For to be carnally minded is death - To live under the influence of the carnal mind is to live in the state of condemnation, and consequently liable to death eternal: whereas, on the contrary, he who is spiritually minded has the life and peace of God in his soul, and is in full prospect of life eternal.
How can you tell if
you are carnally minded or spiritually minded? Romans 8:5 says, “For they
that are after the flesh (#4561 “sarx”) do mind the things of the flesh
(#4561 “sarx”); but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.”
The Amplified says, “For those who are according to the flesh and are controlled by its unholy desires; set their minds on and pursue those things which gratify the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit and are controlled by the desires of the Spirit set their minds on and seek those things which gratify the [Holy] Spirit.”
What are you pursuing and thinking about all day? What is your mind focused on? Because that is who you are.
If you think about food all day, you are going to eat too much. If you think about sex all day, you will have sex (in every way that you can, holy and unholy). If your mind is filled with hostility towards someone, you will have strife and bitterness all day. If your mind is filled with thoughts of unworthiness and how no good your are, you will live like and act like a failure that nobody loves.
But on the other hand, if you fill your mind with what is good and holy, you will walk in peace. If you fill your mind with how much God loves you and how He has blessed you, you will walk in the abundant life, feeling His presence and His love every place that you go.
Colossians 1:21 says that before you were born again you “...were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works...” Conybeare says, “...you were estranged from Him, with your mind at war with Him...” The Amplified says, “...you were of a hostile attitude of mind...”
You can’t follow the Lord if your mind is at war with Him. Being carnally minded is the reason why many christians feel cut off from God’s presence. They feel no intimacy, no relationship, no peace with God; because they allow their minds to dwell on anything and everything that the flesh desires.
You must become selective in your thought process. You must choose what thoughts and imaginations you allow to stay in your mind.
Possessing a Sound Mind -
II Timothy 1:7 says, “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” The Amplified says, “...a calm and well balanced mind and discipline and self-control.”
The Bible teaches that you can have a well-balanced mind that is filled with the things of God. You can renew your mind to the Word of God and think the thoughts of God. You can have everything that the Word of God says you can have. You can walk in love. You can live in peace. You can be a joyful, prosperous and blessed child of God.
I Peter 1:13 says that you must “...gird up the loins of your mind...” The word translated “mind” here is the Greek #1271 “dianoia” and literally refers to the imagination.
Gird up your imagination, the creative part of your mind. Become selective in your thought process. Don’t fasten your attention on the things of the flesh. Meditate on the Word of God. Find the scriptures that speak life to your spirit and write them down and think on them throughout the day. Make a decision to start renewing your mind today!
Your imagination can either aid you or defeat you, encourage you or discourage you, assist you or obstruct you, empower you or prevent you from being all that God wants you to be. It is your choice. What you give your mind to is what you will become. “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he...” (Proverbs 23:7).
The Amplified says, “For those who are according to the flesh and are controlled by its unholy desires; set their minds on and pursue those things which gratify the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit and are controlled by the desires of the Spirit set their minds on and seek those things which gratify the [Holy] Spirit.”
What are you pursuing and thinking about all day? What is your mind focused on? Because that is who you are.
If you think about food all day, you are going to eat too much. If you think about sex all day, you will have sex (in every way that you can, holy and unholy). If your mind is filled with hostility towards someone, you will have strife and bitterness all day. If your mind is filled with thoughts of unworthiness and how no good your are, you will live like and act like a failure that nobody loves.
But on the other hand, if you fill your mind with what is good and holy, you will walk in peace. If you fill your mind with how much God loves you and how He has blessed you, you will walk in the abundant life, feeling His presence and His love every place that you go.
Colossians 1:21 says that before you were born again you “...were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works...” Conybeare says, “...you were estranged from Him, with your mind at war with Him...” The Amplified says, “...you were of a hostile attitude of mind...”
You can’t follow the Lord if your mind is at war with Him. Being carnally minded is the reason why many christians feel cut off from God’s presence. They feel no intimacy, no relationship, no peace with God; because they allow their minds to dwell on anything and everything that the flesh desires.
You must become selective in your thought process. You must choose what thoughts and imaginations you allow to stay in your mind.
Possessing a Sound Mind -
II Timothy 1:7 says, “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” The Amplified says, “...a calm and well balanced mind and discipline and self-control.”
The Bible teaches that you can have a well-balanced mind that is filled with the things of God. You can renew your mind to the Word of God and think the thoughts of God. You can have everything that the Word of God says you can have. You can walk in love. You can live in peace. You can be a joyful, prosperous and blessed child of God.
I Peter 1:13 says that you must “...gird up the loins of your mind...” The word translated “mind” here is the Greek #1271 “dianoia” and literally refers to the imagination.
Gird up your imagination, the creative part of your mind. Become selective in your thought process. Don’t fasten your attention on the things of the flesh. Meditate on the Word of God. Find the scriptures that speak life to your spirit and write them down and think on them throughout the day. Make a decision to start renewing your mind today!
Your imagination can either aid you or defeat you, encourage you or discourage you, assist you or obstruct you, empower you or prevent you from being all that God wants you to be. It is your choice. What you give your mind to is what you will become. “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he...” (Proverbs 23:7).
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