The Renewing of the Mind in the Bible

Romans 12:2 is the foundational text of this truth: 'And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.' The renewing of the mind is the ongoing process by which the Holy Spirit, using the Word of God, transforms the believer's patterns of thought to conform them to Christ. It is not merely positive thinking, but the adoption of God's own view of reality: of good and evil, of oneself, of one's neighbor, and of the world. This transformation is essential, because what a person thinks shapes what he becomes. Without the renewing of the mind, the old patterns of sin continue to dominate behavior. Ephesians 4:22-23 urges the believer to 'put off the old man' and to 'be renewed in the spirit of your mind.' The unrenewed mind remains vulnerable to the lusts of the world and to its deceptive reasonings. The renewing of the mind is not a single event but a daily discipline. It requires feeding on the Word and meditating upon it (Psalm 119:11), praying while fixing the thoughts on whatever is true, just, and pure (Philippians 4:8), actively rejecting thoughts contrary to God (2 Corinthians 10:5), and cultivating the fruit of the Spirit. In this way, little by little, the believer's thinking is transformed and his whole life bears its visible fruit.