Patterns
What is the renewing of the mind? How can I renew my mind?
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:2 (NIV)
The goal of renewing our minds is to escape the behaviors and thinking patterns of the world by stewarding the image and mind of Jesus Christ. We do this by living in alignment with God’s presence, which has already been given to us in fullness (“In Christ you have been brought to fullness” - Colossians 2:10). The key here is to understand that the gift of God’s presence has already been given to humanity and we now have access and union with God through the Holy Spirit.
Because God has given the gift, our role is to steward that gift, as Paul makes clear in the preceding verse in Romans:
“Therefore (because of the gift of God’s presence, God’s promises, etc.), I urge you brothers and sisters, in view of [the gifts of God], to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God - this is your true and proper worship.” Romans 12:1 (NIV, annotations mine)
There is more to unlock here. Paul mentions the “pattern of this world” in Romans 12:1. What is the pattern of the world?
In short, the pattern of this world is the collective mindset (or consciousness) of humanity without God. The mind without God is death and decay, but the mind with God is life, peace, and spiritual progress.
“The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace… you, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you.” Romans 8:6,9 (NIV)
God’s goal for humanity is life, peace, and advancement of the kingdom of heaven (the mind of Christ) in thought, word, and deed. Without God’s animating presence, we remain stuck in wordly mindsets and behaviors that do not move us forward spiritually. About this, the Holy Spirit says in Hosea:
“They sow the wind and reap the whirlwind. The stalk has no head; it will produce no flour.” Hosea 8:7 (NIV)
The enemy’s goal is to keep us stuck in our dysfunctional spiritual patterns so that we cannot advance into the life of God. He does this by taking captive our thoughts and, therefore, our belief systems and behaviors:
“You were dead, when you followed the ways of the ruler of the kingdom of the air… following the old nature’s desires and thoughts…” Ephesians 1-3 (paraphrase)
Existence without the presence of God will never bring us forward into maturity and the manifestation of God’s fullness (Ephesians 4:13).
This brings us to the idea of spiritual deception and delusion. Individual and collective lies gain strength when we believe them. As more people believe in lies, they gain power in humanity’s collective mind. This is where we get the idea of a spiritual “stronghold.”
Lies may feel true and right but, in the end, spiritual truth is spiritual truth. If I plaster and paint over the mold growing in a wall, the outside may look good, but the inside remains rotten. We see this principle playing out today in our discussion of politics, sexuality, gender, etc. This collective delusion is what the Old Testament prophets spend a great deal of time speaking against. In the end, God will bring correction.
Lies engender death and decay in our minds, bodies, and spirits. Renewing our minds with the truth of God’s Word (Christ), allows us to escape the dysfunction of the world and protects us from lies. We can’t give the devil a foothold. As long as we make efforts to abide in the love and truth of God, we will be held safe (Luke 10:19).
More importantly, remaining in God’s design allows us to receive the Holy Spirit and the influences of heaven into our daily lifestyle. Protecting our minds so that we can know and receive the will of God (Romans 12:2) is what will inspire heavenly changes in our personal and collective experience.
In other words, stewarding the fullness of God within us brings about the manifestation of God’s kingdom in mind, body and spirit. Agreement and participation with the “pattern of this world” - with its beliefs and behaviors - only brings about the manifestation of decay and death in our experience. With God’s help, we can continue walking according to His design into the fullness of the resurrection life - in mind, body, and spirit.
