Walking with Christ

  “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: 

old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

2 Corinthians 5:17

“… be transformed by the renewal of your mind” 

Romans 12:2

I was taught that as Christians, we must renew our mind, daily. I must admit that such exhortation did not sit well with me. I think of Hebrews 6:6, where the author admonished the Christian who sought to be renewed yet again: "If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame." Yes, why would you ask Jesus that he die for your same sins over and over again?  

Let's look at more scriptures on renewing the mind. 

"And be renewed in the spirit of your mind."

Ephesians 4:23

"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."

Romans 12:2

"But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."

Isaiah 40:31

Renew Your Mind.

Pray to Our Father, with thanksgiving, then bring your petition: Ask Him to guard your heart and mind, and to direct your mind to keep focused on His Kingdom.

Jesus, by your Holy Spirit, keep my mind firmly set where you want it to be focused today.  

 pray. Ask God to reveal your sins so that you may confess and repent and forgive. 

Recognize that negative thoughts about you or others is simply from the enemy

Use scripture. memorize the scriptures. 

Read God’s Word. 

"Take your thoughts captive."

  Romans 

Retrain your brain to think of Kingdom-minded things.

Replace self-focused thinking with a God-focused mindset.

After praying for the Lord to protect my mind and recognizing the enemy, I have a choice. Will I train my brain to concentrate on the things of God, or will I let it be consumed by the things of this world?

To focus my mind on God requires some work. If I don’t take purposeful action to set my mind on Jesus Christ, then I’m allowing my mind to go anywhere it wants to go. I know where it will go, and it’s nowhere good.

I know myself. So, even when I am fully confident of God’s love and care, I still must decide what I will and will not think about.

The following verses help me to set my mind on things above, and not on earthly things:

"If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, 

where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 

Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth."

Colossians 3:1-2

"For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, 

but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit." Romans 8:5

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, 

whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, 

if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." 

Philippians 4:8

Rest in the truth that you are accepted in Jesus Christ.

I’ll pray for the Lord to protect my mind, help me recognize the enemy, and work to keep my mind focused on God. Sometimes I will be successful, and sometimes I will not be. Over time, it will be more often the former.

There are days when all I can do is rest in the truth that I am at peace with God, that I am free from accusation, and that I am God’s child.

Through faith in Jesus Christ, we are at peace with God. “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1).

In Christ, we are free from accusation. 

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” 

Romans 8:1

In Christ, we are children of God and heirs along with Jesus.

 “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 

and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ…” 

Romans 8:16-17

My identity in Jesus Christ is the central fact that influences my present circumstances and determines my eternal future, and it is available by faith alone. Don’t doubt; don’t wonder; don’t question it.

Accept God’s gracious gift, and rest in it.

Repeat steps daily until rapture.

By using these five techniques, I hope that the next time I feel stupid, ignored, or I question my ability, I will learn to test my thinking. God doesn’t condemn me, so I know that thoughts of self-condemnation are not from him. There is no fear in God’s love, so when I feel afraid or defeated, I can safely ignore those thoughts too.

Ultimately, God wants me to be transformed to be like his Son, Jesus. Jesus did not engage in the type of mental machinations that I’ve described—he was totally focused on the will of the Father. Because that was true of him, it will increasingly be true of me…and someday, that work in me will be complete.

Renewing Your Mind

Renewing your mind in Christ, as mentioned in Romans 12:2, involves being transformed by God's Word and Spirit, rather than conforming to the world's ways of thinking.This means actively challenging and replacing unhelpful or destructive thought patterns with truths and values aligned with God's will. 

Here's a more detailed look at what it means and how to do it:

What it means to renew your mind: 

Not conforming to the world:

This means rejecting the worldly values, beliefs, and behaviors that often lead to unhappiness and a lack of purpose. 

Transforming your thinking:

It's about actively changing your perspective, replacing negative thoughts with positive ones, and seeing situations through a God-centered lens. 

Discerning God's will:

A renewed mind allows you to understand and discern what is good, acceptable, and perfect in God's eyes, enabling you to live a life that pleases Him. 

Having the mind of Christ:

This involves aligning your thoughts, emotions, and actions with the teachings and example of Jesus. 

How to renew your mind:

Study the Bible: Immerse yourself in God's Word, learning about His character, promises, and guidance. 

Pray: Ask God to renew your mind, reveal hidden thoughts, and empower you to make positive changes. 

Meditate on God's Word: Spend time reflecting on biblical truths, allowing them to shape your thinking and worldview. 

Challenge negative thoughts: Identify and question unhelpful or destructive thought patterns, replacing them with biblical truths. Take your thoughts captive. 

Guard your thoughts: Be mindful of the messages you receive and the thoughts you entertain, actively choosing to focus on positive and uplifting ones. 

Replace lies with truth: Recognize and reject the lies of the enemy, replacing them with God's truth. 

Make Jesus your default: Constantly remind yourself of your identity in Christ and the promises He offers.

Seek God's guidance: 

Ask for His wisdom and direction in all areas of your life, trusting Him to lead you.  

Words that sound really convincing, yet negative, are of satan. 

“the reason why everyone is ignoring you or not inviting you or ghosting you or breaking off the friendship is because God is telling them that you have issues, and others need to stay away for their own benefit. "

Here is another  good example that I have seen too many times to count:

You have been praying that your spouse becomes renewed in her passion for Christ, as she has waned with the burdens of motherhood, working, and life in general. You have approached the front of the church to get prayed over by the pastor, numerous times. Each time the pastor asks you what you want to pray for. And you ask for the same prayer. Over and over. Week after week. 

Finally the pastor gives a sermon on ‘Unbelief.’ What he preaches is that when you pray for something, all you need is belief in the goodness of God, belief in Jesus, and faith that your prayer will be answered. Therefore, if you keep praying for the same thing redundantly, you don’t have enough faith. HOGWASH! 

Let’s go over my favorite and probably least known parable from Our Savior, Himself, Jesus the Messiah. The story is found in Luke, Chapter 8.

“And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?” 

Luke 8