The Christian and Self-Renewal Renewing the Mind (1)

1. The Christian and Self-RenewalRenewing the Mind (1) “Walk in Newness of Life”

2. Introduction • Need for renewal • Returning to zeal and fervency • Can also mean, “to rebuild, give new life to, rejuvenate.” • A complete change for the better. • Renew qualitatively. • Reaching for spiritual maturity. • Many passages deal with those who have been Christians for awhile but who need to make changes.

3. Introduction • A study of the New Testament shows that we MUSTcontinue to grow. • This is a command, not an option. • No one ought to continue in astate of spiritual infancy. • When we first obeyed, we were in a state of innocent bliss • We should not desire to return to immaturity, ignorance, and inexperience. • WHERE DO WE BEGIN?

4. Renewing Your Mind • The mind is very important to a Christian. • It’s the primary determinate of what you make of yourself in every aspect of life. • Those who are imprisoned by limited thinking rarely reach their full potential. • Thinking that fosters defeat: “It can’t be done;” “Nothing good ever happens to me.”

5. Renewing Your Mind • The Christian’s mind: • Intellect • Thought, feeling,will • The psychological faculty of understanding • “Mind, the organ of mental perception and apprehension, of conscious life, of the consciousness preceding actions or recognizing and judging them, intelligent understanding.” {Louw & Nida Greek-English Lexicon}

6. The Christian’s Thought Process • The Bible frequently addresses the mind’s process: • “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” {Romans 12:2}

7. The Christian’s Thought Process • The Bible frequently addresses the mind’s process: • “That you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.” {Ephesians 4:22-24}

8. The Christian’s Thought Process • The Bible frequently addresses the mind’s process: • “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.” {Colossians 3:1,2}

9. The Christian’s Thought Process • The Bible frequently addresses the mind’s process: • “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.” {2 Corinthians 10:4,5}

10. The Christian’s Thought Process • The Bible frequently addresses the mind’s process: • “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy--meditate on these things.” {Philippians 4:8}

11. The Christian’s Thought Process • The Bible frequently addresses the mind’s process: • “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.” {Philippians 2:5} • “Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” {1 Peter 1:13}

12. The Key • The Spirit of Renewal begins in the MIND. • UNTIL our minds our right, everything else will be out of step. • If you want to grow, change your MIND. • To help others, change your MIND. • To make the church stronger, change your MIND. • To stop sinning, change your MIND. • Repentance = ”A change of MIND,resulting in changed conduct.”

13. Some Things to Think About • What can we do to renew our minds? • The answer lies in the things about which we think. • We need to honestly examine where our MINDSare … • “Examine yourselvesas to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? --unless indeed you are disqualified.” {2 Corinthians 13:5}

14. Some Things to Consider • The battle for our minds. • Why don’t we think on proper things? • Satan seeks to control our thoughts just as much as God does. • “Whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.” {2 Corinthians 4:4}

15. Some Things to Consider • The battle for our minds. • Why don’t we think on proper things? • Satan seeks to control our thoughts just as much as God does. • “In which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.” {Ephesians 2:2,3}

16. Consider the Past • What you WERE. • Are you shortsighted? • Have we forgottenthe past?” • “For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.” {2 Peter 1:9}

17. Consider the Past • Paul described his former condition. • “Although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life.” {1Timothy 1:13-16}

18. Consider the Past • Don’t dwell on it! • Remember, the past is the past! • “Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” {Philippians 3:14,15}

19. A Proper Perspective • Many fail to grow because they limittheir vision. • They concentrate on thephysical realm—what they can experience physically with their senses. • Rather than considering God’s perspective, they measure their successes and failures inhuman terms!

20. A Proper Perspective • God does not view success in the same way we do. • “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," says the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.” {Isaiah 55:8,9}

21. A Proper Perspective • We will endurepersecutions with joy. • We will be contentwith little of this life’s goods—walk away from them if that is best. • No matters how others treat us, we will faithfullyendurewith the right attitude. • We willviewsickness, death, and various other trials in a totally different way—one the world will never understand!

22. A Proper Perspective • We’ll look at the events of life from a better perspective… • “Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” { 2 Corinthians 4:16-18}

23. Consider Your Future • Fear should not be the only thing that motivates us to grow spiritually; if it is, we will be miserable… • Fear is NOT a good-enough motivator to inspire us to do our best. • It may be a good starting point, but all it yields is the minimumrequired to get by. • “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.” {1 John 4:18}

24. Consider Your Future • Consider the future in investmentterms. • When I invest in something, I work to preserveit. • If I buy a house, I invest in upkeep and make improvements on it. • If I invest money in a savings plan, I watchit carefully. • In each of these situations, we take extreme measures, if necessary, to protectour personal interests.

25. Consider Your Future • Spiritual investment = your Christianity • How much have youinvestedin your service to God? • How much time have youspent… • Studying His word? • Attending worship services? • Praying? • Telling others about Him? • How much time and money do you give to His work? • How much effort to maintain the church’s unity and purity?

26. Consider Your Future • Consider these questions in two ways: • Have you invested enough? • Some give the Lord so little there is little, if anything, at stake in their lives. • How can one with such an attitude expect to renew his mind to prove what is “good and acceptable?” • If you’re not thriving spiritually, it may be because you haven’t invested enough to make it worthwhile.

27. Consider Your Future • Consider these questions in two ways: • If you have invested, what steps are you willing to take to secure your investment? • “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” {Matthew 6:19-21}

28. Consider Your Future • Consider these questions in two ways: • If you have invested, what steps are you willing to take to secure your investment? • “But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.” {1 Corinthians 9:27} • “Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility…”{Colossians 2:18}

29. Consider Your Future • Consider these questions in two ways: • (2) If you have invested what steps are you willing to take to secure it? • “But then, indeed, when you did not know God, you served those which by nature are not gods. But now after you have known God, or rather are known by God, how is it that you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements, to which you desire again to be in bondage? You observe days and months and seasons and years. I am afraid for you, lest I have labored for you in vain.” {Galatians 4:8-11}