(Read Matthew 15)
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 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… things begin in the mind.” That’s why Paul said, “Let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.” (Rom 12:2). For over a week we have been looking at messages centered on changing the way you think. Today’s message will be the last in this vein. In this message I will discuss overall concept of mind renewal.
So what does this mean to you today? A few things:
- You don’t come to God with a blank slate. When you come to God you come with a certain mindset. On the day you were Born-Again your mind was already shaped and programmed to think a certain way. Chances are that your mindset coming into your relationship with God was not conducive to living the life He wants you to live. This then put you in a position where you needed a change.
- Your mind was not changed. The day you were Born-Again your spirit was made new, but your soul — which is comprised of your mind (the way you think), emotions (the way you feel) and will (the way you make decisions) — remained the same. You received a new spirit, but you still needed a new mind.
- Learning and unlearning. Some things you must learn, because they are completely new to you when you are Born-Again. However, other things you must unlearn, because you were already taught, but the teaching you received did not line up with God’s Word, will or ways. So for you to be truly reprogrammed you must also be deprogrammed.
- If you don’t change the way you think, you won’t change. You can be Born-Again and have God Himself living inside of you, and still live a defeated life. If you don’t change the way you think to line up with God you will never consistently experience His best. You thinking must line up with God’s thinking in order to flow in the unforced rhythms of grace.
- Closing the gap. When you come to God there is always a gap (distance) between the way you see yourself and your future, and the way God has already planned it. Renewing your mind closes the gap and it helps put you in alignment with God’s divine assignment.
- Don’t be afraid of losing anything. Some believers are reluctant to give up what God is leading them to give up, because they are afraid of losing out on something. Listen, if God is leading you to let something go, then you want to let it go. You don’t want anything God does not want you to have, and anything you give up for God will become a seed. God will never be in debt to you! He will make sure the harvest you reap is far greater than the seed you planted.
- Renew your mind to truly accept the grace of God. Before you came to God you probably thought you had to work hard for everything you were going to get in life and that you had to do most of it on your own. While you still need to work hard, because God does not bless lazy people, the message of Grace teaches you that you DO NOT need to do everything on your own. Actually, you CAN’T do what God has called you to do without Him. The more you renew your mind to die to self, the more God can flow through you, and the closer you will be to becoming the man/woman God has destined you to be. Not because you will earn it, but only because of God’s grace.
- Accept God’s grace and live by faith. You will not experience what you are not expecting. The Lord has a dream for your life and He fashioned it from the foundations of the world by His unearned grace. Now, in order for you to fully experience God’s dream you must first accept it. The dream won’t be realized with human trying, but rather with human dying. The more you die to self (which requires mind renewal), the more you will find yourself dreaming the dreams God designed for you. Will you dream God-sized dreams and actually expect those dreams to come to pass. Not on your power, but by God’s grace.
Closing Confession: Father, I thank You for teaching me about Your grace and my requirement to live by faith. You love me with an everlasting love. You made plans for me from the foundations of the world. You freely plan to give me Your best by Your grace. However, You do require me to renew my mind. The day I was Born-Again my spirit was made new, but the mind was not. My mind must be changed to think the way You think, so I can become the person You called me to be. By faith I declare that I submit to the process of mind renewal. I see myself the way You see me. I freely accept all You want to do in my life by grace. I die to self so You can freely live through me. And the more I do, the more You bless me to dream God-sized dreams. I accept the dreams You plant in my heart by grace and I pursue them by faith. As I do, my testimony is: I am who You say I am, I can do what You say I can do, and I will accomplish all You have destined me to accomplish in this earth before I die. Not because I am so good, but because You are. Not because I am worthy, but because of Your grace. I think like my God and I get to flow with His unforced rhythms of grace because of it. I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
