Renew Your Mind

Romans 12:2a Do not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind.

The definition of renew in the Greek is to renovate. Since we've been in the states, one of my favorite shows to watch is Fixer Upper with Chip and Joanna Gaines out of Waco, Texas. They don't build new houses, they fix up old ones. The process generally goes like this...

1. Find a house. They look in different neighborhoods to find the house that the client thinks would work for them. Once they decide and purchase the home, demolition starts.

2. Purchase the house. In the natural, we would need to go to the bank and purchase the house that we have our eye on. In the spiritual, our houses are what God purchased on the cross through Jesus. 1 Corinthians 6:20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. Guess what? Our brain is a part of our body and by renewing our mind to the Word of God we are glorifying God!

3. Demolition day. Demolition day is about tearing out the old, corrupt, dilapidated stuff and preparing the house for the renovation. It's dirty, hard, time-consuming work, but only when it's completed and all the junk moved out of the way, can you renovate. I'm going to stick right here a minute. Do you realize that our minds are filled with old, corrupt ways of thinking from our past? Whether it's words we've spoken over ourselves or words others have spoken over us, we've believed the lies of the enemy. It's time we did a demolition day on our thoughts! Get in there and tear out the old kitchen sink of sickness. Tear out the old wall of brokenness. Rip up the old carpet of defeat. Strip the old wallpaper of unloved and fill it back up with the new beauty of the who God says we are in His Word by renewing....renovating....our thoughts!

4. Renovation takes some time as well. During the renovation stage they have to seek out the things that will refill the house to make it complete and beautiful. Hmmmm....what does that mean for us? We renovate by getting in the Word and discovering what God says about us and we read it over and over again, until it gets down in, what I like to call, your knower. You know, that place where you know that you know that you know it's truth. It's also the place where our focus shifts from the old to the new. Instead of having our focus on the broken parts of ourselves, we begin to focus on Jesus and the renovation ahead. 

So, we've torn out the old kitchen sink of sickness and we need to replace that kitchen sink. Let's replace the old one with the brand new sink of I am healed by the stripes of Jesus (Isaiah 53:5, 1 Peter 2:24). Those walls we tore down? Let's build them back up with I am complete in Him Who is the Head of all principality and power (Colossians 2:10). That old, ragged carpet of defeat, we'll replace with the beautiful hardwood of I can do all things through Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:13). Now we need to paint those walls with the amazing color of love! I am more than a conqueror through Him Who loves me (Romans 8:37). 

5. The big reveal. This is the part of the show where Chip and Joanna take the couple out to the finished house and reveal it. The catch is, they have a giant picture of the "before" house for the couple to see before they show them the finished house. This is to remind them of "what was before." 

As we reveal the new that God is doing in us, we will inevitably run into people who can only remember you "before." They'll want to put that sink right back where it was. If we're not careful, we'll allow their words to override God's words. This is place where we need to guard our heart. 

Back to Chip and Joanna. After they've shown the couple the before, they pull apart the picture and the couple gets to see the finished product. Remember when I said that Jesus purchased us? Well, this is the point where God sees us through the finished work of Christ! The FINISHED work of Christ! 

These are some scriptures to get you started in your renovation! I copied this from Joyce Meyers and I encourage you to write them, not only on paper, but on your heart. 

Not sure who you really are? Read this list of Biblical truths that reveal who God made you to be.

I am complete in Him Who is the Head of all principality and power (Colossians 2:10).

I am alive with Christ (Ephesians 2:5).

I am free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:2).

I am far from oppression, and fear does not come near me (Isaiah 54:14).

I am born of God, and the evil one does not touch me (1 John 5:18).

I am holy and without blame before Him in love (Ephesians 1:4; 1 Peter 1:16).

I have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16; Philippians 2:5).

I have the peace of God that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7).

I have the Greater One living in me; greater is He Who is in me than he who is in the world (1 John 4:4).

I have received the gift of righteousness and reign as a king in life by Jesus Christ (Romans 5:17).

I have received the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Jesus, the eyes of my understanding being enlightened (Ephesians 1:17-18).

I have received the power of the Holy Spirit to lay hands on the sick and see them recover, to cast out demons, to speak with new tongues.  I have power over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means harm me (Mark 16:17-18; Luke 10:17-19).

I have put off the old man and have put on the new man, which is renewed in the knowledge after the image of Him Who created me (Colossians 3:9-10).

I have given, and it is given to me; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, men give into my bosom (Luke 6:38).

I have no lack for my God supplies all of my need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19).

I can quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one with my shield of faith (Ephesians 6:16).

I can do all things through Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:13).

I show forth the praises of God Who has called me out of darkness into His marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9).

I am God’s child for I am born again of the incorruptible seed of the Word of God, which lives and abides forever (1 Peter 1:23).

I am God’s workmanship, created in Christ unto good works (Ephesians 2:10).

I am a new creature in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17).

I am a spirit being alive to God (Romans 6:11;1 Thessalonians 5:23).

I am a believer, and the light of the Gospel shines in my mind (2 Corinthians 4:4).

I am a doer of the Word and blessed in my actions (James 1:22,25).

I am a joint-heir with Christ (Romans 8:17).

I am more than a conqueror through Him Who loves me (Romans 8:37).

I am an overcomer by the blood of the Lamb and the word of my testimony (Revelation 12:11).

I am a partaker of His divine nature (2 Peter 1:3-4).

I am an ambassador for Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20).

I am part of a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a purchased people (1 Peter 2:9).

I am the righteousness of God in Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21).

I am the temple of the Holy Spirit; I am not my own (1 Corinthians 6:19).

I am the head and not the tail; I am above only and not beneath (Deuteronomy 28:13).

I am the light of the world (Matthew 5:14).

I am His elect, full of mercy, kindness, humility, and longsuffering (Romans 8:33; Colossians 3:12).

I am forgiven of all my sins and washed in the Blood (Ephesians 1:7).

I am delivered from the power of darkness and translated into God’s kingdom (Colossians 1:13).

I am redeemed from the curse of sin, sickness, and poverty (Deuteronomy 28:15-68; Galatians 3:13).

I am firmly rooted, built up, established in my faith and overflowing with gratitude (Colossians 2:7).

I am called of God to be the voice of His praise (Psalm 66:8; 2 Timothy 1:9).

I am healed by the stripes of Jesus (Isaiah 53:5; 1 Peter 2:24).

I am raised up with Christ and seated in heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6; Colossians 2:12).

I am greatly loved by God (Romans 1:7; Ephesians 2:4; Colossians 3:12; 1 Thessalonians 1:4).

I am strengthened with all might according to His glorious power (Colossians 1:11).

I am submitted to God, and the devil flees from me because I resist him in the Name of Jesus (James 4:7).

I press on toward the goal to win the prize to which God in Christ Jesus is calling us upward (Philippians 3:14).

For God has not given us a spirit of fear; but of power, love, and a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7).

It is not I who live, but Christ lives in me (Galatians 2:20).