"Do not conform 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 (NIV)
Romans 12:2 is the "renewing of your mind" verse. This page gives the verse, the verse just before it, and a plain reading. For more verses on the theme, see Bible verses about transformation, Bible verses about renewal, and Bible verses about God's will.
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The verse
Romans 12:2 (NIV) reads: "Do not conform 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."
The King James says, "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." "Conform" is syschēmatizō (G4964), to be pressed into a mold. "Transformed" is metamorphoō (G3339), the same word used when Jesus "was transfigured" (Matthew 17:2). "Renewing" is anakainōsis (G342), a making new.
The verse before it
Romans 12:2 finishes a thought that starts in verse 1: "Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship."
"Therefore" points back to Romans 1-11, where Paul lays out God's mercy in Christ. Chapter 12 turns to how to live in response. Right after verse 2 he writes, "Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought" (Romans 12:3), and soon, "Love must be sincere" (Romans 12:9).
What the verse is saying
There are two pressures here. One is the world pressing you into its shape from the outside. The other is God changing you from the inside, starting with how you think. Paul says to resist the first and yield to the second.
The result is practical: you will be able to "test and approve" God's will and find it "good, pleasing and perfect." The change is ongoing, not a one-time event. Paul says something similar in 2 Corinthians 3:18, where believers "are being transformed into his image." For more on that, see Bible verses about worship and Bible verses about holiness.
Questions people ask
What does Romans 12:2 say?
In the NIV it says, "Do not conform 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."
What does renewing of your mind mean?
The Greek word anakainōsis means a making new. Paul is describing God reshaping how a believer thinks, so they no longer simply take on the world's pattern.
What is the context of Romans 12:2?
It follows Romans 12:1, where Paul urges believers, "in view of God's mercy," to offer themselves as "a living sacrifice." Verse 2 explains how that kind of life works.
What does transformed mean in Romans 12:2?
The word is metamorphoō, the same word used for Jesus' transfiguration in Matthew 17:2. It describes a change from the inside out.
What verse goes well with Romans 12:2?
2 Corinthians 5:17 says, "if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come." Romans 5:8 shows the mercy Romans 12 builds on: "While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
