Today’s New Covenant nugget is from James 1:21 (b)
Receive with meekness the implanted Word, which is able to save your souls.
YOUR SOUL IS YOUR MIND, YOUR WILL AND YOUR EMOTIONS
Your soul (mind, will and emotions) need to be ‘saved’, in other words, they need to be renewed and transformed and aligned to the Word of God. Your soul is the part of you that either receives or rejects what the Lord has given you… an unrenewed mind, emotions or will cannot receive God’s best. You can only prosper to the extent that your soul prospers.
There is a lot of teaching on the renewal of the mind, not much teaching on the renewal of the emotions, and even less on the renewal of the will – all three areas need to be renewed and need to stay in the process of renewal in order to receive and to release the power of God, the blessings of God and the promises of God!
RENEWAL POWER - THE RENEWED WILL
Proverbs 14:12 says, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.”
AN UNRENEWED WILL WANTS THE WRONG THINGS…
An unrenewed, flesh driven will does not desire or want what God wants for you, it resists truth, it resists the call of God and it opens the door to deception and ultimately, destruction.
HOW TO RENEW YOUR WILL...
Firstly, we need to understand that all renewal occurs under the anointing and by grace through faith in Jesus. Simply attempting to change your desire and your will in your own strength is impossible… renewal and transformation occur supernaturally by the power of God. We yield to the Spirit and cooperate with the Spirit, but the transformation is through Christ, in Christ and by the power of the Spirit!
1. DEATH TO YOUR WAY…
Matthew 16:24 (TPT) says, “Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If you truly want to follow Me, you should at once completely reject and disown your own life. And you must be willing to share My cross and experience it as your own, as you continually surrender to My ways.”
Galatians 2:20 says, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live physically, I live by faith in the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself for me.”
When I refer to ‘our way’, ‘my way’, or ‘your way’, I am referring to what the flesh wants. We have to crucify our flesh continually and completely reject and disown our own (flesh) life. So many believers love Jesus, go to church, read their bibles, but at the end of the day, they serve God ‘their way’, and on their own terms… they have not crucified their flesh and they do not have a renewed will and desire. They want God to get into their box and do things their way.
Crucifying our flesh by grace through faith is vital if we seek renewal in our will and in our desires.
2. THE CONSECRATION OF THE WILL…
The second ingredient to the renewed will is consecrating our will and surrendering it to what the Lord wants. In Luke 22:42, Jesus prayed saying, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not My will, but Yours, be done.” Jesus surrendered His will to what the Father wanted… the cross was Jesus’ destiny, and His flesh did not want any part of it. Jesus crucified His flesh and surrendered His will to the Father. He prayed the prayer of consecration, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not My will, but Yours, be done.”
In Psalm 16:5-6 (TPT) David prays the prayer of consecration, “Lord, I have chosen You alone as my inheritance. You are my prize, my pleasure, and my portion. I leave my destiny and its timing in Your hands. Your pleasant path leads me to pleasant places. I’m overwhelmed by the privileges that come with following You, for You have given me the best!”
HERE ARE SOME AMAZING PROMISED BLESSINGS OUT OF THE WORD FOR THOSE WHO WOULD CONSECRATE AND SURRENDER THEIR WILL TO THE LORD…
Psalm 72:6 (TPT) - Your favor will fall like rain upon our surrendered lives, like showers reviving the earth.
Proverbs 15:33 (TPT) - The source of revelation-knowledge is found as you fall down in surrender before the Lord. Don’t expect to see Shekinah glory until the Lord sees your sincere humility.
Proverbs 19:23 (TPT) - When you live a life of abandoned love, surrendered before the awe of God, here’s what you’ll experience: Abundant life. Continual protection. And complete satisfaction!
3. PLANTING THE WORD
Planting the Word is the third ingredient, and the most important action one can take for renewal of the will to take place…
James 1:21 says, “Receive with meekness the implanted Word, which is able to save your souls.”
Plant the Word concerning your will… get scripture on choices, desire, will, consecration and surrender and meditate on them, confess them and plant them in your heart.
The implanted Word will germinate as the Spirit waters it and as the Father watches over it, and as it does, new desire, new wants and new cravings will begin to manifest in your life. The old desires will get washed away by the power of the living Word and your will, your wants and your desires will start wanting what the Lord has for you.
CONFESSION
“Father, by grace through faith, I lay my life down, I lay the will of my flesh down, not my will, but yours be done!
I surrender my will and my ways to you!
As I plant your Word in my heart, new desires begin to germinate.
Your implanted Word changes what I want.
I desire what is right, I will to do what is acceptable in your sight!
By the power of your implanted Word, my will is renewed and I will to do what I am called to do, in Jesus Name!”
Blessings on you, Nick
