October 24, 2021 | Pastor L.A. Joiner

The Church needs more sound minds. You have the mind of Christ and power in your mind, Paul said, through the Holy Spirit.

L.A. briefly shared his testimony of growing up in a dysfunctional family where he was physically and sexually abused. After he came to faith in Christ, he wanted a different mind. Romans 12:1-2 relates to having the lordship of Christ on the altar of Christ. This is what true worship is all about. Do not be conformed to this world but discern God’s will through practice, which includes reading and meditating on God’s Word and thinking rightly. The problem is we have lazy minds. Sins start in the thought life. Don’t feed the temptation. Train your mind to fight so that you don’t fall into temptation.

The power of a renewed mind is greater than the power of temptation. We can be overcomers. Derek Prince says, “We are either going to be an overcomer, or we will be overcome.” But how can we be the overcomers who have renewed minds?

First, we must be under the lordship of Christ. This means we have a changed life, one that is no longer our own but belongs to Christ. Peter said, “This Jesus, whom you have crucified, God has made both Lord and Christ.” (Acts 2:36) When we submit to the lordship of Christ, God’s will is above my will.

Second, we must offer our minds to God. The spirit man is the altar of the Christ who lives in you. Make sure the altar is clean. Repent and bring your mind to the altar! Your mind can be completely renewed. The baptism of the Holy Spirit brought about renewal through practice.

Third is the power of grace (Titus 2:11-13). Grace teaches us to say “no” to sin. The more you exercise it, the easier it gets.

Fourth is the cleansing of the Holy Spirit. Believe in the God in you. Titus 3:4-5 speaks of walking in the righteousness of the Holy Spirit. Sanctification is both instant (at conversion) and a process. It is now and ongoing.

Fifth is the cooperation of our decision. We must choose to cooperate and not make excuses because of our flesh. We are where we are because of the decisions we have made. Nothing on this earth should separate us from one another. Galatians 5:16-17 says, “This I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh; and these things are contrary to one another, so that you cannot do the things that you would.” We must fight in the Spirit with the weapons of our warfare. The battleground is in the mind.