Renew Your Mind

Robert Murray McCheyne had once said, "For every one look you take at your sins, take ten looks at Jesus." I would have to see the context with which this statement was made, but I think I understand what he meant. Or, at the very least, I have discovered a context wherein it fits perfectly.

Far too many Christians are living in defeat these days, and it is for one of two reasons:

1. They are too focused on their failures to sin, or
2. They are too focused on their victories over sin.

Whether focused on your failures to sin or your victories over sin, you are focused on your sin. You are thinking too much about your sin and whether you are failing or succeeding with regard to it. My own personal experience has shown that when I am too focused on my sin, whether my failures to it or my victories over it, eventually I will succumb to it because my mind is toying with it.

My pastor once said, "Do not have a staring contest with sin. You will lose. You do not have what it takes to out-stare sin." He is right. As the song says:

Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in His wonderful face
And the things of Earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace

Only when your eyes are focused on Christ—and not your sin—will you have victory and freedom from sin. You need to change your thinking—renew your mind. Robert Murray McCheyne was right. Every time you look at your sin, whether your failure to it or your victory over it, you need to take ten looks at Christ Jesus. Take your eyes off your sin and put them on Jesus where they belong. Consider Peter stepping out of the boat and walking on water. As long as his eyes were on Jesus, he was fine. As soon as he took his eyes off Jesus and focused on himself and his surroundings (on his sin, as it were), he began to sink.

Here are some passages you should memorize to help you focus your mind on the right things and off of your sin:

"Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect." (Romans 12:1-2)
"Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things." (Philippians 4:8)
"As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior." (1 Peter 1:14-15)
"But you did not learn Christ in this way, if indeed you have heart Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth." (Ephesians 4:20-24)
"Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth." (Colossians 3:2)
"For if you are living according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live." (Romans 8:11)