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“For whatever is born of God overcomes the world.
And this is the victory that overcomes the world-
our faith.”
1John 5:4
Faith is making an invisible God visible amongst people on earth-2Corinthians 3:1-3
1. The goal of Faith
The goal of living faith is to become like Jesus. (Ephesians 4:13) “A perfect man”, as Paul puts it, is someone who can function as a Christian! There are not too many of these types of people in the Church today. Juan Carlos Ortiz spoke of ‘the eternal childhood of the believer” and by this he meant Christians who never grow up in Christ and do not know how to “keep themselves” and serve God. (1John 5:18-19) The longing and yearning of the Holy Spirit is for “perfect Christians” to come forth and demonstrate Jesus powerfully. What will it take? For Paul we should be in a place to invite others to follow Christ by following our lives. (Philippians 3:17)
2. The Key to life changing Faith
We have the greatest power in the universe living inside us! (1John 4:4; Colossians 1:27) So, the question is; “What is our problem?” The answer is simple; we need a change of mind!! (1John 3:9) We need repentance because repentance is conforming our minds to agree with God’s word. This is a continuous process meaning that our minds have to get into the habit of agreeing with that which God says in His word. Our minds require training. (1John 3:9) Christians have a power in them that enables them not to sin continuously or habitually. Too often it is not that we cannot but that we will not! We need repentance-a change of mind. So, Christians spend too much time trying to understand the new life that is in them rather than releasing the new life that is in them. They are, as Paul put it, “ever learning but never coming to knowledge of the truth.” The truth is; the life of Jesus in us demonstrated. (1John 2:6)
3. The Mind of Faith
Fill your mind with the Word of God. (Romans 10:17) Try and read ten chapters of the Bible a day! What gets hold of your mind will affect your emotions and these in turn will affect or dictate your actions.
So, the Bible teaches:
1. Gird up the loins of your mind. Just as you wear a belt to keep your pants on so keep your mind safe by wearing a belt of truth around it. (1Peter 1:13; Colossians 3:1-2)
2. Be transformed by the renewing of your mind. (Romans 12:1-2)
3. Do not torment your mind by looking deliberately at evil and wicked things. (2Peter 2:8; Philippians 4:8-9)
This grieves the Holy Spirit by which we were sealed for the day of salvation when Jesus comes again and it offends Him. So, we all need the helmet of salvation which protects our minds from evil but we have to put it on deliberately as Paul commanded us. (Ephesians 6:13-20)
Christians who learn to bend their minds to the dictates of God’s word will be changed by the power of God and they will demonstrate the life of Jesus in this dark world. Paul affirms, in the book of Ephesians, that Christian transformation begins when we renew or change our minds to agree with what God says about us. (Ephesians 4:20-24) It’s like turning on a light switch on the wall since the switch allows the power of electricity to flow. We have to turn on the “light switch” of our minds and then Jesus’ life will surge through us to a lost world!
Who is sufficient for these things?
Malcolm Hedding
©Malcolm Hedding Ministries