Bill Johnson - The Mind Trained by Faith
Several months ago, I mentioned to you that I wanted to take time to review some subjects. I will do another review again, probably for the next several months. To be honest with you, I’m only here every two to three weeks because I am taking care of my wife, who recently had a little surgery on her lung due to a fluid issue. She’s doing really well and regaining her strength. We are very appreciative of your prayers for her and for us, and we are thankful for the increasing strength in her body.
What I want to talk to you about today is the renewed mind, a very familiar subject. I’m hoping to approach it from an angle that will refresh us, if not provide new insight and instruction. If the mind weren’t important, it wouldn’t be worth renewing. God values the intellect of the individual so profoundly that Jesus went through great suffering to protect the mind, knowing that the unrenewed mind is hostile toward Him and is at war with God, according to Romans 8. He takes the risk to protect something that keeps people independent in their thinking, so that they can be instruments of God—hearing what He is saying, doing what He is doing, and illustrating heaven on earth to express the actual will of God through their yielded imagination. A yielded imagination becomes a sanctified imagination, which is positioned for vision and dreams. The sanctified imagination is postured to hear and see from God.
I believe that there’s a whole new release of creativity that is about to take place through the church for the sake of the world, for the nations, in medicine, science, technology—all these areas. I believe very strongly this is the case. Let me also insert here that it wouldn’t be good for all the creative ideas to come solely from the church, as we would become too proud, arrogant, and independent. Thankfully, the Lord knows the measure. However, I believe that if we reposition ourselves in our thinking, He will release ideas to us.
The renewed mind is the target of the Lord in your life every single day. He is constantly speaking to us and leading us into experiences and encounters that will reposition our thinking—not just to think creatively but to think like Christ. The renewed mind can create a context for faith, and it’s important you understand this: faith doesn’t come from the mind. The Bible says that it is with the heart that man believes unto righteousness, so faith is not merely an intellectual matter. However, the renewed mind creates an environment for faith, much like the banks of a river create a context for the river to flow within.
It was the centurion’s understanding of the ways of God and the nature of the kingdom that so impressed Jesus that He called it faith. He said, «Go your way; your servant lives.» Faith often demonstrates itself in kingdom understanding. It is not simply the product of self-discipline, although I believe discipline is important. However, it creates the context for something to happen. Faith comes from surrender, not striving; it is the result of yielding to the Spirit of God and the Word of God, and the experiences He takes us into so that we can think and see differently.
There are enemies to the renewed mind, and clearly, everything the enemy wants to do in our lives is to disengage us from that renewed mind. The reason for this is that he wants people to think in ways that, although they may appear logical and reasonable, are hostile toward God and His ways. The mindset on the flesh, as described in Romans 8, is hostile toward God; it is not neutral. It is not as if the mindset of the flesh is just having a bad day; it is at war with the things of God. It is crucial to understand that, while the mindset on the flesh is hostile, the mindset on the Spirit is life and peace. The mindset on the Spirit is capable of moving in great faith.
A couple more comments before we read. Did I tell you where to go? James 3? No? How many of you were there? I want to see how many discerning people are in the room. None? All right. I’ll give you another chance. James chapter 3—turn there in your Bibles; we will read from there in just a moment. I am perceiving something like, you remember the phrase «looking through a glass darkly»? That describes where I’m standing right now—I’m peering through a glass, and I can’t see it clearly. But I do see that the Scripture says, «By faith, we understand the worlds were made out of nothing.» By faith, we understand this. I believe that the Lord is introducing us to an understanding that will benefit humanity—an understanding that doesn’t elevate you or me as some «Christian smartypants.» I see a t-shirt—no, do not make that t-shirt for me; I will not wear it: «Christian Smarty Pants» just came to me, though I’m not sure it was the Lord’s inspiration.
He is not interested in elevating the believer to a place of applause and worship; rather, He wants to elevate the fact that He has the entire world in His heart and there are practical solutions for every problem. He understands what those solutions are, and surrendered, yielded people will come into them. As we expand and grow in our own faith in these areas, I believe there will be more dreams, more visions, and simple insights. Sometimes, you receive a dream and a vision, and it seems supernatural. Other times, you simply work hard and come to the right conclusion, and that also is the work of God.
I know our teams that write songs can have these moments—I’ve talked with Brian, and there are times when songs just seem to come. Two-thirds of the song may be written in such a flow, while the last third is ground out over time. Both processes are necessary. The Lord will release understanding for creative solutions and expressions.
Now, by faith, we understand. Let’s go to James chapter 3.
What we recognize here is that the devil doesn’t come to us in a red rubber suit with horns and a pitchfork. He doesn’t introduce himself as the devil; instead, he presents himself as something we would value. He has to parade his thoughts as virtuous thoughts for us to embrace them. He is often described in the Bible as an «angel of light.» He presents himself in a way that we think we are discerning or moving in some sort of virtue. However, the problem is that this way of thinking does not carry peace; it does not bear the fruit of peace or righteousness.
Now, let’s look at this passage from James chapter 3, verse 13: «Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom.» I love that phrase, «meekness of wisdom.» My goodness, don’t pursue wisdom without meekness or assume you have it unless you demonstrate meekness. Meekness is not weakness; it is yielded strength. The biblical illustration of meekness is the wild horse that becomes trained. It is still strong enough to jump the highest fence; it does so only at the command of its master.
Verse 14: «If you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth.» This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, and demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are present. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
Let’s revisit verses 14 and 15: «If you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth.» This phrase, «This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, and demonic,» is key here. Bitterness, offense, jealousy, and envy carry with them the appearance of wisdom, which is why a Christian would embrace them; they make us feel discerning. However, they do not bear the fruit of peace or righteous living.
If I were to identify the number one enemy I have seen at work in the body of Christ over the last two years, it would be offense. It is connected to this right here: it appears as wisdom and comes with reasoning. Have you ever met a bitter person who didn’t have a good reason? Offense is that way. Offense inspired many people to vote for abortion whom I believe are fundamentally opposed to it. It dramatically influences people because it has the appearance of wisdom, but it is not wise.
I have been on a journey for the past several months. Over the last six months, I have been asking the Lord, «I don’t want any trace of offense in my heart about anything ever. I don’t want to live under that influence.» I must admit, I am one of the most forgiving people I know. It’s an arrogant thing to say, but I don’t care at this point. I am so quick to forgive, yet I asked the Lord, «Show me any place for this offense,» because you can still unknowingly live under the influence of offense and not be bitter.
I urge you to guard your heart; you can live under the pain of that influence unnecessarily. For six months, I have asked the Lord to reveal this to me. At the most random moments, I might be driving down the road and suddenly remember something someone said to me in high school. «Really? Do we have to go that far back?» Conversations from grade school or from last year come to mind—just all sorts of random things. I remember a conversation at the Chicago airport with a young man who had certain opinions and conclusions about me; that memory comes back. I can see his face clearly and place myself in that moment in the airport, and I say, «I give up my right to be offended.»
The lady who flipped me off in traffic? I pull over to have a conversation with her and say, «I give up my right to be offended.» The money that was stolen, the dishonesty in a deal—I give up my right to be offended. When I do this, I find that stuff just starts to dial down.
Now, I need you to understand, so there is no misunderstanding. I have not recognized any resentment or bitterness yet, but something powerful happens in my heart. I cannot explain it otherwise. A powerful work is done in my heart when I look at the guy who rebuked me at the airport and read me the riot act regarding my eternal destination. I can still picture his face, and I say, «I give up my right to be offended.» Honestly, I try to take it a step further in cases like this: I pray for great mercy and grace.
The point is that I do not want the poison of offense to cloud my vision or affect my thinking and reasoning because it does. The target is to allow offense, bitterness, envy, and similar things to influence our reasoning, so that we are unable to demonstrate the heart of God on planet Earth in the measure He desires from us.
Look with me at Romans 12, and we will take this for the remaining part of the morning. You guys still alive? I don’t know what I’d say if you said no, but I do prefer that you remain awake during the meeting.
Verse 1 of chapter 12 says: «I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, wholly acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.» I think one of the translations, perhaps the New American Standard, says «reasonable service of worship.» Present your body as a living sacrifice; this is the intellectual thing to do.
Have you discovered yet that God thinks differently than you do? Guess who’s not going to change? What repentance does is re-engage us with the way He thinks. That is what repentance truly means: reconnecting with God’s perception concerning a matter. His perception is different.
Most of our lives are spent in the midst of challenges, difficulties, problems, and victories. Often, in these issues, we cry out to God for Him to come and help us fix our situations. However, Jesus modeled a different way of living. I hope that we can come into a greater understanding of this in the next couple of years. Some have referred to it as the «ascended life.» It may sound too abstract, but just follow my train of thought.
In John 3, Jesus tells Nicodemus and those gathering around him, «No one has ascended to heaven except the Son of Man who is in heaven.» Think about this—He is telling them this before His death, resurrection, and ascension. He hasn’t completed those acts yet, yet He announces to the group, «No one has ascended to heaven except the Son of Man who first descended from heaven.»
What is He saying? Do you want to know how He knows what the Father is doing? How He can say, «I only do what I see my Father do,» and «I only say what I hear my Father say»? He demonstrates what it is like to live in heavenly places toward the earth. Everything He did, He did brokering that world into this one through His obedience. It was the ascended life—living in that presence and engaging from there. Most of us live with an inferior mindset, asking for Him to invade our circumstances, which is not wrong, but it is a weaker position.
I can’t fully prove this, but allow me to propose it as an idea: perhaps the difference lies between being a servant and being a son.
Verse 2: «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.» When encountering a verse like this, familiarity can tempt us to not look at it closely. I often go the extra mile, wanting to be re-exposed to what I may be overly familiar with—sometimes even intentionally looking it up in a different translation—I want it to rattle my thinking.
He says, «Don’t be conformed to this world; be transformed.» I think my favorite illustration of this word «transformed» occurs in Luke chapter 9, where Jesus takes a few of the disciples up on a mountain. The Bible says He is «transfigured» before them. Imagine going to a prayer meeting and dozing off during a long all-nighter with Jesus, and suddenly He transforms. It says He looked different and His clothing shone like lightning. How many of you think that might wake you up? That’s exactly what happened—to these guys, it was electrifying as they saw Jesus clothed in stunning, bright garments.
That word, «transfigured,» where Jesus is transformed, is the same word here described as «transformed.» It is my personal conviction that the renewed mind appears like Jesus clothed in lightning in the spirit world. The renewed mind is unique and distinct—it is not passive, subtle, or timid; it is brilliant as it illustrates the heart and mind of God for planet Earth. He still has a plan for this planet, and you are a part of it.
So here it is, «Do not be conformed to this world; be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove the will of God—that which is good, acceptable, and perfect.»
What is the will of God? «Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.» Say it with me: «Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.» Again, «Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.» What does a renewed mind do? It proves the will of God—heaven on Earth. That’s amazing!
Some of what we expect to come at the return of Christ is to manifest through the renewed mind of Christ. The transformation of a person’s life is no greater than the transformation of their mind. This is why the word «repent» means to change the way you think. He is targeting not merely the discipline of having correct thoughts, which has value, but rather living from the perception of reality that is greater than everything you can see.
This world, Paul teaches in Romans, is temporary; everything you can see is temporal, but what you cannot see is eternal. Faith functions out of the eternal toward the temporary, toward the greater reality instead of the inferior reality. The renewed mind lives with an awareness of that.
The verse says, «That you may prove the will of God—that which is good, acceptable, and perfect.» I remember growing up hearing people teach about the «good, acceptable, and perfect will of God.» They suggested that there was a perfect will, a good will, and an acceptable will. No! Those are three terms for the same thing!
Don’t try to skim by with, «I’m going to do the acceptable will of God.» That’s just permissible—it’s a foolish mindset! The word you may see translated as «prove» here is actually interesting; some translations say it means «to approve» the will of God. This does not mean you and I are the ones who give approval for what God is doing on Earth, not at all.
Let me illustrate it this way: let’s say you received an inheritance of a vast estate in Europe. This should make you happy—start fantasizing with me! You just heard that you inherited this estate; it comes with a big castle, acres of land, and hunting ground. We fly there, spend weeks exploring what belongs to us, and one day in an attic, we discover several pieces of art. In the corner, one painting grabs your attention—it features a signature that reads «Van Gogh.»
You’re unsure if it’s real, counterfeit, or otherwise, but you know it’s valuable. You call me, because in this story, I am the Van Gogh expert! You tell me about the painting, and after weeks of examination—studying every brushstroke, every known painting, and every piece of Van Gogh’s life—I tell you, «I’m 100% certain this is an authentic Van Gogh painting that nobody knew existed.»
Suddenly, a piece of art worth a hundred dollars is now valued at over a hundred million! What happened? After thorough examination, I approved it!
Now, let’s say you received a bad report from a doctor concerning your health, and a strong friend who loves Jesus calls and says, «I had a dream last night where Jesus told me to tell you that He is giving you this affliction for a brief season, and then He will heal you gloriously.» Two weeks later, another friend calls with a different dream, saying, «I had a dream last night. Jesus told me this disease is not from Him, and He will set you free.»
What just happened? You received two pieces of art, both marked with «Van Gogh,» but only one is authentic. To determine which is truthful, you examine Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Without rejecting the individual who had the contrary dream or reacting with shame, you embrace one and let go of the other. Through careful examination of God’s word and the spirit within you, you declare, «I approve. This is the will of God—this is the authentic painting!»
You and I have the responsibility and opportunity to illustrate the heart and mind of God. Pastors often come to me asking how to increase the level of miracles in their lives or churches. I share my journey, sometimes telling them that just being in the environment of the Anaheim Vineyard in 1987, I brought something home that I hadn’t gone there with. I came home with a sense of anointing that began to manifest the next week—something I had never witnessed in my life before!
It wasn’t through laying hands; it was about being in that atmosphere. I tell them my experience, but then I say, «If you want the shortcut"—who doesn’t like shortcuts? —"just go with Randy Clark to Brazil. You will see in a week more miracles than faith-filled believers see in a lifetime.»
I remember arriving two days after a meeting started. Randy told me that at one meeting there were 9,000 attendees, and 8,000 of them were healed. One story stands out: he prayed for the wind of the Spirit to blow upon a deaf section in a massive tent. A literal wind blew, lifting the tent flap, and rain fell onto the deaf section. Many deaf people were instantly healed!
Let’s put this into practical terms—imagine if we were both there. You prayed specifically for tumors to disappear. At the first meeting, you witnessed someone come forward with a significant growth on their neck. You pray, and it disappears! The next day, a woman with breast cancer lays her hand on her own breast; you place your hand on top and pray, and she discovers it is completely gone—happening again and again over subsequent days.
After experiencing ten miracles like this, you’re now looking for tumors. You hadn’t looked for them before attending this event, but since you entered into the flow of the mind of Christ, you step into a demonstration of what it is to have a renewed mind. All three elements—the Word of God, the Spirit of God, and your personal experience—are necessary for you and me to live with a renewed mind.
Yes, amen!
I think that’s pretty much it. Why don’t you stand? The renewed mind illustrates, demonstrates, manifests, and approves of heaven on earth. We can see it with opened deaf ears, with new ideas for business expansion, and with keys to reconciliation in broken families. He manifests in numerous ways, always for His glory and our strength.
Don’t be conformed to this world. If you’re going to have the mind of Christ, it will make you stand out. I don’t particularly like the attention, but perhaps that’s why James mentioned meekness alongside wisdom. With wisdom, you will be brokering God’s world into this one—just stay low as you engage, restraining or directing your strength.
So, Father, that’s my prayer for us. Please extend your hands out in front of you, or place them on your heart, or do something that feels comfortable, but let’s take a moment to pray. Father, that’s our cry together, for our family online who watches from all over the world—we bless them! We pray that together we may experience the corporate illustration of the mind of Christ in ways we have never known, experiencing the true wisdom of God as we have never known it before. We do pray, «On earth as it is in heaven.»
God, we love Your will. Inspire dreams and help us to deal with any little offenses or creeping issues. Help us to be a people who give up our right to be offended, as we fully embrace the mind of Christ. I pray this in Jesus' name.
Anytime there are this many people in a room, there is always a chance that there are some who do not have a personal relationship with Jesus. I believe that is the purpose of our gathering. I ask that there be no movement right now; this is not the time to move about. I believe it is God’s desire for you to know what it is like to be forgiven of sin and enter into a personal relationship with the Almighty God.
If anyone in the room would say, «Bill, I don’t want to leave this building until I know what it is like to be forgiven and have a personal relationship with Jesus,» then I want you to raise your hand where you are. Quickly, just put it up boldly and courageously. Yes, right over here, and right down here. Yes, here’s one—beautiful, thank you! Wonderful! Anyone else? Just a moment, real quick.
For those online, please make a note in the chat box because our pastors online will talk with you and pray with you. We have had numerous people born again online, some as many as 15 in a service who have received Christ from all over the world.
Let’s take another moment to ensure everyone has responded. If God is tugging at your heart, this is your moment to respond; His invitation is here for you.
Thank you, Father, for what You are doing. Please help the individuals who raised their hands to receive prayer. I want them to know what it means to belong to You.
All right, let’s give an offering of thanks to the Lord!