Understanding the problem from God's point of view:
Col. 3:1-7
; Matt. 12:33-37
-We are the sum of what we encountered
in life and our reactions to life. Being conditioned by life's
experiences, we are pruned to react to life impulsively and instinctively
rather than to respond on the basis of considered judgment. Man's
words and manner of speech reveal his inner life, where his focus
is, and who and what determines his peace and joy.
We are to set our mind on things above, not below. The issue here is spirituality, the capacity to know, to experience, to respond to God. As we do, the Holy Spirit empowers us to live and to work with Christlikeness dealing with our character and conduct.
We are challenged to make Christ the center of our lives, and as we do we can deal with earthly issues in a biblical manner and fashion, being a blessing to others.
Hope:
Eph. 2:8-10
; 2 Cor. 5:17
-All man has to do is to believe what
Jesus did for him on the cross. We were reconciled to God by the
death of His Son. Man cannot earn, merit or win salvation. . He
is to believe, confess, repent and by faith receive the gift of
God's grace. His belief places his spirit in union with God's
Spirit, and he is empowered to do good works, to bear the fruit
of his new nature.
Col. 1:15-21 -Christ lives in us to transform us personally. He wants to affect our individual jobs, our families, our communities, and our personal relationships. By faith in Christ and by our obedience Christ will reconcile all things within us, our minds and emotions, relationships with others, making us holy and blameless and above reproach in His sight.
Eph. 2:19 ; Phil. 3:20 ; Gal. 4:5-6 ; Matt. 12:50 -We are fellow citizens in a nation created by God, we have been adopted as children of God, and live in the same house with God and His family. Now, we have the privilege and responsibility to render service for the sake of God's family.
Change:
Col. 1:10
; Rom. 12:10-11
; Gal. 6:2
, 10
-It is not enough to do
God's will or to possess wisdom and understanding, we are to put
what we know into practice, our behaviour and conduct to be after
that of Christ. We must be committed to be fruitful in every good
work and grow into the knowledge of God.
2 Tim. 2:19 ; Jn. 10:14 ; Eph. 4:22 -A person who follows Christ does not live in sin. To become a noble person, it takes purging, cleansing self from behaviour that is dishonorable and unrighteous.
Prov. 14:12
; Isa. 55:8-11
; Rom. 12:1-2
-As a man commits his total
life for God's service, he separates himself from the world, the
flesh and the devil by purging himself and renewing his mind from
all behaviour that is dishonorable, and from teaching that is
false and cancerous, in order to prepare himself so that Christ
will be able to use him for every good work.