What comes into
your heart has to first be
in your mind. So what a person thinks about is important,
because once it's in your heart, it will come into your life. That's why
one needs to be on the qui
vive, alert to what's in his or her mind at the moment. Be present
minded aware.
Paul had the
same
problem to deal with. The mind is the key to Christ's loving nature
reigning consistently in you:.Philippians
1:21. When you think the same thoughts that Creator-God has about you,
Christ can flourish
in you:.Philippians
2:5,6.
You may be still looking
at the 'lie' of your sins, instead of the truth about you being holy, righteous
and pure thanks to Christ's righteousness applied
to you. By looking at your sins the way some may have told you to tackle
them, you may be actually denying Christ:.Titus
1:13-16; 2Corinthians 13:5.
We need to deny ourselves
the things that God does not think about us:.Luke
9:23. And God does not think of you as a sinner and yet that does not
mean you should not improve on your faults:.Colossians
3:5; Galatians 5:19-21.
But, improving upon faults
because
one believes this righteousness of one's own doing is pleasing to
our Creator and will bring something of worth from Him to the doer, is
an abomination
to God:.Hebrews
11:6. Rather,
it's the righteousness of Christ as a gift to you that counts for your
reward.
Accepting this gift of righteousnss
is a work of love on your part and the gift from God's part:.Galatians
5:6 "For in Emmanuel Christ neither circumcision avails any thing,
nor uncircumcision, but faith which works by love.".Physical
things can't compare with the heart in spiritual effectiveness.
Emmanuel saw the same thing
in Peter that plagues many Christians today.
Peter saw Emmanuel
walking on the water. Emmanuel bid him to join Him. Peter also walked on
water, but Peter's attention was diverted
and he began to sink into the waves:.Matthew
14:26-30. What was going on in his mind took his attention away from
the faith that he had in Emmanuel?
Likewise when focusing on
sins, attention is off of the truth of how the Creator thinks of you and
that is, that you are righteous, holy and perfect. Thinking
you are a sinner saps one's faith, one's spiritual strength:.Ephesians
6:10; 2Timothy 2:1.
If you appreciate the gift
of Christ in your life, learn to look at yourself as the Father sees
you. Think like the Creator does about you. He sent Christ so you could
now see yourself anew:.Hebrews
10:20.
