But that isn’t what you learned about Christ. Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.
We are the product of our thinking, so it is important that we choose carefully where to focus our mental energy. We can cling to our old flesh patterns and consequently find ourselves tripping over impulses and attitudes like bitterness, pride, and discontent. The wise alternative is to reprogram our thinking to match that of Jesus Christ.
Our current thought processes—such as the way we view ourselves and others, and how we approach problems—have been programmed by authority figures, church, friends, and even enemies. We can select some of our mind's influences (e.g., the media) but not all (e.g., our parents). Yet we can choose what input will shape our mind by believing and dwelling on that material.
Reprogramming the mind is a matter of choosing to believe and meditate upon God's truth. When you receive Jesus Christ as Savior, your mind is renewed with a capacity for godly thought. It might not seem different at first. But the longer you live the Christian life and apply biblical principles, the more you'll find old habits and modes of thinking will be choked out. However, anytime you yield to temptation, you allow old thought patterns an opportunity to rise up and dominate first your mind, and then your mouth and hands.
The way to strangle fleshly thoughts and attitudes is to pour Scripture into the mind regularly and frequently (Ps. 119:11). When we allow our thinking to be directed by the thoughts of God—which is what the Bible is made of—we will think, speak, and act according to His will.
For more biblical teaching and resources from Dr. Charles Stanley, please visit www.intouch.org
4 comments:
First verse we learned in top gun was Ps 119:9-11 - 9 How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. 10 I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. 11 I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.
Lets live it out. I keep saying I am going to relearn those verses. No time like the present.
cas
Amen.
the author of this passage uses cool imagery of CHOOSING TO throw off the old tattered, schtanky rags of the old nature and CHOOSING to 'put on' the new nature.
This morning its crisp in this part of the world and I have to decide on what to wear...Nice lead in.
Great lesson. Need to apply those principles now and throughout the day. Thanks for the reminder and encouragement to seek God first at the beginning of old thought patterns. gch
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