When we get born again (Romans 10:9,10), God gives us the gift of holy spirit so that through His power and help we may grow to be more like Christ. The key to bringing that spiritual power into evidence is set forth in Romans, chapter 12:
Romans 12:1,2:
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
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.
Renewing the mind is the process by which we decide to put in our minds that which God created us to be spiritually. In essence, we hold the Word of God in our minds and act accordingly. This is what Romans 13:14 is exhorting us to do when it says, “But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ….” Where can we put on the Lord Jesus Christ? In our minds. When we choose to put on the thoughts that magnify who we are in Christ, we are able to manifest God’s power in our lives. We begin to unleash the potential power we received at the time of the new birth. That is quite a transformation!
Since putting the Word of God in our minds is foundational to renewing them, we are going to want to study it. Reading the Word daily and building Biblical understanding are key steps to helping us grow in the renewed mind so that we consistently manifest God’s power.
Renewing the mind is a daily process; therefore, we contribute to this process most effectively when we study God’s Word daily. That is what the Judeans in Berea did when the Apostle Paul taught them.
Acts 17:11:
These [Judeans in Berea] were more noble than those [unbelieving Judeans] in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
The Judeans in Berea went to the written scriptures that were available to them and searched them daily. Verse 12 tells us the result of their efforts: “Therefore many of them believed….” They believed the Word they were taught! The more Word we read and study, the more we can believe and renew our minds to and the more we grow to be like Christ. Consistent study sets the stage for consistent growth. Building the habit of daily study is not difficult. In fact, a wonderful key to studying the Word is to simply enjoy reading the Bible. By reading the Word, we can make it our delight—the joy of our hearts.
Jeremiah 15:16:
Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O Lord God of hosts.
At times Jeremiah did not have the written Word readily available, as we do today, but look at his attitude when he did. He “ate” it, meaning that he read it. Jeremiah enjoyed reading God’s Word and look at the effect it had on him. It was the joy and rejoicing of his heart.
Another step that will help us grow in the renewed mind is to build our Biblical understanding. Reading the Bible daily is vital to our spiritual growth, yet digging further in the Scriptures is how we build our Biblical understanding. Doing this involves the help of teachers and ministers. We see an example of this in Acts, chapter 8.
In verse 28, we see a man from Ethiopia on his way home from Jerusalem, reading the Old Testament book of Isaiah. The fact that he is reading the Scriptures tells us that he understands them to a degree, but as the record unfolds, we learn that he is having trouble understanding a particular section. How is the Ethiopian going to build his Biblical understanding so that he can study and apply God’s Word more effectively? God sent Philip to teach him.
Philip got right to the heart of the matter when he said in verse 30, “…Understandest thou what thou readest?” The Ethiopian responded with this wonderfully honest reply:
Acts 8:31,35:
And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him.
Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.
Philip helped build the man’s Biblical understanding as he unfolded the Scriptures, and the Ethiopian went on his way rejoicing. Our Biblical research, teaching, and fellowship ministry does the same for men and women today. The classes in The Way of Abundance and Power series build students’ Biblical understanding in a remarkable way, with maximum learning in minimum time.
The renewed mind is the key to power. As we choose to put on the thoughts that magnify who we are in Christ, we unleash the potential power we received at the time of the new birth. Since putting the Word of God in our minds is foundational to renewing them, we are going to want to study it. Let us read the Word daily and build our Biblical understanding so that we may grow to be more like Christ, and consistently manifest God’s power.