The mind is where spiritual transformation takes effect — a renewal produced by God, not by human effort.
Les teaches that the soul and spirit are invisible and beyond human repair, so the renewal must come from God. When a person believes, the Holy Spirit sparks faith and the mind begins to realize what God is doing. The result is a metamorphosis — a completely different outlook, desires, and mindset.
Romans 12:2 — Explicitly makes the renewing of the mind the means of transformation.
1 Corinthians 2:16 — Shows that believers have the mind of Christ, which Les applies to the transformed mindset.
Romans 12:2 commands, 'And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.' The transformation is tied to the mind. First Corinthians 2:16 says, 'For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.' This shows that believers have been given a mind that the unsaved world does not possess.
Les explains that the invisible part of a person — the soul and spirit — is a real but unseeable entity, like the wind. Because it was created by God, no person, religion, or denomination can repair or change it; only God can work in that inward area. When a person realizes he is a sinner and that works cannot save him, the Holy Spirit lights a spark of faith, and the mind begins to realize that God is doing something in him. The result is a metamorphosis — like a cocoon becoming a butterfly — in which the believer becomes totally different in outlook, desires, and mindset. The regenerate spirit and the new divine nature God creates work together to influence the whole person, including the physical body. Believers now have 'the mind of the Lord' and think in a way that is completely different from the unsaved world.
Les explains that the soul and spirit are invisible; like the wind, they are unseeable but still real. Because they are the result of God's creative act, no man can correct something wrong in that invisible area — we cannot lay it on an operating table or feed it a miracle drug. Only God can work in that part of a person's makeup.
Les compares the believer to a caterpillar in a cocoon that emerges as a beautiful butterfly. Just as the butterfly is totally changed from what it was before, the believer is transformed and transfigured, and should not fly around looking like an old vulture.
Once a person realizes he is a sinner and cannot please God by works, the mind and whole makeup begin to realize God is doing something. God the Holy Spirit lights a spark within the individual, and when that individual comes to real belief, God begins to move in and transform.
A believer becomes a totally different person in outlook and desires, thinking differently from the unsaved world. The regenerated spirit and the new nature — a divine nature created by God — work together to influence the physical body. The believer has the mind of the Lord.
Transformation as Metamorphosis
Les compares the believer's transformation to a caterpillar becoming a butterfly — a total change from what he was before.
Only God Can Reach the Invisible Part
Les teaches that the soul and spirit are invisible and cannot be repaired by any human method; only God can do anything in that area.
The Mind Realizes What God Is Doing
When a person believes, the mind and whole makeup begin to realize God is doing something — transformation is not self-produced.
Transformation Changes Outlook and Desires
Les teaches that believing makes a person totally different in outlook and desires, and this change comes without working for it.
The Rapture Body Change Compared to the Butterfly
Les uses the butterfly metamorphosis to illustrate how the old ugly body will one day be changed into a glorious one.
The New Divine Nature Influences the Body
The regenerated spirit and the new divine nature, created by God, work together to influence the physical body.
The Holy Spirit Lights the Spark
Before belief, God the Holy Spirit lights a spark within an individual; the mind is renewed through God's initiating work.
Believers Have the Mind of the Lord
Les teaches that believers have the mind of the Lord and therefore think with a completely different mindset from the unsaved world.
Romans 12:2: And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
This is the key verse behind Les's discussion of being transformed by the renewing of the mind.
1 Corinthians 2:16: For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.
Les repeats Paul's language that believers have the mind of the Lord, which gives them a different mindset from the world.
God does it. Les teaches that we're dealing with the invisible part of the human makeup that only God can work on; man cannot operate on the soul or spirit.
It means becoming a totally different person in outlook and desires. Believers have the mind of the Lord and think differently from the unsaved world.
You are not a mature Christian overnight. A new believer is like an infant needing nourishment and protection; transformation takes time.
Watch the Teaching: Be Not Conformed: What Romans 12:2 Really Means for You