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ral mind of man- until worked with
by the Spirit of God- does not
understand that mental and emo–
tional problems are spiritual in
nature. The natural mind, by itself,
does not understand it is breaking
spiritual laws.
The natural human mind is
attuned only to physical causes and
relationships, to things it can see or
feel with the five senses. From this
incomplete knowledge humans
speculate about the causes of their
or others' problems. Many blame
their problems and fears on others,
not on their own weaknesses or
wrong habits of living or thinking,
which, in turn, are caused by a
wrong spirit or attitude of mind.
The Bible reveals the
source
of
that wrong spirit and attitude.
Though sorne may not believe it,
every human mind has been
influenced by Satan's evil attitudes.
Scripture reveals Satan as "the
prince of the power of the air"
(Eph. 2:2-3). His influence perme–
ates the earth. The results of bis
bombardment of evil moods upon
the minds of human beings, moods
that fuse into human nature, are
listed in Galatians 5: 19-21.
Notice these damaging actions
and attitudes: fornication, adultery,
idolatry, hatred, lust, sorcery,
strife, wrath, envying, murders,
drun~enness,
uncontrolled living
and thinking. From these attitudes
and ways of living spring fear and
depression.
This state of the human mind,
called in Scripture the carnal or
natural mind, is antagonistic to
God's laws and ways (Rom. 8:7). It
refuses to yield to and obey God in
all things. It reasons around what
God says to do in areas it doesn't
want to change. Even true Chris–
tians have to work to root out these
altitudes from their minds.
What, in contrast, are the fruits
of God's Spirit? Scripture again
clearly explains: love, joy, peace
(including peace of mind), pa–
tience, kindness, faithfulness, gen–
tleness, self-control, humility (Gal.
5:22-23).
Sorne totally unconverted per–
sons have, tbrough proper child–
reariilg, developed sorne attitudes
that are in harmony with sorne of
God's laws, whether they recognize
God's laws or not. They reap the
10
automatic blessings in their lives as
a result (see Romans 2:14).
Love That Conquers Fear
The Bible reveals how mankind
ought daily to be living in every
sphere of life. "Man shall not live
by bread alone, but by every word
that proceedeth out of the mouth of
God," said Jesus (Matt. 4:4). Jesus
was quoting from Deuteronomy,
chapter 8, verse 3.
Jesus quoted Leviticus (chapter
19, verse 18, Revised Authorized
Version) when he said, "You shall
love your neighbor as yourself."
You can't !ove someone unless
you know how. God's written
words, in Old Testament and New,
teach right marital , child rearing
The laws of true love
generate the love that
conquers fear and
depression, the love that
would,
if
obeyed, eliminate
every evil afHicting
mankind today.
and human relationships. God's
Word also gives examples of wrong
human relationships, examples of
how not to live. Scriptures also
teach basic health, financia! and
agricultura) laws for human pros–
perity and success.
Most important of all, the Scrip–
tures reveal God's awesome pur–
pose for human life-that of devel–
oping holy, righteous character.
The gospel of the kingdom of God
that Jesus preached (Mark 1: 14) is
the good news about how that char–
acter is developed.
The way we achieve that purpose
is by having God's Spirit or !ove in
our minds. God's Spirit operates
only in accordance with God's laws.
lt
leads to a constructive, positive
and upbuilding state of mind. A
human with this mind respects, not
degrades, bis physical, mental and
spiritual potential. He also respects
the potential of all other human
beings, whether or not they yet
understand God's purposes and
laws.
God's !ove has a two-fold thrust.
Love first means loving and trust–
ing God. This is summarized in the
first four commandments:
lt
means
having no other persons or things,
as gods, in place of the true God. It
means not serving false gods and
ideologies.
It
means not defaming
God's name in word or by the way
we live. It means respecting the
things tbat are holy to God.
The second thrust of God's law
of !ove is Jove toward other
bumans, your neighbors. This is
summarized in the last six com–
mandments.
lt
is honoring parents,
doing no murder (that includes
hatred, which is tbe spirit of mur–
der) , no adultery, no stealing, no
lying (or slander or false witness),
no coveting things of others. Jesus
explained this two-fold thrust of
God's law of Jove in Matthew
22:37-40.
True !ove, explained the apostle
Paul, works no ill to one's neighbor.
Of course not, because God's Jove
"is the fulfilling of the law" (Rom.
13: 10).
God's love is not the way of bate,
competition, lust, envy, jealousy,
covetousness, selfishness or getting
to exalt the self over others or to
put others down. These ways are
Satan's ways and altitudes, subtly
placed in human minds by a clever
devil. They produce the bitter
fruits of strife, animosity, fear,
guilt, walls of separation and loss of
hope.
Obedience to God's Iaws of love
produces the opposite results.
Humans with this 1ove have feel–
ings of neither superiority nor infe–
riority toward others. We obey
God's Jaw of love and we no Ionger
try to get the best of others and put
them down. We no Jonger bate or
fear those wbo set themselves up as
our enemies or those that don't
agree witb our values or the way we
live. We understand why they
think and do what they do. They
have been inftuenced, though they
don't know it , by wrong attitudes
or moods from Satan's workings
upon their minds, or by wrong cul-
The
PLAIN TRUTH