It’s All in Your Mind

The sixth gift is mentioned in the phrase, "... lu dud mlnJt.., t.OiJh ~ 71 This is the gift ofthe ability to take the lead. This gift, ofcourse, would include believing husbands. God has made husbands the leaders of their homes and they are to do that with diligence. But to accomplish this, believing husbands and fathers will need to present their bodies to the Holy Spirit "~ dud Jumdlt ntney,, wiflt Ju.u/iJ.,uu.. 71 This is the last gift listed. Here is a glad minisby to others. Every believer could claim this gift. Many believers manifest mercy and help to others but they do not do it cheerfully. So, the results of the renewed mind will be the Holy Spirit revealing to you a right estimate of yourself. This in turn will find the believer knowing what part of the body His function is in the local church. There are seven listed gifts and if you will look at them closely you will find that they meet every need of the fellowship of the saints. With these foundational proofs of the transformed Christian, we are further reminded of the conduct that the believer with the renewed mind should evidence. The conduct of the transformed Christian with a renewed mind is found in verses nine through twenty-one. You can test your conduct against that which should be manifusted as the Holy Spirit leads through your mind. You will notice that the list is quite contrary to human nature and to the conduct of many ofGod's children. Paul continues in verse nine, "ol/Jlw,r.. llud uJtim u. ~· J.nnu.. ID- l1ud tn.ltiLh u gm,d." Do you as a believer hate sin? Do you ever become nauseated with the world around you? The carnal Christian can easily amalgamate himself with the world and compromise to the place that the conduct and actions of the world do not affect him. Paul doesn't take a breath here. He says, "Be sincere, hate evil 1 do good." That's it! These are not for the average normal Christian. These are for the Christian who says, "Here's my life. Now renew my mind. Help me to be a nonconformist." Verse ten says, "(B,_ kuulh; nJln,.l,imud 6'U bJ.. a.noJl,,u. wilh ~ /mu.,· in lumtJ.u,., ~ OIU a.n.bl.Ju,.." Here Paul suggests to the believer what his conduct should be in his fullowship and associations. He is talking about the fellowship of believers. Where do you get your -fellowship? He is saying that in order to practice this command you are going to find that you desire the fellowship of the saints not the fellowship of the world. Verse 16 says, "(Jk ol IJu HLnU mind 6nL, lmoad llltblJu,.." Here is the basis of unity in the local church. But there will never be unity until there is first consecration. "..111.in.d Ml high tlt.uuµ, 1ml. ~ bJ.. nun. o,t fmD_ ulnh" Toward whom do you gravitate in the fellowship? Watch people in the church. You can read people immediately. You can tell the person who has an outgoing personality. It doesn't bother him to walk into a new group of people; he just sort of falls into place. But then there is the believer who seems a little infurior and quiet and small and insignificant No one seems to gravitate toward him. That's wrong! We ought to gravitate to the seemingly lo\Nest first A consecra-md believer finds his fellowship with the saints and they are all on the same level in his eyes. 45