(Read Matthew 15:1-20)
This morning we continue our series, “Grace that is Simply Amazing” by continuing our mini-series entitled, “Grace Based Success (Prosperity)”. We have been studying the life of the Apostle Peter and our study has brought us to Matthew chapter 15. In this chapter Peter asked Jesus to explain something He said. Jesus explained, “The bad things people say with their mouth come from the way they think. And that’s what can make people wrong. All these bad things begin in the mind: evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual sins, stealing, lying, and insulting people. These are the things that make people wrong.” Your thinking can either be grace-filled (leading to grace-based behavior), or sin/self-filled (leading to ungodly behavior). Either way, what you eventually experience begins in the mind. Paul said, “Let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.” (Rom 12:2).
So what does this mean to you today? Two things:
1. It takes a renewed mind to open yourself up to God’s limitless power and resources.
a) The old mind made decisions based on your [human] limited power and resources. This kept your future limited.
b) The renewed mind makes decisions based on God’s limitless power and resources. This helps you release every artificial limit you ever placed on your limitless God.
c) The devil wants you to focus on your old way of thinking. He will do all he can to get you to think you can’t do what God is calling you to do. In a sense, the devil is right. In-and-of yourself you can’t, but with God and His grace, you can.
d) By yourself you are limited. With God and His grace you are limitless.
e) Without God you had to do everything on your own and your power and ability were ‘okay’ at best. But with God’s power and ability you can do all things.
f) The renewed mind accepts the power and ability freely made available to you by grace. This is very important, because you will not experience God’s power until you accept it.
2. It takes a renewed mind to accomplish God’s will in the earth.
a) God’s plans for your life will always exceed your resources — your checkbook, education, social status, etc. — this forces you to rely on Him.
b) God’s plans always require God’s involvement. Simply put, they are TOO BIG for you! That’s why God provides grace and you need faith.
c) God’s plans will always seem ‘too good to be true,’ and humanly speaking they are. God’s plans for us are far better than anything we would have come up with on our own. He planned to bless us and use us, before the foundations of the world, by His unearned grace.
d) Unless you willingly die to self and embrace God’s plans by grace, you will always second-guess yourself as you pursue God’s purposes. You will tell yourself you are not good enough. But when you die to self, God can freely flow through you, because dead men don’t get in the way. This frees you to be the man/woman God called you to be and the results will be amazing. But it won’t happen until you change the way you think.
Closing Confession: Father, I thank You for teaching me about Your grace and my requirement to live by faith. The more I learn about Your grace, the more my mind is renewed to accept it. I know I am limited, but You are limitless. My power and ability can only take me so far. But Your power and ability flowing through me, will take me further than I ever imagined. You have freely made Your power and ability available to me, through Your Son Christ Jesus, and I declare by faith that I die to self in order to accept and experience it. The devil is going to fight against me. I know it. But the devil is defeated. When the devil looks at me, he sees sin, and he wants me to focus on sin. But when You look at me, You see Your Son, and You want me to focus on Your Son. I get Your Word down in my heart to the point where my mind is renewed. I think a new way. I openly accept Your grace and I pursue it with my faith. I will close out 2015 strong. This year shall be the best year of my life, because I live it with a renewed min. Father, I am open to You and all You want to do in my life. I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
