Jesus Christ is my God!
Issued 08.09.2003
Worldly or godly
What does it mean to be worldly-minded? Do you want to live with a worldly or a godly mind? Why does somebody want to be godly? How do you get godly thoughts? Or do you rather want to be worldly-minded?
Worldly goodness is deceitful
Modesty of a proud person is cringing. Alms of a greedy one are an investment that is expected to make a profit. Charity of a selfish person is a request to gain pleasure. Goodness of a world-minded person is seeming. Deeds of a wrong-minded person are always spoiled by injustice, although they seem to be good.
In the light of God's goodness the Seven Virtues of worldly-minded persons turn out to be the Seven Deadly Sins. Worldly-minded love equals lust, worldly-minded faith equals sloth, worldly-minded hope equals envy, worldly-minded justice equals anger, worldly-minded prudence equals pride, worldly-minded fortitude equals greed and worldly-minded temperance equals gluttony.
The more I have learned to know God, the more I have been shocked at my thoughts that naturally well forth from my sinful nature. Many attitudes considered natural are revealed as evil in the company of Jesus. Good self-esteem may be revealed as pride. Many noble looking efforts are revealed as plots to take advantage of others. Thoughts of a diligent person can be expressions of greed. Self-confidence and bold actions come often from selfish and untruthful thoughts.
Modesty of a proud person is cringing. Alms of a greedy one are an investment that is expected to make a profit. Charity of a selfish person is a request to gain pleasure. Goodness of a world-minded person is seeming. Deeds of a wrong-minded person are always spoiled by injustice, although they seem to be good.
In the light of God's goodness the Seven Virtues of worldly-minded persons turn out to be the Seven Deadly Sins. Worldly-minded love equals lust, worldly-minded faith equals sloth, worldly-minded hope equals envy, worldly-minded justice equals anger, worldly-minded prudence equals pride, worldly-minded fortitude equals greed and worldly-minded temperance equals gluttony.
The more I have learned to know God, the more I have been shocked at my thoughts that naturally well forth from my sinful nature. Many attitudes considered natural are revealed as evil in the company of Jesus. Good self-esteem may be revealed as pride. Many noble looking efforts are revealed as plots to take advantage of others. Thoughts of a diligent person can be expressions of greed. Self-confidence and bold actions come often from selfish and untruthful thoughts.
Do you give up worldly mind?
Glory caresses the complexion of your spirit. Boasting refreshes your depressed mind. Acquiring wealth sets your mind at rest. Ecstasy of sensuous pleasures makes you glad. Give up seeking glory! Do not anymore take pains with getting rich. Turn away from injurious pleasures. Are you shocked at my request? Why would you abstain from what you like? Because God wants it. Deny yourself!
Your proud, greedy and selfish life is sin and deserves a punishment. Shame, death and endless pains are waiting for you. However God demonstrated His love for you in allowing His only Son to suffer your punishment. If you believed in Jesus, your sins were forgiven. What next? After you got life from Jesus, He is looking for something from you. He doesn't command nor press, but He is expecting something from you.
Jesus calls us to deny ourselves. It means us ourselves, and not only our deeds. It hurts something in us which we consider natural and a good part of us. Those who belong to Jesus Christ have allowed themselves to be crucified together with Jesus. It means death to a worldly mind. Yes - it means that we admit our own goodness to be evil. You who believe in Jesus, can you agree with all your heart with the following statement. "Nothing good lives in me - that is, in me without Jesus"?
Glory caresses the complexion of your spirit. Boasting refreshes your depressed mind. Acquiring wealth sets your mind at rest. Ecstasy of sensuous pleasures makes you glad. Give up seeking glory! Do not anymore take pains with getting rich. Turn away from injurious pleasures. Are you shocked at my request? Why would you abstain from what you like? Because God wants it. Deny yourself!
Your proud, greedy and selfish life is sin and deserves a punishment. Shame, death and endless pains are waiting for you. However God demonstrated His love for you in allowing His only Son to suffer your punishment. If you believed in Jesus, your sins were forgiven. What next? After you got life from Jesus, He is looking for something from you. He doesn't command nor press, but He is expecting something from you.
Jesus calls us to deny ourselves. It means us ourselves, and not only our deeds. It hurts something in us which we consider natural and a good part of us. Those who belong to Jesus Christ have allowed themselves to be crucified together with Jesus. It means death to a worldly mind. Yes - it means that we admit our own goodness to be evil. You who believe in Jesus, can you agree with all your heart with the following statement. "Nothing good lives in me - that is, in me without Jesus"?
God's goodness is genuine
God's thoughts are different from ours. A worldly mind is proud, greedy and selfish. A godly mind is humble, generous and loving. Jesus showed us the attitudes of God. God's character is godliness. God demonstrated His humbleness by coming down as a man. Proud people cannot believe that God could be humble. Therefore they cannot believe in the Son of God. God is generous to everybody. He distributes His gifts also to the ungrateful. God loved all the people with the same love, although He knew beforehand that only few will receive His love. Jesus died for everyone so that anyone could get the forgiveness of one's sins.
Jesus didn't come - only - for the forgiveness of our sins. He came to change the thoughts of our hearts. One would suppose that everyone who has been cleansed of sins would like to experience godly life in one's heart. Unfortunately the practice proves that many people, who confess faith, have decided to accept wrong thoughts for themselves - at the cost of mercy. The right mind is the aim of God's mercy in us. If it has not come true in us, we have not been so much under grace as we supposed.
God's thoughts are different from ours. A worldly mind is proud, greedy and selfish. A godly mind is humble, generous and loving. Jesus showed us the attitudes of God. God's character is godliness. God demonstrated His humbleness by coming down as a man. Proud people cannot believe that God could be humble. Therefore they cannot believe in the Son of God. God is generous to everybody. He distributes His gifts also to the ungrateful. God loved all the people with the same love, although He knew beforehand that only few will receive His love. Jesus died for everyone so that anyone could get the forgiveness of one's sins.
Jesus didn't come - only - for the forgiveness of our sins. He came to change the thoughts of our hearts. One would suppose that everyone who has been cleansed of sins would like to experience godly life in one's heart. Unfortunately the practice proves that many people, who confess faith, have decided to accept wrong thoughts for themselves - at the cost of mercy. The right mind is the aim of God's mercy in us. If it has not come true in us, we have not been so much under grace as we supposed.
Worldly Christianity
The more I have learnt to know different Christian communities, the more I have had been shocked how widely believers have attitudes that are against the thoughts of Jesus. I don't mean imperfection life of believers or their falls into sin, but I mean their intentional choice to reject Jesus as the Master of their thoughts. Most shocking in this matter is that they insist they obey Jesus in everything, although they actually are offended with Him.
In fact they consider Jesus narrow-minded, although on the other hand they also consider Him their Saviour. Certainly it is true that a wrong-minded one considers a right-minded one narrow-minded. However the narrowness doesn't reside in the heart of the right-minded one, but results from the love for injustice of the wrong-minded one. Although among believers many wrong deeds are condemned, many wrong thoughts and attitudes are even encouraged.
The whole human civilization is based on pride, greed and selfishness. Therefore it is right to say that a wrong mind is the same as a worldly mind.
It is easier for everybody to have the same mind with people than with God. The interest to step out from the mind of the world is awakened in us when we understand how great the difference is between the thoughts of God and the thoughts of people. This difference cannot be seen without knowing Jesus.
Do not they really realize what is the mind of Jesus, or don't they want to be like Him! If they don't see the character of Jesus, they need to get a revival. Instead if they don't want to adopt the character of Jesus, although they know it, their heart is hardened by evil.
The more I have learnt to know different Christian communities, the more I have had been shocked how widely believers have attitudes that are against the thoughts of Jesus. I don't mean imperfection life of believers or their falls into sin, but I mean their intentional choice to reject Jesus as the Master of their thoughts. Most shocking in this matter is that they insist they obey Jesus in everything, although they actually are offended with Him.
In fact they consider Jesus narrow-minded, although on the other hand they also consider Him their Saviour. Certainly it is true that a wrong-minded one considers a right-minded one narrow-minded. However the narrowness doesn't reside in the heart of the right-minded one, but results from the love for injustice of the wrong-minded one. Although among believers many wrong deeds are condemned, many wrong thoughts and attitudes are even encouraged.
The whole human civilization is based on pride, greed and selfishness. Therefore it is right to say that a wrong mind is the same as a worldly mind.
It is easier for everybody to have the same mind with people than with God. The interest to step out from the mind of the world is awakened in us when we understand how great the difference is between the thoughts of God and the thoughts of people. This difference cannot be seen without knowing Jesus.
Do not they really realize what is the mind of Jesus, or don't they want to be like Him! If they don't see the character of Jesus, they need to get a revival. Instead if they don't want to adopt the character of Jesus, although they know it, their heart is hardened by evil.
Roots of worldly Christianity
The apostle Paul says: "Do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature!" Gal.5:13 If you obey your sinful nature, you misuse the freedom of the gospel. The worldly Christianity has come true when believers have fulfilled themselves and the godly Christianity has come true when believers have denied themselves.
The gospel sets you free from all your own deeds, through which you tried to be accepted by God. The salvation is a gift that is received only by hearing the gospel. When you come to faith Jesus gives His life to you. In the God given salvation you are only the receiving party. You cannot give your life to Jesus before Jesus first has been able to give His life to you.
Many receive the gift of God and enjoy it without feeling any debt of gratitude. Paul actually speaks about ingratitude, when he says that freedom can urge us to continue with a wrong mind. God's love affecting in your heart creates eternal gratitude to Him. The change of your mind gets its power from the gospel.
The apostle Paul says: "Do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature!" Gal.5:13 If you obey your sinful nature, you misuse the freedom of the gospel. The worldly Christianity has come true when believers have fulfilled themselves and the godly Christianity has come true when believers have denied themselves.
The gospel sets you free from all your own deeds, through which you tried to be accepted by God. The salvation is a gift that is received only by hearing the gospel. When you come to faith Jesus gives His life to you. In the God given salvation you are only the receiving party. You cannot give your life to Jesus before Jesus first has been able to give His life to you.
Many receive the gift of God and enjoy it without feeling any debt of gratitude. Paul actually speaks about ingratitude, when he says that freedom can urge us to continue with a wrong mind. God's love affecting in your heart creates eternal gratitude to Him. The change of your mind gets its power from the gospel.
Roots of godly Christianity
The apostle Paul says to a believer: "Train yourself to be godly." 1Tim.4:7 He compares this mind training to a training of an athlete who exercises to be in good condition. The roots of godly Christianity are in the seriously taken gospel. The gospel that went to the bottom of your heart works patience and self-control in you. "Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last for ever." 1Cor.9:25
Must you train yourself to be godly so that you would be saved? This question expresses disbelief in the gospel of God. Believers living with this attitude have decided to stay wrong-minded to avoid becoming "too pious". They don't put to death their wrong thoughts, because they are afraid of getting under the law and losing a share of God's grace. Just what they fear that will meet them. Everybody who tries to escape law must stay under it. The only way to get away under the law is to die together with Jesus.
Think in the right way, that is, according to the gospel. So are you allowed to train yourself to be godly, because you have been saved? Be free to do it in the strength of the gospel. This attitude hides the power that joins us to the training team of Jesus. In this team there is no fear of getting under the law, because the spring of grace is so close. God's grace is not only for getting forgiveness, but it is also for the transformation of our hearts.
The apostle Paul says to a believer: "Train yourself to be godly." 1Tim.4:7 He compares this mind training to a training of an athlete who exercises to be in good condition. The roots of godly Christianity are in the seriously taken gospel. The gospel that went to the bottom of your heart works patience and self-control in you. "Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last for ever." 1Cor.9:25
Must you train yourself to be godly so that you would be saved? This question expresses disbelief in the gospel of God. Believers living with this attitude have decided to stay wrong-minded to avoid becoming "too pious". They don't put to death their wrong thoughts, because they are afraid of getting under the law and losing a share of God's grace. Just what they fear that will meet them. Everybody who tries to escape law must stay under it. The only way to get away under the law is to die together with Jesus.
Think in the right way, that is, according to the gospel. So are you allowed to train yourself to be godly, because you have been saved? Be free to do it in the strength of the gospel. This attitude hides the power that joins us to the training team of Jesus. In this team there is no fear of getting under the law, because the spring of grace is so close. God's grace is not only for getting forgiveness, but it is also for the transformation of our hearts.
The Bible version used in references is NIV