Bible Teaching

Calvary Temple Teaching Library

Four Steps To The Renewed Mind Pt.2

Hallelujah! Amen! Aren't you thankful for His presence this morning? Word (Psalm 16:11) makes it very clear, In His presence there is fullness of joy, at His right hand pleasures evermore. We thank God for that strength that comes.

Let's turn to Romans 12 this morning. We want to continue with our study on the "Renewed Mind"; and we all know that our minds need to be renewed continually. Amen? It's a life process; it's never going to stop in this life that we're involved in now in preparation for the Lord's coming. So we're going to look at why it's necessary to have our minds renewed, and then we're going to take a look at how it actually works.

Paul's speaking in Romans 12, " I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." Now, the renewed mind isn't just what we're talking about in becoming the perfect will of God, the renewed mind is what's necessary to comprehend the perfect will of God; to be able to affect it. It's not the renewing process, it's the fruit of the renewed mind that's the perfect will of God. And a lot of people get caught up in the process, the how-to's of sanctification and the how-to's of edification and all of these different things; but that's not what it's about, it's about the end-product, or the fruit, the Christlikeness; so that when He comes, the scripture says, we'll see Him as He is and then we're going to be like Him. Amen? So that's what the renewed mind is really all about; and so, as this is taking place in our lives, don't get caught up in the process, but expect the finished work, which is a life of obedience; because ultimately the renewed mind is the mind of Christ. "…Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:" the scripture tells us. So we understand then that this mind of Christ was one of absolute obedience. The Bible tells us very clearly, Jesus said, "I didn't come to do my will, but the will of He that sent me." So the mind of Christ is one that has no agenda of its own.

Now, can we sit here this morning and say, "you know I'm just absolutely subordinate to the will of God, and I don't have any specific agendas; " or how many of you have a course of action that you're on and you're wanting God to come somehow and make you successful in it? That's the natural tendency, but it's the natural mind; and we have to understand that even if it's some good stuff that you're after, if it's origin is in the natural mind then God's not able to sanctify it, He's not able to bless it; because it has to originate in the heart, the mind, the purposes of God. "…the carnal mind," Romans tells us, "is enmity against God."

Turn back a couple of chapters and as we're looking at this, it's very important for us to see this, and see it very clearly. Romans the eighth chapter. This renewing of the mind process¾ being renewed in your minds, proving the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God. Every one of us who are Adam's sons battle continually with what's called the carnal mind or the mind, of depravity. Here's a few things we need to know about that: Number one is, the carnal mind always thinks about itself more highly than it should. How many of you contend with that periodically? Like everyday? Just thinking of ourselves more highly than we ought to. The carnal mind is taken up with self, it's absolutely selfish, self-indulgent. So, we need to realize, then, that the natural mind will always put self first; but the Bible tells us here in Romans the eighth chapter, verse six, "For to be carnally minded is death…" To be carnally minded is death. Say it with me: TO BE CARNALLY MINDED IS [what?] DEATH. The carnal mind always puts self first.

The Bible says there's only one way to retain our lives, and how is that? Jesus said if you're going to save your life you've got to do what? You've got to lose it. So, you see, the natural mind and the spiritual mind are at odds right there, isn't it? We say that the only way I can preserve my life is through watching out for myself--doing unto others before they do unto me. You know, this is the natural mind's process. We have to be careful, we have to guard ourselves because everyone's out to get me. Well, they are really not out to get you; it seems like that sometimes, but everybody's not out to get you. You know why you think they're out to get you? Because you are too self-involved. They are not out to get you; they are out there for themselves, and it appears that it's getting you, okay? And so, what they are looking for¾ See, they are not discriminating against you; they don't care about you; they'll do to another person just what they just did to you. They don't care who they are doing it to; they are doing it for self. It's nothing personal; next time somebody messes you over, don't take it personal; they are just loving themselves more than others, and that's what the world is comprised of; and Paul tells us that it's not acceptable in the church and to be "…carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind [verse 7] is enmity against God…" Now get these passages very clearly. The carnal mind, which needs to be renewed, is enmity with God. The word "enmity" means it's in opposition to. Another way to understand this is, "it's an enemy of". So you know people that are out there propagating another way other than Jesus--who is the way, the truth and the life, and no one can come to the Father but by Him¾ anybody who's propagating any other religion, anybody who's propagating any other ideology or philosophy of life is an enemy of God. Once the scripture becomes real to us in that way, once our minds are renewed to that thought process, it makes us then vessels that now can potentially be filled with the Spirit of God and the wisdom of God; but it also sets us up against the opposition of the world. It isolates us. Once you become a Christian with a renewed mind, everything you stand for will be politically incorrect, and everything that the world embraces with their secular humanism is going to be at odds against the direction that you and I are moving. As the spirit of Antichrist rises in power in these last days, the opposition is going to become stronger and stronger against you and I, and there's going to be more of a tendency to compromise, and therefore there's going to be more of a need of doing what? Renewing your minds.

You know, your minds may be pretty good. How many of you have been saved here for at least 30 years? Let me see your hands. Hold your hands up, you've been saved for 30 years. Hold them up high. I want to see. Look, there's not a whole bunch of us in here. What you had 30 years ago in the '70s won't hold you today. '70s mind renewal--that's when everybody was blowing their minds, you all remember? '70s mind renewal won't do it in 2000, there's another spirit in operation today; iniquity is abounding, the love of many is waxing cold, the scripture says, men are lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God. And you say, "that's been in every generation." Of course it has, but it's escalating because the scriptures specifically say that it's going to manifest to a degree that we need to prepare ourselves even more as that day is approaching; that's why we come together, the scripture says, to be able to edify, or build one another up.

What are we opposing in this generation, a generation that doesn't even blush at their lascivious living, a generation that mocks God? The latest survey¾ I think it's interesting in our country¾ it's very, very interesting to see. If you ask in the survey, "how many people believe in God?" Did you know that the majority of the people in this nation believe in god? They don't say what kind of a god, but they believe in god. We're not asking whether they believe in the Biblical God; but they believe in god, they believe in some force--but the ironic thing is when you ask¾ and they did this survey, and they continued to question -- their gods have no influence in their life. The god that they believe in is totally out of their decision-making process. I won't go through the whole survey, but it was one that was done not too long ago; and the thing that stood out to me was that their religion never gets in their way. They are absolutely just as existential in their thought processes, even those that claimed to be Christians, who claimed to believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God, people who say that the Bible is the word of God, don't allow God, His word, or the person of the Holy Spirit into their decision-making processes. Now, we are a kind of unique people here and we put such an emphasis on these things of the word of God and the lordship of Jesus; and it's the emphasis, for years, that we placed upon us as a fellowship.

We need to ask ourselves a question. Pastor Jeff related to it in the men's breakfast yesterday. Most of you have read Jerry Bridges' books on holiness; we've recommended them to be read; but he talks about a holiness that's dictated by environment rather than relationship. The standard of our living is put upon us by the environment of this community and not our own personal relationship with God. We react based upon what will others think, will I be reproved or rebuked, or what's going to happen, other than seeking the mind, the heart of God and truth for truth's sake. So, the renewed mind is always going to consider God first; it's not going to look at what men might think, what the consequences might be. The apostles said, they said, "Listen. We've got to ask you a question, man. Should we obey men or God?" (Acts 5:29) That becomes the real question we have to face every time we are getting ready to make a decision. Now, the carnal mind is enmity with God; it's not neutral. The carnal mind doesn't just say, "Look, God; you do your thing, I'll do mine." The carnal mind can't sit there in neutral and say, "I'll let Christians be Christians, they can believe and do what they want, as for me and my house, we're serving self." They can't do that any more than you and I, with renewed minds, can sit back and say, "Look, you guys; do what you want, go on to hell if you want, we're going to follow Jesus; as for me and my house, we're serving the Lord, and you can live your lives and we'll live ours separately." We can't do that. Why? Because the spiritual mind has been given a mandate that says, "…Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel..." (Mark 16:15) We have to go and proclaim the goodness of God, the mercy, the love, the free gift of salvation in Jesus Christ.

We're compelled to oppose darkness; there is no neutrality; light will always, always disperse darkness. So when we come into conflict with other philosophies and ideologies, we can't sit there¾ I can't sit there and listen to somebody speak contrary to the word of God and not say something. Can you? You say, "Yeah, man, I don't want to get into trouble. We've got a policy at work that says you can't share your faith." Now none of our children go to the public schools, but you know the public schools..., this is one thing I don't understand for the life of me: Christians spending hours, and hours, and hours, man-hours untold, thousands, hundreds of thousands of Christians even wanting to get an amendment that says that Christians can pray in school. Who needs man to tell Christians that they can pray? Amen? It's stupid! If we were out in the arena -- God told us not to do that, God told us to train our children here and then send them out. That's why the public schools were so upset here at the end of¾ these kids are glad summer vacation came, the secular kids, because as we were invading their campuses sharing Jesus, they were scared going home. "Somebody told me I'm going to hell, Mom, I think I'm going to...." They go watch Harry Kruger or whatever his name is; not Harry; Jerry? Oh it's Freddy. Oh, it's Jerry Springer and Freddy Kruger or whatever. And they can watch all of this garbage and everything is fine and somebody comes up and tells them that Jesus is Lord, that He is the only way to salvation, that it's appointed unto men once to die and after that judgment, and they come undone. And they call the police in and say, "You can't do that; you can't come and share the gospel on our campuses." The principal doesn't understand when he says, "I really, strongly suggest that you don't do that." We say, "Well, we appreciate your suggestion, but we're going to do it anyway. Because you answer this question, do we obey God or man?" The renewed mind is in opposition to everything the world stands for. It's fine, they tell you, to believe whatever you want; just don't practice it. And the renewed mind says, "No. I can't accept your compromises." The carnal mind will compromise any principle for momentary self-gain. So, when we're looking in comparison and we see that the carnal mind, then, is not just another thought process; it is in direct opposition to the word of God, the spiritual mind of Jesus Christ. It is not neutral, it is militant toward what you and I are trying to achieve and perfect. So once we understand that, it should help you in saying, "What are the things that I can embrace of the carnal mind thought processes; how much of the world's philosophy can I embrace¾ because I mean after all, some of that will really give me personal gain¾ how much can I embrace for my own personal benefit and it still be acceptable?" If, in it's origin it's the enemy of God, then how much of it should you embrace? It's not just another thought process, it's enmity with God.

So then we go on and we see that not only is it in opposition to everything that we believe as truth, but we see that it says also that it is not, look, "…not subject to the law of God…" So in other words the carnal mind¾ every time you sit there and give a person a reason why you're doing what you're doing¾ look, the reason we go out and witness on these campuses, the reason we don't listen to the fact that you tell us, manager of these apartments, that we can't come on this property at this particular time, the reason that we don't accept the fact that you tell us that we can't stand at the school bus stops and share Jesus with people; the reason that we don't accept the fact, Mr. Employer, that you're not going to tell me that I can't share Jesus Christ, when everyone else around here is telling dirty jokes and talking about their gods¾ the Redskins or whoever else¾ that I can't share my faith; the reason that's not acceptable to us is God said, "…Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel…" Now watch, but the carnal mind is not what? It's enmity and it's not [say it with me] subject to the law of God. Now everything that you and I act upon, the reason we do what we do is because it's in this book, but the carnal mind is not subject to this book. In fact it not only refuses to obey, it's in opposition to; and so when you and I are becoming more and more Christlike.

Remember when I'm talking about this, I'm not talking about arrogance. As you study the life of Jesus, He was never arrogant, He was never abrasive in the sense of personality, but the words that He spoke totally was undoing to the mind of the natural. They said never a man spoke like this man, He speaks as one having authority. What caused Jesus to speak with authority? The renewed mind, the unadulterated truth, spoken because it was representing the heart of Father. The renewed mind proving what is the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God is what was the motivation of Jesus' life. Now He said some hard things, didn't He? He said it's not mete to give the children's bread to dogs. Here's a lady man, beseeching the Lord Jesus for some food for her child and He says it's not right to give the children's bread to dogs. How many of you think that's hard? How many of you would have been a little more diplomatic than that in that situation? Hold your hands up. Yeah, most of us. I would have. I wouldn't have said that to that lady¾ unless it was inspired of the Holy Spirit. You want to know what you are? A generation of vipers. You are whited sepulchres full of dead men's bones. That's kind of a hard saying, spoken by the gentle Lamb of God; but it was absolute truth, and absolute truth spoken in love is like a sword that pierces people's hearts; and the natural mind just recoils at it and then begins to lash out and try to destroy its source. I want to tell you something folks. Every time you and I speak as the mouthpiece of God, it's going to cause the carnal mind to recoil, because the carnal mind cannot receive the things of the Spirit of God. They are foolishness to him. Isn't that what Paul tells us in Corinthians? It doesn't receive it, it's foolishness.

Every time you and I, in renewed minds, speak the word of God to natural man, it's foolishness, they can't hear it. You are stupid if you believe that. You're stupid if you're going to try and put that into practice, that doesn't work. You're going to tell me that you take ten percent of your income and put it in the church and not in the stock market? Don't you realize what that ten percent could do for you? Sure. Let me tell you what that ten percent could do for you. If you take that ten percent and put it in the stock market, let me tell you what it can do for you: it will curse you! Amen? When you steal from God you are under a curse! The Bible says you ought to have dung rubbed on your face so everybody can know who you are. It's in the spiritual realm, the angels are going, phaw, look at that guy's face man. He's going to church, look at his face. Dung-face. We know who you are. The carnal mind can't believe it. They don't believe that when we obey the word of God He opens the windows of heaven and pours out blessings that we can't contain. They don't believe that when you minister to the Lord you are not giving to a church. We don't give to a church. The tithe is whose? It's the Lord's. We don't give to the church, we give to the Lord. How can you give to the Lord? God can't come down here, He doesn't use any money. God doesn't use credit cards either.

So we realize that the carnal mind can't receive the life that's so real to you and I. They don't believe that there's treasures that are being laid up in Heaven, where thieves can't break in and steal. So it's very interesting to see that verse 8 says, "So then they that are in the flesh [say it with me] cannot please God." Or, let's say it in another way in the context, those that are carnally minded, then, cannot please God. Let's say it another way. Those who have not renewed their minds cannot please God. Nothing we do without the renewed mind, regardless of how good it might appear to be, regardless of how spiritual it may appear to be, if it's not the fruit of a renewed mind, it's not pleasing God. So God has to be the source, the Spirit has to be the source of all that we're doing. So it's important, then, to understand why this is taking place, why we need to renew our mind. See the natural mind for what it is: the enmity. See it as one that is in opposition to, see it as one that judges every spiritual judgment as foolish, and then you'll begin to see why our minds need to be renewed, and why we cannot--listen closely, and I don't care what label they put upon themselves. Friends, Christian brothers, ministers of the gospel--we cannot receive counsel, direction, from anybody who is speaking from a natural mind. So it's very important that we, then, make our judgments based upon a renewed mind, the momentary revelation of the eternal truth of God's word.

Turn over to Corinthians for just a second. Let me show you something over there. In II Corinthians, chapter 10, interesting passage, "Now I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in presence am base among you, but being absent am bold toward you: But I beseech you, that I may not be bold when I am present with that confidence, wherewith I think to be bold against some, which think of us as if we walked according to the flesh." Paul's just saying don't misunderstand who I am as God's representative. Naturally, I am meek, someone that the natural mind doesn't give a lot of credibility to, but with the unction of God upon me and I stand and speak as the oracles of God, you don't want to be found resisting that. Paul knew who he was without Jesus, and knew who he was as he represented Him. For he says in verse 3, "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)." We do not war after the flesh, spiritual warfare is this, look at verse 5, "Casting down imaginations [another word for that would be "evil reasonings"], and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity [Say it with me.] every thought to the obedience of Christ;" every thought! How many of you, with that last phrase, just found out that you have a little more improving to do? Some of us were feeling pretty good about ourselves up 'til that. "You know I'm doing pretty good, praise God, what you're talking about, I think I'm doing better than the majority. As I'm looking around at many professed Christians, I know I'm doing better than most of those guys; in fact you know I'm doing better than most of you in here." Well, we don't compare ourselves by ourselves, the scripture says; the carnal mind compares itself by itself; we're only to be compared by whom? Jesus. The mandate says that we're to bring every thought, every thought, not action, thought, into the obedience of Christ. How many of you have your thoughts run away periodically? Do they? We all face that. Our minds are being bombarded through all of the different sensual gates of feel, touch, smell. Isn't it amazing? You walk into some of the malls and that coffee aroma just poof! Why does coffee smell better than it tastes? A-h-h-h! Bring every thought into subjection, your mind has just been seduced. Smell. Don't you love the smell of fresh baked chocolate chip cookies? I love that smell. Man, I can snort the chips out from across the room. (Sniff!) A-a-a-h, love that smell; and it creates a thought. (Sniff!) I think I'll eat about a dozen. Bring every thought into subjection.

Now, we see that there are the natural senses that we have to battle with, but then there are the ideologies, the philosophies, of life. There's that that we're being bombarded with continually in the marketplace of how we're to think. How many of you have realized by now that the news programs you watch, the magazines you read¾ "Time," "Newsweek," "US News & World Report,"¾ all of these different things, how many of you realize that none of that's news, it's all propaganda. It's not news. They are not telling you what happened; they are telling you what to think. They are telling you their perception and their opinion on what happened. News used to be the facts and then you can make up your own mind; that's not the case any more. So we're constantly being bombarded from the secular realm as to how we're to think, how we're to act; and the Bible says we're to bring every thought into subjection. I personally spend very little time with the news. I don't watch it on TV. Every once in a while I'll catch a couple of excerpts. I don't subscribe to any news magazines or newspapers, I don't want their opinions. I have enough trouble bringing every thought into subjection without having to deal with all their thoughts. But you are going to have external input, you're going to have people putting pressure on you as to what's right and what's not. We're living in a secular world, and though we're not of the world, we are in the world; and as much as possible, we're to live at peace with those that are the shakers and movers, and those that are kings and governors that are over us. We're to pray for their salvation, the scripture says, and we're to obey the laws of the land to whatever degree we can until it opposes the word of God. That's our role as Christians.

Yet they are going to tell us at times¾ just like they've told some of the young people in schools, and they are trying to tell some of you on your jobs¾ they are going to tell you there's only one god you can worship, and it's secular humanism, and that there's only one thought that you can have, and that thought process is this: that we cannot become bigoted¾ is the term they like to use¾ in our religious beliefs; but we're to be … what's the word? Tolerant. Tolerance. We're to tolerate everybody's specific belief processes without in any way offending or infringing upon their beliefs. You must let people believe what they want to believe, and you say, "Okay, I believe that I'm to tell everybody they are wrong if they are not serving Jesus as Lord." "No, you can't do that!" "Well, you just said, we're to be tolerant. You're not being tolerant of me." "Okay, then. We're going to be tolerant of everybody but Christians!" And is that where we're living today? So what we have to understand is that the more we become convinced of this the more we're going to be hated. We're going to face what Daniel faced; and those who could not, because of his integrity, because he did his job better than anybody else in the kingdom, because they couldn't find anything wrong with his character, his integrity, or his work, they said we're going to have to find something in his what? His religion, in his worship. That will get him. The one thing we know is this, this dude prays all the time, so we need to build an image. And king you know we just want to honor you, king, I think there ought to be a mandate made that nobody can pray to any other god but your image, and you're the man. And the king being humble said, no, no, you guys, I appreciate it but you know that's not necessary. Yeah! Good idea! You mean I'm the man? Yeah, you're the man. Okay! So here he is. What would the carnal mind do? Hey, man, I've been faithful to serve God all these years. We're only talking taking thirty days off, what's the big whoopee? I can pray in my heart, I can talk with God. Nobody will even know the difference. It's not necessary for me to visibly throw the windows open and pray and everyone be aware of it. I mean, after all, God will understand. That's the carnal mind. What does the spiritual mind say? What does the renewed mind say? Who am I to obey, God or man? Who is to be honored in my life? For me to live is Christ. Once we come to that process, beloved, there is no fear of men's faces.

There's no doubt as to what decisions have to be made. Of course there's going to be consequence to our decision. I want to tell you what's going to happen. If you live by the spiritual mind, they are going to throw you in lions dens, they are going to throw you in fiery furnaces, they are going to lock you in prison. But I want to tell you what else will happen, man, angels will show up and shut the lions mouths, praise God! A fourth man will appear in the furnace and the fire won't consume your being, and the smell of smoke will not be upon your garment. I want to tell you what will happen to the spiritually minded man. He'll sing praises at midnight, and God will cause the prison doors to open, the shackles will fall off of our hands. To be spiritually minded is life and peace, praise God! Now how are you going to choose to live? Are you going to compromise? Are you going to prostitute yourself with the world and all of their promises, or are you going to choose to move into the supernatural realm where God will vindicate His word with signs following? That's what the spiritual mind's all about, but I want to tell you something, man. You're going to have to bring every thought into subjection, because everything in your natural mind will say, "protect your back." You've got to watch out! I want to tell you something. You don't have to protect your back, because the glory of the Lord is your rearguard. You put on the full armor of God, the shield of faith that quenches every fiery dart of the enemy, you take the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God and you set out against the enemy, and you say, "If God is for me who can be against me?" The renewed mind, bringing every thought into subjection. We're going to kill you, we're going to take you out, we'll make life miserable for you, you'll never work in this town again. There's not room for both of us. Right? Whatever the threat is, and the natural mind now is going to rise up. You're going to deal with these.

We're all the same, beloved. We all have sin in our members, we're all tempted to cower down and try to protect ourselves and want life to be easy, but you have to bring every thought into subjection, so it has to start now. That sure was a long way of saying this: Start now. Bring every thought into subjection now. What are you trying to make a decision on right now? If, in your thought processes, personal gain begins to be preeminent over the glory of God, you are going in the wrong direction. What will glorify God most? Bringing every thought into subjection. What did Jesus say? One of the greatest things? "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these [other] things shall be added to you." (Matthew 6:33) What was that the conclusion to? Take no thought for tomorrow, what you're going to eat, what you're going to drink, what you're going to put on, your heavenly Father knows you have need of these things. The natural mind's always trying to protect ourselves. I have these certain needs. God knows what you need, and He also said don't think about those things. Now, don't misunderstand what I'm saying. He didn't say don't work, He didn't say don't save and lay up and all the other Bible principles that you can't negate. What He's saying is don't be anxious about it, don't be dictated to by these things; but seek the Kingdom first, His righteousness, and all these other things, Matthew 6 tells us, will be added unto you.

How do we do this? We see why it's necessary. How do we do this? Well it's important for us to understand, then, that there are four basic steps. I want you to get these into your notes. Four basic steps. Write them down, and then I'm going to give you some scriptural references, about four or five for each of these. Four steps to the renewed mind.

When we look at the words "renewed mind" in the twelfth chapter of Romans, it's really talking about a mind of temperance, or a saved mind¾ and I like that. The word "soteria," it means a mind that's whole; we're talking about emotionally, we're talking about the intellectual aspects. So it's a process that deals with the whole man. The mind is that soul realm, the soulical realm. Man is comprised in a triune nature--spirit, soul, and body. The battle ground is in our mind, in our soul. That's where all of this spiritual warfare takes place--where the flesh is lusting against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh; these two are contrary the one to the other so that you cannot do the things that you would do and all of these things that are going on. We're trying to bring all of these thoughts into subjection, we're putting on Christ and taking His mind upon ourselves and all of this is taking place. How then, is this done?

In our study we've seen that the carnal mind will always try to put forth an agenda, or a philosophy, a course of action, and it will begin to justify its outlook and it will say for this reason and that reason you ought to be able to do this; it will try to use scripture of course most of the time against us Christians. It will talk to us, the carnal mind, it will tell us, "Why are you holding yourself in such bondage? Don't you know you have liberty in Jesus? Don't you know that all things are lawful to you? It loves to half-quote scripture. "Don't you know that all things are lawful to you?" "What else?" "What do you mean, what else? That's the Bible, all things are lawful to you." "But they're not expedient, and I'll not be under the power of any of them." (1Corinthians 6:12) So, as Christians we'll find well-meaning people, good friends of the faith that will come and take little portions of scripture and try to show us what our new found liberties might be and why this is acceptable. Many like to tell us today, of course, that we have great liberty, and that there's nothing wrong with Christians drinking. What's wrong with a little wine with your meal? What's wrong with a¾ Man you know it was hot yesterday man and so we were up playing at the ball field, some of the guys yesterday, so what's wrong with just downing a few brewskies, man? I mean you know, it was hot. You know, we have liberty. I have a question. Why would you need a "brewskie," man's drink, and not water, God's drink? Well, you know we need some salt. "Well, lick your arm. It's the natural mind, and the scripture tells us we're to take a little wine for our stomach's sake and our often infirmities. Well, I would suggest, then, that you go live in Turkey, like Timothy did to whom that was written and drink their water. You don't have those oft infirmities with all the chlorine you're drinking! Janet said, "How come Diamond's always drinking out of the swimming pool?" I said, "It has less chlorine than the faucet." But we try to justify these things and we need to understand there is a liberty, but don't use your liberty as an occasion to the flesh; and understand what the scripture says when it says, "…be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;" (Ephesians 5:18). So the issue is not the drink, the issue is the drunkenness; but the biblical argument is this also, that if you don't drink one, you can't get drunk. So therefore we come to item number one: abstain. If you want a renewed mind, if you're going to be able to walk in the Spirit that you don't fulfill the lust of the flesh to where the power, the appetites, that are in every one of our members¾ every person in here has the same carnal appetites. When you begin to feel sorry for yourself and the things that you're battling against and people just don't understand, Jesus was tempted in every way that you and I are, but without sin. And there is no temptation taken you but such as is common to man, and with every temptation He makes the way of escape, the scripture tells us; it's just that we're not looking for the way out, we're looking how to stay in, enjoy this, how much can I get and still God be satisfied and pleased with me. How much of the carnal mind can I embrace? None, because it's the enemy of God.

Own up where you are, quite trying to justify. Just say, "Bless God, the reason I did it was because I wanted to, I was overcome with lust, I was overcome by my appetite, I wanted to do it and I did it, and now I'm sorry, and my heart's broken, and dear God, I want to be free from this thing;" but don't let the carnal mind try to justify your action with scripture. Begin to realize that there needs to be an abstinence.

Number two is: there has to be, if you're going to have your mind renewed, there must be study of the scripture. "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." (II Timothy 2:15) There has to be an intimate communion in the illumination of the word of God, feeding the spirit man, reprogramming the processes of the mind; and if we don't fill our hearts and minds with the word of God, you're never going to stand.

Number three that we're going to look at, that in this study process it's not sufficient to be a hearer of the word and not a doer is self-deception James tells us. So there has to be not only a discernible obedience¾ obedience being the third¾ there has to be obedience to the word of God. But there can't just be a discernible obedience, it's can't be a superficial obedience, it has to be an inward, personal choice to do the truth of God. Not a sociological righteousness, but a personal righteousness.

Fourth that we're going to talk about, if we're going to walk in the Spirit and if our minds are going to be renewed, it has to become a habitual action. Not momentary, not a fragmented up, down, up, down; but it becomes a habitual process. Now we know from study of man that we can establish a true habitual pattern¾ strong habitual pattern¾ in as little as 45 days. Others say it's less than that. But I'm talking about a life-changing pattern. Think about that. Think how short of a period of time that is to turn your life around, to where we begin to purpose, in our pursuit of God, to do things according to the scriptures. To bring every thought into subjection, not even give place for a moment to anything that's not the word of God. To respond and know it. To have others, to tell others: here's what I'm after, help me, keep your eye on me, encourage me, lift up my hands. I know I'm going to be opposed by the enemy, I know I'm going to fall in the process, and when I do, I want to let you know so you can pray. I'm not going to try to hide anything, I want to be in the light, but I know I can change my life by dying to self and letting Jesus live through me. And it becomes this habitual process that by reason of use, Hebrews 5 tells us, we have our senses, then, established to be able to discern between good and evil.

So, tonight we'll fill in this outline with the scriptures and begin to look at some of these passages that can help us understand. You look at these words, ABSTAIN, STUDY, OBEY, DISCIPLINE! Do you have any other ways? Let's try something else. Play, rest, trust, let God do it. I'm willing, God. Do it. It's not His method. The only way for you and I to move into the spiritual mind is to be able to realize there has to be an absolute death to self. It's not going to be done in our own strength. Renewed minds are not people who are strong in resolve. You're going to find out the person who ends up with a renewed mind is not that person who says, man I'm just going to suck it up and I'm going to push through this thing, I don't care what anybody else says, with my own personal tenacity I'm going to make it. You'll never make it because all that's pride. The only way to come to a renewed mind is through humility. It's by saying I can't do it. I can't do this Lord. I have come to understand what's in my members. I have come to understand that without your Holy Spirit being the source of all of this course, it's impossible for me to please You. The first step of a renewed mind is a humble heart, an awareness of our absolute need of Jesus doing it in us.

Father, that's our desire this morning. That we would come to that place of humility to where we would see how much of a hold the world does have upon us, and we come to grips with it and say, yup, that's right, I'm the man. I'm way, way, too involved in the world's thought processes. I have too much trust in the economic system. I have too much trust in medical science. I have too much trust in all of the goals and ambitions of the sociologists. I've been too reliant upon the environment that I live in here, and I'm carried along by other people's faith and by the momentum of a ministry, and I need to have my own personal resolve and I need to dig my own wells and I need to have my own encounters at Bethel so that my heart can be changed. That there is a personal relationship and hunger and not a corporate pursuit. Father, make these things real to me. Help me to see as we're going to look tonight in the study aspect that I'm going to continually be in deception, I'm not going to see myself without the word of God. James says that if we don't keep this mirror of the word of God open, we're going to forget what manner of men we are. If we don't daily come into your presence and hold the word of God up, the mirror that speaks to us as to who we are, we're going to forget what manner of men we are. Father, help us this morning, because the only hope of success is the spirit that says, Lord, I don't know how to go out or come in. I'm only a child, I don't know how to speak. When we begin to see our need, only then we can begin to see your provision. Make it real, Father, in Jesus' name. Amen.

Let's stand before the Lord. As Gary plays for us, the Daughtry's are going to bring their little blessing forward and we're just going to believe with them for this child to be raised in the nurture and the admonition of the Lord. As we speak peace upon that household and the blessings of the Lord upon this child, the child has no hope unless its course is set by the word of God. The spirit that's in the world today, the seduction of the spirit of Antichrist¾ opposition to Christ is what that spirit is, that man that's going to rise; or anti meaning instead of, another god instead of Christ. But it's not just a replacement, it's an opposition. Too many of us, beloved, are casual in how we observe the world that's around us, and I want you to understand it's not neutral, it's against you. It's not another way, it's death. To be carnally minded is death. Now, we're in the world and we live by certain guidelines, but we're not of it. The flesh and the natural mind is going to so quickly gravitate toward its own, unless you bring it into subjection by obedience to Christ. Cause its subordination to take place through the knowledge of God's word and the diligent obedience to be a doer and not a hearer. We're at war. We're at war. This space right here, and the battle that goes on every day determines your eternal fate; but thank God that He'll not leave us nor forsake us, He will not leave us without the comfort of the Holy Spirit, and if God's for us, nobody can be against us. "…in all of these things we are more than conquerors…" the scripture says; so we rejoice in the victory that's been won in Jesus, and we embrace it by faith. We ask Him to work it in us¾ the willing and doing of His good pleasure; but what have you been feeding yourself lately? How much of the liberty food have you been putting in there? I've got liberty. How much of the liberty food and how much of the eternal food that brings us into the image of Jesus? Because whatever you put in in abundance to the heart is what the mouth speaks, it's who you are. Let's make sure that that communion with Him is intact and the purposing of the Kingdom first as we’ll see tonight.

As we sing this chorus and Jay and Jenn come, I'm going to ask the Pastors to come and we’re going to pray God's peace over this household. Let God's spirit reveal to you that you're just as dependent as this child. When we come as a little child. Total dependence is when we're safest. This child will be exactly what they make it. This little mind ready to absorb all of the different inputs. What's going to be important, the seven dwarfs or the twelve apostles? Who are the heroes going to be? Michael Jordan? How about Elijah? How about Samuel? An empty little mind that's going to be programmed. Ours have been programmed and need reprogramming, renewing, and that's what it's all about this morning. Let's sing it together and believe God.

Father, we come in the name of Jesus. We speak peace upon this household. You've said in Your word that if by faith they believe that we have that authority, that it will remain on their home, and we do declare it, Father, in the name of Jesus. For Jay and Jenn, Father, we pray that your word would continue to grow in their hearts and their minds as absolute authority. That Luke would surely be raised in the nurture and the admonition of the Lord. Father, we pray and speak that peace upon this child, the anointing of God and the unction of Your Spirit. We delight Father, in that work being done; and we stand, Father, humbled by this task before us and we understand that this child is lent to us of the Lord. It's the heritage of God, and for that we say thank You Father, and we ask that You would make us good stewards, in the name of Jesus. Father, let Your word dictate every step and every action in these parents and in this home, and for that we're going to give you the praise, in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. Hallelujah!

Father, help us to ever be as this child. We pray for Luke and we pray for ourselves that our minds would totally be subject to You; and for that we're going to give You the praise, in Jesus' name. He's a little brick, he's solid isn't he? Praise God, that's great man, we need a couple of linebackers. Turn to somebody next to you and say, "Clean up your act." Amen. God in peace. God's love go with you.

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