One of the greatest struggles faced by the believer is that of complicating what is very simple and making something very simple so complicated. We struggle with living the Christian life because we try to equate that life to our immediate surroundings, what we see, feel, hear, touch and taste.
To begin understanding the Kingdom of God, we must totally remove ourselves from this world, its way of thinking. The Kingdom of God is so far removed from what we are taught naturally – human education. God essentially must “re-educate” us to even begin understanding what His Kingdom is like and how to reign in that Kingdom victoriously. When I say remove us from this world, I am not saying we can’t see God in this world, the very nature of this world declares His glory! I am referring to mindsets – the mindset of this world and the mindset of God.
The difference with us being newborn babes in Christ and being newborn babes coming into this world is that the natural baby doesn’t have a mind filled with this world’s thought system. A natural baby’s mind can be taught, a newborn babe in Christ must first be untaught, then taught all over again. This is a process that requires patience, great grace, and a lot of humility. It takes great humility to realize that what you have been taught all your life as being truth, may in fact, not be true at all. We continually repent – “change our minds and belief systems” – as often as necessary until we come into the full knowledge of the truth. That doesn’t mean that everything we have ever been taught is a lie, what it means is that everything we have been taught must now be judged by the Word of God to see whether it is the spirit of truth or the spirit of error.
Romans 12:2 “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
(Bible in Basic English) “And let not your behavior be like that of this world, but be changed and made new in mind, so that by experience you may have knowledge of the good and pleasing and complete purpose of God.”
(Contemporary English Version) “Don't be like the people of this world, but let God change the way you think. Then you will know how to do everything that is good and pleasing to him.”
To begin understanding the Kingdom of God, we must totally remove ourselves from this world, its way of thinking. The Kingdom of God is so far removed from what we are taught naturally – human education. God essentially must “re-educate” us to even begin understanding what His Kingdom is like and how to reign in that Kingdom victoriously. When I say remove us from this world, I am not saying we can’t see God in this world, the very nature of this world declares His glory! I am referring to mindsets – the mindset of this world and the mindset of God.
The difference with us being newborn babes in Christ and being newborn babes coming into this world is that the natural baby doesn’t have a mind filled with this world’s thought system. A natural baby’s mind can be taught, a newborn babe in Christ must first be untaught, then taught all over again. This is a process that requires patience, great grace, and a lot of humility. It takes great humility to realize that what you have been taught all your life as being truth, may in fact, not be true at all. We continually repent – “change our minds and belief systems” – as often as necessary until we come into the full knowledge of the truth. That doesn’t mean that everything we have ever been taught is a lie, what it means is that everything we have been taught must now be judged by the Word of God to see whether it is the spirit of truth or the spirit of error.
Romans 12:2 “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
(Bible in Basic English) “And let not your behavior be like that of this world, but be changed and made new in mind, so that by experience you may have knowledge of the good and pleasing and complete purpose of God.”
(Contemporary English Version) “Don't be like the people of this world, but let God change the way you think. Then you will know how to do everything that is good and pleasing to him.”