Our Minds Rest on His Work

"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee." (Isaiah 26: 3)

When I read this passage, I was convinced that I had to control my thoughts, or that would mean God would not keep me in perfect peace.

I lived in such trauma and fear for so long, consumed with what I was thinking and feeling.

I did not learn to rightly divide the word of God (2 Timothy 2: 15).

Our minds are called to rest in the Finished Work of Jesus Christ, for through His blood we can receive the eternal gift of righteousness and grace:

"But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." (1 John 1: 7)

Cleanses from all sin, which includes what we are thinking and feeling.

Yet because of the upbringing which I had endured in the AA cult, I was convinced that I had to control what I was thinking in order to maintain a right standing with God.

That makes no sense at all, considering all that the Bible says about righteousness:

"14In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near thee." (Isaiah 54: 14)

and then

"17No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD." (Isaiah 54: 17)

Righteousness is not from us, but from God:

"In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS." (Jeremiah 23: 6)

Jesus exhorted the Israelites during His earthly ministry not settle for the righteousness of religious leaders:

"For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 5: 20)

and then

"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." (Matthew 6: 33)

This righteousness is not something that we earn, but we receive as a gift through what Jesus did for us at the Cross and does for us at the right hand of God the Father:

"38Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: 39And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses." (Acts 13: 38-39)

Paul then explains the greatness of this gift of righteousness that we receive through Christ Jesus:

"For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ."" (Romans 5: 17)

and then

"33Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. 34Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us." (Romans 8: 33-34)

To the Corinthians, Paul writes:

"But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:" (1 Corinthians 1: 30)

Later, Paul writes:

"For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." (2 Corinthians 5:21)

We can rest, we have peace with God, and His perfect peace takes hold of us, because we are justified before Him:

"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:" (Romans 5: 1)

Our minds rest in Him because we know that He has purged all our sins and granted us His perfect standing of righteousness through His Son.

We are not forgiven based on our knowledge of sin, but His knowledge of the fullness of redemption purchased through the Blood of the Lamb.

Now, the work of Christ does not just forgive our sins, but has condemned the sin in our flesh:

"For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:" (Romans 8: 3)

I have recently received the powerful revelation of this statement. Instead of trying to fix my thoughts and feelings, I need to rest in the truth that Jesus Christ's death and the blood he shed is continuing to cleanse me from all sins and unrighteousness.

I am no longer defined by me, or rather my flesh (the same struggles which Paul had faced, but by Jesus and all that He has done:

"Here in is our love perfected, that we may have boldness in the day of judgement; because as He is, so are we in this world." (1 John 4: 17)

While I was spending so much time trying to control  my thoughts and feelings, the truth is that no one can control them. We have been born again in our spirit, but we still walk around in the flesh, in our bodies.

That is why Paul writes:

"For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live." (Romans 8: 13)

and then

"Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:" (Colossians 3: 5)

We do this by walking, identifying with the Spirit of God in us:

"This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh." (Galatians 5: 16)

This speaks of our new identity in Christ, that we are Sons of God through Jesus:

Our minds rest because He is at work in us. He loves us, and thus we love others.

The big revelation today, however, rests in the new peace that I have understanding why I would still have bad or bitter thoughts, and why I was so often struggling.

I never understood sin in the flesh, because the premise in AA is that we can keep our bodies and minds in check if we work some kind of program. The problem, however, is that we end up breaking out in more sin and shame, since we can have no confidence in our flesh, and nothing good at all dwells in it.

Nothing.

I had spent so much time trying to control something which cannot be controlled and then I was consumed with fear and frustration over something that was beyond my control, yet had already been condemned.

This journey has taken me a long time to take, or rather receive.

But I thank God for His grace, and give thanks to Christ Jesus for His life in me and through me.

For years, I was plagued with fears. "What are you going to do if you feel this way or that way? What are you going to do if you get afraid?"

I kept thinking that these concerns, these fears were coming from me.

It has taken me so long to realize that much of this fear-mongering is from the Enemy, and that now I can rest in the truth that every thought is being brought into captivity to the  obedience of Christ, and further more He is a God to me not because of how I am thinking or feeling, but because He has provided a full, final, and forever payment for all my sins:

"10For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:

"11And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.
 

"12For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more." (Hebrews 8: 10-12)

 Indeed, this is Good News! So good, no wonder Satan has gone out of his way with false ministers, like Bill W. and his followers, to deceive people.