Our unconscious mind plays an important role in shaping our behaviour and attitude, because it may contain repressed feelings and hidden memories. What we think is likely to affect how we act and feel, what we feel influences how we think and what we do and what we do has an impact on how we think and feel, thereby creating an interdependent relationship. For e.g., a person who has a job interview thinks the interview is likely to be a disaster, resulting in them not getting a job. For e.g., a person in love may believe that if they don’t marry that very person, life will no longer be worth living.
How did we get this type of mind, did God create this way or was this unconscious mind a curse for us from God, Answer to that is in Genesis & Romans
When God created Man - Genesis 1:27 “God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them..” He created a man like himself who had so much of Goodness in him. After Adam / Eve Sinned they were cursed by God.
We read on this in Romans 1:21, on how the mind / heart of man God changed. Romans 1:21 - 'For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. '
Even though he knew God had created all the world things, but he never acknowledged or Glorified God for what God had done e.g., Scientist call the world creation as science.
As as result his thinking was futile (like a useless person) and his heart became dark
He thought he was wise (by world standards) but he became fool
Note the word “furthermore” ~ he continued like this..
Romans 1:28 'Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. '
Further more he alienated God and taught in his mind not a worth to retain the knowledge of God
Result is this Depraved Mind
What is this Depraved Mind ?
Depravity of mind is a condition where there is a deviation or departure from the ordinary standards of honest, good morals, justice, or ethics as to be shocking to the moral sense of the society
Depravity of mind refers to the state of mind which is contrary to justice, honesty or morality
Bible gives the conditions of depraved mind - Romans 1:29-31 - 'They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. '
When you have the Depraved mind Sin enters into man and man’s unconscious mind plays an important role in shaping our behaviour and attitude.
Depraved Mind ~ Sin Connection
James 1:13-16 - 'When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. '
James Explains it well,
First “they are dragged away by their own evil desire ” ~... desires
Next “and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived,” ~... temptation
Finally “it gives birth to sin” ~ ... sin
The warning: “Do not be deceived”
Mind is the entry point for what we have in our hearts - Think for a moment, Satan doesn't tell people about the consequences, but only the immediate pleasure. Remember this thing: whenever you are tempted, temptation always offers a certain forbidden pleasure.
Why does one person murder another person - Root of the murder is caused by ones extreme anger and instigation of the mind to say, if you kill that person you get a rage satisfaction for the anger or his problem will get solved. Immediately the temptation leads to fit for rage act causes the murder, Once he murders it gives birth to sin
Another example of this can be - Jesus said who looks at a woman lustfully commits adultery Matthew 5:27-28 ' “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. '
Your eyes look at a beauty of the woman and corrupts the mind with the desires
The desires give room to lust (Sexual lust) leading to temptation, leading to Sin
That’s why Jesus equated - lustful thought to Adultery
💡 - Satan’s biggest tool he has to take us away from the kingdom of God is to deceive our mind leading to Sin - 2 Corinthians 11:3 - '.. your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. '
Overcoming Depraved mind
We saw the qualities of man on how he is filled with Depraved qualities, lets look at means to overcome the depraved mind
1. Don’t let your Mind be governed by Flesh
Romans 8:5-7 - 'Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. '
Victory over sin means victory in thoughts — if we have our minds set on fleshly desires it will lead to Sin, thats why “mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God”
If we have our minds to think what we do, will that please God?the mind governed by the Spirit will have life and peace.
2. Renew your mind with God’s word
Romans 12:2 'Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. '
Here the Holy Spirit is speaking to our hearts ~ not to follow the patterns of the world
Renew your mind with word of God. The word of God will direct you with the desires governed by his spirit.
Don’t stop there, test to see if this is from God or Self as many times we get deceived with Satan in the name of God as well. That way we will have a “Pleasing and perfect will”
3. Acknowledge God and thank him
Romans 1:21 - 'For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. '
Why our minds were led to depraved state was because we fail to acknowledge all that we have is from God, our mind is made to say all that I have is from my own self.
Do not boast of whatever you have.
Family status - not on your own, its because of God who can make even stones raise up as children of Abraham ... Matthew 3:9 - 'And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. '
Skills/Talents - Not on your own, it was inherited in you by God... 1 Corinthians 4:7 - 'For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not? '
Personal appearance ... body ... physical
Position you are in, its a blessing from God, Lets live a position like how Centurion spoke to Jesus - Luke 7:6 - '…“Lord, don’t trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. '
Preference/Success/God’s favour - We may feel our success and our blessings are due to our righteousness, but its because of his mercy we receive the blessing. Deuteronomy 9:6 - 'Understand, then, that it is not because of your righteousness that the Lord your God is giving you this good land to possess, for you are a stiff-necked people. '
Acknowledge all what you have is from God and he is the source of all the Good things thats there in your life.
Thank him and praise all the good gifts you have, as every good things of you is from God.
4. Overcome Backsliding
Backsliding happens when we are tempted to crave for the old life by Satan, Its a lie that Satan tries to tell by deception that what we get from God is not that greater than what we have from past.
God is Good God, he longs and wants us to give us the best things, we may be decided to say that we can have better things than what we are yet to get
Classic example of that happened when Moses lead the people from Egypt to the promised land. God’s plan was to take them thru in the wilderness and show the promised land, he gave them Manna from Heaven. Numbers 11:5-6 - 'We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost—also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic. But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna!” ' But the people remembered the things they ate in Egypt and craved for that, complained that they have lost appetite against manna
Overcome backsliding with David’s advice - Psalms 26:2 'Test me, Lord , and try me, examine my heart and my mind; '
Follow Pauls advice to overcome backsliding - Romans 6:12-13 - 'Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. '
Present yourselves alive to God - You commit your lips, legs, hands, ears and all the parts to God that it will not yield to sin. Wow what a awesome advice, so that none of them will look back to the old ways. God will protect us from the deceptions of Satan from backsliding.
5. Frequent Self examination
Psalms 139:23-24 - 'Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.'
Follow David’s advice and ask God to search you to see if your mind and thoughts are not aligned to him and what part of it is wrong, he will tell you what is not right he will remind you the incidents which you are wrong to cleanse you.
Ask for the Blood of Christ to cleanse your mind - This will lead to cleansing of our “conscience” by the blood— Hebrews 9:14 ... Cleanse our conscience from acts that lead to death ..
Bind your mind and pray to God to keep your thoughts clean
Matthew 26:41 - “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” , Strengthen your “Spirit” against the “Flesh”. Be watchful in prayer, Many times we are tempted by Satan, he is waiting to steal us the righteousness and godliness from us so we are tempted by his deception, Prayer is the only weapon we have to fight back our temptation
Love of the world 1 John 2:16 - 'For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. '
Pray to God to protect from these three temptations
Lust of flesh (our own self desires)
Lust of Eyes (women, money, pleasures and idols)
Pride of Life (great pride that you accomplished everything, when you don’t have any quality of yourself when all that you have is just inherited from God - 1 Cor 4:6,7.)
Once you do these five things, it can turn you from a depraved mind to a Spiritual mind that God originally created man for. The mind that’s pleasing to God, these five things are to be followed daily to make us a better person every day.. We may not be able to come closer to God’s mind, but lets strive to get better every day.
I dedicate this 100th Blog to my Lord Jesus, who is the author and creator of all the knowledge in me. All praise and glory to God Father for giving his Grace and mercy to lead me in this writing ministry.
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