It seems to me the greatest obstacle facing the believer today is not uncertainty in our world, the devil, or the many problems with organized religion. The greatest obstacle we face is our becoming helpless and more dependent upon God. We are taught almost from birth (at least in the western world) to strive for self-sufficiency. We are taught to take care of ourselves (even arrogantly calling ourselves #1); to not ask for help (or directions!); to do everything for ourself. That mindset is directly opposed to the mindset of our Savior and Lord. He came to "serve others, not to be served" (Matthew 20:28), to "seek the lost" rather than focus on himself (Luke 19:10), and with John the Baptizer as our example, we are told that we "must decrease and He must increase" (John 3:30). No wonder so many struggle with this religion thing! How do we accomplish this transformation from our human nature to the mind of Christ? For most of us it is not enough to “offer our bodies as living sacrifices” (Romans 12:1), and all too often we stop there reading the text, but vs. 2 says, “…but be transformed by the renewing of our mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is…” We must surrender and allow ourselves to be transformed by the Holy Spirit…daily! We cannot do it for ourselves; it is not a one-time event. The Holy Spirit is the force that is continually at work in the believer who is truly in relationship with Jesus Christ.
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