Romans 12:1-2 (NKJV) I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
The Bible says that as a man thinks in his heart, so is he (Proverbs 23:7). Our behaviour is closely linked to our thoughts, which are heavily shaped by the values and principles instilled in us over the years. If we want to live the abundant life that God intends for us, we must work on our thoughts, aligning them with the Word of God.
The opening Scriptures tell us that we can either be conformed to the world or have a renewed mind—be transformed by the Word of God—so we can live differently from the world. God has a good, acceptable, pleasing, and perfect will for us, but we won’t live under it unless our minds are renewed by His Word. It is our choice!
What might be in our minds?
1. Values like those of the world.
2. Basing our security and identity on who we are, what we have, and where we work.
3. Our soul still dictates how we respond.
4. Believing that we are slaves to sin.
5. Fearful of not having enough, reflecting a poverty mindset.
The Word of God reveals the will of God. It is God’s will for us…
1. To have peace in our lives by having the right identity.
2. To live a victorious Christian life by reigning in righteousness.
3. To prosper in our souls.
4. To have a blessed marriage.
5. To have more than enough.
We are three-part beings, comprising spirit, soul, and body. Our mind is part of the soul. The worldly indoctrination we received before accepting Christ may have established strongholds in our minds, and the habits and values formed within us will take time to change. Since we are a product of our thought life, we will continue to live according to our old man’s lifestyle unless our minds are renewed to embrace the newness of life in the new creation.
The devil wants to kill, steal, and destroy our lives instead of letting us enjoy the abundant life; he wants us to keep living in the old lifestyle instead of following God’s will for our lives. He accomplishes this by preventing us from renewing our minds with the Word of God, because the Word reveals God’s will for different areas of our lives. Therefore, we need to accept what the Word of God says in order to live the abundant life.
Reflection: In what areas of your life are you still thinking in line with the world rather than with the Word of God? What strongholds, fears, or old mindsets do you need to surrender to God today?
Sermon Series: As a Man Thinks in His Heart So is He
丰盛生命的入口
罗马书 12:1-2 所以弟兄们，我以神的慈悲劝你们，将身体献上，当做活祭，是圣洁的，是神所喜悦的，你们如此侍奉乃是理所当然的。 2 不要效法这个世界，只要心意更新而变化，叫你们察验何为神的善良、纯全、可喜悦的旨意。
圣经说：“人心怎样思量，他为人就是怎样。”（箴言23:7）我们的行为与思想息息相关，而我们的思想往往受到多年所建立的价值观和人生原则所塑造。如果我们想活出神为我们预备的丰盛生命，就必须调整我们的思想，使其与神的话语对齐。
今天的主题经文告诉我们，我们可以选择效法这个世界，也可以借着神的话语更新我们的心思意念，使生命被改变，活出与世人不同的样式。神为我们预备了善良、纯全、可喜悦的旨意，但如果我们的思想没有被祂的话语更新，我们就无法活在祂的旨意之中。这是我们的选择！
我们的思想里可能存有什么？
- 持有属世界的价值观。
- 将安全感和身份建立在自己是谁、拥有什么、从事什么工作之上。
- 仍然让魂（思想、情感和意志）主导我们的回应。
- 仍然相信自己是罪的奴仆。
- 害怕缺乏，活在贫穷心态之中。
神的话语显明神的旨意。神的心意是要我们：
- 因着正确的身份认同而拥有平安。
- 因着在义中作王而活出得胜的基督徒生命。
- 魂得兴盛。
- 拥有蒙福的婚姻关系。
- 经历绰绰有余的供应。
我们是由灵、魂、体三部分组成的人，而思想属于魂的层面。在我们接受基督之前，世界的思想体系可能已经在我们心中建立了许多坚固营垒；长期养成的习惯和价值观，也需要时间才能改变。由于一个人的生命往往是其思想的产物，如果我们的思想没有被更新，没有拥抱新造生命的新样式，我们仍会继续活在旧人的生活方式中。
魔鬼的工作是偷窃、杀害和毁坏，不愿意我们享受神所赐的丰盛生命；牠希望我们继续活在旧有的生命模式里，而不是行在神为我们预备的旨意当中。牠达成这一目的的方法之一，就是拦阻我们用神的话语来更新思想，因为神的话语显明了祂在我们生命各个层面的旨意。因此，我们必须接受神的话语所说的，并让它成为我们思想的基础，好使我们能够活出神所应许的丰盛生命。
默想：在你生命的哪些领域里，你仍然按照世界的思维方式来思想，而不是按照神的话语来思想？今天你需要向神交托哪些坚固营垒、惧怕或旧有的思维模式？
讲章系列：你的思想，塑造你的生命