TRANSFORMED AS THE SPIRIT RENEWS OUR MINDS
1 Corinthians 2:16 “For who has known the mind and purposes of the Lord, so as to instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ [to be guided by His thoughts and purposes].”
Romans 12:2 “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
John 16:15 “Everything that belongs to the Father is Mine. That is why I said what the Holy Spirit receives from Me, He will show to you.”
Focus: The Wonderful Work of the Holy Spirit, as He daily transforms us, by renewing our minds.
It is with Great DELIGHT that the Holy Spirit informs us that we have been given a very Special Divine Gift. He tells us of this Gift in the first verse; we have the Mind of Christ. Jesus is the Son of God. We are also God’s Children; and He Loves us just as He Loves Jesus (John 17:23). God wants us to be of one mind with His Son, therefore, He has given us this Precious Gift so that we can Think, Speak, and Act, just as He did when He lived on Earth as a Man. This is the Transforming and Renewing process referred to in the second verse. Christ’s Mind has been given to us by God, for our Transformation by the Renewing of our minds, so that we will have the POWER to Think, Speak, and Do all that is Good and Acceptable, even the Perfect Will of God.
In the third verse, we are given insight about how the Holy Spirit renews our minds. We are told that He receives the things of Christ and then shows them to us. The Holy Spirit directs the Renewing of our minds by Receiving the Thoughts of Christ and showing them to us. He causes these Thoughts to flow from the Mind of Christ into our minds, so that we can receive Power to THINK just like Christ; all that is True, Honest, Just, Pure, Lovely, of Good Report, Virtuous, and Worthy of Praise (Philippians 4:8). This is how the Holy Spirit works in us to cause us to THINK Thoughts that are Good, and Acceptable, according to the Perfect Will of God.
The Holy Spirit Renews our minds by Receiving the Living WORD from Christ and showing it to us. He causes VIRTUE from the Principles, Commandments, and Doctrines in the Bible, to flow into our minds so that we can receive Power to Understand and SPEAK Words that are full of Wisdom, Counsel, Knowledge, and the Fear of God (Isaiah 11:2). The Voice of God must be heard in all of our Conversation as a Demonstration of the reality of the Mind of Christ in us (1 Peter 1:15). The Bible says that by our words we will be Justified, and by our words we will be Condemned (Matthew 12:37). Therefore the Holy Spirit Draws us to continually Speak that which He has received from Christ, so that our Words will be Good and Acceptable, according to the Perfect Will of God.
Finally the Holy Spirit renews our minds by Receiving Examples from Christ’s Life and showing them to us. Jesus lived to Please His Father, by serving mankind. He said He came not to be ministered unto, but to Minister, and to give His Life a ransom for many (Matthew 20:28). Jesus worshipped on the Sabbath day; He read and taught the Word; He went about doing Good; He spent quality time with family and friends. He encouraged, and comforted those who were poor and rejected (Matthew 13:54, Acts 10:38). As the Holy Spirit Shows these Things of Christ to us, He draws us into harmony with Christ, so that we Delight to DO, that which is Good, Acceptable, and Pleasing to God. He draws us to Believe and lovingly Obey that which He has received and revealed to us (Jeremiah 31:3). Through all these things the Holy Spirit Imprints the Message and the Methods from the Mind of Christ upon our minds, so that we can be Transformed, and Reflect His Image to the World, as we follow His Example.