God’s Only
Provided Place of Worship # 83
Brian Kocourek, October 4, 1995
Renewed
in the Spirit of Your Mind
Let's remain standing and read from [Ephesians 4:
23 - 24 ] "
Be renewed in the Spirit of your mind: and put on the new man,
which after God is created in Righteousness and True Holiness." Let's bow our heads in Prayer.....
Sunday morning we examined these verses of scripture
in the light of what brother Branham said in pps. 250
& 251, "your life is hid in God through Christ, sealed
by the Holy Ghost. "Then a new creation, to the Word. You're a
creation of the Word. Because the foundation stone
was laid in you before the foundation of the world,
predestinated to be sons and daughters of God."
So in essence we focused our
thoughts on 3 principal statements.
#1) That we are a New
Creation, a Creation of The Word.
#2) Because the Foundation stone (
Christ, The word) was placed in
us before the foundation of the
world.
#3) Through Election & Predestination, we are Sons
and Daughters of God.
So we see that if we are a new creation, it is to the
Word and of The Word. Now, remember, the word of means, having it's source from. Just as we read [Galatians 2: 20] where
Paul says, That he lives by the faith of Jesus
Christ. Then it is not his faith but Jesus' Faith that He is living by. We
also see in [1 John 3:9] Whosoever is born of God, doth
not initiate sin; for God's seed remains in Him: and he can not Sin, Because he
is born of God. Again you'll notice
this word of let's you know that this birth being spoken of here, has it's source in God, or shall we say God is the source of
this birth. So then if we are a new creation which is a creation of the Word,
then we see the Word is the Source of this new creation.
Now, with this in mind, I want to read again [Ephesians
4: 23 & 24] " Be
renewed in the Spirit of your mind: and put on the new man, which
after God is created in Righteousness and True Holiness."
Now, I would like to break down this scripture here
because there is a tremendous amount of thought that went into it. Notice, we
are told first to be renewed in the Spirit of our minds. Then he tells us in
the same breath that we must put on the new man, which then he tells us is
fashioned in the likeness of God, in two things. Righteousness
and True Holiness.
POINT # I. Be renewed in the Spirit of your
mind
POINT # II. put on the new man
POINT # III. which after God is created
POINT # IV. In
Righteousness
POINT # IV. True
Holiness
Now, let's begin by examining POINT # I. Paul
said, "Be renewed in the
Spirit of your mind"
The word [renewed] is a Greek word that means "to
be recently born, or young again". What we find here is an element
of innocence and cleanness and freshness. Just think of a newborn or even a
young child and this is the thought Paul is trying to get us to picture here. A certain innocence is involved, and remember it is a
renewing, or bringing forth a certain innocence in the spirit of your mind.
Paul used the same illustration when he spoke of espousing the
Bride to Christ in [2 Corinthians 11: 2]
For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I
have espoused you to one husband ( not two)
that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. Paul wanted to
present the Bride to Christ as one who was pure and undefiled. Even Br.
Branham, when he had his vision of the church marching before him, he was
embarrassed to see her strut in her nakedness, and then go down... But when he
saw the little innocent Bride coming behind her, but she went up he was
relieved. And yet when he saw her start to get out of step at the very end, he
cried out, Stay in Line! And I think we should be ever
so watchful with ourselves as you will recall she started to get out of line at
the very end, before His shout corrected her. So we see that Paul wanting the
Bride to be renewed in the attitude of her mind. He wanted her to create within
her an atmosphere that is conducive to walking in the Spirit. In [Phillipians 3: 15] Paul says, Let us
therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and so we must ask
ourselves, 'Thus minded about what?"
God’s
Only Provided Place of Worship # 83
And the answer is in verse 13 where he said "forgetting
those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are
before. Then he tells us in chapter 4: how we can create this
atmosphere.
[ Phil 4: 8] Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are
true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just,
whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely,
whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, if
there be any praise, think on these things. That's how
you create that atmosphere! Didn't brother Branham say that you create an
atmosphere by the things you talk about and the things you think about?
[James 3: 17]
The wisdom that is from above is pure, then peaceable, gentle,
and easy to be intreated, full of mercy,
and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace and of them that
make peace.
[ 1 John 3: 3] And every man
that has this hope in him, purifies himself,
even as He is pure.
So we are looking at this
point # I. Where Paul
said, "Be renewed in the Spirit of your mind," and this
word for [spirit] here, is a Greek word, [pneuma],
which means "the disposition or influence that governs the
soul, the vital principal by which the
human body is animated, the rational spirit" So we see that Paul
is telling us that we must bring forth a certain innocence to the governing
influence of our Soul. In other words,
we are to create a certain atmosphere that will become an influence to the way
we perceive things, and view things, or in other words, an atmosphere or right
attitude. So we see it begins by putting on a new attitude toward God and His
Word. Now let's examine this further. We
find the word for mind, here is a Greek word, which also means understanding.
So then he is telling us to be made innocent again in the attitude of our
understanding. In other words, we are to create an atmosphere within us of that which is
pure, and peaceable. Brother Branham
said, "The right mental attitude toward any Divine promise of God
will bring it to pass." So
this renewing is actually a creation of the Word, doing some thing in us that
brings about an atmosphere that animates and governs our Soul. An expectation of sorts.
We see the same word used for the mind is also used in scripture for our
understanding.
[Luke 24: 45] Then opened He
their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures. Now, let's face it, if our understanding
is wrong, then the wrong understanding will have a wrong influence upon us. A
wrong understanding is a deadly understanding, especially when we are dealing
with Life, Eternal Life.
[Proverbs 16: 25 ] There is a way
that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof is
the ways of death. So we see the importance of this renewing in the
attitude of the mind. Paul wants us to have an attitude that is Live,
Die, Sink or Drown! A Christ
centered attitude that becomes so influential to our Spirit which Governs our minds that it actually causes us to forsake
everything but the Pearl of Great Price, which is the Word of God. Because after all, it has a great reward, which is the Life that is
in the Word. Eternal Life. Let's see what this
new attitude will produce in us.
[Romans 7: 22 - 25] For I delight in the law of God after the
inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my
mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I
thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of
sin. So we see here that there are
two laws that operate in our bodies. The Law of God in the mind, and the law of
death and corruption in our bodies. This is why we need renewal in the Spirit
of the mind.
Because the spirit is the governing influence upon the
Soul, and if this influence is a wrong influence, then it will result in the
Soul being directed toward that which is wrong. And if in [Romans 12: 2]
We read, 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. Then if our mind is not renewed
correctly, with the Word of God which is Life, then what transformation we do
receive will only be from bad to worse, and end in total corruption. So you see the renewal of the mind is not the
end in itself, but the beginning, a new beginning, a new creation or a bringing
forth into being our Glorified condition.
[1 Corinthians 1: 10] Now I beseech you,
brethren by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same
thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly
joined in the same mind and in the same judgment.
God’s
Only Provided Place of Worship # 83
And we know by understanding what the Doxa of God is, that in this hour according to [2
Thessalonians 1: 10] that Christ is to be glorified in the minds of His
saints. We are to receive the mind of God in this hour, and this mind change
will set off our change in the body.
[1 Corinthians 2: 10] But God hath revealed
them unto us By His Spirit: for the spirit searcheth
all things, yea the deep things of God. ( Now if the spirit searches all
things, and we are to be renewed in the spirit of our mind, then God has
something in mind when he instructed Paul and brother Branham to tell us about
this renewal that begins in the mind. ) For what man knoweth the things of a
man, save the spirit of man which is in him? Even so the things of God knoweth
no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit
which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of
God.( Then we see here that this renewal in the spirit of our mind is a
receiving of His Spirit to take over our very thinking). Which things also we speak, not in words which
man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But
the natural man receiveth not the things of the
Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them,
because they are spiritually discerned. (In other words, it takes this new
Spirit to discern and know them). But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. For
who hath the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind
of Christ. So we see here that we
are to receive the mind of God and when we do we shall begin to discern the
things of God. This ought to let you know then that this very renewal of the
mind is already taking place in you. The mind of God through the Spirit or Life
of God which comes into you by the baptism of the Holy Ghost has opened your
eyes to what The Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in the knowledge of Him is
doing and revealing.
Now let's see if this fits together with what Paul is
telling us in [Ephesians chapter 4:17 => 23] This I
say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other
Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind. Having the understanding darkened,
being alienated from the Life of God through the ignorance that is in them,
because of the blindness of their heart: Who being past feeling have given
themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.
But ye have not so learned Christ; If so be that ye have heard Him, and have
been taught by Him, as the Truth is in Jesus: That ye put off concerning the
former manner of life, your conduct and
behavior of your old man, which is
corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; But be renewed in the Spirit of
your mind: and put on the new man, which after God is created in
Righteousness and True Holiness."
Now the word corrupt here is the Greek word, [Phtheiro]
(fthi-ro) which means, a being brought
into an inferior or worse condition, and refers to the withdrawal of life. So here we are beginning to see the impact of
what this new attitude has in us. It brings us forth into the realm of Life and
removes us from the snares and entrapment of the rewards of a body that is sown
in corruption which is spiritual death.
[2 Thessalonians 2: 1 - 2] Now we beseech you, brethren, by the
Parousia of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto Him, That
ye not soon be shaken in [mind], or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor
by word, nor by letter as from us, . . . Then do not let anything, Spirit,
word, letter, anything shake you from this attitude of live, Die, sink or
swim...
[1 Timothy 6: 2c =>5]
{ in the negative sense } These things teach and
exhort. If a man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the
Words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrines which is according to
godliness; He is proud, knowing
nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of
words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmising, perverse
disputing of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the Truth, supposing
that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself. Notice here, there are actually men who's minds are corrupt, that is to say, they are empty of
Life, and moving from a inferior condition spiritually to one that gets worse
and worse. This then are those who are falling away.
They have not received a renewal in the mind and therefore what they have is
degrading bit by bit until what ever truth they might have held onto at one
time has seeped out like water from a broken cistern.
[2 Timothy 3: 8] Now as Jannes
and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist
the Truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning The
faith
.
God’s
Only Provided Place of Worship # 83
[Titus 1: 15] Unto the pure all things are
pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even
their mind and conscience is defiled.
So we see then that the renewal of the mind which brings us into a pure Word, or mindset has never taken place in these people.
So we move from point number 1 "to Be renewed in the Spirit of your mind" to Point
number II. "put
on the new man".
Now we must ask ourselves, how do we put on this new
man? And who is this new man? Well I would like to think that it is hearing from
our theophany as brother Branham put it, or as we read a few weeks ago where he
said we are only reflecting our Glorified body. But I think we need to go even
beyond this thought, because, remember, we are to be conformed to the image of
the eldest Son according to Romans 8: 29 and in which we know according to
Hebrews 1: that He came forth in the Image of the Father. So then what Image do
we really come forth in, but that of the Father. So
then what is this new man that we are to put on? Brother Branham said, "when Word is piled upon Word upon Word, it will take a hold
of every fiber of your body." We are actually talking about a new creation
of the Word by the Word.
[Colossians 3: 10] And have put on the new man, which is
renewed in knowledge after ( or according to) the Image of Him that created him: So we see that this new man that we
are to put on is the Word which then takes hold on every fiber of our bodies
and we thus are transformed by the
renewing of our minds.
So then we can
see that
[Romans 12: 2] is [Ephesians 4: 24] which is what brother
Branham also has been telling us here. Word upon word upon word is creating a
word body which we shall live in Eternally.
335 TRYING DO GOD A SERVICE 65- Well,
if it is the Word cell to start with, the other Word cells are ordained to make
it a full body.