The Word, allowed to be planted on the inside of us, along with the working of the Spirit changes us. Renewal of the mind, also known as the salvation of the soul, is a supernatural process. Romans 12:2 speaks of being “transformed” which is metamorphoo in the Greek. It means to be changed and is sometimes translated “transfigured.” In the world of nature, it is the change process that a caterpillar goes through to become a butterfly.
When you were born-again you did not automatically become a butterfly. The nature, the DNA, of the flying butterfly is born in the crawling caterpillar, but if the caterpillar does not follow through, it will not turn into a butterfly. It is in the cocoon that he “metamorphoos.” From the inside out, an inexplicable miracle occurs.
Though born-again with the “DNA” of Jesus in their spirits, many people go on as caterpillars. They often dress up like butterflies to make others think they have matured, but the fact is butterflies fly. Transformed believers know the lift of their true identity that carries them into flight. Many believers miss this because no one has discipled them on how to get into the cocoon and let the metamorphoo process take place.
Unlike receiving knowledge, the mind is not directly transformed with new knowledge but indirectly through the help of the Holy Spirit’s revelation. Meditating on the Word lets it come alive to do the work of renovating the mind. This process is marked with “capturing every thought that exalts itself against the knowledge of God.” It destroys the strongholds of lies and wrong thinking that exist in our souls. It reveals Truth that transforms us to think and in turn, act like the Son, transforming us into His image.
1 Corinthians 2:15–16 (NASB) “But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no man.16 For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he should instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ.” We potentially have access to the mind of Christ through the Word and the Spirit but our minds need to be renewed to be able to receive the thoughts of the mind of the Lord.
We need to know what “renewal of the mind” is not as much as of what it is. Renewing the mind is not positive thinking. We need to think God’s Truth which is not always positive. It’s not just refusing wrong thoughts, at which, we can never fully succeed. It’s like saying, “Just don’t think about “it”.” And then “it” is on your mind all day long. Has that ever worked? ‘
It’s not reprogramming with new information. Not just a receptacle of information, the mind is intimately entwined with your spirit. Hebrews 4:12 says the heart is spirit and soul. There are many groups that try to reprogram minds like Science of Minds, L. Ron Hubbard’s Scientology’s dianetics, EST, the Moonies, The Way and many other cults teach a false means of salvation. Why do these fail? Because there is not a change in the inner man. The spirit remains dead, under the law of sin and death and continues to corrupt the whole being. These are just other means of the flesh trying to deal with life without God.
And the new way of living as a Christian is not about hanging “Christian” on something the world is doing. Over the years, I’ve seen Christian martial arts, Christian yoga, Christian Heavy Metal, Christian “whatever the world has” so we can attract unbelievers into our circles, so we can be relevant and relating. This is not renewal and defeats the testimony of being changed by His Life in us. Titus 3:5 (NASB) He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit…”
The world will never relate to the born-again believer. If we pretend to be like the lost, what are we offering them that they don’t already have. We need to be different! The world isn’t even capable of comprehending, much less relating to us as spirit born believers. And why do we feel the need to be relevant to the world. Look what Paul says about this: Galatians 6:14 (NASB) “But may it never be that I should boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.”
In our witnessing, evangelism, and the way we do church, we must trust in the power of the Holy Spirit and His ways of reaching an unbeliever’s heart. This is why we are called to walk after the Spirit. The flesh and its ways will never bring the world to a revelation of Jesus Christ and the power of His cross. But the Holy Spirit has been doing it in millions of lives for a couple of millennia!
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