◄ What Does Ephesians 4:23 Mean? ►

Like begets like, flesh begets flesh, and Spirit begets spirit. When we were born of fallen Adam, we were born of the flesh and received a fallen and fleshly nature. When we were born of the Holy Spirit, we received a holy and spiritual nature. When we first believed in Christ, we received a new nature, the nature of Christ. We were born into newness of life and given a regenerated spirit, a new life in Christ.

The former nature that we received when we were born into this world, was corrupted by deceitful desires. It was awash with lusts and deception, but we were taught with reference to our former way of life, to lay aside the old man (to put off the old sinful, lustful nature) which was being continuously corrupted in accordance with deceitful desires of our flesh and to be renewed in the spirit of our minds.

Because we are no longer are part of the old life in Adam but the new life in Christ, we should no longer exhibit our original corrupt nature but our new, born-again nature, and this is done, by the renewing of our minds. We are in the world, but not of the world and Paul makes this distinction clear in his epistle to the Romans: "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect."

It is the Word of God that renews our minds. It is the holy Bible that washes our minds clean. It is the God-breathed Scriptures that renew our minds, day by day, and enables our new life in Christ to grow and mature. Jesus prayed to the Father just before His crucifixion: "Sanctify them by the truth, Your Word is truth."

It is being immersed in the Word of truth that causes our lives to be gradually transformed, by the Spirit of truth, as our minds are being renewed in Him. 

Heavenly Father, I ask that in the power of Your Spirit You would cleanse and renew the spirit of my mind in Christ, as I immerse my heart in Your Word of truth. In Jesus' name I pray, AMEN.