Be Transformed By The Renewing Of Your Mind

Be Transformed by the Renewing of Your Mind (Rom. 12:2)

Most of us have probably witnessed a TV show where a person consents to a complete make-over. Often times the results appear to be dramatic in the transformation of the individual’s appearance, but seldom produces long term changes in their character. Let us examine some of the ways that the word of God helps transform our minds for lasting results.

Quote: The founder of the Methodist Church John Wesley said,

"I am a man of one Book, the Bible." He preached 35,000 sermons from the back of a horse as he brought God’s word to the common man and woman throughout England.

If you want greater transformation ask the Lord to help bring about the following eleven processes in and through and with you:

1. REVELATION - God’s word gives us the revealed will of God so we can know the best ways to perceive, progress and perfect. God’s word discloses to us the knowledge about God and His will for us so we can know the truth and allow it to set us free from the chains that bind. Too many people are trying to bring about change without God’s revelation. We are dependnet upon the Holy Spirit of God to reveal to us what is written in His word. The more we obey His word, the more He will reveal to us what the will of God is for us.

2. INSPIRATION - The Bible is "God’s breath" to man. Paul wrote, "All scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, reproof, correction and training in righteousness. So that the man of God could be equipped, thorougly furnished for all good works." (2 Tim. 3:16,17) The whole Bible is God’s inspired word, not just parts of it. We are dependent upon God for all of our inspiration as He is the ultimate source of truth, knowledge and wisdom. God is the fountain of inspiring influence to give us the ideas that we need for all of life and godliness. The Spirit of God gives us the inspiration to take us to higher levels of Christ-likeness as we ask Him to fill, guide and empower us.

3. INFORMATION - The word of God is profitable for teaching information that we need for life, health and direction. A person who tries to get to their destination without information always gets lost, hurt or shipwrecked.

Our decisions are only as good as the information that we base them upon. To be informed means to have the knowledge that is necessary to perform one’s duties. Teachers who inform us about truth from the scripture are giving us the bread that ours souls need for spiritual nourishment. Without Biblical information we tend to rely on faulty notions that distort our perceptions of what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, excellent, admirable or praise-worthy.

4. RESTORATION - God’s word has a way of replenishing what we need mentally, emotionally and spiritually. People who try to live without being nourished by scriptural mediation often operate more out of the power of the flesh than the Spirit. To be restore by God’s word allows one to be energized by the Holy Spirit who enables us to do everything God’s asks us to do. God’s word restores us in a way that re-supplies us with the wisdom, insights and ideas that are vital for helping us be, do and think like Jesus.

5. OBSERVATION - God’s word helps us observe truth that other people will overlook. Jesus said, "He who has my commandments and keep them. He it is who loves me and I will love him and will disclose myself to Him." (John 14:21) Those who meditate on God’s word are given supernatural perceptions of what is best decisions to make every moment of the day. People who lack observatory insights often settle for choices that are injurious. People who are not keen to observationalists fail to take notice of the most important points that are vital for their well-being. To miss out on facts that are helpful results in people being led astray by faulty notions dreamed up by mis-guided people.

6. INTERPRETATION - God’s word is its best interpeter. If you really want to get the essential meaning of a verse of scripture it is best to understand its context. There are many applications to every verse of scripture but there is only one correct interpretation. When we understand the over-arching themes of scripture we are better able to interpret the individual parts of scripture. This is one of the reasons why it is important to study the doctrines of scripture through systematic theology. People who are accurate interpreters of scripture are those who have the best ability to explain how it specifically guides us in accomplishing all the work He has for us to do.