BATTLE FIELD OF THE MIND

SIN OR RIGHTEOUSNESS CONSCIOUSNESS

Pastor Dawn Marie Berry, SW Washington

 

WE SHOULD HAVE A RIGHTEOUSNESS CONSCIOUSNESS; MEDITATING ON WHO WE ARE IN CHRIST. NOT JUST - WHO WE ARE!

 

ARE YOU TORMENTED BY NEGATIVE THINKING ABOUT YOURSELF? DO YOU THINK HOW GOD MUST BE DISPLEASED WITH YOU, BECAUSE OF ALL YOUR WEAKNESSES OR FAILURES?

 

HOW MUCH TIME DO YOU WASTE LIVING UNDER GUILT AND CONDEMNATION? THIS TYPE OF THINKING IS A WASTE OF TIME. DON’T THINK ABOUT HOW TERRIBLE YOU WERE BEFORE YOU CAME TO CHRIST JESUS.

 

DON’T THINK ABOUT THE PAST FAILURES YOU’VE HAD IN OBEDIENCE TO THE WORD, THE LORD, THE HOLY SPIRIT, OTHERS OR YOURSELF. (THINK ABOUT HOW YOU HAVE BEEN MADE THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD IN HIM.)

 

REMEMBER, THOUGHTS TURN INTO ACTIONS.

 

IF WE EVER WANT TO BEHAVE DIFFERENTLY OR BETTER, WE HAVE TO CHANGE OUR THINKING FIRST. IF WE KEEP THINKING ABOUT HOW TERRIBLE WE ARE, OR HAVE BEEN, WE’LL ONLY ACT WORSE.

 

EVERY TIME A NEGATIVE, CONDEMNING THOUGHT COMES TO YOUR MIND, REMIND YOURSELF THAT GOD LOVES YOU, THAT YOU HAVE BEEN MADE THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD IN CHRIST.

 

II CORINTHIANS 5:21 KING JAMES BIBLE

FOR HE [GOD] HATH MADE HIM [JESUS] TO BE SIN FOR US, WHO KNEW NO SIN; THAT WE MIGHT BE MADE THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD IN HIM.

 

II CORINTHIANS 5:21 AMPLIFIED BIBLE

FOR OUR SAKE HE MADE CHRIST [VIRTUALLY] TO BE SIN, WHO KNEW NO SIN, SO THAT IN AND THROUGH HIM WE MIGHT BECOME [ENDUED WITH, VIEWED AS BEING IN, AND EXAMPLES OF] THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD [WHAT WE OUGHT TO BE, APPROVED AND ACCEPTABLE AND IN RIGHT RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM, BY HIS GOODNESS]

 

II CORINTHIANS 5:21 LIVING BIBLE

FOR GOD TOOK THE SINLESS CHRIST AND POURED INTO HIM OUR SINS. THEN, IN EXCHANGE, HE POURED GOD’S GOODNESS INTO US.

 

WE ARE CHANGING FOR THE BETTER ALL THE TIME. EVERY DAY WE ARE GROWING SPIRITUALLY. GOD HAS A GLORIOUS PLAN FOR OUR LIVES.

 

KNOW GOD’S WORD AND ‘THINK’ DELIBERATELY ACCORDING TO THAT WORD. DON’T JUST THINK WHATEVER FALLS INTO YOUR HEAD, RECEIVING IT AS YOUR OWN THOUGHTS.

 

RECOGNIZE WHEN THE DEVIL SPEAKS. REBUKE HIM AND START THINKING RIGHT [WORD OF GOD] THOUGHTS.

 

THE PERSON WITH THE MIND OF CHRIST THINKS POSITIVE, UPLIFTING, EDIFYING THOUGHTS, ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE AS WELL AS ABOUT OURSELVES AND OUR CIRCUMSTANCES.

 

BE WORD MINDED. GOD’S WORD IS A WRITTEN EXPRESSION OF HIS THOUGHTS AND HIS WILL. WE MUST ALLOW HIS WORD TO BE A LIVING MESSAGE IN OUR HEARTS. THIS IS ACCOMPLISHED BY READING, STUDYING, AND MEDITATING THE WORD. THIS IS HOW HIS THOUGHTS CAN BECOME OUR THOUGHTS. THIS IS THE ONLY WAY TO [DEVELOP] THE MIND OF CHRIST IN US. THE ONLY WAY TO HAVE A RIGHTEOUSNESS CONSCIOUSNESS.

 

JOHN 5:38 JESUS WAS CHASTISING SOME UNBELIEVERS.

 

JOHN 5:38

AND YOU HAVE NOT HIS WORD [HIS THOUGHT] LIVING IN YOUR HEARTS, BECAUSE YOU DO NOT BELIEVE AND ADHERE TO AND TRUST IN AND RELY ON HIM WHOM HE HAS SENT] [THAT IS WHY YOU DO NOT KEEP HIS MESSAGE LIVING IN YOU, BECAUSE YOU DO NOT BELIEVE IN THE MESSENGER WHOM HE HAS SENT.]

 

THE BIBLE IN JOHN 1:14 SAYS THAT JESUS IS THE WORD MADE FLESH. GET TO KNOW HIM.

 

PSALM 1:2-3

BUT HIS DELIGHT AND DESIRE ARE IN THE LAW OF THE LORD, AND ON HIS LAW [THE PRECEPTS, THE INSTRUCTIONS, THE TEACHINGS OF GOD] HE HABITUALLY MEDITATES [PONDERS AND STUDIES] BY DAY AND BY NIGHT. AND HE SHALL BE LIKE A TREE FIRMLY PLANTED [AND TENDED] BY THE STREAMS OF WATER, READY TO BRING FORTH ITS FRUIT IN ITS SEASON; ITS LEAF ALSO SHALL NOT FADE OR WITHER; AND EVERYTHING HE DOES SHALL PROSPER [AND COME TO MATURITY]

 

THE LORD IS TELLING US THAT WE WILL NEVER PUT THE WORD INTO PRACTICE PHYSICALLY, IF WE DON’T FIRST PRACTICE IT MENTALLY.

 

YOU ARE THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD IN CHRIST. THINK ON THAT!

 

 

God bless you, as you read God’s Word,

Pastor Dawn Marie