The basis of this text will be Ephesians 4:17-32, from this passage rabbit trails will provide us with a, hopefully, further insight into the specific calling to “…be renewed in the spirit of your mind.”
And so the regeneration begins…
-Forward.
We begin with a post-fall man, the natural man. The natural man will them become a Christian, one who has recently become an un-natural man, then we will explore how one goes about seeking to be a truly sanctified Christian. We will not revisit the natural man in this text, but Lord willing, we will review that thoroughly in a future text. For the present one need only understand this basic state of the old-self, the natural man.
“But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.” (1 Corinthians 2:14)
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To renew a mind one must desperately seek the Truth that is buried deep within the Word, one must Obey the prescriptions of the Lord(said Truths), and have Faith in the healing of the Holy Spirit.
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-The Outset.
17“This I say therefore, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, 18being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; 19and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality, for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness.”
At the outset of each of our existences’, from the womb, unlike John the Baptist(Luke1:15), we are separated from LG/HS and our infantile hearts are already hardened to His essences, our eyes are darkened. Every true Christian understands this hardened/darkened state of being whether they wish to admit it or not; we have all walked in them, some ‘christians’ continue to walk in them, which begs further questioning not addressed within this text. We, the little ‘hard-hearted’ humans that we are, quickly grow into big ‘harder-hearted’ humans that are filled and practicing greedily of every kind of sensuality. We fill ourselves to overflowing, and go back for seconds and thirds; satan is very cunning. The wisest of all men, Solomon spoke at length regarding filling himself with sensuality in Ecclesiastes, again, his story does not make its way into this text but is illuminating supplementary reading.
Special note: Per Paul in Romans 1.
21“For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God, or give thanks; but they became futile in their speculations, 23and their foolish heart was darkened. 22Professing to be wise, the became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of bids and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.”
With this in mind…one must wonder where the Eternal Securitiests are going with their arguments.(?) A child of God cannot walk in darkness, yet these fellows will be given over to darkness…the prospects are bleak. Darkening can happen to any human soul, no one is safe, regardless of present church dogma.
-The Change.
20“But you did not learn Christ in this way, 21if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, 22that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, s3and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.”
Paul is particular about his usages of personal pronouns. He says YOU. He is not making an open ended, “take it or leave it, it is just my point of view…after all, what do I know.” type of statement; he is saying ‘YOU DID NOT…YOU LAY ASIDE…YOU BE RENEWED’.
Special note: Per Paul in Romans 12.
2“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”
The believer, the ones who have “heard Him and have been taught in Him,”(Eph4:21) have no recourse BUT to ‘LAY’ them, aside.
Special note regarding said ‘them’: Colossians 3.
5Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.
We are commanded to have no other God before us, enough said.
If we take the ‘lay aside’ directive very literally, which is rarely if ever a bad approach when dealing with much of the bible, one would cease and desist to behave in the manor that they once behaved in while walking in darkness. We are called to ‘walk as children of light’. (Eph 5:8) Other usages of the term ‘Lay’ often imply a type of final resting place or submission or sacrifice or subjugation. Again, ‘Lay’ is not a suggestively toned directive. It is a matter of obedience. Will You or will You not ‘Lay’ Your old self, Your natural man, Your darkness at My feet?
Faith is a matter of action…all the glorious words of faith matter not in the face of pure obedience.
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Obedience is faith with skin on it.
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Do or do not, there is no try.
-“You be renewed in the spirit of your mind,” Here we enter into the point of this discourse. It is a simple statement with a seemingly exceptionally multi-faceted, biblically sprinkled, set of verbs attached. I will offer three tools for mind renewal, but it is by no means an exhaustive list. To renew a mind one must desperately seek the Truth that is buried deep within the Word, one must Obey the prescriptions of the Lord, and finally have Faith in the healing of the Holy Spirit. Incase this concept is lost upon the reader; One must know what Truth they are to Obey so that they can practice their Faith.
Finding the truth is the foundational action of the one seeking renewal of the mind. Without TRUTH, there can be no renewal.
25“Therefore, laying aside falsehood, SPEAK TRUTH, EACH ONE of you, WITH HIS NEIGHBOR, for we are members of one another. 26BE ANGRY, AND yet DO NOT SIN; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27and do not give the devil an opportunity. 28Let him who steals steal no longer; but rather let him labor, performing with his own hands what is good, in order that he may have something to share with him who has need. 29Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth but only such a words is good for edification according to the need of the moment, that it may give grace to those who hear. 30And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.”
There are a handful of tangible directives in here that when practiced will lead to a renewed mind. Like every other habit, practice will perfect in some cases or solidify improper practices in other cases; it is a matter of choice, followed by obedience. A Christian mind brings much along from the natural man’s mind. God does not re-format our brains in as simple a stroke as ‘C:\format’, upon the uttering of a few words. Yes, you are new creations in Christ, you stand before Lord God justified! But you are plagued more than ever by the fiery darts of the Devil, and as a new Christian who does not even know about the Armor of God, much less how to put it on…the Christian mind can easily be wasted; reclaimed. The parable of the Sower clearly demonstrates this set of scenarios.
“Therefore putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of the wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save you souls.” (James 1:21)
“This is pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father, to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.” (James 1:27)
“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” (James 4:8)
“All Scripture is inspired by God and Profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving in let your request be made know to God.” (Philippians 4:6)
“Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worth of praise, dwell on these things.” (Philippians 4:8)
Next, obedience is a simple verb; one merely need do obey obedience. Every time the finger of God pokes a believer in their first step process of seeking truth, the believer must Obey Now!
“But prove yourselves does of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.” (James 1:22)
“For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome.” (I John 5:3)
Interestingly…
“If anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take special note of that person and do not associate with him, so that he will be put to shame.” (2 Thess 3:14)
Finally, the Holy Spirit Will heal the faithful man.
“He saved us, not the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and the renewing by the Holy Spirit.” (Titus3:5)
“Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much” (James 5:16)
To renew a mind one must desperately seek the Truth that is buried deep within the Word, one must Obey the prescriptions of the Lord, and finally have Faith in the healing of the Holy Spirit.
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Further text below for additional reflection. They have not found their way into this text, but Lord willing they will land in another.
More parts to work in and consider…
Col3:
1Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
2Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.
3For you have died and your¬ life is hidden with Christ in God.
4When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.
5Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.
6For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come [a]upon the sons of disobedience,
7and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them.
8But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth.
9Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices,
10and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him--
11a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all.
12So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience;
13bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.
14Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.
15Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.
16Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
Rom6:
1What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase?
2May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?
4Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.
5For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection,
6knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin;
7for he who has died is freed from sin.
8Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him,
9knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him.
11Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
12Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts,
13and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.
14For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.
15What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? May it never be!
16Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness?
17But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed,
18and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.
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