All or What?

Luke 6:47-49 (NIV) I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete."

Using the example of the verses above; Jesus said of the house built on the rock or sand (Matthew 7:24-25, Luke 6:47-49), we’re going to have earthquakes at some point, and they’re going to crack up if they don’t have a solid foundation and will surely collapse. So many people are building their lives on influences which are plainly dangerous. We aren’t learning to think, let alone to think Biblically. We’re being brainwashed by all of these competing, flashing picture images, ads in magazines and television, and we fail to learn how to think.

If there’s one thing I’m learning the Bible does as you take it from beginning to end, is it forces you to think about every aspect of life, and it makes you think logically. The most important thing we can do is ground ourselves in the Bible and say, Okay, I’ll read this. Now, how does this affect how I’m going to live? This isn’t just about my personal salvation, it is so much more, a guide in how to live my life. What am I going to do with what I’ve learned?

To the church, the job is to see what the world is saying and then take what the Bible is saying, and then say, “I’m going to live differently, and I’m going to influence what the world is thinking by living differently. We totally neglect the mind. The first paragraph of Harry Blamire’s book, The Christian Mind, says “There is no Christian mind.” His whole argument was that we think one way in church on Sunday and then turn that off and go back and go live like the world.

Matthew 22:36-37 "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' “

We think part of our life is safe and sound because we’re in church on Sunday; we’ve got our relationship with God. We’ve worshipped Him which is great. But if the whole life isn’t together, there’s a terrible thing going on, where we think our bodies are something we use and our mind is not. We’ve separated the body, mind and the spirit. And we think the body is something we use for our own pleasure. So almost, you can do anything with your body because it doesn’t affect you as long as you keep the three separated.

A lot of people will try to pick and choose, and they say, “I will choose the most convenient worldview and use that one.” So when I’m on a date, I’ll have this kind of worldview, and then when I go to church, I’ll have this kind of worldview. And then when I’m closing that big deal at work, I’ll have this kind of worldview, and then when I need to cheat on a test at school, I’ll have this kind of worldview. And they’re trying to pick and choose. But the fact is, they’re always in conflict with each other mind, body and spirit.

Romans 12:1 – 2 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Lord we know that it is Your Holy Spirit given that transforms us mind, body and soul and we thank You. We pray Lord that daily You give us guidance and strength as we seek not to be conformed to this world but transformed a little more each day to be more like our Lord and Savior Jesus in Who’s name we pray. Amen.

In His Love,
Sandy Perry
05/26/09
To be continued next week…….