Ephesians 4:21-24(NLT)
Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, 22 throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. 23 Instead, let the Spirit renew thoughts and attitudes. 24 Put on your new nature, created to be like God – truly righteous and holy.
All of us are freethinkers because God made us that way! He created us in such a way that we have a mind, soul, and heart, and Genesis 1:26 tells us that He created us in His own image. He gave us free-will choice and made us self-governing. We independently form our own opinions, and we mostly base our attitudes, opinions, and feelings on the parameters that we, ourselves, establish. It’s clear that God didn’t want robots. He wanted children that would be like Him in every way. He is a God of love. 2Corinthians 3:17(NLT) declares, “For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” God has shown us by example that love never shoves or pushes. Love gently guides, and that is what God will do for us, however, this is up to us. It’s our choice to either follow Him or not. He loves us, and He will not force us to love Him back. You and I get to choose how we will respond to God, and those choices are consequential to how we’ll spend eternity.
An eternity with God isn’t for everyone, because every person isn’t interested in spending an eternity with Him. For them, this earth experience is all they care about, and they have decided to live here independent of God’s Word, love, and sovereignty. 1Timothy 2:4(NLT) tells us that our Heavenly Father “wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth.” This demonstrates God’s awesome love, but sadly most have not accepted it. Whether we believe it or not, the truth is that the number of individuals that have accepted the salvation that God offers through Christ and who are genuinely interested in knowing the truth is quite small. We have to know that this is not at all what God wants. 1Timothy 2:4 tells us that He wants every person to be saved, but He will never force anyone to live by His love against their free-will choice.
We should take some time and really think about this, because it tells us a tremendous amount about God’s nature. It tells us a great deal about who we are to Him, and who we are in Him as well. We will not receive another earth experience in our current human form. God has strategically placed us here to decide who we are going to serve, because who we serve identifies who we are. If we are not committed to serve and honor God and His Kingdom through Jesus Christ, then we don’t belong to His Kingdom. Jesus Christ tells us very plainly in Matthew 6:24(NLT), “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other.” If we serve God through the Lord Jesus Christ, then we are His children of light. He tells us in 1John 1:7(NLT), “But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.”
Once we’re spiritually cleansed from sin, we have the unique privilege and responsibility to line up our minds and hearts (our thoughts, feelings and attitudes) with our new reality in Christ. God instructs us in Ephesians 4:22 to throw away our old sinful nature and former way of life, because some pretty negative stuff lies within that old nature. Selfishness, addictions, bad behavior, and other negative attitudes and thoughts are just a few of the things that we need to put off. All these are heavies that can hold us back. They get in the way of our blessings and keep us for being who God created us to be.
God has given us specific instructions to put off the things that hold us back and put on the things that propel us forward. We accomplish this by changing the way we think. Romans 12:2(NLT) tells us, “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” What we do, think, and say express the totality of our being. It’s extremely important that we conduct ourselves in every way as though we realize this.
Proverbs 23:7(NKJV) says, “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.” When our hearts contain the kind of corrosive negativity that comes from the world, we then think like the world and become like the world. That’s a very defeating choice. God gives us the opportunity to abandon darkness and become a part of His family so that we can live by His love. He tells us in Ephesians 4:23 to let the Spirit renew our thoughts and attitudes. This is the key to unlock the treasure of all we were meant to be. The Spirit is a person. He has thoughts and attitudes that are directly in line with God’s Word, and He was given to us by God to help us navigate life on earth victoriously. Any time that we calm and quiet ourselves to hear his directives, the Spirit is going to help and be at work within us.
Philippians 2:13 (NLT) tells us “For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.” As we read and study God’s Word, and commit ourselves to obey it, the Holy Spirit will help us to discern, become wiser, and to impact the lives of others through the love of Christ. We’re born with God’s purpose already in us, and when we become activated in the Spirit’s power and have faith in God, the Spirit will lead and guide us to do the things God created us to do. No living individual should want to live without this empowerment in life. It’s everything!
God has charged every living person with the responsibility to renew our minds by changing the way we think. We are duty bound to let our lights shine, to let the magnificence of God’s love and power permeate everything we do. Philippians 4:8(NLT) instructs us, “And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” This is how we change the way we think! So, let’s not allow negativity and darkness to continue to rob us of the joy of Jesus Christ. Let’s train ourselves to think thoughts that elevate us rather than tear us down. We must train ourselves to think like Christ, so that we put on the mind of Christ and can become like him in every way. ■
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
“Train Yourself to Think New Thoughts”, written for Springfield Fellowship © 2022. All rights reserved. All praise and honor to God through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.