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A Brand New You
Part
One
Do
your resolutions always fail? Are you concerned about your uncontrollable
temper? Are you desperately looking for direction in your
life? Are you finding it difficult to love someone who has
an uncanny knack of getting under your skin? Are you finding
it hard to forgive yourself for past mistakes? Are you
struggling with appetite, or with drugs? Do you have a low self-image? Has
your life lost it's meaning? Right now, is life not what you
always hoped it
would be?
If you answer yes
to any of these questions, then this
document is just for you.
Here,
in simple logic, is the only way that we can straighten out
whatever it is in life that is troubling us.
Introduction
While
most of us may have realized that we have weaknesses in our
characters, all too few of us have realized that in our own
selves we are powerless to overcome these weaknesses. This
is why we keep making resolutions and this is why our
resolutions keep failing.
Let’s
assume that your particular weakness is an
irresistible urge to commit a particular "sin." You
might have prayed
about this sin, you may have heard the minister in your church
preach about this sin, you are absolutely convinced that what you
are doing is
wrong, and yet, try as you may, you cannot keep yourself from committing this
sin.
Yet
there is an easy solution - easy indeed - but only for those
who understand that the only reason we sin is because we are
sinful. Once we accept this simple fact, we then
can appreciate that our real problem is not with the things that we
do, but with the thing that we are.
And that is why
our resolutions usually fail - for resolutions
usually only focus on what we do, and what we do is only ever symptomatic of what we are.
For
the sake of good measure let us repeat that thought:
Resolutions fail because so often they focus on what we do, and what we do is only ever
an indication of what we are.
If we
really do wish to stop doing something, therefore, our real
need is not simply for a change in what we do, but for a
change in what we are.
So
here is some really good news. If you have a character weakness, stop
worrying and fretting about it, for this
will never help - in fact it will only make you weaker. There is a better way, and this better way is outlined
below.
The
simple programme that follows has helped a great many people
throughout the ages. Take the time to study what follows -
preferably on an
empty stomach - maybe before breakfast - and the time you
spend
with this document could prove to be a high point in your life.
The Call
Speaking
to people just like you and I, Jesus once
stated . . .
`This
is to my Father's glory that you bear much fruit.' (John 15:8)
What
does Jesus mean by this term `fruit?'
Paul
answers this question for us. He tells us
that . . .
`The
fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and
self-control.' (Galatians 5:22)
Well,
who of us would not like to be "fruitful?" Who of us would not
like to be loving, joyful, peace-filled, patient, kind, good,
faithful, gentle and self-controlled people?
The
million-dollar question, of course, is how do we become
"fruitful?" Do
we stand in front of the mirror and try and persuade ourselves
that we should never again get angry, that we should not allow
our appetites to rule over us, that we must now force
ourselves to love someone who has an uncanny knack of
irritating us?
Many
of us have tried that method - and it fails time and time
again. And with every failure we are reminded of the message
that once was sent to king Jehoiakim . . .
`Can
the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard its spots?
Neither can you do good who are accustomed to doing evil.'
(Jeremiah 13:23)
Clearly,
therefore, we are not capable of changing our characters; we simply are
not able, by way of our own single-handed efforts, to turn
ourselves into "fruitful" people.
But
there is a simple solution. All that is needed is an
understanding of the factors that bring forth fruit on a
fruit-tree, and we will have discovered how the fruits of the
Spirit may come into our lives.
The
Route to Fruit
Once
you understand what follows, you will realise that God designed nature to serve as a perpetual reminder of the
principles that make us "fruitful." Once
you have completed this study you will never again look at a fruit
tree without being reminded of these simple principles.
The
first lesson, one with which any fruit-farmer will agree, is
that if you want a fruit-tree to bear fruit, you must not
concentrate on the fruit, but on the tree. Jesus taught this
very principle when He said . . .
`Make
a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and
its fruit will be bad.' (Matthew 12:33)
This
is a hard and fast rule because, according to the Master
Teacher, . . .
`No
good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good
fruit.' (Luke 6:43)
In our quest to improve
our characters, therefore, we should never focus our energies on becoming
more loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful,
gentle and self-controlled. Rather, we should do
all that we can to make of ourselves "good trees"- for
"good trees" always bear "good fruit."
So
just what can we do to make "good trees" of ourselves?
Paul
answers this question in the book of Romans. He gives us the
assurance that . . .
"If
the root is holy, so are the branches." (Romans 11:16)
Confirmation of
this is found in the book of Proverbs where we read that . . .
`The root
of the righteous yields fruit.' (Proverbs 12:12)
The
way to make a good tree, therefore, one that is adorned with
healthy branches - branches that are laden with delicious
fruit - is to make "holy" roots.
But
this leads us to ask yet another question. If the way to
make a fruitful tree is to make holy roots, how do we make
holy roots? In
the parable of the wise gardener Jesus supplies the answer to this question . . .
'A
man had a fig tree, planted in His vineyard, and he went to
look for fruit on it, but did not find any. So he said to the
man who took care of the vineyard, "For three years now I've
been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven't
found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?" '
'
"Sir,"
the man replied, "Leave it alone for one more year,
and I'll dig around it and fertilize it. If it
bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down." ' (Luke 13:6-9)
The
owner of the vineyard was of the opinion that this fig tree
would never bear fruit, that it was worthless - a hopeless
case. Yet the gardener knew otherwise. He knew that the
problem was not with the fruit, nor with the branches, nor
with the roots, but with the soil. This is why the gardener
suggested that they leave the tree alone. He understood
from years of experience that the problem with a fruitless
tree is not necessarily with the tree itself, but most often
with the soil in which the tree is planted.
This principle is
alluded to repeatedly in Scripture:
(1)
"The soil makes the sprout come up." (Isaiah
61:11)
(2)
"All by itself the soil produces corn - first the
stalk, then the ear, then the full kernel in the
ear." (Mark 4:28)
(3)
"The ground of a certain rich man produced a good
crop." (Luke 12:16)
(4)
"Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word,
accept it, and produce a crop." (Mark 4:20)
By
the word of Scripture itself, therefore, we have the guarantee
that if the soil is good, the roots should be good, and if the
roots are good, the tree should be good. Then, if the tree is
good, we can rest assured that the fruit will be good.
This
is exciting for, if we can establish from a spiritual
viewpoint what the soil is, we will have discovered the key to Christian fruit-bearing
- the key to
character development - the key to victory - the key to
overcoming our weaknesses.
The Soil
If
the soil plays such a critical role in fruit-bearing in real
life, what, in the spiritual sense, is the soil?
We
have been told that . . .
"The
human mind is represented by the rich soil of a
garden." (4T442)
This
means that just as the conditioning of the soil
will encourage the development of fruit on a tree, so it is
that by conditioning our minds we can play our part in the
development of the Christian fruits in our characters.
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`The human
mind is represented by the rich soil of a garden. Unless it shall receive
proper cultivation, it will be overgrown with the weeds and briers of
ignorance.' (4T442-3) |
The
million-dollar question, of course, is just how do we
condition the soil of our minds? The answer to this question
is simple and it is logical:
"The
mind is built up from
that upon which it feeds." (FE451)
This
means that if we feed our minds on truth, and we
shield our minds from all that is out of harmony with truth,
then "the truth will make us whole," our minds will
be healed, and we will soon find the good
fruits of the Spirit developing in our characters.
In
short, therefore, and in the plainest and simplest of terms, . . .
"The
character is built up from
the food given to the mind." (RH08-13-01)
So
if we have been fighting for years to overcome our character
weaknesses, and if we have been having a real battle with our
appetites, and with our spiritual experience, and if we have
been struggling to love people who are a little "less
loveable," the good news assures us that we can stop
struggling against these human weaknesses and start
concentrating instead on the food that we give our minds.
Sure,
it is true that we cannot change our
characters, but we can
change the things that are influencing our characters - we can
change the things that we are
looking at, reading, and listening to. By thus doing, we will be heeding
the wise counsel
of Paul who once wrote, . . .
"Whatever
is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is
pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything
is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things."
(Philippians 4:8)
Then,
when we are feeding the mind with these good things, we have the
absolute guarantee that our characters will change and that we
will become "fruit-bearing trees" - laden with the fruits of
love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, faithfulness and
self-control. Then we will discover for
ourselves that . . .
"Our
religious experience is of exactly
the same quality as the
food we give our minds." (SpM57)
When
we guard our minds from evil, and we feed on the good and the
pure and the uplifting, the good side of our natures will gain
the ascendancy over the evil side of our natures and we will
soon find that we will gain the victory over those things that
once held us in bondage.
"Let
us, then, feed upon Christ. Let the mind dwell upon the
subjects which are of eternal consequence. If we will feed
upon Him we shall become new creatures in Christ Jesus. The
power of Christ will work to sanctify every part of the being,
diffusing life, activity, and soundness through the whole, and
developing spiritual efficiency." (RH08-13-01; TMK106)
This,
in fact, is the Christian warfare; this is how we root
ourselves in His love; this is how we abide in the Vine; this
is how we eat the flesh and the blood of the Lamb; this is how
we partake of the bread of life and the water of life; this is how we
nourish our souls; this is how we become lamps for God, this is how we become
the salt of the earth; this is how we "dwell in the secret place of the Most High"
and this is how we "abide under the shadow of the Almighty."
(Psalm 91)
In
this day especially, with so much in the news and in the media
that is focused on the corrupt, the vile, the
evil and the violent, . . .
"Unceasing care is needed in cultivating
the soil of
the mind." (RH01-30-13)
So
let us take courage from the fact that our daily struggle is not against
our sins, but against the evils of this world that are all
around us, and that are ever-threatening to invade
our minds. Our struggle is against everything that keeps us
from beholding the truth that makes us whole - against everything that keeps us
from beholding the Lamb of God who takes away our sins.
In
short, our
struggle is against everything in our world that can enter the
ear or the eye and that can thus pollute the soil of the mind.
'By
feeding the mind upon exciting stories of fiction, man is
bringing to the foundation "wood, hay, stubble." He loses
all taste for the Divine Guidebook, and cares not to study the
character he must form in order to dwell with the redeemed
host, and inhabit the mansions which Christ has gone to
prepare. A mind educated to feed on trash is unable to see in
the word of God the beauty that is there. Love for Jesus and
inclination for righteousness are lost.' (FE451)
Without
and Within
Clearly,
if the corrupting influences without can change the soil of
the mind, then we must assume that the corrupting influences
within are just as able to change the soil of the mind. This
is why Satan would simply love us to keep our minds focused on
our weaknesses and our sins. If we are changed by the things
that we look at, it stands to reason that we will only become
worse if we keep our minds focused on our sins and our
weaknesses.
Oh
yes, `each
one will have a close struggle to overcome sin in His own
heart. This is at times a painful and discouraging work;
because, as we see the deformities in our character we keep
looking at them, when we should look to Jesus and put on His
robe of righteousness.' (9T182)
Clearly,
therefore, we cannot even afford to become absorbed with our own
weaknesses. If what we behold is what we become, then
beholding our weaknesses will only make us weaker. This is why
Jesus has invited us to cast all of our cares upon Him. We
must give our problems and our weaknesses to Him and let our
minds become absorbed with His loveliness rather than with our
unloveliness - then it will only be a matter of time before
the precious fruits of love start to bud and to grow.
For
those who understand these precious principles, there is only one
resolution that is worth making and trying to keep - and that is the resolution
to spend more time with Jesus every day in prayer, in
meditation, in praise, in Bible study, and in seeing to the
needs of the less fortunate and the lonely. This resolution
will require that we pay strict attention to the things that
we look at, that we listen to, and that we think about. This is absolutely
vital because . . .
`Those
who would not fall a prey to Satan's devices must guard
well the avenues of the soul; they must avoid reading,
seeing, or hearing that which will suggest impure thoughts.
The mind must not be left to dwell at random upon every
subject that the enemy of souls may suggest. The heart must be
faithfully sentineled, or evils without will awaken evils
within, and the soul will wander in darkness.' (1MCP228)
The Challenge
God
has promised that there will be a revival before Jesus comes.
As is characteristic of all revivals, this final revival will
be accompanied by a marked reformation of character.
We can
rest assured, however, that this revival will not begin with some great
preacher coming from afar to stir our sleepy hearts - or some
dynamic broadcast to all the world via satellite. It will
begin when simple, ordinary people like you and I decide to
tear our minds away from the defiling and the corrupting
influences of the world.
The
Old Testament spells out clearly what it is that will bring
this revival to fruition:
(1)
"In
days to come Jacob will take root, Israel will bud and
blossom and fill all the world with fruit." (Isaiah
27:6)
(2)
"Once more a
remnant of the house of Judah will take root below and
bear fruit above." (2 Kings 19:30)
May
God give us grace, therefore, to change those things that we can change, so that
the Holy Spirit will have opportunity to change the things
that we cannot change and may we ever bear in mind that . . .
`Physically we are built up from what we eat. And so it is
with the mind.’ (2SAT147.2)
As such, let
us think very carefully as we consider what we are seeing,
reading and hearing. With so much that is filthy and untrue
being screened on the television we have to ask ourselves
whether we can afford to have such a device in our
homes.
In
view of the principles outlined in this document, it is obvious
that the world's people are being slowly corrupted by the
things that absorb so much of their time - not to mention
the horror videos, the adult movies, and the great majority
of advertisements that invariably appeal to the weaker side of
our natures.
If we are serious about
fulfilling our appointed task on earth, and about getting to
heaven at last, we have to make some very serious decisions - for our
own sakes
and for the sakes of our loved ones.
"Today, more than ever, we need to be careful about the input we allow to form our beliefs. With TV, music, movies, and the rest of the media often presenting sinful life-styles and unwholesome values, we find ourselves constantly bombarded by attitudes and beliefs that are totally opposed to the Bible. Be careful about what you allow to form your opinions. The Bible is the only standard of truth. Evaluate all other opinions in
the light of its teachings."
(Life Application Bible on Romans 1:25)
As
we consider these things, let us bear in mind that
we have been called to do somewhat more than merely go to
church once a week. It
is time, therefore, for us to hear the words of Jesus:
"You
did not choose Me, but I chose you to go and bear fruit -
fruit that will last." (John 15:16)
In
the light of this challenge, therefore, let us never forget that . . .
"It
is a law of the mind that it gradually
adapts itself to the
subjects upon which
it is trained to dwell." (PP596)
If
we cherish the idea of living forever, and we consider
ourselves to be religious, let us never forget that . . .
"Our
religious experience is of
exactly the same quality as
the
food we give our minds." (UT57)
If
you have ever wondered what "religion" is
all about, let me assure you that the bottom line of religion
is all about love - about a loving God who gave us the
ultimate demonstration of love by dying for our sins - a
loving God who wants to change us into loving people. Isn't it
sad, therefore, that so many do not realise that in rejecting
religion they are rejecting love - and that in doing so they are rejecting
the only opportunity that they will ever have of becoming
truly loving people?
Nevertheless,
we do not have to be rocket scientists to
understand that we will never become loving people by
beholding all the evil, the murder, the horror, and the bad
news that receive so much free publicity in the media today.
God knows that the things we look at have a profound effect
upon the mind. Hence his loving invitation, . . .
`Look unto
me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth:
for I am God, and there is none else.'
(Isaiah 45:22)
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In
the light of the above, the
reader is
urged to consider the practical, life-changing
plan that is outlined in Part Two
of this utility.
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