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The Renewal of the mind
"And do not be conformed to this world [any longer with its superficial values and customs], but be transformed and progressively changed [as you mature spiritually] by the renewing of your mind [focusing on godly values and ethical attitudes], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His plan and purpose for you]."
The Bible is our source of truth. It defines all truth. It holds all truth. It IS all truth.
So when the Bible tells us things pertaining to our lives, we ought to pay attention.
When I first learned about the renewing of the mind, I didn't understand it at all. I'm still learning because it is the Holy Spirit of God who reveals the scriptures and their full meaning to us. It is also the Holy Spirit who guides us in our reading and teaches us about what we've read in the Word of God. You see, the Holy Spirit is more than our Friend, Counsellor, and anything we may think. He is our Teacher. He is our Helper. He is God.
Hebrews 4.12 says:
"For the Word of God is living and active and full of power [making it operative, energizing, and effective]. It is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating as far as the division of the soul and spirit [the completeness of a person], and of both joints and marrow [the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and judging the very thoughts and intentions of the heart."
The Word of God goes deeper than we might ever think! In order to be transformed by the renewing of the mind, you need to be reading your Bible. It is not you who transforms or renews your mind as you read; it is the Holy Spirit of God who transforms and renews us as we read the Word of God.
We cannot renew or transform ourselves (e.g. with self-help books, etc.). The Bible teaches us that our standard of righteousness is as filthy as rags (Isaiah 64.6). God's standard stands the test for eternity, and we find it in His Holy Word (the Bible) and in the Living Word (Jesus).
When we read the Word, we have to look at it as being alive, operative, effective; we need to realise that it is purposeful, dividing the very deepest parts of us - our nature, intentions, thoughts, and heart. It cuts through the things we hide, the things we ignore, the things we choose to face alone, and the very things that grow so deep that we are unaware of.
There are some texts in the Bible, such as Isaiah 32.4 that refer to the mind as the heart, or texts that refer to the mind and heart as seemingly one (or at least, according to my personal thought) as if they work in tandem... and they do. Have you ever had a thought come to your mind - perhaps you suddenly remembered that you forgot to pay a bill, or that you forgot to include something important in a report at work? Perhaps you may have remembered that you had a deadline coming up in a short while, a deadline that could determined the trajectory of your reputation at work (or career). How did you feel then? What usually comes next in such moments? A wave of emotions - anxiety, stress, self-doubt, self-condemnation, regret... a very full and heavy heart. That's right, the heart felt it soon after!
Proverbs 4.23 teaches us to watch over our hearts with all diligence, because "... from it flows the springs of life." The heart and mind connection is undeniable. This means that guarding our hearts and being transformed by the renewing of our mind must work together.
The point I'm getting to here is that what we believe in our minds matters. It flows into how we feel about ourselves and everything around us. It influences our identity - the perception of who we are. If you believe that you will stay sick, you might begin to feel hopeless. If you believe you will never get a job because you've faced a couple of rejections, you might begin to feel anxious about the future or lose confidence in yourself. If you find yourself making mistakes at work, you might begin to feel self-condemnation (or condemnation from the enemy). If you believe that the negative words people have said about and to you are true, you find that you might begin to feel condemnation, heaviness, and even fear of those people. Do you see it now? The mind and heart and mind connection?
So how do we become transformed by the renewing of the mind then? Well, we do exactly what the Bible says!
Trust in the Lord and not rely on our own understanding. (Proverbs 3.5-6)
Remove all things in our lives that go against the Word of God. You can do this through repentance and removing things that feed them from your life (e.g. removing pornography for those constantly battling lust, deleting social media for those constantly envious of other people's lives, etc.)
Living diligently, staying focused on the Word and what it tells us to do. When we are focused on the Word of God and living like God tells us to do, we don't allow the world to take territory in influencing our lives through our hearts, and minds.
Take authority over the things that swim in our minds. The Word of God tells us to take every thought captive and make it obedient to Jesus. (2 Corinthians 10.5)
Transformation is the work of the Holy Spirit within us as He sanctifies us (makes us holy) and transforms us until we look like Jesus - the perfect image of our invisible God.
Renewing the mind is allowing the Word of God to wash over our minds and hearts - the soil for seeds of God's Kingdom to grow within. To change us completely to a depth that we can not fathom.
What we do and say flows from the heart. Anything that is planted in our hearts usually begins in the mind (e.g. from what we've seen, heard, thought, and believed). Anything that doesn't look like God, even when it feels harmless, must not take residence within us. When we speak of renewal of the mind, it is us rejecting the lies and filth of the worldly system by adopting the truth and purity of the Word of God (God's system). It involves surrendering to the Holy Spirit as He transforms us from within. It includes using the Word of God - actively speaking it within our lives - to combat the darts of the enemy as according to Ephesians 6. It also means that we need to humble ourselves before the Lord, listen to the Holy Spirit as He convicts us through the Word of God, and do what the Word of God says to do.
Restoring the old ways of thinking is akin to watering the seeds of the kingdom of darkness in our lives. What we focus on is what grows in our lives. What we ignore tends to grow weeds that choke out all that's good in the gardens of our hearts and minds. What we don't tend to gets completely overtaken by weeds. In the same way that we would weed our gardens regularly, we need to renew our minds regularly, too. Renewal of the mind is a continual process, just like transformation is, and He who begins this work of renewal and transformation within us is surely faithful to complete it until the day of Jesus's return. (Philippians 1.6)
I pray that you might consider what is growing in the garden of your heart and mind. Who is it that you have been believing all this while - God, or the enemy of your life? What have you been bathing your heart and mind in and with - the Word of God, or the world?
The Bible teaches us that we cannot serve two masters in Matthew 6.24. The context of this verse is in reference to mammon, which the Amplified Bible identifies as , "[money, possessions, fame, status, or whatever is valued more than the Lord]." It's hard to think of it this way, but anything in our lives that takes precedence in our hearts, minds, souls, and strength is something that has been placed above God. It's in Deuteronomy 6.5 that we see what the true definition of the first commandment may mean: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and mind and with all your soul and with all your strength [your entire being]." This is the way of the Kingdom of God. The way of the enemy's Kingdom is to do what it takes to consume our hearts, minds, souls, strength [our entire being] with anything and everything that will turn us against God - anything that will turn our love against God - and it all starts with a seed in our hearts and minds.
What we believe matters because it points to who we believe. If we believe that which opposes the Bible, we believe that which opposes God(along with the being that's opposing God). It's hard to view it this way, but anything pointed against God is designed to make us doubt Him and His character, and without faith in God, it is impossible to please Him. God is worthy of more than this from us, and I say this as one who has fallen for this trap just like anyone else. In order to flee from this trap, we must run to the Word of God continually [frequently, regularly, like we would to the only stream of water to be found in a desert]. We must cling to Jesus, and surrender to the Holy Spirit who will renew and transform us through the Word of God.
We are transformed by the renewing of the mind when we choose the Kingdom of God each day. I strongly discourage you from rushing to podcasts, self-help books, people and the like. Start by reading His Word first and foremost, doing what He says to do in His Word, and surrendering to the Holy Spirit as He transforms us into the image of God - removing any trace of the enemy's kingdom within you from its root! He is faithful to renew you. He is faithful to transform you.
The Holy Spirit, although depicted as descending on Jesus like a dove during His baptism, is indeed not a bird or dove. He is a person - an actual person with thoughts, feelings, infinite wisdom, and much more than we can ever imagine. More importantly, He is God. He delights in transforming us into God's image.
As you do your part and yield to Him, He is faithful to do the rest. My advice to you is that you don't run from Him. Don't hide from Him. Don't be ashamed of your mistakes. Don't ignore Him. Take your shame and pain to Him, and ask Him to lead you to the cross of Jesus where all of it was paid for, where by His death and resurrection, you were given life and life abundantly in Him (Jesus).
Talk to the Holy Spirit of God and ask Him these three things:
Where am I avoiding your renewal of the mind and seeking comfort elsewhere?
Where do I need to surrender so that you can take the old pieces out of me and give me a new found freedom in Jesus?
Where can I look more like You in the fruits of the Spirit? (If you don't know what this is, please read Galatians 5.22-23 which tells you what they are. We'll discuss this in another post, I hope. )
Never lose faith in God, no matter how you feel. Take it to Him in prayer, read the Word of God, take every thought captive, and allow the Holy Spirit to water your heart and mind, washing it with the truth of God's holy Word.
New Believers
If you're reading this as someone who doesn't know Jesus, it's important for you to know that Jesus is the only way to God [Yahweh] - the only One in whom we have salvation.
He paid the price for our wickedness (brutal beatings then death on the cross - God's wrath and judgement for our sin, injustice, and wrongdoing). He did this to redeem our lives and to save our souls from death and eternal separation from God.
He alone is the way, truth, and life, and the only way in which we may enter into a relationship with God. There is no other way to God or to eternal life, and without Him, we face eternal separation from God.
It in Jesus that we find and fulfill our purposes. There is life after death. It is only in Jesus that we are saved from a life of eternal separation from God in a place of eternal suffering.
If you'd like a relationship with Jesus, you can start by approaching Him and talking to Him (this is otherwise known as prayer). You start by asking for forgiveness and choosing to turn away from the old sinful ways (repenting), and choosing to follow Jesus as your Saviour. You can use your own words or the ones below:
Prayer:
Dear Jesus, Thank you for the gift of eternal life which You gave to me when You died on the cross. You took my place and paid for my sin. You died and You rose again in the flesh. You made a way for me to be reunited with the Father. You made a way for me to enter into Your Kingdom. I want the righteousness that You bring me. I admit I am a sinner, and I need You in my life. Jesus, I believe You are the Son of God. I choose today to follow You, and to leave my old life behind. Heavenly Father, please forgive my sins. Wash me and make me brand new in Jesus' name. In faith, I receive the gift of Your Holy Spirit so He may help me to follow You. Thank You for adopting me into Your family.
In Jesus' name,
Amen."
If you prayed this prayer: Welcome Home!!!!
You've made the best decision of your life and eternity!
The good news is that after you have accepted God's gift of eternal life and salvation in Jesus, you do not have to do this life alone ever again. God gives you His Holy Spirit to help you, and transform you - this is the part where you surrender (yield power or control) so that He can do His work in you. The Holy Spirit is there to help, comfort, guide, teach, and so much more.
If you prayed this prayer, your next step is getting a Bible and finding a good Bible-believing church community. Here is a useful resource to help you understand your next steps. Here's a great app you can use in the meantime to start reading the Word of God until you buy a physical Bible. If you don't know where to start reading, start at the beginning (Genesis) and ask Holy Spirit to teach you as you read along.
You can read any translation you like; in my personal journey, I have found that the Amplified version breaks down the meaning of God's Word very well, including the parts that would have gotten lost in translation when the texts were translated from Aramaic and Greek.
Please get in touch with us by emailing hello@lwap.com.au if you would like some help finding a church.
God bless you! :) Jesus loves you.
Sincerely yours,
Pamela.
If you'd like us to pray with you about something you're believing for, please click here and fill out a prayer request form.
Jesus loves you, and He's coming back soon. Stay alert.
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