The Renewing of the Nous: Part 2

"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. So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed. 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."
-Romans 12:1-2, Ephesians 4:17-24

In the last post, we discussed how some of us lack understanding and that it is a function of the mind, and we questioned it's condition. Is it poor? In between? Great? Today we will look at the condition of the renewed mind, and the unrenewed mind. Such differences are absolute and distinctive, just as Saved or unsaved, regenerated or unregenerated, in Christ or in Adam, death or life. Huge differences huh?
We will look at the unrenewed mind first. An unrenewed mind serves as an operation center for the enemy, Satan. This is why it is so important that we daily renew our minds. All we do in life is viewed from three sides: toward men, toward God, and toward self. The mind affects man in his attitude and reaction in these three directions. The Unrenewed mind towards man results in poor judgement, and discernment. A critical spirit rises out of a person, and inaccurate ideas start to form about another person or situation. Gossip can stem from this. However, the Bible reveals to us that we judge another not by what we see and hear but by using our spiritual senses. Towards God, the unrenewed mind cannot fully know and trust God. Doubts fill the mind; doubts of power, of God's wisdom, if He is able, of God's love. This person cannot understand the teaching of the scripture. There are shadows in the mind that block God's light from shining and revealing what needs to be understood. God's will cannot be known to someone with an unrenewed mind. For the believer, knowing God's will should be an inward knowledge, just as having the capability of to distinguish wheat from tares. Then comes ourselves, and how the unrenwed mind affects self. There is lack of self control. We waste brain power, we waste strength, neglect regular routines when we think on meaningless and improper things, and thus we become unable to think on the right things. Many of us go through life thinking horrid thoughts about ourselves. Before to long concentration wavers, we become confused. As a result we are again a target for Satan. When it comes to introspection, many believe if they just look into themselves and pull out the power within them things will get better, and they will understand more. No one ever arrives as self-knowledge by looking inwardly into themselves. Self-knowledge can only come by God's light. All self-criticism, self-analysis, will only bring unrest to the mind. Do you want to keep progressing in your Christian walk? Look only to Jesus! Each time you look at yourself progress is hindered and arrested. That is why Peter started sinking. It occurred to Him that he as a human being was not suppose to be standing on water in a storm! Lastly, and this applies to all three sides the unrenewed mind cannot communicate God's Word. This goes for evangelism too. When our minds are not renewed, it is not available to God, and thus not usable by Him. We are to deal with our mind in the same manner as we once sought salvation, and the days after we were saved and experienced baptizem. With great expectation, anticipation, and excitement! It is as if we live under an open heaven.
So now lets look at the renewed mind from the same three sides as we did above. Renewing our mind is kind of like when you clean really dirty windows, the light shines through a little brighter. Our renewed mind toward men in judgement is how our mind is (Romans 14:5). We now judge right and wrong bu what God reveals to us in our mind. Towards God, we can now understand His Word (Luke 24:45). Our humbleness is set, and we look to Him to speak and reveal with His light the passage of Scripture we read. Because of this, we are able to know His will, and we Know God, and we know His truth. This changes how we perceive ourselves. No longer are we listening to the tape recorder of voices, but we hear the One Voice of Truth which reveals His love, we experience no condemnation, but a sweet conviction to things that need change. There is no room left for criticism because God has so filled the mind that all thoughts are on Him, and who He is personally. Lastly, in the way of evangelism applying to all three sides, sharing God's Word becomes just as daily as renewing your mind. His Word is so apart of who you are that to share it is natural. God is able to speak into the mind things that will nourish both you, and others.