Post by bornfree on Jul 18, 2007 13:48:03 GMT -5
Renewing Your Affections
Peter reminded belivers
to show their mutual love in culturally appropriate ways. "Greet one
another with a holy kiss. . . " (1 Peter 5:14).
How does the Christ-life relate to my affections? If I appropriate my
identity in Christ by faith, I need to also cooperate with God's Spirit
as He "restores my soul". This process of renewal in the mind, will,
and emotions depends on personal surrender to God and trust in the
indwelling presence of Christ.
An aspect of this renewal that has been impressed upon me lately is
that of renewing the affections . If Christ is my life, I will delight
in what HE delights in. My affections will be directed to what is
valuable.
How prone the flesh is to delight in the sensual and carnal desires of
this fallen world. Why else would James need to rebuke the early
church? "From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts." (4:1-3). Why else would John
need to caution us in his first epistle? "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world." (2:15,16).
The true believer has the blessing of a regenerated human spirit--"And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:" (Col 3:10). We have been made partakers of the divine nature
"Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust." (2 Pet 1:4). Yet the soul is still vulnerable to the forces of the
world, the flesh, and the devil. "Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;"
(1Peter 2:11).
God intends us to allow the "new man" to have dominion over the soul
and body by the power of the Holy Spirit. (The natural function of this
chain of command was forfeited at the Fall, Gen 3). Instead of being
under the control of the body, we must make it our servant "But I keep
under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when
I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway."
(1 Cor9:27).
Instead of being under the dominion of the self-life, we need to
reckon ourselves dead to sin's authority and alive to God through the
resurrection power of Christ "For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Rom 6:5-11).
When the Lord Jesus is functioning as my Lord and LIFE, He will
redirect my AFFECTIONS. (Back to this issue's theme!)
What should you delight in?
"Delight thyself also in the LORD: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart." (Psalm 37:4).
Delight in God's perfect will-- "I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart."(Psalm 40:8).
Delight in the Word of God-- "I rejoice at thy word, as one that findeth great spoil." (Psalm 119:162).
Delight in God's moral principles-- "For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:" (Romans 7:22).
Delight in God's comfort--"In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul."(Psalms 94:19).
Delight in the Second Coming-- "Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;" (1 Peter 1:13).
Delight in the blessing of eternal fellowship with God--"Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore." (Psalm 16:11).
We shall seek what we love and delight in. It is
where our treasure is that our heart will be also.
What are the things we are seeking? Those things that are filling our
thoughts and attracting our affections. It is upon these we set our
wills and concentrate our energies. It is not difficult to seek what we
love.
Will we ask God to search our heart and redirect our affections to
where they belong?
Peter reminded belivers
to show their mutual love in culturally appropriate ways. "Greet one
another with a holy kiss. . . " (1 Peter 5:14).
How does the Christ-life relate to my affections? If I appropriate my
identity in Christ by faith, I need to also cooperate with God's Spirit
as He "restores my soul". This process of renewal in the mind, will,
and emotions depends on personal surrender to God and trust in the
indwelling presence of Christ.
An aspect of this renewal that has been impressed upon me lately is
that of renewing the affections . If Christ is my life, I will delight
in what HE delights in. My affections will be directed to what is
valuable.
How prone the flesh is to delight in the sensual and carnal desires of
this fallen world. Why else would James need to rebuke the early
church? "From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts." (4:1-3). Why else would John
need to caution us in his first epistle? "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world." (2:15,16).
The true believer has the blessing of a regenerated human spirit--"And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:" (Col 3:10). We have been made partakers of the divine nature
"Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust." (2 Pet 1:4). Yet the soul is still vulnerable to the forces of the
world, the flesh, and the devil. "Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;"
(1Peter 2:11).
God intends us to allow the "new man" to have dominion over the soul
and body by the power of the Holy Spirit. (The natural function of this
chain of command was forfeited at the Fall, Gen 3). Instead of being
under the control of the body, we must make it our servant "But I keep
under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when
I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway."
(1 Cor9:27).
Instead of being under the dominion of the self-life, we need to
reckon ourselves dead to sin's authority and alive to God through the
resurrection power of Christ "For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Rom 6:5-11).
When the Lord Jesus is functioning as my Lord and LIFE, He will
redirect my AFFECTIONS. (Back to this issue's theme!)
What should you delight in?
"Delight thyself also in the LORD: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart." (Psalm 37:4).
Delight in God's perfect will-- "I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart."(Psalm 40:8).
Delight in the Word of God-- "I rejoice at thy word, as one that findeth great spoil." (Psalm 119:162).
Delight in God's moral principles-- "For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:" (Romans 7:22).
Delight in God's comfort--"In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul."(Psalms 94:19).
Delight in the Second Coming-- "Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;" (1 Peter 1:13).
Delight in the blessing of eternal fellowship with God--"Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore." (Psalm 16:11).
We shall seek what we love and delight in. It is
where our treasure is that our heart will be also.
What are the things we are seeking? Those things that are filling our
thoughts and attracting our affections. It is upon these we set our
wills and concentrate our energies. It is not difficult to seek what we
love.
Will we ask God to search our heart and redirect our affections to
where they belong?