http://www.seekgod.org/message/livingingodsheart.html
This simple dependence and earnestness of soul, were not mentioned as if the apostle had gained the prize, or were already made perfect in the Saviour's likeness. He forgot the things which were behind, so as not to be content with past labours or present measures of grace. He reached forth, stretched himself forward towards his point; expressions showing great concern to become more and more like unto Christ. He who runs a race, must never stop short of the end, but press forward as fast as he can; so those who have heaven in their view, must still press forward to it, in holy desires and hopes, and constant endeavours. Eternal life is the gift of God, but it is in Christ Jesus; through his hand it must come to us, as it is procured for us by him. There is no getting to heaven as our home, but by Christ as our Way. True believers, in seeking this assurance, as well as to glorify him, will seek more nearly to resemble his sufferings and death, by dying to sin, and by crucifying the flesh with its affections and lusts. In these things there is a great difference among real Christians, but all know something of them. Believers make Christ all in all, and set their hearts upon another world. If they differ from one another, and are not of the same judgment in lesser matters, yet they must not judge one another; while they all meet now in Christ, and hope to meet shortly in heaven. Let them join in all the great things in which they are agreed, and wait for further light as to lesser things wherein they differ. The enemies of the cross of Christ mind nothing but their sensual appetites. Sin is the sinner's shame, especially when gloried in. The way of those who mind earthly things, may seem pleasant, but death and hell are at the end of it. If we choose their way, we shall share their end. The life of a Christian is in heaven, where his Head and his home are, and where he hopes to be shortly; he sets his affections upon things above; and where his heart is, there will his conversation be. There is glory kept for the bodies of the saints, in which they will appear at the resurrection. Then the body will be made glorious; not only raised again to life, but raised to great advantage. Observe the power by which this change will be wrought. May we be always prepared for the coming of our Judge; looking to have our vile bodies changed by his Almighty power, and applying to him daily to new-create our souls unto holiness; to deliver us from our enemies, and to employ our bodies and souls as instruments of righteousness in his service.
22Strip yourselves of your former nature [put off and discard your old unrenewed self] which characterized your previous manner of life and becomes corrupt through lusts and desires that spring from delusion;
23And be constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind [having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude],
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
(2 Corinthians 5:17)
(2 Corinthians 5:17)
Revival and righteousness come from revelation of Truth.
Death and sin come from deception.
Death and sin come from deception.
As Christians we have been very good at bringing the gospel message for people to receive Jesus into a person’s heart. But we have neglected an important part of the gospel and that is about living in God’s heart. God’s desire is that we would become united with Him. We are to dwell in Him and He in us. …truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. (1 John 1:3) Fellowship is the Greek word koinonia, which literally means partnership and communion. God desires that our heart becomes one with His heart.
When we think about having Jesus in our heart we sometimes think of Him as about three inches tall and we sometimes treat Him as such. People sometimes receive Jesus into their heart and then go on with their lives instead of living in His life. Some people wear Jesus as a good luck charm and only commune with Him when they have a need or an emergency. But Jesus desires to live in more than just a part of our heart. He desires to fill our heart and our entire being. He desires to have His hands in our hands and His feet in our feet so that we will go and do what He desires. Jesus says, “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides (lives and remains) in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). Only what we do in Christ has eternal value.
Living in Christ is where you are transformed into a new person. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. (2 Corinthians 5:17) The revelation of being in Christ changes our concept of who we are. It is in Christ where His personality is united with our personality and we take on a new personality. We become a new person with a new attitude, new behaviors, new likes, and dislikes. We do not really know who we are until we see our selves in Christ, because our life is hidden in Him. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. (Colossians 3:2-3)
Living in God’s heart is living in His love. Jesus says, “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.” (John 15:9-11) We live and remain in God’s love by following the commands that Jesus gives us. All of God’s commands have to do with love, loving God and loving others.
When we are walking in God’s love, following His commands, His joy is manifest in our heart. We then do His commands with pleasure because there is no greater joy than the joy that comes from expressing love. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. (1 John 5:3-4) We do God’s commandments because we love Him, if His commandments are burdensome then our relationship with God is not in love, we are not living in Him.
We are commanded to love God with all of our heart and other people as our self. And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these. (Mark 12:30-31) When we are living in true love we are living in God. (lk 10:27, Mt 22:37)
It is a good to take an honest look deep inside your own heart to see what changes need to be made for the sake of your relationship with God. We all must depend upon God to make the changes in our hearts that are necessary for us to be more like Him. We even need God to help us in evaluating our own hearts in the light of His word and by His Holy Spirit. The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? "I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve." (Jeremiah 17:9-10)
Jesus taught that we are defiled by what comes out of our hearts. And He said, "What comes out of a man, that defiles a man. "For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, "thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. "All these evil things come from within and defile a man." (Mark 7:20-23)
Sin is a heart problem. The actions of sin happen when an evil desire in our heart conceives with a temptation from the outside. Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. (James 1:13-15) Sometimes people have hidden evil desires very deep in their heart and they lay dormant until an outside temptation revives them. (James 1:5-15)
Remember that Jesus said that the ruler of this world, Satan, had nothing in Him, (John 14:30). In other words there was nothing in Jesus’ heart that Satan could tempt Jesus into doing against the Father’s will. Temptation did come and it comes to people that have a perfect heart toward God, but the temptation does not have much appeal when there is nothing is a person’s heart to connect with the temptation.
The Lord is always looking for people whose hearts are perfect toward Him. For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. (2 Chronicles 16:9) This does not mean God is looking for perfect people; rather He is looking for people who are looking toward Him as their hope of a perfect heart.
God has the ability to change our heart and even give us a new heart that is perfect toward Him. "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. "I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them. (Ezekiel 36:26-27) ( Heb 8:10)
The Bible says to delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. Many people think that this is a way to get God to give you what you want. I believe that the meaning is deeper than that here is the passage. Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass. He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, And your justice as the noonday. (Psalms 37:4-6) If you delight yourself in the Lord He then is the desire of your heart, He is the one you long for, He is the reward you seek. What can be greater than the very presence of God? In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. (Psalms 16:11)
I believe that as we delight ourselves in the Lord He will change our desires and give us His desires, (He shall give you the desires of your heart). As we commit our way toward the Lord He will bring us into His righteousness. The Lord can change what we love and hate so that we now love and hate what He loves and hates.
God’s word promises that if we deeply desire His righteousness He will fill us with it. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled. (Matthew 5:6) The key is your desire, how much do you desire God’s righteousness? Are you willing to seek the Lord until He rains righteousness upon you? Sow for yourselves righteousness; Reap in mercy; Break up your fallow ground, For it is time to seek the LORD, Till He comes and rains righteousness on you. (Hosea 10:12)
Jesus promises to reveal Himself to those who love and obey Him. "He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him." (John 14:21) A pure heart before God has great reward. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. (Matthew 5:8)
We can keep our hearts perfect toward God by asking God to reveal and remove any thing in our heart that would keep us from loving Him with our whole heart. “Test me, O LORD, and try me, examine my heart and my mind; for your love is ever before me, and I walk continually in your truth.”(Psalms 26:2-3) We know what is in our heart by the things that we think and the words that come out our mouth. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer. (Psalms 19:14) Our passion
What we think about is what is in our heart, and is what we become. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. (Romans 12:2) The word transformed is the Greek word metamorphoo it is where we get the word metamorphosis from, the word used to describe the transformation of a caterpillar into a butterfly.
Another place that this word is used is in (2 Corinthians 3:18) But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. As we focus our mind and imagination toward God His Spirit is transforming us. Because when we set our heart toward God He sets His heart toward us.
Jesus prayed that we would be united with the other members of His body, in Him and in the Father. “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; "that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. "And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.” (John 17:20-23)
God was speaking to me about the mind of Christ and the heart of God. We know that What was in Christ was in God 1 Jn 5:7-8 But to have the mind of Christ will send you chasing after the heart of God. Christ was Passionate, Focused, Determined, Trusted His father completely(Isa 26:3) , and Not distracted(even by family Matthew 12:47) We are to have transformed minds Rom 12:2. Not to be unsettled by the subtlety and deceptions from Satan 2 Thess 2:2. We must chase after God with everything we have Mk12:30. Then he will write His laws on our hearts and mind and change us so that our desires are no longer our own but His as he lives in us.
Rom 7:25, 8:5-12,27
Phill 3:15
Philippians 3 - Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Bible
Expresses earnest desire to be found in Christ; also his pressing on toward perfection; and recommends his own example to other believers.
This simple dependence and earnestness of soul, were not mentioned as if the apostle had gained the prize, or were already made perfect in the Saviour's likeness. He forgot the things which were behind, so as not to be content with past labours or present measures of grace. He reached forth, stretched himself forward towards his point; expressions showing great concern to become more and more like unto Christ. He who runs a race, must never stop short of the end, but press forward as fast as he can; so those who have heaven in their view, must still press forward to it, in holy desires and hopes, and constant endeavours. Eternal life is the gift of God, but it is in Christ Jesus; through his hand it must come to us, as it is procured for us by him. There is no getting to heaven as our home, but by Christ as our Way. True believers, in seeking this assurance, as well as to glorify him, will seek more nearly to resemble his sufferings and death, by dying to sin, and by crucifying the flesh with its affections and lusts. In these things there is a great difference among real Christians, but all know something of them. Believers make Christ all in all, and set their hearts upon another world. If they differ from one another, and are not of the same judgment in lesser matters, yet they must not judge one another; while they all meet now in Christ, and hope to meet shortly in heaven. Let them join in all the great things in which they are agreed, and wait for further light as to lesser things wherein they differ. The enemies of the cross of Christ mind nothing but their sensual appetites. Sin is the sinner's shame, especially when gloried in. The way of those who mind earthly things, may seem pleasant, but death and hell are at the end of it. If we choose their way, we shall share their end. The life of a Christian is in heaven, where his Head and his home are, and where he hopes to be shortly; he sets his affections upon things above; and where his heart is, there will his conversation be. There is glory kept for the bodies of the saints, in which they will appear at the resurrection. Then the body will be made glorious; not only raised again to life, but raised to great advantage. Observe the power by which this change will be wrought. May we be always prepared for the coming of our Judge; looking to have our vile bodies changed by his Almighty power, and applying to him daily to new-create our souls unto holiness; to deliver us from our enemies, and to employ our bodies and souls as instruments of righteousness in his service.
1 Chronicles 28:9 (Amplified Bible)
9And you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father [have personal knowledge of Him, be acquainted with, and understand Him; appreciate, heed, and cherish Him] and serve Him with a blameless heart and a willing mind. For the Lord searches all hearts and minds and understands all the wanderings of the thoughts. If you seek Him [inquiring for and of Him and requiring Him as your first and vital necessity] you will find Him; but [a]if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever!Footnotes:
- 1 Chronicles 28:9 God's promises to men and women invariably are dependent upon the other party to the covenant meeting His conditions, whether He says so at the time or not. In I Chron. 28:7 we find Him promising to establish Solomon's kingdom forever. Yet in I Kings 11:9-11 we find that God became angry with Solomon for all his degenerate and abominable conduct and his treachery of heart toward Him; and without mercy, except for David's sake, God declared that the kingdom would be torn from him. Was God breaking His covenant with Solomon? No, Solomon had broken and nullified that covenant long before; it no longer existed. There was now no promise for God to keep. Christians are prone to think that God will keep His part of a bargain whether they do or not, but the wisest man who ever lived died knowing that God is not mocked; "[He inevitably deludes himself who attempts to delude God.] For whatever a man sows, that and that only is what he will reap" (Gal. 6:7). "If you seek Him [inquiring for and of Him and requiring Him as your first and vital necessity], you will find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever!" David was telling Solomon all this, but as the new king grew in power, popularity, and personal aggrandizement, step by step he set himself up as privileged to ignore God. In all his wisdom he failed to comprehend that "Something greater and more exalted and more majestic than the temple is here!... Someone more and greater than Solomon is here" (Matt. 12:6, 42).
Ephesians 4:21-24 (Amplified Bible)
21Assuming that you have really heard Him and been taught by Him, as [all] Truth is in Jesus [embodied and personified in Him],22Strip yourselves of your former nature [put off and discard your old unrenewed self] which characterized your previous manner of life and becomes corrupt through lusts and desires that spring from delusion;
23And be constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind [having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude],
24And put on the new nature (the regenerate self) created in God's image, [Godlike] in true righteousness and holiness.
