For I do not understand my own action; for I am not practicing what I will rather I do that which I hate. Now, if I do that which I do not want to do I agree with the law that it is good. Now, at the present, no longer myself working out this rather it is sin living in me (Romans 7:15-17)
We are bombarded with words all the time that you are what you think, what you eat, what you practice, what you do... Without this truth children of God would believe this lie. Now, this truth distinguishes as John writes a child from a young person and an adult, as these have found the ability, the power to overcome. This is a powerful truth that many children of God need to understand.
I am writing to you children because your sins have been forgiven... I am writing to you young person because you have overcome the evil one... I write to you children because you know the Father... I write to you young person because you are strong and the word of God abides in you and you have overcome the evil one... (1 John 2;12-14)
John says a child knows the Father and that his sins have been forgiven. There are three that testify, the spirit, the blood, and the water (1 John 5:7-8). Here we see the child is distinguished as "knowing the Father" and your "sins have been forgiven," having both testimony of Spirit and blood. The Spirits testifies that we are children of God (Romans 8:16). There is further testimony of the Spirit in being led by the Spirit to put the death the deeds of the flesh, but we associate this with the young person, not the child. There is a firm foundation that has been established in the child who becomes a young person, thus experientially in regards to overcoming, the young person knows of the power of the Spirit in his inner being, Christ dwelling in is heart through faith, having been rooted and founded in love. The word of God has established him, increasing his faith which works through love, and the power of the Spirit in the inner man working in conjunction unto transformation, the renewing of the mind.
assuming you have heard of him and were taught in him just as the truth exists in Jesus, according to your former way of life you were taught to put away your old self, the one ruined, deceived according to its desires, now, renewed of the spirit of your minds and putting on the new self the one created according to God in righteousness and holiness of truth (Romans 8:16).
Even within the Church is the teaching to the child that you are what you practice or do. A pastor told me he did not preach this truth of Romans, that it is no longer I but sin in me, as people would use it as an excuse and say the devil made me do it. But this is not the purposed affect of this truth, no. The distinction between the child and the young person, is that of bearing fruit outwardly. The child inwardly knows the Father and that he has been forgiven, he has these testimonies, though outwardly no one might see fruit. The parable of soils tells of the one who overcomes as having deep roots in good soil. This is the child being established, rooted and built up in faith, rooted and founded in love, and strengthened through the power of the Holy Spirit in the inner being. But like the plant whose deep roots are not visible do other people see fruit of the child? I know some teach differently, you are a new creation, the old has passed, as if overnight or in an instance. While this is true it is important not to ignore other scriptures and the growth process of a new believer. In Romans 8:16 we see that what sits between the child (who is living according to his old self) and the young person (who has put off the old and put on the new) is a renewing of the spirit of the mind. Paul describes this renewal like taking off old garments and putting on new ones. Elsewhere Paul writes this is transformation, the renewing of the mind.
on account of the mind of the flesh is hostile to the extent of submitting to God, not submitting to the laws of God, for neither has it power to do. (Romans 8:7)
Here is Paul writing he delights inwardly in the laws of God but he keeps doing the thing he hates. He can't find the ability to do outwardly what he inwardly delights in. It is a law he says, when he wants to do good evil is present though he joyfully agrees in the law in his inner man. How can a person joyfully agree inwardly and have this struggle going on were he keeps doing the things he hates? The fact he hates what he does shows he agrees with the laws of God, thus he is a new creation, the Spirit of God is in him, as the laws of God are spiritual and only the spiritual man can delight inwardly in the laws of God (Romans 7:14-25). But as we saw in Romans 8:16, what stands between putting off the old man and putting on the new is be "renewed of the spirit of your minds." Why is he saying be renewed of the spirit of your minds? The carnal mind is renewed becoming more like the inner spiritual being. The Law is spiritual and the carnal mind can not submit to the spiritual laws of God, this was the weakness of the Mosaic Law. But the mystery of how God solves this issue is astounding, he puts the Spirit within us, he adopts us through the Spirit, so that now being spiritual beings we have power to fulfil the law. We can adhere to the spiritual laws of God, we can obey God, but there is one a step to get there; through renewal of the mind can one accept his will as good, perfect, and pleasing. Being taught in Christ, the truth, leads us into knowing our true identity in Christ.
If I were not taught this truth in Christ, I would be defeated in my mind. As Paul writes though inwardly we delight in the laws of God there is another law in our members that works against the Spirit, it wages war by using the weakness of the carnal mind to bring us into captivity to sin in my flesh (Romans 7:22-23). As Peter writes the desires of the flesh wage war against our soul and the goal of faith is salvation of the soul. Oh the soul is wretched to be captive in this battle. Paul writes the war is waged in the mind. We distinguish the child from the young person in this, if the child who has not overcame the flesh and believes that he is what he thinks or practices or does then he would be defeated. The truth of God's word and the testimony of the Spirit and the blood of Christ says much more to the child, in Christ your sins are forgiven, you were chosen before God created the world and predestined you for adoption through the Spirit, and those he predestined he is working out all things for your good, so that you are conformed to the image of Christ, renewed in the spirit of your mind.
to equip the saints for the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ, until we all attain unity of faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, unto mature adulthood... (Ephesians 4:9-16)
This is why Jesus is the foundation stone, so that we are taught in him, rooted and founded and built up, and established in faith working through love and the power of the Spirit within us. It is why he ascended on high, so that we are filled to fullness of God, why he is giving gifts to men, so that children are no longer tossed to and fro, but grow up into their true identity, mature adults, into the measure of the stature of the image of Christ (Ephesians 4: 10-16). A sure truth of our identity in Christ this is.
