MINDSET (2) by Pastor Shah, Clearview Church, Henderson
Introduction:“Master mind,” “A load off my mind,” “Bear it in mind,” “blow your mind,” “Call to mind,” “Change your mind,” “Keep in mind,” “State of Mind,” “In the back of my mind,” “all in your mind,” “peace of mind,” “piece of my mind,” “Open minded,” “closed minded.” I can keep going. All those phrases have the word “mind” in them. We “mindlessly” use the word “mind” but we never “set our minds” to understand its true meaning. In this second message in our series “MINDSET,” we will go one step further in understanding what the Bible has to say about the mind. What is the goal of all this? So that we can “Let this mind be in us which was also in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 2 5Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, andcoming in the likeness of men. 8And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient tothe point ofdeath, even the death of the cross. 9Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11andthatevery tongue should confess that Jesus ChristisLord, to the glory of God the Father.
Question: What is your mindset? Is it set towards the things of God or is it set towards sin? Has there been a mind change in you? Are you saved?
Context: Last weekend in our first message titled “MINDSET” we learned how Paul saw the mind-body connection.4 things to be exact:
- Mind (immaterial) and Body (material) are 2 distinct parts of every human being.
- Mind is not superior to the Body and the Body is not just a shell to house the Mind. Every human being is a Mind/Body unit. Both are critical and make us who we are.
- Both Mind and Body are in bondage to sin.
- Both Mind and Body need redemption through Christ. The redemption of the Mind begins at salvation and will be completed in the end. We will see that a little later but the redemption of the Body also begins at salvation and will be completed in the end. How do we know that it has begun?1 Corinthians 6:19“Or do you not know that your body (soma) is the temple of the Holy Spiritwho isin you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?”How do we know it will be completed?Philippians 3 20“For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21who will transform our lowly body (soma) that it may be conformed to His glorious body (soma)…”
If I may add one more – How you treat your Mind affects your Body and how you treat your Body affects your Mind. Romans 12 1I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies(soma)a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which isyour reasonable service. 2And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind (mind)…” I gave the illustration of staying up late and watching junk and eating junk and being tired, cranky, foul mouthed, depressed, and negative. Then you allow someone to bend your ears and pour in gossip or you watch a video that peddles the world’s philosophy of life which further corrupts your mind and your further mistreat your body. This is a downward spiral to a life that does not please God, does not magnify Christ, is not controlled by the Holy Spirit, and does not live by the Word but makes you and everyone else around you miserable.
In this second part of the message MINDSET, I want to focus on the Mind: What it’s not; What it is; and what it’s made of. (I’m going to primarily focus on Paul’s writings but also try to bring in other scriptures.)
1. What the mind is not:
- The Bible uses the word Heart (kardia) to designate the mind but it is not referring to the physical Heart, that muscle in your chest that is pumping your blood.
- The Bible uses the word “Splanchna” (which refers to vital organs like the heart, liver, and lungs) to refer to our deepest emotions but the splanchna is not our mind.
- The Bible does not talk about the Brain because science had not developed at the time the different parts of the Bible were written but the Brain is not even the Mind. The Brain is the center of the nervous system made up of gray matter, neurons, and axons. It controls our memory, our speech, and our bodily functions. It does have an impact on our Mind but it’s not everything.Somethings to keep in mind: You need your Mind to help you grow as a believer. The Mind depends on your brain to understand and process the information. Unfortunately, more brain power does not guarantee spiritual enlightenment. If it did, then all the smart people in the world would be saved. Many geniuses are saved but there are also people with a low IQ who love the Lord and walk in his way.
2. What the Mind is:
- Made by God to Connect with him – Romans 1 18 “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shownitto them.”
- Disconnected from God because of Sin – Romans 8:7“Because the carnal mind(Phronema)isenmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.”
- Landing Point of our Salvation – 2 Corinthians 4:6“For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our heartsto givethe light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”But if affects the whole of us.
- Invisible Part of us that Connects with Others – 1 Corinthians 5:3“For I indeed, as absent in body but present in spirit…” Here the implication is that we can be with someone without physically being with them. 1Thessalonians 2:17“But we, brethren, having been taken away from you for a short time in presence, not in heart, endeavored more eagerly to see your face with great desire.”
- Source of our Motivation – Romans 1:9“For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spiritin the gospel of His Son.”
- Seat of Our Emotions – 2 Corinthians 6 11“O Corinthians! We have spoken openly to you, our heart is wide open. 12You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted by your ownaffections.”(The Heart organ is not the Mind but when there is fear, joy, and anger, the heart starts beating rapidly. Somehow there is a connection between the Mind and the organ in our chest called the Heart.)
- Seat of our Will and Understanding – Colossians 3:2“Set your mindon things above, not on things on the earth.” Colossians 3 9“Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, 10and have put on the newmanwho is renewed in knowledgeaccording to the image of Himwho created him.” By the way, don’t misunderstand: This does not mean that only the mind is made in the image of God and not the body. Unlike God, who is total Spirit, we need an instrument to express our fellowship and worship of God and love and care for others.
3. What the Mind is made up of: 7 ingredients in my opinion
- Created by Godto respond to him but damaged by sin until salvation.
- Uniquely designed by the combination of our genetic ancestors, good and bad.
- Softened towards God or hardened against him by our upbringing.
- Redeemed by our acceptance of Christor condemned by our rejection of him.
- Renewed by our growthin Christ, his Word and Spirit, and godly fellowship.
- Tarnished or transformed by how we handle the circumstances of life.
- All the above under the grace and providence of Godwith the freedom to reject or obey him.
Romans 10 9that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Have you believed? Have you confessed?