The Renewed You
When the apostle Paul wrote to the Romans, he said that if they wanted to become more like God, they had to change their minds. He said, “Don’t be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2). Paul knew that we can’t keep thinking the old way and have the new things that God wants to do in our lives. Jesus put it this way: “No one pours new wine into old wineskins” (Mark 2:22). We can’t be conformed to this world’s culture with its wrong types of thinking. We have to be transformed by the renewing of our mind.
Our salvation starts in our mind. If you’ve given your life to Jesus, you’re a new creature in Christ Jesus, and your spirit has been made new. The problem is that many of us have some old habits, addictions and strongholds in our thinking that are contrary to what God wants us to think. Our mind needs to catch up with what’s going on in our spirit, which can only happen when we are no longer conforming to our old thinking but rather submitting ourselves to the Word of God. When you read the Word of God and put yourself under its teaching, you’re dislodging strongholds in your mind. You’re breaking the grip that wrong thoughts have over you.
Fortunately, we have so many ways of doing that because we have the Word of God at our fingertips—we have the printed Bible and Bible websites, we can put Bible apps on our phones, we can listen to Christian music and podcasts and watch Christian TV and attend Bible studies. We choose what we listen to and watch, and when you put yourself under the Word of God, the strongholds that are trying to hold you back will be broken. Paul says, “To Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we can ask, think, or imagine.” I love that. God can do anything, but listen to the second part: “according to the power that works in us” (Ephesians 3:20). God is saying that when you align your mind with the power that’s in you, your mind will be transformed.
You’re in a battle, and it’s time to stand up and fight. It’s time to declare, “I’m not going to be held down by old ways and old patterns of thinking.” Whether you’re fighting an addiction, an illness or wrong thought patterns, listen to the Word of God constantly and let it bathe and sanctify and transform your mind as it renews you. By the mercies of God, by the grace of God, this can happen for you.
Our salvation starts in our mind. If you’ve given your life to Jesus, you’re a new creature in Christ Jesus, and your spirit has been made new. The problem is that many of us have some old habits, addictions and strongholds in our thinking that are contrary to what God wants us to think. Our mind needs to catch up with what’s going on in our spirit, which can only happen when we are no longer conforming to our old thinking but rather submitting ourselves to the Word of God. When you read the Word of God and put yourself under its teaching, you’re dislodging strongholds in your mind. You’re breaking the grip that wrong thoughts have over you.
Fortunately, we have so many ways of doing that because we have the Word of God at our fingertips—we have the printed Bible and Bible websites, we can put Bible apps on our phones, we can listen to Christian music and podcasts and watch Christian TV and attend Bible studies. We choose what we listen to and watch, and when you put yourself under the Word of God, the strongholds that are trying to hold you back will be broken. Paul says, “To Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we can ask, think, or imagine.” I love that. God can do anything, but listen to the second part: “according to the power that works in us” (Ephesians 3:20). God is saying that when you align your mind with the power that’s in you, your mind will be transformed.
You’re in a battle, and it’s time to stand up and fight. It’s time to declare, “I’m not going to be held down by old ways and old patterns of thinking.” Whether you’re fighting an addiction, an illness or wrong thought patterns, listen to the Word of God constantly and let it bathe and sanctify and transform your mind as it renews you. By the mercies of God, by the grace of God, this can happen for you.