Ephesians 4:22-24

Have you changed your mind lately? Sometimes we have to change our minds because we’ve made a mistake in making a decision. A friend of mind says his wife has a very clean mind because she’s always changing it so much. Well, as Christians, sometimes we have to focus on the changing of the mind. Paul writes this in Ephesians 4:22 through 24, “that you put off, concerning the former manner of life, the old man which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.” Quite a process here. The process of changing our minds spiritually. You see when you change your mind, you can change your life. Paul talks about this in Romans 12:2, “the renewing of the mind.”

There are three factors involved here in changing our minds. Number one, removing; number two, renewing; and number three, restoring. Let’s start with removing. He says change clothes. Your mind is wearing some kind of garment. Now put off that old man. Put off the corruption, the deceitful lusts, stop lying to yourself about sin. Put off, remove, change clothes, get rid of the grave clothes that are around your mind. Don’t think like a dead person. Think like one who’s been raised from the dead.

But once you’ve removed, that’s negative; then renew. “Be renewed in the spirit of your mind.” How do you do that? Through the Word of God. The Word of God is taken by the Holy Spirit of God and the Holy Spirit renews our mind. “Be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2). The Word of God in the mind which leads to thirdly, restoring. “Put on the new man, which after God is created.” I like that. A new creation. God is restoring what we had in Adam, and then much more. He gives to us the mind of Christ. As the Spirit of God takes the Word of God and teaches us the truth about the Son of God, our minds are changed and our lives are changed as well.