made holy, and for putting Your laws on my heart and inscribing them on my mind and remembering my sins against me no more! – I am most blessed and forever grateful! 💜

The More We Know

For a thing to be sanctified means it is set apart for a special use. 

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

Not My Own

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based on the LGG Study, Set Apart / w4d5

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 / SOAP 19-20

Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, 20 for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NLT

If I’m totally honest, there is something a bit daunting about being told, “You do not belong to yourself.” Yet, knowing that my body belongs to God is equally exhilarating at the same time. It is exciting and encouraging to know that I am not on my own – The Spirit, God’s Spirit, lives in me and works on God’s behalf to teach me and help me live a well-guided, self-controlled, and empowered life. He fills me with the knowledge and understanding that I need and reminds me of everything Jesus has said. I know I can trust these promises of the faith because I have been purchased by God with the price of His only Son’s blood and He did this out of love and so that I might glorify Him with my body.

To keep the body from dishonorable ways in a world that promotes an “if it feels good do it” attitude can present numerous challenges and temptations to copy the behavior and customs of the world. Even members of the community of faith are known to share or make excuses for the world’s standards and now acceptable practices. But God’s Word teaches us to remember that we do not belong to ourselves, instead – we belong to Him and should live according to His standards and not the world’s.

Wisdom from the Journey

Remember God’s Spirit lives in me …

… to control me… to guide me … to comfort me … to empower me …

The Spirit possesses me by God’s will and for God’s glory –

Because He is in me I can do all things that God has called me to do …

Because He is in me I must honor God with my body … physically, spiritually, mentally

Because He is in me His the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control should be more and more evident in my life …

Reflection from Today’s Journey

What is one practical way you can treat your body as a temple?

The More We Know

we came to belong to God when we came to Him by faith in Jesus.

If we are truly in Christ, we are truly not our own.

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

A Different Lifestyle

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based on the LGG Study, Set Apart, w4d3

SCRIPTURE:1 Thessalonians 4:1-8 / SOAP verses 3-5 and 7

God’s will is for you to be holy, so stay away from all sexual sin. 4 Then each of you will control his own body and live in holiness and honor— 5 not in lustful passion like the pagans who do not know God and his ways. – 7 God has called us to live holy lives, not impure lives.

1 Thessalonians 4:3-5, 7

“Set Apart” living requires a lifestyle that is different from those who do not know God. If we want to please God there is no other option than to live ‘set apart’.”

Me -from the INside-out 🦋

Paul is writing to believers who he had spent time with in person, teaching them how to live in a way that pleases God. He wants them to know they are doing it well but that they must keep pressing on in this good and holy way of living. Paul understood that living out God’s call on our lives is difficult at best and often seemingly impossible. He knew what it was like to want to do the right thing but how easy it was to keep doing the wrong thing – so he closed out his first letter to the Thessalonians with a review of the “will of God”. Which, as Paul points out, is to live a sanctified, holy life – or as today’s LGG Journal entry puts it: “God desires us to live lives set apart for HIm.”

I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate.

Romans 7:15 NLT

If you’ve been following along in the journey to live “set-apart”, you may be wondering why Paul so often warns about being sexually pure. The simple truth is that similar to our culture today – sexual impurity was often an accepted part of society and worse yet, sexuality and prostitution were even part of pagan worship. “Being sexually pure may seem countercultural and challenging, but it’s a choice that brings both blessings and peace. Our culture constantly pushes the message that sex is casual and without consequences, but God’s Word reveals the opposite. When we walk in sexual purity, we protect our hearts, relationships, and marriages from unnecessary pain and heartache.”1

However, as the LGG devotional journal points out – “It is important to remember that grace overflows from God to you as a precious daughter of the King. Your worth is not determined by your mistakes or society’s standards. If you have sinned in this area, confess it to God, ask for His forgiveness and He will cleanse you completely. He desires to bring healing, restoration, and wholeness to your life, and His mercies are new every morning. – No matter your past, today can be a fresh start. Choose today to live set apart, living a life that honors God, and walking in the freedom and joy that comes from living in His ways.”

 But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.

1 John 1:9

May we remember that our bodies are the temple of His Holy Spirit and choose to walk in purity and honor. May we choose to live lives that are set apart for/to Him – reflecting His love and holiness to the world around us – and this for His glory.

1The Love God Greatly Journal for Set Apart, Living a Life to Glorify God / p131

WISDOM FROM THE JOURNEY

The greatest take-away and application of this passage would be to walk in God’s will – as the new creations He has made us to be through Christ. – Remember, He didn’t just create us and walk away – God equipped us with the Holy Spirit and the power of all the promises that are “yes and amen in Christ.” We have no excuses, for He has given us everything we need to live a godly life – the question is will we?

Impurity is from the “old man” often referred to as the sinful nature – which we are told to “put to death”, Colossians 3:5-11.

We are new creations created in Christ Jesus – 1 Corinthians 5:17.

We have been crucified with Christ, so that the life we now live in the flesh we live by faith in the Son of God who loved us and gave Himself for us, Galatians 2:20.

REFLECTIONS FROM THE JOURNEY

In what ways can you be an imitator of God, demonstrating His love and grace to others?

THE MORE WE KNOW

The Importance of Holiness

A Focus on Sexual Purity

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

A Fragrant Offering

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based on the LGG Study, Set Apart, w4d3

Scripture: Ephesians 5:1-5 / SOAP verses 1-3

Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. 2 Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God. 3 Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people.

Ephesians 5:1-3 NLT

“Imitate God in everything you do” can be an overwhelming command because God is the giver of all givers. He gave the most extravagant gift ever given, His only begotten Son. He gave His son so that a world full of sinners – His enemies, to be more precise – could forego their deserved punishment of death and obtain not only freedom from sin but eternal life with Him in a Kingdom unlike anything we can imagine. We are called to imitate God not just because of His extravagant gift of love but because He also chose us as His own children. God’s love obviously runs deep, and we are to live a life that matches that love by following the example of Christ.

“Follow the example of Christ, who loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God,” can also be an overwhelming command. Paul makes a clear connection not to the time Jesus spent with the disciples or to the miracles He performed or the lessons He taught – but specifically to the fact that He offered Himself up as a sacrifice for the undeserving sinners – and He did it, not because He would gain anything, but rather to do what pleased God.

So, exactly how do we imitate God in His giving or Christ in His dying? How do we imitate such an impossible love? Clearly, from Paul’s examples of ‘what not to do’ in chapter five verse three, we must follow the more holy and righteous acts the Father and Son have done and walk in the empowerment of the Spirit God has given us. Paul gives the answer this time by teaching that we must live pure and holy lives which can be equally daunting because it demands that we put off what is natural to the sinful man by sacrificing selfish attitudes, sinful desires, and the temptations of this life. Paul gave an example of this in his last words of chapter four – when He said “And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ.” (Eph 4:32) – Forgiveness and compassion can be costly when they come at the expense of our pride or the anger we long to hang on to, or the love and compassion we just aren’t feeling. The good news is as we exercise our faith, we will grow in our faith and the holiness of our Father and the righteousness of our Savior will begin to rub off on us and shine through for others to see. As this happens we will find ourselves desiring to please God rather than join in the behavior and customs of this world.

Being set apart is a beautiful thing! It means that we’re living out our purpose, showing the world what it looks like to walk hand in hand with our Father. When we embrace who we are in Christ, as dearly loved children, we won’t want to reflect anything that is not a reflection of our Father. Instead, we will want to live sexually pure, kind, and generous lives because, in love, we want to reflect the One who so generously sacrificed so much for us.

LGG Journal Entry / Set Apart Journal, p127
Wisdom From the Journey

We must live differently from the world – because the ways of the world are not fitting for a child of God.

The acts described in verses three through five are not born out of love that comes from God but rather of sin and ungodly desires born out of a love for self and the world.

Paul reminds us that we are dearly loved children of God and that Christ’s love moved Him to sacrifice His life for ours and for the pleasure of God – so LOVE is definitely the dominating factor to be imitated. To do so requires that we understand and know the qualities of love … what it is and what it isn’t. The best answer to this is found in 1 Corinthians 13 where we read that Love …

  • is patient
  • is kind
  • i not envious
  • is not boastful
  • is not conceited
  • does not behave inappropriately
  • is not selfish
  • is not easily angered
  • is not a keeper of wrongs
  • is long-suffering
  • rejoices in truth
  • does not find joy in unrighteousness
Reflections From the Journey

In what ways can you be an imitator of God, demonstrating His love and grace to others?

The More We Know

Don’t forget to read today’s LGG Blog Post at https://lovegodgreatly.com/lgg-blog/

Posted in 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

Set Apart in Word and Deed

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based on the LGG Study, Set Apart, / w4d2

Scripture: Ephesians 4:14-16 / SOAP verse 15

 Instead, we will speak/practice1 the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. 

Ephesians 4:15 NLT

Oh how I hope you will go back and read from verse one through verse sixteen. This larger passage will help you to understand that the focus and point of Paul’s message is on maturing or growing up, in Christ – and what that means and looks like. He is teaching the church at Ephesus – and by extension – all disciples – that the role of the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers – is to “to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ.” He goes on to say that, “This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.”

Paul indicates that when this happens believers will no longer be like children who are immature and easily swayed by every wind of new teaching. They will not be quickly influenced by those who try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. Instead, we will speak, or practice, the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.

While most translations use the word “speak”, and rightfully so, I particularly love the NLT translation – which uses the word “practice”, giving the fuller meaning of Paul’s intent that we are to be growing in maturity, As Bibleref.com points out, this “maturity is a progression which includes both action and information.” In other words, it isn’t just our speech that should convey truth but our behavior should speak volumes as well. When the two are in sync the more we will reflect the truth of Christ in love – and it is then, as Paul concluded, that “Christ makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.”

Wisdom from the Journey

Disciples of Christ are to be different in word and conduct-
no longer swayed by this world
but living out the Jesus-Way of life

MefromtheNsideout 🦋

We cannot and will not “grow up into Christ” – if we do not know Christ and His ways, or if we continue to “copy the behavior and customs of this world.” 🦋

Christ is TRUTH, and LIFE, and the very epitome of LOVE 🦋

The stronger we are in Christ and in our Christian walk – the stronger the body will be built up in love – 🦋

Reflection on the Journey

In what situation can you practice speaking the truth in love?

The More We Know

1God’s command is to grow in maturity, a progression which includes both action and information (Ephesians 4:11–12). see https://www.bibleref.com/Ephesians/4/Ephesians-4-15.html

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

Landmines

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based on the LGG Study, Set Apart, living a life for God’s glory / w3d5

SCRIPTURE: Isaiah 41:10

Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.
    Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you.
    I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.

Isaiah 41:10 NLT

If you’ve ever dealt with fear or anxiety then you will understand when I say these are like – or can be like – landmines on a battlefield. You’re walking along just fine having a great day when someone says something or you see something or someone that triggers fear which sends you into a tailspin of anxiety or prompts an anxious thought that induces fear. Actually, the mind, left unguarded is a battlefield of landmines that can take us down or shake our faith and the peace Christ came to give. There are temptations of every genre and proportion, and more pointed explosives like shame, guilt, jealousy, anger, selfishness, covetousness, gluttony and so many more just waiting to be set off.

A land mine is an explosive weapon concealed under or camouflaged on the ground, and designed to destroy or disable enemy targets, – Such a device is typically detonated automatically by way of pressure when a target steps on it or drives over it, although other detonation mechanisms are also sometimes used. A land mine may cause damage by direct blast effect, by fragments that are thrown by the blast, or by both. Land mines are typically laid throughout an area, creating a minefield which is dangerous to cross.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Land_mine

Jesus warns us that our enemy is extremely dangerous, he is devious, sneaking around like a lion on the prowl who seeks to take down and destroy his prey. The enemy’s purpose is to steal, kill, and destroy any and all followers of Christ – and we must always be both mentally and spiritually alert and ready to stand firm against his attacks. He is devious and uses tactics similar to the explosive weapon of a landmine which is hidden and undetectable until you are right on top of it. Thoughts and desires left unguarded will make us easy prey to his tactics, but God is on our side and He will hold us up and stand with us in the battle.

So how do we guard ourselves and/or train ourselves to know potential landmines and avoid them? To borrow words from Paul, “since we live in the Spirit let us keep in step with the Spirit.” In other words don’t forget whose you are! You belong to the One who said He is with us – He will strengthen us and hold us up with His victorious right hand. I we must also remember that the power of His Spirit is in us – to protect us and watch over us. He was sent to teach us and to remind us of everything Jesus said. When our weapon of warfare is the living and active Word of God we are well protected against the schemes of our enemy, the devil – but we cannot and must not let down our guard or forget any of the protective armor we have been given to use. Shoes, shield, belt of Truth, helmet, sword and breastplate are all meant to survive the landmines the enemy has laid for our destruction – and when our eyes are fixed on Jesus – we will know and see that the life and peace He came to give are more powerful than any explosive the enemy has set for us.

WISDOM FROM THE JOURNEY

We must keep Isaiah 41:10 on the ready – as a weapon for the battle that undoubtedly will ensue… We must be so familiar with it that it comes to mind quickly and we use it well –

MefromtheNsideout 🦋
REFLECTION ON THE JOURNEY

How would your life be different if you chose not to live in fear?

THE MORE WE KNOW

The battles belong to the Lord

Spiritual battles require spiritual weapons

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

Landmines

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based on the LGG Study, Set Apart, living a life for God’s glory / w3d5

SCRIPTURE: Isaiah 41:10

Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.
    Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you.
    I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.

Isaiah 41:10 NLT

If you’ve ever dealt with fear or anxiety then you will understand when I say these are like – or can be like – landmines on a battlefield. You’re walking along just fine having a great day when someone says something or you see something or someone that triggers fear which sends you into a tailspin of anxiety or prompts an anxious thought that induces fear. Actually, the mind, left unguarded is a battlefield of landmines that can take us down or shake our faith and the peace Christ came to give. There are temptations of every genre and proportion, and more pointed explosives like shame, guilt, jealousy, anger, selfishness, covetousness, gluttony and so many more just waiting to be set off.

A land mine is an explosive weapon concealed under or camouflaged on the ground, and designed to destroy or disable enemy targets, – Such a device is typically detonated automatically by way of pressure when a target steps on it or drives over it, although other detonation mechanisms are also sometimes used. A land mine may cause damage by direct blast effect, by fragments that are thrown by the blast, or by both. Land mines are typically laid throughout an area, creating a minefield which is dangerous to cross.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Land_mine

Jesus warns us that our enemy is extremely dangerous, he is devious, sneaking around like a lion on the prowl who seeks to take down and destroy his prey. The enemy’s purpose is to steal, kill, and destroy any and all followers of Christ – and we must always be both mentally and spiritually alert and ready to stand firm against his attacks. He is devious and uses tactics similar to the explosive weapon of a landmine which is hidden and undetectable until you are right on top of it. Thoughts and desires left unguarded will make us easy prey to his tactics, but God is on our side and He will hold us up and stand with us in the battle.

So how do we guard ourselves and/or train ourselves to know potential landmines and avoid them? To borrow words from Paul, “since we live in the Spirit let us keep in step with the Spirit.” In other words don’t forget whose you are! You belong to the One who said He is with us – He will strengthen us and hold us up with His victorious right hand. I we must also remember that the power of His Spirit is in us – to protect us and watch over us. He was sent to teach us and to remind us of everything Jesus said. When our weapon of warfare is the living and active Word of God we are well protected against the schemes of our enemy, the devil – but we cannot and must not let down our guard or forget any of the protective armor we have been given to use. Shoes, shield, belt of Truth, helmet, sword and breastplate are all meant to survive the landmines the enemy has laid for our destruction – and when our eyes are fixed on Jesus – we will know and see that the life and peace He came to give are more powerful than any explosive the enemy has set for us.

WISDOM FROM THE JOURNEY

We must keep Isaiah 41:10 on the ready – as a weapon for the battle that undoubtedly will ensue… We must be so familiar with it that it comes to mind quickly and we use it well –

MefromtheNsideout 🦋
REFLECTION ON THE JOURNEY

How would your life be different if you chose not to live in fear?

THE MORE WE KNOW

The battles belong to the Lord

Spiritual battles require spiritual weapons

Posted in 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 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, 23 to be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and 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. 6 Because of these sins, the anger of God is coming.[b] 7 You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world. 8 But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. 9 Don’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

Posted in 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 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, 23 to be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and 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. 6 Because of these sins, the anger of God is coming.[b] 7 You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world. 8 But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. 9 Don’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