Renewing Our Minds By The Word Of God

We open with a question: Generally speaking what is needed Before any action takes place?

1.     Knowledge

2.     Understanding

3.     Wisdom

4.     Instruction

5.     Perception

If we move ahead without these ideal elements in place we are headed for a sure disaster. Yes, for those who are trained up well on the Word these elements tend to be transparent and happening in the background every time a task comes up that requires action. So, it would only be a little tedious for those who haven't yet taken these steps when they make decisions, but the reward is immense. Applying them can assure you that you can avoid making unnecessary mistakes in life which can cost you plenty in resources such as time, money, materials, lost businesses, and the absence of these can even damage relationships:

Rom 12:2 - 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

So now We want to dissect one of the hinge words in that scripture I define it as a swing word, in which the rest of the scripture hinges on. Let's take a look at the meaning of that word conformed using Google AI:

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:14

Hello, this is Ken, your podcast teacher. Welcome back to my podcast Deep Waters. This podcast is brought to you by a Five Strength Ministry, where we believe working together on five strength is the effect of working out, the will and calling of God, in into our lives. Thanks for joining me in this open-up in prayer. Let you be the God and Father of your Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed you with every spiritual blessing in heavenly places in Christ, just as he chose you and him before the foundation of the world, that you should be holy and without blame before him in life, having predestined you to adoption as a Son or Father by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, which he purposed in himself, for the praise of the glory of his grace by which he made you accepted in the beloved. In him ye have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace which he made to abound towards you in all wisdom and prudence, having made known to you the mystery of his will, that in the dispensation and the fullness of the times, he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth and him. I ask that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, and the knowledge of the mystery of him, and to the deepest knowledge of him that you are willing and able to receive, that the eyes of your understanding would be open wider, and that you would be enlightened to who he is, that you may know what is the hope of his calling, what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in you, what is the exceeding greatness of his power towards you who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, which he worked in Christ when you raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, that he would grant that you would be strengthened with might through his spirit in the inner man, and into your spirit in heart, and that you would be able to stand against your flesh, this world, and the devil, and into any and all temptation. I pray that you love me account more and more in all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense until the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ with the glory and praise of God. I ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will and all wisdom and spiritual understanding, that you may walk worthy of the Lord, wholly pleasing him, being fruitful in every good work, strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, in all patience and longsuffering with joy, giving thanks to the Father who has qualified you to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints who walk in the light. I pray that your hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love and unity, and that you would attain to all the riches of the full assurance of understanding, both of the Father and of Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which has been given to each of my listeners by Jesus Christ, that you are enriched in everything by him, in all utterance and all knowledge, so that you do not come short in obtaining or operating in your calling and purpose, nor in using any spiritual gifts or talents, eagerly waiting for the continued revelation of our Lord Jesus, who will confirm you to the end, that you may be blameless in the near coming day of our Lord. God is faithful by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son Jesus. Okay, so now therefore, my sisters and brothers in Christ, when things get tough, think about whatever things are true, noble, just, pure, lovely, and whatever things are of a good report. If there is any virtue, and if there is anything praiseworthy, meditate on these things alone. I pray that in these very days that you would let your love be without hypocrisy, hate and loath what is evil, cling to what is good and righteous, be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor, giving preference to one another, not lagging in diligence, fervent and fully engulfed in spiritual fire, serving the Lord, rejoicing in hope, walking in the peace of God, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer, distributing to the needs of the saints, that is each other, and that you would be given to hospitality. May the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like minded towards one another, according to Christ Jesus, that we learn to be of one mind in one accord, operating completely and fully in love and unity, always striving for the working out of God's specific will for each of our lives, while working in partnership with each other within the church and the Holy Spirit, as he manifests his miracles, signs and wonders through the daily activities of our ministry and kingdom work. And while we also go out preaching the gospel and word and deed, let us love and serve one another, our enemy, and those who wouldn't expect us to do so, considering each person better than ourselves. Bind up any words or thoughts that are contrary to the love of God, or which would set you back in your Christian walk. Ah, step out in faith today and walk with God, being assured that nothing will separate you from Him as long as you abide in Him. Call those things that don't exist as though they do. Remember, He that is in you is greater than He that is in the world. Be more than a conqueror today, submitting to the will of God in everything. Let each of us express uncompromising love towards one another in humility while maintaining a teachable spirit. I pray that God will give you the revelation within this message that He intends you to receive with the understanding. Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. In Jesus' name we pray, amen. The title of this message is Renewing Our Minds by the Word of God. We open with the question Generally speaking, what is needed before any action takes place? Knowledge, understanding, wisdom, instruction, and perception. If we move ahead without these ideal elements in place, we are headed for a sure disaster. Yes, for those who are trained up well on the word, these elements tend to be transparent and happening in the background, every time a task comes up that requires action. So it would only be a little tedious for those who haven't yet taken these steps when they make decisions, but the reward is immense. Applying them can assure you that you can avoid making unnecessary mistakes in life, which can cost you plenty and resources such as time, money, materials, lost businesses, and the absence of these can even damage relationships. Romans twelve two Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. So now we want to dissect one of the hinge words in that scripture. I define it as a swing word, in which the rest of the scripture hinges on. Let's take a look at the meaning of that word conform using Google AI. Conformed refers to the act of aligning with a specific pattern, standard, or mold, often through external pressure. In a general sense, it means to adapt one's behavior or appearance to fit in with a group or to obey established rules and norms. The biblical meaning in the Bible the term is used both as a warning and a promise, depending on what a person is conforming to, such as worldly conformity, which is a negative. In Romans twelve two, the Greek word shushamasito is used, which means to fashion oneself according to a pattern. Many scholars describe this as being squeezed into the mold of the world's values, priorities, and behaviors. It typically refers to an outward, superficial change that doesn't reflect a person's true inner nature, conformity to Christ. This is positive. In Romans eight twenty nine, believers are predestined to be conformed to the image of his son. This uses a different Greek root sumorphos, which suggests a deeper, essential likeness rather than just an external one. It is a process of being shaped to reflect the character, holiness, and virtues of Jesus. So conformed is an external pressure to fit a mold, like pouring water in a jar. The water takes the shape of the jar but remains watered. Transformed, an internal change of nature, like a caterpillar becoming a butterfly. The substance itself is changed from the inside out. Note the difference between conformed and transformed. Speaking of transformed, let's peek behind the curtain of that word using the same source. That is Google AI. So nope, actually I already did and extracted four words that are contained within the definition that I will use to build upon the message. Those words begin with the opening statement transformed is a change in form, appearance, nature, and character. Again, form, appearance, nature, and character. So let's knit a sweater and see how the definition impacts the Romans twelve two scripture. Form. Form is defined as a physical shape, structural arrangement, or essential nature of something. The scriptures that deal with our old form, our old man or structure are 1 Thessalonians 5 23, Matthew 21, 21 through 22, 1 Peter 2 24, Matthew 8 17, Psalms 107 20, 1 John 5 14, Isaiah 53 5, Psalm 103 2 through 3, and Mark 11 23 through 24. Now I know what you were thinking, which is that you want to know how those specific scriptures apply to Romans twelve too. And so let's find out. So the question is, did God leave it entirely up to us to square away our body, soul, and spirit? Nope, and this is because we couldn't do it before we became authentically born again. Otherwise, anyone who so chooses can simply ask God for healing of their body or an emotional overhaul of their emotions within their battered pre Christ life, but they do not have access to his benefits, and so remain subject to depend on the world to solve their body, soul, and spiritual problems. And to that I say good luck, as I tried it and ended up almost dead. The world just doesn't have solutions that require a godly solution. The scripture groups are broken into two groups. The first is the activation of our benefits package, which was all signed in the blood of Jesus. The second is how we ask for the invocation of those benefits. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. Matthew eight seventeen. This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah. He took our illnesses and bore our diseases. Psalm one hundred seven twenty. He sent on his word and healed them, and delivered them from their destruction. Isaiah fifty three five. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquity. Upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. Psalm one hundred three two three. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits. Who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases? Did you see the order? First he forgives all your iniquities, and then he heals all your diseases. If you try to go to God with unrepentant sin, he cannot heal you. So that was the first group of scriptures, and please do not be misled by the fact that that group is so small. We Christians have access to around three thousand promises of God. Yes, it is the universe's largest benefit package ever created for mankind. And this is the confidence that we have towards him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. Matthew twenty one twenty one through twenty two. And Jesus answered them, truly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, be taken up and thrown into the sea, it will happen, and whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive if you have faith. Mark eleven twenty three through twenty four. Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, be taken up and thrown into the sea, and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Therefore, I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. Ask, ask, ask. No, but be in the right position before God, before just charging up to his room and making demands. Be repentant of any residual sins. Be humble, knowing the difference between you and him. Honor, respectful, reverential, considering you are about to proach the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, and his and our Father, and but he is our only Father because of the cross Jesus was laid upon. The next of the four words is appearance, and rather than just providing scripture, I thought I would tap into Google AI to get a fuller understanding of how being authentically born again and allowing God, or more precisely, his word to transform our lives. Scriptures indicate that being born again causes a fundamental transformation from the inside out, often described as becoming a new creation, second Corinthians five seventeen. While this transformation is primarily spiritual, it manifests outwardly through changed behaviors, character, and sometimes a radiance reflecting Christ. Second Corinthians five seventeen states, therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old is passed away. Behold, the new has come. This is one of the most misunderstood scriptural benefits that we have received. The old man, the old Jew, the old appetites, the desire to sin, the old nasty habits and behaviors were wiped from eternity. You might ask, how is it misunderstood? I would say that based on the current lethargic condition of many Christian lives, the fact that the current church is slipping into a lukewarm state, the condition of the very communities that you were placed in to usher the kingdom of God, to bring transformation, but instead you assimilated into their nasty anti god culture. Ah, remember we have three thousand promises, and the most relevant question you can ask yourself today, my Christian brother and sister, is how many of those are you accessing? Healing or healing others? When was the last time you prayed and received a clear answer? God's communication system does not have a hold button. Second Corinthians three eighteen describes believers being transformed into Christ's image with increasing glory as they behold him. Ephesians four twenty two through twenty four speaks to putting off the old self or the old man, and putting on the new self or new man, which is created to look like God in righteousness. Who puts off the old human costume and puts on the new human costume? If you wake up and start kicking butts and taking names, you may want to go back into your closet and check to see if you grabbed the old man by mistake. You see, one of our benefits is that because we have the Holy Spirit living inside of us, he will speak to us regarding which costume we slipped into for that day. Ah, perhaps it was dark when you got dressed this morning. And but so go back and read your word or go online and ask Google AI which scripture helps with the thought of kicking butts and taking names? Resist that devil and put on the new man. Put the armor of God on every day. Wouldn't you do this if you were in a natural human battle? How much more when we are dealing with a stealthy, evil, supernatural world where everything goes but especially murder, death, and mayhem? ten. Romans twelve two encourages not being conformed to the world, but being transformed by the renewal of the mind. No doubt you recognize that scripture blessing, right? Philippians three twenty one mentions the future transformation of our lowly bodies to be like Jesus' glorious body. Visible changes resulting from the inner change, facial radiance and countenance. The internet mentions how prayer and spiritual changes can alter one's countenance. Change behavior, new actions, attitudes, and character, love, joy, peace appear as the old sinful habits are replaced. I thought it would slip in the scripture that speaks to those attributes Galatians twenty two through twenty four. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control. Against such things there is no law, and those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. Reflecting Christ, a spiritual change that becomes visible to others through action and demeanor. And what comes before we take actions? Knowledge, understanding, wisdom, instruction, and perception. Give a good long read in the book of Proverbs, and apply what you come away with in that book. No matter where you are in life and in your walk with God, it will improve. Aye, no wait, God guarantees it. Powsy wowsy, we are still just dealing with four primary words that define transformation. The next word is nature, which again the definition can be found using Google AI. Scriptures indicate that being born again signifies a fundamental spiritual transformation, replacing a sinful nature with a new nature in Christ. Key verses include Second Corinthians five seventeen, new creation, Ephesians four twenty two through twenty four, putting on the new self or new man, and Ezekiel eleven nineteen, a heart of flesh replacing stone, making a shift from living in sin to righteousness. Here are the key scriptures regarding the change of nature. Second Corinthians, therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come. Ephesians four twenty two twenty four calls to put off your old self, and put on the new man or a new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. Ezekiel eleven nineteen. I will give them an undivided heart, and put a new spirit in them, I will remove from them their heart of stone, and give them a heart of flesh. Colossians three ten, put on a new self or new man, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its creator. It only gets renewed in knowledge if you're reading your Bible by the way. Romans six for we know that our old self was crucified with him, so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with. I have been crucified with Christ, it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. Second Corinthians three eighteen. And we all are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. Key aspects of the new nature new desires. This is important. The new nature has a desire to obey God, a desire to read the Bible, a desire to go to church and be around those who are like minded, whereas the old nature lived in rebellion and desired to be around people who were also rebellious. Indwelling Spirit, the Holy Spirit now indwells the believer. Yep, he's inside of you, providing power and ability to overcome the old nature. Lifestyle change. While Christians may struggle with sin, they can no longer comfortably live in a lifestyle of sin because their nature has changed. So but when we do fall into sin, we have an advocate whose name is Jesus who sits on the right hand of the Father who intercedes for us. So we just simply go to him, ask forgiveness, repent, and get on with our Christianity. I want to add a couple of additional scriptures to this definition as they dropped into my spirit as I was prepping this message. Ezekiel thirty six twenty six and I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you, and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. New equipment, and it is not OME equipment, that is original manufacturer's equipment. Yes, I use that for you car peeps. But it is new and heaven sent equipment in your authentically born again self. Second Peter one four through nine, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. Do you know how you escaped? Jesus paid the path of escape with his blood. When you stopped running from God and accepted his loving pursuit of you, then your yes to his invite made the way of escape possible. Look at the value of this part of Peter's writing Luke thirteen, twenty three through twenty four. And someone said to him, Lord, will those who are saved be few? And he said to them, Strive to enter through the narrow door, for many I tell you will seek to enter and will not be able. Matthew seven thirteen fourteen. Enter by the narrow gate, for the gate is wide, and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many, for the gate is narrow, and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. So in other words, the way of escape is not forced on anybody. You can stay in your prison of sin, or you can live a life. Free from the tyranny of the devil. Okay, so the main or one of the most powerful words in both of these scriptures is the word many. So I thought I would Geek Greek the word many in context of the Luke scripture to see if we can add additional understanding or impact, or even urgency. Yes, urgency. Remember we are in the last days, and my thought, not that I want to add to this scripture, is many more than previously before will try to make the great escape into heaven, and will find that they went down the wrong path. I know there's people that say all paths lead to heaven, and that's true, they do, but not everybody on those paths will stay there. In Luke thirteen, twenty three through twenty four, the Greek word for many is polo, which is a plural form of polis, meaning a large number, many or a great amount. Jesus uses this term to indicate that a large number of people will try to enter the kingdom of God, but many will be unable to do so. Definition polis and its plural form poloi denotes a high frequency or large quantity, abundance, sometimes translated as many, much or great. Context in Luke thirteen twenty four, Jesus contrasts the many who will seek to enter with the difficulty of the narrow door, implying that a vast number of people will seek salvation, but simply wanting to enter is not enough. Contrasting strive. While many will try to enter, they must strive to enter, which suggests intense effort rather than casual attempts. And it's funny because you'll get people that will see a radical Christian and say, Oh, they're just over the top. And yet Jesus is telling us to strive, and the definition of that is to put forth intense effort to get into the kingdom of God, rather than casual attempts. Those who make casual attempts are risking salvation. Are you trying to blend into a world that's on its way to hell? The price is high. In this context, Many highlights that a significant multitude will make a superficial attempt at salvation, but they must struggle to pass through the narrow way. Okay, on to verse five in Peter's scripture. For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self control, and self control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Okay, so we have conditions, right? If these qualities are yours. What podcast preacher? Are they not included in our ten thousand page benefit package? Yes, but many of those benefits are conditional. In a previous message, I mentioned that the word if is in the Bible around sixteen hundred times. God did not save you into a one way relationship. He wants to be loved as much by you as you by him. For whoever lacks these qualities is so near sighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. Galatians six five. Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Where have we seen the word gentleness? Galatians twenty two. It's on you to manifest that Holy Spirit fruit as you walk in the newness of life. Keep watch on yourself lest you too be tempted, bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ, for if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor, for each one will have to bear his own load. Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with one who teaches. Do not be deceived, God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap, for the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the spirit will, from the spirit, reap eternal life, and let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith. What is possible if we allow the Word of God to transform our thinking center? Ah scripture bomb Mark nine twenty three. And Jesus said to him, If you can, all things are possible for one who believes. Okay, so don't forget we are going somewhere, and if you need to be reminded, the title of this message is Renewing Our Minds by the Word of God. If our minds change, everything else goes with it. Listen, as a man thinks in his heart, so is he is a proverb, and it can be found in Proverbs twenty three seven, meaning a person's true character, actions, and identity are determined by their inner thoughts, beliefs, and hidden intentions, rather than by outward appearances. It suggests that consistent inward thoughts eventually manifest as outward actions and shapes one's reality. Key aspects of the proverb, your innermost thoughts and attitudes define your true self, regardless of what you project outwardly. In context of the heart, the biblical term the heart refers to the inner self, mind, and intellect. What a person truly calculates or believes deep down, can we say your soul? Yes. Behavioral influence. The phrase highlights that consistent, deep seated thoughts eventually direct a person's actions and life path. The phrase is widely used to emphasize the importance of maintaining positive and good thoughts, as they determine the quality of one's character and spiritual fruit. In John fifteen, sixteen it states You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you. So now the last word that defines the word transformation is character. Scriptures describe being born again as a radical transformation, a new creation, where the Holy Spirit changes a person's character from desiring sin to desiring righteousness, holiness, and love. Key verses highlighting leaving behind old behaviors, anger, selfishness, etc, to adopt a new nature modeled after Christ through the renewing of the mind. Second Corinthians five seventeen, therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come. The old is gone, the new is here. Romans twelve two emphasizes being transformed by the renewing of your mind, rather than conforming to worldly patterns. Do you notice how that scripture keeps popping up in this message with all these definitions? Ephesians four twenty two through twenty four instructs believers to put off your old self and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. Galatians five twenty two through twenty three describes the fruit of the Spirit, which is the change in character from within love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. Ezekiel thirty six twenty six through twenty seven prophesies the change, saying, I will give you a new heart, and put a new spirit in you. I will remove from you your heart of stone, and give you a heart of flesh. Colossians three fifteen describes the practical application of this change, putting away anger, malice, slander, and putting on compassion, kindness, humility, and forgiveness. Second Corinthians three eighteen states that we are being transformed into Christ's image with ever increasing glory. Now I will add the scriptures that came to me when I was preparing this message for the Sunday school slash Bible study class held at Arise Paradise in Paradise, because I believe it was God giving me these. And but you might ask, well then why did you include the others? Because I would reply they still help support the definition of you, that is your mind being transformed. These scriptures will indicate that while the change is instant and in spiritual standing, the character change is often a continuous process of becoming more like Jesus. What is important to understand is how the entire body is affected by a transformed mind. We should consider that we receive the blessing of our body, soul, and spirit, and reminder, our mind, will, and emotions are housed in our soul. So these elements or to steal a phrase that was created to define the three parts of God, these are the trinity of the human body, that is body, soul, and spirit, and the trinity of the soul is our mind, will, and emotions. For my long time listeners, you know that I'm not a fan of the Trinity label because of how it came into being. I did a message titled Sixtinity, and you can give an ear to it to understand why I take that position. Back to my four scriptures in support of being transformed. Love is patient and kind. Love does not envy or boast. It is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way. It is not irritable or resentful. It does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. As a bonus, the scripture in verse five is defined more precisely in Greek as the following Corinthians thirteen five. Greek irritable and does not count up wrongdoing. Do you see that? Irritable does not count up wrongdoing. So if you're manifesting irritability, that means you're counting up wrongdoing. That means you keep a list of a person's wrongs. And we're not supposed to do that. And there's a scripture that specifically pertains to that. Imagine God keeping a list of your wrongs. If he has a list of your sins, that means you didn't approach him for forgiveness, because my word says that he forgives and forgets all of my sins. So what right do we have to track other people's sins and wrongs against us if God is so willing to forgive us for ours and throw away the list? So why broach the loving thing in our pursuit of understanding mind transformation? We love because He first loved us. And Matthew twenty two, thirty seven through thirty nine. And he said to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And the second is like it, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. John thirteen, thirty four through thirty five. A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. You also are to love one another. By this all the people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. Okay, so there they are. Love is a priority and a necessity, and an outflow of the time you put into your relationship with God. If you lack love, you have some very important things to address. And so but now we cannot walk past the anomaly in the crowd, right? A new commandment? Doesn't, or rather didn't the Bible already tell us that we should love one another? Yes, but again, let's Google AI, the why Jesus included this scripture in the Bible saying it the way that he said it. And as a reminder, he said, A new commandment I give to you. The newness of this command isn't the idea of love itself. Loving your neighbor was already a part of the Old Testament law, Leviticus 19, 18. What made it new was the standard and the source. Previously the standard was love your neighbor as yourself. Jesus raised the bar to love one another as I have loved you. This shifted the benchmark from self love to Christ like sacrifice. He was about to lay down his life, showing that this love is selfless, sacrificial, and unconditional. Jesus established love as a primary branding or uniform of a Christian. He said the world would recognize his followers not by their miracle signs and wonders, their knowledge, or even their clothing, but by their visible love for one another. It became the distinguishing characteristic of the new nature that was talked about earlier. Under the old law, people tried to love through their own effort. This new command was given in the context of a new covenant, where the Holy Spirit would dwell within believers, providing the actual power to love others within God's own agape love Romans. While older traditions often focused on loving those within one's own tribe or family, or those who loved you back, Jesus' new love extended to enemies and the unworthy, mirroring how he loved his disciples even when they were about to abandon him. Okay, so I know that we are really deep into these definition things, but I know that you know you understand more about Romans twelve two than you ever thought possible. As a reminder, Romans twelve two, do not be conformed to this world, and remember all of the reasons why we shouldn't follow the ways of the world as defined already in this message. But be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good, acceptable, and perfect. All we have done thus far in this message is presented a mind transformation scripture, Romans twelve two, and defined a few words from the definition of a few words. Isn't it amazing how deep this study took us with so little effort? Yes, podcast preacher, it is. Great, and thanks be to God and His Holy Spirit. Okay, but we are not quite finished. Let's zippity do day. The mind is renewed by studying the word and by acting on it. One may study the word for years, but if he does not act on it, live it is not a doer, the mind is not renewed. James gives us a secret in James one twenty two. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourself. Many people who study the Bible are deceiving themselves because they are not acting, living, and doing the word. I want to add that it is only talking about those who study the word. Any idea how many so called Christians have some kind of hopeless thought that they will get into heaven on only what their pastors preach or on a daily devotional text or email? Okay, so enough about me. Let's see what we are up against. While a vast majority of US households own a Bible, reading it is inconsistent. Studies show that roughly thirty five to forty six percent of people who identify as Christians or American adults are considered Bible disengaged or never read it, with only about twenty to thirty percent reading it daily. A significant portion, over half, have read less than half the Bible. The data speaks for itself, and strangely enough, that data lines up with Matthew 25, 1 through 13. The Tin Virgin story, right? Before we wrap up, I think we should take a look at the word deceiving, or as it states in other translations of the same scripture, James 1 22, deluding yourself. Let's see what Google AI has to say about that word. To deceive or delude yourself means to believe something is true when it is actually false, usually because you want it to be true or are ignoring the evidence. It is a form of internal blindness where you trick your own mind. In a biblical and psychological context, here's how they break it down. Self deception. Self deception is often a process of justification. It happens when you convince yourself that your actions are okay or that your spiritual state is fine while ignoring reality. The hearer only trap, James 122 says, Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Here, deception is thinking that knowing the truth is the same thing as living the truth. The sinless claim, first John 1 8 says, if we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. Self delusion. While deception is the act of lying to yourself, a delusion is a firmly held false belief that persists despite clear proof of the contrary. It is a deeper state of being out of touch with reality. So for those people who think that I'm not a boy but a girl, or I'm not a girl but a boy, or I'm a dog, or I'm a non binary, this is exactly the definition of how they're thinking. But this state of mind also affects those attending our churches. A seared conscience delusion often happens when a person ignores their conscience for so long that they eventually believe their own lies are the absolute truth, the strong delusion. Second Thessalonians two eleven speaks of people who refuse to love the truth, so they are sent a strong delusion that they should believe the lie. And you know who sends them the strong delusion? God. So the key differences feature, deception and delusion. Nature under deception, it says, often a smoke and mirrors trick on the mind. Delusion, a deep rooted, fixed false reality. Source usually involves ignoring a specific truth. That's under deception. Delusion usually involves a total rejection of the truth. Example, I'm a good person even though I'm lying. That's under deception. Delusion? My lies are actually the truth. Why does it happen? It is usually a defense mechanism. We deceive ourselves to avoid the pain of change, the guilt of sin, or the discomfort of admitting we are wrong. As you mentioned earlier with the new nature, the Bible suggests that the old man, the old nature, is corrupt according to deceitful lusts. Ephesians four twenty two. Well now, I can't leave you there, least your heart be troubled. Perhaps we can find an antidote to self deception from the Word of God. The Bible presents a few specific medicines for a heart that is prone to tricking itself. If self deception is like a blindfold, the antidote is transparency with God, with his word and with others. The mirror of the word, the most direct antidote is found in James two, twenty two through twenty five. James compares the Bible to a mirror. Self deception happens when we look at the truth, walk away and immediately forget what we look like. The antidote is to look intently into the word and actually do what it says. Action prevents the mental fog of hypocrisy, walking in the light. In first John one five through nine, the antidote to self deception, specifically the lie that we have no sin, is walking in the light. Confession, admitting the truth to God exactly as it is. Exposure, bringing things out of the darkness, out of our private thoughts, and into the light of God's presence. Inviting God's examination. Since the heart is deceitful above all things, Jeremiah seventeen nine, we often can't see our own blind spots. The antidote is to ask God to be the searcher. Psalm one hundred thirty nine twenty three through twenty four. Search me, God, and know my heart. See if there is any offensive way in me. This is a proactive strike against self delusion. Community and exhortation. We are often the last people to see our own deceptions. The Bible suggests that other believers act as a safety net and can be a great catalyst for change if they are on their own transformative journey bearing the fruits thereof. So yes, I added bearing the fruits thereof in that statement because in these days there is a rebellion in the church or in Christians who do not attend the church because everybody is wrong. Add this to those who do not read, and well, maybe it is because maybe they too don't read the Bible. But wow, right? Now of course, if the church doesn't flow in anointed called ones through the active presence of the Holy Spirit, then I too would lead the church. But not stay out of the church. There are churches that are alive and active, and it is within these living lights that you can be helped to continue your transformative growth journey. On with the definition Hebrews 3 13. But encourage one another daily so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. Hearing the truth from a trusted friend can break a person's delusion. Renewing the mind. As you noted earlier with transformed, the antidote to the old man who is corrupt through deceit is the renewal of the mind, Romans 12.2. This means replacing self-talk or world talk with God talk, filtering every thought through the Holy Spirit. Some of you might remember the older Batman and Robin sitcoms back in the 70s, where when they were fighting or on their way to save the world, the producers threw up words on the screen like pow, bam, kabow, zap, whack, biff, zonk, wham. And these are the words we use to close this message. Did you see how we began with Romans 12.2 and ended with Romans 12.2? Only God could be so precisely accurate and informative. Let's close and pray. May the Lord make you increase and abandon love to one another in all, so that he may establish your heart blameless and holiness before your God and Father at the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints. Now may the God of peace, the one in whom we call wonderful, counselor, mighty God, everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. May He himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. To our Lord of Lords and our King of Kings, to our High and Up, great high priest, who has once and for all paid the price, that you might see and hear God. May He hear and respond to our prayers. To our God we stand and pray as He too always lives to make intercession for you while seated at the right hand of the Father. May the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, the great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do his will, working in you what is well pleasing in his sight. Through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Well that's it for today. Remember it's not what you find wrong or disagree with regarding these messages, but what you can take away from it. Together we can do more to impact the kingdom than if we work alone. Let's flip the script and steal, kill, and destroy the works of the enemy and create space for the light of lights to shine through into people's lives. Plant a seed and click on the like and subscribe button. Link this message out or teach from it in your Bible study, your life or cell group, and yes, even in your church. You can be assured it comes from one call to teach, and though imperfect, you have the word of God to use to test everything I say. Let's build this ministry together. Thanks and see you next time in Deep Waters.