Deeper still.....

Continuing with the same question....what is the purpose of our minds? I found myself having to search the Scriptures to see what God had to say about our minds. He made us with them so He had to have a purpose for them.

Yes, I understand the human anatomy/physiology reason we have a brain. But I wanted to know why we have a MIND.

Hebrews 8, in describing the new covenant we have in Christ, tells us that the Lord will put His laws into our minds and write them on our hearts (v.10). This is repeated again in Hebrews 10:16. This is the process by which we will internalize God's laws....they will become part of our inner selves. Hmmm......so our minds are to hold the laws of God.

Paul tells us in Romans 7:25, "Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin." This is after Paul's dissertation on being released from living under the Mosaic Law for salvation. He is saying that his mind is used to serve God but it wars with his flesh which is the sinful nature.

Paul adds to this thought in Romans 8 by telling us "For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. (v.5-7)"

Later, in Romans 12:1-2, Paul challenges us "to be transformed by the renewal of our mind". This indicates that we can control what we think and what we put into our minds if we can renew them. And it supports the old adage of "Garbage In, Garbage Out."

Ephesians 4:17-24 is pretty strong about our minds as well. It starts by saying "that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do in the futility of their minds." Whoa! Who wants to be accused of being futile in your mind? That is pretty strong but he is basically saying when you reject the knowledge of God, your mind is operating in futility - it is worthless.

Continuing in Eph. 4:23...Paul tells them "to be renewed in the spirit of your minds". Here is that renewal phrase again. What is Paul talking about? He is trying to tell the Ephesians that when they become new creatures in Christ, they have to get the junk out of their minds, the garbage has to go, and they have to input the mind of Christ. It is a PROCESS. And that PROCESS is done by reading, meditating, and memorizing God's Word. There really is no other way to do it.

Hmmm.....so if our minds are to be full of the Word of God and be growing in thinking like Christ, .....where does knowledge fit in this picture?