FRIDAY September 17, 2021
Renew Your Mind
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
Romans 12:1-2
Christians need to guard their minds. An idle mind becomes Satan’s playground. The devil deceives people. He is a master at deception and can rob people of their souls. Satan hates the Word of God, because it sets people free. It renews a person’s mind.
Many young people have given their minds over to Satan as a playground as they listen to violent music that glorifies murder, has sexual content, or promotes drug use. MTV is the worst television channel; it pollutes the minds of our youth! I am completely against it. Christians have to stand for righteousness––for what is right and not what is wrong.
Young adults pierce their bodies and mark themselves with tattoos. They are often ignorant of the fact that these things are rooted in ocultic practices. Piercings and tattoos go way back to Canaanite pagan religions. In Leviticus 19:28, it is written: “You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor tattoo any marks on you: I am the LORD.”
Many young Christians will say, “Well, that was the Old Testament.” Yet in the New Testament, 1 Corinthians 3:16 tells us: Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? Your body is the temple of the living God, and His temple is to be holy. You no longer have authority over your body. We are to present our bodies to God as a living sacrifice––living a life set apart for God’s glory.
In Vietnam, during the war, I did get some tattoos, but they remind me of my old life. I now hate them. The young think they look beautiful, but as they age, they are going to regret it. They will hate what they have done to their bodies. As you get older, you get a little bit wiser––I would hope.
Spiritual Christians look upon the world not as a playground but as a battleground.
~A.W. Tozer~
For more from Raul Ries, please visit SomebodyLovesYou.com!