Praise the Lord church! You may be seated.
What is a Decree?
The ancient world would have proclaimed to us that a decree was the official ruling of a royal court. The bible has painted pictures of decrees from Kings of Babylon, King Cyrus, the decree of the census of King Herod.
A decree was the declaration of the rule of law that was issued by the royal court. There was a choice that was made and because of that choice there were now actions that had to be taken by all who heard it.
When a decision was made a response was required because a decree went forth.
Tonight for a few moments I would like to speak to you on that very thought. The Decree of a Decision. The Decree of a Decision.
The bible is replete with examples of the power of our mind and the choices that we make. The many parables and metaphors throughout scripture paint us an applied context to explore these spiritual principles that solidify our understanding.
Paul often uses the sports metaphor to explain the hard work and excellence to which we must approach our Christian life and the work of the ministry.
Jesus often used parables of gardening, shepherding, and common workplace narratives of that day's culture to explain the Kingdom concepts that were Spiritual in nature but hard to understand without the soon to be provided Holy Spirit.
The same is true regarding our mind, or the inner man, often interchangeable with the word heart or soul in scripture. Scripture uses many narratives and image-ries to get us to understand the power of our minds.
The powerful processing powerhouse between our ears that dictates our lives. The thinker thinks a thought that later becomes a thing. In other words everything that we do passes through our brain. It is the control center of our life. Even the things we do on “autopilot” happen in our brain but without our being consciously aware. This is what neurologists refer to as our lower brain. This is where practice is made permanent and habits that we have formed can take place without much awareness that they are happening.
For example driving home and all of a sudden you are parked in the driveway without much recollection of the ride home. This is the “routine” or the operation of the lower brain.
The mind is where all of our actions, words, and living flows from. The Wise Man said it this way in
The thought patterns and processes of our lives lead to the very things we do and are. Our mind determines how we act and who we will be.
Our mind is where choices are made, and with the help of the Holy Ghost, where I intend to really dig into this thought tonight. Choices are decided on in the brain. After all the information has been processed a decision is made and from that decision a response or action is conducted. If I can take a little liberty in our example here the royal court of your body issues a decree to the rest of your nervous system on what to do next. Whether you are deciding to take a step to the left or speak a specifically timed word to intimidate or harm someone else’s confidence; that decision is made in our minds. The complexity or simplicity of the action does not matter; it begins with a decision in the brain that publishes a decree to our bodies to take action.
There is a decree that comes after a decision. When a made up mind is established there is a rule of law that then governs our actions and behaviors that comes from that decision; it is marching orders for our speech, our emotions, and our conduct.
This is the neurochemical order of our brains. Yet again science has confirmed what the Bible has already declared to be so. The beginning of the Lord’s wisdom is the end of man’s research and study. The simplicity of the truth; so whatever we think; we are going to do and be.
There is a decree issued when we decide to follow Jesus. The song said it like this. “I have decided to follow Jesus no turning back no turning back. Though none go with me. Still I will follow. No turning back, no turning back.”
The decree of our decision to follow Jesus is one that gives law and order to our own lives but also paints a public picture to the world of a changed life.
When we make up our mind to follow Jesus there is a decree that goes forth to all the land that our lives are no longer our own. We no longer live by the law of man but we live by the law of the Spirit of God which transforms our mind renewing it into proving what is that good, acceptable, and perfect will of God as our bodies are living sacrifices to Him.
The decree looks a little something like, “Shema O, Israel,” or hear oh Israel. See, that word hear meant this was a decree. This was not just a good principle, this was a made up mind. Because I know this law is true I am going to live accordingly. Shema O Israel. The Lord our God is one Lord and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
I know that the one God is Jesus and my life is now dictated by the decree that I will love Him for who He is and how He is worthy to be loved with complete surrender and servitude to the King of Kings and the Lord of Lord’s.
What are you saying today preacher, I am saying that when I have made up in my mind that heaven is my Home and that I love Jesus more than anything there is a new law in my mind that gives me the power to overcome sin. To live according to the word of God. To be perfect as He is perfect and to be holy as He is holy.
Whenever that tempter comes or the old flesh begins to rise up I can say to it give up. I have already made up my mind and there is a decree on this soul that we love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, and strength so we are not doing that anymore. We don’t say that that way, we don’t wear that anymore, we set no wicked thing before our eyes.
We live by the fruit of the Spirit. We prefer our brothers over ourselves. We feed the hungry and give drink to the thirsty.
I want to encourage us here in this house tonight, God has given us the power to overcome death, hell, and the grave because that same Spirit that raised Christ Jesus from the dead now quickens our mortal bodies to have the strength to overcome every trial and test this life may have for us.
I want to declare unto us the liberty that comes from the Spirit of our God. Where His Spirit is there is liberty, there is therefore now no condemnation. The bondage of sin no longer claims us; we are no longer slaves to sin and this flesh but slaves unto righteousness. I have made up my mind and have been born again as a new creature, the old has passed away, behold all things are new! I am no longer bound but I have freedom to live by the law of God unto salvation and life more abundantly! The decree of my life is the decree of my advocate with the Father, I am no longer guilty but a joint heir together with Christ!
There was a decree that was issued when I made up my mind. This body, this life, is now property and privilege of the Lord Jesus Christ, sin you can’t rule here anymore, devil you can’t speak lies into my mind anymore, adversaries you can’t intimidate me anymore cause we are no longer playing on your turf. Oh, I may be in this world but I am not of this World. I am on loan to this earth on mission as an ambassador of Jesus Christ and my life is making the Decree to all who may look on long enough to see, I have decided to Follow Jesus and there is no turning back.
There’s a decree when we make our decision: it's the publication of our souls to our own flesh and all of those who we encounter, the hope of our glory is in Christ Jesus and our lives are evidence of the saving power of the Holy Ghost unto sanctification and justification.
We have a new name written down in glory and my life testifies of this new law because my actions, my behavior, and my countenance declare it 24/7 and 365 days a year.
Our decision has given us the power and authority to decree to all; that Jesus holds me in the palm of His hand and my whole life is dedicated to pleasing Him. He is my God and my decision has published this decree unto the world: there is a God in Anacoco and in my life and His name is Jesus.
Let's build together.