The word mind is (nous) in Greek, pronounced (noose); it reflects one’s thought consciousness, which is seen as comprised of perception and understanding of all things and rooted in an ability to learn and adapt to one’s environment. Any influences from those around us, such as teachers, parents, peers, etc., affect us. We also have feelings and emotions involved, so the fundamental things influencing our nature affect how we govern accordingly, which for believers is not always by conscious perception.
Since the mind is part of the soul, transformed thinking requires involving a new consciousness in spiritual matters. Jesus points out distinct areas of our creation that need to be agreed upon so that what we are to do is being done as God expects. Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. Math 22:37. Here, we have a different word, translated mind (dianoia), meaning what we think is relevant to any knowing, understanding, and/or faculty of thought reflected in our moral character. It is sometimes translated as one’s imagination.
Jesus says we are to have this love fully in our hearts, souls, and minds, relevant to all knowledge and understanding. Traditionally, we view this verse as a command to love our God. But what is important is that this love Jesus talks about here is (agape), meaning love is part of one’s character or nature. This is good news since it means we can be of the same nature, presenting the same manner of love toward the Lord Jesus and our Father God as they express toward us.
No one can express Agape without a new nature reflecting a change within them. In this case, a soul having this manner of love only occurs through the consciousness of its purpose in spiritual matters. And hope does not put to shame; because our hearts are full of the love of God through the Holy Spirit which is given to us. Rom 5:5. So, the characterization of such love is only possible through the presence of the Holy Spirit. It is an empowered ability to know and understand its purpose, making it an essential part of our nature.
Now, stay with me and see why your transformation is necessary as a child of God. Because what we do distinguishes us from any deceivers. For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. 14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works. 2 Cor 11:13-15.
Paul refers to those who go around in the body of Christ and masquerade and present themselves as something they’re not; the Greek word transformed is (metaschēmatizō), meaning disguising oneself. A good example would be putting on a gorilla suit and running around acting like one so that you appear as something you are not. Believers are not to go around acting as sons and daughters of God through ministry efforts of the gospel. Instead, out of a transformed nature, they are to reveal the very character of their Father God.
So, back to what Paul says in this verse. 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. Rom 12:2.
The Greek word (metamorphosis) is translated as transformed, which means transforming what is seen of oneself into something else being seen. The best example would be a caterpillar who turns into a butterfly – through a process we call metamorphosis. What anyone sees after such a transformation is nothing like what appeared before.
A believer is now someone who is no longer recognizable as the old nature but is seen by a new nature, which characterizes God. Many pulpits today believe that the new birth causes a transformation in our spirit, and not our soul. And yet both are areas the word of truth affects. Scripture tells us that our mind is not part of our spirit, but our soul, and our nature is not revealed as part of our soul. Thus, one’s transformation into a living spirit and a delivered soul with a new nature is accomplished in both spirit and soul.
So, if we live according to a divine nature or those fundamental principles that characterize God’s nature, we must change ours. Follow this through to see how we obtain the very nature we’ve grown up with all our life before coming to Christ. Our nature is a conformity of manner of living brought by various influences in our lives, present or past, that formulate a fundamental set of principles for governing ourselves.
Today, our social environment heavily impacts how we associate with our parents, peers, or siblings, and all influences from the worldly order around us play a very influential part. Out of all this influence, we will accept or deny certain aspects forming in us as things we are willing to conform to. If our parents were slothful regarding work and living resources, this would influence us to see slothfulness as acceptable.
Human nature tends to adopt or conform to the things influencing one’s manner of thinking, and we create certain thoughts concerning them that are seen in the character we present in areas of our lives. The environments we grow up in are the most impactful. Someone who grows up exposed to violence tends to take up characteristics that reflect a violent manner in their nature. On the other hand, someone raised in an environment filled with love, respect, and honor usually adopts those characteristics.
These examples show how one’s nature fashions and forms thinking of those things concerning us, which will become revealed in one’s character and how one will live it out as who they are. If we take all this and add sin to it –we have evil on this earth by those who conform to its worldly purpose since all are under the influence of the devil, who’s evil by nature and looking to take advantage of promoting sin by our carnality.
TRANSFORMED BY GOD’S WORD
44 And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. First, He opened their understanding, which in this verse is (nous), the same as in Rom 12:2. And means reflecting on one’s consciousness. 45 Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, Luke 24:44-45. He did that so they could understand its spiritual aspects.
This is a different word (syniemi), meaning to bring together or gather what has been perceived as understood so that one’s consciousness of it appears. In this case, Jesus is referring to spiritual issues. In verse 44, He says those things written about Him are all the things that will be fulfilled, such as those written in the law, the prophets, and the psalms.
If we continue through this, verse 45 says that He opened their nuos, their consciousness. So, they could syniemi, bring together a perception of those truths because God will fulfill the spiritual matters concerning the prophecies of His Son. This reveals that His offspring (believers) must spend time in the word individually, corporately, or as part of a Sunday school or Bible study group for the sole act of transformation. This process occurs by actively engaging in the Word so that its authority can change us into who He says we are to be.
All scripture revealed by the Holy Spirit will, by His authority and power, change our nuos, or our consciousness, by syniemi of all truths written. This process of transforming our nature is not limited to our soul; it’s also revealed that growth must occur in our spirit. Everything we tend to rely upon for life today is wrapped in issues we seek answers for from the world’s system. These issues are not sourced from spiritual locations but from earthly ones influenced by spiritual forces of darkness, and most are revealed as uncharacteristic of the God who created us.
For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh [craving for sensual gratification] and the lust of the eyes [greedy longings of the mind] and the pride of life [assurance in one’s own resources or in the stability of earthly things]—these do not come from the Father but are from the world [itself]. 1 John 2:16.(AMP) This means the things of the world are not of a manner or character of God purposed to be present in your life. Therefore, you must be able to discern things that are revealed as God or the enemy.
Now is not the time for God’s children to ignore the need to grow spiritually, as this is essential to a believer maintaining their living purpose. So, understand that your children are to be raised by the Holy Spirit to be spiritual leaders who are children of God. They are His future offspring, His spiritual lineage, here for tomorrow.
The status quo of day-to-day living does not reveal this; it is only revealed by a transformation, by His power through the authority of the word. Every believer is to be able to perceive things; this comes through a revelation knowledge of the word revealed by the Holy Spirit. However, today’s situation is the same as in the past; many rely on their abilities, not His.
By this time you ought to be teachers yourselves, yet here I find you need someone to sit down with you and go over the basics on God again, starting from square one—baby’s milk, when you should have been on solid food long ago! 13Milk is for beginners, inexperienced in God’s ways; 14 solid food is for the mature, who have some practice in telling right from wrong. Heb 5:12-14. (MSG)
Churches have been far more dependent on the systems of this world than on the power of God’s word simply because the word is contrary to the world’s ways and much of the body of Christ has familiarity with it. The fact is that for such thinking to exist, people are either ignorant of the truth, spiritually stupid, or both, allowing a position as offspring of God to be that of a worldly manner rather than one of Christ in our lives by the supernatural order of all things Godly.
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