Transforming our Mind
Transforming our Mind
You can have such an open mind that it is too porous to hold a conviction.
Greece said, “Be wise, know yourself.”
Rome said, “Be strong, discipline yourself.”
Epicureans says, “Be sensuous, enjoy yourself.”
Education says, “Be resourceful, expand yourself.”
Materialism says, “Be satisfied, please yourself.”
Psychology says, “Be confident, fulfill yourself.”
Pride says, “Be superior, promote yourself.”
Asceticism says, “Be inferior, suppress yourself.”
Humanism says, “Be capable, believe in yourself.”
Philanthropy says, “Be generous, give yourself.”
Legalism says, “Be pious, limit yourself.”
Jesus say's, “Be holy, transform yourself.”
Nonmaterial Part of Man
There are at least four terms used to describe man's nonmaterial nature.
Nonmaterial Part of Man
1. Heart: The heart describes the intellectual (Matt 15:19-20) as well as the volitional part of man (Rom 10:9-10; Heb 4:7).
Nonmaterial Part of Man
2. Conscience: God has placed within man a conscience as a witness. The conscience is affected by the Fall and may be seared and unreliable (1 Tim 4:2); nonetheless, it can convict the unbeliever (Rom 2:15). In the believer it may be weak and overly scrupulous (1 Cor 8:7,10,12).
Nonmaterial Part of Man
3. Will: The unbeliever has a will that desires to follow the dictates of the flesh (Eph 2:2-3), whereas the believer has the ability to desire to do God's will (Rom 6:12-13). At conversion, the believer is given a new nature that enables him to love God with all his heart, mind, and will
Nonmaterial Part of Man
4. Mind: The unbeliever's mind is depraved (Rom 1:28), blinded by Satan (2 Cor 4:4), and darkened and futile (Eph 4:17-18). In the believer there is a renewed mind (Rom 12:2) that enables him to love God (Matt 22:37).
The Depraved Mind
Rom 1:28 NIV
28 Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind , to do what ought not to be done.
Rom 8:6-7 NIV
6 The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; 7 the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so.
Phil 3:19 NIV
19 Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things.
Rule your mind or it will rule you.
Let us never forget that the message of the Bible is addressed primarily to the mind, to the understanding.
Satan is out to deceive us...to torment us...to destroy us. He wants to keep us from the truth...because he knows that the truth - the truth of the Word of God - when it is applied to our lives will set us free. And the attack of the enemy is raging, among individual lives all over the world. But what is Satan’s real strategy...how does he bring about all this turmoil? The attack starts in the mind...this is his primary means of beginning his destruction. And, few Christians realize this important fact.
Important steps for renewing our Mind
The Bible speaks of the "weapons of our warfare"...
and its important to realize that we are at war. And when I say war, I am speaking of all out conflict...life and death...a fight for our very spiritual lives. So we must come to the realization, that like it or not, we need to fight if were to survive.
The Humble Mind
Col 3:12-13 KJV
12 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;
13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
The Focused Mind
Col 3:1-2 NIV
3:1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.
2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
The Prepared Mind
1 Peter 1:13 NIV
13 Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.
Luke 21:14-15 NIV
14 But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. 15 For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict.
The Thinking Mind
Phil 4:6-9 NIV
6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me — put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
The Renewed Mind
Rom 12:2 NIV
2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind . Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is — his good, pleasing and perfect will.
The Prayerful Mind
Eph 6:18 NIV
18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind , be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
The Loving Mind
Mark 12:30-31 NIV
30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.'
31 The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."
The United Mind
Acts 4:32 NIV
32 All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had.
Summery
The human mind is amazing. It has great power to do good or evil. It has the power to shape a person’s life. What we think about is what we are or what we do.
"A man is known by the company his mind keeps."
~ Thomas Bailey Aldrich (1836-1907)
