The New Testament tells us to "renew our minds".
Well, as what?
Renew it as what?
See, if you dont know the answer, then how can you know what to do?
So, you are to renew your mind, into this...
A "renewed mind".
And what is that mind?
What does that mean?
It simply means you are to align you mind with God's perspective, regarding how God sees you at all times.
This means, you are to only see yourself, as GOD SEES YOU, at all times.
If you have this mind, you have a "renewed mind".
If you dont have this mind, then you are struggling with your "natural mind", which is your carnal mind, and that always leads to a sinning and confessing situation, that can't be stopped, until your mind is renewed.
See, when you get your mind renewed, then the Grace of God will become your "Christ always gives me the Victory", over your natural mind that wants you to commit "works of the flesh".
See, if you are having flesh issues, its because you have mind issues related to not seeing yourself as God has recreated you to exit as a "new Creation in Christ".
So, You have to change your mind from any view of yourself, other than God's eternal view of you.
God sees you, only and always as....>"a new creation IN Christ".
God sees you only as Born again, made Righteous, "the righteousness of God in Christ", and having Eternal life.
God does not see you as a saved sinner.
God sees you as a SON OF GOD.
That's His mind.
Turn it into yours, and you mind is "renewed"......and not until.
You are to renew your mind, and learn to discipline your mind to always ONLY see yourself, as God sees you..
That is how you "renew your mind".
That's what it means.
How does this fit with what the Apostle is saying to the Christians living in Rome in Romans chapter 12? Because look at the context of Romans 12. Now compare it to the language St. Paul uses in Philippians 2, where he writes, "Have this same mind in you that was in Christ Jesus".
The call to be transformed by the renewing of our minds is part of the ongoing process of metanoia, repentance, and God's ongoing work of sanctification in our lives as we are being conformed to the image of Christ. So the Apostle calls us to stop thinking the way the world thinks, and to think the way Christ thinks. To be transformed by the renewing of our mind is to radically change how we think.
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I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." - Romans 12:1-2
and what is that good, acceptable, and perfect will of God?
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For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.
Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." - Romans 12:3-21
Now let's compare again to St. Paul's language in Philippians 2,
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So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." - Philippians 2:1-8
See how the Apostle calls for his readers to take upon themselves the attitude, the mind, the disposition of our Lord Jesus Christ who though being Himself true and very God, the Eternal Son of the Father, and yet humbled Himself, poured Himself out into shame, suffering, and death. The King became a slave.
If He who is Lord over all creation Himself lowered Himself to the status of a mere slave for the sake of us sinners, without exploiting His own Divine Glory which He rightly deserved (and indeed, as the Apostle goes on to say, that He was then exalted, enthroned at the right hand of God, and every tongue confess and knee bow before Him as Lord), then how much we ourselves, who are slaves to Christ, ought to then understand ourselves in relation to one another and to our neighbors?
If the Sinless One came for the sinful, how much more ought we who are ourselves sinners for whom our Lord came ought to live lives in selfless humility and obedience to the One who commands us to do what is right.
The renewing of our mind is about the ongoing work of God to conform us to Christ, that we might, as the Apostle writes in Ephesians 2:10, walk in the good works which God has prepared for us, in which we were created. We were made new creations for the purpose of good works. God saved us in order that we might be slaves and disciples of Jesus Christ in the world.
Our justification from God is free, by His grace, through faith; not of ourselves, not of our own ability, but as God's gift, so that no one may boast; but we were created, in Jesus Christ, for good works, that we might walk in them. And, likewise, that we might "work out [our] salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in [us], both to will and to work for His good pleasure." (Philippians 2:12-13); to work out our salvation is not about our justification, but actually living and walking in our faith here in this world through love.
Christianity is about doing as much as it is about believing. The issue that seems to trip people up is that they either think that the doing is about us being righteous before God, but it's not, nothing we can do can justify us before God, we have only the one righteousness of Jesus Christ imputed to us by grace. By the same token, there are those who then think there is no doing to be done at all, and that Christianity is simply about believing the right things, thinking the right things, and feeling the right things. Because both Legalism and Antinomianism flow from the same error, the same spirit of heresy, merely two sides of the same coin.
-CryptoLutheran
