Complimentary Story
March 2024I had a lot of fun trying to capture a picture of the eagle pictured with this article. What do you see? I see the definition of determination. His mind is made up, he has decided; any doubt or fear is resolved, he is resolute and unwavering. I was just glad, and still am, that I wasn’t the object of his determination and talons. I love being out in God’s great garden and have observed this determination in many of the critters that inhabit the north woods of Wisconsin. I think determination is an attitude and I want to share some of my thoughts in the continuation of my articles on, “What does a Christian look like?”
We are told in Philippians 2:5, “Your attitude should be the same as Christ Jesus.” 1 Peter 4:1 tells us “…to arm yourselves with the same attitude as Christ…” Let’s take a deeper look at Ephesians 4:23 & 24. “…to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” We are to get rid of our old self, the one that is corrupt by its deceitful desires. How? By being made new in the attitude of our mind.
After doing some Greek word study, I find that the English word “attitude” is quite short in helping us with a good understanding. The Greek word means more than a feeling or a posture. It is referring to our spiritual being, our mind, our intellect, understanding and thoughts. It is our frame of mind and moreover, our settled state of mind that is all encompassed in the meaning of the word translated, “attitude.”
All of this needs to be “made new.” This word is a carpenter word. It means to “be renewed or be renovated.” Have you ever renovated something? A house, a bathroom or other room of the house? How about the mechanics out there? I assure you a carpenter I am and a mechanic I am not. Have you ever renewed or renovated an old car? Either way, you go into the project knowing that there are some old parts that have to be removed and replaced with new parts. We take the “before” pictures and then begin the long process of work, blood, sweat and tears — and “why did I ever start this project?,” but we press on. After all, our spouse is watching, encouraging us and in my case, right in there helping. By now the neighbors know and of course, are wondering what this is going to look like when it’s finished. A year, two years and sometimes many years later, finally the finishing touches. The paint, the wallpaper, the new siding go on the house renovation and the paint and new upholstered seats go on the car. The “before” pictures come out and are shown to all who marvel at the incredible transformation. I use the word “transformation” from Romans 12:2 because there it says, “…be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Renewing is the same word translated, “made new,” in this Ephesians verse. It is not a house or a car that is the project before us, but our mind, intellect, understanding and our settled state of mind that needs to be renovated and renewed.
What is the goal of our renovation? In the Ephesians context, it is that we were “created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”
Sometimes I get sick inside when I listen to nationally acclaimed Christian psychologists discuss the difference between men and women and state that men are wired differently and have a difficult, if not impossible task of controlling their sexual reaction to what they see with their eyes. I get sick for a little while, then I get angry. We have been so duped by pornography and our sexually out-of-control society that even so-called professionals need to have their brain “made new.” A start is to look at Biblical truth. What does God’s word say? 2 Tim. 1:7 tells us “For God did not give us a spirit of weakness but a spirit of power, love and of self-discipline.” So, we can be self-disciplined? Yes, we can. Titus 2:11-14 states, “For the grace of God has appeared to all men, it teaches us to say ‘NO’ to ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled, upright and Godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope — the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for Himself a people that are His very own, eager to do what is good.”
Man, I love those verses! Men, here is what Job did and we should also. “I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a girl.” (Job 31:1). The only one who gets my attention, sexually, is my wife, and it is by decision and a settled frame of mind based on the truth of God’s Word and that only happened as I renovated my thinking by memorizing the just discussed verses, plus many more. I had a lot of corrupt and deceitful desires that had to be “made new” after a 28-year addiction to porn.
Think about the next words in our text when someone else or when you may think you can’t control your thoughts or desires. “…put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” (Ephesians 4:24). The Greek word translated “create” means that we were created spiritually or invested with a spiritual frame. This matches up well with the Hebrew word used at the creation of man in Genesis. The word there means “cut out.” Literally meaning that men and women were cut out of the character of God. We can take on Godliness, His virtues and characteristics that reflect righteousness. God designed us that way. When we put God’s Word into our mind and practice living out that Word in our behavior, holiness is observed. We are to practice putting on the new self in everything we think and do.
Please read on in the Ephesians text — there is a long list of ideas, behaviors and thoughts to replace or rebuild in our life. A driving factor in all of it is Ephesians 5:1, “Be imitators of God.”
Like the eagle, our attitude reflects determination, our mind is made up, we are resolute and unwavering, our frame of mind is settled in our inner man as we put off the old and put on the new self, reflecting the love of truth with a veracity and sincerity toward imitating God in righteousness and holiness.
Lynn Fredrick is the author of “Stand Firm.” Stand firm over sin. Stand firm in your faith.
LynnFredrick.com
