The word of God is Spirit and it is life and there is power in the word. When you desire to see a change in your life, to work out your soul salvation, there is only one way. Your mind must be renewed by the Spirit, power and life in the word. As new born babes in Christ, the life of God is in us but just as a new born natural baby, we must "eat" (read, study and meditate on the word) to grow and mature spiritually. A large number of Christians reach a ripe old age and die, still babes in Christ because they never read, studied and meditated on the word, and never received revelation of the word as inspired by the Holy Spirit. Even many who read the Bible, did so with the intellect and received no spiritual understanding. They obtained no wisdom or revelation of the knowledge of God. They received only "logos" - the letter of the law which is only that which they could understand with their minds. They had no concept of God's desire to lead them by His Spirit as He reveals Himself through the "Rhema" word. The Holy Spirit searches the deep things of God and will help us with spiritual understanding which comes through our spirit, and not through our mind. It is the Rhema word that renews the mind and transforms the soul.
Therefore, in addition to keeping ourselves in a right relationship with God, loving Him will all of our heart, mind, soul and strength, and walking in love with a heart that harbors no unforgiveness, we must read, study and meditate on the word. God told Joshua to be a doer and not just a hearer of the word, and to meditate on it day and night and He would prosper and have good success. To meditate on the word is to think on it continually, all through the day as we go about our daily activities; rolling it over in our thoughts, while seeking the help of the Spirit to understand what God is saying and how it is to be applied to various situations in our lives.
When you spend time reading and studying and meditating the word and the Holy Spirit reveals the need for certain changes in your life, whether it is a need to be more temperate or kind or patient, etc., receive the correction, indicate your willingness to change, and ask Him to help you make that change. He is the Greater One Who lives in you. He will lead you to select scriptures from which you are to receive the power to change. Remember, there is power in the word. You have the life of God in you so you have in you the ability of God to change. That power will work that change, for you and in you. When you first hear the admonition of the need to change, it is in your mind. You need to receive it in your heart. You must be convinced and convicted of the sin and God's thoughts about it. You might start by first searching the scriptures concerning that particular transgression. Think about what it is that you have done; how you missed the mark. Spend some time sitting quietly with the bible opened, and let the Spirit show scriptures to you that will minister to your spirit until you truly understand the spiritual significance of your actions. Trust Him as He builds, in your spirit, true repentance and a desire to change. Then, by faith, with the words of your mouth ask God for forgiveness according to 1 John 1:9 and receive God's forgiveness and thank Him. This does not mean at this point that you will never commit that sin again because you are now going to have to build up your faith to overcome the sin.
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