The New Testament Elijah, Part 2

David W Palmer

After having seen the fundamental difference between the old and new testament prophet, we are looking in that context at how the prophetic ministry in the spirit and power of Elijah will work today. The main call is to apply spiritual force to restore our nation to God and to prepare the way for Jesus. We have seen that a priority focus of the Elijah style prophetic ministry will be repentance—a change of thinking, beliefs, hearts, and actions. Today, we investigate what that means for us, as we continue with God’s prophetic focus on repentance:

Focused on Repentance, Continued

Repentance is a renewed mind

Yesterday, we saw through John the Baptist and Jesus—and especially since it was the first word each of them preached—that repentance is very big with God. The Holy Spirit through the apostle Paul had a lot to say on this topic too, but using slightly different language; he emphasises repentances’ change of thinking by using the phrase, “renewing of your mind.” In the following two passages—both high-points in his doctrinal discussion about salvation—the apostle Paul focuses on a changed, or renewed, mind; he explains that it is central to our process of transformation:

(Romans 12:1–2 DKJV) I exhort you therefore, brothers [and sisters], by God’s mercies, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is the only logical thing to do (or by a service logical). {2} And stop being fashioned by union with this world, but start being transformed by the renewing of your mind, {that you may prove} [so you can test what enters it to find] what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

(Ephesians 4:22–24 NKJV) That you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, {23} and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, {24} and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

These passages are both pivotal statements that conclude Paul’s explanation of New Testament doctrine and begin his application of it to our lives. They both hinge on the idea of changed thinking or repentance. Yes, in line with the ministry that Jesus said the Holy Spirit would have (John 16:7–15), the apostle Paul confirmed and expanded on John’s and Jesus’s first preached word: repent, change your thinking. In truth, the Holy Spirit is saying through Paul that without mind-changing repentance, we simply cannot walk in the advantages that Jesus successfully achieved for us:

Rescue from hell

The New Birth

Forgiveness, justification and right standing with God

Holy living, sanctification

God’s wisdom

Access to God’s throne room

The word becoming alive in us

The use of Jesus’s name

The guarantee of answered prayer

Healing, deliverance, protection, freedom, provision, etc.

A renewed mind pleases God

In summary, salvation from our separation from God and the consequence of our sin can only be received by faith. Faith can only come by hearing from God in our hearts (Rom. 10:17), and by renewing our minds to what he says. This explains why God’s focus is repentance, why He gets pleasure from our faith, and why a lack of repentance leads to a lost eternity. Without faith it is impossible to please God, because only by faith can we receive and benefit from all that Jesus died to achieve for us.

This is not because God doesn’t love us, or because he hasn’t done sufficient for our salvation. On the contrary, he has done all that is necessary. Therefore, when someone has seen Jesus, heard his word, and seen his miracles, they are in the best possible position to put their faith in him and to change their thinking to line up with his. But, if at that point, they harden their hearts to him …

(Hebrews 3:15–19 NLT) Remember what it says: “Today when you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled.” {16} And who was it who rebelled against God, even though they heard his voice? Wasn’t it the people Moses led out of Egypt? {17} And who made God angry for forty years? Wasn’t it the people who sinned, whose corpses lay in the wilderness? {18} And to whom was God speaking when he took an oath that they would never enter his rest? Wasn’t it the people who disobeyed him? {19} So we see that because of their unbelief they were not able to enter his rest. {4:1} God’s promise of entering his rest still stands, so we ought to tremble with fear that some of you might fail to experience it. {2} For this good news—that God has prepared this rest—has been announced to us just as it was to them. But it did them no good because they didn’t share the faith of those who listened to God.

The only way to receive eternal salvation is to believe in him enough to obey him and follow him as Lord (Heb. 5:9). This is ultimately what mixing faith with it means; if you fully believe in the Lord, you will obey him.

(John 15:14 EMTV) You are My friends if you do what I command you.

People who have had the opportunity to be this close to him only end in hell if they don’t believe what he says and allow it to change their thinking. If they do obey and change, it will result in holy, obedient living by God’s grace released in us by His own Holy Spirit.

Today, I encourage you to see repentance as paramount. But not only the repenting from a lost life of sin that initially brought you to Jesus as Saviour. That repentance is crucial and indispensable; but we need to add to it what the Holy Spirit has revealed through Paul; it is the ongoing change of thinking that leads to our full transformation. Yes, we need constantly to be renewing our minds to God’s truths as revealed in his word by his Spirit. This is also how we put off and keep off the old man. The sin-addicted old nature cannot be held at bay any other way:

(Romans 12:2 AMP) And do not be conformed to this world [any longer with its superficial values and customs], but be transformed and progressively changed [as you mature spiritually] by the renewing of your mind [focusing on godly values and ethical attitudes], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His plan and purpose for you].

What’s more, the faith generated as we meditate in God’s word while renewing our minds is the faith that leads to obedience through God’s holy power; and it is thus the faith that pleases him. No wonder God’s focus from the outset of the New Testament is “repent.” So, this has to be a core objective of the New Testament Elijah ministry today. We must preach the word, which potentially renews people’s minds and offers them the faith they will need to please God. If they harden their hearts, they will not please God, will not enter his rest, they will perish outside of God’s covering, provision, and help because of their unbelief.

Remember, this is something we truly need to respect, revere, and see as crucial—to the point we “tremble with fear” about missing it ourselves or not trying to lead others to it:

(Hebrews 4:1 NLT) God’s promise of entering his rest still stands, so we ought to tremble with fear that some of you might fail to experience it.