Servias Ministries Blog

Whose point of view are you aligning with?

A renewed mind in Scripture is a mind that has been transformed by God’s Truth so that a person increasingly thinks, values, judges, and responds according to God’s will rather than according to the world’s ways or the old sinful nature.

Faith operates out of a greater reality!

Luke recorded by The Holy Spirit in Luke chapter 10:

1 After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go.

2 Then He said to them, “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.

3 Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves.

4 Carry neither money bag, knapsack, nor sandals; and greet no one along the road.

Jesus wanted them to learn dependence upon God rather than material resources.

5 But whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’

6 And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it; if not, it will return to you.

7 And remain in the same house, eating and drinking such things as they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not go from house to house.

8 Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you.

9 And heal the sick there, and say to them, ‘The Kingdom of God has come near to you.’

10 But whatever city you enter, and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say,

11 ‘The very dust of your city which clings to us we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the Kingdom of God has come near you.’

12 But I say to you that it will be more tolerable in that Day for Sodom than for that city.

The disciples had faithfully delivered God’s message and the responsibility for rejecting the Gospel rested on the hearers.

17 Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your Name.“

18 And He said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.

19 Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

20 Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in Heaven.”

Jesus teaches that a believer’s greatest joy are not miracles, spiritual gifts, ministry success, authority, or influence. Salvation and Eternal relationship with God should be our greatest joy!

Our focus should not be the fruit produced by our spiritual successes.  Instead, our focus should be centered around our relationship with THE FATHER, The Son, and The Holy Spirit.  We should celebrate the reality that our name is written in His Book.

To summarize, let us compare the difference between GOD’S Point of View versus man’s point of view.

Man’s viewpoint:

• Appearance
• Status
• Wealth
• Education
• Influence

God’s viewpoint:

• Character
• Motives
• Faith
• Obedience
• Humility

God evaluates what is happening inside a person, not merely what is visible.

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God Sees Eternity; Man Sees the Present

We naturally focus on:

• Today’s problems
• Immediate comfort
• Temporary gains

God sees:

• The end from the beginning
• Eternal consequences
• His ultimate purposes

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.”
— Isaiah 55:8-9

What may seem like a setback to us may be part of God’s larger plan.

God Values Humility; Man Values Exaltation

Human nature seeks:

• Recognition
• Position
• Power
• Self-promotion

Jesus taught:

“For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.”
— Luke 14:11

God often chooses:

• Shepherds
• Fishermen
• Widows
• Children

The world tends to overlook those whom God highly values.

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God Values Obedience; Man Values Results

People often ask:

• “Did it work?”
• “Was it successful?”
• “How many people came?”

God asks:

• “Were you faithful?”
• “Did you obey Me?”

For example, Noah preached for decades with little visible response, yet God called him righteous because he obeyed.

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God Sees Spiritual Reality; Man Sees Physical Reality

In 2 Kings 6, Elisha’s servant saw only an enemy army.

Elisha prayed:

“LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see.”

The servant then saw heavenly armies surrounding them.

Man’s viewpoint:

• Circumstances
• Problems
• Threats

God’s viewpoint:

• His power
• His promises
• His sovereignty

Faith is learning to see from God’s perspective rather than merely from earthly circumstances.

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God Values Sacrifice; Man Values Possession

The world says:

• Get more.
• Keep more.
• Protect yourself.

Jesus taught:

“It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
— Acts 20:35

God measures wealth differently than people do.

The widow who gave two small coins was praised by Jesus because God saw the sacrifice behind the gift.

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God Values Holiness; Man Often Values Happiness

God certainly cares about our joy, but His highest purpose is to conform believers to Christ.

“Be ye Holy; for I am Holy.”
— 1 Peter 1:16

Man often asks:

• “Will this make me happy?”

God asks:

• “Will this make you more like Christ?”

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The Ultimate Example: The Cross

No event better illustrates God’s perspective versus man’s perspective than the crucifixion of Jesus.

Man’s viewpoint:

• Failure
• Weakness
• Shame
• Defeat

God’s viewpoint:

• Victory
• Redemption
• Justice satisfied
• Salvation accomplished

What looked like the worst day in history became the greatest victory ever won.

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A Practical Question

When facing a decision, it can be helpful to ask:

“Am I viewing this from earth looking up, or from Heaven looking down?”

The believer’s goal is to develop what Scripture calls “the Mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16)—learning to think about people, circumstances, success, suffering, and Eternity the way God does.

A renewed mind (Romans 12:2) gradually shifts us from man’s perspective to God’s perspective through prayer, Scripture, and obedience.

Let us see as FATHER sees!

Whose point of view are you aligning with?

A renewed mind in Scripture is a mind that has been transformed by God’s Truth so that a person increasingly thinks, values, judges, and responds according to God’s will rather than according to the world’s ways or the old sinful nature.

Faith operates out of a greater reality!

Mark recorded by The Holy Spirit in Mark chapter 4:

37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling.

38 But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”

39 Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.

40 But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?“

41 And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!”

This passage records one of Jesus’ most powerful miracles and teaches profound truths about faith, fear, and the authority of Christ.  Notice that the disciples encountered the storm while obeying Jesus. Following God’s will does not guarantee a storm-free life.

The renewed mind lives with an awareness that sometimes GOD wants to do through you and not for you.  What did Jesus do in this situation?  He slept during a storm.  Jesus was resting because He was completely confident in His Father’s care.  The disciples interpreted His sleep as indifference.

You only have authority over the storm you can sleep in!

The place where you have peace is where you have authority to bring peace.  He spoke over the storm and the chaos outside of Him had to submit to the peace inside of Him.  His internal reality became His external reality.

Jesus spoke in Luke chapter 17:

20 Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the Kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, “The Kingdom of God does not come with observation;

21 nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the Kingdom of God is within you.“

The external must submit to the Kingdom of GOD.  All Kingdom issues are heart issues, and when heart issues are dealt with, the world around you has to yield itself to your personal internal victory.  The world around you starts to take the shape of the world that is in you. 

The LORD has instructed us to deal with what is going on inside us.  It will position you to redefine the nature of the world around us.

The church frequently gives GOD credit for disaster, saying, “Well that was the Hand of GOD bringing judgment or discipline to people.

The renewed mind looks at obstacles not believing it’s the Hand of THE LORD.  When you see disaster, calamity, or crisis, and believe its from GOD, you lose your ability to discern what is demonic and what is actually from THE LORD.  You have put the devil’s work into the category of GOD’S work.

What are the key lessons to glean from this event?

1. Obedience Does Not Eliminate Storms

The disciples were exactly where Jesus wanted them to be, yet they still encountered danger.

2. Jesus Is Present in Every Storm

Even when He seems silent, He has not abandoned His people.

3. Fear and Faith Compete for the Heart

The disciples focused on the waves rather than the Savior.

4. Jesus Has Authority Over Creation

The wind and sea obeyed Him instantly, revealing His Divine nature.

5. Trials Reveal What We Believe

The storm exposed the disciples’ fears and their need for deeper faith.

Whose point of view are you aligning with?

A renewed mind in Scripture is a mind that has been transformed by God’s Truth so that a person increasingly thinks, values, judges, and responds according to God’s will rather than according to the world’s ways or the old sinful nature.

A renewed mind is sustained repentance. 

Paul wrote by The Holy Spirit in Romans chapter 12:

1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, Holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed (G3445) by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect Will of God.

The Passion Translation provides an enhanced understanding:

1 Beloved friends, what should be our proper response to God’s marvelous mercies? To surrender yourselves to God to be His Sacred, living sacrifices. And live in Holiness, experiencing all that delights His Heart. For this becomes your genuine expression of worship.

2 Stop imitating the ideals and opinions of the culture around you, but be inwardly transformed by the Holy Spirit through a total reformation of how you think. This will empower you to discern God’s will as you live a beautiful life, satisfying and perfect in His Eyes.

Jesus is teaching us about the unseen world.  The unseen world is being used by each of us everyday as we use our cell phones, TV’s, radios, etc.

Paul wrote by The Holy Spirit in 2^nd Corinthians chapter 4:

17 We view our slight, short-lived troubles in the light of Eternity. We see our difficulties as the substance that produces for us an Eternal, weighty glory far beyond all comparison,

18 because we don’t focus our attention on what is seen but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but the unseen realm is Eternal.

What we can’t see is superior in every way.  What we can see is inferior in every way because it is temporary in nature.  The renewed mind lives in that awareness.  Jesus understood this as He would provide us with perfect examples referring to the unseen world.

Mark recorded by The Holy Spirit in Mark chapter 4:

35 On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side.”

36 Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him.

37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling.

38 But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”

39 Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.

40 But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?”

41 And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!”

To rebuke means to correct, warn, expose, or confront, and this is exactly what Jesus did.  The storm had a demonic source and Jesus discerned the source.  That is why He rebuked the storm and removed the demon’s impact.  The result was smooth seas.

Notice that Jesus had peace as He slept in the storm.  When you are at peace, you can sleep through anything that is trying to evoke fear in your life.  That is another indication of a renewed mind.

Wisdom wrote in Proverbs chapter 23:

1 When you’ve been invited to dine with a very important leader, consider your manners and keep in mind whom you’re with.

2 Be careful to curb your appetite and catch yourself before you fall into the trap of wanting all you see.

3 Don’t crave their delicacies, for they may have another motive in having you sit at their table.

4 Don’t compare yourself to the rich. Surrender your selfish ambition and evaluate them properly.

5 For no sooner do you start counting your wealth than it sprouts wings and flies away like an eagle in the sky—here today, gone tomorrow!

We are to bring thoughts into obedience.

Paul wrote by The Holy Spirit in 2^nd Corinthians chapter 10:

3 For although we live in the natural realm, we don’t wage a military campaign employing human weapons, using manipulation to achieve our aims. Instead, our spiritual weapons are energized with Divine power to effectively dismantle the defenses behind which people hide.

5 We can demolish every deceptive fantasy that opposes God and break through every arrogant attitude that is raised up in defiance of the true knowledge of God. We capture, like prisoners of war, every thought and insist that it bow in obedience to the Anointed One.

This means not every thought that enters your mind should be accepted. A renewed mind evaluates thoughts against God’s Truth.

The mind is renewed through Scripture.

Jesus prayed in John chapter 17:

16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.

17 Sanctify them by Your Truth. Your Word is Truth.

Regular exposure to Scripture reshapes how we think.

Our mind is also renewed through the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit illuminates God’s Word and changes our hearts from within.

The mind is also renewed through obedience.  Renewal is not merely learning information. As we obey what God teaches, our thinking is progressively transformed.

A renewed mind increasingly exhibits:

Humility instead of pride

Faith instead of fear

Gratitude instead of complaining

Purity instead of corruption

Truth instead of deception

Love instead of bitterness

Eternal perspective instead of worldly obsession

A renewed mind does not mean:

Never struggling with temptation

Never having wrong thoughts enter your mind

Becoming intellectually superior

Rather, it means that when wrong thoughts arise, they are recognized and brought under the authority of Christ.

The Ultimate Example:

Jesus Christ perfectly demonstrated a renewed mind. He consistently sought the Father’s will, even when it involved suffering. Believers are called to develop “the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16), learning to think and respond as He did.

In practical terms, a renewed mind asks:

“What does God say about this?”

“What response would honor Christ?”

“Am I thinking according to Truth or according to my feelings and the world’s influence?”

The more a believer fills their mind with God’s Word and yields to the Holy Spirit, the more their mind is renewed and their life reflects Christ.

Whose point of view are you aligning with?

A renewed mind in Scripture is a mind that has been transformed by God’s Truth so that a person increasingly thinks, values, judges, and responds according to God’s will rather than according to the world’s ways or the old sinful nature.

Paul wrote by The Holy Spirit in Romans chapter 12:

1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, Holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed (G3445) by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect Will of God.

Strong’s G3339 – metamorphoō means: to change into another form, to transform, to transfigure; a profound inward change that produces an outward difference.

Matthew recorded by The Holy Spirit in Matthew chapter 17:

1 Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves;

2 and He was transfigured (G3445)  before them. His Face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light.

3 And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him.

Christ’s appearance was changed and was resplendent with Divine brightness on the mount of transfiguration.  It is the same word Paul used in telling us to be transformed by the renewing of our mind.

What does a renewed mind look like?  We start thinking according to God’s Truth instead of allowing culture, emotions, fear, or personal desires to determine what is true, a renewed mind submits to God’s Word.

For example:

The world says, “Get even.”  Christ says, “Forgive.”

The world says, “Look out for yourself.” Christ says, “Serve others.”

We start seeing Life from God’s Perspective.

A renewed mind begins to view trials as opportunities for growth.  We shouldn’t allow our emotions to prevail when trials come.

We should view our personal resources as stewardship from God, not become hoarders of possessions that will only gather dust or rust.

We should view people as souls created in God’s Image.  Jesus did not look down on people and neither should we.

We should view success as faithfulness rather than merely wealth or status.  After all, wealth can have wings and fly away.

Wisdom wrote in Proverbs chapter 23:

1 When you’ve been invited to dine with a very important leader, consider your manners and keep in mind whom you’re with.

2 Be careful to curb your appetite and catch yourself before you fall into the trap of wanting all you see.

3 Don’t crave their delicacies, for they may have another motive in having you sit at their table.

4 Don’t compare yourself to the rich. Surrender your selfish ambition and evaluate them properly.

5 For no sooner do you start counting your wealth than it sprouts wings and flies away like an eagle in the sky—here today, gone tomorrow!

We are to bring thoughts into obedience.

Point of view is the perspective, position, or vantage point from which a person sees, understands, or describes something.

In everyday life, a person’s point of view is shaped by experiences, beliefs, values, knowledge, and circumstances.

A Biblical worldview seeks to see things from God’s point of view rather than merely a human perspective.

For example:

Humans may see a trial as a disaster.

God may use it to produce faith, perseverance, and Spiritual growth.

This is why Scripture encourages believers to set our affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

Paul wrote by The Holy Spirit in Colossians chapter 3:

1 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the Right Hand of God.

2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.

Simply, point of view is the position or perspective from which someone sees, interprets, or explains something.  One of the goals of a renewed mind is learning to increasingly see life from God’s point of view rather than merely our own.

Jesus dealt with this issue when He spoke in Mark chapter 8:

13 And He left them, and getting into the boat again, departed to the other side.

14 Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, and they did not have more than one loaf with them in the boat.

15 Then He charged them, saying, “Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.”

The Leaven of Herod: Represents a political/humanistic system that may allow for the belief in God, but functions by excluding Him from the practical equations of life.

The Leaven of the Pharisees: Represents a religious system where God is placed at the center of everything, yet He is viewed as impersonal and powerless.

16 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “It is because we have no bread.” 17 But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, “Why do you reason because you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive nor understand? Is your heart still hardened?

18 Having eyes, do you not see? And having ears, do you not hear? And do you not remember?

19 When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments did you take up?” They said to Him, “Twelve.”

20 “Also, when I broke the seven for the four thousand, how many large baskets full of fragments did you take up?” And they said, “Seven.”

21 So He said to them, “How is it you do not understand?”

Why couldn’t the disciples understand?  The problem was their mindset, their point of view.  They were influenced by the leaven Jesus described.

What are the primary sources that influence your mind?

Are you willing to go outside the camp if necessary?

The “camp” in Hebrews chapter 13:11 represents the established religious or cultural order, true discipleship often requires the courage to follow Jesus even when it leads to isolation, ridicule, or feeling like an outsider.

It is written by The Holy Spirit in Hebrews chapter 13:

11 For the high priest carries the blood of animals into the Holiest chamber as a sacrifice for sin, and then burns the bodies of the animals outside the city.

12 And Jesus, our sin-sacrifice, also suffered death outside the city walls to make us Holy by His own Blood.

13 So we must arise and join Him outside the religious “walls” and bear His disgrace.

14 For we have no city here on earth to be our permanent home, but we seek the city that is destined to come.

15 So we no longer offer up a steady stream of blood sacrifices, but through Jesus, we will offer up to God a steady stream of praise sacrifices—these are “the lambs” we offer from our lips that celebrate His Name!

16 We will show mercy to the poor and not miss an opportunity to do acts of kindness for others, for these are the true sacrifices that delight God’s Heart.

The writer refers to the **Day of Atonement** described in Leviticus 16.

On that day, the high priest took the blood of the sacrifice into the Holy Place to make atonement for sin.  The animal’s body was then taken outside the camp and burned.

This symbolized sin being removed from God’s people; the sacrifice bearing the consequences of sin away from the community.  Jesus fulfilled this picture.

Jesus fulfilled the sacrifice.  He. suffered outside the gate.  Jesus was crucified outside the walls of Jerusalem.

Just as the sin offering was taken outside the camp:

* Jesus was rejected by the religious leaders.

* He was treated as an outcast.

* He bore humanity’s sin.

* His blood sanctifies (sets apart and makes Holy) those who trust Him.

The emphasis is on His Blood.

This connects with many passages in Hebrews that teach that Christ’s sacrifice was:

* Once for all

* Complete

* Sufficient to cleanse the conscience

“Let us go forth therefore unto Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach.”

This is the practical application.  In the Old Testament, the camp represented:

* Acceptance

* Safety

* Religious community

In this context, “outside the camp” represents:

* Rejection

* Shame

* Separation from worldly approval

We must be willing to identify with Jesus even when it costs us something.

For the original Jewish Christians, this meant possible exclusion from the synagogue, social rejection, persecution, and loss of status.

Today it means choosing obedience over popularity, standing for Truth when others oppose it, and following Christ regardless of personal cost.

The phrase bearing “His reproach” means willingly sharing in the shame and criticism directed at Christ.

Jesus taught John chapter 15:

18 “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you.

19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

20 Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My Word, they will keep yours also.

The believer’s ultimate citizenship is not on earth.  Earthly systems are temporary, earthly approval is temporary, and earthly possessions are temporary.

Moses went outside the camp due to the sin that was in the camp.

Moses recorded by The Holy Spirit in Exodus chapter 33:

7 Moses took his tent and pitched it outside the camp, far from the camp, and called it the tabernacle of meeting. And it came to pass that everyone who sought the LORD went out to the tabernacle of meeting which was outside the camp.

Why was the Tent outside the Camp?  It symbolized separation caused by sin. 

The camp represented the community of Israel.  By moving the tent outside the camp, God was showing:

Sin creates distance between God and people.

Israel’s idolatry had disrupted fellowship.

Access to God could not be taken for granted.

The people could literally see the consequences of their rebellion.  God is Holy and cannot simply overlook sin.  The distance reminded Israel that God is not common, He is not to be approached casually, and repentance and reverence are necessary.  It invited those who truly sought God

Notice the verse says: “Anyone inquiring of the LORD would go…”  Those who genuinely desired God had to leave the camp and seek Him.  This required intention, humility, and effort.

The people could not simply remain comfortable and expect intimacy with God.