What our God who is Spirit wishes for us; that which we may only discover by a knowledgeable spiritual intelligence, and a knowing of the self centered nature we possess which opposes Him, is of supreme importance to the advance of the Christian life. Namely we must find and know our biblical described new creation position and identification, or how we are seen by Him. This biblical spiritual reality of our new status should perhaps be on the forefront of our Christian mind. His Word says quite plainly that "what a man thinks he becomes" Prov. 23:7. He does of course wants us to become in a full awareness what he has made us to be [2 Cor. 5:17]. But just what is that and how does that work? Thinking to become our destiny and not simply being satisfied with what we are.
Being is simply to exist, a bug just is. So thinking must come first. But wait a minute if thinking forms the product of a self aware or conscious God inherited valued being then it is very important that we think on only a actual true truth to be what we really are! And there can be just one true truth! Therefore, in the case of our Christian life, which is encompassed in a spiritual life and not a life only of gratefulness and works. A life contained in thought, not just service or a determined loyalty. "You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ". Rom. 8:9
Christianity is a immaterial manifestation, therefore of the thought process. Walk [live out your new creations self perception] not after the flesh, but after the Spirit" Rom 8:4. Which as such; for the living of His new creation by our spirit actively, it is all important that thinking be restricted to a true meaning [Rom. 8:7]. A meaning which promotes spiritual growth, which forms in us to a godly maturity. After all there is and can be only one true meaning in His plan for us. And for the Christian that means and can only mean, we must think God's thoughts, never ours [1 Cor. 2:6-16]. For our own intuitions and thoughts are always convoluted by our very nature. "There is a way that seems right to men but the end thereof is death". So then what does He mean for us to be?
Our natural defining thoughts centered in the natural world of touch, emotions and feelings are simply the suppositions of that which we think is right by a perception or worse a observation. They are temporary being thoughts at best. All relative to what is the most amiable for our experience, what feels right. These are really thoughts made in our imagination in that they are not of eternal value toward God. Especially so if we do not have Gods biblical truth concerning ourselves upon our mind. As we are in Adams image or condition as to physical life and natural thought upon the earth. Limited to the natural when self evaluated in the natural mind. We are ruled by our flesh thoughts if left to our own devises. All requiring self volition, which was placed upon mankind by his own actions.
Volition a curse for the earth dweller forever. As we must make our own way. A way which is and must be self centered for survival just as directed by the natural. This process always includes suffering as well. Making our own way upon the earth the hard way. For Adam to act within his own supposition's he must by the natural law principals within function in a imagination condition, placing his own value upon things not godly and eternal, of the earth. Producing what too often is simply deduced to be God's wishes. This includes our thoughts of ourselves and our Christianity when taken outside of a known biblical explanation of true spirituality or "what is written". So for true life our mind must be renewed by His Word. For He has His own thoughts of us which we are to perceive only by faith, in that which is written regarding our new creation in Christ life. This kind of faith is our responsibility to grow into, not a gift like salvation. Thus when action is taken toward a faith experience based upon His Word we are feeding spiritual growth and living in Him, trusting Him for all else which is to be added. "You were set free from the tyranny of sin" Rom. 6:18.
His are pure eternal thoughts, non-physical immaterial in their emanation from a perfect source. Which by His will and grace has established our newly formed inner man in His mind. This new man by His will is to be know in our own souls and mind as well. But only and exclusively by faith in His Words regarding what He sees in the heavenly view of His Son. This is not our perception but His. "Without faith it is impossible to please God". Leading us in a new perception, as individuals, to a new gospel, a heavenly spiritual life and Church made up of those identified in Christ in God's estimation, His Mind not ours. Just as taught in "Paul's Gospel". A new spiritual individual existence for all who believe is now available. We made into the new creation as spirit from before time for His acceptance alone. No longer is or can the old Adam natural self-centered supposition mind be in fellowship in any way with Him. "Let this [Christ's] same disposition [mind] be in you which is in Christ Jesus" " For as much then as Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourself likewise [see yourself in the very same way as God sees His Son] with the same mind. Phil2:5. 1Pet 4:1.
The mind which Adam so enjoyed formerly in the garden one of oneness with God is no longer available for those who exist in Adams inheritance as we all do. Which is our lot, except for our Spirit guided effort towards faith in a intelligence [discernment] of spirit. Based upon our individual biblical discovery. Our true life only known in spirit by faith in what God has said of us in our transference to His Son. His exclusive view, never ours. Our identification in Christ. "Let this mind be in you". "Put on the new man" Eph. 4:24.
Now with a new enlightened faith and a Word renewed mind can His new creation thought of us prevail for living life. We placed in His presence in His Son's perfection so as to enable His perfect view toward us forever. He has given us a new life by His grace and favor, the old has been proven a failure and for Him is dead. We are truly new men before Him! All of the Grace we receive is found exclusively in His love for His Son and made available to us in transference by that same grace by His will. All His Love given to us. His thoughts of His Son then applied to us in the Spirit. Co-mingling His mind and ours, as to our new creation place with Him in glory. That we might receive a new meaning and identification taking our position in glory with Him in and by faith but only in our mental perception. And then and only then may we live daily as such. This great gift of the very thoughts He has of His Son being applied to us are all based in our minds understanding. Never in our Church service or personal convictions. Founded upon knowledge of the Word. Lived and experienced by the reality of biblical Faith. Seen in truth only upon studying, resting and relying upon His Word to know who we are in Christ!
Our own selfish personal thoughts as to our status before Him, creating a need to serve Him by earthly accomplishment, are biblical referred to as Adam's thoughts [1 Cor. 2:14] and are discounted and valueless, coming from sin and death. Because they are formed in our old Adam or sin personality. God's are the thoughts we now may think anew, transferred to us in mind by His Word. Within which He evaluates His Son as His total satisfaction toward us. All this found as we contemplate His Word.
There could be no form of higher love than His for His Son. His literal thoughts have been recorded in the Word for the specific purpose that we might think them and thereby become conformed to the image of His Son, not by action but in total trust, received by grace. So thinking is everything as to meaning and therefore the being we are in God's sight. But never in the context of our natural supposition's tendency to merge with our old pre-cross condition; always a self-centered personality we usually adopt by imitation and imagination. "The carnal [natural suppositions] mind is the enemy of God" Rom. 8:7.
The great interference to the process of God transferring His thoughts to our mind, for the born again believer is listing to others. The bible is clear we need nothing more than the Word and His Spirit. "God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son Jesus Christ our Lord" 1 Cor. 1:9. Yes biblical scholarly bible talks and exegesis [explanation] can be a great help, and there are many trustworthy sources. However we must have a firm basis for the understanding of our own true spiritual standing as seen in concert with Him as God views us Himself, firmly at the depth of our own self evaluation as our status before Him. Furnished to us individually and privately by the Holy Spirit. Furthermore we should always question our own personal motivations and the influence of others actions as whether they might be under the natural mans influences.
The total meaning of Paul's ministry was to that end for clarification; him God's only clear purposeful voice toward the Church. Revealing it a spiritual and heavenly enterprise; never attached to the earth, or this world system and never to Adam's thoughts or imaginations. "Put away as concerning you former manner of life the old man" Eph.4:22. Gods voice in Paul for the believer. That we might fellowship with the Father forever in Spirit. His Word as spoken by Paul are all patterned contextually for the individual private establishment of our own vessel containing His Godly truth in regards to who we are to Him as heavenly spiritual beings. "God has raised us up together, and made us to sit together in heavenly places Eph. 2:6. The establishment of a new creature where He is. You might call this holding a spiritual truth in our individual mortal bodies [thoughts, mind] first before any value or outward expression in service may be performed or any true meaning found. "That He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He has afore [before time] prepared unto glory" Rom. 9:23. Yes there is a future transfiguration for us, but we only have now to live a true internal Christianity in this place.
For the Christian as to any Godly value contained in the mortal body can only mean the mind, the immaterial, like our God. But it is only through faith that He in fact has established a way for our becoming conformed to His Son in our immaterial thoughts and that is our responsibility to maintain . No never reasoning or intellectualism and certainly not works will due! However for man to know this new life requires a alteration of the conscience of the Adam mind or soul as we call it. So true thoughts necessitates true thinking and thinking creates being by God's design. A god like creative quality we and all of mankind by His will may pursue. We Christians all created in His image are carrying that capacity exclusively in our new creation minds. Unfortunately for Adam only need will trigger it's formation.
Hold on there you say. Just what does that mean? What we think about can create a certain being? We are not God. Yes true, so we must evaluate ourselves in a changed mind to gain His power to enter the personality of His new man creation. We are not to think in our Adam being conscience any longer as to our relationship in Him. As no good can come from Adam's thoughts or the natural man we are contained in. He has in fact attempted to circumvent God, it is his nature as he is always under "the law of sin and death" as a Adam man apart from Christ's life. It is only God's thoughts as to our newly defined heavenly presence, identified in Christ which we must allow as a true definition of our Christianity. But How? "Walk [in dependence] in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lusts [natural thoughts] of the flesh
By our mind becoming changed exclusively by the Spirit that's how. Simply to believe is not enough. Simply to be active and moral will never due....even a godly biblical faith when misdirected or poorly understood will hold us in limitation. If you wish to be all that God has made you to be in thought then you must have knowledge. But specific knowledge. That's why others thoughts are often a barrier to our minds perceiving who we are in the satisfaction God finds in His Son toward us. "For we walk [in dependence] by faith [a reality from God] and NOT by sight [our own ideas] 2 Cor. 5:7
Many thoughts we hold on to as having true value are really imagined or Adamic. How so? They are like borders, money/economics, culture and religion; believed to hold importance, or of real worth toward God because they have become codified into traditions and laws. Think about that for a second! We Christians have people in leadership, mere men telling us how to be included in or make a real Christianity, with good intent of course. For instance I was told by one Christian group, and they are Christians, that if we say "O Lord Jesus" two are three times with great enthusiasm His Spirit would and must take action in us. That we as individuals must form a corporate union exclusively bonding together in a specific exclusive group following a certain order before finely and ultimately reaching a god-man status in awareness thus encouraging Jesus to return. Then this group would be the only to have any hope to reign as co-kings with Him, all on the earth, of course. Only a Adam mans thoughts could assume such thoughts are true and will produce God's will in man. As always attachment to the earth is encouraged, even coveted by the Adam man as many Christians prove. Why? Because that is our natural condition? But should not we be looking for His way? "That you faith should not stand in the wisdom of men but in the power of God" 1 Cor. 2:5.
Or the most common Adam mind misdirection diversion; the focusing in on current events and translating them as applying to ancient end times prophecies. Thus creating a emotional earthly response. Many individuals Christians and some churches carry collectively this burden of codified Adam man imaginations, as a sort of doctrine, inflating ego, fanning the flame of emotionalism and often used as a justification for a self centered indignation. Then there is world or community improvement, one of the most egregious of the examples posing as gospel directed must do for the Christian. Strictly a Adam invention to show Christianity's form for all to judge. Not bad things perhaps but all are placing our Christianity upon the earth trusting in the behavior of men. Instead we are to; "Stand fast in the liberty [spiritual identification in Christ] wherewith Christ has made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage [the law, tradition's, works, things of the natural world] " Gal 5:1.
However there is a object which must become transformed into a mental image and prominent in our mind's before we can truly change our thoughts. Become who we are in His new creation. Until we recognize this object mentally/spiritually, in a private and individual way and then diligently seek knowledge of it, it will remain elusive. Until then we will simply remain largely in a aware state of self activity operating in a imagined reality thinking it the best Christian life which we can accomplish usually what others have told us to do. Often really what others have exemplified and we have followed. This kind of thinking has no value toward gaining God as our object. He is not glorified by this behavior, we are. A true godly fellowship within in our inner man with our creator is what we must seek. His very purpose for us.
The object we must internalize to realize this new life is of course Christ Jesus as to our defining thought. In whom God made us to be inclusive in Spirit and can be entered into only by faith, as to living His life as actually ours. A true Godly effort shown by faith alone. And thus made real in our mind, all else is to follow! This is God's design for His children. The only one in which He may be honored in Christian action and the only way within which we can live as a true "biblical" Christian; by a new heavenly perception and thought of ourselves, resulting in a Godly spiritual experience. "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death" Rom. 8:2.
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