Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
Hello this is Dr. Don Ibbitson with Above and Beyond counseling ministries. I’d like
to welcome you to today’s video teaching and part of our ongoing series of teaching
videos that we make available. Today’s session is called renewing the mind. Many times when
we counsel with people and certainly those who we have taken through deliverance ministry.
An important element of our teaching in terms of staying free and moving ahead and our walk
with the Lord is renewing the mind. And I would like to talk about some of the specifics
of how to do that. Generally let’s face it life happens to us, as a friend of mine
used to say life is what happens to you when you are waiting for something better to come
along and that certainly is a statement that is true of many in the world. If you like
the world view is things happen to us. We are faced with certain situations and if we
don’t have Christ in our life we have a series of false beliefs. There are things
that we believe generally that are wrong. It could be that god hates us. God is not
for us, were not worthy. They are false beliefs and what happens is those false beliefs lead
us to have ungodly thoughts as we face any kind of situation. And those ungodly thoughts
typically stir up emotions in us and many times those are not godly emotions and those
lead to ungodly actions. And as you might expect if we have situations where we believe
wrong things, ungodly thoughts and emotions and ungodly actions almost invariably lead
to bad things happening which tends to reinforce the false beliefs that we have.
Now when we come to Christ we have another option. And that is God’s truth. And the
word of God. We have an opportunity to believe truth about what God says about those situations.
Now how does that happen? What do we do in that situation? We have the two choices, the
false beliefs or the God’s truth. And basically we have the option of being able to move into
that realm by renewing our mind with the word of God. And taking those false beliefs and
being transformed and believing and choosing to believe what the word of God says about
us as we do that then as we will be able to apply God’s truth that will tend us to have
more godly thoughts in line with God’s truth which will be emotions in line with those
thoughts. Which more times than not should lead us to doing proper, godly actions. And
as we do that good things are going to happen. We are going to see the goodness of God about
in our life which will tend to reinforce the truth of the word and therefore each time
as we move into life situations we will have an opportunity to either leave or choose to
believe what God says or have the world view and the false beliefs that are resonant in
us. So the question is how do we do that, how do we begin that transition to false beliefs
to believing what God’s word says about it. And Paul talks about it very clearly in
scripture. First of all he says in situations we are faced with life situations and we have
false beliefs relying on those we are going to have ungodly thoughts. But what does he
say to do about those ungodly thoughts? He says to capture them. Take those thoughts
captive to the obedience of Christ. To the obedience of God’s word. And that’s where
it starts. That’s in 2nd Corinthians 10:5. Take every thought captive to the obedience
of Christ and as we do that and are able to meditate on that we are able to get ourselves
in a position to capture the thoughts and come back to what the word of god says of
us. And that will lead us to those godly thoughts. And godly thoughts will lead to godly emotions
being evidenced in us and those godly emotions then combined with the godly thoughts will
lead us once again to more godly actions. And as we do that godly actions, meaning when
we see the goodness and the favor of God in our life will tend to reinforce that truth.
And once again every time and in every situation we are able to believe the false beliefs and
things of the world what am I going to believe gods truth.
And here are some examples. Here are some false beliefs that people have. I have to
meet certain standards to feel good about myself. A fear of failure. Well here is what
the word of God say. God says words as a justification I am completely forgiven by and fully pleasing
to God, I no longer have to fear failure. Here’s another false belief. I must have
the approval of certain others to feel good about myself. Fear of rejection. Well what
does God’s word say about that. The truth says that because of reconciliation I am totally
accepted by God. I no longer have to fear rejection. That is the word of God and we
can choose to believe that and meditate on that and think that. Another false belief
is that those who fail including myself are unworthy of love and deserve to be punished.
And that is a source of great guilt and shame. Well what does the word of God say because
of Christ’s sacrifice I am deeply loved by God and I no longer have to fear punishment.
Or punish others. One false belief the world has is I am what I am. I cannot change. I
am hopeless. That is shame based. The word of God says because of my rebirth in Christ
I have been made brand new and complete in Christ. I no longer need to experience the
pain of shame. Those are just some examples of thoughts. Taking thoughts captive. Renewing
our mind and choosing to believe what God’s word says about us. Depending on that. Proclaiming
that. And so our thought life comes into obedience with the word of God. Hope you found that
teaching helpful and useful as you begin your own and you continue your own journey of renewing
your mind.