Renewing the Mind #2
At the beginning of the new year, I was asking the Lord what to minister on. I felt so impressed to minister on the subject of renewing the mind to the Word of God. I want to make that very clear, we are to renew our minds to God’s Word. I have heard the New Age people say, “We need to renew our minds.” They are talking about renewing the mind to a new way of thinking. This is a total counterfeit to God’s way. (Really it’s Satan’s way.) The Bible says that we are to renew our minds to God’s way, to the Word of God.
As we get our minds renewed to the Word, we will begin to walk in the super natural and we’ll receive the blessings of God upon our life. Our minds need to be renewed to God’s Word in order for us to receive the promises of God.
We need to begin to think the way God thinks, for us to receive and keep our Healing, Prosperity, Deliverance, Safety.
I. Turn with me to ROM 8:6-7
A. The word “CARNAL” means “flesh or fleshly.” “This Carnal or the fleshly minded person is prone to sin and opposed to God.”
1. What this V is telling us is that the “carnal mind” is the “natural mind,” the “unrenewed mind” and the unrenewed mind is “fleshly.” “It is prone to sin and oppose God.”
a. This unrenewed mind seeks to fulfill the lusts of the flesh.
2. It’s no wonder that the natural mind is enmity against God.
a. Sometimes, without even knowing it, our minds are in opposition to God.
i. We can even say, “I would never be in opposition to any thing of God.”
ii. But if our minds are not renewed to the Word of God like they should be, we’re thinking as natural men.
iii. The natural, carnal mind is opposed to God.
b. 1 definition of the word “Enmity” in (ROM 8:7) means “a reason for opposition.”
i. 1 reason we are not receiving God’s best is that our natural mind, the unrenewed mind is the hindrance.
II. In (1CO 2:15-16) Paul tells us that those which are spiritual and walking in the spirit “have the mind of Christ.” (KJV)
A. The truly Spiritual person is someone that not only is “Walking in the Spirit, following the things of the Lord, and seeking the Lord, but it is also the person the has their mind renewed to the Word of God.”
1. You can’t be truly spiritual unless we are thinking the way that God thinks, and God thinks in line with His Word.
a. The spiritual person will always have their mind renewed to the Word of God.
III. ROM 12:2
A. How are you going to know the Will of God?
1. 1st of all this V says that there has to be a transformation, a change.
a. A transformation from the world’s way of thinking or you could say “from the carnal mind to the spiritual mind.”
b. The only way that you get a spiritual mind and know the Will of God is to renew your mind with the Word of God.
2. Eph 4:22
a. The word “conversation” means “manner of life, the way of life or conduct.”
b. We have to put off the old way of Life, the old way of Thinking.
3. Let’s go on reading EPH 4:23
a. 1 definition of the word “Spirit” means “The power by which the human being feels, thinks, decides the Soul.”
b. The NIV says, “To be made new in the attitude of your minds.” (EPH 4:23 NIV)
i. We are told to change our way of thinking, to begin thinking the way God thinks, or to renew our minds to the Word of God.
B. PRO 23:7
1. Thinking comes from your mind.
2. The way you think of yourself is what you will become.
a. Do you want to think of yourself according to the Devil’s standards or do you want to think of yourself the way God sees you.
b. He sees you as blessed, the head not t tail...
c. That’s 1 reason why we need our mind renewed with the Word, so that we can see ourselves like God does, and so that we can be the people that that God wants us to be.
i. “As he thinketh in his heart, so [is] he.” (Proverbs 23:7 KJV)
C. Look at COL 3:10
1. The NIV says it this way, “And have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.” (Colossians 3:10 NIV)
a. I like the Barclay’s translation says, “And you have clothed yourselves with the new nature, which is progressively renewed, until it reaches fuller and fuller knowledge of God.”
Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him.[1] NLT
i. That new nature that we have is renewed by the Word of God.
ii. Without renewing our minds to the Word, we can fall back to that old nature, that carnal, fleshly nature.
2. The 1st thing that we need to do is to pick up the Word of God and read it.
a. I think the best way is in the morning take a V, a paragraph, a chapter and meditate on it throughout the day.
b. Then later on in the day, maybe in the evening, study out the Word.
i. Look up the cross references, compare the different translations, or look up the words in the Strong’s concordance.
ii. Your schedule may change, but that gives you a good idea.
iii. It wont take that long, but we have to start somewhere.
D. Another thing that we need to do in renewing our minds is to Cast down imaginations.
1. 2COR 10:4‑5
a. Imaginations take place in our mind. (Imaginations that are against the will of God.)
i. We need to stop thinking on those things.
ii. In Mark 4:15, Jesus said that Satan come immediately to steal the Word that is sown into your hearts.
2. (PHIL 4:7‑8) “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (8) Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things {are} honest, whatsoever things {are} just, whatsoever things {are} pure, whatsoever things {are} lovely, whatsoever things {are} of good report; if {there be} any virtue, and if {there be} any praise, think on these things.”
a. When our minds are renewed to the Word of God you will begin to think on the things that are true, honest, just, and pure.
E. I will say this, that it is a conscious effort to think on spiritual things instead of carnal things.
1. You must constantly exercise your will to be spiritual minded.
a. Every time you turn around, there’s an opportunity to see something negative, do something negative, or say something negative.
i. When you give in to that, later you feel so guilty.
ii. The reason why you gave in is that your mind is not renewed to the place that it needs to be.
b. The more carnal minded a person is, the harder it is for them to walk with God.
2. When the Word of God comes to mind, act on it without trying to reason it out.
a. Just do what God said.
i. If you try to reason out everything that God says, you’ll always be carnally minded, thinking as the world thinks.
3. To be spiritually minded, you must act and think on the Word of God, whether you understand it or not.
a. If the Bible says, in (1 Peter 2:24) “By whose stripes ye were healed.” (KJV)
i. Then think, “I’m healed,” and act like you’re healed, regardless of whether you understand it or not.
b. If the Bible says, “I can do all things through Christ.” (Philippians 4:13) (KJV)
i. Then think and act like you can.
c. If the Bible says “Give, and it shall be given unto you.” (Luke 6:38) (KJV)
i. Then think and act on it no matter what.
ii. Even if you don’t understand how it works.
iii. God’s Word is true whether we understand it or not.
d. In this new year let us strive to get our minds renewed to the Word of God and to keep them renewed.
June 30, 1990 TFC Sunday AM From the book “Renewing the Mind” By Casey Treat. Pg. 15-19 and WOLCC Sun AM 1/15/95 continued from renewing.doc
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[1]Tyndale House Publishers. (2004). Holy Bible : New Living Translation. "Text edition"--Spine. (2nd ed.) (Col 3:10). Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House Publishers.