Bless the LORD, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s." Psalm 103:1-5
Life and death, blessing and cursing are God given choices we can make. We choose death or we choose life by our words.
"Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof." Proverbs 18:21
We choose to bless or we choose to curse. There is no middle or neutral ground. We choose by making or not making a decision for one or the other. Life, the eternal life of the reborn spirit is a choice we have to make, but spiritual death is with us weather we choose it deliberately or not.
We can choose to bless. But when we don't bless, we automatically choose to curse, because that is our natural human state of being. Death and the curse of sin are marked on the DNA of every human being from inception until we by faith choose life in Jesus Christ.
Our basic human instinct tends toward sin. That is why sinning is so easy and so attractive to us, because that is our basic human nature before we are born again and saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. In Him we receive a new nature and a new identity that far surpasses and transcends our old human nature.
Our spirits are made new at the new birth, but the soul, the mind, the memories, our appetites, and emotions must be renewed after we are born again. At the moment of our confession of faith in Jesus Christ for salvation, we became people of a new nature. Old things are passed away and all things are become new and all things are of God.
"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." Romans 12:2
"But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord." 2 Corinthians 3:18
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." 2 Corinthians 5:17
Be not Conformed but be Transformed
So then, as new creations we are given the ability by the renewing of our minds to be transformed into the image of Christ. We do this primarily by worship, by the Word and by the Holy Spirit, Who is all the while working in us both to will and to do of God's good pleasure.
"...for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. Philippians 2:13
We become like the One we worship.
"Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands. They have mouths, but they do not speak; eyes they have, but they do not see; they have ears, but they do not hear; noses they have, but they do not smell; they have hands, but they do not handle; feet they have, but they do not walk; nor do they mutter through their throat. Those who make them are like them; so is everyone who trusts in them." Psalm 115:4-8
“The idols of the nations are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands. They have mouths, but they do not speak; Eyes they have, but they do not see; They have ears, but they do not hear; Nor is there any breath in their mouths. Those who make them are like them; So is everyone who trusts in them. Psalm 135:15-18
What we choose to worship we also choose to yield ourselves to, to become conformed to its nature. What we put before our eyes continually to behold, leaves an imprint on our minds and hearts. What we listen to with our ears, and what we speak continually from or mouths, and who we bless with our hands, the works, and the worship, we become fashioned in that image, and we begin to manifest the character and nature of that thing or person.
As we extol the goodness and character of God and meditate on is Word, choosing to imitate Him in all things, we eventually begin to look like, sound like and act like Him, through Jesus Christ, by the power of the work of the Holy Spirit in us.
This is the pathway to transformation in Christ.
Making the Word first place on our lives
"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord." Colossians 3:16
Gathering regular in the company of other believers
"And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching." Heb. 10:24
Studying and Meditating the Word
"Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth..." 2Tim. 2:15
Have faith in God
"And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him, Master, behold, the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away. 22 And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. 23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith." Mark 11:21
Give and it shall be given unto you...
"Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again". Luke 6:38
Forgive
"And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses." Mark 11:25
"Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven..." Luke 6:37
"Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. 4 And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him." Luke 17:3
"And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you." Eph. 4:32
"Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye". Col. 3:13
So, we speak to ourselves and say,
"Bless the Lord!! and to forget not all His benefits, Who forgive our iniquities, Who heals all our diseases, who redeems our life from destruction, Who crowns us with loving kindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies our mouths with good things so that our youth is renewed like the eagle's."