Controlling the Human Mind #3

Change Your Thinking/Change Your Brain

Fred R Coulter—April 27, 2008

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[Transcript begins at 6:55 of Track 1]

What I want all of us to understand is—this is a fantastic and highly motivating thing that God wants us to understand—we have not been called to a church to improve ourselves by human improvement. God made man to improve, He gave them a mind so that man can grow in knowledge and understanding, even separate from God, whether for good or for evil, not depending on salvation. Salvation is another totally different issue.

The Church is not a place for human development. The calling of God and the Church is a place for eternal education! God has called us to participate in a high level with Him in His eternal plan for the whole universe.

• we need to understand that
• we need to grasp that

Especially with the days that we are coming to! We're in for a heap of trouble.

Remember that you can never solve spiritual problems by political means!The troubles and difficulties in America—and in modern day Israel in general—has very little to do with political problems.

As I've mentioned before, the immigration problem is not a matter of fences or political will, it's a matter of national sins:

• the sin of rejecting God
• the sin of abortion

We would have no immigration problem if they had not performed millions and millions abortions. Isn't it interesting that there's one immigrant for every abortion? Until there's repentance of that, it's never going to be turned around! And you can add all the other sins on top of it, too.

Israel did this in the past. They didn't have the killing of the most innocent in the womb via abortion, but they did it in a more sanctimonious way. Although the abortion clinic is the temple and the doctor is the high priest and the abortion table is the altar for the bloody sacrifice unto Satan. They did it more sanctimoniously; what they did is offered live children to be burned in the fire to Molech.

Isaiah 57:3: "But draw near here, you sons of the sorceress, you seed of the adulterer and the harlot. Against whom are you making sport? Against whom do you make a wide mouth and draw out the tongue? Are you not children of transgression, a lying seed, being inflamed with idols under every green tree, killing the little children in the valleys under the clefts of the rocks?" (vs 3-5).

The reason that they killed the children in the valleys and the clefts of the rocks was because the pagans felt—of which Israel accepted all the pagan teachings—that if you get into the a low spot in the earth you're closer to the spirits, closer to the gods. So, the offering of the children would be more acceptable if they got closer. God condemned them for it!

Verse 6: "Among the smooth stones of the stream is your portion; they, even they, are your lot; even to them you have poured a drink offering, you have offered a grain offering. Should I relent over these?"

No, God is not going to turn back on it. So, we need to understand the world. The truth is those national sins people do not like to admit. Abortion is the worst of all evils. You are killing the most innocent of human life.

They're all worried about the environment, hurting the creation, but they are destroying the very creation that God has given a woman to have in her own body to be able to have the Spirit of God through the spirit of man—which He gave. Elihu said to Job, 'The Spirit of God has made me'—right within the very body of the mother. It's quite a thing when you understand about what God is doing and the purpose of human life, and then see what human beings are doing for their own lusts and sins, and hideous pleasure. How can they have pleasure in that?

It's all going to come down! And what we need to understand is—in the light of all the evil that's going on in the world—that we are solution! We are those whom God is going to use to bring salvation to the world. God has called us to something eternal! This is what we need to grasp with the covenant that we have made with God!

I started out in the beginning of the Passover in a very unusual way. I'll tell you about in just a minute. Lot's of times we leave off the introduction, but here in 1-Pet. 1, shows the vision that God gave them to write, which God with His Spirit inspired the Bible. I think it's significant that The Holy Bible in Its Original Order, A Faithful Version that we bill it as the Truth of God, from the God of Truth, Who cannot lie!

And to a world who believes that the Bible is full of myths and lies, because they have lying and atheistic ministers and scholars. When we understand that all Scripture is God-breathed… And I know that in doing the Old Testament and putting it together with the New Testament, there is a unity of Scripture with Old and New Testaments, that you can't have one without the other, you must have both.

Even someone on my family tree—Ann Coulter; I don't know which branch she's on—but we've inherited the same tongue.

1-Peter 1:1: "Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the elect strangers…" the first part of our calling we need to understand is that God has personally selected us! Chosen us! And the way that we get through the difficult times in our lives and the difficult things coming in the world, is to always keep our mind on what God is doing for us, with us and through us!

If we yield to God He gets all the credit, honor and glory! If we can be tools in His hands, to whatever degree, fine!

Verse 2: "Who have been chosen according to the predetermined knowledge of God the Father…" Think of that! That's why no hierarchy between you and God! I think it works very well without hierarchy. Do we have any trouble without a hierarchy? NO! We have less trouble, because the truth is God expects you to control yourself as you're ruled by Christ in you!Not to have someone rule over you.

You've heard it said, 'You can never rule unless you have been ruled over.' True statement IF it's Christ! False statement if it's a man.

"…by sanctification through the Spirit…" (v 2)—set aside for a Holy purpose and the receiving of the Spirit of God. God is doing something with His Spirit and the spirit of man that His Spirit unites with within us to develop His character.

"…unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace and peace be multiplied to you" (v 2).

In a world in trouble and in turmoil, you have peace because you have the grace of God. You have peace of mind, though you may have troubles and difficulties, because:

• you know what the outcome is going to be
• you know that God has called you
• you know that in spite of all the difficulties and problems that you may encounter in your life, God the Father and Christ are there to help you
• you know that everything that you go through in your life if you yield to God will result in building the character necessary for the resurrection

Verse 3: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who, according to His abundant mercy, has begotten us again unto a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead."

Peter starts out the letter this way so that we focus on our mind on God's purpose, which is a perfect recipe to overcoming Laodiceanism.

• keep your mind on the goal
• let God inspire you

that will give you the

• zeal
• determination
• patience
• endurance
• the love of God
• the faith

so that you can overcome!

Verse 4: "Unto an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and unfading, reserved in heaven for us… [which Christ is going to bring with Him] …who are being safeguarded by the power of God through faith for salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time" (vs 4-5).

God is safeguarding you! But He needs your help and cooperation. It's much easier for God to do things if we are yielded to Him through everything that we experience.

After Peter talks about the trials that we go through that are more precious than gold, because the gold will perish; Godly character is eternal! When we understand that our inheritance, being eternal, God is creating in you something that He determined before the foundation of the world.

Verse 14: "As obedient children, do not conform yourselves to the former lusts, as you did in your ignorance. But according as He Who has called you is Holy, you yourselves also be Holy in all your conduct" (vs 14-15).

You don't need robes and sprinkling water like the pope; that's not Holiness. You're Holy in all your conduct, because you are led by the Holy Spirit. That is the motivation. Even if you have to fight and beat down carnality, which you always have to do.

Verse 16: "For it is written, 'You be Holy because I am Holy.'" He's going to make us like Him. All of us who have children, and our children have grown up, we see our children in many cases taller, bigger, stronger and smarter than we were. We're to be the sons and daughters of God!

Verse 17: "And if you call upon the Father, Who judges according to each man's work without respect of persons, pass the time of your life's journey in the fear of God; knowing that you were not redeemed by corruptible things, by silver or gold, from your futile way of living, inherited by tradition from your forefathers; but by the precious blood of Christ…" (vs 17-19).

That's why the first thing every year is the Passover. We renew the covenant of eternal life, and even Jesus showed that He would not drink of the fruit of the vine until He drinks it anew in the Kingdom with us. He said that when He does that's going to be another eternal covenant between Christ and all of those in the first resurrection.

The covenant that we have now is unto the resurrection with the promise of attaining it, that we will then have another covenant with Christ (Heb. 2) when Jesus presents us all to the Father while we're standing on the Sea of Glass. He's going to say to the Father, 'Behold, the children You have given Me.' So, we have some big time things coming! There's a principle in the Bible that is true, and it's stated in Proverbs: Without vision the people perish!You see that all through the writings of the Bible, and especially in the New Testament. We need the vision!

Verse 20: "Who truly was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but was manifested in these last times for your sakes." He was foreordained! We find in Rev. 13:8 that the Lamb of God was slain from the foundation of the world.

So, the way that rewrote the starting of the Passover Ceremony, which is the covenant for eternal life, is this:

The Christian Passover Ceremony booklet:
(truthofgod.org)

In the ages of eternity past, before the foundation of the world, God's awesome plan of salvation for mankind, was instituted by God, Who became the Father, and God, Who became the Son, preordained that Jesus would become God manifested in the flesh; that He, as Creator of mankind, would be crucified, shed His blood on the Passover day, the 14th day of the first month—God's preordained, appointed day—as the perfect sacrifice for the sin and Savior of the world (I-Pet. 1:18-20).
God has called us to something eternal, and He's developing in us the character through His Spirit. The greatest creation that God is doing now is within each one of us. That's what's important. Let's see how that works.

I have a book: Change Your Brain, Change Your Life by Daniel G. Amen, M.D. The way that I came across that book was one Sunday morning I was doing channel surfing and I came to the Public Broadcast Station and here was a man talking about the human mind. He said, 'The human mind lies to itself!' Whoa! He's got that right! Can you think of a Scriptures? The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked, who can know it!

He also said, 'Don't believe every thought that comes into your mind.' Whoa! He does brain scans, so he showed a scan of a normal brain of a woman who was still living at 82-years-old and her brain was perfectly normal. Then he showed the scans of a meth addict, a heroine addict, a cocaine addict and then Alzheimer's and they all had varying degrees of holes in their brains.

Then he point out, and his specialty is, that through retraining the thinking—and in some cases medications—the brain can change and recover. He said that there were three important things that you need to do to take care of your brain:

• exercise
• think
• feed it

You need Omega-3 oils to feed the brain, because the brain is 30% fat. I wonder about all of these coming in with Alzheimer's disease. They also say that it's a complete lie to say that at 25 you have full brain capacity and it's downhill from there until Alzheimer's sets in. Not true!

He also showed how people can overcome severe brain damage, by retraining the brain. What happens with the brain—and God made it this way… I was sitting there thinking that here's a man who understands about the human brain on a physical level. It also helped me to understand how there can be unconverted, false Christians without the Spirit of God, and yet, have an outer semblance of change. The brain actually reconstructs itself. Every time you think, the electrons and the neurons are going on in your mind and are making connections with your mind.

We're going to see some very important things about that in relationship to our calling. What I want you to understand is that God's calling is preparing your mind through His Spirit and your cooperation that God can make and mold His character in you, created in you!

1-John 3:1—John compares it with the world: "Behold! What glorious love the Father has given to us, that we should be called the children of God!…." the King James says 'sons.' There are two words for children in the New Testament:

• 'huios'—translated sons, and generally mean male and female—offspring
• 'teknon'—your own begotten born children

Now we are begotten, not yet born! The word here in v 1 is 'teknon'—which means God's own children! It talks of Jesus as the 'teknon' of Mary and the Father.

Verse 2: "Beloved, now we are the children of God… [just like a new life in the womb is still a child] …and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be; but we know that when He is manifested, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him exactly as He is."

Remember that if you are confronted with a trial or a problem or a difficulty, and you feel overwhelmed with it, you get your Bible and you get on your knees and you read these things and pray about it; go to some of the Psalms and ask God to help you out of it.

Here is a key and our part in it. God provides the power, the means and His Word. We have to be led of the Spirit, but he wants our full cooperation and effort.

Verse 3: "And everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, even as He is pure." We're not going to get into all the details here, but in the King James this is the worst part of the translation of the New Testament.

There is a comparison between the children of the devil, and there are children of the devil who are led by his spirit, because he's 'the prince of the power of the air.'

However for us, v 9: "Everyone who has been begotten by God does not practice sin… [doesn't say you don't sin; we're to ask for forgiveness every day] …because His seed of begettal is dwelling within him, and he is not able to practice sin because he has been begotten by God."

God brings it to your attention when you do sin so you can repent. The struggle that we have overcoming the 'law of sin' within us is that after you're baptized there comes a time that you have more sin in your mind that you ever knew, and you wonder if your baptism valid. The answer is yes!

What is happening? God's Spirit is revealing it so you can repent! So that you can have your mind cleansed further by the washing of the water by the Word, which is God's Spirit, to change your brain! To develop and create in you the very character of God! That's an awesome thing when we understand it.

Here we are physical, weak—we're the unheralded of the world, cursed of the world, we'll actually end up being—and yet, God is working in us developing His character in us. That's something! With His Spirit! It's a spiritual operation that the world cannot see, know or understand.

Let's see this. The very fact that God has dealt in your life and has called you out of this world is a spiritual miracle in itself. You really don't understand it or realize it until you've had God's Spirit for a while.

Ephesians 2:1: "Now, you were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you walked in times past according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now working within the children of disobedience" (vs 1-2)—children of the devil!

Just like the human brain can be changed by discipline, by follow right principles, even without the Spirit of God, so likewise, Satan can come along and inspire the mind to change in perversion and accepting evil. Only God can rescue us from that terrible fate.

Verse 3: "Among whom also we all once had our conduct in the lusts of our flesh, doing the things willed by the flesh and by the mind, and were by nature the children of wrath, even as the rest of the world. But God, Who is rich in mercy…" (vs 3-4).

Don't ask me why God called you, I don't know why He called me. And where I am today after being called, baptized and everything that has transpired in our lives, I had absolutely no clue or idea of what it would be. None of us are here where we expected to be when we were first baptized. It's just like walking in the wilderness, you don't know where you're going until God gets you there.

"…because of His great love with which He loved us" (v 4), There's no cause for depression. When you understand the great Sovereign Ruler of the universe, God the Father:

• loves you
• is teaching you
• is molding and building His character within you

through the power of His Holy Spirit!

Verse 8: "For by grace you have been saved… [there's no way you can earn it, demand it or buy it] …through faith…"  Salvation is a process, and that is the key! Salvation is a process of Godly creation within you!That's the greatest work of God!

"…and this especially is not of your own selves; it is the gift of God, not of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship…" (vs 8-10). How is God working with us?

"…being created in Christ Jesus…" (v 10). God made our mind and brain to be molded by Him. To actually change our mind; that's what a converted mind is:

• it is converted
• it is changed
• it is being created by God within us

"…unto the good works that God ordained beforehand… [before the foundation of the world; foreordained] …in order that we might walk in them" (v 10).

(go to the next track)

I thought it was very fascinating and interesting that the brain is very soft, and it's meant to be molded by God with His Spirit. So we have:

• the Spirit of man
• the spirit of God
• the workmanship of God working in our mind

Let's see something that is very interesting. This is why when we yield to God, let His Spirit lead us, that something tremendous takes place within our heart and mind.

What are we made of? The dust of the earth! The Hebrew even indicates red clay. Keep that in mind as we're reading Jer. 18.

Jeremiah 18:1: "The Word, which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, 'Arise and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause you to hear My words'" (vs 1-2). He's going to teach them a lesson down there.

Verse 3: "Then I went down to the potter's house, and, behold, he was working at his wheel." You've probably seen some of this.

They work the feet and they have a spinning table and he molds it into a vessel out of clay. He had to have the right moisture. If it's a little dry he puts some water on it, and if it's a little wet, he sprinkles a little more of the clay powder on it and works it in.

Verse 4: "And the vessel that he made of clay was ruined in the hand of the potter; so he made it again into another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it. Then the Word of the LORD came to me, saying, 'O house of Israel, can I not do with you even as this potter?' says the LORD. 'Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hands, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel'" (vs 4-6).

Let's apply this personally. So are we being created with the character of God through His Spirit today, through everything that we do, everything that we think. It's not something that is done in isolation from the way that we live our lives. It's a very part of us because works begin in the mind.

As a matter of fact, a thought is a work. Before you can do anything externally, something has to happen in the mind internally. If we think of what God is doing with us this way, this helps us understand why it's so important:

• to yield to God
• to put out sin

as the Days of Unleavened Bread picture

• to put in the righteousness of God

There's something else that is important for us to understand. Under the Old Covenant God said that His word would be in your forehead and your right hand. Here in Prov. 3 it talks about concerning God's Law and so forth, and this helps us understand how people can take aspects of the Word of God and improve their character and change their lives, and yet, not be converted.

Proverbs 3:1: "My son, do not forget my law, but let your heart keep my commandments; for they shall add length of days, and long life, and peace, to you. Do not let mercy and Truth forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them upon the tablet of your heart" (vs 1-3).

Every time you learn something it etches into your mind. This has to do with God's Law in the letter of the Law. There is benefit for doing it! So, this is what we do in a different way than here. This is something of self, you write it.

This is like the power of positive thinking. Are there results of the power of positive thinking? Yes! But does it bring conversion? No! Conversion takes the Spirit of God and what goes into our mind—not just what we put in, though we have our part—but what God does when we yield to Him! Let's see what it is; it's a different proposition under the New Covenant with the Spirit of God.

Hebrews 10:12: "But He [Christ], after offering one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God. Since that time, He is waiting until His enemies are placed as a footstool for His feet…. [see Rev. 16] …For by one offering He has obtained eternal perfection for those who are sanctified. And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after He had previously said, '"This is the covenant that I will establish with them after those days," says the Lord'…" (vs 12-16).
Notice the difference between what we read in Prov. 3 about you're 'writing them on the tablet of your heart' and now God, with His Spirit, is doing the writing on the tablet of your heart, not you. You have your part, but with the Spirit of God He is:

• molding
• creating
• building

In order to do that, He has to get rid of certain things, and add in certain things. He needs our whole cooperation to do it, which is being led by the Spirit of God. Let's see what He's doing:

"…I will give My Laws into their hearts, and I will inscribe them in their minds" (v 17). Isn't that something? That's the creation that God is doing in our mind:

• His way
• His truth
• His love
• His laws

Verse 17: "And their sins and lawlessness I will not remember ever again."

So, conversion is a tremendous process that is taking place constantly in our mind. God is the One Who is personally molding that character. This is why every day when we pray, we start out with 'Our Father Who is in heaven…' Christ gave us direct connection to the Father. Jesus told us on the Passover night that the Father Himself personally loves you.

He said, 'Don't pray to Me that I will pray to the Father, you ask Him directly because the Father loves you!' This is a tremendous thing for us to understand, brethren; though we've understood it in the past and we also need to grow in grace and knowledge in this.

Verse 18: "Now, where remission of these is, it is no longer necessary to offer sacrifices for sin." Let's see what this process is, which also has to do with the love of God, the faith of God and the hope of God!

Here is our goal, our vision, what we constantly look to; Colossians 3:1: "Therefore, if you have been raised together with Christ…" Baptism is a death covenant with Christ. You are conjoined to His death! Just as Christ died, you die! Paul said, 'I die daily,' so it's a continuous process.

"…seek the things that are above, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God. Set your affection on the things that are above, and not on the things that are on the earth. For you have died, and your life has been hid together with Christ in God. When Christ, Who is our life, is manifested, then you also shall be manifested with Him in glory. Therefore…" (vs 1-5).

Here's the action that we need to do, "…put to death… [get rid of by the washing of the water by the Word] …your members, which are on earth… [these things that are in your mind that cause you to be carnal] …sexual immorality, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil desires, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of these things, the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, among whom you also once walked, when you were living in these things. But now, you should also put off all these things…" (vs 5-8).

In order for God to put the character in, He needs your help in repentance and practicing of your thoughts with the Spirit of God to put out the evil that is there.

"…wrath, indignation, malice, blasphemy, and foul language from your mouth" (v 8). That's a continuous thing that we do.

Verse 9: "Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old man together with his deeds, and have put on the new man, who is being renewed in knowledge… [in the spirit of your mind, with the Spirit of God] …according to the image of Him Who created him; where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, barbarian nor Scythian, slave nor free; but Christ is all things, and in all. Put on then, as the elect of God… [just like the potter, God is the Potter] …Holy and beloved, deep inner affections, kindness, humility, meekness and long-suffering" (vs 9-12).

These are the characteristics of God; this is how we develop the mind of Christ.

Verse 13: "Forbearing one another…" In all too many cases everybody is judging everybody else.

"…and forgiving one another…" (v 13). How long does God put up with us? That's why it says in 1-John 5 that if you 'see a brother sin a sin not unto death, pray for him.' A sin that is unto death, you don't pray for them, because they reject Christ and denounce Him. That's the difference.

• How long does it take some people to overcome? Sometimes a great deal of time!
• Does God forgive us our sins on a daily basis? Yes!
• Do we repent on a daily basis Yes!

That's all part of the work of God! That's our part in God's work within us! Then we put these things into our lives, and this is where the Word of God comes in. when we study the Word of God, now something different happens than just reading a book. It is a spiritual operation between the Spirit-inspired Word of God and God's Spirit within you, and:

• your love for God
• your heart and mind toward God

It becomes a continuous life-changing and molding experience that God is using to create His character in you.

Verse 12: "Put on then… [we're to get rid of the other] …as the elect of God, Holy and beloved, deep inner affections, kindness, humility, meekness and long-suffering; forbearing one another, and forgiving one another…" (vs 12-13).

Everyone expects God to forgive them of their sins, but too man are not willing to forgive the sins of others.

"…if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so also you should forgive" (v 13).

I remember a man who loaned a brother $6,000. The man promised to pay him back. After four or five months when he hadn't made any payments on it, every Sabbath when the one who loaned the money would come into services, he'd ask the borrower when he was going to pay back the money. The borrower said he would get to it.

This began to bother the one who loaned the money, really bother him, and when he would see that brother in Church he's start getting mad because he hadn't been paid anything. Then one day God's Spirit convicted him when he read Matt. 18; the debt that was forgiven.

So, he came to Sabbath services that week and he went up to the man who had borrowed the money and said, 'You know that money you owe me, you don't owe me a penny. I forgive it all.'

He said that it lifted a burden from his mind; not the one who owed the money as much as he. Of course, it lifted a burden from the debtor's mind. You know what happened? God blessed him in his business with double that! So the moral of the story is God's way always works!

So, forgive! Even if they haven't yet repented to you, always be in an attitude ready to forgive, and in your heart forgive them. Remember this: When Jesus was dying on the cross He said, 'Father forgive them for they know not what they do.' This is a great and tremendous part of the character that God wants us to have. That helps develop love, and love develops understanding. That adds to us faith and hope.

Take all of these things in Col. 3 as a step-by-step process.

Verse 14: "And above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection…. [God is perfecting us] …And let the peace of God rule in your hearts… [as you're led by the Holy Spirit of God] …to which you were called into one body, and be thankful. Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And in everything—whatever you do in word or in deed—do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him" (vs 14-17).

That's how we are to live our lives. And notice what this will produce. This will produce something in us that is a spiritual character and quality that you cannot have any other way.

Galatians 5:22: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy…"—even in spite of disaster. What did it say of Jesus? That He endured the cross, despising the shame for the joy that was set before Him; the final outcome of it!

"…peace… [peace of mind] …longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faith, meekness, self-control; against such things there is no law. But those who are Christ's… [here's our work]: …have crucified the flesh with its passions and lusts. If we live by the Spirit, we should also be walking by the Spirit…. [if that's so]:  …We should not become vainglorious, provoking one another and envying one another" (vs 22-26). Sounds like some of the church meetings we have been to!

Here's the example of Jesus Christ, and here's what He wants us to do; here is our example:

Philippians 2:1: "Now then, if there be any encouragement in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any deep inner affections and compassions, fulfill my joy that you be of the same mind…" (vs 1-2). Isn't that interesting? All being molded with the character of God! And the love of God is the most important. The greatest tool to overcome is the love of God (1-Cor. 13).

"…having the same love, being joined together in soul, minding the one thing" (v 2). That's the purpose of our calling; to attain to the Kingdom of God and rule with Christ.

Verse 3: "Let nothing be done through contention or vainglory, but in humility, each esteeming the others above himself. Let each one look not only after his own things, but let each one also consider the things of others" (vs 3-4).

Here is the end result of what God is doing with us, and this is a process that takes place with His Spirit. It's something that we have to let God do:

Verse 5: "Let this mind be in you… [that's the ultimate perfection of the molding of our mind by God] …which was also in Christ Jesus."

Look what He did. The Creator of heaven and earth came in the flesh and died to save His creation.

Verse 6: "Who, although He existed in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but emptied Himself, and was made in the likeness of men, and took the form of a servant… [or slave] …and being found in the manner of man, He humbled Himself…" (vs 6-8).

Brethren I don't think we even understand that kind of humility of God. God the Father and Jesus Christ are the most humble beings in the universe. Christ had to be humble to come and do what He did. The Father had to be humble to be willing to send Christ to do it, with he risk that would have been possible that He could have failed. But also it shows a great deal of love and faith involved in it, too.

"…and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross" (v 8). When Paul wrote this, these people understood what that was. They could see the Roman executions by crucifixion in their communities. They could look up and see if there was someone hanging on a cross. They could remember that the Creator God, to save His creation, humbled Himself to do that.

When you look at it that way, what a shame that so many things are done in vanity, self-importance and things like that. This is our model! This is our goal! This literally happened! He was raised from the dead.

Verse 9: "Therefore, God has also highly exalted Him and bestowed upon Him a name, which is above every name."

I love this part because I think of every atheist, every God-hater, every Christ-hater and Christian-hater. Know that one day this will happen:

Verse 10: "That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of beings in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father" (vs 10-11).

So, when we have vision we understand and go forward. We are inspired and desire to love God, and desire to love each other. We desire to follow God as He leads us with His Spirit.

Verse12: "So then, my beloved, even as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God Who works in you…" (vs 12-13)—molding you, creating in you, exposing the sin within to repent that He can wash it away so that He can build His character in you, so that you can see the greatness and fantastic love that God has.

"…both to will… [He gives you the desire] …and to do according to His good pleasure" (v 13)—molding and creating the character within you.

Verse 14: "Do all things without complaints and disputes; so that you may be blameless and without offense, innocent children of God in the midst of a crooked and perverted generation…" (vs 14-15). That sure is true today, just like Sodom and Gomorrah.

"…among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding forth the Word of Life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, nor labored in vain" (vs 15-16).

Brethren, this is how you can, with the Spirit of God, change your brain and change your life:

• so that you have the mind of Christ
• so that you develop the character of God
• so that you, at the resurrection:
  • will be blameless
  • will be perfect
  • will be the sons and daughters of God

All Scriptures from The Holy Bible in Its Original Order, A Faithful Version

Scriptural References:

• Isaiah 57:3-6
• 1 Peter 1:1-5, 14-20
• 1 John 3:1-3, 9
• Ephesians 2:1-4, 8-10
• Jeremiah 18:1-6
• Proverbs 3:1-3
• Hebrews 10:12-18
• Colossians 3:1-13, 12-17
• Galatians 5:22-26
• Philippians 2:1-16

Scriptures referenced, not quoted:

• Hebrews 2
• Revelation 13:8;  16
• 1 John 5
• Matthew 18
• 1 Corinthians 13

Also referenced:

• Booklet: The Christian Passover Ceremony by Fred R. Coulter
• Book: Change Your Brain, Change Your Life by Daniel G. Amen, M.D.

FRC: bo | Transcribed: 5/21/17