Fruitful Living
RENEWING OUR MINDS
“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is — His good, pleasing and perfect will.” – Romans 12:2
INTRODUCTION
When someone accepts Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, “he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” – 2 Corinthians 5:17.That is why Apostle Paul advises us in Romans 12:2 (our key text) “do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world.” But it doesn’t end there.
Nature abhors vacuums so when something is taken away from a space and that space is not quickly refilled, other things will start creeping in to fill up the space. The Bible gives an illustration of what happens when a vacuum is created in the life of a believer: “When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, `I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation.”- Matthew 12:43-45.
A believer’s Christian experience is supposed to move from the initial phase of justification by faith in Christ, to daily sanctification for holy living, to glorification at Jesus’ second coming, and to eventual restoration to the pre-Fall harmony between God and man. Knowing that the heart of a believer cannot be left empty after clearing it of the worldly things, Paul gives the prescription for daily sanctification with which to fill the vacuum: “be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
WHAT KIND OF TRANSFORMATION?
Transformation is defined as “a thorough or dramatic change in form or appearance or a metamorphosis during the life cycle of an animal.” We find these kinds of transformation happening all the time around us. Examples include a baby that we see twenty years later as an adult, a cancer survivor who has regained lost weight, a new mother we saw last when she was eight months pregnant.
I have seen many actors and actresses in real life whose faces do not look as flawless at close range as they do on TV. I now know that the credit for their on-screen transformation often belongs to makeup. Similarly, a smelly room can be transformed with air freshener, people with the right clothing, and a gloomy room with the right colours and objects.
No doubt all of these examples of transformation look good, but they are all external and non-lasting forms of transformation. They are definitely not the kind of transformation Paul has in mind as capable of filling the vacuum left by non-conformity with the world’s pattern. He says, “be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” The right kind of transformation that he’s talking about here is not the one that comes from make-up slathered on, or having a particular dress on, or the right colors thrown here and there. It is the kind that comes “by the renewing of the mind.” What then is the state of the human mind that it needs to be thus renewed?
RENEWING THE MIND
The Bible is clear on what the mind of every man born into this sinful world is like. The psalmist describes it well: “Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.”-Psalm 51:5. Such a mind acquires the sinful thoughts and feelings of the world into which it is born and also ends up being nothing but a sinful mind, which as stated clearly, “the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.”– Romans 8:7.
By default, every one of us is wired to follow the world’s pattern, and none of us can on the basis of good intentions alone to have a godly mind and succeed on our own. Paul had earlier cried out his frustration: “I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do — this I keep on doing…What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?” – Rom. 7:18-24.
Paul finds an answer in the same passage when he says “Thanks be to God – through Jesus Christ our Lord” – Romans 7:25. Through our union with Christ, we become transformed by “the renewing of the mind” – Romans 12:2b.
PRACTICAL WAYS TO RENEW THE MIND
Paul’s counsel is clear, “do not conform any longer to the pattern of the world, for “those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.”-Romans 8:5. Therefore, “be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”Some Biblical guidelines that are of immense benefit to those eager to guard the avenues of their minds and constantly renew are:
- GUARD YOUR EYES: “I will set before my eyes no vile thing…. I will have nothing to do with evil… My eyes will be on the faithful in the land, that they may dwell with me; he whose walk is blameless will minister to me.” – Psalm 101:3, 6.
- PROTECT YOUR EARS: “Whoever slanders his neighbour in secret, him will I put to silence; whoever has haughty eyes and a proud heart, him will I not endure…. No-one who practices deceit will dwell in my house; no-one who speaks falsely will stand in my presence.” – Psalm 101:5, 7.
- WATCH YOUR MOUTH: “I will sing of your love and justice; to you, O LORD, I will sing praise.” Psalm 101:1. “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbour. Exodus 20:16.
- NURTURE YOUR HEART: “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” – Psalm 119:11. “Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” – Joshua 1:8
We need to be patient though because transformation into Godlikeness is a long process, and not a one-time act. It will come gradually and visibly as our mind is being renewed daily. It won’t be hidden, for when our minds start getting renewed, it will reflect in our speech and actions. People will see and note the change. They will see a drift away from the pattern of the world that we used to be in conformity with, and realize that a metamorphosis is taking place.
END NOTE
In conclusion, Paul says: “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things.”– Philippians 4:8.
Stay Blessed!
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Fruitful Living
Sanitation, Hygiene, and the Morality of Public Space: Reclaiming Ghana’s Civic Virtue through Faith and Policy (Final Part)
A. The Role of Religious Leaders and Counsellors
Religious leaders wield immense influence in shaping public values. Every mosque, church, and shrine should integrate environmental stewardship into its doctrine. Islam views the earth as a masjid—a place of prostration (Sahih Bukhari, 335). Polluting it is akin to defiling a sacred space. Monthly khutbahs should focus on amanah and tahārah, connecting spiritual purity to environmental discipline.
As a counsellor, I affirm that behavioural reform requires both moral teaching and psychological reinforcement. When believers internalise that cleaning a drain is an act of ʿibādah (worship), they transform routine labour into sacred service. The Prophet (peace be upon him) taught: “Removing harmful things from the path is a branch of faith.” (Sahih Muslim, 35). This hadith perfectly captures the theology of civic virtue.
B. Individual and Community Pledge
Moral renewal begins with personal accountability. Every household must adopt responsible waste practices—segregating recyclables, composting, and cooperating with collection services. Citizens must also exercise al-amr bi-l-maʿrūf wan-nahy ʿani-l-munkar (enjoining good and forbidding evil) by correcting neighbours who litter or misuse public spaces, with gentleness and wisdom (Qur’an 16:125).
Communities should establish local sanitation committees under mosque and church leadership, creating faith-driven accountability structures. Supporting local enforcement, rather than resisting it, must be seen as a contribution to maslahah—the public interest that the Sharia seeks to protect.
This collective moral reawakening must integrate faith, governance, and citizenship into one moral project: cleanliness as worship, sanitation as patriotism.
C. Conclusion: Cleanliness, Dignity, and the Maqāṣid al-Sharīʿah
Ghana’s destiny as a great nation is inseparable from the cleanliness of its environment and the conscience of its citizens. The choked gutters, polluted rivers, and scattered waste are not only environmental failures but spiritual wounds upon our collective soul. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Allah is pure and accepts only what is pure.” (Sahih Muslim, 1015). A nation that aspires to divine favour must first reflect divine purity in its public spaces.
To achieve this, we must view sanitation through the lens of the Maqāṣid al-Sharīʿah—the higher objectives of Islamic law—which aim to preserve life (ḥifẓ al-nafs), faith (ḥifẓ al-dīn), intellect (ḥifẓ al-ʿaql), wealth (ḥifẓ al-māl), and posterity (ḥifẓ al-nasl). Clean environments are essential for all five objectives:
- Preservation of Life (ḥifẓ al-nafs): Proper sanitation prevents disease and death. Protecting human health is a divine imperative. Allah says, “And do not throw yourselves with your own hands into destruction.” (Qur’an 2:195).
- Preservation of Faith (ḥifẓ al-dīn): Islam equates purity with faith. An unclean environment obstructs worship and spiritual growth, violating the believer’s covenant of cleanliness.
- Preservation of Intellect (ḥifẓ al-ʿaql): Healthy surroundings promote clarity of thought, while pollution and disease diminish cognitive vitality and learning.
- Preservation of Wealth (ḥifẓ al-māl): Waste management safeguards public funds, prevents costly health crises, and preserves natural resources.
- Preservation of Posterity (ḥifẓ al-nasl): Environmental care ensures a habitable planet for future generations, fulfilling our amanah to the unborn.
By aligning sanitation with these higher objectives, we transform a civic duty into a sacred mission. Achieving the Maqāṣid requires cooperation between policy and piety—laws enforced justly, education grounded in values, and citizens inspired by faith.
Let every believer remember that a clean street is a silent dhikr (remembrance of Allah), a purified drain is a fulfilled amanah, and a healthy neighbour is a protected trust. When our gutters run clear and our air smells fresh, it will signify not merely progress but piety—proof that Ghana has reclaimed its moral and civic virtue under the gaze of the Almighty Allah.
Thank you.
- By Imam Alhaji SaeedBAbdulai, the Author
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B. Instead, walk in righteousness and true holiness … (20–24)
1. This is how you learned Christ
- As you heard Him and were taught by Him (through His apostles, of course – Matt. 28:19-20)
- In Whom is the truth – John 8:31; 14:6
2. For you were taught to “put off” the “old man”
- That is, your “former conduct,” how you behaved before you were saved – Col. 3:5-9
- Putting off the old man is needed because it is never content, but grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts (like addictive drugs, you always need more).
3. And to “be renewed in the spirit of your mind”
- Which is the key to true “transformation” – Rom. 12:1-2
- You “renew your mind” only as you “set your mind on things above” – Col. 3:1-2
4. And to “put on the new man”
- A new man “which was created according to God” – Col. 3:10
- A new man, “in righteousness and true holiness” – Col. 3:12-17
In giving the admonition “No longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles,” Paul has made it clear that it involves both a “putting off” and a “putting on.” That is, our “Walking in Truth and Holiness” is not just a bunch of “Thou Shalt Not’s,” there are also some “Thou Shalt’s.”
To illustrate further the difference between the “old man” (how the rest of the Gentiles walk) and the “new man” (how Christians are to walk), we find Paul making…
II. The Application – (25–32)
Case in point: lying (25)
- The “old man” thinks nothing of lying
- The “new man” puts away lying, and in its place speaks truth with his neighbor (especially to those who are members of the same body)
Case in point: anger (26–27)
- The “old man” gets angry and lets it linger, or get out of control
- The “new man” may get angry, but does not…
- Let it linger (“do not let the sun go down on your wrath”)
- Allow it to prompt sinful behavior (“nor give place to the devil”)
Case in point: stealing (28)
- The “old man” is willing to steal
- The “new man” not only stops stealing, but works so he can help others in need!
Case in point: corrupt communication (29)
- The “old man” doesn’t worry or care what comes out of his mouth
- The “new man” not only avoids “corrupt communication,” but seeks to speak that which is uplifting to those who hear
Summary (30–32)
Why be concerned about putting off the “old man” and putting on the “new man?”
When Christians act like the “old man,” it grieves the Holy Spirit. By the Holy Spirit we were sealed for the day of redemption – Eph. 1:13-14.
Therefore, we ought to put away those things befitting the “old man” (bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, evil speaking, malice). And in its place, we need to put on those things befitting the “new man” (being kind, tenderhearted, forgiving one another just as God forgives us in Christ).
Conclusion
What a contrast there would be if all those in the church truly carried out the admonition to “Walk in Truth and Holiness!” The church would stand out like “a city that is set on a hill” – Matt. 5:14-16.
And the world, though it now has “their understanding darkened,” would be more likely to come to see the truth that is in Jesus. But what hope is there if the church is more like the world than the “holy temple” it is to be?
Brethren, are we “grieving the Holy Spirit of God?” – Ephesians 4:30. While the increasing worldliness in our society naturally concerns us, let us be careful not to react with attitudes that reveal our old characteristic when we were in the world.
BY Rev. Dr Joyce Aryee,
the author
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