Die gedrag van mense en hul optrede spruit uit die verstand. Daarom, die verstand bepaal die gedrag en optrede van mense. Voordat iemand iets doen, a lot has already taken place in the mind. Die Bybel sê, that the mind can be controlled and dominated by the flesh; which is controlled by the kingdom of darkness or by the Spirit; Who is being controlled by the Kingdom of God. Therefore the mind has a choice to do the will of God or the will of the devil.
The carnal mind
Before you believed in Jesus Christ and berou het, your mind was carnal and was being controlled by the world; die koninkryk van duisternis. Your mind was fed and formed by the knowledge, wisdom and the things of this world.
But when you believed in Jesus Christ, berou het, en geword wedergebore in die gees, U is uit die koninkryk van die duisternis na die koninkryk van God oorgeplaas. You were set apart from the world. You didn’t belong to the world; die koninkryk van duisternis, Nie, but you belonged to the Kingdom of God. You were no longer the old creation but you had become a nuwe skepping; 'n seun van God (dit geld vir beide mans en wyfies), but your mind was still the same.
The renewing of the mind
Although you became a new creation, your mind was still the same. Your mind was unchanged and your mind was still conformed to the world. Daarom, it was necessary to renew your mind with God’s Word, so that you would find out the wil van God En loop volgens sy wil.
It’s so important, that your mind is being conformed to the Word of God. Because only then, will you have the mind of Christ. When you have the mind of Christ, you will speak and act like Jesus and live according to God’s will in holiness and righteousness.
En word nie aan hierdie wêreld voldoen nie: Maar wees verander deur die vernuwing van u gedagtes, Dat julle kan bewys wat so goed is, en aanvaarbaar, En perfek, wil van God (Romeine 12:2)
En word vernuwe in die gees van jou gedagtes; En dat julle die nuwe mens aantrek, wat na God geskape is in geregtigheid en ware heiligheid (Ef 4:23-24)
Maar solank, as you don’t vernuwe jou gedagtes met die Woord van God, your mind will stay unrenewed and therefore you will stay the same as before your repentance. Your mind will stay carnal and you will keep walking as the ou skepping na die vlees. You shall be controlled by your flesh and shall be led by your senses, emosies, gedagtes, gevoelens, Menings, will etc. As long as you are being controlled by the flesh, you will sow in the flesh and shall reap corruption and death.
Want om vleeslik gesind te wees, is die dood; maar om geestelik gesind te wees, is lewe en vrede. Want die vleeslike verstand is vyandskap teen God: want dit is nie onderworpe aan die wet van God nie, nie een van die twee kan inderdaad wees nie. So dan kan hulle wat in die vlees is, God nie behaag nie (Rom 8:6-8)
Dié, who are continuously dominated by the flesh (die sondige natuur) shall also put their mind on the things of the flesh (sondige natuur) and shall do what the flesh wants to do. Maar dié, who are continuously being dominated by the Spirit, shall also put their mind on the things of Spirit and the Kingdom of God.
The old man blames others
Many times believers, who misbehave or have made a mistake often say: ”the devil made me do it, he made me sin”. Die ou man always hides and blames others for his behavior and mistake(s) and never takes responsibility for the mistake(s) he made.
Toe Adam gesondig het, he hid himself from God. When God asked him, if he had eaten from the forbidden tree, Adam immediately blamed Eve for his ongehoorsaamheid aan God. Eve acted the same way and blamed the serpent for her disobedience.
Natuurlik, the serpent tempted Eve, but Eve and Adam were responsible for their own actions. When Eve was tempted by the devil, a thought of curiosity and temptation entered her mind and instead of commanding that thought to leave, she allowed the thought into her mind and conceived that thought.
Before she acted and ate from the forbidden fruit, she already made the choice in her mind to eat from the forbidden fruit. Adam did the same thing, and also gave in to die versoeking.
So, they were both responsible for their own actions. They were the ones, who sinned and not the devil.
The devil still tries to tempt people in the flesh, want dit is sy grondgebied. He shall always try to tempt you by putting evil thoughts into your mind, that will cause you to misbehave, make a mistake and do or say something that is against the will of God. Ja, the devil tries to tempt people by putting thoughts into their mind that may cause them to sin. That’s what he did with Adam and Eve, Kain, Lot’s wife, Samson, Saul, David, Solomon etc. Ja, he even tried to tempt Jesus, die Seun van God, but Jesus loved God above all, Hy het die wil van Sy Vader en Sy natuur, therefore He overcame the devil by using the Word of God in the right context.
The devil can tempt you, Maar kan jou nie laat sondig nie
The devil can tempt you, but he cannot make you sin. Jy is die een, who is responsible for your sins. You decide to do something that goes against God’s will and sin or not. You are responsible for your behavior and your actions. And it all starts in your mind. Your mind is a breeding ground for good or evil.
Ongelukkig, the devil still has control in the mind of many believers. That’s mainly because many believers don’t Vernuwe hul gedagtes met die Woord van God. Daarom, they don’t get to know the wil van God. They keep feeding their mind with the knowledge, wisdom and the things of this world. As gevolg daarvan, their mind belongs to the world; die duiwel, and they walk according to sy wil.
As gevolg van die feit, that the devil controls the mind, he also controls the lives of many believers. He determines their behavior, speech, and actions. Ja, he controls them by controlling their mind; their thoughts. He puts thoughts into their mind that go against the will of God, and as long as they are carnal and they are being led by the flesh, they shall obey these thoughts. They shall walk and live according to what their thoughts tell and command them to do. Just like the Word says, that before you repented you lived like the world, in the lusts of your flesh, fulfilling the desires of your flesh and of the mind.
En jy het hy vinniger gemaak, wat dood was in oortredings en sondes; Waarin in die tyd verby Ye geloop het volgens die loop van hierdie wêreld, Volgens die prins van die krag van die lug, Die gees wat nou werk in die kinders van ongehoorsaamheid: Onder wie ook ons almal in die verlede in die begeerlikhede van ons vlees ons gesprek gehad het, die vervulling van die begeertes van die vlees en van die verstand; en was van nature die kinders van die toorn, selfs soos ander (Efesiërs 2:1-3)
Owerspel
A person doesn’t commit adultery, just like that. Although some believers, wat owerspel gepleeg het, Sê, that they couldn’t help it and before they knew it they committed adultery. But that’s nonsense! Accidentally infidelity and adultery do not exist. Because before a person commits adultery, all kinds of unclean sexual thoughts have already entered the mind of the person. They brought up the idea of committing adultery. The person can mislead many people, who are carnal and are being led by their emotions and feelings, by taking a victim role, so that others will feel sorry for the person and have compassion. Maar dié, who are led by the Holy Spirit, and are not led by carnal feelings and emotions, don’t fall for that. They will discern the spirits, including the spirit of self-pity.
But before a person commits adultery, an unclean sexual thought of lust and desire already entered the mind. This thought came forth out of the lusts and desires of the flesh. Dit wys, that the flesh is not gekruisig in Christus, but is still alive and reigns in the person’s life. If the person had taken authority over this thought, by commanding it to leave his mind, the person would not have committed adultery. But the person didn’t do that and allowed that thought. The person not only allowed the thought but also meditated on this thought. In the mind, the person already committed adultery and has connected himself/herself with the other person. Nou, these unclean sexual feelings of lust will only become stronger.
'n Persoon, who commits fornication or adultery, has done this with premeditation. After committing adultery, this unclean spirit of sexual lust and desire shall reign in the person’s life. Because the person has obeyed this spirit by committing adultery and has given access to his/her life. This spirit shall manifest himself from time to time. That’s why many times when someone commits adultery it isn’t just one time, maar na 'n rukkie, it happens again.
I’ve given this example of adultery, but there are so many examples to mention, about thoughts that cause behavior and actions, wat teen God se wil ingaan. Like gossip, manipulation, lieg, Kwaad, bekommer, kla, hurting other people, scams, diefstal, geld verduister, tax evasion and so on. All these actions are being done with premeditation because they all derive from the mind of a person.
Die verstand het 'n keuse
Die verstand het 'n keuse. As long as a person stays carnal and is not able to control his flesh, the person shall be dominated by his flesh; sondige natuur. The person shall be led by his thoughts instead of taking authority over his thoughts.
Every person makes his/her own decisions to allow thoughts, and conceive thoughts and sin, or to reject thoughts and not sin. Every person is responsible for his/her mind, behavior and actions. Therefore you can’t blame others for your behavior or actions.
Dis hoekom, it’s so important and necessary to vernuwe jou gedagtes with God’s Word, instead of feeding your mind with the things of this world. Because your mind determines your behavior and your actions.
Your way of life proves, if you have a carnal mind and being led by the flesh or that you have the mind of Christ that is conformed to the Word and are led by the Spirit. If you have the mind of Christ and are led by the Holy Spirit then you shall live according to God se wil and serve Him.
Serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the Lord searches all hearts, and understands all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek Him, He will be found of thee; but if thou forsake Him, He will cast thee off for ever (1 Kronieke 28:9)
‘Wees die sout van die aarde’
