Romans 12:2

[turtletwo]

What are some ways in which we can do this? Any thoughts to share?

[simplejeff]

.... it is included in the verse:    ".... be transformed by the renewing of your mind...."

 

 

Even if with men this is impossible, with God all things are possible -     ongoing trusting, relying on the Father -

as Jesus told the disciples:  trust your heavenly Father to accomplish your salvation and everything concerning salvation in this life and in the next,  and it is already done.

[simplejeff]

EXCITING !  >

 

 Living the Christian Life

A. The foundation for Christian living.

J.B. Phillips has an outstanding and memorable translation of Romans 12:1-2:

With eyes wide open to the mercies of God, I beg you, my brothers, as an act of intelligent worship, to give Him your bodies, as a living sacrifice, consecrated to Him and acceptable by Him. Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mould, but let God re-mould your minds from within, so that you may prove in practice that the Plan of God for you is good, meets all His demands and moves towards the goal of true maturity.

1. (Rom 12:1) The living sacrifice.

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

a. I beseech you: This reminds us that Paul appeals to our will. God calls us to make a choice about the way that we live for Him.

... ... ... ...

.... ....

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/guzik_david/StudyGuide2017-Rom/Rom-12.cfm

 

Outline of Biblical Usage

    a renewal, renovation, complete change for the better

Concordance Results Using KJV

Strong's Number G342 matches the Greek ἀνακαίνωσις (anakainōsis),
which occurs 2 times in 2 verses in the Greek concordance of the KJV

View results using the NASB Greek concordance

 Rom 12:2
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing G342 of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

 Tit 3:5

Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing G342 of the Holy Ghost;

 

 

https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G342&t=KJV

[johnthebaptist]

2 hours ago, turtletwo said:

What are some ways in which we can do this? Any thoughts to share?

It's good to be well-versed in the Bible and obedient to the teachings of the Lord, because it's easy to be deceived and go astray.

[Who me]

10 hours ago, turtletwo said:

What are some ways in which we can do this

One has to make the effort to read scripture, to understand what scripture is teaching, to learn and understand the principals that teach us how to live and to memorise scripture.

 

One is 'reprogramming ones mind' to think in the same way or similar to how God thinks instead of coping how the devil thinks.

 

To have 'bible biased brains' takes effort to put it another way those who are heavenly minded are of the Most Earthly use.

[Not me]

16 hours ago, turtletwo said:

What are some ways in which we can do this? Any thoughts to share?

Acts 4:13 (NASB)
Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and [began] to recognize them as having been with Jesus.

Scripture brings out that by being “with Jesus” all the insecurities and doubts of the natural man seem to vanish,  and have no part in one that has “been with Jesus”. 

Oh, to be so “with Jesus”, that by this Union, that which is the controller of our tongue, could be brought under submission.

It also so seems, that a benefit of having a renewed mind, is also to know the difference between right and wrong, which would be the will of God for His Children. 

Blessings, 

Much love in Christ, Not me  

Edited March 2, 2019 by Not me

[Tzephanyahu]

Shalom Turtle

I hope you are well my friend.

Good question!

I recommend Romans 12-15:13 to all believers as a weekly digest. It really puts into focus the conduct, attitude and directives of a disciple's walk.

With regards to 12:2, I believe Paul is telling US to do something practical here. He doesn't advise to pray about this and neither does he say the Holy Spirit will do this FOR us.  No, I think what Paul is saying is that WE need to declutter our thoughts of worldly and sinful things and fill it with the Word and the Father's Will as the Messiah taught us.  

Our minds are very powerful and the more we soak in His Word the more the Spirit can help us make links throughout Scripture and reveal it's wisdom. The Spirit will explain all things as we digest the Word daily, like a sheep chewing the cud...  "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God"

So, conversely, if we soak in worldly matters and "worldy wisdom", we are effectively giving the Spirit a "muddy" chalkboard to teach us with.

It's a great question because I think it reminds us of the responsibilities we have as a disciple. But His burden is light!

Love & Shalom

[frienduff thaylorde]

Swidl,  throw those hands up and praise the Lord .    

[Jayne]

I got this from John Piper when I was studying this myself about 6-7 months ago.

From John Piper  - https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/the-renewed-mind-and-how-to-have-it

·         To be “transformed” means to change like Jesus changed on the Mount of Transfiguration.  Transformation is not just a change in behavior.  It’s deeper.  The word is only found three times in the Bible.  In reference to Jesus transfiguring, here, and in 2 Cor. 3 about how we change into the image of the Lord glory by glory via the Holy Spirit.  Metamorphoo – where we get the word metamorphosis.

·         You can change all the behaviors that you want and you can still not be “transformed”.  The mind has to be transformed first.

·         Being transformed by the renewing of the mind is not switching from one set of bad behaviors to a set legalistic rules.

·         The Bible calls us slaves and submitted to God – yet God calls us free.  “You are free in Christ, because when you do from the inside what you love to do, you are free — if what you love to do is what you ought to do. And that’s what transformation means: When you are transformed in Christ you love to do what you ought to do. That’s freedom.”

·         Paul uses a striking phrase to parallel Romans 12:2. He says, “Be renewed in the spirit of your minds.” The mind has a “spirit.” In other words, our mind has what we call a “mindset.” It doesn’t just have a view, it has a viewpoint. It doesn’t just have the power to perceive and detect; it also has a posture, a demeanor, a bearing, an attitude, a bent. “Be renewed in the spirit of your mind.” The problem is that our minds are fallen. They have a spirit, a bent, a mindset that is hostile to the absolute supremacy of God. Romans 8:7 – “The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God.” Our minds are bent on not seeing God as infinitely more worthy of praise than we are, or the things we make or achieve.

·         We do not want to see God as worthy of knowing well and treasuring above all things. You know this is true about yourself because of how little effort you expend to know him, and because of how much effort it takes to make your mind spend any time getting to know God better.  [OUCH!  - me]

·         So the aim of all life is worship. That is, we are to use our bodies — our whole lives — to display the worth of God and all that he is for us in Christ.

·         1 Peter 1:13-14 – “Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance,”

·         They are life-ruining, worship-destroying desires, and they get their life and their power from the deceit of our minds.

·         Paul takes us deeper than Peter here. He penetrates beneath the “futile mind” and the “darkened understanding” and the willful “ignorance” and says that it is all rooted in “the hardness of their heart.” Here is the deepest disease, infecting everything else.

·         The Holy Spirit has a double-work to do that the devil fights against.  2 Corinthians 4:4, “The god of this world [Satan] has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ.”

·         WORK #1 – The Holy Spirit works from the outside in.  That is, he must lead us to hear the gospel, to read the Bible, to study Christ-exalting writings of great, spiritual men, and to meditate on the perfections of Christ.  The truth has to be presented to us from the outside.  We must hear it, study it, preach it, teach it, talk about it, re-enforce it, stand up for it, have daily reminders of it, and more.

·         WORK #2 – The Holy Spirit works from the inside out.  He is breaking the hard heart that blinds and corrupts the mind. The Spirit must work from the outside in, through Christ-exalting truth, and from the inside out, through truth-embracing humility.  We must submit to the Holy Spirit and humble ourselves to the Truth of God.

·         What do we do?  What then do we do in obedience to Romans 12:2, “Be transformed in the renewal of your mind”? We join the Holy Spirit in his precious and all-important work. We pursue Christ-exalting truth and we pray for truth-embracing humility.