The transformation that occurs in a believer through the renewing of the mind is not a destination but a journey. Thar means it is not a one-time event; rather, it is a commitment to discipline, a continual, habitual, diligent effort on the part of the believer with an awareness of our dependence on the Holy Spirit throughout this journey.
It is a principle, both intellectually and spiritually, that by beholding, we become changed. The mind gradually adapts to the subjects upon which it focuses. It becomes assimilated to what it learns to love and reverence. A person will never rise above their standard of purity, goodness, or truth. If the self is their highest ideal, they will never achieve anything greater and will continuously fall lower. Only the grace of God has the power to elevate a person; left to their own devices, they will inevitably decline.
However, we all, with open faces, behold as in a mirror the glory of the Lord and are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, as by the Spirit of the Lord (2 Corinthians 3:18, KJV). James reinforces this by emphasizing the need for continual engagement with the perfect law of liberty. We must not be passive but rather diligent and proactive in our words and actions, which is the surest way to receive the Father’s blessings in our endeavors (James 1:25).
Human nerves operate like a tree on a hilltop that leans in the direction of the wind. If it is consistently blown in one direction, it develops a habit of leaning that way. When we make the Gospel our theme for most profound meditation, the thought has a subduing power upon the soul and brings the mind into captivity to the will of God. It takes an intentional and deliberate decision to live by the Word of God, a continual and relentless exercising of the mind and senses focused solely on His Word to renew our minds and live under the influence of God’s word. If we fail to resolve to commit continually and proactively sail in the direction of the wind of God’s Word, we risk being carried away by the winds of the world or self.
