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Discover the Passions of God

DID YOU KNOW that it is possible for you to discover the passions of God? To be synchronized to the rhythms of His heartbeat? To experience the desire and delight of heaven and see it fulfilled on the earth? It’s true. You can. That is why Paul said,

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. (Romans 12:1-2)

If you would know the passions of God, understand that it will cost you everything — your body, your mind, your soul, your life — but it is well worth the price. It is a very good bargain, in Paul’s estimation, for the end result will be transformation, renewal and a life full of the favor and blessing of God.

“Do not be conformed to this world.” The Greek word behind “world” is aion. It is where we get our word “eon,” and refers primarily, not to a place but to a time. It should be translated “age.” So we have, “Do not be conformed to this age.”

This is important because there are two ages now at work in the world: this present one and the one that is to come. The one that is to come is the age of God’s kingdom, the age of His rule and reign. It is already breaking into this present age, and has been ever since Jesus came preaching “Repent and believe, for the kingdom of God is at hand.”

The enemy of our souls, however, wants us to continue to be conformed to this present age, to think the thoughts of the current world order. He wants to blind us to the age of God’s reign which is breaking in all around us. Paul said,

But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them. For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus’ sake. For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. (2 Corinthians 4:3-6)

The light of Christ is already shining brightly in the world, and the whole earth is full of the glory of God (Isaiah 6:3). But the devil, the god of this present age, has blinded the eyes of many so that they don’t even recognize the light and know the glory.

“Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” There are only two kinds of people in the world: those who are being conformed to this age, and those who are being transformed by the renewing of their minds. For too long we have been discipled by the present age to think the way it thinks, feel the way it feels, act the way it acts. We have been conformed to it. Even in the Church there are many who have been deceived by the spirit of religion to adopt a form of godliness, but one that is totally lacking in the power of God.

We need to be transformed. This happens by the renewing of our minds. We begin with repentance. The Greek word for “repentance” is metanoeo and literally means to think differently. We need to give up our own thoughts and begin to think God’s thoughts.

“My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD.
“For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than your thoughts.”

(Isaiah 55:11)

“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. (1 Corinthians 2:9-10)

God’s thoughts and ways are very different from those we have received in this present age. He wants us to think His thoughts and walk in His ways, because the age of His rule and reign is now breaking into the world. That is why He has given us His Word and His Spirit, so we could be renewed in our thinking, and thus be transformed. It is ancient wisdom: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6).

We need to have our thoughts renewed and be transformed so we can discover the will of God. Many people think of the will of God as His plan to dominate, manipulate and turn us into automatons. But that kind of thinking comes from the present age and is one of the reasons our minds need to be renewed.

The will of God is actually the passionate desire He has for us. He created everyone of us for great things, to partake of His divine nature (2 Peter 1:4). He longs for us to press into Him, to experience how good His will is, how full of favor His desire for us is, how perfect and complete His passions toward us are.

Our minds were made to think God’s thoughts, our emotions were made to express God’s heart, and our wills were made to express God’s desires. When we let God renew our thinking by His Word and the Holy Spirit, it will totally transform our lives and prepare us to receive His kingdom, already breaking in all around us — to discover the passions of God.

© 2005 by Jeff Doles.
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