From The Vine
"I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me,
and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit:
for without me ye can do nothing." John 15:5
Me? Carnal Minded?
Cindy Hyde
The Bible clearly shows you how to become an overcomers. You overcome through salvation, by being "born again of Spirit". It's not hard or complicated, actually it's a very simple thing to do, yet there are very few who choose to do.There are some people who make the decision to be 'born again' but can't seem to stay on the path. They can't seem to overcome their carnal mind. Their old way of thinking never gets adjusted and they can't live a split life. These people will get ambushed, and sideswiped, and give up.
Recently, a young woman of 27, committed suicide. She was married and had a 6 month old baby. She recently left a major denominational church that had more don'ts than do's. There were so many restrictions and laws that she felt she could not live up to them. She was convinced that she couldn't live a Christian life because it was to hard so she took her life and ended the confusion. "Where the spirit of the LORD is there is liberty." She didn't live long enough to find that out.
The enemy comes along as a thief and steals the Word out of you heart. Or the Word of God gets choked out of you by the cares and worries of this life. But there is always hope for overcoming the devil, the flesh and the world. Your hope is in Jesus Christ. He's the one who paid the price for your freedom through the blood He shed for you.
The Bible says, "Whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world-our faith." -1 John 5:4 Jesus overcame the world. You can walk in victory because He does. You can overcome through Him. How can you do this? Get born again.
Jesus told Nicodemus: "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." This confounded Nicodemus.
Jesus went on to explain... "That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." We are born once in the flesh. Being born of God means that you are born of the Spirit.
"Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again."
"The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these
things be?"
"Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things? And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven."
"And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved."
Being born again means you accept Jesus Christ as your Savior. You have faith in Jesus Christ and you are saved by grace, which is unmerited and undeserved favor. What do you need to be saved from? The death penalty for your sins. Romans 3:23 says, "For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." You are a sinner. I am a sinner. We are all sinners.
"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:" Ephesians 2:8. Won't you receive this free gift today? Jesus is praying to the Father for you today.
We will "...not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness; Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist." Colossians 1:13-17
Can you loose your salvation?
"For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame." Hebrews 6:4-7
Consider the Scriptures here carefully. Unless you are born again you are carnal minded. Strong's describes carnal as 1a) having the nature of flesh, i.e. under the control of the animal appetites 1a1) governed by mere human nature not by the Spirit of God 1a2) having its seat in the animal nature or aroused by the animal nature. To be carnal is to be animalistic, to be ruled by the appetites and the lusts of the flesh, to serve the nature of the flesh instead of the Spirit. It means that you think on things that are pleasing to your soul. When you become a child of God your thoughts are transformed and you begin to think from your spirit instead of your soul which is the seat of your emotions and your will.
We are emotional creatures indeed but we must not let that keep us from being an overcomer. There is a higher walk. Decide today to rise above the carnal flesh that you were born with and be born of the Spirit so you can experience eternal life through Christ Jesus and Victory in your life now.
"The Husbandman
is never nearer
the branches
than during pruning."
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