Renewing the Mind (2)

Romans 12:1–2 NASB95

1 Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

Lets start off by imagining that your mind is a pot of coffee.

Coffee Illustration:

Because you chose to mix coffee grounds with the water, the liquid is dark and dirty. There is no way you can filter out the coffee from the water.

Now suppose there is a bowl of crystal clear ice next to the pot. Each day, you take one ice cube and put it in the pot. At first you do not notice any difference, but as you add one cube per day, there will come a time when you won’t be able to taste, smell, or see the coffee in the pot.

Although the coffee is still there, the ice has diluted it. This method will only work if you don’t also keep adding a scoop of coffee every day.

1) To begin to renew our minds we must read , study , meditate , and do the Word of God every day.

Last week we talked about how we bring in all these different experiences and mind sets into our Christian walk with God and no one hit the clear button.

Its not the experiences of our past that leave us in bondage but the lies that we have believed because of those experiences. The lies that we have picked up over time.

How come two people can have the same bad experience yet one person is in bondage and the another victorious. The difference is perspective and attitude. The difference is our mind set. The lies we believe either knowingly or unknowingly.

We do not deny them or that they have never happened nor the hurt that came from it.

Vehicle light: If the indicator light comes on the dashboard of our vehicle, putting a piece of tape on it will not take care of the problem. We must get under the hood to find out whats going on. We are to be real with what we are going through.

2. We don’t try and “fix” those thoughts but replace them with God’s word.

We don’t fix the engine we replay it with a new one.

We do not focus on the negative, we don’t focus on sin, but focus on the truth.

Psychology is OK. I’m sure it’s helped people. Its good at diagnosing the sinful nature and its results (which they call disorders) but not at bringing the freedom that only God can bring. The answer to sin and death in our life isn’t medication and psychology. We acknowledge it and replace it with the real freedom that is in Christ and His word.

We take the Word of God and over ride those areas that we need healing from. We don’t probe or dissect those hurts which will only reinforce it but we begin to renew our mind to the answer.

We acknowledge the reality of what we are going through but we fight it with the Truth. We make truth final authority in our life.

Were there is darkness we turn on the light.

3. God will bring a certain mindset or sin to our attention and this is how we deal with it. We renew our minds. This is repentance.

2 Corinthians 10:5 NASB95

5 We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,

4. We take every thought captive by replacing it with truth.

5. We will find real joy and freedom when we stop living a lie and live openly in the truth.

Psalm 32:2 NASB95

2 How blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no deceit!

What are some of these lies that we believe and keep us from having a renewed mind?

WAYS YOU CAN BE DECEIVED BY THE WORLD

Believing that acquiring money and things will bring lasting happiness (see Matthew 13:22; 1 Timothy 6:10) Matt 6:25-34

Believing that I can sin without any negative consequences(see Hebrews 3:12, 13)

Believing that unrighteous people who refuse to accept Christ go to heaven anyway (see 1 Corinthians 6:9–11)

Believing that I can read, see or listen to anything and not be corrupted (see Proverbs 4:23–27; 6:27, 28; Matthew 5:28)

Sometimes we are greatly hindered from walking by faith in our Father God because of lies we have believed about Him.

6. We are to have a healthy fear of God—awe of His holiness, power and presence—but we no longer need to fear punishment from Him.

Romans 8:15 NASB95

15 For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!”