How To Renew Your Mind
Last Sunday I asked a question as the topic of our message: Who Are You? As a follower of Jesus, What does that refer to: I told you that in the beginning of time, God created man in his image and that we were created to have relationship with God – and until Adam and Eve disobeyed God they had fellowship with God. However, when they disobeyed God, they broke relationship with God and therefore all of us born after them were born in sin and developed in iniquity. When Adam and Eve were created they were smart and knew everything to be able to rule the animals and being in the earth. But after they disobeyed God according to scripture they began to die and over time man has lost and been subject to Satan’s influence in the earth. But When Jesus came, he gave us the opportunity to reverse the curse by accepting His shedding of blood, death and resurrection as substitute and means by which we can have a relationship with God. Jesus is the ONLY way to have a relationship with God. We talked about the idea that our identity is in Jesus and I had you speak it out loud, WHO YOU ARE IN CHRIST. Let’s see if you remember your new ID:
New ID
- When you identify with Christ, God gives you a new identity.
- Instead of “sinner,” you are now called “Christian.”
- Instead of “lost,” you are called “found.”
- Instead of “enemy,” you are called “friend.”
- Instead of “unrighteous,” you are called “righteous.”
- Instead of “sick,” you are called “healed.”
- Instead of “poor,” you are called “rich.”
2 Cor 5:21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
- Who Are You? the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.
- 1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy. NKJV
- Who Are You? But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation,
- Eph 1:3-6 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.
- Who Are You? adopted by Jesus as sons, accepted in the beloved.
- Romans 8:14 – 17 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs — heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ,
- Who Are You? Sons of God and joint heirs with Christ.`
- 1 Cor 6:15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? 17 But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.
- Who Are You? one with Him in spirit.
- John 1:12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
- Who Are You? right to become Children of God.
All of that leads me to talk to you about Rom 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 (religious worship due only to God) 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind….. I want to focus on the renewing of your mind part of that scripture.
Renew means to restore or refresh: To bring back strength, energy, or a fresh condition. In the context of this scripture, renew refers to bringing back the original thought process that God originally intended when he created us in the beginning before Adam and Eve disobeyed. So how does that happen = you have to go back to the Word of God, the original source. We have gods word in the form of the bible, which is the word of God.
You remember in John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made…… 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us… NKJV So Jesus is the word that became flesh and now we have the scripture to be the example of God’s word to us today and it is power filled.
- Let’s establish the fact that God’s word has POWER! The bible says in Heb 4:12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. NKJV
Heb 4:11(AMPC) Let us therefore be zealous and exert ourselves and strive diligently to enter that rest [of God, to know and experience it for ourselves], that no one may fall or perish by the same kind of unbelief and disobedience [into which those in the wilderness fell]. 12 For the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power [making it active, operative, energizing, and effective]; it is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating to the dividing line of the [g]breath of life (soul) and [the immortal] spirit, and of joints and marrow [of the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and sifting and analyzing and judging the very thoughts and purposes of the heart. 13 And not a creature exists that is concealed from His sight, but all things are open and exposed, naked and defenseless to the eyes of Him with Whom we have to do.
- How we renew our minds is by reading and hearing the Word of God. Heb 11:6
But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. We must have faith to please God. How do you get faith? Rom 10:17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Proverbs gives us some wisdom in learning how to renew our minds to the way that God thinks.
Prov 4:20 My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. 21 Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart; 22 For they are life to those who find them, And health to all their flesh. 23 Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life. NKJV
- Keep them before your eyes. By reading them, putting on your mirror or refrigerator
- Let them get into your heart. Memorizing scripture, listening in your car etc.
- Ps 119:3 11 Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You.
- Ps 119:15 I will meditate on Your precepts, And contemplate Your ways. 16 I will delight myself in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word. NKJV
- Ps 119:129 Your testimonies are wonderful; Therefore my soul keeps them. 130 The entrance of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple. NKJV
Its been said and demonstrated with hundreds of testimonies, that just reading and hearing God’s word on a consistent basis will change your life. Whether you understand it or not, God’s word is sharp and powerful like a two edged sword and will impact you because the Holy Spirit is watching over His word to perform it.
- God’s Word is given to us to heal us. Ps 107:17 Fools, because of their transgression,
And because of their iniquities, were afflicted. 18 Their soul abhorred all manner of food, And they drew near to the gates of death. 19 Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, And He saved them out of their distresses. 20 He sent His word and healed them, And delivered them from their destructions. 21 Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men! 22 Let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, And declare His works with rejoicing. NKJV
- The Word of God is a cleansing agent – Eph 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. NKJV
- This will help you to realize the great lengths that God has gone thru to help us know Him.
- Isa 55:8 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord.
- 9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts. 10 “For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven,
- And do not return there, But water the earth, And make it bring forth and bud, That it may give seed to the sower, And bread to the eater, 11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. NKJV
- Ps 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path NKJV
- Josh 1:8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. NKJV
- Ps 1:3 He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper. NKJV
- There are more truths to be gleaned from these scriptures, So I suggest that you take the time to go back and read these again so you can absorb even more from these scriptures.