What does it mean to be renewed by your mind?

What exactly is the transformation that takes place when we are “transformed by the renewing of your mind”?

What does it mean that His kingdom is not of this world?

What does it mean we are to leave the world behind and follow Christ?

What does it mean that ‘a little leaven leavens the whole lump’?

What does it mean that we are a peculiar people?

How are we a witness to others if we participate in everything the world does?  What defines the world?  How are we set apart if we blend in with them?

What does it mean to keep ourselves from idols?  What idol is He talking about?  Is it one specific idol or are there many idols?

What does it mean when He says “if you love me you will keep My commandments”?  

What does it mean ‘by grace you have been saved through faith.  It is a gift of God and not yourselves lest anyone should boast’?  

If we are under grace does that mean we can forget everything He said before?  We are no longer under the law so nothing matters anymore and we are free to do whatever we please.  Genesis through Malachi is no longer relevant so we can just throw out that part of our bibles because we are now under grace.  We are free to look like the world, act like the world, and do everything the world does.  Romans states ‘should you sin lest grace abound?  God forbid’.  We did not know sin until we knew the law.  The law is only a mirror.  We are freed from the curse of the law meaning we were never able to keep it and be righteous.  We could only ever be free from bondage of the “work” of the law by the blood of Jesus, the perfect sacrifice.  He made us able to enter in to the Holy of Holies.  He was sinless, blameless, righteous, and innocent, but He took up that cross for us.  By His stripes we were healed.  He was bruised for our transgressions and crushed for our sin.  The chastisement that brought us peace was on Him.

What does it mean to love the LORD your God with all your heart, mind, and soul?  Is it just a catchphrase or does He mean to think only about Him in everything you do, think, and say?  How do we give our life over to Him if our life is wrapped up in the world?

Do we want Him or do we want the things He can give us?  If we received what we prayed for would be continue to worship Him with the same zeal as before or would He become an afterthought?  Is He really Lord over our life or just a small piece we think of here and there?

How are we supposed to grow if the first wave of persecution hits and we run and hide?  How are we supposed to grow if, when we don’t get what we want, don’t want God anymore?  How are we supposed to grow if our only form of worship is a simple daily read through that has checklists and comment boxes but no scriptures?  He wants us to go to Him.  He wants to teach us (1 John 2).  How do we grow if we reject anything that goes against “our beliefs” without bringing it to test against scripture?  We are to bring everything thrown at us to what His word says.

What does it mean that satan comes as angel of light and if it were possible the elect would be deceived?

If satan (who is the prince of darkness, a liar, and a thief) ran this world where is he?  What if he was in the very place we thought he could never be?  Would we recognize him?  What if what we were taught all our lives was error and deception?  Would we be able to accept we bought a lie and want to learn the truth or out of comfort keep living a lie?

What does it mean to leave the world behind and follow Him?

“Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.”

Jeremiah 20:9