THE SINFUL NATURE: RENEWING THE MIND REQUIRES THE WORD OF GOD

         

THE SINFUL NATURE: RENEWING THE MIND REQUIRES THE "POWERFUL" WORD OF GOD

 “… Be transformed by the renewing of your mind….” (Romans 12:2 KJV).

“... Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin...” (Romans 6:6 KJV).

“... I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me...” (Galatians 2:20 KJV).

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SCRIPTURE(S):“… Be transformed by the renewing of your mind….” (Romans 12:2 KJV). “... Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him,...” (Romans 6:6 KJV)“... I am crucified with Christ...” (Galatians 2:20 KJV).

PURPOSE OR GOAL OF LESSON: TO LEARN THE SINFUL NATURE IS CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST AND IT CAN “ONLY” CONTROL YOU THROUGH AN UNRENEWED MIND.

APPLICATION OF LESSON: TO CLEARLY SEE HOW THE SINFUL NATURE IS STILL CONTROLLING YOUR MIND THROUGH THE UNRENEWED HEART. TO BEGIN TO FREELY CHOOSE TO TRUST AND DEPEND UPON GOD’S WORD AND THE INDWELLING HOLY SPIRIT TO EMPOWER YOU TO LIVE AND WALK IN THE FREEDOM FROM THE SINFUL NATURE.

TOPIC DISCUSSION: DISCUSS BIBLICAL TRUTHS ABOUT THE SINFUL NATURE AND HOW YOU CAN, PERSONALLY, LIVE AND WALK IN FREEDOM FROM ITS CONTROL BY SIMPLY RENEWING YOUR MIND BY PUTTING NEW INFORMATON INTO THE HEART. The body of flesh and its dictates (FIVE SENSES) were CONTROLLED by the EVIL ONE. He is able to continue to affect and control the behavior of the redeemed soul through the MIND from the old information put into the heart by the sinful nature.

 In addition, the redeemed soul STILL blames the body of flesh, which is crucified and doesn’t recognize they are being controlled, manipulated, and forced to continue to do things they don’t want to do, because the EVIL ONE is influencing their BEHAVIOR through information STORED in the heart PRIOR to salvation. 

Nobody likes to be controlled, manipulated, or forced to do something. So the EVIL ONE, through their “own” hearts, continue to influence them to fall prey to his ways, without having to SAY another word. 

The unrenewed MIND has been thoroughly brainwashed, by the EVIL ONE, through his sinful and carnal world. The EVIL ONE used and uses sinful, carnal and worldly influences every minute, second, hour, day, week, and year to gain and KEEP control of information that is PUT into mankind’s hearts. 

The EVIL ONE does it by inadvertently  dictator-ing their beliefs, attitudes, personalities, identities, and behaviors using their FIVE SENSES through the sinful nature. From the information, stored in the human heart, from the world, the EVIL ONE changes mankind’s thoughts and behaviors SO MUCH it totally eradicates any image or likeness of God, the Holy Spirit.  

Everything, in the world and UNDER the power of the EVIL ONE is used to PERSUADE, INFORM, and REFORM mankind’s HEART information and THOUGHTS toward SIN. This persuasion can be OVERT or COVERT. But, nevertheless, EVERYTHING “IN” the world is designed to educate, affect, and influence mankind toward a SINFUL, CARNAL, and WORLDLY mindset. This PERSUASION is what is also called BRAINWASHING, where EVERYTHING in the WORLD, combined together, is meant to SEVERELY influence the WAY mankind THINKS and/or behaves. 

This BRAINWASHING is DONE without mankind’s consent and without the permission of mankind’s human will. The EVIL ONE’S brainwashing techniques INVADE every part of mankind’s information, store it within their hearts and proves the WHOLE WORLD is UNDER the “EVIL ONE’s” power. Another term for how the EVIL ONE trains mankind is called “subliminal seduction” where the subconscious hears and receives “hidden messages,” embedded in music, commercials, advertising, etc., which will affect one’s “deeper” thoughts without their awareness. 

The PURPOSE of all these tricks, manipulations, and antics of the EVIL ONE is to gain MIND CONTROL where mankind goes from being individual souls to slaves to the sinful nature. Mankind speaks of freedom, choice, and individuality whereas the EVIL ONE is constantly creating a WORLDLY culture that OPPRESSES those freedoms with his subtle, but deadly persuasions of mind control. MIND CONTROL is what the EVIL ONE is after because his brainwashing and subliminal messages affect mankind’s THOUGHTS and ultimately their BEHAVIORS. 

EVERYTHING in the world and under the EVIL ONE’s power is designed to ISOLATE mankind from God, the Holy Spirit and HIS TRUTH. The EVIL ONE wants to be LIKE God by becoming a Father too and having children. The EVIL ONE is the “Father of LIES” and there are many “children of the DEVIL.”  Thus, the EVIL ONE isolates mankind from God’s TRUTH in order to REMAIN in COMPLETE CONTROL over HIS or HER SOUL.

 The EVIL ONE wants to CONTROL everything that the SOUL does, through the body of flesh and its dictates (senses), which includes what and how they eat, how they love, how they engage with the opposite or same sex, how they interact with other people, and how they experience all aspects of life. 

The EVIL ONE uses the WORLD to systematically KILL and DESTROY mankind’s original identity as a “LIVING SOUL” until he or she doesn’t even remember or care that they were once a “LIVING SOUL.” He replaces their original identity with HIS LIES, “EVIL DEEDS,” and MIND  CONTROL. Mankind establishes another identity through the sinful nature, which is CHRONICALLY developed by the EVIL ONE’S sinful, worldly, and carnal environments. 

The EVIL ONE’S subliminal seductions and brainwashing is DONE through MIND coercion, which consists of clever and masterful manipulations, that CONTROL the soul in POWERFUL and effective WAYS. The EVIL ONE “GAINS” dictatorship OVER mankind. When a person BECOMES a NEW CREATION in Christ, it CRUCIFIES the sinful nature, destroys the devils works, and STOPS any further brainwashing from the EVIL ONE. The OLD identity through the body of flesh and it dictates is OVER, but the evil one has LEFT his influence, stored within the heart of the redeemed soul. 

Nonetheless, the EVIL ONE, has LOST control over the REDEEMED soul. However, in order to STOP being affected and influenced by the OLD IDENTITY the redeemed soul CHOOSES to renew their MINDS in order to ERADICATE the brainwashing process DONE by the EVIL ONE through the heart information. The EVIL ONE used the FIVE SENSES, like the serpent did Eve in the garden, to gain control of the SOUL. 

The FIVE SENSES are powerful SOURCES to motivate evil and disobedience BEHAVIOR. “…The woman [became] ... convinced (THROUGH SOUND) [to eat from the tree, anyway]... She saw (SIGHT) that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked (SIGHT) delicious (TASTE), and she wanted (LUST of the EYES) the wisdom (PRIDE of LIFE) it would give her. So she took (TOUCH) some of the fruit and ate it (TASTE)...” (Genesis 3:1-7 NLT). “….She [choose to take] ... some of the fruit and [eat] ... IT. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and HE ATE IT, too …” (Genesis 3:1-7 NLT). 

One or more of the FIVE SENSES motivated Eve to BEHAVE in the WAY the serpent WANTED her to. Eve DID exactly what the SERPENT wanted her to DO by ENTICING and MANIPULATING one or more of her FIVE SENSES. The EVIL ONE (revealed through the serpent) ENTICED, MANIPULATED, INFLUENCED, and COERCED Eve through the FIVE SENSES (built into the FLESH), which the HE USED to deceived her into DOING what he WANTED her TO DO.The EVIL ONE still uses the SAME tricks.

The EVIL ONE understands the body of flesh and its FIVE SENSES were NOT created to FOLLOW AFTER GOD; it never could and it never would. “... the sinful nature ... never did obey  (follow after) God’s laws, and it never will. (FOLLOW AFTER GOD’S HOLY LAW)..” (Romans 8:5-7 NLT). The EVIL ONE ALSO knew the SOUL would have NO POWER over the body of flesh WITHOUT the indwelling Holy Spirit. 

The EVIL ONE knew he could use the body of flesh to engage one or more of the, built-in, FIVE SENSES to coerce EVE into “eating the apple.” His tricks made her “think” she was exercising, ALL on her “own,” her God-given FREEDOM to choose. “…The woman [became] ... convinced (THROUGH SOUND) [to eat from the tree]... She saw (SIGHT) that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked (SIGHT) delicious (TASTE), and she wanted (LUST of the FLESH) the wisdom (PRIDE of LIFE) it would give her. So she took (TOUCH) some of the fruit and ate it (TASTE)...” (Genesis 3:1-7 NLT). “….She [choose to take] ... some of the fruit and [eat] IT (the information put into heart, informed her mind, which directed her behavior) ... Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and HE ATE IT, too …” (Genesis 3:1-7 NLT). The EVIL ONE used Eve’s body of flesh and its FIVE SENSES to gain control of her MIND and thus her behavior. 

God, the Holy Spirit, GAVE mankind (Adam and Eve) one HOLY instruction:  “…of every tree of the garden THOU MAYEST FREELY EAT: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou  SHALT NOT EAT of it; for in THE DAY THAT THOU EATEST thereof THOU SHALT SURELY DIE…” (Genesis 2:16-17 KJV). 

The EVIL ONE’S manipulation and influence was intentional, because he KNEW, without God, the indwelling Holy Spirit, he could take POWER of the natural world from Adam and Eve by making them HIS slaves. “….Apart from [the indwelling Holy Spirit]…YOU CAN DO NOTHING…” (John 15:5 NIV).  

 “...God blessed them and said to them, “...Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it ...RULE OVER (have dominion over).... Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food ...And it was so...” (Genesis 1:28-31 KJV). “…the body without (apart from) the spirit is dead…” (James 2:26 KJV).  

When Adam and Eve FOLLOWED AFTER the EVIL ONE through the body of flesh and its FIVE SENSES, they became HIS SERVANTS and everything they had been given was now his to do as he pleased.  “…Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?” (Romans 6:16 KJV).  “...the whole world lies under the power of the evil one” (1 John 5:19 RSV). The EVIL ONE’s techniques were and are DECEITFUL.

 He is a LIAR, and he has used his lies upon mankind, since the beginning of time, by using the body of flesh and its FIVE SENSES. Now ALL OF MANKIND has BECOME BRAINWASHED, SUBLIMINALLY SEDUCED, and SHAPED by “HIS” LIES, HIS CARNALITY, HIS WORLDLY INFLUENCES and HIS SINFUL, EVIL, and WICKED BEHAVIORS. 

 “…He was a murderer from the beginning … for he is a liar and the father of lies…” (John 8:44 NASB). GOD SAID: “…of every tree of the garden THOU MAYEST FREELY EAT: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou  SHALT NOT EAT of it; for in THE DAY THAT THOU EATEST thereof THOU SHALT SURELY DIE…” (Genesis 2:16-17 KJV). The EVIL ONE SAID: “…ye shall not surely die.…” (Genesis 3:4-5 KJV).

 The “evil one” LIED, BECAUSE THEY DIED SPIRITUALLY, IMMEDIATELY! THE WOMAN WAS CONVINCED BY THE EVIL ONE: “…The woman [became] ... convinced (THROUGH SOUND) [to eat from the tree, anyway]... She saw (SIGHT) that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked (SIGHT) delicious (TASTE), and she wanted (LUST of the FLESH) the wisdom (PRIDE of LIFE) it would give her. So she took (TOUCH) some of the fruit and ate it (TASTE)...” (Genesis 3:1-7 NLT). 

Mankind was LEFT with a body of flesh, NOW, under the power of the EVIL ONE. The indwelling Holy Spirit of LOVE, GOODNESS, POWER, PEACE, and HOLINESS departed from the SOUL. “…[Their]... INIQUITIES (sin) ....separated (divided them)... be [from their] God…” (Isaiah 59:2 KJV). “…Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey (follow after), his servants ye are to whom ye obey (follow after); whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?” (Romans 6:16 KJV).  “...the whole world lies under the power of the evil one” (1 John 5:19 RSV).  

The body of flesh is DEAD and CRUCIFIED, when one is REDEEMED, but the influence, it had, upon the HEART is NOT until it is RENEWED! Here are some suggestions in order to STOP the evil one’s influences:  

1.  The redeemed soul CHOOSES to renew their OWN hearts in order to REMOVE, ALLOW God’s Word to cleanse, and STOP the leftover influence of the EVIL ONE. “… Be transformed by the renewing of your mind….” (Romans 12:2 KJV). 

2. The redeemed soul CHOOSES to fellowship with other redeemed souls in order to surround themselves with like-minded people. “...And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near...” (Hebrews 10:25 NLT).  “... Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching...” (Hebrews 10:25 KJV). 

3. The redeemed soul chooses to trust and depend upon the POWERFUL indwelling Holy Spirit to “enable” them walk and live in their new freedom. “…God ...does the work IN AND THROUGH all of us who are his… (1 Corinthians 12:4-11 NLT).  

4. The redeemed soul chooses to pray and spend time with God, the Holy Spirit. “….call upon me …and pray unto me and I will [LISTEN] unto you…” (Jeremiah 29:12-13 KJV). “...I am the one who answers your prayers and cares for you...” (Hosea 14:5-9 NASB).“…Abide in Me, and I in you …” (John 15:4-6 NASB). 

5. The redeemed soul chooses to see themselves through their new identity as a NEW CREATION in Christ. “…Therefore if any man (woman) be in Christ, he is a NEW creature …” (2 Corinthians 5:17 KJV). “...For in him we live, and move, and have our being (identity); as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring...” (Acts 17:28 KJV).  

6. The redeemed soul chooses to accept the responsibility of renewing “their”  OWN minds, in order to genuinely transform and become like Jesus Christ. Please note, long after, the body of flesh (sinful nature) is DEAD and CRUCIFIED, it is normal to process through ridding oneself of the influences the old nature had upon the MIND through information STORED within the heart. “…Be transformed by the renewing of your mind….” (Romans 12:2 KJV). 

“…be conformed to the image of his Son…” (ROMANS 8:29 KJV). “…the will of God (his heart’s desire, his choice, what he wants, etc.), [is]…your SANCTIFICATION (cleanliness from the sinful nature through the cleansing POWER of God’s Word) …” (1 Thessalonians 4:3 NASB).  “ ... in the PROCESS of TIME “IT” CAME TO PASS…” (Genesis 4:3 KJV).