Renewal of the Mind
What is the renewal of the mind?
Revelation 21:5a And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.”
Renewing of the mind means as follows:
It is a process of shedding the old outer covering and putting on the new. This takes place in the 'spirit of your mind'. ... As we come to know Him, our minds are renewed in accordance to that knowledge of Him. In Romans 12: 2 Paul speaks of 'proving' what is that good, acceptable and the perfect will of God.
Romans 12:2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
New is the key word here. The great I AM is not going to makes things better, He is going to make ALL THING NEW. Better has a past…new has a future…
The Mind: A Battlefield
The mind of a man is man’s thinking organ. Through the mind, we know, think, imagine, recollect, and understand. The intellectual power, rationality, wisdom, and intelligence of man all belong to the mind. Our mind is everything related to our brain. The mind is psychology as is the brain is physiology. The mind occupies a big part in a man’s life because the mind directs man’s conduct the most.
2 Corinthians 10:3-5 3) For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. 4) For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 5) We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,
At the time you are saved your mind is changed. God wants your mind to have this change before He can give you life. Then you can receive a new heart and start on the adventure of RENEWAL.
The heart runs after the mind...emotion is identified by the mind and use appropriately for God’s glory. Then emotion and reason can work together in renewal.
Situation:
Your mate/friend does something that really hurts you. Anger results and you act on it by snapping back with a hurtful remark. You believe that you did this because you were hurt. “Well, I just hurt, and it made me angry…this is just who I am.” I want to be “right” instead of in a relationship.
Suggestions:
• Think through the situation (function of the mind) and direct the heart to identify with own or other’s feelings. (Do I really think this person whom I have been in a relationship with would deliberately hurt me?)
• Decide what to do with what you are feeling, not justify what the heart may have already decided.
(Okay I am feeling angry (emotion/heart) …mind, what should I do with these feelings? And God’s word says “not to let the sun go down on your anger” if you have ought, seek out the one and talk.)
Example:
You did not snap at your spouse because you were hurt. You did it because you let your heart decide your course of action rather than a renewed mind inspired by the Holy Spirit. You have the right to feel, but not to hurt others. You have emotions, do not deny this, but rely on the renewed mind to decide on a response instead of a reaction.
The Three Thoughts:
• God’s thoughts
God’s thoughts are not what we think. They are what He thinks of us. We need to rely on Him not our way of thinking.
• Our thoughts
Our thoughts are what we think about ourselves. Thoughts that come into our minds when we are thinking about things daily.
• Enemy’s thoughts
The enemy’s thoughts are what he puts in our minds and wants us to act on. We either resist him or we allow him to fill our minds with destructive thinking that may later get us into trouble.
The enemy cannot read your mind, but God can. A thought is in the mind grasping a matter…unstoppable train of thought is a matter grasping the mind. What does the un-renewed mind look like? Because the enemy is against the renewal of the mind, he will obstruct this renewal causing you to become ignorant, forgetful, diminished in the pursuit of renewal.
Examples of Each:
• Improper thoughts
They are thoughts that are not wanted. That get us to think badly about ourselves.
• Misunderstanding God’s truth
If we do not know scriptures, we can misunderstand God’s truth about us. We need to get into the scriptures every day.
• Receiving suggestions from the enemy
We can choose whether to listen to the enemy’s suggestions or not to listen to them. It is our choice.
• Empty mindedness
It is as if not having any thoughts at all.
• Passivity of the mind
PASSIV'ITY, noun Passiveness, which see. [Little used.]
1. The tendency of a body to persevere in a given state, either of motion or rest, till disturbed by another body.
Deliverance / Renewal’s First Step: Regaining the Ground
2 Corinthians 10:5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,
Ephesians 4:17-18 17) Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. 18)They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart.
• Let us start with THE GREAT DECEPTION: “ITS’ JUST THE WAY I AM!”
• So, I do not talk about it, everything will be fine, it is the way I am.
• So, if I will not look down, I will not fall…cuz that is the way I am.
• When I am rejected or have a bad habit, it will go away, I just will not care, that is the way that I am.
• Ill just pretend that I have tried to change, could not do it, so it must be the way God made me.
• My father was angry, so it is natural for me to be angry that is the way my family is.
• I have been this way all my life.
• I just have an assertive personality, that is the way I am.
Paths to Renewal
• Knowing renewal is the key to living as a Christian.
• Overcoming the mindsets that keep us bound.
• Walk in the Spirit, with a renewed mind that lines up with God’s word.
Study God’s word. Mistakes are a change in directions.
• Thinking that is sound and subject to God’s way of doing things.
• To not walk in the flesh.
• To understand that the mind we enter the most important part of our walk with God.
• That you can break any habit or behavior my making a willful decision to renew our mind daily through the meditation and study of God’s word.
• That the renewal of the mind is not a one-time done, but an ongoing process that must continue throughout our lives.
• That our minds can be renewed to the point were even our subconscious thought and automatic responses become aligned with the word of God.
SO
Re-surrender:
Renewal begins by offering up our whole body, mind, soul, and spirit to the LORD.
Rejoice:
Rejoice in the Lord aways…
Remember:
• The good things you have and are becoming in Christ.
• The deliverance's the Lords has brought.
• The way He has led.
• The blessings He has bestowed.
• The victories He has won in your life.
• The encouragement He has give and has prompted others to give you.
Reckon:
You are dead to old desires and filled with the poser of the Holy Spirit, His perspective and guidance.
Reconsider:
All negative conditioning that has led you int the past. Understand that renewal of the mind maximizes health, provision, and help in adverse situations.
Realize:
You need to reprogram your thinking to what is excellent, good honorable, right, true, and worthy.
Replace:
What is fleshly with what is God’s word, with Spirit controlled scriptural principles. Let God’s word dwell in your richly. Pray for God’s will to work in and through you by His power.
Reconcile:
With anyone you are in conflict with. Best those who persecute you and pray for those who will not reconcile with you. Be liberal in your love.
Resist:
Conformity to the world. Resist the worldly mentality of going along to get along.
Recharge:
Do not think you can go very long on self-charging of your spiritual batteries. You need to be recharging of God’s grace give through the edification, encouragement, and enrichment of other members of Christ’s body. You are not alone.
Rethink:
There may be better ways to use your spiritual gifts with others. Fellowship, relationships, and ministry is where God wants to maximize your usefulness and He will partner with you in the Kingdom work.
The exchange is the mind of Christ for us.
“THE ADVENTURE AND JOURNEY OF RENEWAL OF THE MIND IN CHRIST BEGINS WHEN THE COMFORTABLE PATTERNS OF THE OLD LIFE ARE LEFT BEHIND.”
-David Roher
Exchange your mind for Christ’s.