RENEWAL OF OUR MINDS
Romans 12:2
“…the human brain is the most complex arrangement of matter in the universe.” - Dr. Duane Gish
We have an incredible machine inside our head called ‘brain.’ You may have a high IQ, or average or even below average intelligence but your brain is still incredible. Did you know that inside the skull of your head is more information stored than in the national library? That is really incredible for a very small machine that only weighs for about 3 pounds.
Psychologists tell us that each person has about ten thousand thoughts per day. Did you realize that many thoughts go on inside your head each day? Unbelievable! It means that we have many chances of having good thoughts every day.
This human thoughts process remains mystery to scientists and psychologists. But one thing is sure about the mind. How you think will affect directions of you life and walk with God.
For as he thinks within himself, so he is. – Proverbs 23:7a (NASB)
Certainly, majority of our thoughts are not accepted in the ears of God. So that Paul reminds us…
Do not conform any longer to the patter of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind…. – Romans 12:2a
Philippians 2:5 – “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:”
THE GOAL: TO OBTAIN THE MIND OF CHRIST
1. WE NEED TO KNOW CHRIST
"Who can know what the Lord is thinking? Who can give him counsel?" But we can understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ. – 1 Corinthians 2:16
People who aren’t Christians can’t understand these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them because only those who have the Spirit can understand what the Spirit means. – 1 Corinthians 2:14
Its very hard to know God’s will in our lives when we do not know more about Christ. The bibles says, when you pray “…pray according to His will and the Lord will hear us.”
You can only know more about Him if you walk closely with the Lord, if you walk with God and not with the World.
What shall we do: James told us to “Submit to God, …Come near to God and He will come near to you…Wash your hands, you sinners, purify your hearts…Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up.” (James 4:7-10)
First Corinthians 6:17 says that when you were joined to the Lord you became one spirit with Him. He came into union with you so that He can talk to you heart to heart. God wants you in this harmony with Him so that His thoughts can become your actions.
He wants you to walk so closely with Him that you never lack power to overcome the evil of this world. He wants you to be so in tune with His Spirit that you are able to feel His heart of compassion toward those around you who are hurting or bowed down with sickness and pain.
He wants you to consent to become one with Him, just as He has committed to be one with you, so He can reach out through your hands and fulfill His purposes in the earth.
Make a fresh commitment today to walk in union with your God. Give your attention to His Spirit in your inner man. Determine to yield to His voice and not to the voices of the world or the flesh!
Determine to yield to His fresh leadership of your life, and not to the traditions of men.
2. WE NEED TO SURRENDER CONTROL
Psychologists teach us that there are two mental laws that contribute heavily to our mental state of being. In other words, whether we’re happy or sad.
They are: 1. The Law of Concentration. 2: The Law of Substitution.
A. The Law of Concentration - Proverbs 23: 7a, "For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he."
The Law of Concentration states that whatever we dwell upon grows in our life experience. Whatever we think about on a continual basis becomes a part of us. Yes, we become what we think, and the more we dwell on something, the more we have of it in our lives.
The Law of Substitution. The Law of Substitution states that our conscience mind can only hold one thought at a time. It makes no difference to our mind whether the thought is "negative" or "positive," it can only hold one at a time.
However, we can choose to substitute "negative" thoughts with "positive" thoughts, thus changing our mental state of being.
We are what we are because of what we have allowed ourselves to concentrate on.
Try to think all the troubles all day long and you will be sad. Happiness comes when we stop wailing about the troubles and offer thanks for all the troubles we don’t have.
If your sinful nature controls your mind, there is death. But if the Holy Spirit controls your mind, there is life and peace. – Romans 8:6
(God) cannot bless us unless he has us. When we try to keep within us an area that is our own, we try to keep an area of death. Therefore, in love, He claims all. There’s no bargaining with Him. C.S. Lewis, “The Weight of Glory”
So if you want to change the outcome of the life . . . change your way of life!
If you find that you’re not the person you want to be, you can blame your circumstances all day long, it will never change anything. Change your way of life
Try substituting negative thoughts with positive ones. And do you know what? . . .
If you’ll concentrate on what’s right in your life instead of what is wrong . . .
what’s good instead of what’s bad . . .
what’s sweet instead of what’s bitter . . .
you’ll find that you’re a totally different person . . .
and the only thing that changed . . . was you!
3. WE NEED TO WAGE WAR WITH EVIL
James 4:7 “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you.”
How did Jesus face Satan in the wilderness? What was his weapon to keep from being dragged away? How did he withstand letting his mind be dragged away from things pleasing to God? He used scripture. Jesus quoted the scripture he had memorized. If we want to keep our minds pure we are going to need to memorize scripture.
…there is another law at work within me that is at war with my mind. This law wins the fight and makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin. – Romans 7:23-25
THE OUTCOME: PERSONAL RENEWAL
1. SATAN IS DEFEATED
Resist the Devil and He will flee from you. (James 4:7)
2. GUILT IS REMOVED
Keep me from deliberate sins! Don’t let them control me. Then I will be free of guilt and innocent of great sin. – Psalms 19:13
3. GOD’S WILL IS DISCERNED
Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is. – Romans 12:2b
CONCLUSION:
I recently read of an interesting incident in the life of the great military leader Napoleon. One day the commander’s prize steed ran away from him. An alert private immediately jumped on a horse and chased after the steed. When the private returned the horse to the general, Napoleon smiled at the private and said, "Thank you...Captain!"
The overjoyed private immediately took his old uniform to the quartermaster and exchanged it for that of a captain. He then ran back to the barracks, packed his bags, and moved into the officers’ quarters. In an instant, the soldier had changed his status from that of a lowly private to that of a commissioned officer. He never once doubted the commander’s words. Instead, he believed what Napoleon had said and acted accordingly.
In the same way, Jesus Christ has, by a single act, forever changed our status before God. By His death and resurrection, He has transformed believers from enemies of God to children of God.
And now our responsibility is to act in a way that is consistent with our new status. Since we are children of God so we must live as children of God. We must exchange our old desires, attitudes, and actions that were characteristic of our former lives for those that are indicative of our new rank and standing before God.
There is a promise from God’s word when we renewed our mind.
Isaiah 26: 3, "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee."
That is God’s promise to you this morning concerning the renewing of your mind and the transformation of your life.
Glory to God!
