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 God’s 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 God’s 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.
Renewing of Your Mind
The process of renewing your mind can be a lengthy process, yet it is vital to your own Christian growth. We can renew our minds by avoiding conforming to the pattern of this world (Romans 12:2). The Bible tells us that Satan is the “god” of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4).
Since Satan is the “god” of this world, we know the pattern and teachings of the world are rooted in sin and evil. Ever since the fall of man, the world has been corrupted by the effects of sin.
Therefore, when Paul is telling us not to conform to the pattern of this world, he is referring to the fact that we do not need to conform to the evil practices that are promoted in the world.
Paul tells us that instead of conforming to the pattern of this world, we need to be transformed by the renewing of our minds.
Being transformed by the renewing of our minds can only be done by reading the Bible, meditating on the Bible, and applying it to our own lives. This is the only way we can renew our minds and truly turn away from the teachings of the world.
The world tells us that cheating is fine, that lying is fine, and that hurting others is fine, but only by renewing our minds by the Word can we truly leave these teachings behind.
The world screams at us that we have to be a certain way, look a certain way, or act a certain way in order to be liked or loved, yet the Bible tells us something radically different.
The Bible tells us that we are already dearly loved by God Himself (John 3:16-17; 1 John 4:9-11). In fact, 1 John 4:16 tells us directly, “And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.”
As one can see, when we read the Bible, meditate on it, and apply it to our lives, we will be able to transform our minds into conformity with the truth of God’s Word rather than conforming to the lies of the world.
Renewing our minds can be quite difficult and tiresome at times, yet it is a practice that we must continue to cultivate in our lives. In the same way, we have to consistently turn away from conforming to the patterns of the world.
The world makes us promises of happiness, love, and success, but they are just empty promises. The world and the things of the world cannot bring us true joy as God can.
It is easy for us to want to strive after happiness or the desires of our hearts, yet at the end of the day, we are going to only feel empty inside.
Only by going against the teachings of the world can we renew our minds to reflect God’s mind and His will for our lives.
Instead of following what the world system tells us, we need to believe and follow what God tells us in the Bible. This is how we can ultimately renew our minds and avoid conforming to the pattern of this world.
Understanding the Truth
Paul tells us that by renewing our minds, we will be better at testing and approving God’s will (Romans 12:2). This is because the more we transform our minds by renewing them by the Bible, the better we will get at understanding and following God’s will.
When we are actively living in a manner that conforms to the pattern of the world, we will be blinded to the truths of the Scripture.
Not to mention that if we are not consistently renewing our minds by actively reading the Bible, we will be more prone to follow after our own sinful flesh and the teachings of the world.
Despite what the world tells us, following after our own sinful desires will only result in problems, pain, and trouble. It is only by following God’s Word and allowing it to transform and renew our minds that we will truly be joyful, have peace, and serve God faithfully.
In our lives, we need to stay focused on what is true. The truth is only found in the Bible. We can guard our hearts and minds by meditating on the Word and following what it says. We start falling into trouble when we start listening to the world rather than God.
By renewing our minds, we will be able to conform to the truth of the Bible. When we transform our minds by renewing them, we will be able to see things closer to the way God sees things. The more we focus on the truth of God's Word, the better we will get at guarding our minds against the temptations and lies of the world.
A great way to renew our minds is by putting on the full armor of God each day (Ephesian 6:10-18). By putting on the spiritual armor of God each day, we will be able to keep our focus on God, extinguish the lies of the enemies, and cultivate our thoughts to reflect God's will.
Why Does This Matter?
If you are ready to transform your life by the renewing of your mind, today is a great day to start. Once you start the process of renewal, you will never want to go back to the past.
Renewing our minds can be done by reading the Bible, meditating on the Bible, and applying what we learn from the Bible to our lives.
It can be difficult to automatically talk back to the lies of the world, but it is required in order to renew your mind. God doesn't want you to conform to the world. He wants you to be transformed by the renewing of your mind, which can only be done through His Word.
A more joyful and peaceful life is waiting for you as long as you start to renew your mind and choose not to conform to the world.
Conforming to the world calls us to constantly strive after our own efforts or our own ability, yet transforming our lives by renewing our minds rests on Christ and the changing power of His Word.
Once we are able to renew our minds through the Word, we will have more joy in our hearts, and we will be able to help the other people in our lives better, as well as we will be able to glorify God in our actions, hearts, and minds.
You can pray to God and ask Him for His help in renewing your mind. God knows it's no easy task, and He is ready to lift you up in His mighty arms. In my own experience, renewing one's mind requires a person to consistently retrain their brain by the truth of the Bible and to reject the lies of the world.
Growing up, I was not brought up in a Christian home, and I had little to no knowledge of the Bible or God. Since I grew up with this worldview, it affected me greatly to the point that the teachings of the world became facts because I did not know anything different.
If you relate to my own upbringing or you became a Christian later in life, know that you can still transform and renew your mind by learning about the Bible, God, and who you are in Christ.
I have found that the more you are active in reading the Bible and the more active you are in your relationship with Christ, the easier it will become to renew your mind by the Word.
Even if it takes time to renew your mind, never give up. God will help you because He wants all believers to be transformed by the renewing of their minds to the truth of His Word.
For further reading:
How Are God’s Mercies ‘New Every Morning’?
How Does Psalm 42 Help Us Overcome Discouragement?
How Does Joy Come in the Morning?
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