Tag: meditate

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The Hidden Man of the Heart

I Peter 3:4 – rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.

Have you ever considered who you are inside? Speaking from a biblical perspective, the inside of us is extremely important. Jesus’ accusation for the religious bunch in His day was that they were like whitewashed sepulchers, full of dead men’s bones. They looked good outside, but they were dead inside.

Such is the case of the unsaved. A man could dress in a $1000 suit and a $200 tie after a spa treatment on his skin, and doused in a manly smelling cologne, yet be deader than a doornail on the inside!

But a man or woman who has received Jesus as Lord and Savior has been made new on the inside. [II Corinthians 5:17] They’ve been made righteous (right; as they should be). [II Corinthians 5:21] They are children of God, heirs of God and joint-heirs with Jesus. [Romans 8:16, 17] That’s far different than being dead inside!

As born again children of God we’re now supposed to conduct our lives by who we are inside. God now lives there in the Person of the Holy Spirit. Consider this verse:

Proverbs 20:27 [AMP] – The spirit of man [that factor in human personality which proceeds immediately from God] is the lamp of the Lord, searching all his innermost parts.

The illumination of God shines from the inside out, not vice versa. This really serves two purpose. First, it is there to lead us in the right direction for our lives. We know from reading Psalms that the Bible – the Word of God – is both a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. Then secondly God’s light inside is a beacon to those around us. We grew up singing “This little light of mine; I’m gonna let it shine.” When Jesus lived here on earth, He was he light. Now we are to be light and salt. [Ephesians 5:8]

The main principle of living from the inside is acknowledging who we are inside to ourselves. A person could be born again with all the intrinsic changes that brings, and yet live totally dependent on the “outside man.” The Bible refers to this man as “the flesh.” In our Thursday night discussion group we’ve been focusing on tapping into who we are inside. Living “outwardly” is tiring, painful and lacking in power. We want to make positive, long-lasting changes, but we try and often fail. The reason we fail is that we’re depending on the outer man who is weak and worn out. Strength comes from within!

So what should we do? There isn’t space here to go into detail, but suffice to say this: study the New Testament for scriptures that tell you who you are in Christ – who you are inside since being born again. Then think about them, meditate on them, and see yourself experiencing them. This is who you really are!

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Give Your Faith A Lift

October 2017

 

Give your faith a lift!

I learned a lot of wonderful truths when I attended RHEMA Bible Training Center years ago. In one of our classes the teacher pointed out that God has made available to us forces that aid or cooperate with our faith. The obvious one is love. Galatians 5:6 shows that faith works, or is energized, by love.

Another powerful partner of faith is laid out for us in Hebrews 6:11, 12.

And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, 12 that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

Faith and patience are to be imitated. When we observe others who are realizing God’s promises, we should watch and learn.

Verse 11 describes the attitude we’re to have in this. First we’re told to “show the same diligence.” Strong’s Concordance renders the meaning “interest oneself most earnestly.” In other words, this is one of those areas that requires our attention. “Hope” describes a joyful, confident expectation. Don’t lose hope!

In verse 12 we’re told not to “become sluggish.” According to the dictionary, sluggish has these meanings: slow-moving or inactive; lacking in energy or alertness; slow to respond or make progress. Obviously being sluggish is not being diligent. I think we all want to “inherit the promises.” [Inherit means to receive – or become a partaker of – your portion.] Therefore faith and patience need to be imitated.

Faith is well defined in Hebrews 11:1 – it gives our hopes substance and is our evidence of promises which can’t yet be seen. In light of that, one of the things we should be diligent about is gathering evidence. If we’re experiencing a struggle in our finances, for example, our accounts may be providing evidence of lack. Our part then is to gather evidence to override that. It begins with musing on scriptures like “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want (lack),” [Psalm 23:1] and “… my God shall supply all your need …” [Philippians 4:19] Add to that using the imagination to “experience” the provision. Faith releases God’s grace – His ability in us to do what we couldn’t on our own. As believers faith can (and should) become our natural response to difficult times.

Then we come to “patience.” I can tell you that my understanding of patience years ago was that I was waiting – waiting on God to heal, deliver, prosper or whatever. Then I discovered there’s a flaw in that understanding. Healing, deliverance, forgiveness, peace, provision, security, etc., are already accomplished for us in Christ! There’s no such thing as waiting for what’s already done!

Well, what does patience mean then? Strong’s gives this definition: “the characteristic of a man who is not swerved from his deliberate purpose and his loyalty to faith and piety by even the greatest trials and sufferings. Vine’s Expository Dictionary says patience is “the quality which does not surrender to circumstances or succumb under trial.”

If you’re scratching your head trying to digest all that, think of it this way. Going back to our illustration, in the midst of financial hardship we’re assured that everything needed has already been provided. Therefore there’s no reason to quit or even become discouraged (hopeless). Psalm 42:5 says, “Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance.

An insurance company add used to tell us that when we purchased their insurance we were in good hands. Our true assurance is that we’re in good hands when our faith and patience are leaning securely on our loving heavenly Father!

Faith and patience have been called the power twins!

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“I couldn’t help but think …”

“I couldn’t help but think …”

I’ll be the first to admit it – I’ve said this! Something stimulated one of my senses and it felt like my mind ran off on its own without my permission. But is that really true? Do our minds “have a mind of their own”? Is there really nothing we can do but let them race away, unchecked?

As in every area of our lives, the Bible has some important things to say about this subject. Allow me to peruse through a few.

Proverbs 23:6-8 – Don’t eat at the table of a stingy person or be greedy for the fine food he serves. 7 “Come on and have some more,” he says, but he doesn’t mean it. What he thinks is what he really is. 8 You will vomit up what you have eaten, and all your flattery will be wasted. [Good News Bible]

Wise Solomon here speaks of a man who says one thing while he’s thinking something else entirely. The key is at the end of verse 7: “What he thinks is what he really is.” I’m starting with these verses to establish how important our thinking is. We’re all adept at putting on a false facade; but the thoughts, the attitudes, that come out of our hearts, they represent the real us! As uncomfortable as that can be, it is the absolute truth.

II Corinthians 10:4, 5 – For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,
[New King James Version]

As believers in our Lord Jesus we have been given “weapons” or instruments to help us deal successfully with the realm of thoughts, attitudes, imaginings, etc. Notice specifically verse 5: “casting down arguments.” For “arguments” other translations have “reasonings” or “imaginations”. When we add to this the thought “Bringing every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,” we’re clearly being told to stop thinking, reasoning or imagining anything that does not comply to who we are now in Christ!

Returning to my premise, it cannot be true that “I couldn’t help but think …” if the Bible tells me not to think certain things. God would be unfair to require us to control our minds if we are incapable of doing so!

One more verse, Philippians 4:8 – Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.  [New King James Version]

In II Corinthians 10:5 we were told what NOT to think. Here we’re told the opposite – these are things we should think or meditate on. It’s interesting to me that the word “arguments” in II Corinthians 10:5 is the noun form of the same word translated “meditate” (a verb) in Philippians 4:8. And again, since the Bible tells us not only thoughts to cast away but thoughts to embrace, it must be in our power to do just that.

No doubt our minds need to be retrained. They can be like unruly children, involved in all kinds of mischief. But we can reel them in and train them to obey. An important principle in the New Testament is “the renewing of the mind.” You, your Bible and the Holy Spirit can get that unruly child retrained.

So, don’t give in to “I couldn’t help but think …” Take control by the instruments you’ve been given. You’ll be glad you did!