THE RENEWING OF OUR MIND

Romans 12:2

REPROGRAMMING OUR MIND:

What the apostle Paul describes here is actually a process. In this verse, we find the exact mechanism for that reprogramming. This process is called neuroplasticity, the brain's ability to physically reconfigure itself based on the information it repeatedly receives.

Do not conform to this world. The words “conform" in Greek means “to be molded”. Your brain is being molded right now by what you repeatedly see, hear, and think. Your mind adapts to the environment in which you live.

Learned habits can be unlearned. New habits can replace old ones. That's why Paul doesn't say to try harder, but to be transformed. The word "transformed" in Greek is "metamorpho," the same word used to describe the transformation of a caterpillar into a butterfly.

This is not self-improvement, but a structural change. A caterpillar doesn't become a butterfly through effort, but undergoes a restructuring at the cellular level. That's what Paul says happens in your mind through its renewal. The Greek word for "renewal" is "anosis," which means "again," a complete structural change. It's not a simple restoration or reconstruction (Phil. 4:8-9).

THE NEW MAN: II Corinthians 5:17

Colossians 3:1-10: Here the apostle Paul lists several vices that believers should "put off," as if taking off articles of clothing. These sins belong to our old "earthly nature" (v. 5). Finally, Paul says: “having put off the old man with his deeds, and having put on the new man, who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him.”

The new man is the newly regenerated spiritual nature of the born-again Christian (John 3:5). It is the inner self that has come to life in Jesus Christ and is then renewed day by day by the Holy Spirit (II Corinthians 4:14). Paul uses the image of changing clothes to illustrate the Lord's transformative work of recreating believers in His image: "clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh" (Romans 13:14, Galatians 3:27).

The Bible teaches that God created man in His image. When Adam sinned, the perfect image of God in us was distorted or ruined by sin. The fall separated man from God and brought death into the world (Psalm 51:5; Romans 3:23).

The Holy Spirit begins to renew our minds, thoughts, and attitudes, changing and molding us to become more like Jesus. As we spend time in the Lord's presence, we become in every way more and more like Christ. Becoming the new man is a lifelong process "until Christ is fully formed in our lives" (Galatians 4:19).

THE NEW MAN IN CHRIST:

II Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 4:24; Colossians 3:12-14; Romans 6:6; Colossians 3:10; Romans 13:14; II Corinthians 3:18; John 15:1-8; 1 John 5:4; II Corinthians 4:16; Ephesians 2:14-16; 1 John 3:9; Ezekiel 11:19; Ephesians 3:16; Colossians 1:11; John 3:6

LIVING IN THE SPIRIT:

These are not nine separate fruits, but a single fruit. A cluster of grapes is a single fruit, just as this set of graces is a single fruit. This fruit can be divided into three groups:

1. In relation to God: love, joy, and peace.

2. In relation to others: patience, kindness, and goodness.

3. In relation to oneself: faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

If your desire is to possess the qualities listed in Galatians 5:22-23, then you know that the Holy Spirit is guiding you. At the same time, be careful not to confuse your personal feelings with the guidance of the Spirit. Being guided by the Holy Spirit involves the desire to listen and the willingness to obey God's Word, and the sensitivity to discern between your feelings and His promptings. Live each day controlled and guided by the Holy Spirit. Jesus' words will be in your mind, God's love will be behind your actions, and God's power will help you control your selfish desires.

Paul describes the two forces that struggle within us: the Holy Spirit and the sinful nature. He is not saying that these forces are equal. The Holy Spirit is infinitely stronger. But if we rely on our own wisdom, we will make wrong decisions. If we try to follow the Spirit with our own human effort, we will fail. Our only way to be freed from our evil desires is through the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:9, Ephesians 4:23-24, Colossians 3:3-8).

We all have evil desires, and we cannot ignore them; to follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we must confront them decisively (5:24). These desires include obvious sins such as sexual immorality. They also include less obvious sins such as hatred and jealousy. Those who ignore such sins or refuse to confront them reveal that they are not living in the Holy Spirit, which leads to a transformed life.

The fruit of the Spirit is the spontaneous work of the Holy Spirit in us. The Spirit produces these character traits that are found in the nature of Christ. These are the result of Christ's control; we cannot obtain them by trying to achieve them without His help. We must unite our lives with Christ's (John 15:4-5).