Lesson 19: Warring against the Flesh: the Power of the Mind
Questions 4 and 5
Friend, God gave us His Spirit so that we may know God’s thoughts toward us and all that He has freely given us. In other words, the Spirit’s role is to make known God’s thoughts to us and to reveal all that He has given us.
So what does this have to do with our minds and thoughts? The person without the Spirit thinks primarily about the things of this world; they are consumed with thoughts about earthly things - food, drink, or other thought-strongholds that dominate and crowd out thoughts about God and eternity. But to those of us who put faith in Jesus - His death and resurrection to save and sanctify us - the Spirit of God comes and elevates our minds, and reveals to us all that God is thinking toward us and all that He has given us in and through Jesus.
The person with the Spirit of God has thoughts that are higher and eternal, thoughts about what Jesus has done for us, what He accomplished at the cross, and how He secured our freedom and eternal life. We look deeply into these things, we ponder and consider them, we begin to understand the cross, our need for it, the benefits of it, the accomplishments of it. Yes, the Spirit is given to us “so that we may understand what God has freely given us” (1 Corinthians 2:12).
Question 4. According to 1 Corinthians 2:13 NIV, what things do believers speak of and explain?
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Remember that the Spirit’s role is to lead us to the cross, to explain what happened there and why. He shows us and reminds us of all the benefits that believers receive from God. And so our thoughts are taken up with these spiritual realities, and we begin speaking spiritual truths and explaining them in words the Spirit gives us.
This effect of the Spirit on our minds is why a Christian weight loss course will be very different from a weight loss course taught by the world. Christians apply the gospel to every life issue using spiritual words to explain spiritual realities with words the Spirit gives us.
Question 5. According to 1 Corinthians 2:14 NIV, please list all the ways that people without the Spirit will respond when we share with them the message of the cross and how it applies to weight loss:
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