Renew your mind

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. – Romans 12:1-2

Since we are born into this world once we become saved there are many habits that need to be worked out of us in order for us to grow as Christians.  These verses give us a good start in that process.  As we read the word of GOD, we allow the way that we think to be molded by it.  Eventually, our thinking will be in line with the word of God and will cause us to walk in line with Gods will for our lives.

Focus your mind

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. – Philippians – 4:6

On a daily basis, you should try to focus your mind on these virtues.  What we put in our minds determines what comes out in our words and actions. Paul tells us to program our minds using these things.  Replace harmfull inputs with wholesome material Pray and ask God to help you filter the thoughts in your mind through these things.  It’s not easy but over time you will become better at it.

Plant in your mind

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.  Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.  Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. – Galatians 5:22-25

The fruits of the spirit is the spontaneous work of the Holy Spirit in us.  The Spirit produces these character traits that are found in the nature of Christ. In order not to be a slave to sin, try daily to walk in these character traits.

Fill your mind (Replacement Theory)

“When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it.  Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order.  Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation.” – Matthew 12:44-45

Just cleaning up your life without allowing Christ to fill it leaves plenty of room for satin to enter it again.  Once you leave sinful patters of thought or actions, you must replace those actions with love for God and obedience to him.  You do this by filling your mind with Gods word and asking the Holy Spirit to fill you.

Become Like-minded

For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his.  For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— because anyone who has died has been set free from sin. – Romans 6:5-7

Here Paul emphasizes that we need no longer live under sin’s power. God does not take us out of the world or make us robots. We will still feel like sinning, and sometimes we will fall in sin.  The difference is that before we were saved we were slaves to sin but now we can chose to live for Christ

Set Your Mind

Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.  The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. – Romans 8:5-6

Here Paul divides people into two categories, those who let themselves be controlled by sin and those who follow after the Holy Spirit. As Christians, we have to daily and consciously choose to centre our lives on God.  You do this by using the bible to discover God’s guidelines and then following them.   Doing this allows you not to be a slave to sin.

Erase From Your Mind

That, however, is not the way of life you learned when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. – Ephesians 4:21-24 (17-24 in context)

Our old way of life before we believed in Christ is completely in the past.  We should put it behind us like old clothes that need to be thrown away. We are not to be driven by desire and impulse.  We must put on the new role, head in a new direction, and have a new way of thinking that the Holy Spirit gives.

Be Dead to old thoughts in your mind

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. – Galatians 2:20

To be crucified with Christ means that the sinful impulses that you once gave into no longer cause you to take action on them.  So as an example, if a person was to feel the urge to smoke a cigarette, if that person was dead, they wouldn’t be able to respond to that urge.   On the other hand, when you feel an impression from the Holy Spirit to do something, you would be alive to Christ and respond and follow through.

Remember to Stay in Fellowship with God

If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. – 1 John 1:7

As I mention in the intro of this episode, one of the greatest benefits of not walking in sin is uninterrupted fellowship with God.   The penalty for our sins past, present and future has been paid when Jesus dies on the cross.  So it’s no longer about what we do or don’t do, but if we believe in the work the Jesus did.  Through walking in fellowship with God you can experience his peace, favour, blessings, safety and so much more.  So you can remember this verse when you are tempted.  Think about this sweet fellowship that you will lose if you wilfully sin.

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. – Colossians 3:1-2

In Chapter 2, Paul exposes the wrong reasons for self-denial.  In chapter 3 he explains true Christian behavior -putting on the new self by accepting Christ and regarding the earthly nature as dead.  We change our moral and ethical behavior by letting Christ live within us, so that he can shape us into what we should be.