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The Temple of God II

 


“The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites, Who among us shall dwell with the Devouring Fire? Who among us shall dwell with everlasting Burnings? He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil; He shall dwell on high: his place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure” Isaiah 33:14-16

 

Mental corruptions… this can prove to be quite the challenge. Once something is seen it can’t be unseen. Our minds have this fascinating ability to retain information that was received once. Whether this information is present in our conscious or subconscious, it has the ability to impact our daily choices. It is said that during childhood (specifically the first 5 years) we absorb more information in our minds than we will throughout the rest of our lives. This puts an immense amount of pressure on parents, who must decide to what stimuli their children should be exposed (Proverbs 22:6).

 

Most of the things we learn in these early years do not register in our conscious minds. They linger in our subconscious and determine our world view and subsequently, how we respond to events. This is a curious challenge, having a point of view and not being able to pinpoint the source. If the foundations laid in childhood were flawed the ability of correction becomes exponentially difficult. But because we serve the God who made the mind the task is not impossible (Philippians 4:13).

 

Just as we can retrain our taste palate, through exposure, to appreciate different types of foods, we can retrain our minds, to appreciate uplifting God-centred stimuli. The apostle Paul advises us to think on things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, virtuous and praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8). This will require some effort, but the Holy Spirit is there to help. The things we continually behold will bring about a change in us, in spite of our original training (2 Corinthians 3:18). King David, therefore, purposed not to set any wicked thing before his eyes because he knew that merely looking would initiate separation from God (Psalms 101:3).

 

Science has observed that our brains cannot distinguish between things we have done and things we have seen done (look up mirror neurons). Therefore, our choices in books, magazines, internet videos, movies, tv shows, games, social venues/events, all factor into how our minds respond to life and the character we form (1 Corinthians 3:16, 17). To have a truly pure body temple in which the Holy Spirit may dwell we must cleanse our physical bodies and our minds from all things that defile. This includes any form of pastime that promotes human worship, disobedience of parents, violence, sexual immorality, lying, stealing or envy (2 Timothy 3:1-5; 1 Corinthians 6:15-20).

 

The Holy Spirit is here to guide us in this path to holiness. Let us trust in our Creator to reform our minds that we may reflect His perfection and be made fit to see Him face to face with He comes (Matthew 5:8; 1 Peter 1:22, 23).

 

Praise ye the Lord!

 

The Keys to Christian Growth I

 

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