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

The Christian and Self-Renewal

Renewing the Mind (1)

“Walk in Newness of Life”

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.

Introduction

• A study of the New Testament shows that we MUST continue to grow.

• This is a command, not an option.• No one ought to continue in a state 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?

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.”

• 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}

Renewing Your Mind

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}

• 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}


• 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}


• 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}



• 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}

• 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}


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.”

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 MINDS are …– “Examine yourselves as 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}

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}

• 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}

Some Things to Consider

Consider the Past

• What you WERE.

• Are you shortsighted?

• Have we forgotten the 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}

• 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}

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}

Consider the Past

A Proper Perspective

• Many fail to grow because they limit their vision.

• They concentrate on the physical realm—what they can experience physically with their senses.

• Rather than considering God’s perspective, they measure their successes and failures in human terms!

• 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}


• We will endure persecutions with joy.

• We will be content with little of this life’s goods—walk away from them if that is best.

• No matters how others treat us, we will faithfully endure with the right attitude.

• We will view sickness, death, and various other trials in a totally different way—one the world will never understand!


• 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}


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 minimum required 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}

• Consider the future in investment terms.• When I invest in something, I work to

preserve it.• If I buy a house, I invest in upkeep and make

improvements on it.• If I invest money in a savings plan, I watch it

carefully.• In each of these situations, we take extreme

measures, if necessary, to protect our personal interests.


• Spiritual investment = your Christianity• How much have you invested in your service to

God?• How much time have you spent…

– 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?


• Consider these questions in two ways:1. 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.


• Consider these questions in two ways:2. 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}


• Consider these questions in two ways:2. 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}


• 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}


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