Renewing Your Mind

 

Renewing Your Mind

Ephesians 4:20-24

20 But you have not so learned Christ, 21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

 

We must desire to grow in the Word of the Lord. So that our lives will reflect His light and love. The evidence of what we say shows in the fruit we bear in our lives. Many people confess to be saved, believers, and followers of Christ but the Word says we will know a tree by the fruit it bears. There is good and bad fruit that grows on trees. This is something that cannot be hidden. The truth does come out eventually at the appointed time.

There is much to learn about living in the light, as we grow in our walk. We need to examine how are we living according to the scriptures. When we accept Christ, we are babes and the Holy Spirit seals us to Him as a down payment of the promise that God will redeem us on the day of redemption. Ephesians 4:30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 2 Corinthians 1:21-22 Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, 22 who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee. 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 

The Holy Spirit does the work in the believer’s life by making us new in Christ. The process is to regenerate our minds, hearts, and spirits into a new creation in Christ. We must yield our will and submit to the Holy Spirit. The scriptures are written to inspire us to seek, pray and build a relationship with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. There is one God in three persons. They have a specific work that they do in the believer’s life to save, transform them into a born-again new man and follower of Christ. The scriptures tell us about their work, nature, attributes, and unity as the triune God. Again, there is one God in three persons all are co-eternal, co-equal in nature, attributes, and essence.

Now we as believers must reverence God in all His glory, splendor, and majesty. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are one God. Our hearts and minds must bow down to worship, pray, and obey God’s commands. Jesus gave us the greatest commandments. Mark 12:28-34 Then one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, “Which is the first commandment of all?” 29 Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first. 31 And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” 32 So the scribe said to Him, “Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth, for there is one God, and there is no other but He. 33 And to love Him with all the heart, with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” 34 Now when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, He said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” But after that no one dared question Him.

We cannot please God if we do not obey His Word. It starts there with our obedience and will that we surrender to His will and authority. Our living must line up with the Word. The scriptures tell us the things that we did that displeased God before we came to Jesus. Galatians 5:19-21 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

1 Corinthians 6:9-11 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, 10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.

We must examine our walk and if we’re still entangled or bound by these sins we must repent. Our bodies are the flesh that the Word tells us about that fight against the Spirit because it does not want to obey the Holy Spirit’s instructions. Galatians 5:16-17 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But there is liberty and freedom in Christ. We must repent and submit to the Holy Spirit, fast and pray until something happens.

As followers of Christ our walk and journey will be different than how we lived in the world. As we obey the Lord and grow in the Word our new man will grow in the Spirit and our discernment will sharpen to alert us when things are not of God. We must die to sin and run toward the light where grace abounds. We are forgiven because of the blood of Jesus. There is no condemnation against us if we are walking according to the Holy Spirit. Yes, we will fall, but we must get back up and repent. This is the journey we’re going on to live in the light. Our minds were dead to Christ when we were living in sin. We are coming from the darkness into the marvelous light. The love that Christ shows to us is everlasting and eternal.  We have life in the Spirit when we are born of water and Spirit. The souls that obey the Holy Spirit will yield a harvest of blessings as the new man lives in Christ. So let us remember to sow to the Spirit because we will reap from the Spirit. Galatians 6:8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. 

We must protect our faith as we begin to grow and experience the power of God in our lives. People will try to tell us that this isn’t real and try to persuade us to go back to being the old person we use to be, but we must not listen to ungodly counsel and not be yoked with unbelievers. It is the enemy trying to plant the seed of doubt, confusion, witchcraft, etc. We must rebuke the devil in the name of Jesus and sever ties. 2 Corinthians 6:14 Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?

These are some of the battles that we must be vigilant and watchful because there is an adversary Satan who is unrelenting in his mission. John 10:10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. Remember, we are being transformed into the new man. We must put our faith into action and use our spiritual weapons to fight the powers of darkness. But to be victorious our minds must be renewed with the Word of the Lord. Our souls belong to Christ, and He gives us the power to be victorious in Him. We are blessed and chosen to live again. Therefore, our hearts and minds must be washed cleaned of the past life so that we will press toward the goal of the high calling that we have received in Jesus.

Many are called but few are chosen. God is the only one who knows this number and who these souls are. Yet, many will start their race but will not finish it. Each person is given a set time to run their race and do the work of the Lord before it’s too late. This is a spiritual race, and the hand on the clock is moving. We must prepare our minds to first seek the kingdom of God and all His righteousness will be added to us. We must leave everything that we love to follow Christ. The many who cannot comprehend doing this are attached to this physical world and the flesh. Therefore, they may forfeit the call, turn back, or quit. We must love our neighbor as ourselves, but love God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength.

Lastly, we will be separated according to the scriptures. John 3:5-8 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”.

             

Renewing Your Mind

 

Loving the Lord with all your heart

You must surrender to Him your all

He will restore and give you everlasting life

Let Him come inside

He wants to purify you with His love

As you walk into the light

The enemy wants to hinder your choice

Trust God and give Him your thoughts

Each day that you live

He will renew your mind

Learn to keep His commandments

Your inner man will grow stronger

 ã2004 “Naima’s Inspirational Melodies”