Joshua 1:8
"...[B]ut you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success." (Joshua 1:8).
"You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me." (John 5:39).
"And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:13).
I like v. 11
ReplyDelete"For what human being knows what is truly human except the human spirit that is within? So also no one comprehends what is truly God's except the Spirit of God."
I like that verse too, Mary.
ReplyDeleteDid anyone find it strange that Paul would say that he came to them in weakness, fear, and much trembling? I understand it is a statement of humility but perhaps it's also a statement of obedience. Perhaps, even Paul was uncomfortable sharing the gospel.
Point to ponder: If we have the mind of Christ, how is it we struggle with sin and often seem incapable to understand Godly wisdom. Is it a lack of faith? Or something else?
Josh is Paul trying to emphasize that he is ONLY preaching by means of the Holy Spirit that God should be glorified for using Paul who is so weak in and of himself?
ReplyDelete"Point to ponder: If we have the mind of Christ, how is it we struggle with sin and often seem incapable to understand Godly wisdom. Is it a lack of faith? Or something else?"
Does Paul address that here it the latter part of Romans 7?
4 We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature.[c] For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
"So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful naturea slave to the law of sin."
Not to hog all the blogging space here, but this has got me thinking about this on a personal level. I'm pondering your point Josh. :)
ReplyDeleteI think that Paul is saying that as long as we're on this planet we will have a sinful nature. But, thanks to God, when we ask Jesus to be our Lord, the Holy Spirit give us His power and wisdom to make the decision to yield to God in all areas of our life. God speaks to our our hearts and teaches us, over time, that if Jesus is Lord, then Jesus IS Lord and we need to learn to obey and listen to His Spirit despite the fact that we, by nature, want to do anything but what God wants. Paul talks about how the Spirit renews our mind and teaches us to obey Him. Okay enough... :)
Nice. I also want to add that because we have the mind of Christ, we are capable to reason through things that don't make sense to us entirely or are unclear or even completely false - we simply need to ask God to give us wisdom and to help us discern whatever whenever. God is forever renewing our minds and freely gives understanding to all who ask.
ReplyDeleteGood point
ReplyDelete"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths." Proverbs 3:5-6