++++++++++
The Renewing of the Mind
The mind is where we store and process information and knowledge. Before we came to know Christ, our knowledge and understanding of God and His Word was imperfect and thus unfruitful. We were unable to process any knowledge of truth because Christ did not reside within us. Jesus is the personification of Truth. In order to process spiritual information and knowledge, we must be renewed in the “spirit of our minds.” (Ephesians, 4:22). To be renewed in the “spirit of our minds” means our attitudes and motives must be changed. Our motives and attitudes must be Christ empowered. When our minds become spiritually renewed we will be “Christ- like” and spiritually minded.
Before coming to the knowledge of the truth, our minds were conformed to and in bondage to the knowledge, reasoning and vain imaginations of this World. The Bible tells us “that to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” (Romans, 8:6). The carnal mind is enmity with God. As Christians, if we do not have peace, and if life seems to be throwing us a lot of curve balls, it is probably because we are somewhat carnally mind. True life and peace does not exist outside of the knowledge of God.
The Bible says, “the carnal mind is the enemy of God.” When our minds are rooted and grounded in the knowledge, reasoning and vain imaginations of this World, our thoughts can be considered to be enmity against God. The Bible tells us to be renewed in the “spirit of our minds.” The carnal mind cannot receive the knowledge of God because it does not understand or know how to process such knowledge.
It has been said “the mind is a terrible thing to waste.” Spiritually speaking, the devil takes a terrible toll on every person who has not been “renewed” in the spirit of the mind. The mind of the believer will not be established in truth and righteousness if they do not acknowledge or understand the principles of God’s Word.
A mind which has not been renewed by the Spirit of God through the power of revelation is a mind bound in spiritual darkness and depravity. True freedom of thought comes only through the Spirit of Liberty.
As Christians, we have the potential to be “spiritually minded.” When we received Christ as Lord and Savior, we also received the mind of Christ. Even though we have received the mind of Christ, we cannot and will not make decisions based on the righteousness of God if we remain carnally minded.
Christians will remain carnally minded when they fail to renew their minds to the truth. Carnal Christianity is a problem in many Churches. People can be born again, but unless their spiritual minds are renewed through the knowledge and understanding of God, their lives will remain somewhat fruitless.
The mind is like a personal computer. It can only act upon the information which has been downloaded into it. The advent of the Information Age has given us a wealth of knowledge and information. However, this information is useless without understanding and wisdom. If our personal computers (minds) are filled with carnal thoughts and information concerning spiritual things, our knowledge and understanding of God and His Word will be unfruitful.
We can reverse the curse of being carnally minded by downloading the knowledge and truth of God’s Word into our personal computers (our minds). It is the truth which sets us free and transforms us into the image of Christ. If Christ sets us free, we are “free indeed.” When our minds have been spiritually transformed, we will be able to walk in the “fullness” of Christ. We become one with Christ by obtaining godly information and refusing to walk in and be bound by the “works of the flesh.”
If we are not continually walking in the Spirit, we will be fulfilling the lusts of the flesh. People who walk in the flesh are carnally minded. Their works are dictated and directed by the flesh. People who are spiritually minded will walk in the Spirit. They will, by nature, be fulfilling the “Spirit of the Law.” In Christ, we live and move and have our being.
When we are born-again we become a new creation in Christ. New Life is imparted to us by the Spirit of Christ. We have been changed from death unto Life the moment we receive Christ as our Lord and Savior. We have been freed from the bondage of the Law of Sin and Death because we have been infused with the divine nature of Christ. After we are born again, Christ takes us in a new direction. We will no longer desire to walk in the ways of the past and fulfill the lusts of the flesh if we have truly been born again. However, just because we have been born again of the Spirit of Christ does not mean we are filled with all the knowledge and understanding we need.
Until we are renewed in the “spirit of the mind,” the carnal mind will continue to dictate and direct our lives. Until we have an impartation of the knowledge of God through revelation, the carnal mind will continue to control our thoughts. It is imperative that we “put to death” the works of the flesh so we can live for Christ.
When we are born-again it is our responsibility to seek and find the knowledge we need in order to become a faithful and productive citizen of the Kingdom of God. Many Churches are just social clubs void of godly knowledge, wisdom and understanding. Many Christians meet socially on Sunday and “eat, drink and be merry.” The only fruit, however, which can be seen in some Churches is a bowl of fruit sitting on the counter in the Church kitchen.
Many Christians will have a zeal for God when they are first born again. A zeal for God is admirable, however, a zeal without knowledge can be unfruitful and even dangerous. A zeal without knowledge will only lead to heartbreak, shame and frustration. The Apostle Paul had a zeal for God BEFORE he became saved, and tried to destroy the Church through ignorance. After Paul’s conversion on the road to Damascus, he had to gain the knowledge of God before he could be an effective witness for Christ. He had to take time to pray, study and seek the Lord before He could be sent as an Apostle to the Gentiles.
On the other hand, knowledge WITHOUT zeal is fruitless and unprofitable. We may know the scriptures inside and out, however, if we do not have a zeal for God our knowledge will be unfruitful. According to the Bible, Jesus was consumed with the zeal of the Lord. Isaiah said Christ would be “clad with zeal as a cloak.” When we are “clothed” with the Holy Spirit--we will be “clothed” with the zeal of the Lord. When we are clothed with the Holy Spirit--we will be clothed with the knowledge and understanding of God’s Word. Then and only then will we KNOW the truth and produce godly fruit which transforms us into the image of Christ.
Christ met many zealous Jewish leaders when He visited Jerusalem. However, like Paul, their zeal was not a zeal with knowledge, but was a zeal inspired by Jewish tradition. Their faith was in their traditions rather than in the Word of God. They substituted the knowledge of God with the traditions of men. They taught that their traditions were honorable before God. In doing so they were shutting up the Kingdom of Heaven to themselves and closing out the common people as well.
The traditions of men will always choke the Word of God and make it unfruitful. Today many Church leaders disavow the knowledge of God to their congregations by substituting truth with the traditions of men, just as the zealous Jewish leaders did.
A zeal accompanied with godly knowledge in the Church can and will be contagious. It can fill the entire congregation with righteousness, joy and peace through the power of the Holy Spirit. When we possess the knowledge of the Lord, we will zealously begin a new chapter in our life. Knowledge which is clothed in the zeal of God will establish the joy of the Lord within our hearts and minds. Knowledge informs us that “the joy of the Lord is our strength.” Knowledge tells us the joy of the Lord is available. A zeal WITH knowledge will take us to the place where we can believe and receive everything God has promised to us.
The “renewed mind” will take us to places in Christ which we never dreamed or imagined were possible. The renewed mind will set us free from all the oppressing thoughts and deeds of the past. It will take us on a journey of faith which says, “with God all things are possible.” When the carnal mind has been replaced with the knowledge of God and His Word, we will look at things differently. We will begin to see things through the eyes of God and not through the eyes of “carnal men.” We will be transformed into the “express image of the Lord Jesus Christ” which will enable us to serve God and perform the GREATER WORKS He said we could do.
The Bible tells us that God is omniscient. His knowledge, understanding and wisdom are infinite. With knowledge God created the universe. God understands the importance of knowledge and wisdom. That is why He shares His knowledge with those who diligently seek Him.
If our minds are not renewed and established in truth and righteousness, the will of God for our life will remain elusive. We will be unable to understand how the Kingdom of God operates, and we will fail in our attempts to please Him.
God is omnipotent. He possesses all power and authority. God understands the importance of power and authority and how they can change people’s lives. That is why He imparts His power and authority to His people who earnestly and passionately seek Him. When we understand the principles of how power and authority works in the life of the Believer, we will be victorious in every area of our life.
BEHOLD, I GIVE YOU THE AUTHORITY TO TRAMPLE ON SERPENTS AND SCORPIONS, AND OVER ALL THE POWER OF THE ENEMY, AND NOTHING SHALL BY ANY MEANS HURT YOU. Luke, Chapter 10, Verse 20.