Be transformed by the renewing of our mind

3.  Be transformed by the renewing of our mind

The third important thing the apostle Paul exhorted us to do in order to prove what is that good and perfect will of God is that we be transformed by the renewing of our mind. There is what is called the carnal mind and there is a spiritual mind, these two are diametrically opposite to each other The carnal mind is said to be in enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be so then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

This carnal or natural mind does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. This means that the individual who has been transformed by the renewing of his/her mind and is now spiritually minded has a mind that is diametrically opposite to that of the carnal or natural mind and it is friendly and subjective to the laws of God and indeed will always be and can indeed please God. It also means that they are now able to receive the things of the Spirit of God.

And so the admonition to those who are spiritually minded is; “Set our minds on things above, not on things on the earth. We are to put to death our members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. We also are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of our mouth. We are not to lie to one another, since we have put off the old man with his deeds.

And instead, we are to put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created us, Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, we are to put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave us, so we also must do. But above all these things we are to put on love, which is the bond of perfection.

And let the peace of God rule in our hearts, to which also we were called in one body; and be thankful. We are to let the word of Christ dwell in us richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in our hearts to the Lord. And whatever we do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him” (Colossians 3:12-17).

The examples that Jesus Christ gave us on how to live, if we study the word carefully we will find that it is diametrically opposite to how we live our lives today and what is being promulgated by the majority of  the so called prosperity and sowing a seed doctrines.

After affirming the fact that we cannot serve God and mammon, Jesus said, “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?”

According to Jesus Christ the kingdom of God and His righteousness takes precedence over the cares and concerns of this life. We are not to worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble (Matthew 6:25, 33-34).

We have been admonished by the apostle Paul to withdraw ourselves from the, “Useless disputes of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain, because godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing with these we shall be content” (1Timothy 6:5-8).

To those who are fortunate to be rich in this world the apostle Paul gives the following instructions, “Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, storing for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life” (1Timothy 6:17-19).

This is the type of transformation that needs to take place in our minds, a different perspective on how to evaluate wealth, and how to use it, not placing it before the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. Jesus Christ gave an example of an unjust steward who asked his master’s debtors to record and pay less than they actually owed, and despite of this he was highly commended by his master, for he had dealt shrewdly, and demonstrated that the sons of this world are shrewder in their generation than the sons of light.

Therefore the Lord’s admonition is, “I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteousness mammon, that when you fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations” (Luke 16:9).

The Lord’s perspective of wealth is diametrically opposite to the world’s perspective of wealth. To the elect few the Lord says, “Do not fear, little flock, for it is the Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell what you have and give alms; provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches or moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Luke 12:33-34).

To be optimistic about the future and prove what is that good and perfect will of God we must not be conformed to the system of this world, we are to be transformed by the renewing of the mind, by learning how to become a servant of God and not be a servant of mammon because no servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

Another transformation that needs to take place in our lives is that of imitating the life of Jesus Christ for we have been duly admonished saying; “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2 Corinthians 3:18).

These are the basic transformation that has to take place in our minds if we are to prove that good and perfect will of God which somehow goes contrary to the secular modern day prosperity and breakthrough doctrines, but I pray that the Holy Spirit will open the eyes of all those seeing God with a sincere heart to be able differentiate truth from error.

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With brotherly love

Lucius Joseph