Word for Today, Mon, 23 Feb 2004: Renewing Your Mind
Posted by: masinick <masinick@...>
Dear friends,
During the period of time that I've been sending out devotional
messages (which dates back to around 1996) I've written about
many things, but I probably come back to two or three topics (and
dwell on them) more than any other because they are important to
me and because I believe God's Word places a lot of emphasis on
them, too. One of those topics is to transform ourselves by
becoming like Jesus Christ. In doing this, we have to know a lot
about Him and appreciate Him.
Knowing ourselves and renewing our minds has a lot to do with
love, with a sense of purpose, and appreciating God's plan, all
of which are closely related topics - at least when you begin to
understand God's Word.
I personally know that I am a sinner. Without continual renewal,
I am prone to go back to the same places, almost how a dog will
retrace its tracks. However, when I renew my mind, I needn't
repeat the same errors, nor do I need to feel helpless or without
purpose. Instead, I begin to appreciate that God does have a
plan and it includes me - and you - in it.
Neil Anderson's message reveals these things and also the
deception we can so easily get into - that is, unless we
continually renew our minds.
The apostle Paul mentions renewal and transformation many times
in his writings to the churches, and Luke, the doctor who wrote
the third Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles, also details more
than one transformation, including that of Saul to Paul.
If we haven't been transformed into Christ's likeness, that needs
to happen. After that happens, we need to nurture our
transformations every single day, throughout the day, until the
day that Jesus Himself calls us.
Yours in Christ,
Brian
____________________________
NEIL ANDERSON'S DAILY IN CHRIST
from Freedom in Christ Ministries
February 22
RENEWING YOUR MIND
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the
renewing of your mind (Romans 12:2).
If the strongholds in your mind are the result of conditioning,
then you can be reconditioned by the renewing of your mind.
Anything that has been learned can be unlearned. Certainly this
is the major path of renewal in the New Testament. Through the
preaching of God's Word, Bible study and personal discipleship,
you stop being conformed to this world and experience the
transformation of the renewing of your mind (Romans 12:2).
If your past experiences were spiritually or emotionally
devastating, then counseling and Christ-centered support groups
will help the transformation. Since some of these strongholds are
thoughts raised up against the knowledge of God (2 Corinthians
10:5), learning to know God as a loving Father and yourself as
His accepted child is your starting place.
But you're not just up against the world and the flesh. You're
also up against the devil who is scheming to fill your mind with
thoughts which are opposed to God's plan for you.
Notice how Paul uses the word for thoughts (noema) in 2
Corinthians in relation to Satan's activity. We've already seen
it in 2 Corinthians 10:5: "We are taking every thought [noema]
captive to the obedience to Christ." Why do these thoughts need
to be taken captive? Because they may be the enemy's.
In 2 Corinthians 3:14 and 4:4, Paul reveals that Satan is
responsible for our spiritual hardness and blindness when we were
unbelievers: "But their minds [noema] were hardened. . . . The
god of this world has blinded the minds [noema] of the
unbelieving." In 2 Corinthians 11:3 and 2:11, Paul states that
Satan actively plots to defeat and divide believers: "I am
afraid, lest as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your
minds [noema] should be led astray from the simplicity and purity
of devotion to Christ. . . . We are not ignorant of his [Satan's]
schemes [noema]."
If Satan can place his thought in your mind--and he can--it isn't
much more of a trick for him to make you think it's your thought.
That's the deception.
In the name of Jesus, I renounce and refuse any thoughts which
are raised up against the knowledge of God.
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This daily devotional is published and distributed by
Crosswalk.com. It is written by Neil Anderson at
link.crosswalk.com/UM/T.asp?A1.14.19200.1.293748.
Additional devotionals are available from Crosswalk.com:
link.crosswalk.com/UM/T.asp?A1.14.19200.2.293748.
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--
Brian Masinick, mailto:masinick@yahoo.com
Home page: http://www.geocities.com/masinick/
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