Put on inside out armor of light

Paul advises in Romans 12:2, [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.

Jordan explains, “That’s saying, ‘I’m not going to let the world decide how I’m going to live.' All the things of the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, the pride of life. Those are the avenues the devil tries to tempt with.

“The lust of the flesh is the issue of pleasure. ‘I want to have my desires to feel; I want to be happy. I want to gratify my desires. I want to be pleased.’

“The lust of the eyes. That’s, ‘I want to have things.’ It’s the issue of security, control. The pride of life is that super-charged passion to BE somebody; for significance, for status, for superiority.

“All those things that drive us, they are the things that carry on ‘the course of this world.’ In order to renew your mind, you need to replace the worthless inferior thinking of human viewpoint with thinking that comes from God’s Word. 

“ ‘The transforming of your mind’; that there tells you it’s really a battle for your mind. And if you’re going to be surrendered to God, then the next thing is you’re going to be separated from the values of the world and separated unto the way God looks at things.

*****

“If you take Romans 12, Ephesians 4 and Colossians 3, you can find in those three chapters at least one if not a half-dozen answers for every question you’re asking yourself. Every problem you face, you’ll find the beginning--if not the complete--set of instructions for you to follow.

“You know how I know that? For 50 years I’ve been reading those passages for that reason. I’m giving you a quick shortcut!

"I’m telling you about this because I’ve already located these passages and found them to be a great source of instruction. You’re getting my ability to help you out a little bit.

“When you renew your mind, it transforms you. It has to do with focusing on who God’s made you in Christ. When you do that, here’s what happens--I Thessalonians 2:13 says, [13] For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.

“To be transformed, there’s something inside of you which comes out. Jesus went up on the mount of transfiguration and who He was inside shined out of Him and that’s that word ‘transformed.’

“By the way, I’m always interested in that ‘to will is present but how to perform.’ How do you do this, Paul? Romans 7:18: 'For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.'

“He said, 'I want to do, to will is present with me, but I can’t figure out how to do it.' Then he gets over to chapter 12 and he says, ‘You know how you do it? Be not conformed.’ You’re transformed by the renewing of your mind.

“You see, you’ve got the information, and when you BELIEVE it, it becomes the energy, the life, the transforming power down in your soul that His life then works out through you.

“In Romans 12:2 you see the purpose for the renewed mind is that ‘we may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.’ The purpose of the renewed mind is so you can properly evaluate life and determine in the details of your life what it is God would have you to do.”

(new article tomorrow)