24/12/2023
The Darkness of the Sense-Ruled Mind
1 John 2:9-11, “He that saith he is in the light and hates his brother is in the darkness even until now. He that loveth his brother is in the light and there is no occasion of stumbling in him. But he that hateth his brother is in the darkness, and walketh in the darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth because the darkness hath blinded his eyes.” Here is the condition of the believer whose mind has never been renewed. He is walking according to the senses. John 8:12 is utterly unknown to him, “I am the light of the world. He that followeth Me shall not walk in the darkness but shall have the light of life.”
The light of life is love. God is light. In Him is no darkness at all because God is love. We love now; we have received the love nature, and love is to dominate us. When it does, the mind becomes renewed, comes into harmony with the recreated spirit.
Sense knowledge governs the babe in Christ, the undeveloped one. The Word governs the recreated man whose mind is renewed. He walks in love.
The New Creation
The New Creation man is described in Ephesians 3:20, “Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all we can ask or think according to the power (or ability) that worketh in us.” It is the ability of God that is at work in the New Creation, building into him the love nature of the Father, the wisdom of Jesus, the grace and beauty of the Man of Galilee. In our daily walk, the Holy Spirit is building into us a fearless confidence in the Word. We require no physical evidence to prove that we are healed. When He says, “Surely He hath borne our sicknesses and carried our diseases,” that settles it for us, for we are governed by the Word-not by the five senses.
When He tells us in 1 Peter 5:7, “Casting all your anxiety upon Him for He careth for you,” with loving joy we throw off our burdens upon the Lord as one lays down a heavy load from his shoulder. We say, “Thank you, Father, for bearing this load. Thank you for carrying it for me.” Anxiety has stopped and we rest with quiet confidence in that living Word. You see, this renewed mind understands John 15:7, “If ye abide in Me and My words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will and it shall be done unto you. Herein is My Father glorified that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be My disciples.”
A disciple means a student-one that sits at the feet of a master. So He says, “If my words are a part of your daily life so that you are acting them and living them, then you will be able to ask what you will.” You see, the renewed mind realizes that John 15:5 is absolutely true, “I am the Vine and you are the fruit-bearing part of Me. I am seated up here at the Father's right hand, meeting your every need, and you are down there on the earth bearing love fruit in your ministry of helping men and women.”