Transformed by the renewing of your mind.
 

Romans 12:2 (Berean Bible)

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.
 

Greek: kai me suschematizesthe to aioni touto, alla metamorphousthe te anakainosei tou noos eis to dokimazein humas ti to thelema tou Theou, to agathon kai euareston kai teleion.
 

Analyzed Literal: And [you are] to stop conforming yourselves to this age, but [are] to continue being transformed by the renewal of your mind, in order for you to be proving what [is] the good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
 

Be not conformed (Greek, suschēmatizō) (conform to the same pattern).

The pattern of this world belongs to Satan, and it has ever since Adam fell to temptation. Because of this, we inherit Adam’s sin nature, and so we sin, along with the rest of the world.

Romans 3:23 For all have sinned

All men are part of “the dominion of darkness” and it affects our attitudes and actions.

Every man or woman who becomes a Christian, who is saved, (born again), is saved out of that dominion, that pattern, and that way of thinking and doing things.

As followers of Jesus, we are taught that everything is exactly the opposite of what we once thought.
 

Col 2:20 Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations—

Our renewed spirit is totally different and agrees with the ways of Heaven, but our flesh is not yet renewed, therefore it has embedded within it old habits that run according to the “basic principles of the world.”

In order for our old flesh to fall into line with our new spirit, and the Holy Spirit within us, we must beware that no one waylays us through philosophical argument, deceit, or traditions but our minds must be transformed by renewal.

Col 2:8 Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.
 

Therefore, the Christian is not to copy the fashions of the present time, the things that soon change and are forgotten but to be wholly transfigured in view of that higher mode of existence, in strict accordance with God’s will, that he has chosen.
 
By this world, (this age), in our text, it may be understood as that present state of things, both among the Jews and Gentiles; the customs and fashions of the people who lived at that time.
The people of that time, particularly the Gentiles, who had neither the power nor the form of godliness;
Although, the Jews did have a form of godliness but they also denied the power thereof.

This world, this age that we live in today,  is no different than then.

There are those that say they are believers, they maybe religious people, church goers, those who obey religious traditions and sacraments.  They may have been christened as a child. They may attend Mass or Communion services. They may go to Confessional and keep all the traditional festivals. They too, could have a form of godliness but deny the power thereof.
They may have religion but not a relationship with God.

This present state of things, is as much opposed to the spirit of genuine Christianity as the world then.
Religious hypocrisy, pride, luxury, vanity, extravagance in dress, and riotous living, prevail now, as they did then and are as unworthy of a Christian's pursuit as they are injurious to his soul, and hateful in the sight of God.

This is what the parable of the fig tree was about. Luke 13:6-9.
The tree had leaves and looked as though it should have fruit but it did not. It was a sign of hypocrisy. It represented something that it was not.

Be ye transformed. (Greek, metamorphoō), change, transfigure, transform, metamorphosed, to appear as new persons, and with new habits.

The word suggests a thorough, radical change, both inward and outward change.

A new person, a new creation.
 

2Co 5:17  Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 

This does not mean that the old person is amended but changed, transformed, made different.

Like a butterfly metamorphoses from a pupa. A completely different, new creation.

How can this happen?
 

By the renewing of your mind — By letting the inward change produce the outward change.

Where the spirit, the temper, and disposition of the mind, are not renewed, an outward change is of but little worth, and is generally of short standing.

The Apostle Paul writing to the church at Ephesus said:
 

Eph 4:22  That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; 

23  And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; 

24  And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. 

25  Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. 

26  Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: 

27  Neither give place to the devil. 

28  Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. 

29  Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. 

30  And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. 

31  Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: 

32  And be ye kind one to another, tender hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. 

This is a conscious decision to feed the new man and resist the old nature.
 

Paul here in Romans 12, tells us to give up on chasing life for pleasure, possessions, and status—to stop living like everyone else.
Instead, he urges us to be transformed from the inside out.  To allow the inward grace wrought in our hearts, to change our minds and actions.
We should be different.

This is why he uses terms such as: “Put on” and “Putting away” certain thoughts and actions.

Specifically, he writes that we must be changed in how we think, to have our minds renewed so that we can begin to understand God's will for our lives.

God does not take away pleasure, possessions, and status in various forms, but he urges us to learn how to look at life with a new question: To be content in the state we find ourselves in.

Phil 4:11 (Berean Study Bible)  I am not saying this out of need, for I have learned to be content regardless of my circumstances.
(KJV) Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.
 

We need to ask the questions: What does God want for me? What is truly a good, acceptable, and perfect use of my life for His purposes and not just for my own?
 

In Romans 12, Paul describes the worship of our God as becoming living sacrifices to our God, giving up seeking what we want from life and learning to know and serve what God wants.
That begins with using our spiritual gifts to serve each other in the church.

Paul's list of commands describes a lifestyle of setting ourselves aside. Our goal as Christians is to love and lift each other up. We must focus our expectation on eternity and wait with patience and prayer for our Father to provide. We must refuse to sink to evil's level, we are to do good to those who harm us instead of taking revenge.
 

The words of Jesus in the gospel of Luke, says:
 

Luke 6: 27 But to those of you who will listen, I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,
28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.
 

Romans 12:2 then,  means, renewing our minds by pushing the conforming influences away and replacing them with spiritual input from God’s Word, prayer, and friendship with Christians who love God.
We are to abandon the works of the flesh and grow in faith by feeding on God’s word.

1Pe 2:1  Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, 
1Pe 2:2  As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:
1Pe 2:3  If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious. 

It is called “Growing in Grace”.
This Grace Wherein we Stand.
 

Romans 5:1 – 11, 1  Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 
2  By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 
3  And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 
4  And patience, experience; and experience, hope: 
5  And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. 
6  For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 
7  For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. 
8  But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 
9  Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. 
10  For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. 
11  And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement. 
 

https://jeffreyunsworth.wixsite.com/teleiosbibleblogs/225-this-grace-wherein-we-stand

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