*Tuesday 9.18.12 – Renewing Your Mind*
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One of the central verses in my recovery is from Romans 12:2 …
“Do not conform any longer 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.”
I have prayed consistently for the past 7 years that God would transform my mind. I had placed so much pornographic garbage, had so many old fantasies and things I had done that I needed some way to get rid of all that. It was like this stinking pile of garbage and for some reason smelled good to me and seemed to have the power to draw me to it.
I wished it could all be wiped away. Like images on a white board just take the eraser and eliminate what is there. However, God did not make your minds that way. His solution is not elimination but TRANSFORMATION.
Our minds get renewed and we are transformed. The renewing of the mind leads to transformation. So if we are to be changed, transformed – (which is the word metamorphosis) – our minds need to be renewed
So how does that happen? How do I renew my mind?
Simply … you do not renew your mind. Your mind gets renewed. The Greek verb tells me that this is a present tense verb … meaning it is an ongoing day by day process. Also, it is in the passive voice … which means it is an work done on us by a force other than ourselves.
The only other time this word for renew is used in the New Testament is in Titus 3:5 which says …
“…he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and *renewal by the Holy Spirit,”*
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It is the Holy spirit who renews our minds. We need to start asking and keep asking the Spirit to renew our minds. He has the power to do that and He wants to do that. All He needs is your permission. I pray this everyday and will do so for the rest of my life.
Tomorrow we will look at how the Spirit renews our mind.
