Be Renewed in the Spirit of Your Mind

You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

Ephesians 4:22-24

Last week, we saw that renewal is God’s ongoing work in us. We do not renew ourselves. God does it. This does not happen completely in the moment of salvation. Rather, the renewal that begins when we first receive God’s grace in Christ continues throughout our lives. It is something in which we participate by opening ourselves to the Lord, being available for his renewing work, and following the lead of the Spirit. A variety of spiritual practices—such as prayer, devotional reading of Scripture, and corporate worship—help us to share with the Spirit in our being made new.

Before leaving Ephesians 4:23, I want to focus on the phrase: “[You were taught] to be made new in the attitude of your minds.” The language here raises one obvious question: What is the “attitude of your minds?”

Other modern translations of the Bible render the Greek of 4:23 differently. The New Living Translation says, “[L]et the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes.” The Common English Bible has “[R]enew the thinking in your mind by the Spirit.” Yet our translation, the NIV, doesn’t mention the Holy Spirit at all. What’s going on here?

The Greek original is translated most literally in the King James Version, “And be renewed in the spirit of your mind.” Many commentators and translators understand the use of “spirit” here (pneuma in Greek) as a reference to the Holy Spirit. They point to the fact that Ephesians underscores the role of the Spirit in the life of the believer (see especially 1:13, 2:18, 2:22, 3:16, 4:30, 5:18, and 6:18). In 3:16, for example, Paul prays that God may “strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being.”

Though God is certainly renewing us through the work of the Spirit, the Greek grammar of Ephesians 4:23 makes it unlikely that Paul has this point in mind here. The phrase speaks of “the spirit of your mind.” This would be an odd way to refer to the Spirit of God. It seems more likely that Paul is referring to the depths of your inner being or the core of your mind. In other words, the renewal that comes from God—indeed, by way of his Spirit—doesn’t just affect your behavior. And it doesn’t just alter your thinking in a superficial way. Rather, it penetrates to the very depths of who you are, changing you from the inside out.

Notice that once again in Ephesians Paul emphasizes thinking. You are renewed “in the spirit of your mind.” Spiritual renewal isn’t just a matter of feelings or experiences. Rather, genuine spiritual renewal involves a new way of thinking, a new way of weighing the world, a new way of choosing, a new way of believing. This comes from the Spirit of God, who teaches us, guides us, reminds us of the words of Jesus, helps us understand the Spirit-inspired Scripture, and forms us in the image of Christ.

Something to Think About:

How has your Christian faith affected your thinking? Do you think differently today because you are a Christian? If so, how?

How did this alteration of your mind happen?

In what areas of thinking do you still need to be renewed by God’s Spirit?

Something to Do:

Talk with a good friend or with your small group about how the Spirit has changed your thinking and where you still need to be renewed.

Prayer:

Gracious God, thank you for the ways you have shaped and reformed my thinking. Thank you for my parents and grandparents, who taught me your truth from childhood. Thank you for my Sunday school teachers, youth leaders, and pastors, who were all gifted by your Spirit to help me think in your ways. Thank you for those authors and speakers who, throughout the years, have made an impact on my mind.

Thank you, Lord, for all the times you have taught me through your Word, as your Spirit helped me to grasp your truth. Thank you for all the ways you have spoken to me through your Spirit, helping me to know you and your ways. Thank you for meeting me in the congregation of your saints and in times of solitude.

Yet, Lord, as you know, my inner renewal is not complete. Indeed, there is so much yet to be done, so much more for you to do. Help me, I pray to be open to you. May I surrender to you all that I am, including my thinking, so that I might be renewed “in the spirit of my mind.” Amen.

Explore more at The High Calling archive, hosted by the Theology of Work Project:
Redefining Attitude