An unknown writer said this of the Bible: “This Book is the mind of God, the state of man, the way of salvation, the doom of sinners, and the happiness of believers. Its doctrines are holy; and, its precepts are binding; its histories are true, and its decisions are immutable. Read it to be wise, believe it to be safe, practice it to be holy.
It contains light to direct you, food to support you, and comfort to cheer you. It is the traveler’s map, the pilgrim’s staff, the pilot’s compass, the soldier’s sword, and the Christian’s character. Here paradise is restored, heaven opened, and the gates of hell disclosed. Christ is its grand subject, our good its design, and the glory of God its end. It should fill the memory, rule the heart, and guide the feet. Read it slowly, frequently, prayerfully. It is a mine of wealth, a paradise of glory, and a river of pleasure. Follow its precepts, and it will lead you to Calvary, to the empty tomb, to a resurrected life in Christ; yes, to glory itself, for eternity.1
Romans 12:2 details for us the importance of renewing the mind with God’s Word. Why renewing the mind is vital for soul development is what we’re looking at in this week’s Light on Life.
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Why You Can Learn from Rabbis about Being a Doer of the Word
[Tweet “The wisdom of the world produces nothing, less than zero. It’s worse than a goose egg.”]
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You can view a basic transcript of this podcast at the bottom of this section.
Accept the Challenge
Each week’s podcast contains a call to action. The Word of God will not produce in your life unless you put into operation.
This week’s call is:
When Sharon was in the throes of dealing with the issues surrounding the brain aneurysm she faced, the doctor said to me, ‘Keep your fingers crossed.’ Crossed fingers were the best the wisdom of the world had to offer at that time. I am telling you Holy Spirit powered life produces victory in every case. And, you don’t have to cross your fingers to get it either. Faith does it. The love of God does it. The Name of Jesus does it. And after all this continual victory, we look forward to a new age, the Kingdom of God, in full manifestation at the appearance of Jesus.
Join the Conversation
Each week’s podcast also contains a question designed to encourage testimony. Testimony is vital to a believer’s life. We overcome by it (Rev. 12:11).
This week’s question is:
Question: What did you do to keep from allowing this world’s thinking, which is passing away, to change where you were headed in God? Please leave your comments in the comments section.
About Emery
Emery committed his life to the Lord Jesus Christ over 40 years ago and has served as both a full-time pastor and an itinerant minister. Both he and his wife Sharon of 35 years emphasize personal growth and development through the Word of God. The ministry of the Holy Spirit is both the focus and the hallmark of their mission. Read more about them here.
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If you enjoyed the podcast, please rate it on Stitcher Radio and leave a review. If you have a suggestion for a Bible topic, you would like to see taught, or if you have a question, please e-mail me at emery@emeryhorvath.com
Podcast Notes
Renewing the Mind is Thinking Like God Thinks
- The mind must be renewed to think in godly channels.
- It’s not automatic.
- You cannot put Spirit life on autopilot.
- Just because you said ‘yes’ to Jesus does not mean you will automatically think about God.
- It takes a renewed mind to think God’s thoughts.
Psalm 10:4 (KJV)
4 The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.
- Once you come to Jesus, the title ‘wicked’ no longer describes you.
- You are now the righteousness of God in Christ.
- Righteous people think about the Lord.
- They have God in all their thoughts.
- They think about Him all the time.
- It’d just like true love.
- Your mind, once it has finished dealing with the mental requirements of a situation, gravitates back to God.
- So, begin the journey of bringing your thinking in line with His.
- And, it is a journey, a journey of discovery.
Renewing the Mind: Translations
Romans 12:2 (KJV)
2 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.
Other Translations
- The New Living Translation
Don’t copy! the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform! you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. (NLT) - J.B. Phillips Translation
“Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mold, but let God re-make you so that your whole attitude of mind is changed.”
Renewing the Mind: The Key Word ‘Conformed’
- The word conformed means to be or become behaviorally or socially similar to.
- A modern example of this is the ‘whole living together’ movement.
- The Bible teaches one-man-one-woman marriage.
- The argument that ‘everyone is doing it’ falls apart when you look at this word conformed.
- Like one gentleman said.
- “I don’t smoke, and I don’t chew, and I don’t go with girls who do.
- The word “conformed” refers to the act of an individual assuming an outward expression that does not come from within him, nor is it representative of his inner heart life.
- Paul exhorts the saints, “Stop assuming an outward expression which is patterned after this world, an expression which does not come from, nor is it representative of what you are in your inner being as a regenerated child of God.” 2
Renewing the Mind: An Ongoing Process
- The word ‘conformed’ is present tense and passive and an imperative in the Greek.
- Present tense means this is an active ongoing process.
- This decision you make is not a one-time affair.
- You don’t go up to the altar and make a ‘non-conforming dedication’ to God and then walk off, and that’s all there is to it.
- Not conforming not to this world is an active ongoing process of the “living sacrifices” lifestyle found in Romans 12:1.
- The passive part of the word conformed means you can’t do it on your own.
- Have you figured this out yet?
- You need help.
- You need the Holy Spirits help.
- He has to help you not to be conformed.
- You don’t do this in your strength.
- Finally, you have the imperative part which means it’s a commandment to you, so you have to exercise your will and desire the change.
- You have to consent to it.
- You have to yield to it.
- Here’s a good translation from a highly respected Bible scholar.
Continue to let yourselves be transformed”3.
Renewing the Mind: What Non-Conformed Living Looks Like
- What does this God’s Word say about what non-conformed living looks like?
Titus 2:12 (KJV)
12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
Denial
- Non-conformed living involves denial.
- You have to deny ungodliness and lust.
- If you do not deny some things that are in the world, you are neck deep drowning in ungodliness.
- You have to say no, and you have to say it boldly and without guilt.
Sober Living
- Non-conformed living involves sober living.
- What is sober living?
- The word ‘sober’ used in the King James is the Greek word meaning self-control.
- Sober living is self-controlled living.
- If you are out of control, you are conformed to the world because that’s how they are.
- People who live by the world’s standard are an airplane crash just waiting to happen.
Righteousness
- A non-conformed lifestyle involves righteousness, which, in this verse, means doing right.
- You don’t just say no too wrong. You also have to do what’s right.
Godliness
- Finally, non-conformed living involves godliness.
- What is godliness?
- Godliness is showing fitting or proper respect and reverence to God.
- You must reverence God and show Him respect.
Renewing the Mind: The Key Word’ Transformed’
- The word ‘transformed’ means to change in outward appearance or expression as manifesting a change in nature or essence.
Matthew 17:2 (KJV)
2 And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.
- The word transfigured used in Matthew 17:2 is the same word.
- Jesus’ outward expression was changed before them.
- His face shone like the sun.
- The light of the glory of God, which was in Him, poured out of Him.
- The force was so strong it turned His clothing white as the light.
- The same life-changing transformation will happen to you when you shut off all this stuff out here called the world and tap into the ‘eternal life’ of God on the inside of you.
The World
- What does the Bible mean when it references ‘the world?’
- ‘The world’ is composed of the following.
- Ideas
- Opinions
- Maxims
- Standards
- Conclusions
- Thoughts
- Patterns
- Mannerisms
- Speech
- Expressions
- Styles
- Habits
- We are ‘worldly’ when we allow the ideas, opinions, maxims, standards, conclusions, thoughts, patterns, mannerisms, speech, expressions, styles, and habits, from the outside to become the focal point for the way we think and believe.
- The focal point for the way we should think is God’s Word.
- Aligning our thoughts with God’s thoughts is renewing the mind.
The Source of Worldly Thinking
- What is the source of this worldly thinking?
- Where does it come from?
Galatians 1:4 (KJV)
4 Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:
- Galatians says this present world is evil.
- The Greek word ‘evil’ means morally bad or flat-out wrong.
- So, the thinking of the world is morally-bad, flat out wrong, completely evil.
- You don’t toy around with morally-bad, flat out wrong, completely evil.
- Don’t mess with it.
- You don’t engage it.
- Don’t even consider it.
- Stay with the truth of God’s Word.
2 Corinthians 4:4 (KJV)
4 In whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
- Men directly blinded by Satan produces this morally bad evil thinking.
- So the ultimate source for the worldly thinking believers are exhorted not to be conformed to, leads in a straight line directly to Satan.
Worldly Thinking Is Satanic
- The worldly way of doing things is pure evil.
1 Corinthians 2:6 (KJV)
6 Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought:
1 Corinthians 1:20 (KJV)
20 Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
- The wisdom of the world produces nothing.
- It produces less than zero.
- It’s worse than a goose egg.
- At least if you had a goose egg, you could get something out of it.
- Crack it open and make an omelet or something.
- But, you get nothing but death from the wisdom of the world.
- It’s all foolishness.
- It lacks good sense or judgment as the Greek word defines it.
- Lacking good sense? Did you get that?
- Scientists, philosophers, deep think-tank thinkers spend their days mentally producing; their wares are on display in the scientific journals of planet earth.
- They think their thoughts make such perfect sense, yet it’s all deception, it’s all foolishness.
- It’s morally-bad, flat out wrong, completely evil.
- Only the wisdom which is from above, which is pure, peaceable, gentle, and easily entreated, has any lasting power or effect (James 3:17).
- The world does not factor God or His Word into its standard or practice.
- Everything is done without Him or apart from Him.
- You don’t want their kind of wisdom for your life.
Renewing the Mind Is Living Per God’s Input
- You want God’s input.
- Your desire is for the wisdom of the aged.
- You want the input from the God who produced heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is.
- The world has nothing to offer you.
- God offers you a rich spirit life full of the storehouses of His wisdom.
- Spirit life is an inside job.
- It is a life that is meant to be lived from your insides out.
- In God, you can build your spirit up by praying with other tongues.
- You can build strength into your heart by feeding and meditating on God’s Word.
- Doing so generates a faith that conquers mountains.
- Then, if that’s not enough, the Greater One, the Mighty Holy Spirit, comes alongside you to teach you and to lead you.
- You live life perceptive of His leading and conscious of His direction.
- He guides you to victory.
- He leads you into triumphant success at every turn.
- You live life out strongly confident, a testimony to Jesus.
- You’re not confused.
- You’re clear and alert.
- Your mind is sharp and full of the knowledge of God.
- What a life.
- There is nothing in the world out there that comes even marginally close to what you have in Christ in your spirit man.
- It’s your Father’s good pleasure to bestow all this on you (Luke 12:32).
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