Is the "renewing of the mind " our responcibility?

[peacefulbeliever]

PUT on . . . PUT off . . . sure sounds to me like the renewing of the mind is our responsibility . . . .


Ephesians 4:22, That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man which according to the deceitful lusts . . . And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

Colossians 3:10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:

The only way we can have the mind of Christ is by renewing our mind to the word of God. The word of God is what transforms our thinking and it is the word of God that produces and builds trust. (faith)

 

[Magenta]

Thanks Magenta and back at ya.......

You are welcome, and thank you!

I use the butterfly analogy myself

Like the caterpillar, we have no idea what we are to become....

But it will be so much better than crawling around in the dirt of this world

 

[unobtrusive]

PUT on . . . PUT off . . . sure sounds to me like the renewing of the mind is our responsibility . . . .


Ephesians 4:22, That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man which according to the deceitful lusts . . . And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

Colossians 3:10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:

The only way we can have the mind of Christ is by renewing our mind to the word of God. The word of God is what transforms our thinking and it is the word of God that produces and builds trust. (faith)

Sounds like a "put on" to me. LOL
All kidding aside, you make some very valuable points. Way to go. Thanks!!!

 

[Depleted]

Nah! This thread became all about what we do, (except Rose and Marc), instead of anything about God. If this is "team effort," than it was expected that God is the silent partner.

Just so people can see the verse (and the whole verse, since even that was cut in half to prove-a-point), and then see the context, here is the larger picture.

[FONT=&quot]12 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.[/FONT]

And understand, that is nothing but going from a thumbnail picture to a small one. The entire Book of Romans is the whole picture. For the first half of the book it's all about how many ways we aren't effective, then it goes into how God is, and then it goes to how to live our lives in HIM. NOT in how to run our lives.

 

[stonesoffire]

So nice to see you following scripture by rebuking your brother Luke 17:3 (KJV) "Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him."

Just one more thing, please give scripture to support the rebuke of a spelling error - for my edification of course.

He was joking about his own spelling on responsibility unobtrusive. He put a c where the s should of been. That's Locutus. He's our site comedian.

 

[stonesoffire]

Oh! Sorry unobtrusive. I just stuck my foot in mouth. Lol

drat!

 

[Locutus]

I resemble that remark....

 

[stonesoffire]

I resemble that remark....

Yep..sure do! Lol

 

[unobtrusive]

Too often we hear teaching/preaching that tells us we have no responsibility once we are born again and we all of a sudden are right where we need to be, spiritually speaking. Obviously, that isn't true and I am so glad to see so much agreement amongst the members of the body of Christ on this topic.

Thank you all for your thoughtful contributions to the discussion. Please continue to comment as you think of other things to edify one another.

I pray God blesses each of us as we work at renewing our minds in these last days as we strive to have the "mind of Christ."

 

[Dreamstate]

A little story.

Person : God please would you renew my mind ?

God : Well let's look at your qualifications, yes you have the right attitude, in law your mind should be renewed with my help.

Person: O that's a great deal !

God: And I'll pay for it all, all you need to do is let me guide you.

Person: Perfect, this is easier than I thought it would be, where do we go next ?

God: I want you to go to the bank and withdraw some money, I want you to buy something.

 

[peacefulbeliever]

Nah! This thread became all about what we do, (except Rose and Marc), instead of anything about God. If this is "team effort," than it was expected that God is the silent partner.

Just so people can see the verse (and the whole verse, since even that was cut in half to prove-a-point), and then see the context, here is the larger picture.

12 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.

And understand, that is nothing but going from a thumbnail picture to a small one. The entire Book of Romans is the whole picture. For the first half of the book it's all about how many ways we aren't effective, then it goes into how God is, and then it goes to how to live our lives in HIM. NOT in how to run our lives.

So are you saying that renewing our minds is NOT our responsibility?

If one hears enough of the gospel, Jesus death and resurrection, to be saved . . . What do they then do to grow? What do they then do to change? God automatically changes them? Why does God tell us to put on the new man and to put off the old man, if he does it for us? Why does the flesh still have to battle against the spirit if God does it all for us? If we do not feed on the word of God, we will not grow spiritually but will remain stagnant although still saved. The renewing of our minds is what allows us to NOT be conformed to this world . . . renewing our minds to the word of God is how we prove and know what the good and acceptable and perfect will of God is.

 

[reneweddaybyday]

So are you saying that renewing our minds is NOT our responsibility?

Yes. It is not our responsibility.

Look at the verses posted by Depleted:

Romans 12:

1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to thing, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.


Our responsibility:

vs 1 - present ourselves as a living sacrifice (not the dead sacrifice of the OC).

vs 2 - do not be conformed to this world

vs 3 - do not think of ourselves more highly than we ought; think soberly.


The renewed mind is part of the new man. Who created this new man? Did we? No. The new man is created within at the time of the new birth. Part of this new man is the mind of Christ ... the renewed mind of Rom 12:2.

If one hears enough of the gospel, Jesus death and resurrection, to be saved . . . What do they then do to grow? What do they then do to change? God automatically changes them?

When we are born again, God creates the new man within. What needs to change in the new man? Nothing. The new man is perfect.

What we have to do is put off the old man and put on the new man. We learn to walk in the new man. We learn to stay put in the new man.

Why does God tell us to put on the new man and to put off the old man, if he does it for us? Why does the flesh still have to battle against the spirit if God does it all for us?

Right. God does not put off the old man for us. That's our responsibility. Putting off the old man is the "do not be conformed to this world" of Rom 12:2.

The only time we feel the flesh battling against the Spirit of God is when we neglect to put off the old man.

The new man does not battle against the Spirit of God. The new man thrives, and is robust, in the things of God.

Putting on the new man is our responsibility. Part of the new man is the mind of Christ. Does the mind of Christ need to be renewed? No! The mind of Christ is the renewed mind.

If we do not feed on the word of God, we will not grow spiritually but will remain stagnant although still saved. The renewing of our minds is what allows us to NOT be conformed to this world . . . renewing our minds to the word of God is how we prove and know what the good and acceptable and perfect will of God is.

As we continue in the new man, we grow up (mature). When we are first born again, we learn to walk in that new man created within. As we learn to walk, we become less and less inclined to stumble. The new man loves the Word of God. The new man loves to do what God tells us to do.

In fact, if we find we do not want to read our Bibles, or that we do not want to do what God instructs, we have not put off the old man. So what do we do? Put off the old man; put on the new man. Then we're back in sync again with God.

 

[unobtrusive]

So are you saying that renewing our minds is NOT our responsibility?

If one hears enough of the gospel, Jesus death and resurrection, to be saved . . . What do they then do to grow? What do they then do to change? God automatically changes them? Why does God tell us to put on the new man and to put off the old man, if he does it for us? Why does the flesh still have to battle against the spirit if God does it all for us? If we do not feed on the word of God, we will not grow spiritually but will remain stagnant although still saved. The renewing of our minds is what allows us to NOT be conformed to this world . . . renewing our minds to the word of God is how we prove and know what the good and acceptable and perfect will of God is.

Very well spoken! Couldn't have said it better myself, young lady.

 

[MarcR]

PUT on . . . PUT off . . . sure sounds to me like the renewing of the mind is our responsibility . . . .


Ephesians 4:22, That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man which according to the deceitful lusts . . . And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

Colossians 3:10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:

The only way we can have the mind of Christ is by renewing our mind to the word of God. The word of God is what transforms our thinking and it is the word of God that produces and builds trust. (faith)

When we are saved we become a new creation; but our old man is not completely banished and old habits and ways of thinking can still hinder our walk.

In Eph 4:22 the word conversation refers to lifestyle. Putting off the old man is reminding us that old habits and ways of thinking can hinder our walk with the Lord.

Col 3:10 says directly that the new man is already renewed (that was done for us) and again reminds us to guard our walk and our testimony.

Ro 12:2Tells us that God will continually renew our minds and cautions us not to hinder the process.

 

[posthuman]

Metamorphousthe is a present passive which in effect says allow it to be continuously done to you.

IMO this indicates that the transformation is God's responsibility; but we are able to hinder the process and are told not to do so.

Yes

We can certainly 'grieve the Spirit' but what we do comes down to either resisting or submitting to His will. The Word doesn't say 'transform yourself' it says 'be transformed' -- something i could struggle against or throw a wrench in, or that i could facilitate, but not something i could ever accomplish for myself, any more than a leopard could change his spots!

 

[Locutus]

<----- Looks like ol' Bones here needs to be renewing the flesh....

 

[shrume]

...What we have to do is put off the old man and put on the new man. We learn to walk in the new man. We learn to stay put in the new man.

That is renewing your mind, something we do.

Right. God does not put off the old man for us. That's our responsibility. Putting off the old man is the "do not be conformed to this world" of Rom 12:2.

That is renewing your mind, something we do.

The only time we feel the flesh battling against the Spirit of God is when we neglect to put off the old man.

Right. Something we neglect to do.

The new man does not battle against the Spirit of God. The new man thrives, and is robust, in the things of God.

And as we renew our minds by putting on the new man, we will thrive.

Putting on the new man is our responsibility.

Exactly. That is renewing your mind.

Part of the new man is the mind of Christ. Does the mind of Christ need to be renewed? No! The mind of Christ is the renewed mind.

As we renew OUR minds by putting off the old man and putting on the new, we will become more Christ-like.

As we continue in the new man, we grow up (mature).

Our continuing in the new man is accomplished by our renewing our minds.

When we are first born again, we learn to walk in that new man created within. As we learn to walk, we become less and less inclined to stumble. The new man loves the Word of God. The new man loves to do what God tells us to do.

In fact, if we find we do not want to read our Bibles, or that we do not want to do what God instructs, we have not put off the old man. So what do we do? Put off the old man; put on the new man. Then we're back in sync again with God.

And that, reneweddaybyday, is renewing our minds.

 

[shrume]

That is renewing your mind, something we do.

That is renewing your mind, something we do.

Right. Something we neglect to do.

And as we renew our minds by putting on the new man, we will thrive.

Exactly. That is renewing your mind.

As we renew OUR minds by putting off the old man and putting on the new, we will become more Christ-like.

Our continuing in the new man is accomplished by our renewing our minds.

And that, reneweddaybyday, is renewing our minds.

To add to this a little...

Rom 12:
2) 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.

"be ye transformed" is in the passive voice, meaning it's something that happens to us. How does it happen to us? We are to control our thinking (renew our mind) according to the word of God, and as we do so, transformation takes place.

 

[posthuman]

<----- Looks like ol' Bones here needs to be renewing the flesh....

Absolutely!
All creation waits in eager expectation

 

[MessageOfTheCross]

The renewing of the mind is not a action nor a work. It is the Believer placing his Faith in Jesus Christ and His Finished Work, i.e., The Cross of Christ, i.e., The Blood of Jesus, daily. By doing so this gives the Holy Spirit the legal means to help the Believer in every capacity of life because you are glorifying Christ. The Holy Spirit only works between Christ and His Finished Work. He is the one that renews the mind, keeps all commandments, and all laws.

There is nothing within ourselves that any human being can produce that God will accept!
Remember, God said, "This is My Beloved Son who I Am well please." He never said that about us. The closes thing He said about us is, "without Faith it is impossible to please God."

It is imperative that a Believers Faith is exclusively in Christ and the Cross, i.e., The Blood of Jesus, i.e., The Finished Work of Christ (Romans 8:2). Anything and everything else is during the same as Aaron's sons (Nadab & Abihu) by offering strange fire. (Lev. 10:1)

Christians offer strange fire when they change God's prescribed order of victory for sanctification (over sin, over the world, the flesh, and the Devil). Romans 8:2