Written by Pastor Mark Driskill
November 2, 2011
Read Ephesians 4:17
“in the futility of their minds.”
One of the things that Jesus desires to free us from is the futility of our minds. Webster defines futile as “Hopeless, Trivial” Before Christ this was the mode of thinking we were expected to operate in. In our minds there was no hope outside of us and our thoughts were frittered away with trivial matters of personal drama, entertainment, and selfish pursuits. The lost mind is dying in hopelessness and trivia. This is because before Christ came in and illumined us our vision was limited to the tangible world. We saw nothing more to concern ourselves with than our limited sensory experience. But when the light of the gospel burst through the barred windows of our fleshly existence suddenly the world became larger than what we could see, hear, taste, feel and smell.
The supernatural dimension of our existence with its vibrant colors energized and transformed the dull grey of day to day existence. Life replaced existence. Joy replaced happiness. Faith replaced fear. Purpose replaced position. And hope replaced futility. We have been delivered from the darkness but still unfortunately, have to fight back the tide of grey dullness that threatens to encroach on our new life, dragging us like an undertow back into the futility of mere survival.
Daily the enemy of our soul tries to coax us out of our newfound purpose and identity in Christ into the dismal futility that once was our whole world. This is why Paul reminds us that we must no longer walk as the lost do, “in the futility of our minds.” We must constantly be renewing our minds so that they stay sharp with the clear vision of Christ and do not fall into the lethargy of worldly thinking.
Be on guard against any thought that you should tone down your passion for Christ and just be normal. Normalcy is not a gift of the Holy Spirit, but a chain of the flesh. When I begin to rationalize away my convictions, in order to become more acceptable to the world, I am in danger of falling into futility.
When you were saved your mind began to be regenerated by the Holy Spirit. As you surrender more and more to Him your mind comes more into line with the life of Christ. But when you begin to compromise in order to accommodate the world your mind will degenerate into the old death. So each day with each decision you have a choice to make. Will I be regenerated by faith or degenerate into futility? Faith or Futility, the choice is yours. Choose faith and watch your world come alive.
Pastor Mark Driskill
Web Minister of Begotten By the Word web ministry
See our website at http://ourchurch.com/member/b/bbtw
and
www.facebook.com (to group “begotten by the word”)
Begotten By the Word is a ministry of Helping Hands Christian resources-Evangelism Outreach
www.hhcr05.org
(Feel free to copy in any way that will bring glory to God and further his kingdom.)
