A Renewed Mind

A.W. Tozer said, “we will soon be the sum total of our voluntary thoughts.” The wise author of Proverbs 23 noted likewise that “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.” This is why Paul beseeched the believers in Rome to reject worldly conformity and rather be transformed through a renewed mind. What then does a renewed mind look like?

First, it has had a critical encounter with the risen Christ and has been thoroughly cleansed and purged by His blood. This initial and radical cleansing is followed by daily washings in “the water of the Word.” A renewed mind is consistently disciplined by the regenerated will to capture the thoughts that corrupt and meditate on those things which are lovely and pure. It is regularly empowered by the Holy Spirit who renews the strength of those that wait upon Him, and is brutally honest with itself when that same empowering Spirit convicts of sin and ungodliness. The renewed mind will respond humbly to that conviction and willingly admit its utter dependence upon the Spirit’s empowering.

World conformity is easy and happens quickly. Spiritual transformation through a renewed mind is a grueling, lifelong endeavor but one that yields powerful and eternal results.