More Than External Transformation
I point this out for one reason: to make the point that the nonconformity to the world does not primarily mean the external avoidance of worldly behaviors. Thats included. But you can avoid all kinds of worldly behaviors and not be transformed. His face shown like the sun, and his clothes became white as light! Something like that happens to us spiritually and morally. Mentally, first on the inside, and then, later at the resurrection on the outside. So Jesus says of us, at the resurrection: Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father .
We are perfectly useless as Christians if all we do is conform to the world around us.
Transformation is not switching from the to-do list of the flesh to the to-do list of the law. When Paul replaces the list the works of the flesh, he does not replace it with the works of the law, but the fruit of the Spirit .
The Christian alternative to immoral behaviors is not a new list of moral behaviors. It is the triumphant power and transformation of the Holy Spirit through faith in Jesus Christ our Savior, our Lord, our Treasure. has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life . So transformation is a profound, blood-bought, Spirit-wrought change from the inside out.
How Can I Transform My Mind
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What Does The Bible Say About The Heart
I am always troubled when someone gives advice saying, Follow your heart because it will never lead you wrong. This is completely false when you consider what the Bible says about the heart:
The heart is deceitful above all things,
And desperately wicked
Following your heart will get you into big trouble if you are not seeking God through His Word and following the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Every thought must be compared to the truth in the Bible because our thoughts are not facts. Thoughts that do not come from God are opinions.
That is why our heart needs protection.
Keep your heart with all diligence,
For out of it spring the issues of life.
I also love this same verse, Proverbs 4:23, from the Common English Bible:
More than anything you guard, protect your mind, for life flows from it.
This verse screams to me, Having a problem in life? Struggling with anxiety, depression, negativity? Check the focus of your heart. What have you been thinking about?
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First Step: Be Transformed By The Renewing Of Your Mind
Now that Ive given you your first assignment, this is just the beginning to being transformed by the renewing of your mind. We will continue an important series that starts with this post. Stay tuned as we will be going on a spiritual adventure to make us more like Christ, saturating ourselves with the Word, bible verses, prayer time, and the Holy Spirit.
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Renewal As An Essential Means Of Transformation
And in Romans 12:2, Paul now focuses on one essential means of transformation the renewal of your mind. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind. Oh, how crucial this is!
- If you long to break loose from conformity to the world,
- If you long to be transformed and new from the inside out,
- If you long to be free from mere duty-driven Christianity and do what you love to do because what you love to do is what you ought to do,
- If you long to offer up your body as a living sacrifice so that your whole life becomes a spiritual act of worship and displays the worth of Christ above the worth of the world,
then give yourself with all your might to pursuing this the renewal of your mind. Because the Bible says, this is the key to transformation. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind.
Whats wrong with the human mind? Why does our mind need renewing? And what does this renewal look like? And how can we pursue and enjoy this renewal?
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What Does It Mean By The Renewing Of Your Mind
- Vivian BrickerContributing Writer
Paul tells us in Romans 12:2, Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what Gods will is his good, pleasing and perfect will.
From this passage of Scripture, Paul tells us not to conform to the pattern of this world but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds, after which we will be able to test and approve Gods perfect will.
This passage of Scripture can be confusing at first glance, yet through careful study, we can ascertain what Paul means when he says we will be transformed by the renewing of our minds.
Bible Verses About Renewal
Let his flesh become fresher than in youth,Let him return to the days of his youthful vigor
Create in me a clean heart, O God,And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
You send forth Your Spirit, they are created And You renew the face of the ground.
My glory is ever new with me,And my bow is renewed in my hand.
Restore us to You, O Lord, that we may be restored Renew our days as of old,
And Jesus said to them, Truly I say to you, that you who have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit on His glorious throne, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
Who satisfies your years with good things,So that your youth is renewed like the eagle.
If a man dies, will he live again?All the days of my struggle I will waitUntil my change comes.
Yet those who wait for the LordWill gain new strength They will mount up with wings like eagles,They will run and not get tired,They will walk and not become weary.
You were tired out by the length of your road,Yet you did not say, It is hopeless.You found renewed strength,
Restore to me the joy of Your salvationAnd sustain me with a willing spirit.
The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.
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How Will You Renew Yourself
Clear out mental and emotional clutter.
Expose Yourself To Examples
This first recommendation may seem obvious and it does kind of partner with asking for support, but find people within your network who are good examples in the areas you want to improve in.
Find mature role models who are consistent with their lifestyle and do as they do. How do they communicate? What do they do when theyre stressed? What household routines do they have? How do they focus on their family? How do they handle conflict?
We can learn so much from observation and we can learn even more by asking questions.
Maybe youre not able to say that you feel like you have a network of people you can count on thats okay.
Whether or not you do, you can also expose yourself to quality content. We have the benefit of the internet now-a-days. You can read books. You can listen to sermons or discussions or podcasts. You can attend events.
Dont be so quick to be discouraged by that. There are tons of resources out there.
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Christian Quotes About Renewing The Mind
Without the renewed mind, we will distort the Scriptures to avoid their radical commands for self-denial, and love, and purity, and supreme satisfaction in Christ alone. John Piper
Sanctification begins with spiritually renewing the mind, that is, changing how we think. John MacArthur
Renewing the mind is a little like refinishing furniture. It is a two-stage process. It involves taking off the old and replacing it with the new. The old is the lies you have learned to tell or were taught by those around you it is the attitudes and ideas that have become a part of your thinking but do not reflect reality. The new is the truth. To renew your mind is to involve yourself in the process of allowing God to bring to the surface the lies you have mistakenly accepted and replace them with truth. To the degree that you do this, your behavior will be transformed.
If you perform your part, God will fulfill His. And once you put off specifically, you should just as thoroughly believe that God will renew your mind, despite the fact you know not how. Watchman Nee
Most of all, let the Word of God fill you and renew your mind every day. When our minds are on Christ, Satan has little room to maneuver. Billy Graham
Satans target is your mind, and his weapons are lies. So fill your mind with the Word of God.
Reasons To Renew Your Mind In 2021
I once heard there is no standing still in life. You are either moving forward, or you are moving backward, but you cannot just stay where you are.
Well, 2020 may have hit you with a lot of things that moved you backward, and if you think you can coast through the beginning of 2021 and wait it out I would challenge that thought. In a time when everything seems to be on pause, taking time to renew your mind will make 2021 a year of moving forward!
So, what does it actually mean to renew your mind?
Renewing your mind means to do away with unhealthy thought patterns and to replace them with true, godly ones. Most importantly, it is impossible to do without Gods help.
Here are three reasons WHY you should renew your mind in 2021.
1) Renewing Your Mind Gets You Out of Your Head
Dont copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.
Romans 12:2a, NLT
If there is anything I need less of in 2021, it is time with my own thoughts and opinions! Even when I read news articles, social posts, and headlines, I still have to think about if I agree with what is being said.
But when we renew our minds, we are reading scripture. It is not an opinion it is the truth. Rather than having an opinion about its validity, I instead get to ask for Gods help to align my thoughts with the truth I am reading!
2) Renewing Your Mind Changes You
3) Renewing Your Mind Gives You Purpose + Direction
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Breaking Down The Key Parts Of Romans 1: 2
#1 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, They are surprised that you do not join them in their reckless, wild living, and they heap abuse on you . Several of the authors of the New Testament warn against the dangers of being of the world. We are rather called to be in the world, but not of it. Every Christian will be tested by this reality.
#2 but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. If your mind changes, you will change. Feed it with truth from the word. Change it by acting appropriately in the world. When you sin, confess and repent. When your mind changes, you are fundamentally a different and more Christlike person.
#3 Then you will be able to test and approve what Gods will is Just as the spirit of a man knows the man, the Spirit of God is the only one to truly know God . With a renewed mind we have the Spirit of God and the mind of Christ . The Christian with a renewed mind will know how to walk through life with an understanding of the will of God and will be able to obey him.
#4 his good, pleasing, and perfect will. New Christians sometimes admit that some parts of Gods will are not pleasing to them. They know his will is good, but they admit that they are not pleased with it, especially in those areas where the culture they were brought up in has an extremely different view. But the more mature Christian will begin to love all the ways of God and find them increasingly pleasing.
What Does It Mean To Renew Your Mind
Renewing your mind basically means changing the way you think. But from a faith-based perspective, it also goes a little further than that. Romans 12:2 in the GW Translation says: Change the way you think. Then you will always be able to determine what God really wants what is good, and pleasing, and perfect.
When we partner with the Holy Spirit in this process, renewing our minds actually allows us to gain discernment. It introduces us to a process that allows us to think like Jesus. How cool is that?
And there are some practical implications to that, right? If were changing the way we think, we have to have some sort of standard for edifying our thought life.
This, of course, starts with a heart posture that says yes, a heart posture that is open and receptive to the process: even when we dont necessarily want to and even when its not easy.
If were renewing our minds with the goal and the intention of thinking like Jesus, it will have to involve knowing Him. Knowing how thinks by knowing how He speaks. Becoming familiar with His word and His ways. Thats a huge step in and of itself. One of the most fundamental ways we get to know God as God, God as a Father, as our savior, as our counselor, as the lover of our souls is through His word, through the Bible.
Getting into that text helps us grow in our understanding of Him, His character, His attributes, and so much more.
Change your thinking, change your life.
Ernest helmes
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Enroll in the free course Watch Your Life for free practical ministry training that develops the heart of a servant of Christ. Learn more about Open the Bible for Leaders.
Judy Allen
Judy Allen is an area director of Community Bible Study in Arlington Heights, Ill.,, and she writes at Connecting Dots to God. Judy also enjoys reading, walking, hiking, and spending time with family and friends.
Being A New Creation In Christ
15. 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
16. Galatians 2:19-20 For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
17. Isaiah 43:18 Do not call to mind the former things pay no attention to the things of old.
18. Romans 6:4 We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may walk in newness of life.
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What Does The Bible Say About Renewing Your Spirit
Romans 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. As you continue to place your trust in God, He will continue to fill your heart with joy, peace, and a hope that overflows into the lives of the people around you.
Why Do I Care
No one taught me how toxic my mind was until I was an adult. I grew up feeling like a victim of the negativity in my mind. And it seemed there was always something or someone available to confirm that all of these negative thoughts I learned to believe were true.
When I was in my early twenties, suffering from depression, and going through a difficult time, I committed to memorizing Philippians 4.
Through this passage, the Holy Spirit began to unwind the poisonous barbs the lies I believed. But it wasnt just about cleaning out the bad. I needed mindfulness training to recognize negative thinking and consciously replace wrong thoughts with Gods Truth.
When I became a mother, I knew that I didnt want my young children to grow up believing lies and being entangled by their own intrusive thoughts. For years, I talked to them about controlling their own mind. Then, God placed this object lesson plan in my heart as a visual reminder to help children overcome strong feelings and thoughts.
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