How Does Peace of Mind Work? Three Keys to Peace of Mind
The Battle Ready Believer 1 Peter 1: 13-14 Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober {in spirit,} fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
The Girding Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH eph.6:14 [we are to feed on God's word daily as the Israelites daily gathered up and fed on manna in the wilderness. This is like soaking up God's light in a surrounding darkness that would otherwise engulf us]
The Effective Attitude of a Girded Mind A sober spirit is effective only if one has been prepared. The two must be inseperable in order to battle darkness. Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 1Pet.5:8 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness; so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober. For those who sleep do their sleeping at night, and those who get drunk get drunk at night. But since we are of {the} day, let us be sober, 1Thes.5:4-8
The Helmet having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation. 1Thes. 5:8 And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Eph.6:17 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. 1Jn.3:2-3 [John, Paul and Peter saw the practical "holiness benefit" of having our mind occupied by the hope of our salvation---the destination of the road we're on]
A Helmet for the Girded Walk 1Peter 1: 15-21 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts {which were yours} in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all {your} behavior; because it is written, "YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY." If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay {on earth;} knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, {the blood} of Christ. For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. There are many truths in the Bible that make for effective helmets..This passage is loaded with them!
Consider Our Spiritual Rebirth from Above No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother. 1John 3:9-10
Consider Our Former Bondage to the Flesh and Satan's Lies And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. Eph 2:1-3 [The unconverted are spiritually dead---walking in ignorance through the enticement of their flesh by the ways of the world. As children of God, born by His word and Spirit, we remain in the flesh with all its temptations, but we now live in newness of life with circumcised hearts]
Consider the Traits of Our Heavenly Father and Christ in Whom We Have Been Reborn But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on {the} evil and {the} good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing {than others?} Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect." Mat.5:43-48 [being "perfect" in this passage is refers to the Father's perfect love. Holiness (i.e. not falling into sin) and righteousness (summed up as love) are two sides of the same coin. Holiness is an elimination of the negative while righteousness accentuates the positive. We first must stand in holiness (i.e. not falling into sin) before we can walk effectively in love. Click here to see how holiness relates to righteousness
Consider The Father's Judgment "If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one's work" For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. Eph.2:10
"conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your
stay on earth" 1. Because of earthly chastisement 2. Because of heavenly judgment
Consider The Father's Cost "knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold" By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. 1John 4:9
Consider the Emptiness of Life Outside of Christ "from your futile way of life"
Consider fallen man's inheritance from earthly forefathers "inherited from your forefathers" For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.... so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Rom.5:19,21
Consider the Son's cost "but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ" The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" John 1:29
Consider the Father's plan "For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world" "Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. John 17:24
"but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you who through Him are believers in God" But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!" Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God. Gal. 4:4-7 [Father's plan =
"who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God"
"These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world." John 16:33
giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light. For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Col. 1:12-14
by
Steve Popovich |