Bible Q&A: How Are We to Renew Our Minds, part 1

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Referring to Romans 12:2 and Ephesians 4:23, I’ve read several books on how to train your mind to stop negative thoughts and focus on what matters. How does the Bible say we are to renew our minds?

• Remember, that there is a battle going on for your mind: Galatians 5:16-18 
  • Key: “walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” How is this possible? This is a dense text that is more fully explained in Romans 6-8.

• • Romans 6:1-11 The contrast of flesh and Spirit in Galatians is rooted in living by the Law or living by the Spirit, as Paul discusses in Romans 5:12–8:39. It is the same as the contrast between Romans 7 and Romans 8. Under Law, the flesh has control (convicts of sin and maintains its reign over us [Rom. 5:21]). But living by the Spirit (1) relies on “reigning grace” giving us freedom from sin, and (2) causing us to serve and seek God differently than we did under Law.

• • How did you serve God when you thought your salvation was dependent on your own ability to avoid sin and obey God? Four possibilities:
    • You did as the Pharisees and lowered the standard of being righteous so you could feel safe and righteous. (Matt. 5:19-48)
    • You decided salvation was dependent your own standard of what laws were considered “salvation issues.” (Gal. 3:10; 5:3; 6:13)
    • You lived your life as a Christian constantly in doubt of your salvation but “hoping” you would make it.
    • You eventually gave up, considering all that you had learned was “Church of Christ doctrine.”
• 6:10-11 “You must also consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God.” 
  • Compare to Romans 7:1-6. Released from bondage in order to be free to marry and belong to another and bear fruit for God. 
  • Verses 5-6 Under Law, we were bearing fruit for death. Now that we are released from the Law, “we serve in the new way of the Spirit.” What is this new way? 
    • Under the Law, I’m trying to conquer a “master” that cannot be conquered. But living by the Spirit, I am excitedly serving the One has given his life for me to give me freedom. 
    • Our motivation has completely changed. Cf. Note the differences between Simon the Pharisee and the sinful woman (Luke 7:36ff) or the Pharisee and tax collector in the temple (Luke 18:9-15).

• • Cf. Romans 8:8-10, 
    • “Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” Why not?
    • “But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit…”  Meaning?
    • Verse 10: NLT “But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness.”
  • Initial conclusion: “training” or “renewing” our mind has to do with a transformation in serving God based on grace and not law. That can be very difficult when most of us have grown up serving based on law.

Berry Kercheville