When Jesus entered into the country of the Gadarenes, there met Him a man who came out of the tombs. This man was repeatedly bound with fetters and chains but would continue to escape. No man can tame him. After meeting with Jesus, who commanded a legion of demons to leave the man, the village who had seen the man that no one can tame, walking through the tombs like a maniac, saw him sitting, clothed, and in his RIGHT MIND (Mark 5:15). The term right mind here is the Greek word SOPHRONEO, which is used elsewhere in the New Testament with the phrase sober mind. In the Book of Titus, Paul tells Titus to exhort the young men to be sober minded (Titus 2:6). The Apostle Peter likewise admonishes us to be sober and watch unto prayer (1 Peter 4:7. The word sophroneo, is a Greek word that means to think RIGHT. It is a term that is used in reference to the mind. The person who thinks soberly or has entered into a right state of thought, is able to assess his environment correctly and use self control, thus, curbing his passions and escaping deception. Before coming to Christ, all of us were the Gadarene demoniac. We were roaming through the tombs (a reference to death, a valley of death aka this world) and walking through this life, escaping chain after chain yet restless, never free. Our thinking was that of an insane man. Just as the Gaderene demoniac looked like a complete fool to his country men, we too looked like fools but the worse part is that like this demon possessed man, we did not realize it. It was not until Jesus came and freed us from the legion of demons we had acquired throughout our life, that we now came into a right state of mind. Even so, there is a continual struggle to enter into this right state of mind so as to not be enslaved once again with the former way of thinking. The way we view life, our surroundings and this world is essential to our relationship with Christ. If we are enamored by the insanity of mind that has the population of planet earth in its grip, then we will inevitable fall short of the Spiritual life that is offered in Christ. Most people on planet earth have not entered into their right mind. Their minds have been blinded by satan who has them captive at his will. This is why they can listen to, watch and act on the most self-destructive things that one can think of. Their meditations are on death. They walk through the tombs. The only hope in this life and in the life to come is Jesus Christ who alone can tame a wild man and make Him free. His blood was shed in a grotesque fashion in order to show and then destroy the depravity that the evil one has this world in. His blood was shed due to torture, which shows us that this world is filled with torture yet He was willing to endure that torture for all who will follow after Him. Yet what awaits on the other side of that redemptive blood is victory. As Jesus rose from the tomb, having defeated sin, death, this world and satan -- He made a mockery of the god of this world openly and now calls men, women and children with the cry, awake thout that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light (Ephesians 5:14).
Posted on: Fri, 19 Dec 2014 20:41:43 +0000
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