More about change from within.

Renewal of your mind, part 2

I did some more research around the word “renewal” and found a few things that might also be helpful. The complete quote in question is found in Romans 12:2: Do not be conformed to this world but transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may prove what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

Now: the Greek word used there is the word for “metamorphosis,” which does indicate that come kind of a change is meant to be taking place; indeed, some change in appearance. Question: Are you appearing differently to others because of what you have been experiencing in your faith journey?

Interestingly enough, the Greek word is also closely related to another word which refers to transfiguration—such as the Transfiguration of the Lord that we heard about on the Second Sunday of Lent. During the Transfiguration, Jesus was changed as if from within in appearance. Question: What has been happening within you, or is something about to happen within you?”

I also offer a few quotes or phrases that come from various commentaries on the text:

·         “raised to a new level of being”

·         “a change that brings us more into accordance with the will of God”

·         the mind is changed in a way that makes it “an instrument of good” rather than of evil.

·         transformation “of character and conduct”

·         things move in 2 directions: what precedes from within and what follows it as a consequence.

·         clearer insight into what we ought to be and do.

·         giving the mind new desires, tastes, and directions

·         “the truth which renews the mind has a greater hold on me than it ever did before.”

I put these into quotation marks because they come from a website called Biblehub.com, a sight which provides a wide assortment of commentaries on just about every word or passage from the Bible.

If you’d like to peruse it yourself, go to biblehub.com/commentaries, type in the word or passage you’re interested in, and you will be led to a wealth of material on the subject.

Ultimate questions: how are the things quoted above being manifested in my own life? Is there anything in particular that I would like to pray for in these closing days of Lent?

God bless you.