How should we worship God? #12 Renewing the Mind

Renewing the Mind

The Bible is going to be our guidebook and companion along life’s journey and it will help to mould and shape our thinking and our feelings. It does not merely change our mind about things – as this course might have changed your mind about the things you believe as you have been reading. The Bible renews our mind. The more we read it, the more we understand about God and His purpose and the more we shall want to be part of that purpose, whatever the personal cost. It is a life-giving Word from God which is quite unlike any other book you might read. Because the Bible comprises a large and complicated collection of books, it takes time fully to understand it, and there are endless avenues to explore. It is meant to be a life-long study for the man and woman of God.

But it is a two-way process when we start to learn about God and want to get to know Him more and more. This is why Paul says we should be persistent in prayer. He means that we should keep praying. Prayer is our opportunity to talk to God and to tell Him how we are feeling about things. We can thank Him for all He is doing in our lives; ask Him for help and guidance and praise Him. When we become baptized believers we can pray for forgiveness to a Father who is always ready to help and to forgive when we fail. For it is not only in the act of baptism that our sins are forgiven. When, after baptism, we fail to achieve the sort of behaviour at which we are aiming, as we all do, then God is ready to forgive us through our Lord Jesus Christ and to help us to keep going forward in our next attempt:

“My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments” (1 John 2:1-3).

There are commandments to be kept as part of our new life in Christ and we will gradually become more obedient and more faithful if we are striving to live as followers of Jesus. Over time we will see a change taking place and, at the coming of Christ, it will be completed by the transformation of our bodies.

Preceding

Scripture Word from God

Bible Teaching and Vital Doctrines to Discover

the Bible – God’s guide for life #2 Needs in life

Living as a believer in Christ

To Glorify God and His Son

To Glorify God and His Son #2 Governance and objectives of the ecclesia/charity

How should we worship God? #1 Appreciation for God

How should we worship God? #2 Spiritual Worship

How should we worship God? #3 Spiritual Transformation

How should we worship God? #4 Christian Congregations

How should we worship God? #5 Congregational Worship