Aligning Our Whole Being to Love God
Summary
In today's message, we explored the profound interconnectedness of the human person and the journey towards loving God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. This journey is not about isolating different parts of ourselves but understanding how they work together as a whole. The essence of our being is to love God, and when we align our entire selves towards Him, our desires transform. This transformation is not a mere trick to get what we want but a deep change in what we want, as our desires align with God's will.
We delved into the nature of desire and how it can lead us astray if not oriented towards God. Desire, when unchecked, becomes a powerful force that can trap us, much like the raccoon in the story who couldn't let go of the button. Without the knowledge of God, we are prone to follow our desires blindly, leading to ruin. Romans 1 illustrates the consequences of rejecting God's truth, showing how suppressing the truth leads to a life driven by misguided desires.
However, there is hope in the knowledge of God. As 2 Peter 1 reminds us, through the knowledge of God, we receive everything we need for life and godliness. This knowledge transforms us, allowing us to escape the corruption of the world and partake in the divine nature. The process of discipleship is about aligning all aspects of our personality to love God, turning away from self-centered desires.
We also examined the role of the will, mind, body, and soul in this transformation. The will is the executive center, where decisions are made, and it must be aligned with God's will. The mind, encompassing thoughts and feelings, must be renewed to think rightly about God and ourselves. The body, with its habits, must be trained to act in accordance with God's will. Finally, the soul integrates all these parts, and when broken, it leads to a life of dissonance and conflict.
Key Takeaways:
- Desire and Transformation: True transformation begins when our desires align with God's will. Delighting in the Lord changes our desires, leading us to want what is good and right, rather than what is merely self-serving. This shift is not about manipulating God to get what we want but about becoming the kind of person who desires what God desires. [02:49]
- The Danger of Suppressed Truth: Suppressing the truth of God leads to a life driven by misguided desires. Romans 1 warns us of the consequences of rejecting God's knowledge, which results in futile thinking and darkened hearts. Embracing the truth requires humility and a willingness to let go of our own desires. [08:43]
- The Role of the Will: The will is the executive center of our being, where decisions are made. It is meant to be creative and aligned with God's will. God does not override our will, which is why transformation requires our active participation in aligning our will with His. [20:01]
- Mind Renewal: Our thoughts and feelings are interconnected, and renewing our mind is essential for transformation. How we think about God and ourselves shapes our feelings and actions. A right understanding of God is foundational to overcoming the brokenness in our lives. [23:32]
- The Integrated Soul: The soul weaves together all parts of our being, and when it is broken, it leads to a life of dissonance. A whole soul aligns intentions with actions, allowing us to live in harmony with God's will. Healing the soul involves addressing the disconnections between our mind, will, and body. [33:17]
Youtube Chapters:
[00:00] - Welcome
[00:21] - Introduction to the Whole Person
[01:10] - The Person and Relationship with God
[02:18] - Desires and Delighting in the Lord
[03:18] - Misunderstanding God's Goodness
[04:51] - The Nature of Desire
[06:36] - Living Beyond Desires
[08:14] - Romans 1: Suppressing Truth
[10:23] - Rejecting the Knowledge of God
[12:24] - The Path of Human Ruin
[13:07] - Knowledge of God and Divine Power
[14:32] - Turning the Whole Person to God
[16:09] - Divine Life and Peace with God
[18:10] - Discipleship and Personality
[20:01] - The Will as the Executive Center
[23:32] - Mind Renewal and Transformation
[31:02] - The Role of the Soul
[33:17] - Healing the Broken Soul
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
Bible Reading:
1. Mark 12:30 - "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength."
2. Romans 1:18-25
3. 2 Peter 1:2-4
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Observation Questions:
1. According to Mark 12:30, what are the four aspects of ourselves that we are commanded to love God with?
2. In Romans 1:18-25, what are the consequences mentioned for those who suppress the truth of God?
3. How does 2 Peter 1:2-4 describe the benefits of the knowledge of God for believers?
4. What story was used in the sermon to illustrate the danger of unchecked desires? [07:24]
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Interpretation Questions:
1. How does aligning our desires with God's will lead to true transformation, according to the sermon? [02:49]
2. What does it mean for the will to be the "executive center" of our being, and how does this relate to our relationship with God? [20:01]
3. How does the renewal of the mind contribute to overcoming brokenness in our lives, as discussed in the sermon? [23:32]
4. What role does the soul play in integrating the different parts of our being, and what happens when it is broken? [33:17]
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on your current desires. Are there any that you feel are not aligned with God's will? How can you begin to shift these desires to align more closely with His? [02:49]
2. Consider a time when you suppressed a truth about God in your life. What were the consequences, and how can you embrace the truth moving forward? [08:43]
3. How can you actively participate in aligning your will with God's will in your daily decisions? What practical steps can you take this week? [20:01]
4. In what ways can you work on renewing your mind to think rightly about God and yourself? Identify one specific thought pattern you want to change. [23:32]
5. Think about a habit in your life that does not align with God's will. What is one small change you can make to begin retraining your body to act in accordance with His will? [29:00]
6. Reflect on the state of your soul. Are there areas of dissonance or conflict that need healing? What steps can you take to address these disconnections? [33:17]
7. How can you cultivate a deeper knowledge of God in your life to escape the corruption of the world and partake in the divine nature? [13:07]
Devotional
Day 1: Aligning Desires with God's Will
True transformation begins when our desires align with God's will. Delighting in the Lord changes our desires, leading us to want what is good and right, rather than what is merely self-serving. This shift is not about manipulating God to get what we want but about becoming the kind of person who desires what God desires. When we align our entire selves towards Him, our desires transform. This transformation is not a mere trick to get what we want but a deep change in what we want, as our desires align with God's will. [02:49]
Psalm 37:4-5 (ESV): "Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act."
Reflection: What is one desire you have that you need to bring before God today, asking Him to align it with His will?
Day 2: The Consequences of Suppressing Truth
Suppressing the truth of God leads to a life driven by misguided desires. Romans 1 warns us of the consequences of rejecting God's knowledge, which results in futile thinking and darkened hearts. Embracing the truth requires humility and a willingness to let go of our own desires. Without the knowledge of God, we are prone to follow our desires blindly, leading to ruin. Romans 1 illustrates the consequences of rejecting God's truth, showing how suppressing the truth leads to a life driven by misguided desires. [08:43]
2 Thessalonians 2:10-12 (ESV): "And with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness."
Reflection: Is there a truth about God or yourself that you have been avoiding? How can you begin to embrace this truth today?
Day 3: The Creative Power of the Will
The will is the executive center of our being, where decisions are made. It is meant to be creative and aligned with God's will. God does not override our will, which is why transformation requires our active participation in aligning our will with His. The will must be aligned with God's will, and this requires our active participation. It is through the will that we make decisions, and it is meant to be creative, working in harmony with God's purposes. [20:01]
Proverbs 16:9 (ESV): "The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps."
Reflection: What is one decision you need to make today that requires aligning your will with God's? How can you actively participate in this alignment?
Day 4: Renewing the Mind for Transformation
Our thoughts and feelings are interconnected, and renewing our mind is essential for transformation. How we think about God and ourselves shapes our feelings and actions. A right understanding of God is foundational to overcoming the brokenness in our lives. The mind, encompassing thoughts and feelings, must be renewed to think rightly about God and ourselves. This renewal is essential for transformation, as it shapes our feelings and actions. [23:32]
Ephesians 4:22-24 (ESV): "To put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness."
Reflection: What is one thought pattern you need to change to align more closely with God's truth? How can you begin this renewal process today?
Day 5: Healing the Integrated Soul
The soul weaves together all parts of our being, and when it is broken, it leads to a life of dissonance. A whole soul aligns intentions with actions, allowing us to live in harmony with God's will. Healing the soul involves addressing the disconnections between our mind, will, and body. The soul integrates all these parts, and when broken, it leads to a life of dissonance and conflict. A whole soul aligns intentions with actions, allowing us to live in harmony with God's will. [33:17]
1 Thessalonians 5:23 (ESV): "Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ."
Reflection: In what area of your life do you feel dissonance between your intentions and actions? What steps can you take to begin healing this disconnection today?
Quotes
"Delight thyself in the lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. Yourself in the lord and he'll give you the desires of your heart now, you have to understand that what you desire when you don't delight yourself in the lord is very different from what you desire when you do delight yourself in the lord." [00:02:12]
"When you delight yourself in the lord, first thing that happens is your desires begin to change, and the person who delights themselves and the lord has a different set of desires than the one who doesn't. You know when people first hear the gospel, this was true in jesus's day, they think, wow god is so good, he'll give me what I want." [00:02:56]
"Desire if you give way to it and don't have alternative sources of life will trap you. Back down in the hills where I was raised they used to trap raccoons by drilling a hole in a log and dropping a button in it, and then driving nails in the sides of the hole in such a way that the raccoon could push his hand down and get the button." [00:07:08]
"Without the knowledge of god that is inevitably going to happen so now I have to take you to romans 1 and we have to spend some time there. Romans 1 is a story about what happens when people reject the knowledge of god. Paul says here in verse 18 for the wrath of god is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness." [00:08:14]
"Professing themselves wise they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the uncorruptable god for the image in the form of corruptable man, and then it's all downhill from there, you try to put man in first place, it's clear he won't work, and so you try out a snake or a cow and you say how stupid, that's the point, that's the point." [00:10:42]
"Seeing that his divine power, back to the life theme, his divine power has granted us everything pertaining to life and godliness, how much does that leave out, nothing, everything is provided, who called the troop again through the true knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and excellence, for by these he has granted to us his precious and magnificent promises." [00:13:27]
"Discipleship is the process by which all of the aspects of the person are brought to love god. So I've given you various ways of talking about it let's try that one more, discipleship is the process through which all of the dimensions of personality come to the love of god." [00:18:14]
"Your spirit or heart or will is the executive center of the self, it's where decisions are made, and that's the part of you that god has created and put in you so that you could be creative, the will initiates, radically initiates, it is in this respect that part of us which most resembles god but we have to handle that very carefully." [00:20:06]
"Your mind can includes both your thoughts and your feelings, you never have thoughts without feelings and you never have feelings without thoughts, they come together, and your will works in terms of what is in your thoughts and in your feelings, your feelings are basically impulses toward something, and they can be hunger that's a level of feeling." [00:21:42]
"Paul would talk about transformation through the renewing of your mind, and you see now oh well I can work on that, I can do something about that, and that's the key to what we're what we're doing here how you think about things, what's the most important thing you think about god and you how do you think about yourself how do you think about god." [00:23:32]
"The soul is that part of you that weaves all the other parts together to make one life, and our souls are broken, and that's why the things that are in these other areas often do not match up, and in romans 7, paul gives us the classic expression of the broken soul, the things that I would do I don't do, that's a broken soul." [00:31:07]
"In these areas the soul that is whole will say, huh, I'll just turn the button loose, and pull my hand down, but the broken soul will say I'm not going to turn loose that button and so the little fist can't be taken out, okay, all right now that's an initial sketch we're going to come back to some parts of it and deal with it at greater length." [00:33:17]
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