The meeting of Grace Christian Church. We meet in person and stream services every Sunday at 10:30 AM EST in Manalapan, New Jersey.
Lesson 5 - God's Process of Transforming You to Live from Your True Identity
This lesson focuses on the practical, intentional process of mind renewal to align with your true identity in Christ. It spans five days, emphasizing engaging God, capturing thoughts, and winning mental battles against false beliefs. Below are the main points, organized by key sections/days.
Day 1: Introduction & Engaging God to Take Thoughts Captive and Renew Your Mind
- Be Intentional and Determined: Transformation depth depends on resolve (1 Cor 2:2). Seek Christ to be your determination if hindered.
- Use Spiritual Filters: Filter false thoughts using:
- God's Word (e.g., 2 Cor 3:5 for adequacy).
- Mind of Christ (discernment to identify falsehoods).
- Holy Spirit (inserts truth or blocks lies).
- Reveal Origin of Thoughts: Ask Holy Spirit to show if thoughts originate from flesh, Satan, or God (2 Cor 13:5).
- Reveal Truth of Thoughts: Holy Spirit guides into all truth (John 16:13); e.g., counter "I am inadequate" with "You are adequate in Christ."
- Key Outcome: Filters block false thoughts and renew your mind to true identity.
Day 2: Entrust False Thoughts to God (Instead of Ownership)
- Refuse Ownership: Say "NO" to false thoughts by entrusting them to God (Rom 6:12); open "back door" of mind to let them out.
- Process Diagram: False thought → Reveal origin/truth → Entrust to God → Ask Holy Spirit to renew mind and set free.
- Examples of Faith Steps:
- Selfish → Renew to selfless (Phil 2:3-4): Trust God to produce care for others over self.
- Conditional Lover → Renew to unconditional (1 John 4:19): Drop expectations; love unlovable.
- Sinner → Renew to righteous (Rom 8:10): Focus less on sin/self-condemnation; live righteously.
- Line Analogy for Renewal: Start "faithing it" from false belief (below line) to truth (above); fall back via flesh, but repent and step up again.
- Renewal Truths: Process is supernatural (no felt change initially); decreases false desires, increases true identity living; produces mind battle.
Day 3: Moving from False Belief to Truth (Line Analogy Application)
- Faith to Belief: Holy Spirit moves you from unbelief to believing true identity (e.g., selfless) via repeated faith steps.
- Persistence in Process: Pray for Christ's patience/perseverance when falling below line; transformation is normal with ups/downs.
- Exercise: List false beliefs, truths, and faith steps to renew mind.
Day 4: Ongoing Battle for Your Mind
- Battle Exists: Non-stop war in mind (Rom 7:23); resistance to renewal from three enemies working in concert to keep you in false belief bondage.
- Enemies:
- Flesh: Produces thoughts reinforcing false beliefs.
- Power of Sin: Indwelling force tempting you to act on false thoughts (Rom 7:20); not individual sins (already forgiven).
- Satan/Demons: Deceives with first-person thoughts (e.g., "I am a failure"); masquerades as light (2 Cor 11:3,14).
- Winning Strategies:
- Learn truth as "spiritual filter."
- Refuse/entrust Satanic thoughts to God.
- No pacifists: Fight actively (1 Tim 1:18); be alert/sober (1 Thess 5:6).
- Examples: Counter judgment with unconditional love; frustration/failure with conqueror truth (Rom 8:37).
Day 5: Final Thoughts on Winning the Battle
- Early Struggles: You'll take ownership initially; discernment grows with practice.
- Additional Truths:
- Self-Talk: Speak/think truth aloud; test spirits (1 John 4:1).
- Litmus Test: Add "in Christ" to thoughts (e.g., "I am a failure in Christ" reveals lie).
- Varying Strengths: False beliefs have grips (1-100 scale); stronger ones (e.g., unforgiving=90) resist more.
- Holy Habit: Intentionality becomes automatic (like driving stick shift).
- Consequences of Inaction: Stay in bondage; miss transformation.
- Transition: Mind renewal is key, but healing emotions and transforming will complete freedom (next lesson).
Overall Lesson Emphasis & Discussion
- Christianity is active: Engage God daily via prayer, filters, and faith steps for victory.
- End-of-Lesson Questions: Reflect on impactful truths, consequences of inaction, thought origins, diagrams, and enemies.
This lesson equips believers to combat mental strongholds through dependence on Christ, leading to freedom in true identity.
