There are many books and teachings about how a believer must renew his mind. Renewing the mind has turned into yet another activity and work that people do in order to reach perfection. In reality, Jesus has already accomplished everything on the cross, and any process of self-improvement will be yet another useless work and an attempt to finish what the Lord has already finished on the cross. In the letter to the Hebrews it is written: “For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.” [Heb.10:14] It is often said that this refers to our spirit: “Our spirit is perfect, but the soul needs renewing.” Dividing the inner man into two parts is neither wise nor scriptural.

John writes in his letter: “Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world.” [1 Jhn.4:17] Some translations, such as the Russian Synodal, add the word “act” here (“as He is, so we act in this world”), which is not in the original. John does not divide our inner man and does not say: “Our spirit is like Christ, but the soul needs renewing.” He simply says: “In this world, here and now, we are just as Jesus is.” And what is Jesus like?

My wife Svetlana said that since childhood she had wanted to know herself, who she is in this world. She met many people and tried to get to know them, because she thought that by learning what they were like she would learn who she was. But when Jesus came into her life, or more precisely became her life, she learned that now He is her new “I”, and now by knowing Him she knows herself. And how do we come to know Him? It is actually simple: the best way to get to know your beloved is simply to talk with him or her. It is unwise to get to know someone close to you through friends or through his (her) personal diary, or in modern terms: through his or her social media page. People get to know each other through sincere and genuine relationships. It is the same with the Lord. The best way to know Him is by spending time with Him, not through preachers or the Bible [His diary]. Does that mean the Bible is not needed? Of course not. But it is best to read your beloved’s diary in his or her presence, asking questions along the way. Then the picture will be clearer.

So, coming back to the renewing of the mind or of thinking that is talked about so much, let’s ask a simple question: did Jesus renew His mind, or anything else? After all, as He is, so are we in this world. And if He was renewed somehow, then we are renewed in the same way. You could say that He “increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men” [Luk.2:52], and so we grow too. But this example is not correct, because this verse speaks about Jesus living according to the flesh, or under the law. From the moment of His birth until the moment He was baptized in the Jordan River, Jesus lived in subjection to the law and to His parents [Luk.2:51; Gal.4:4] But when the Holy Spirit came down upon Him in the form of a dove, He began to live according to the Spirit, or led by the Spirit, and as Paul writes: “But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law” [Gal.5:18] Paul also writes to the Corinthians: “Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer.” [2 Cor.5:16] We no longer know the Christ who lived under the law — and Scripture says almost nothing about that time, except the incident in the temple — but we know Him living according to the Spirit.

The Mount of Transfiguration

After Jesus began to be led by the Holy Spirit, there was only one occasion when He was transfigured, or changed.

But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the kingdom of God. Now it came to pass, about eight days after these sayings, that He took Peter, John, and James and went up on the mountain to pray. As He prayed, the appearance of His face was altered, and His robe became white and glistening.
—Luke 9:27-29

What happened to Jesus on the mountain? He was changed, or transfigured. Before going up, He said: “there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the kingdom of God“. The “some” were Peter, James and John, who eight days later saw the kingdom of God. Jesus manifested what was inside Him — the kingdom of God. The only thing He did was pray, and as He prayed, He was transfigured. This transfiguration was not some kind of perfecting or spiritual growth. The Holy Spirit simply manifested what was inside Christ — the kingdom of God!

Jesus prayed very often, but we must remember that His prayer was not some Old Testament work. The Holy Spirit moved Him to pray, because He was led by the Spirit. Jesus said to Philip: “The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works.” [Jhn.14:10] It is one thing to do something because you have to or because it is right — in that case a person lives under the law, or according to the flesh. It is another thing to walk according to the Spirit — when the Holy Spirit gives the desire, and together with the desire the power to do what is desired. That is why Jesus said that He did not speak or do anything of Himself, but the Father, dwelling in Him by His Holy Spirit, did all the works.

Paul writes to the Romans: “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” [Rom.12:2] This verse is often taken as the basis for the idea that a Christian needs to renew his thinking. But Paul does not write: “renew your thinking”; he says: “be transformed by the renewing” (the Greek word for “be transformed” is the same as the one used for the Lord’s transfiguration). The renewing in this case is not an action we must perform, but the Spirit who transforms us. As we saw in the Lord’s transfiguration, this transformation is not some kind of perfecting or growth. Transformation is the manifestation of what we already have. All that wonderful fruit of the Spirit — love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control — is not the result of our efforts; the Holy Spirit living in us manifests the love, joy, peace, longsuffering and all the rest that is already inside us.

The Promise in Action

“Well then, every Christian should show love, gentleness, self-control…, but I don’t see it in them,” someone may object. It is actually simple. In many people, and often in our own lives, we don’t see gentleness or self-control manifested for only one single reason — the Holy Spirit living in us is simply inactive.

For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise made of no effect,
—Romans 4:14

The one single case when the Holy Spirit — or, as Scripture also calls Him, the promise of the Father — is inactive in us is when we live in obedience to the law and try to be good or righteous before God through the works of the law. That is why Paul called the Galatians foolish. He wrote to them: “Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. Indeed I, Paul, say to you that if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing.” [Gal.5:1-2] Of course, no Christian today gets circumcised, but circumcision is nothing other than putting confidence in your own flesh. When a believer tries to please God by the works of his flesh and by his obedience to the law, then, as Paul writes, “Christ will profit you nothing.” Or in other words, the Christ who lives inside us will simply be inactive.

And you can pray, fast, read the Bible, go to leadership meetings or do other “godly” works as much as you like, but if a believer goes on living in obedience to the law, he goes on behaving as carnal, as a babe in Christ, although he is already grown up, and Christ will profit him nothing. Love is inside, but it is not manifested by the Spirit. You can try to love your neighbor as yourself as much as you like, but that love will not be sincere and from a pure heart; it will be hypocritical. Only the Holy Spirit can manifest the love of Christ which is inside us, and He manifests it when we live in the grace and freedom that Christ has given us. When we live in the obedience of faith and not the obedience of the law — and the obedience of faith is the obedience of Christ. As Paul wrote: “For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.” [Rom.5:19]

When we live not in our own obedience to God but in the obedience of Christ, knowing that we are forever righteous and holy because Christ is our righteousness and holiness, then the Holy Spirit works in us and manifests the Christ who lives in us. That is the whole transformation and renewal! We begin to live not in constant control over our actions and deeds, but in freedom, and we act according to our desires. The spirit of bondage, which the enemy imposes, always tries to control our actions and sow fear: “If you make a mistake, you will be punished. So behave and act correctly.” But the Spirit of freedom says: “Jesus has already borne all our punishment, and it is impossible to make a mistake, because we do not live in our own obedience and our own righteousness, which is by works, but in the obedience and righteousness of Jesus Christ, which is by faith!”

Paul writes to the Corinthians: “Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty“, and then continues: “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” [2 Cor.3:17-18] Who transforms us? The Holy Spirit, when we abide in freedom and grace. He transforms us just as He transfigured Jesus Christ and manifested His glory on the Mount of Transfiguration. Peter writes: “For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.” [2 Pet.1:17-18] Notice — Jesus received honor and glory from the Father when He heard the Father’s approving voice. In the same way we are transformed from glory to glory as we hear the approving voice of our Father, who speaks to us by His Holy Spirit.

I remember that for a long time I tried to win the approval of the people around me, especially my bosses at work. And the harder I tried to work, the more they scolded me. Then, after Jesus came into my life, I was once walking down the street and heard my Father’s voice inside. He said to me: “You are My beloved son, and I am always pleased with you.” From that moment I stopped trying to please people, and it no longer mattered to me what others thought of me, because my Heavenly Father is always pleased with me regardless of my works and deeds. That is how the transformation happened in my life, without any fasting or effort. I also pray, precious ones, that the Holy Spirit would manifest the Christ who lives in you in your lives too. Listen to His voice, which never condemns or reproaches, but comforts, encourages and supports. May the glory of Jesus Christ, who dwells in you by the Holy Spirit, shine like the dawn, ever brighter unto the perfect day!