HopeLives365

Guest (Male): God's love gives us a new covenant. It gives us a new nature. It gives us a new creation. It gives us newness of life. It gives us a new name, and it puts a new song in our hearts. Revelation chapter 15, verse 3 and 4. It's God's love that puts a new song in our hearts.

Announcer: This is HopeLives365 with Pastor Mark Finley. Today's message: Renewing the Mind, Part 1. Enjoy, and remember you can always catch up on past messages and stay up to date with HopeLives365 and Pastor Mark by going to HopeLives365.com. And now, Pastor Mark Finley.

Mark Finley: We begin with a quiz, and your quiz is this: How many cells are in the human body? How many cells are in the human body? Well, according to 1,500 scholarly papers—now I have not read them all, but I've read a summary of them—according to 1,500 scholarly papers, now get this, there are 36 trillion cells in the human body.

Of that 36 trillion cells in the human body, something is happening in your body today, and it's this: Of that 36 trillion, 330 billion cells in your body today renewed themselves. 330 billion cells are replaced every day. That's about 1% of all the cells in your body. Now you take the tiny little cells in the gut; they renew themselves within one week. Our skin, which is the largest organ in the body, renews itself every two to three weeks. Bone cells, though, take longer to renew themselves; they renew themselves about every 10 years.

There are some parts of our brain that regenerate and grow new cells, while other parts remain the same. Now here is something fascinating: Recent evidence indicates that our brain cells are capable of regrowing and restoring lost functions. That means that your brain cells can rightly be transformed and renewed so that past thoughts of hate, past thoughts of anger, past thoughts of anxiety, past thoughts of depression, past thoughts of guilt that have developed neurological brain pathways can be so renewed that new brain cells grow and new pathways in the brain are actually developed.

Now this is in harmony with the biblical thought found in Romans chapter 12. So I'd like you to take your Bibles and turn to Romans, the 12th chapter. The scripture says in Romans 12:2, "And do not be conformed to this world." Let's read it together. You ready to read? Either from your Bible or from the screen. Let's read. "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is good and acceptable and the perfect will of God."

Now I'm interested in this expression "the renewing of your mind." What does it mean to have the mind renewed, and how can our minds be renewed? Now J.B. Phillips' translation translates Romans 12:2 this way, and I think he really hits the target. He says, "Don't let the world around you squeeze you into its mold, but let God remake you so that your whole attitude of mind is changed. Thus you'll prove in practice that the will of God is good." So I'm interested in two expressions: the renewing of the mind and also this idea that the whole attitude of the mind can be changed.

And so that leads us to the question: How does God remake our minds? What's this transformation that Paul speaks about? How does this renewal of the mind take place? Now many people have interpreted this verse as they've studied scripture as meaning that the Bible transforms the way we think, that the Bible transforms our thoughts. While this is true, new research indicates that it's much, much more than that.

Studies have proven that doing something frequently, like reading the Bible, not only changes the way we think, but get this: It literally changes our brain. Brain cells are regenerated as we contemplate the life-changing truths of God's word. There are new neural pathways that are developed in the brain, and our mind is transformed and made new. Now let me share with you some of this research done by Dr. Avi Karni and Dr. Leslie Ungerleider from the National Institute of Mental Health.

They did a fascinating study asking subjects to perform a simple motor task, like finger-tapping exercise. So these subjects formed this finger-tapping exercise and they tapped, and the doctors conducted an MRI to identify what part of the brain was being activated. The subjects then practiced this finger-tapping exercise daily for four weeks. So you get it? So they have this MRI in the brain, and the subjects are tapping, tapping, tapping with their fingers for a period of four weeks every day.

Now at the end of the four-week period, they did another brain scan of the MRI, and this is what they discovered. It revealed that the area of the brain involved in the task had expanded. The simple task of finger-tapping exercise literally recruited new brain cells and rewired the neural connections. What does that indicate? It indicates that if you do a task over and over again, not only are old thoughts replaced, but there are new brain cells that are created within the brain, new neural pathways in the brain.

So when we read scripture, something remarkable is happening in our brains. The Holy Spirit is remaking our minds. The Holy Spirit is renewing our thoughts. The Holy Spirit is redirecting our mental processes. We are recruiting new brain cells. When you read the word of God, you're recruiting new brain cells in the brain. You are rewiring the neural connections in the brain. In a sense, we are downloading a new operating system that is actually reconfiguring the mind.

When we read scripture, we're developing new neural pathways in the brain. Our brains are being rewired in alignment with the word of God, and we develop the mind of Christ. Now the Apostle Paul urges us not to be conformed to this world, but to be transformed. Now the renewed or transformed mind has three distinct characteristics, and I want to study those distinct characteristics with you this evening.

First, the question becomes: How do we have this transformed mind? How do we have this renewed mind? How can we accomplish this in our own lives in a very practical way? First, the mind is transformed as it contemplates the character of God. The Apostle Paul puts it this way: As we seek God in prayer and as we contemplate his character and meditate upon his goodness, our brains are being rewired. There are new neural pathways in the brain.

See, the brain functions by sending electrical impulses down the brain waves. And those electrical impulses, when they form a connection at the end of the ganglia of the brain, it's called a synapse. And when we study the word of God in prayer, contemplating the character of God, there are new electrical impulses that form new brain pathways in those synapses. So take your Bible and turn to Philippians 4, verse 6. It says this: "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

Now notice it says, "be anxious for nothing." The older translations, if you have the old King James, will say, "be careful for nothing." In other words, as you contemplate God's goodness in his word, your life will not be filled with care. Don't let your life be filled with care and anxiety. In everything by prayer, the scripture says this way, "In everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your request be made known to God. The peace of God, which passes all understanding." There may be many things in our life that we cannot fully understand. There are events in our life that we cannot comprehend.

But we do not have to have understanding to have peace. The Bible says, "let the peace of God that passes understanding will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." Now as we contemplate the character of God and as we seek him through prayer, the Holy Spirit replaces anxiety with calm. He replaces our fear with courage. He replaces our worry with hope. The peace of God—now it's better translated "the peace that comes from God," the peace that has its origin in God—that floods into our minds. It surpasses our understanding.

Now this peace that flows from a sense of God's abiding presence is grounded in God's love. It's grounded in a faith in God and a personal knowledge of his love and his wisdom. Notice what the text says. It says the peace of God. So as in prayer we're contemplating the character of God, God's remaking our brains. God is re-establishing old brain patterns. God is redirecting the thoughts of our brain, and he is redoing the pathways of our brain.

What does our text say? It says the peace of God will do what? The peace of God will guard your hearts and minds. Now it's an interesting picture. The word for guard there in the original Greek language, it'll be a sentinel, and it's the picture of a sentinel guarding a fortress. So here God's peace is like a sentinel. It's like a guard. Now this is incredibly good news. As we contemplate the character of God, the peace that flows from God's heart stands watch over our minds. It's the sentinel that delivers our minds from crippling fear and devastating anxiety and constant worry.

God's peace is like the sentinel that patrols our hearts and minds to guard the affections from thoughts of anxiety. Now when we pray, it's important to remember three things. We contemplate the character of God, and it's important to remember three very specific things. First, the love of God. There may be confusing circumstances in our life. There may be troubling circumstances in our life. The mountain may be high, the journey may be long. At times we may feel engulfed with darkness in our life.

But here are three things to remember that transforms our thinking, that builds new brain cells as we contemplate the character of God. First, the love of God. God only desires the best for us. He does not ever desire to harm us. In all the circumstances of our life, God is working through his Holy Spirit for our good. Do you believe that? In every circumstance of life, as I contemplate the character of God—this God whose very nature is love—as I contemplate his character, as these new pathways of the brain are being developed, as my brain is being transformed from anxiety and worry and fear to peace and calm and strength and courage.

As that is taking place, the transformed mind is a mind that is consumed with God's love and has the supreme recognition that God is working in every circumstance of life, whether I understand it or not, for our good and his glory. So the first thing when I pray and contemplate his character, I think about his love. The second thing is this: That when I pray and focus on his character, I meditate upon his wisdom. God knows what is best for us.

God not only is a God of love who desires what is best, but God is a God of wisdom who will accomplish what is best. We don't always know what's best for us. The transformed mind contemplating the character of God trusts God in every circumstance of life. We may not always understand, but we can always trust. In the little devotional book "Our God Cares," on page 76, we have this insightful statement: "God never leads his children otherwise than they would choose to be led if they could see the end from the beginning and discern the glory of the purpose which they are fulfilling as coworkers with him."

The statement goes on: "All that has perplexed us in the providences of God will in the world to come be made plain." Before we continue, let's hesitate there. Have there been some things in your life that have perplexed you? Some confusing riddles that you don't have good answers for? Notice how "Our God Cares" puts it: "All that has perplexed us in the providences of God will in the world to come be made plain. The things hard to understand will then find explanation."

As we continue with that passage, notice how the passage continues this way: It says, "The mysteries of grace will unfold before us where our finite minds discovered only confusion and broken promises, we'll see beautiful harmony. Now notice the next one: We shall know that infinite love ordered the experiences that seemed most trying." God not only loves us and knows what's best, but God is wise. He's orchestrating in our lives in a way that is for his good and for our good and for his glory.

And as we contemplate this God and his love, as we contemplate his wisdom, there's one more thing to keep in mind, and that is this: One day in that land called heaven, where time knows no end and love reigns eternal, our heavenly Father will explain everything that's perplexed us, all that's troubled us, and the unexplainable circumstances of our life. You see, a renewed mind is one that rests in his love, trusts in his wisdom, and relies on his power.

The power of God can accomplish alone what his love desires and his wisdom knows best. See, we serve a God that loves us and only wants our best good. But we serve a God who's wise enough to orchestrate in our lives the things that we need to perfect our characters to accomplish his ultimate goal. But we also serve a God that's not only wise, not only loving, but a God that's all-powerful, who can transform these brains of ours so that we can think his thoughts after him.

The transformed mind is a mind that contemplates God's character, rests in his love, trusts in his wisdom, and relies on his power. Now there's a second thing about the transformed mind: It meditates on the word of God. There's something about meditating upon the word that transforms the mental thinking processes. I love the way the Apostle Peter puts it: First Peter chapter 1, verse 22 and 23. Notice how Peter talks about the brain. First Peter chapter 1, verse 22 and 23: "Since you've purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, having been born again, not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever."

What does it mean to be born again? To be born again is to have a transformed mind. To be born again is to think the thoughts of God. To be born again is not to be conformed and squeezed into the mold of this world, but it is rather to have changed your thinking. And how is it that our thinking is changed? How is it that our mind is transformed? How is it that we have these new brain cells and this new synapse so that the brain is functioning in a different way? The scripture tells us. It says, "you purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit since in the love of God brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, having been born again not of corruptible seed but..." how are we born again? Through what, everybody? Through what? Through the word of God that lives and abides forever.

Now we are transformed as the Holy Spirit impresses the principles of God's word on the deepest recesses of the mind. So we develop new neural pathways in the brain cells, so that not only is our mind filled with spiritual thoughts, but our brains are rewired to think those thoughts. Recently I had a great example of this. I was leading a tour in Greece and we had come to Corinth. And there at Corinth, we had a wonderful young guide in her early 30s. She was just so incredibly enthusiastic about showing us the sites of Corinth.

So as we were walking from one site to the next, usually with the guides they deal with the historical, some of the archaeological, and I deal with the biblical and the spiritual. So we worked together with our guides, and as we were walking from one site to the next, I looked over at her and I don't know why I asked her this. I have really never asked one of my guides this before. But the Holy Spirit just impressed me; she had a sparkle in her eyes, she had a smile on her face, she was enthusiastic. And so I looked at her and I said, "Just let me ask you a quick question." She said, "Sure, Pastor, go ahead."

I said, "Do you have a Christian background? Are you a Christian?" I don't know why I asked. I didn't know why I asked then, but now I do. She looked at me and said, "Pastor Mark, when I started guiding, I was an atheist. I had absolutely no faith at all. I was an atheist. But here I am, an atheist guiding at the site of Corinth where Paul wrote these letters, and I'm telling them all about the archaeology, I'm telling them all about history, but I didn't have anything to do with the Bible. And I thought, 'Well, you know what? If I am guiding at Corinth, at this site, maybe I should read the letters to the Corinthians in the Bible.'"

So she started reading Corinthians, and she started about reading about this Christ who changed the lives of the Corinthians. They were adulterers and fornicators. They were thieves and robbers. They were rebellious against God. And she began reading about Jesus: his grace, his love, his mercy. She read First Corinthians, she read Second Corinthians. She read the passage that said if any man or woman is in Christ, they are a new creation.

And as she read Corinthians, her life was changed. She was transformed by the word of God. And during our tour, she began to quote large passages from the book of Corinthians and from the letters. And she would quote and quote and quote by memory. Here a living example of a woman who was an atheist, but her brain was rewired, her brain was transformed by the living word of God.

You know, her experience is best described in Second Corinthians chapter 5, verse 17. Take your Bible and turn to it, please. Second Corinthians chapter 5, verse 17. I've seen this text in a new way recently, and I want to share with you some deeper insights into this passage of scripture. Often there are passages of scripture that we read, and we read them again and again and again. We turn them over in our mind. We contemplate them, we meditate upon them, we think we understand them. But then God speaks to us through his Holy Spirit. There are new insights in the word. Second Corinthians chapter 5, verse 17: "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation." The old King James says "a new creature." "New creation" is much better translated. "Old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." Now I want you to notice the expression "a new creation."

As we contemplate God's character, meditate upon God's word, as the Holy Spirit creates new pathways in our brain, our inclinations, our desires, and our longings change. The all-powerful God of creation transforms our mind. And this exactly what the Bible means. We become the new creation. The God that spoke worlds into existence, the God that hung worlds in space, the God that spoke galaxies into being by the breath of his mouth, by his very word transforms our minds. I want you to think about this. He's the all-powerful God. He spoke, and worlds came into existence. He spoke, and sun, moon, and stars appeared. He spoke, and the earth was carpeted with living green. He spoke, and flowers blossomed and trees gave forth their fruit in lush splendor. God spoke...

Announcer: You've been listening to HopeLives365 with Pastor Mark Finley. We hope you've enjoyed today's message and remind you that you can find more in our many ministry resources at HopeLives365.com. And you can support this ministry by going to HopeLives365.com/donate. And now, a final thought from Pastor Mark.

Mark Finley: As we contemplate God's character, meditate upon God's word, as the Holy Spirit creates new pathways in our brain, our inclinations, our desires, and our longings change. The all-powerful God of creation transforms our mind. And this exactly what the Bible means. We become the new creation. The God that spoke worlds into existence, the God that hung worlds in space, the God that spoke galaxies into being by the breath of his mouth, by his very word transforms our minds. I want you to think about this. He's the all-powerful God. He spoke, and worlds came into existence. He spoke, and sun, moon, and stars appeared. He spoke, and the earth was carpeted with living green. He spoke, and flowers blossomed and trees gave forth their fruit in lush splendor. God spoke...