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 (Rom. 12:2).
We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ (2 Cor. 10:5).
In our previous post in this series (“Toward Christ: The Ingredients for Change“), we identified how we effect change in our lives–what it means to change. In this final post of the series, we will look at three areas that are at the center of our growth in Christ–and thus are the areas in the most need of change. Because they are so central in the life of a believer, I call them “the keys.”
Key #1: A biblical understanding of who God is
God, being God, is at the center of all that is and all that we do. He is the Creator and Sustainer of the universe. A correct understanding of God is central to our growth.
That may seem like an obvious statement, but many believers struggle with the nature of God. What is God like? Is He a strict judge sitting on the bench waiting for us to mess up? Is He more like a permissive parent, with an attitude like “Boys will be boys”? Is He so big that He is unconcerned with my life? These and others are the questions we must ask and allow the Scriptures and the Holy Spirit to teach us.
How we view God is going to influence, in large part, how we view ourselves. The Bible calls us to biblical humility which means 1) thinking of myself as God thinks of me (neither too highly nor too lowly); 2) recognizing that I am what I am only by His grace; and 3) trusting Him with me–all of my life. We cannot truly do any of those without a right view of God.
Because of space, we are not going to launch into a discussion of who God is. Many previous posts in this blog have dealt with the nature and character of God. In this post, we simply want to begin thinking about who we see Him, and ask Him to help bring our views in line with Scripture.
- Exodus 34:6-8
- The God of the Gospel (Part 1 and Part 2)
- God: One and Three
Key #2: A biblical understanding of New Covenant theology
The second key area for change is what actually happens at salvation. Why is this important? It’s important because our view of salvation will directly influence how we behave as believers.
If we see salvation merely as, “My sins are forgiven, I’m going to heaven, yay!” then we might be tempted to adopt a view of, “It doesn’t matter how I live.” On the other hand, we also might adopt the view at the other end of the spectrum, which says that it matters so much how I live that I fall into legalism.
If we see salvation as not only a one-time event but also a process whereby we are changed to become like Christ, then we will begin to learn what that means.
The other part of this question is, “What [if anything] happened to me at salvation?” Am I still the same old person, except that my sins are now forgiven? Or did something fundamentally change about my nature? These are the questions of New Covenant theology.
Like the previous section, we are simply going to give some starting points for reflection and thinking about the New Covenant.
- Jeremiah 31:31-34; Ezekiel 36:25-29
- The Gospel in the Old Testament
- An Incurable Diagnosis
- A Cure for the Incurable
Key #3: A biblical understanding of our identity
Who are we? Are we just tiny specks of dust in this big universe that God created? Are we worthless sinners that deserve nothing but hell? Who are we after we are saved? Did anything significant change about us? Our identity (and more specifically our perception of it) matters a great deal.
Our behavior is governed, in large part, by the beliefs, images, and attitudes that we old about our world, others, God, and more fundamentally ourselves. If I see myself as a worthless slug, chances are I’m going to act like a worthless slug, letting others use me because I just don’t matter. If I see myself called of God and separated to His purpose, then (if I’m walking in faith), I’m going to act accordingly.
This key is last on the list because it’s actually dependent on the other two. We can’t have a right understanding of ourselves if our view of God is incorrect. Nor can we truly understand who we are as redeemed children of God without a right view of salvation and the New Covenant. An understanding of ourselves is not less important than the other concepts, however. It simply works together with them.
How does change come?
Change and growth occur in the life of the believer by identifying the thoughts and attitudes in each of these areas that are incorrect–do not align with biblical truth. As these incorrect thoughts and attitudes are repented of, change begins to occur when the believer turns in faith to Christ, believing His Word, replacing those thoughts, images, beliefs, and attitudes with correct ones. As he does so, he begins to apply them to his life. This is the command of Paul in both Romans 12:2 and 2 Cor. 10:5. We are to be transformed, becoming like Christ, through the renewing of our mind.
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