To live aware of our Heavenly position in Christ is impossible to do without having a renewed mind, for our lives are only transformed as our minds are transformed. You will know that your mind is renewed when those things that seemed impossible become possible. If we fail to see from the perspective that we are now in Christ in Heavenly Places we will always be fighting an uphill battle to get a breakthrough. When we see ourselves as seated in Heavenly places we will live from there towards the issues of life.
Repentance really means to change the way we think. Jesus said that we need to ‘Repent, for the kingdom of Heaven is at hand’. In other words, He was saying that we need to change the way we think because He has brought His world with Him and unless we change our perspective on reality we will be so close to what He has brought with Him but we will never see it.
Most Christians only repent enough to be forgiven their sins but not enough to see the Kingdom. He wants us to see through God’s eyes from His perspective. Having a renewed mind is a continuous repentance, a continuous changing of the way we think.
“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. 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.” Romans 12:1-2
According to this verse, the renewed mind proves the will of God. What is the will of God? The Lords prayer says that we are to pray that His will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Its Gods desire to change any area in life that does not mirror heaven. These areas are an inferior reality and He wants to change them, and a renewed mind proves that. A renewed mind demonstrates that His world is superior to this one. To demonstrate what His will looks like is a challenge. Getting to Heaven isn’t that hard but our primary mandate is the greatest challenge, and that is ‘On earth as it is in Heaven’. Having a renewed mind is able to demonstrate, to reveal, what the heart of God is. The believer with a continuous renewed mind is able to demonstrate the goodness of God. Who God is and what He is like and all that He has done for us. When our problems are bigger in our consciousness than the awareness of Gods nature we will live in reaction to those problems. Wherever you anchor your mind will be where you are going to anchor your affections, and wherever you anchor your affections will be the reality you are going to live in every day.
“Christ’s resurrection is your resurrection too. This is why we are to yearn for all that is above, for that’s where Christ sits enthroned at the place of all power, honor, and authority! Yes, feast on all the treasures of the heavenly realm and fill your thoughts with heavenly realities, and not with the distractions of the natural realm. Your crucifixion with Christ has severed the tie to this life, and now your true life is hidden away in God in Christ.” Colossians 3:1-3 TPT
With a renewed mind you will draw from this new reality, but only to the degree you become aware of that reality. As your eyes are opened, you will eventually find yourself living from that reality towards the broken conditions of this world. Some say that when Jesus slept in the storm it was because He was exhausted, but I don’t think this was true. I think the reason He slept in the storm was because the world He dwelt in had no storms. He was illustrating what it was like to live in the reality of communing with the Father in such a way that He wasn’t distracted by this issues of this life. Later on Paul found language for this type of life by saying that we are seated in heavenly places in Christ. Ephesians 2:6. Tragically, this has been reduced to a doctrine but its actually an invitation to an experience, a lifestyle just like Jesus had while here on earth. Jesus said in John 3:13 that even though He was on earth He was also in heaven communing with the Father and He wants us to live from this place as well. As He is now so shall we be in this life. 1 John 4:17. He promises us that we too can have this type of lifestyle if we are willing to pursue it. I have gleaned some of these thoughts from Bill Johnson’s teachings on the Renewed Mind.