Advanced Bible Course: Studies in the Deeper Life (Lesson 9)

Lesson 9

The Sense-Ruled Mind

1. Why is there no fellowship between the unrenewed mind and the recreated spirit?
2. The unrenewed mind is always waging war against unbelief, ever praying for faith, but never arriving; always talking unbelief yet struggling to get faith; ever confessing failure, but at the same time confessing faith in the Word and denying it in actions; trying to believe, yet never acting on the Word!
3. The unrenewed mind is a mind that has not been transformed by the Word of God. It is hostile against God.  If the mind is not renewed, even if a person is regenerated in his spirit, evil spirits will still have a chance to work.  Christians who fail to renew their mind with the Word of God will live harassed, troubled, and mentally beat up.  When someone is renewing their mind, it will show up in their thoughts, their words and their actions.
4. The sense-ruled mind has never been renewed, so there is no real fellowship between the recreated spirit and the mind, because the sense ruled mind is in constant contact with the world, in which it has been a part of forever, and largely ruled by it. The recreated spirit believer is blessed with every spiritual blessing-wisdom, divine ability, strength, love, and every other thing that is necessary to make the believer’s life beautiful, helpful, victorious.  Ep 1:3.
5. 1 Cor 2:14-16-3:1-4, “Now the natural man (unrenewed mind) understands not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolish to him, neither can he know them, because they spiritually discerned.” After we receive the Holy Spirit, we must train our spirit.
6. How do we train our spirits??

• How do We Train the Human Spirit?

Meditating on the Word of God  - Joshua 1:8  Good success; make your way prosperous

Practicing the Word of God  - James 1:22  Be Ye Doers; and not hears only

Giving the Word of God First Place – Prov 4:20-22, Attend, Not depart; Keep in your heart; they are life; Matt 6:33

Instantly Obeying the Word of God – The human spirit has a voice.  We call it a conscience.  Sometimes it is called intuition.  But the new birth is the voice of the Spirit.  Your spirit has the life and nature of God in it, for He dwells in you.  “The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord”.  God will use your spirit to guide you.  In all your ways, acknowledge Him and He will direct your path. Proverbs 3:6.

1. What is one of the characteristics of an URM:

• A Critical Spirit – Romans 14:10-13
• What is a “critical spirit,” – It is an obsessive attitude of criticism and fault finding, which seeks to tear others down. This is not the same thing that is called “constructive criticism.”  The only criticism that is ever constructive is that which is expressed, in love to “build up”, never to tear down-it is always expressed face-to-face, never behind their back.

• What causes a critical spirit?
• (1) Negativeness – A bad attitude and a negative view of life. A person may have unconfessed sin or may harbor unforgiveness or bitterness. Heb 12:15.
• (2) Insecurity – Criticism is often subconscious, means to “elevate one’s own self-image.” By putting others down, they are inwardly trying to feel more important or that “they know more.”  Jealousy toward the spiritual victories of others is often the cause of criticism and belittling comments.  Popular Ministers of the Gospels are often the target of such tactics.
• (3) Immaturity – Saints must always keep their focus upon Christ and His Word, not man, who will often fail Heb 12:2. The young or immature believer who has not progressed very far in their own faith, remains overly dependent upon the faith of those within the body of Christ.  Unfortunately, when they begin to notice the flaws in their brethren, subconsciously, this becomes a threat to their own sense of victory.  Criticism becomes a reaction of disappointment, because their expectations in others have been crushed.  They must learn to walk by the Word of God, which teaches us to bear the infirmities of the weak, to love, and show compassion and encouragement.
• (4) If we hope to bring improvement to others, we need to become people of encouragement.  This is the only attitude that will change people, and our actions and words must be devoted to the positive progress of our brethren/spouses/children or family.
• (5) The person with a critical spirit usually dwells on the negative, seeks for flaws rather than good. They are complainers, sharp tongued, almost always mad, slanders, little control over their tongue, Paul says, Worthy of death. Romans 1:29-32.
• (6) The devil specializes and is a major cause of a critical spirit.  We must be on guard.   Eph 6:12.   We are not to give place to him Ep 4:27.  Remember satan is an accuser of the brethren, Rev 12:10.

2. What are the two confessions of the double-minded man? 1 Kings 18:21 – How long??

• Elijah was confronted with problems of dealing with double-minded Saints. The Church today has the same issues.  They must see, hear and feel.  John 20:24-29 Thomas was a sense knowledge believer.  Jesus met that requirement for man 1 John 1:1-3 “That which from the beginning, that which we have heard, that which we have seen with our eyes, that which we behold, and our hands handled, concerning the Word of Life…”
• Confession of a knowledge believer – (1) He had to see in order to believe (2) His senses had to be satisfied (3) He could not take the Word of God independent of his senses.
• To be seen, felt or heard or any evidence before believing is sense knowledge evidence.

3. Why is the old Covenant law called the law of the sense?

1. The Mosaic Covenant was given to the Israelites and included many detailed regs covering various aspects of life, social behavior and rituals. These laws were tangible.  They were addressing the natural and had to do only with the senses.  Seeing, feeling, hearing, tasting, smelling which are all doors that lead to the brain.  Romans 12:1-2, Here God is asking that our senses be turned over to Him.  By the renewing of your mind.  The law of the new Covenant begat love, faith, and confidence in the new creation.

4. What should be the relations between the senses and the renewed mind of an adult Christian?

The Adult Christian  lives by 1 Cor 1:29-31, and knows that no flesh shall Glory in God’s Presence and but of God, we are in Christ Jesus, Who of God is made unto us Wisdom, and Righteousness and Sanctification, and Redemption; and that according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him Glory in the Lord. The new creation is a love creation, and the man that is not born again can’t understand His love life. 1 Cor 2:14.

1. 1 John 2:9-11  He that saith he is light and hate his brother, is in darkness, even until now. 

Here is the condition of the believer, whose mind has never been renewed.  He is walking according to his senses.  He that loveth his brother abideth in Light.

1. John 8:12 I am the Light of the World, he that follow shall not walk in darkness.
2. The Light of life is love. God is light.  In Him is no darkness at all.  We love because we have received His nature and love is dominate in us. When it does, the mind becomes renewed and comes in harmony with the recreated spirit.
3. With a renewed mind we have a new spiritual knowledge. Comes by knowing and acting on the Word.
4. This mind can only come by continually living the Word. Senses cannot walk in God’s Word.
5. The Ten Commandments were sense laws of sin and death. The Holy Spirit is our Life.
6. The recreate man is the new man in Christ. Senses is flesh.
7. If we have not His Spirit, we are none of His, in other words you must be ruled by Him and Him only to be His.
8. The new creation is a love creation, and the man that is not born again can’t understand this love life.