Study Guide

Reformation of the Mind

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Chapter Two REFORMATION OF THE MIND

The mindset of the Sons of God in this day must be that of reformation. It is time for the true Sons to take responsibility for the disposition of the Body of Christ. We are the called of God and have been given much by the Father. We must take heed to the signs of the times for the end is near. This age is rapidly coming to an end. Jesus, having anticipated these times, asked . . . “Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?” St. Luke 18:8. Will there be those who are walking in the mind of Christ?

GLOBALIZATION

The Sons must think in terms of getting the truth to every nation on earth. We have been given the revelation of Christ and understand the mind of Christ. It is our responsibility to carry His mind to the world. The Church, itself, has been led off course with diverse doctrines of men and has become self-serving, without regard for the eternal purpose of God. Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature (St.Mark 16:15). This is the commission we have today. The technology is in place and the comprehension of the message is real. All that is left is to obey.

REFORM AND RENEWAL

It is imperative that you begin to consider that you are in the midst of a reformation. In fact, you have been called as the reformers. It is the Word of God that you will minister to the Body and the Word that will turn the hearts of men to the Father. Our time is even as that of John the Baptist. We are the messengers sent to tell the good news of salvation and life through the coming Savior. He is soon to return to claim His own. But you cannot deliver such a message without becoming the evidence of that life. You must cease to walk in that old mindset which causes you to vacillate from the righteousness of God. The reformation of the Church begins with the reformed life of each of its members. The following two chapters are what I consider to be the heart of the reformation message as they focus on the lifestyle and mindset of the Sons of God.

Ephesians 4:11-13

11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

How many more lessons, sermons, counseling sessions or conferences will it take to get you to embrace the knowledge of the Son of God that you have already received? At some point you must accept that there are others in the Body of Christ who are walking in the unity of the faith and presenting to the Father a perfected lifestyle. Just because you may not have accepted it as purpose for your life, does not mean that the reformation of the Body is on hold. The Lord is going to have Himself a people. In fact, He does have a people who are living holy everyday. They have come to believe what the Word of God says about them and in doing so have taken on the mind of Christ. These Sons have probably not been made known to the Body or the world as yet, but you can believe that they soon will be. Our time has come upon the Church and the world. Each day now the Lord is shooting us out of His quiver as fiery arrows into the darkness of this world.

Ephesians 4:14

That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

How is it possible for you who are so knowledgeable of the Word, to be deceived by the doctrines and cunning craftiness of men? It is time to face the truth. To be deceived regarding your walk in the Word is to lessen the evil that is in the sin you commit or the want that is in your heart. It is evil when there is something that stands between you and doing the will of the Father. You must cease to justify mindsets and dispositions that are clearly not the mind of Christ. Your own actions and emotions are the signs that you are not walking in the Spirit. The reality is that you have remained in the flesh. There is no way around the fact that walking in the Spirit is the dissolution of divers mindsets and the craftiness of men. Christ always walked in the wisdom of God. When you walk in the Spirit, you too are walking in the wisdom of God. The want for the things of this world exists no longer and the love of God for His people is manifest without reservation.

Ephesians 4:15

But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

Those who are called to lead must live the truth they speak. The manifestation of this is a walk of love. There is no learning Christ without walking in the love of Christ, which is within you. To reject the walk in the Spirit is to never achieve righteousness or purpose.

Ephesians 4:16-17

16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

17 This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,

The New Creature was subjected or forced to remain in this fleshy body. This body has a mind and memory of the sins and pleasures it has experienced, but the New Man is created in Christ Jesus. He has access to the mind of Christ, the Word instructs us to put on the mind of Christ. Where do we put it on? When we walk in the Spirit the mind of Christ controls the flesh. Its power is greater than that of the fleshy mind and it is able to subdue all unlawful desires of the flesh. The mind of Christ is without controversy regarding obedience to the Father or His Word. To walk in the vanity of your fleshy mind (carnal mind) is to remain void of the life and love of Christ. You will not be able to manifest the love for mankind that is necessary to minister effectively to the Church or the world.

Ephesians 4:18

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:

To treasure what you want, think, or feel will alienate you from the life of God. You hold your desires, feelings and thoughts so dear; you simply refuse to relinquish them in exchange for the mind of Christ. It is amazing how the flesh convinces the New Man of a sense of loss when these are to be forsaken. Remember, the fleshy mind is enmity against God. Only the Spirit of God is able to subdue the mind of the flesh and bring it into submission to the will and way of God.

When you walk in the Spirit the New Man is manifested. Until then, He is at war with the temptations of the flesh. If you have been trained in the truth, the fleshy mind has comprehended that training as well. It knows the Word but is often not able to resist temptation without the power of the Spirit. This is also where much deception appears. Many think that because they have made some right decisions concerning sin and lust, it is all right to operate within the confines of the fleshy mind. The fleshy mind is vulnerable to the desires of the members of flesh therefore; it is imperative that it be exposed to the Holy Spirit for power and consistency.

Ephesians 4:19

Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

Again, this is what happens when you try to operate without walking in the Spirit. Eventually there will be a giving over to that area of vulnerability. When this happens, don’t think the fleshy mind is going to war against itself with any degree of success. Instead, it will devise a plan that puts it in hot pursuit of the things it wants or wants to accomplish. All of this drama and spiritual trauma can be avoided by simply maintaining your walk in the Spirit. By doing so you are not vulnerable to mindsets or temptations that destroy your relationship with the Father. Christ has already overcome the world and you are an overcomer if you walk in Him.

Ephesians 4:20-24

20 But ye have not so learned Christ;

21 If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:

22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;

23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;

24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

It is the responsibility of the New Man to allow the mind of Christ to control the flesh. This is the choice you have to make. I can promise you that in doing so you will not experience a sense of loss. You will know contentment and the joy of obedience to the Word. The love of God will flow from you without stress or restraint. You will be happy walking in a power that can and will adequately resist temptation.

Ephesians 4:25

Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.

Lying causes chaos in the Body of Christ. Consider the effects of your body parts working against one another. When the Body is functioning properly all parts are working to produce a common goal. If the hands merely give the appearance of having the same mind as the feet, but are secretly working against them, then the perfect man does not appear. Likewise, the same is true with the spiritual Body of Christ; lying or a failure to walk in the truth, produces a misrepresentation of Christ to the world.

Ephesians 4:26-31

26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:

27 Neither give place to the devil.

28 Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.

29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:

EXAMPLES:

Acts 8:18-23

18 And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money,

19 Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost.

20 But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money.

21 Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God.

22 Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee.

23 For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity.

Romans 3:14

Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:

WRATH: fierce indignation, the desire to slay or slaughter ANGER: NT: 3709 violent passion orge, originally any "natural impulse, or desire, or disposition," came to signify "anger," as the strongest of all passions. The implication is revenge or punishment. Notes: (1) Thumos, "wrath" (not translated "anger"), is to be distinguished from orge, in this respect, that thumos indicates a more agitated condition of the feelings, an outburst of wrath from inward indignation, while orge suggests a more settled or abiding condition of mind, frequently with a view to taking revenge. Orge is less sudden in its rise than thumos, (wrath) but more lasting in its nature. Thumos (wrath) expresses more the inward feeling, orge (anger) the more active emotion. Thumos may issue in revenge, though it does not necessarily include it. It is characteristic that it quickly blazes up and quickly subsides, though that is not necessarily implied in each case. (2) Parorgismos, a strengthened form of orge, and used in Eph 4:26-27 26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: 27 Neither give place to the devil. "provocation," points especially to that which provokes the wrath, and suggests a less continued state than No. (1). "The first keenness of the sense of provocation must not be cherished, though righteous resentment may remain" (Westcott). The preceding verb, orgizo, in this verse implies a just occasion for the feeling. This is confirmed by the fact that it is a quotation from Ps 4:4 (Sept.), where the Hebrew word signifies to quiver with strong emotion. (From Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words, Copyright (c) 1985, Thomas Nelson Publishers)

CLAMOUR: a loud cry, to yell or scream in the midst of controversy

Ephesians 4:32

And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

It is not worth losing the forgiveness of the Father in your life, to hold unforgiveness in your heart. Do not allow your pride to interfere with your ability to be tenderhearted. You have nothing to prove. All those concerned know who you are and what you are about. You do not have to throw your weight (authority) around neither do you have to beat down those who seem to oppose you. It is by love and kindness that the Lord drew you unto Himself. It is by love and kindness that you will draw others to Christ.

REFERENCE SCRIPTURE:

Ephesians 5:1-33

1 Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;

2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour.

3 But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;

4 Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.

5 For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.

6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.

7 Be not ye therefore partakers with them.

8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:

9(For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)

10 Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.

11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.

12 For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.

13 But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.

14 Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.

15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,

16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.

18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;

19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;

20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;

21 Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.

22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.

23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.

24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.

25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;

26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,

27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.

29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:

30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.

31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.

32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

33 Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.