When a caterpillar becomes a butterfly, he enters into a cocoon and is transformed because of power that is not natural to him. That transformation changes the way that the caterpillar approaches the world. He eats differently, He travels differently, he is even called by a different name, therefore his very essence is changed. In Romans 12:2 we are told to stop allowing ourselves to be conformed to this world, but allow ourselves to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. The Word of God will become a natural means of transforming us out of darkness and into light. In this passage we are commanded to allow ourselves to be changed outwardly into conformity to our redeemed inner natures. Although we are to aspire to this outward change, it can be accomplished only by the Holy Spirit working in us. The Holy Spirit achieves this transformation by the renewing of the mind, and this outward transformation is affected by an inner change in the mind. Whether good or bad, when anything happens in our lives, our immediate, almost reflexive response should be controlled by this inner transformation of our minds. Only such a mind is able to make our … READ MORE

Romans 12:2 reminds us of the importance of the mind in living the Christian life. The phrase, “Do not be conformed to this world” indicates the battle for the mind that is taking place in the heart of each person. The verb here “conformed” is a passive imperative, the passive indicating that conformation is something we allow to be done to us, and the imperative indicating a command, not a suggestion. We must stop allowing ourselves to be fashioned after the present evil age which we live. The word “World” here is better rendered, “age,” referring to the world system now dominated by Satan, “the god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4). Because of Satan’s influence it is not uncommon for us to be tempted to float downstream in our thinking. We want to enjoy the world’s entertainment, the world’s fashions, the world’s vocabulary, the world’s music, and many of the world’s attitudes – even when those things clearly do not conform to the standards of God’s Word. That sort of living is unacceptable to God, and unworthy of those who are called followers of God. The way we overcome those temptations, is to have our minds renewed by the … READ MORE

When I came to understand the salvation offered to me by Jesus Christ, I was immediately transformed out of darkness into light. I was born again, into a living hope, and that transformation was immediate and complete. However, one of the things I quickly understood, was that my knowledge of the Word of God was as incomplete as it was before my transformation. I had to take time to understand the Word of God so that my mind might be renewed! Romans 12:2 is a reminder that it is the mind that our new nature and our old humanness are intermixed, and it is here that we make choices as to whether we will express our new nature in holiness or allow our fleshly humanness to act in unholiness. We must allow the Word of God to transform us through the renewing of our minds. When I think back to when I came to Christ, and how incomplete and simple my understanding of the Word of God was, I am amazed at the amount of understanding that the Lord has permitted me to obtain, as I have invested time in knowing His Word. The key to learning to live a … READ MORE