Jesus Christ is my God!
Issued 05.06.2002
Right-minded life
Right attitudes produce good and wrong attitudes bad deeds. Therefore aim at good thoughts and attitudes rather than good deeds. The repentance from a wrong-minded to a right-minded is a miracle of God! God is upright. You can adopt His mind in Jesus Christ.
Glory
Many resist killing, but don't fight against pride, although proud mind produces violence. Deeds of the lust of glory are obvious and they are: arrogance, rudeness, impudence, violence, lies, intrigues, parties, honorary titles, badges of honour, nationalism, terrorism, wars and the like. Proud thoughts are wrong!
Seeing the glory of God makes one humble. Worshipping God nourishes your spirit better than joy of your own honour. I wish you could genuinely praise God! Then the humble attitude could overwhelm your mind.
Many resist killing, but don't fight against pride, although proud mind produces violence. Deeds of the lust of glory are obvious and they are: arrogance, rudeness, impudence, violence, lies, intrigues, parties, honorary titles, badges of honour, nationalism, terrorism, wars and the like. Proud thoughts are wrong!
Seeing the glory of God makes one humble. Worshipping God nourishes your spirit better than joy of your own honour. I wish you could genuinely praise God! Then the humble attitude could overwhelm your mind.
Ownership
Many resist stealing, but are not against greed, although greedy mind causes stealing. Deeds of the lust of property are obvious and they are: enviousness, frauds, stealing, flattery, workaholic life, stinginess, stress, contamination of nature, slavery and the like. Greedy thoughts are wrong!
Receiving the gift of God makes one grateful. Trust in God gives your soul greater safety than your property. I wish you could with all your heart be grateful to God! Then the God dependent and generous attitude would overwhelm your mind and you could put your trust in God's maintenance.
Many resist stealing, but are not against greed, although greedy mind causes stealing. Deeds of the lust of property are obvious and they are: enviousness, frauds, stealing, flattery, workaholic life, stinginess, stress, contamination of nature, slavery and the like. Greedy thoughts are wrong!
Receiving the gift of God makes one grateful. Trust in God gives your soul greater safety than your property. I wish you could with all your heart be grateful to God! Then the God dependent and generous attitude would overwhelm your mind and you could put your trust in God's maintenance.
Enjoyment
Many resist drugs, but however don't oppose selfishness, although selfish mind leads to perverse phenomena. Deeds of the lust of enjoyment are obvious and they are masturbation, sexual intercourse outside marriage, paedophilia, adulteries, debauchery, homosexuality and lesbianism, drunkenness, alcoholism, overeating, drugs and the like. Selfish thoughts are wrong!
Receiving the atoning sacrifice of God makes one patient. The experience of God's grace gives you greater and longer lasting joy than a sin. I wish you could love God with all your heart! Then patient and unselfish attitude would overwhelm your mind.
Many resist drugs, but however don't oppose selfishness, although selfish mind leads to perverse phenomena. Deeds of the lust of enjoyment are obvious and they are masturbation, sexual intercourse outside marriage, paedophilia, adulteries, debauchery, homosexuality and lesbianism, drunkenness, alcoholism, overeating, drugs and the like. Selfish thoughts are wrong!
Receiving the atoning sacrifice of God makes one patient. The experience of God's grace gives you greater and longer lasting joy than a sin. I wish you could love God with all your heart! Then patient and unselfish attitude would overwhelm your mind.
Struggle against injustice
There are two front lines in the struggle against injustice. Mind is the real front line and deeds are the back front. If your mind were filled with injustice, yet you can try to resist sin by avoiding bad deeds. However the only real possibility to live without sinning is to reach the right mind and keep it.
Your wrong thoughts drive you to bad deeds, although you know that it is wrong what you are doing. Knowledge of good and evil doesn't help to win a temptation, because the bad lust living in your heart will win the knowledge.
Jesus had been tempted in every way, just as we are, but He was never forced to retreat to the back front. His mind was tempted to adopt wrong attitudes just as we are, but He maintained always the right attitudes. When He was tempted to become proud, He exclaims to His Father in anguish: "Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour!'" John.12:27 Jesus got strength of mind and so will you also, if you want to be right-minded.
If you have received the atonement work of Jesus, you have experienced God's grace. This experience creates in you the will to live without sin. God forgave you your sins and therefore you are grateful to Him. The attitude of fighting against sin appears in you and you want in everything to live according to God's will.
If you surrender yourself to sin without a battle, your mind is not compatible with the gospel. The attitude, that wants to continue in sin and in the same time to own God's grace, comes from blaspheming thoughts. "If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left." Heb.10:26 Sin is an enemy of God. If you make peace with an enemy of God, you yourself become an enemy of God.
There are two front lines in the struggle against injustice. Mind is the real front line and deeds are the back front. If your mind were filled with injustice, yet you can try to resist sin by avoiding bad deeds. However the only real possibility to live without sinning is to reach the right mind and keep it.
Your wrong thoughts drive you to bad deeds, although you know that it is wrong what you are doing. Knowledge of good and evil doesn't help to win a temptation, because the bad lust living in your heart will win the knowledge.
Jesus had been tempted in every way, just as we are, but He was never forced to retreat to the back front. His mind was tempted to adopt wrong attitudes just as we are, but He maintained always the right attitudes. When He was tempted to become proud, He exclaims to His Father in anguish: "Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour!'" John.12:27 Jesus got strength of mind and so will you also, if you want to be right-minded.
If you have received the atonement work of Jesus, you have experienced God's grace. This experience creates in you the will to live without sin. God forgave you your sins and therefore you are grateful to Him. The attitude of fighting against sin appears in you and you want in everything to live according to God's will.
If you surrender yourself to sin without a battle, your mind is not compatible with the gospel. The attitude, that wants to continue in sin and in the same time to own God's grace, comes from blaspheming thoughts. "If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left." Heb.10:26 Sin is an enemy of God. If you make peace with an enemy of God, you yourself become an enemy of God.
God's mind
All the thoughts of God are right. He has expressed His attitudes to us in Jesus Christ. Who has attitudes like He has! Nobody is like Him! He gave His one and only Son to suffer for His enemies. If you see the Son of God in Jesus, your spirit is nourished with the glory of God. If you are obedient to Jesus in everything, you will experience perfect maintenance of God. If you came to the faith, you shared the Spirit of God. He will guide you to adopt the right mind.
Jesus commanded His apostles: "Teach them to obey everything I have commanded you." Matth.28:20 They carry out this command of Jesus with the letters of the New Testament.
The law of Christ is written on the minds of His own. A follower of Jesus doesn't obey the collection of negative and positive commandments but his right deeds come from his right attitudes. A believer must have the mind of Jesus Christ. God already promised this to the prophets of the Old Testament: "'This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord, I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds." Hebr.10:16
All the thoughts of God are right. He has expressed His attitudes to us in Jesus Christ. Who has attitudes like He has! Nobody is like Him! He gave His one and only Son to suffer for His enemies. If you see the Son of God in Jesus, your spirit is nourished with the glory of God. If you are obedient to Jesus in everything, you will experience perfect maintenance of God. If you came to the faith, you shared the Spirit of God. He will guide you to adopt the right mind.
Jesus commanded His apostles: "Teach them to obey everything I have commanded you." Matth.28:20 They carry out this command of Jesus with the letters of the New Testament.
The law of Christ is written on the minds of His own. A follower of Jesus doesn't obey the collection of negative and positive commandments but his right deeds come from his right attitudes. A believer must have the mind of Jesus Christ. God already promised this to the prophets of the Old Testament: "'This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord, I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds." Hebr.10:16
Putting to death your wrong mind
Jesus calls you: "Deny yourself, take up your cross and follow me." Matth.10:38, Mark.8:34 Denying yourself means that you give up your natural pride, greed and selfishness. Taking up your cross means that you give up everything which prevents you from obeying Jesus. Following Him means that God's mind produces His deeds in you.
Paul, the apostle says: "Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires." Gal.5:24 This sentence expresses the same thing as the words of Jesus when He speaks about "denying yourself". Paul emphasises the importance of guarding your mind by saying: "Put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds." Eph.4:22-23
Jesus was tempted to lose His right mind. In Gethsemane His sweat was like drops of blood when opposing the change of His mind from right-minded to wrong-minded. Then He said to His disciples: "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak." Matth.26:41 So watch yourself! Guard your attitudes!
Man's sinful nature is described in the Bible with the trinity: "the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life." 1John 2:16 Human culture consists of these three things. These three are the same as selfishness, greed and pride. These three wrong attitudes are described in the Bible as the one concept of "the body of sin". Although they are three, they are one and the same "old self". "For we know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin." Rom.6:6
Although you would not be overwhelmed by pride and you are not a pleasure-lover but you are greedy, your greed causes pride and selfishness in you. Although you would not be greedy but you desire to get glory, your lust of glory inspires also selfishness and greed in you. The entire wrong mind must be put to death so that you could have a right-minded life. "For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God." Rom.8:13-14
By the gospel we can share the Spirit of God. Obedience to the Holy Spirit puts to death our wrong mind and we get the mind of Jesus instead of it. "Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires." Rom.8:5
Every believer has a different cross, because our different circumstances of life define the things that we are allowed to give up for Jesus. . Therefore Jesus says: "Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me." Matth.10:37
Have you taken your cross that the Holy Spirit offered to you? Paul, the apostle had been led by the Holy Spirit and he said about it: "For His sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ." Phil.3:8
Jesus calls you: "Deny yourself, take up your cross and follow me." Matth.10:38, Mark.8:34 Denying yourself means that you give up your natural pride, greed and selfishness. Taking up your cross means that you give up everything which prevents you from obeying Jesus. Following Him means that God's mind produces His deeds in you.
Paul, the apostle says: "Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires." Gal.5:24 This sentence expresses the same thing as the words of Jesus when He speaks about "denying yourself". Paul emphasises the importance of guarding your mind by saying: "Put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds." Eph.4:22-23
Jesus was tempted to lose His right mind. In Gethsemane His sweat was like drops of blood when opposing the change of His mind from right-minded to wrong-minded. Then He said to His disciples: "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak." Matth.26:41 So watch yourself! Guard your attitudes!
Man's sinful nature is described in the Bible with the trinity: "the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life." 1John 2:16 Human culture consists of these three things. These three are the same as selfishness, greed and pride. These three wrong attitudes are described in the Bible as the one concept of "the body of sin". Although they are three, they are one and the same "old self". "For we know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin." Rom.6:6
Although you would not be overwhelmed by pride and you are not a pleasure-lover but you are greedy, your greed causes pride and selfishness in you. Although you would not be greedy but you desire to get glory, your lust of glory inspires also selfishness and greed in you. The entire wrong mind must be put to death so that you could have a right-minded life. "For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God." Rom.8:13-14
By the gospel we can share the Spirit of God. Obedience to the Holy Spirit puts to death our wrong mind and we get the mind of Jesus instead of it. "Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires." Rom.8:5
Every believer has a different cross, because our different circumstances of life define the things that we are allowed to give up for Jesus. . Therefore Jesus says: "Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me." Matth.10:37
Have you taken your cross that the Holy Spirit offered to you? Paul, the apostle had been led by the Holy Spirit and he said about it: "For His sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ." Phil.3:8
Humbleness of your spirit
The kernel of the world of your ideas expresses the activity of your spirit. When you are honoured you experience satisfaction in your heart. You think that this is I want to experience more. You adopt the desire to be something great. You start dreaming of gold and glory. If you will be put to shame, the lust of glory causes a depression in you. Then you can get help from entertainment industry that offers you heroes to whom you can identify yourself with. You can nourish that hunger of your proud spirit by being something great in your imagination, although you are not great in reality.
Glory is a drug that makes your spirit addicted to it. Jesus says to the proud: "How can you believe if you accept praise from one another, yet make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only God." John.5:44 Does God accept you? What does God say about you? You must refuse praises coming from man, so that your spirit could be nourished by the words of God that He says about you when accepting you as His own. God honours you, if you receive His testimony about Jesus. He accepts you as His own, if you confess that Jesus is the Son of God.
If you make efforts to obtain the acceptance of God, Jesus is the answer. Shame not glory belongs to you, because you have sinned. Jesus suffered your shame on the cross, so that God could accept you. Look at the suffering and the shame of the Son of God for your sake. Approach God through the sacrifice of Jesus and your spirit will be satisfied. Before you were satisfied by praises of men, but now God's grace revives your heart. Is God's grace sufficient for you?
Humbleness doesn't stay in you, if you forget to watch the honour and the glory of God. Therefore worship God all the time and praise Him in Jesus Christ, so that your spirit could get strength of mind for humbleness.
Living in ambitious dreams alienates the dreamer from the reality. Stay away from all fantasies, if you want to see the glory of God. How could you get visions from God, if the daydreams of your heart are running without limits! So whatever is true think about such things. Imagination is a planning tool, not an instrument of mental indulgence. Adopt the attitude of truthfulness in everything you think.
The kernel of the world of your ideas expresses the activity of your spirit. When you are honoured you experience satisfaction in your heart. You think that this is I want to experience more. You adopt the desire to be something great. You start dreaming of gold and glory. If you will be put to shame, the lust of glory causes a depression in you. Then you can get help from entertainment industry that offers you heroes to whom you can identify yourself with. You can nourish that hunger of your proud spirit by being something great in your imagination, although you are not great in reality.
Glory is a drug that makes your spirit addicted to it. Jesus says to the proud: "How can you believe if you accept praise from one another, yet make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only God." John.5:44 Does God accept you? What does God say about you? You must refuse praises coming from man, so that your spirit could be nourished by the words of God that He says about you when accepting you as His own. God honours you, if you receive His testimony about Jesus. He accepts you as His own, if you confess that Jesus is the Son of God.
If you make efforts to obtain the acceptance of God, Jesus is the answer. Shame not glory belongs to you, because you have sinned. Jesus suffered your shame on the cross, so that God could accept you. Look at the suffering and the shame of the Son of God for your sake. Approach God through the sacrifice of Jesus and your spirit will be satisfied. Before you were satisfied by praises of men, but now God's grace revives your heart. Is God's grace sufficient for you?
Humbleness doesn't stay in you, if you forget to watch the honour and the glory of God. Therefore worship God all the time and praise Him in Jesus Christ, so that your spirit could get strength of mind for humbleness.
Living in ambitious dreams alienates the dreamer from the reality. Stay away from all fantasies, if you want to see the glory of God. How could you get visions from God, if the daydreams of your heart are running without limits! So whatever is true think about such things. Imagination is a planning tool, not an instrument of mental indulgence. Adopt the attitude of truthfulness in everything you think.
Gratitude of your soul
How you experience the world surrounding you expresses the activity of your soul. Your soul wants to see many beautiful objects, to hear wise thoughts and to feel sweet feelings. Your eyes never have enough of seeing, nor your ears their fill of hearing, nor does your sense of feeling become torpid to good atmosphere. Greed blinds you to truth. It makes you mishear. It can overwhelm you with absurd feelings.
Sensuality is a narcotic and makes your soul addicted to it. Jesus says to the greedy: "I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven." Matth.19:23 Do you own something imperishable? Do you want to see the face of God?
If you seek imperishable richness, Jesus is the answer. Your earthly richness lets you down, but God offers you in Jesus the eternal fortune that is imperishable. Behold, God offers you eternal life as a gift in Jesus Christ. Be ready to give up everything for the sake of Jesus. Consider Him most important and your soul will be nourished with His riches.
Gratitude doesn't stay in you, if you forget what good God has done for you. Therefore watch everything good that you have as a gift from God.
Train yourself to look at everything from the viewpoint of God. Through the faith fix your eyes on unseen reality. Be trained to own things not by eyes but by the faith that God affects in you. Adopt the attitude of faith concerning ownership.
How you experience the world surrounding you expresses the activity of your soul. Your soul wants to see many beautiful objects, to hear wise thoughts and to feel sweet feelings. Your eyes never have enough of seeing, nor your ears their fill of hearing, nor does your sense of feeling become torpid to good atmosphere. Greed blinds you to truth. It makes you mishear. It can overwhelm you with absurd feelings.
Sensuality is a narcotic and makes your soul addicted to it. Jesus says to the greedy: "I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven." Matth.19:23 Do you own something imperishable? Do you want to see the face of God?
If you seek imperishable richness, Jesus is the answer. Your earthly richness lets you down, but God offers you in Jesus the eternal fortune that is imperishable. Behold, God offers you eternal life as a gift in Jesus Christ. Be ready to give up everything for the sake of Jesus. Consider Him most important and your soul will be nourished with His riches.
Gratitude doesn't stay in you, if you forget what good God has done for you. Therefore watch everything good that you have as a gift from God.
Train yourself to look at everything from the viewpoint of God. Through the faith fix your eyes on unseen reality. Be trained to own things not by eyes but by the faith that God affects in you. Adopt the attitude of faith concerning ownership.
Unselfishness of your body
Your body is the tent that connects you to this world. Through it you express your thoughts and feelings, but the needs of your body also control your soul and even the thoughts of your spirit. Because God has cursed the nature due to the Fall you have fears concerning the needs of your body. You worry whether your body gets what it needs. This fear leads easily to selfish actions. Mistrust and rebellion against God change the necessary desires to bad lusts.
Enjoyments of the body are drugs that make your spirit addicted to them. Jesus says to the lustful: "If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell." Matth.5:29-30 Do you know the real needs of your body? Are you only afraid of hunger and thirst but cannot be afraid of the fire of hell? Do you want a new immortal body, where you never die?
If you seek the welfare of your body, Jesus is the answer. Living for the lusts of your body leads you to eternal suffering, but life in Jesus Christ gives you one day a new tent that connects you the world of God. So be ready to die together with Jesus and you will experience also the resurrection in Him.
Unselfishness doesn't stay in you, if you have a different attitude to your body than Jesus had. Trust in the maintenance of God and He will meet all your needs.
Don't think too much of your own convenience, but take voluntarily pains to benefit of others. Put into death your murmuring and grumbling and make yourself a servant of everybody. Adopt a serving attitude for all trouble and everything you do.
Your body is the tent that connects you to this world. Through it you express your thoughts and feelings, but the needs of your body also control your soul and even the thoughts of your spirit. Because God has cursed the nature due to the Fall you have fears concerning the needs of your body. You worry whether your body gets what it needs. This fear leads easily to selfish actions. Mistrust and rebellion against God change the necessary desires to bad lusts.
Enjoyments of the body are drugs that make your spirit addicted to them. Jesus says to the lustful: "If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell." Matth.5:29-30 Do you know the real needs of your body? Are you only afraid of hunger and thirst but cannot be afraid of the fire of hell? Do you want a new immortal body, where you never die?
If you seek the welfare of your body, Jesus is the answer. Living for the lusts of your body leads you to eternal suffering, but life in Jesus Christ gives you one day a new tent that connects you the world of God. So be ready to die together with Jesus and you will experience also the resurrection in Him.
Unselfishness doesn't stay in you, if you have a different attitude to your body than Jesus had. Trust in the maintenance of God and He will meet all your needs.
Don't think too much of your own convenience, but take voluntarily pains to benefit of others. Put into death your murmuring and grumbling and make yourself a servant of everybody. Adopt a serving attitude for all trouble and everything you do.
Adopting the right mind
Do you want to adopt the mind and attitudes of Jesus? You cannot follow Jesus, if you have not come to faith first. Forgiveness of your sins and peace with God is the foundation, from which you can pursue the right mind. The first renewal of your mind is the experience where you change your mind according to the Gospel. God is good; you are bad; Jesus is the Son of God, died on the cross for your sins, rose up from the dead and sits now on the Throne of God. Has your mind become one with this message? If it has, then you are able to adopt the mind of Jesus and get forward on the road of God.
In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus advises us to right-minded life. The apostles teach the same things in their letters. However the Holy Spirit leads everyone individually to experience the death of one's wrong mind. Only He can give the new spirit to our mind.
Jesus said that everyone must take one's own cross. This means that every believer has different experiences. We are allowed to give up different things for the sake of Jesus. Different kinds of things crucify our sinful nature according to what the Holy Spirit sees best for us. Agree with the treatment God wants to do for you. He will do it well. You will be as right-minded as Jesus.
Do you want to adopt the mind and attitudes of Jesus? You cannot follow Jesus, if you have not come to faith first. Forgiveness of your sins and peace with God is the foundation, from which you can pursue the right mind. The first renewal of your mind is the experience where you change your mind according to the Gospel. God is good; you are bad; Jesus is the Son of God, died on the cross for your sins, rose up from the dead and sits now on the Throne of God. Has your mind become one with this message? If it has, then you are able to adopt the mind of Jesus and get forward on the road of God.
In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus advises us to right-minded life. The apostles teach the same things in their letters. However the Holy Spirit leads everyone individually to experience the death of one's wrong mind. Only He can give the new spirit to our mind.
Jesus said that everyone must take one's own cross. This means that every believer has different experiences. We are allowed to give up different things for the sake of Jesus. Different kinds of things crucify our sinful nature according to what the Holy Spirit sees best for us. Agree with the treatment God wants to do for you. He will do it well. You will be as right-minded as Jesus.
The Bible version used in references is NIV