It’s All in Your Mind

] J J j J ] word in Titus 3:5, ~rn_,,i &.J UJUlu t,/, ~ umim, ID"- luwe dam,_, 1ml ll.llNdi.n.g, f.tJ_ hi,_ ffl£llLJ, lu uwd, ~ htJ, du tJJa.JtimJ, ot lliJ.fflHII.~ and nn£JJJin.g, "'- t1tt ~ {Jlto.u.,, You also find it in Ephesians 4-:22, 23, "(J'lud 'P'- pal oN ~flu~ ~ du tJld mo.n, whi.Jt u eM#apl 11ll.J'J¥dimJ, lo- llu dttRil/al lam.; and k ll!IUlMd in. l1u dpi¥i1 o/- y,o,u. nund.,, You will never eKperience the truth of Romans 12:2-the renewed mind wnich causes transformation so that you will be nonconformed to the world-apart from the Holy Spirit having practical control of your life every day. This is not a theological thought; it is a practical thought. The Holy Spirit dwells in your body by the right of salvation and the right of redemption, but the key is, "Does He have your body full handed and every faculty for His use and service?" When this takes place, it will no longer be you taking action and asking, "Is this right or wrong?" It will be a question of, "What does the Holy Spirit, Who has complete control of my body, want me to dot• The key to separation is not legalism. The key of whether to do this or that, whether to participate in this pleasure or that pleasure, is not saying or teaching, "Don't do this and don't do that." The key is a mind that is in a body dedicated to the Holy Spirit, Who renews or changes you from confonning to the world. If you will present Oiterally, with audible word) your body to the Holy Spirit, He will start renewing your mind. This presented body to the Holy Spirit becomes a living sacrifice. Here is. the reference to sacrifice, literal or burning. Here is the Old Testament altar term. Your body becomes something that is a paradox; it becomes a sacrifice that is alive. The Holy Spirit does not want your body in order to destroy or kill it. He wants your body for use. God gives all of His mercy to you, now, are you going to present your body. every faculty, to the Holy Spirit in order that He may make it a fired, living sacrifice? The Holy Spirit will take your body, mold it, possibly melt it, use it, and you will be saying, "Don't I have any rights of my own?» And, the answer is no! That is why God had to ask on the basis of His mercy. This act on your part is based on mercy. Giving your body to the Holy Spirit will cause the Holy Spirit to make your body, "~ tllllp.lnJ,1.e unUJ-1}.od." You see, our presenting allows God to consecrate and to make holy and well pleasing to Him.. We could never do this on our own. When such is completed, we understand that this has been reasonable service. If Paul had besought us in verse one on the basis of reasonable or logical service, we would not have been able to do it and, no doubt, we would never have seen that it was reasonable. I know by experience that if I yield my body to the Holy Spirit, my mind relaxes and I reasonably accept what God has or is doing. But if I try to reason it out with God first, I will always fight what He desires. God does not say, "See first and experience second." As the Psalmist says, "O &uh and .ttt. dud Hie J!.Ot1lflJ u <J.bM" (Psalm 34:8). It is obedience first, seeing second. We are now to Romans 12:2 and our second phrase is, "ofnd In. m,i t!.Dnp,¥mJJJ /,IJ. I.Ith.. wNld." Here is nonconformity. The apostle Paul, by the Holy Spirit, would never dare write this first phrase of verse two to the normal, average believer because it would upset 39