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What does Roman 12:2 mean to you?
What does Roman 12:2 mean to you?
When I became a born again Christian, the Holy Spirit renewed my spirit. However, I need to change the way I think. God didn’t automatically give me love for everyone. I didn’t receive automatically the ability to stay at peace and not get angry. I didn’t automatically quit smoking. I didn’t automatically stop lusting for material things. I had to work on my own mind to receive these things. Therefore, it is my opinion that we all need to examine ourselves for what is in our minds that shouldn’t be there and change the way we think.
The Holy Spirit did, however, change my spirit. I am perfect and righteous in the sight of God. Yet I still have a ways to go. I need to work on the sins I still commit. I need to turn my mind from anything that does not please God.
I am interesting in hearing how others handle this verse and what it means to you.
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Amanda on
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To me, it means God wants a special people, one that is set apart from the world, separate. I believe we can never claim to be without sin (1 John 1:18) but we can claim to have the righteousness found in Christ alone. We are redeemable. Christ made it possible for us to be righteous. None of us really lives up to all that we know we should do or should not do. God wipes out our sin and our guilt. We have a new heart, a new spirit. The renewing of the mind--I don't think I am able to bring about those changes myself. God is helping me with this. I think God has designed me with weakness so that I will depend on Him and experience the power of His grace. He is changing my mind and giving me the mind of Christ. I am participating in it willingly. Day by day.
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Oops. I meant 1 John 1:8. I wanted also to add that I have asked myself the question Why does God want to have a special people? I think His people are to represent His way of life, teach His Word, and teach salvation to the world. None of us can be good enough to be called His chosen and His treasured possession. He chose us inspite of our failure to be good enough. Out of His love and mercy.
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Permalink Reply by Rita Cullimore on
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But we are His chosen and treasured possession because He says we are. We know we are failures but not from God's POV. That is what is so great about Him. He loves us in spite of ourselves. Ain't God Great?!?!?!?
Blessings,
Rita
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Permalink Reply by Bible-Talk on
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Hi Rita,
I agree with you. I have to work on my thoughts very often - in fact daily! There are many instances where I struggle with having ungodly thoughts, sometimes lasting seconds and sometimes lasting minutes. Sometimes I can have days with large chunks of negative thinking. I am also thankful to God that I can also read and understand the scriptures to help sanitize my mind. I believe we are continuously renewing our minds as Christians (Rom.12:2) to become holy not just by turning our minds away from ungodly thoughts but also by taking thoughts captive and making them obedient to Christ. We are encouraged by Paul: "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." Phil.4:8
I do believe that God will help us, as Amanda says, in/with our weaknesses - His power is made perfect in our weaknesses.
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Desmond,
God helps me every day that passes. I know He stays with me. Holy Spirit is teaching me.
Blessings to you in your walk...
Rita
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Permalink Reply by Leonard T on
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Food for thought:
We do not change our minds, that is the Holy Spirit's job. We make different selections, but until God changes us we are still prone/drawn toward our old choices. We can over ride that inclination, but the inclination tells us that the change has not fully taken place. God will use our selections to effectuate the change as we choose Him and His way over our own, but in the end it is all Him causing the true change.
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Permalink Reply by David Velasquez on
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Excellent truths LT.
Blessings
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I think we do actually renew our own minds. It takes the Holy Spirit within us the effect that change. We need to be leaning towards Christ to effect the change, but the instruction is for us. If a person is over weight when they get saved, they will be overweight after they are saved. As we become to the point we're trying to obey God in different things, we will change our selves. It comes to making decisions based on what we know God would have for us. The over weight person will come to the point where they cut back on the foods they like to eat and eat too much of simply because they know that they are warned by God against gluttony. Or not. They might think it is too much effort and stay overweight. Our spirit isn't over weight...our flesh is.The mind and the body work together or against one another. My stomach growls. My mind knows that is a sign I'm hungry. My mind wants to feed my body without gluttony. So my mind says salad while my body would rather have baked potato loaded w/butter and sour cream and hot fudge sundae for dessert.
That is the easiest way I can explain what my thoughts are regarding renewing of the mind. Then I strive to use the same method for changing other things that need changing.
Blessings...
Rita
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You are not changing your mind in that illustration, but simply makng new selections. The renewing of the mind is the work of the Holy Spirit.
If one is not careful, this method you mention could lead to legalism, rather than freedom in Christ.
So, we will have to disagree on this one.
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Can you help me understand your POV better? Are you saying we can alter our focus and take thoughts captive, but the actual change is a work of God?
Cognitive Distortions is a big title--it just means faulty thought patterns. I have them. They are the self-defeating ways that I respond to situations. I take the good in a situation and turn it to a negative. Part of this comes from having low self-esteem. I feel like I just don't deserve it. I expect the worst and even begin preparing early for the disappointment.
I do a lot of emotional reasoning. "This is hopeless," I tell myself. "Why should I even try?"
People tell me to think positive thoughts and I am often reminded of Philippians 4:8 and I really give it a try but just thinking positively does not help me because it’s not just the absence of positive thoughts that makes me feel this way. I am having frequent negative thoughts and these dysfunctional patterns of thinking will not respond to advice like think positively. Saying ‘I'm a good person’ or ‘I'm doing a great job’ will not work when most of the time my automatic thoughts are self-critical and hopeless and I am still believing negative things.
So the Scripture for me to renew my mind makes me feel terrible and like a failure even more so because I have no idea where to even begin. It took me many months to get to this point and changing it back to all positivity is not going to happen overnight for me or in a day or two. I wish I could re-claim all the ground I have lost in the past few years. So thinking that way leads to even more harsh and critical thoughts, such as thinking that God is not able to use me and I am not able to glorify God--which makes me feel still worse.
So, are you saying that I just need to walk according to the light God has given me and as I do He will perform the miraculous work in me of renewing my mind and I may not be on the same page as this person or that person or the one who constantly tells me, “Gosh, Amanda, get over this and move on” but God is working with me according to His timetable?
I am asking God to change me. He has already given me a new heart and a new spirit but I still have many flaws. When the Israelites were in the desert, they only moved when God did; He was a pillar of cloud by day and at night a pillar of fire. So I have trouble with people. They want me to hurry and heal. I have to wait on God. Does this mean God has already changed my mind? Or are you saying as I keep making poor choices, God will use the consequences to show me light for how to make better choices, better selections? Is that the process of the mind being changed? Or has the mind been changed already?I am confused...as usual...
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Amanda,
Phil 4:8 is perfect. We need to thing on the things of God and forget about the unworthy things that we have been thinking.
Your flaws that you say you have, will be disposed of by you renewing your mind to conform to the things of God.
God thinks you are perfect. It is you that thinks you are short of that. So Phil 4:8 comes into play.
Renewing one's mind will take each of us our entire lives. God will complete in heaven but until that time as we think on the good thing we are turning our back on the bad things.
Blessings to you,
Rita
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Amanda,
1 Corinthians 2 tells us that we have the mind of Christ as believers, yet as in all of our spiritual walk we begin as babes. We make selections. We can choose to read and watch the right things. We can choose to do the right things. God will honor these selections, but the growth comes from God. We play a part, but only in that we seek His will and submit. He does the work in us from beginning to end.
I encourage you to walk in the light you have and continue to move toward the light He shines by seeking to make good choices and submiting to Him along the way. It is His responsibility to effect real change.
Lord Bless,
LT
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