That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.
To be armed with the same mind as Christ who suffered in the flesh is to have ceased from sin, so that one no longer lives the rest of time in the flesh to human lusts and desires but to the will of God. Christ's suffering for sin calls believers to this change, for He bore the sins of those who had gone astray so they could return to God and live righteously. Through His sinless life and atoning death they may become partakers of the divine nature and escape the corruption of the world through lust, so that overcoming temptation is living to God's will. Taking on the same mind as Christ means suffering with that commitment to turn from sin and former sinful practices, so that the rest of earthly life is directed by God rather than governed by human desires. This is waking to God-given responsibilities and refusing a life of selfishness, following Him who endured the cross and the contradiction of sinners, for no one can live to serve selfish interests and then enter into the joy of the Lord.
One joined to Christ lives the rest of life in the flesh to serve and honor Christ rather than to please His enemies. That union must be living and enduring through faith, dependence on Christ, a changed heart, and submission of the will to God, for mere profession of union while remaining attached to worldly pleasures and sin leaves the heart disobedient. This requires a moral transformation of the heart in which old habits and practices and the former life of sin are left behind, the attributes of Satan are expelled from the soul temple, objectionable natural traits of character are overcome, and the heart is kept under God's control so grace can thrive. If the gospel seed is cherished and the weeds uprooted it brings a precious crop of wheat, but if not the crop is stunted, thorns and weeds choke the word and make it unfruitful, and the tares become the crop and kill out the wheat.
This decides the earnest controversy between satanic agencies and the Prince of life over which will obtain supremacy and become possessor of the soul. It demands sobriety and watching unto prayer because the end of all things is at hand, in contrast to the past time of doing the will of the Gentiles in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries. Those who still practice such things think it strange and speak evil when believers do not run with them to the same excess of riot. The short remaining time of probation is no longer to be lived to indulge corrupt impulses, so reform from frivolity, undue attention of men to women, familiarity of married men with married women and young girls, forwardness and coquetry of girls, jesting, joking, levity, flattering attentions, and common idle talk is a positive necessity.
Such conduct is moral wrong even when excused as doing no moral wrong, because it starts an evil train of thought, makes enduring impressions, confirms coarseness and boldness, and pollutes the soul as a positive denial of Christ that truth brought into the inner sanctuary with a pure moral taste would condemn. Such speech is thorn-berries from a thorn-bush, for grapevines do not bear thorns nor bramble bushes grapes, and the tree is known by its fruit. With the end of all things at hand, sober, prayerful, dignified, sociable, kind and courteous conduct is called for that keeps its proper place, with young ladies reserved and modest. The chapter is encouragement for those laboring in the church in work that seeks to turn people from sin to righteousness and calls for errors to be acknowledged.
To be armed with the same mind as Christ who suffered in the flesh is to have ceased from sin, so that one no longer lives the rest of time in the flesh to human lusts and desires but to the will of God. Christ's suffering for sin calls believers to this change, for He bore the sins of those who had gone astray so they could return to God and live righteously. Through His sinless life and atoning death they may become partakers of the divine nature and escape the corruption of the world through lust, so that overcoming temptation is living to God's will. Taking on the same mind as Christ means suffering with that commitment to turn from sin and former sinful practices, so that the rest of earthly life is directed by God rather than governed by human desires. This is waking to God-given responsibilities and refusing a life of selfishness, following Him who endured the cross and the contradiction of sinners, for no one can live to serve selfish interests and then enter into the joy of the Lord.
One joined to Christ lives the rest of life in the flesh to serve and honor Christ rather than to please His enemies. That union must be living and enduring through faith, dependence on Christ, a changed heart, and submission of the will to God, for mere profession of union while remaining attached to worldly pleasures and sin leaves the heart disobedient. This requires a moral transformation of the heart in which old habits and practices and the former life of sin are left behind, the attributes of Satan are expelled from the soul temple, objectionable natural traits of character are overcome, and the heart is kept under God's control so grace can thrive. If the gospel seed is cherished and the weeds uprooted it brings a precious crop of wheat, but if not the crop is stunted, thorns and weeds choke the word and make it unfruitful, and the tares become the crop and kill out the wheat.
This decides the earnest controversy between satanic agencies and the Prince of life over which will obtain supremacy and become possessor of the soul. It demands sobriety and watching unto prayer because the end of all things is at hand, in contrast to the past time of doing the will of the Gentiles in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries. Those who still practice such things think it strange and speak evil when believers do not run with them to the same excess of riot. The short remaining time of probation is no longer to be lived to indulge corrupt impulses, so reform from frivolity, undue attention of men to women, familiarity of married men with married women and young girls, forwardness and coquetry of girls, jesting, joking, levity, flattering attentions, and common idle talk is a positive necessity.
Such conduct is moral wrong even when excused as doing no moral wrong, because it starts an evil train of thought, makes enduring impressions, confirms coarseness and boldness, and pollutes the soul as a positive denial of Christ that truth brought into the inner sanctuary with a pure moral taste would condemn. Such speech is thorn-berries from a thorn-bush, for grapevines do not bear thorns nor bramble bushes grapes, and the tree is known by its fruit. With the end of all things at hand, sober, prayerful, dignified, sociable, kind and courteous conduct is called for that keeps its proper place, with young ladies reserved and modest. The chapter is encouragement for those laboring in the church in work that seeks to turn people from sin to righteousness and calls for errors to be acknowledged.