November 23, 2014 – Pastor Tim – “Renewed”
Romans 12:1-2, 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. 2 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.
Even when a victim survives, there can still be a casualty. It is the death of trust. Surely we have come to realize that as young children we tend to be trusting and unsuspicious. But when those who should nurture and protect us violate that trust through bad or inappropriate behavior, scars result. It is like programming a computer with false information; we can get out of it only what has been programmed into it.
When someone we trust tells us that their distorted and cruel acts are normal, we have no reason not to believe that what we are being taught is true. Often we are devoted to the people we trust, which allowing them to do further damage and distort us. Usually the abuser is someone very close, with access to us at vulnerable times.
Fear can also be a factor. Fear of disappointing those we trust, a fear that we will be abandoned, a fear of great abuse. The victims of these abusers feel physically and spiritually powerless to wrestle the assailant.
What kind of emotions might this kind of conduct bring out later in the life of a person? I am glad you asked.
It would be easy for this kind of person to grow up into a person who has difficulty trusting anyone! Maybe they learn to deal with the pain inside by getting attention in inappropriate ways or engaging in inappropriate actions or relationships. Drug rehab centers and prisons are full of adults who were abused in some way (physically, mentally, or spiritually) as children needing attention…
We frame our references for life around our own experiences (good or bad). If those experiences are distorted, our ability to comprehend spiritual truths can be off center (we can get the wrong idea about a lot of things especially the love and grace of God).
What do we do when our life has been poorly programmed by life’s events? I’ve got good news! You can reprogram your mind through the Word of God.
Ephesians 5:26-27, that He [Christ] might sanctify and cleanse her [the church] with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.
As a believer, a follower of Christ, it is not okay for us to keep the mind of a victim, murder, drunk, a liar, homosexual, adulterer, it’s not ok to have a mind build on the foundation of sin and\or deception of this world…(a mind held captive by bad programming) this kind of mind must but transformed.
It is a mind changing experience when we come to Christ… anything short of that is NOT Christ in all of His fullness.
Ephesians 3:16-19, that He (Christ) would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— 19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
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