The Minds in Christ Jesus!

"Finally, brothers and sisters, 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 NIV

To be honest, it is not sin if we think negatively. However, negative thoughts are possible to lead us into unrighteous deeds that cause sin. In other words, we are likely to sin by doing unrighteous deeds (1 John 5:17) that come from negative thoughts. Thus, our mind is like a controlling tower, as Doctor Charles Stanley calls it. For this reason, the word of God declares, "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." (Romans 12:2)

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. (Colossians 3:1-4)

Therefore, we ought to get rid of our earthly minds and renew our minds into godly ones by letting the Spirit of God (John 14:15-17,26-27; Ezekiel 36:26-27) to control our minds. “For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.” (1 Timothy 4:8)This is because if we fully devoted to Jesus Christ, then we do not belong to the world; we belong to God (John 1:12-13), for "we know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one." (1 John 5:19) To be more specific, all of us belong to God, even though we are not believers because we are part of God’s creation (Genesis 1:27) For this reason, if we believe and have accepted Jesus Christ, then our citizenship has been transferred from this world to the kingdom of heaven (Philippians 3:18-21, 2 Corinthians 5:1)

Hence, the best method to be kingdom-minded is to pray before God, our heavenly Father (Ephesians 4:6) This is because when we pray before Him in our humilities, the presence of the Lord hovers over us, since the prayer is the way to have conversations with our heavenly Father. However, while we are praying, we have to hold on to the hope of God (Romans 15:13) for the word of God states,

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:4-7)

Not only praying before God will help us, reading the word of God would help us to think righteously as well. This is because the Bible is there to advocate us to be the righteousness of God (2 Timothy 3:16-17), and the word of God is the living word that judges our minds and thoughts (Hebrews 4:12). These are the reasons why the word of God is crucial to us that Philippians 1:27-29 declares,

Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved—and that by God. For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him.