Walking in the Mind and Freedom of Christ to be His Ambassador on Earth
Since I died with You, Jesus, to the basic principles of this world,[i] my new life is now hidden with You in Father-God. Therefore, I choose to set my mind on You and the things above rather than on the things of earth.[ii] Since You have made Your mind available to me,[iii] help me, through the Holy Spirit, to be transformed in my outer man by the renewing of my natural mind[iv] through the continual washing of Your living and active New Covenant word,[v] trusting in You, Lord, with all of my heart rather than leaning on my own understanding.[vi]
Please prompt me to consistently renew my natural mind with the truth of who You are and who I am in You, thereby replacing my old thinking with Your thoughts so that I can be Your effective ambassador on earth.[vii] I rely on You, Lord, to help me to bring into captivity every thought into the obedience of Christ and what He has done for me[viii] by consciously dwelling on what is true, good, right, honorable, just, pure, lovely, admirable and praiseworthy.[ix]
Please help me to operate consistently with Your sight of faith, Your mind and Your heart so that I will see as You do and know and gratefully do Your wonderful will for me this and every day. However, if I yield to the flesh, please prompt me to quickly repent by rejecting wrong thinking and returning to Yours. I choose to love You with the love You have poured into my new heart[x] and, therefore, I desire to live to please You [xi] and glorify You, now and forever.[xii]
[i] Colossians 2:20 “If, then, you died with Christ from the elements of the world, why are you under (its) decrees, as living in (the) world?” Also see Galatians 6:14.
[ii] Colossians 3:2-3 “… seek the things above, not the things on the earth, for you died, and your life has been hidden with Christ in God.” Also see Hebrews 3:1 and 12:2.
[iii] 1 Corinthians 2:16 “For ‘who knew (the) mind of (the) Lord? Who will teach Him?’ But we have (the) mind of Christ”. Also see Isaiah 40:13 and Philippians 2:5.
[iv] Romans 12:2 “And be not conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind in order (for you) to prove what (is) the good and well-pleasing and perfect will of God.”
[v] Ephesians 5:26 “that He might sanctify it (the church), cleansing (it) by the washing of the water in (the) Word.”
[vi] Proverbs 3:5 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.”
[vii] 2 Corinthians 5:20 “Then on behalf of Christ, we are ambassadors, as God (is) exhorting through us, we beseech on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.”
[viii] 2 Corinthians 10:5 “…pulling down imaginations and every high thing lifting up (itself) against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought into the obedience of Christ.”
[ix] Philippians 4:8 “For the rest, brothers, whatever is true, whatever honorable, whatever (is) just, whatever pure, whatever lovely, whatever of good report, if (of) any virtue, and if (of) any praise, meditate (on) these things.”
[x] Romans 5:5 “And hope does not disappoint us because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit whom He has given us.”
[xi] 2 Corinthians 5:9 “Because of this, we also are striving to be well-pleasing to Him, whether being at home or being away from home.”
[xii] 1 Corinthians 6:20 “For you were bought for a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit which are God’s. Also see Romans 15:6.
Coming next week: Chapter 14 Resisting and Overcoming All Darkness by Faith in Jesus’ Cross and Victory
life, that is, Jesus himself.