Renewal of the Mind - New Series Part VII

Overall, the transformation I believe God is looking for more than anything is to be a vessel of self-control and full of love and peace - again, brought to you by the marvelous grace of God.

It makes sense to me why God has written for us to pray to be strengthened in our inner man by might with His Spirit in our inner man.  This is so I can have self-control in order to stay all thoughts, direct my thoughts, even question thoughts/beliefs I may have carried for many years.

So for me, the beginning of it was awareness - recognition of what I am thinking on a daily basis.  I did not find it wrong to question things I've been taught in the name of Christianity.  It was important for me to be a Berean and look intently, steadily, and deeply into God's Word, asking for guidance by God's Spirit - whom He has given to all His children, in order that I might know the true things of God.

Questions to ask:  Are my thoughts producing life and peace, or fear, anxiety, unbelief?

How do I even begin to truly renew my mind according to Truth? 

An example of truly starting at a Scriptural place for renewal of the mind is found in Romans 6.  This passage reveals that we are to reckon ourselves dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God in Christ.  The result is so we would walk and should walk in the newness of life which God has provided. 

Also found in Romans 6 - is about identifying ourselves with Christ in every direction - on the cross (being crucified with Him), being buried with Him, raised up with Him and seated with Him in the heavenly places.

These is not "Read only" material.  These truths are meant to be appropriated through and by faith.

Reckon is a term like in accounting - means to calculate, consider, come to a conclusion.  It also infers to "work out,"  suppose - be of the opinion.  When we are persuaded of things, we come to a conclusion - and with spiritual truths, we DO have to do the same - allow the TRUTH to become a part of us.

These truths are powerful.  It is the natural mind that does not understand them.  They are taken by faith and appropriated by faith.  Yet God has given us other things to pray - one is to ask to be granted a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Christ - to get spiritual understanding.

I found and continue to find that as I KNOW my identification with Christ, it DOES affect my thought life.  For I will not CONSIDER/RECKON myself anything, but what God says is true.  

This is personal too.  I used to think so negatively about myself in years gone by - I've shared this.  And through awareness of "catching" those thoughts (taking them captive), I started realizing more and more HOW I need to take them into obedience of Christ - according to God's Word of Life and Truth.

In I Corinthians 2, God tells us the natural mind cannot RECEIVE the things of God - they are spiritually discerned - AND, that it is the Spirit of God who teaches us - comparing spiritual with spiritual - and enables us to UNDERSTAND the things of God.

We are also told that the natural mind considers the things of God as well as the CROSS foolishness.  Again, it is because the natural mind cannot understand for one minute, HOW we "reckon ourselves dead unto sin but alive to God."

Yet if we will simply walk the walk of faith, begin to appropriate by faith these glorious truths, our understanding increases spiritually - so does our wisdom.   The Holy Spirit is there to ensure this.

If I do not have a peaceful mind (the mind of Christ), my mortal body can be affected.  Anxiety, fear, unbelief - they all affect us naturally.  Science has proven that the cyclical pattern of thoughts affect the physical brain. (More on this later).

Eventually we are all going to trace everything back to a true belief, the real faith, true thoughts of God, Spirit-taught and Spirit-wrought walks and talks - all rooted and grounded in Christ Jesus, our Living Lord and Savior.

The greatest TRUTH of the Scriptures to me is the fact that through Christ's body, death, blood, and resurrection, we have been made children of God AND the righteousness of God in Him.  We are at peace with God through Him.  God is our Father, Jesus Christ is our Lord, but also our Brother.

We get to talk to God the Father and talk with the Lord Jesus Christ.  We get to have His Holy Spirit in us be our Strength, Teacher, Comforter and Guide.

We get to allow Him to uncomplicate our thinking - change our thinking into the mind of Christ - grant us revelation, wisdom and spiritual understanding of the grace of God found in His Son.

May it be our determined purpose to truly KNOW the true things of God and experience the result - life and peace.

Praising Him for His unspeakable Gift and more next time,

Sue Gaither