The BIG Picture (Q&A)

Social Media Question: What must we do to live according to Christ? My Reply: Let us take the biblical advice from Romans 5–8 to answer this question. To live according to Christ, one must first be justified through faith in Him, Romans 5:1. This justification marks the beginning of a journey, where one grows in the knowledge of God’s Word. It becomes essential to understand that living according to Christ cannot be achieved through personal effort. Our flesh is at enmity with God, and our natural mind is corrupt. The starting point is immersing oneself in the Word of God (specifically the epistle of Romans) and allowing it to renew the mind, for it is the carnal and corrupted mind that prevents us from living in alignment with Christ. It is crucial to recognize that one cannot live both according to Christ and according to sin. By nature, we yield to sin, for it is all we know, Rom.6. As the Word begins to reveal the nature of sin and exposes how living in sin is displeasing to God, w...

What does the "spirit of your mind" mean in Ephesians 4:23? All humans are made up of spirit, soul, and body, 1Th 5:23. The 3 circles represent the default template of the 3 parts of a human being. Spirit is the breath of God that fills a person with life, Gen 2:7. Soul is the essence of the person, their persona (mind, will and emotions), and the body is the outer shell of flesh. Though you might be familiar with these 3 circles, these are NOT the parts that Paul is referring to when he speaks of the ‘inner man’ (or new man) and the ‘outer man’ (or old man) in Eph.4:17–24. If you look at the image below, the grey hexagonal is the ‘outer man’ (or old man) and the blue hexagonal is the ‘inner man’ (or new man). These are the two parts that Paul refers to in most of his writings. The grey outer man connects the soul (or persona) of a person to the flesh. In other words, the thick red oval is the part of a human that functions in the world, ie: the carnal man with his 5-...

QUESTION: Wouldn't you say that before I was a Christian, I was a slave to sin, but now I am a Christian I can overcome sin in my life through the power and grace of God. Not to be saved but because I am saved by grace. God loved me enough to die in my place and forgive my sins. He also loved me enough to dwell in me through the Holy Spirit so I can have a new life and not be a slave to sin. For example, before I was a Christian I was addicted to drugs, after I'm a Christian Jesus not only saved me but delivered me from drugs. Now my desire is to obey and follow Jesus because I love Him. ANSWER: We learn from scripture that the flesh is unsalvageable. Even Paul, our apostle and example in the faith, cries out at the end of Romans 7, “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” Sin is inside the nature of man. The flesh can never be saved. This is ultimately why we get a new body at the rapture/resurrection. What God has saved and regener...

When it comes to advice on choices or decisions in life, Paul provides some incredible information in Romans 14. Rom 14:5 Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. Also, Rom 14:22-23  Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth.  (23)  And he that doubteth is damned if he eat [do], because he eateth [does] not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin. The above verses have nothing to do with feelings. They have to do with conviction. Feelings are fickle and can change depending on your mood. Conviction is stable, as it has to do with your faith, or an inner truth (conscience) of right or wrong. In addition, the above verses have nothing to do with laws or rules which is the very thing that brings condemnation. In your question, you mention condemnation, which tells me that you made some human rule in your mind about reading the Word and now because you failed to live up to the r...

What are these two mindsets about salvation? Those who think they're saved but are not. Those who fear they're not saved but are. Let me explain both views. People who think they're saved but are not, are those who think that attending church, giving to the poor, living piously, or doing certain "good works" is all that's necessary for salvation. Their mindset is that through their good works they can build up credits with God and enter into heaven because they have earned it. They don't realize that the only way they can be saved is to hear and respond in faith to the gospel of grace; by believing that Jesus Christ died for their sins and rose again for their justification. Rom.4:25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification. 1 Cor.15:1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what ...

The word 'repentance' , in the biblical context, translates simply to, 'a change of mind' . We cannot read any more than that into the word. The change of mind is motivated by God's good news that a person can be reconciled to God. So, if a person believes the good news of God, they ultimately have changed their mind from unbelief, and repented . Originally, it was Israel that was called to repent. Throughout the Old Testament and the Gospels, the prophets would bring the message of God to the Jews and provide the conditions of repentance. In the Gospels it was John the Baptist, Jesus and later, the 12 apostles, which called Israel to repent, for the King had arrived and the kingdom of heaven was at hand. Today, repentance is used widely in Christian circles. The problem however is that it is not understood correctly! The word has lost much of its original meaning and most people think it means penance. What is penance? Penance is defined as any act or a set of acti...

Answer Request: Can demonic possession or oppression leave a lasting effect on your mind and body even after being cast out? Being exorcized is a spiritual act. It does not have anything to do with the mind. It’s the same with getting saved. When God saves you, your mind is still filled with all your sinful acts and thoughts. After being exorcized, the demonic oppressions will be gone, but you will still have the thoughts and memories of the things before. The point I’m making is that it is up to you to renew your mind. The more you fill your mind and thoughts with the Word of God, the more His character and thoughts and desires will start to take precedence. Romans 12:2 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. Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things ar...

Answer Request: Is it possible that Romans 12:2 is saying that to fully know the mind of God, an individual must not love the pleasures of this world in order to be reborn of the spirit? Just off the bat, I don't think we will ever be able to fully know the mind of God. The book of Job, chapter 38, confirms that absolutely. On the other hand, I know the Bible says, "We have the mind of Christ" (1 Cor.2:16), but this is only thoughts that the Holy Spirit shares with us daily based on knowledge or wisdom for life decisions and guidance. Nevertheless, let me pose an answer based on my views. When one gets saved, it is the beginning of a life-long journey of sanctification. The habits and desires of that worldly life you knew does not instantaneously disappear when you come to salvation. It is your spirit that is regenerated! Your mind is not touched! So, all those habits and 'bad' desires are still lingering around and will remain there unless you rep...

In both the Old Testament and the New Testament the word "heart" is used to refer to the whole of the innermost part of the human . This inner aspect of a man is made of three parts, The mental process, which is the major part (where action & reaction take place), which is to lead a person in their life. The emotions (which only process as reaction), are as enhancement to enrich our lives. The will, (discretionary, volitional, decision-making) where decisions are made between the rational and the emotive. So, in biblical terms the heart can be used as a general identifier of things pertaining to the heart, the mind, and the soul . All three parts are unique, but they can also be used interchangeably. The easiest way to think of these parts are in a Venn diagram where the heart and mind are two circles that overlap. The part that overlaps can be seen as the entire character of the person, referred to as the soul. So, when speaking of the place where belief occurs, the New ...