Renewed In the spirit of our mind!  By James L Lantz

Upon entering the kingdom of God the process of learning the laws of the kingdom begins. The kingdom of God is within those who are in Christ Jesus! Being born of the Spirit is not visible to the natural eye because it’s the inner man that is removed from the kingdom of darkness and immersed into the kingdom of God’s dear Son.  Luke 17:20&21 . . . The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.  The Spirit of God through Paul says that we are to be renewed in the spirit of our mind.  Ephesians 4:23&24 ASV and that ye be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new man, that after God hath been created in righteousness and holiness of truth.  And then again in his letter to the church at Colosse he speaks of the new man being renewed in knowledge after the image of Him who created him.  Col. 3:10 AMPC And have clothed yourselves with the new [spiritual self], which is [ever in the process of being] renewed and remolded into [fuller and more perfect knowledge upon]
knowledge after the image (the likeness) of Him Who created it.  The psalmist reveals that the one expressing praise and thanksgiving with his life ordered as God directed will see the salvation of God.  Ps. 50:23 ASV Whoso offereth the sacrifice of thanksgiving glorifieth me; And to him that ordereth his way aright will I show the salvation of God.   Putting on the new man that we have become in Christ Jesus, is an important part of ordering our life aright.

We are not our own now that we have died to self and given ourselves to the One who purchased us with His Own blood! Before Jesus offered Himself as the sacrificial Lamb He spoke of His disciples as ones who belong to Him.  John 17:11 And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are. The apostle Paul and the apostle Peter also write of the great price that God paid to redeem us from our sins.  Acts 20:28 ASV  Take heed unto yourselves, and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit hath made you bishops, to feed the church of the Lord which He purchased with his own blood.   2 Peter 2:1 AMPC BUT ALSO [in those days] there arose false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among yourselves, who will subtly and stealthily introduce heretical doctrines (destructive heresies), even denying and disowning the Master Who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.  Let’s not be one who disowns our Lord and Master but rather adapt our thinking as one who lives to please the One who died for us and rose again. The carnal mind is enmity against God and is not subject to the law of God.  Romans 8:5-8 WEY For if men are controlled by their earthly natures, they give their minds to earthly things. If they are controlled by their spiritual natures, they give their minds to spiritual things. Because for the mind to be given up to earthly things means death; but for it to be given up to spiritual things means Life and peace. Abandonment to earthly things is a state of enmity to God. Such a mind does not submit to God’s Law, and indeed cannot do so. And those whose hearts are absorbed in earthly things cannot please God.  Remember whose you are!  1 Cor. 6:19 CEV You surely know that your body is a temple where the Holy Spirit lives. The Spirit is in you and is a gift from God. You are no longer your own.

We are In The Royal Family! Do you see yourself as one who is highly privileged and extremely blessed, one who is seated with Christ at the Father’s right hand? If you have been immersed into the body of Christ then you are in this most privileged family and positioned together with Christ Jesus in heavenly places. He that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit with the Lord!  Eph. 1:20 ESV that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places,  Eph. 2:6 ESV and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus   The reason Jesus came preaching repentance and the kingdom of God was to redeem us from our fallen nature and restore us back into God’s family. Getting back with God was impossible without Jesus redemptive work and our decision to make Him our Lord and Savior! The abundant life that Jesus gave us is the very life and nature of God!  John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.  Each of us, as a member of Christ, have been given dominion over our jurisdiction in the earth! We have been given total control of whether we yield to the Holy Spirit or refuse to yield! The devil couldn’t stop the mad man of Gadara from running to Jesus for deliverance and he can’t stop you either. The only way he can stop any of us if we believe his lies, lay down our armor, and quit. God’s mighty power raised Jesus from the dead superseding the law of sin and death. Romans 5:17  For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.  We have dominion over what we put in front of our eyes, in our ears, our thoughts, our words, and choices to forgive, who we hang out with, our choice to rejoice, and dominion over our bodies through faith in God. Jesus is the King of kings and we are some of the kings He is Lord over!  Rev. 1:6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

We are here to serve! The Son of man did not come to be served but to serve others and give His life as a ransom for many. Jesus came to be our substitute concerning bearing our sins, sicknesses, and everything under the curse.  Gal. 3:13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:  Jesus did not come as our substitute when it comes to ministering, walking in love, and serving one another but rather our example. We have been commissioned to teach everything that Jesus commanded us! This includes teaching that we are not our own because we have subjected ourselves unto God upon entering the Royal family. Paul commended those who served in the church and warns us to avoid self serving people who are causing division and offenses.  Romans 16:18 For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.  Jesus said that we have to choose who we are going to serve!  Mt. 6:24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.  The psalmist declares that we are to serve the LORD with gladness and come before his presence with singing. The Spirit of God through Paul says we are not to use our liberty for an occasion to the flesh but by love to serve one another. If we refuse to serve one another our life on earth will be cut short. Jesus tells a parable about the man
whose fig tree was not producing and he said, cut it down, why should it deplete the soil, intercept the sun, and take up room. Jesus said that our heavenly Father is the gardener and that He cuts off every branch that does not bear fruit. God believes in getting a harvest, whatever we sow we will reap. If we have sown bad seeds we should call upon the Lord in repentance. God, in His goodness, allows us to examine and judge ourselves by His word so that we can repent and receive forgiveness protecting us from sickness and premature death.   1 Cor. 11:31 WNT   If, however, we estimated ourselves aright, we should not be judged.  The Lord is good and His mercy is great!

Zech. 8:9 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Let your hands be strong, ye that hear in these days
these words by the mouth of the prophets, which were in the day that the foundation of the
house of the LORD of hosts was laid, that the temple might be built.