Isaiah 26:3 AMPC You will guard him and keep him in perfect and constant peace whose mind [both its inclination and its character] is stayed on You, because he commits himself to You, leans on You, and hopes confidently in You.
This morning, I want to share with you about having a made-up mind. Having a made-up mind means we have reached a decision or conclusion about an issue. Considering the pros and cons makes settling our minds easier.
In the scripture, we can understand that God will guard and keep us in perfect peace when our minds are committed to him. If we further expound on the scripture above, we learn that our mind has inclination and character. Both of which must be stayed on Jesus.
The Character of Our Mind
Our character as Christians is important. As we run the Christian race, the goal is to strip off our old nature and begin to put on the mind of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the perfect example of righteous character, moral integrity, and compassion.
Jesus also had a steadfast mind. A steadfast mind is loyal, faithful, committed, and devoted to God. Everything Jesus did was in obedience to God our Father, even unto death.
Crucifying the Mind
John 19:17-20 AMPC And they took Jesus and led [Him] away; so He went out, bearing His own cross, to the spot called The Place of the Skull–in Hebrew it is called Golgotha. There they crucified Him, and with Him two others–one on either side and Jesus between them. [Isa. 53:12.]
And Pilate also wrote a title (an inscription on a placard) and put it on the cross. And the writing was: Jesus the Nazarene, the King of the Jews. And many of the Jews read this title, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and it was written in Hebrew, in Latin, [and] in Greek.’
In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus had a battle and had to decide to prepare for his crucifixion. If we want to have a made-up mind to follow in the ways of Jesus, we must also crucify our minds.
As Jesus continually prayed in the garden, He was in agony. Finally, knowing that He was facing death, He told the Father, “Not my will, but Your Will be done.”
Having to settle his death, Jesus finally had a made-up mind. He was persistent about following the Father’s will.
The Place of the Skull
Jesus bearing His cross, went to the place of the skull called Golgotha. His crucifixion is important because it shows again how we must crucify our fleshly/carnal minds, killing the old man with all his lusts and passions.
Crucifixion means to be nailed to a cross or executed. Jesus understood this importance, so he went to Calvary, the place of the skull.
In the natural body, the skull is the part that encloses the brain. Crucifying the skull shows how we must crucify the carnal inputs that enclose our minds. We can do this by ensuring our thoughts, actions, and appetites align with God’s word. Crucifixion is simply denying sinful desires and learning to tell our flesh no!
Living with a made-up mind for Christ means we are no longer alive to sin but to God.
Romans 6:6 AMPC We know that our old (unrenewed) self was nailed to the cross with Him in order that [our] body [which is the instrument] of sin might be made ineffective and inactive for evil, that we might no longer be the slaves of sin.’
Knowing that we can be renewed and nail our old selves to the cross, this is good news! We can come alive to God when we are renewed in our minds. We can meditate on what is pure. Staying in this place and constant reliance on God gives us a resolute mind that is made up.
I pray this devotion is a blessing to you as we run this race keeping our minds on Heavenly affairs.
Regards,
Tanicia
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