What's a Carnal Mind?

A carnal mind is enmity against God. A carnal mind is controlled by thoughts of rebellion against the will of God. That is true until we repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. A carnal mind has no peace with God. The carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be (Romans 8:7).

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1). Having been justified in Christ means "our hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness." We are justified by faith in Christ alone. That means you have no enmity against God. We have peace with God, by grace through faith in Christ.

We have peace with God in Christ, through the gospel. Our carnal mind is transformed by the renewing of the Holy Spirit. Be not 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).

Having been justified by faith in Christ, our mind is transformed. Enmity against God is transformed into peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Our renewed mind experiences repentance. The word repent means a change of mind. Our mind is renewed to understand God's good will, according to the Bible.

What Is Unbelief?

Unbelief is a sin against God's Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Unbelief cannot receive God's blessings in Christ. Unbelief spurns the goodness of God. Unbelief is the choice of a heart that is hard against the goodness of God. It never considers that it could be wrong, even eternally wrong. Unbelief defiantly says, no, to all that God graciously offers in Christ. Unbelief is the sin that rejects the love, goodness, and grace of Christ. Unbelief rejects the promises of Christ as foolishness.

Unbelief cannot receive the blessings of God in Jesus Christ. Jesus said, "You believe in God, believe also in Me" (John 14:1). All the blessings of God come to us in Christ. "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ" (Ephesians 1:3). Believing is receiving Christ.

The Holy Spirit comes to expose the sin of unbelief. Jesus taught that the Holy Spirit convicts of unbelief, "of sin, because they believe not in Me" (John 16:9). Don't let unbelief rob you of God's blessings in Christ. Unbelief rejects Christ.

Faith comes as an abiding gift of the Holy Spirit; unbelief rejects the gift of God in Christ. Faith testifies that Christ is trustworthy; unbelief will not trust in Christ. Faith walks in the light of Christ; unbelief is satisfied to stand in darkness without Christ. Faith in Christ comes from a heart transformed by the grace of God; unbelief comes from a hardened heart rejecting Christ.

How Will Jesus Return?

In Revelation 19:11-13, the return of Jesus Christ is described in apocalyptic imagery. That includes symbols that would have easily been understood in the First Century A.D. The symbols are like a parade in Rome after a great military victory. The General of the army would lead the parade riding on a white horse. His soldiers would follow. 

John identified the one riding on the white horse in his vision. "And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war" (Revelation 19:11). Jesus Christ is the faithful witness (Revelation 1:5). His testimony is faithful and true (Revelation 1:2)."He is called The Word of God" (Revelation 19:13). Christ the Living Word of God is the faithful and true witness to the written word of God in the Bible.

John wrote, "Now I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse" (Revelation 19:11). He sees Christ returning on the white horse, crowned with many crowns. Those crowns symbolize Jesus as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. 

"He was clothed in a robe dipped in blood" (Revelation 19:13). Roman generals would wear robes stained with the blood of their enemies. That was a sure sign and symbol that the enemy was defeated and destroyed.

Who Has God Adopted?

The Holy Spirit confirms our adoption into God's family through faith in Jesus Christ, that we may know Him as your Father. Jesus taught us to address God as our Father in prayer. Through faith in Christ, the Holy Spirit brings us to know God as our Father. We come to God as our Father in Christ by the Holy Spirit.

"For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, 'Abba! Father!' The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God" (Romans 8:15-16, ESV).

In New Testament days, the Roman law for adoption illustrated how we are adopted into God's family to know Him as our Father. In those days, if an older man did not have a son, he could adopt one according to the law. First, he must choose the son. Second, he must pay a price to adopt a son. Third, there must be witnesses present at the official adoption ceremony.

The illustration makes it clear how we are adopted to know God as your Father. God chose us in Christ (Ephesians 1:4-6). He paid the price through His only begotten Son at the cross. Jesus paid it all for us to be God's adopted children. The Holy Spirit is the witness that we are adopted as God's children by faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Ancient of Days

Daniel the prophet had a vision of God as the Ancient of Days (Daniel 7:9-10, 22). Ancient of Days describes the one and only eternal God. He was before the days that He created in the beginning. He is from everlasting to everlasting.

Daniel describes the Ancient of Days in apocalyptic symbolism. He sees God like a man of great age. His hair appears white as wool. His robe is white, because God is righteous and holy. His throne is like a flame of fire, which symbolizes His judgment.

The Son of God is seen in the same imagery as Father God, in what we call the second coming of Christ (Daniel 7:22). This same imagery is seen in the book of Revelation (1:12-14). 

The prophet Daniel and the apostle John speak of the same end time events. God in Christ is coming in great glory to establish the everlasting kingdom with His saints (Daniel 7:13-14).

In the book of Revelation, John sees the saints of God clothed in white garments (Revelation 3:18). The Ancient of Days, clothed in a white robe, likewise clothes every believer in white, which is the righteousness of God in Christ. How can that be? "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Who Shall We Be?

Who shall we be, when we see Christ? We will one day be changed into the very likeness of Jesus. "We shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is" (1 John 3:2). That's the work of God in our lives. Until that day, the Lord is still working in us.  Remember, we are a work in progress.

Life is always changing, and so are we. That means we are becoming who we shall be. We are not there yet. God is still working on us, as believers in Jesus Christ. God knows who we shall be, but we are not there now. 

Every believer is becoming more and more like Jesus, but we have a long way to go. "For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son" (Romans 8:29). That is when we are glorified in Christ at his coming. As far as God is concerned, we are still a work in progress. 

Sanctification means we are becoming who we shall be in Christ. We are not there yet, so don't be too hard on yourself. From time to time, we may stumble and fall. We all do, but our Father in heaven will not forsake us. God will lift us up with His strong arms of love.

Be patient with other believers, when they stumble and fall. God is still working on them too. "Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted" (Galatians 6:1). Judging other believers doesn't help. Just remember who we shall be, "we shall be like Him."

What's Daily Cleansing?

John Owen (1616-1683) a Puritan theologian saw the believer's need for daily cleansing. He wrote, "Go daily to Jesus for cleansing. Hence also is manifest the necessity we have of continual applications to Jesus Christ for cleansing virtue from his Spirit and the sprinkling of his blood on our consciences to purge them from dead works."

There are no perfect Christians here below. Our temptations continue. Our battle with the flesh is reality (Galatians 5:17). Our sanctification is not perfect nor complete in this life. Our growth in holiness continues, but we do sin from time to time. Free from the bondage to sin, we are not yet free from the temptation to sin.

Our Lord Jesus not only cleansed us at the point of conversion, but he graciously continues to cleanse us as we confess our sins (1 John 1:7, 9). Scripture warns us not to claim that we are sinless. If we do, then we only deceive ourselves (1 John 1:8, 10). John Owen saw every believer's need for daily cleansing. 

Owen recognized the need for daily cleansing from our sins as believers. Not only did he recognize the need, but more importantly, he recognized that cleansing is open daily for all believers. Our conscience witnesses to our need. The blood of Jesus avails for our daily cleansing from all sin.