You may not know this truth, but the very first thing we need to do when we get born again is, change our thinking to match His. Then we can walk in the fullness of our salvation—proving in our lives and for the sake of others God‘s will is good and perfect.
Romans 12:2 Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you]. AMPC
Let’s look at the word superficial for a minute. It means surface—not deep, but only the outward appearance of things, only what you can obviously see without any revelation knowledge from God.
Faith is seeing God and having His understanding, His revelation knowledge to live in His Kingdom blessed. Superficial is not seeing God, but only seeing what seems to be; looking only what can be seen with our physical eyes and what we can think with our natural minds.
Therefore, God is saying don’t conform to what it seems like. Don’t look at what is in front of your eyes, don’t accept things the way they are or how they seem, but be changed by the entire renewal of your mind. Change your thinking; change your mind to match His mind.
God’s way of doing, His ideal way of thinking and living, is not a way you can see until you start on that journey to renew your mind to be as His. Then as you know His thinking and live by His opinion, you can know His will. Only then will you be able to prove for yourself His will is good and perfect. Only after you have changed what you think, can see Him doing good in your life which will cause you then to receive that good.
God doing good in your life is based on your faith in Him. He can’t do anything for you if you have no faith in Him. He said it is impossible to please Him without faith because without faith (without knowing, without seeing Him for who He is and what He believes), you can’t receive from Him, thus when you can’t receive from Him, He is not pleased.
According to your faith be it done unto you Jesus said. According to your faith (according to what you believe) and according to your reliance on Him, it will be done for you. Matthew 8:13.
The women with the issue of blood said if she could just touch the hem of His garment she would be made well. When she touched Jesus with her faith Jesus felt power leave Him and asked who touched Him. She admitted she touched Him and He said daughter your faith has made you well (Mark 5:34). How can that be? She apparently followed Jesus around and heard His teaching and by doing so, she changed her old way of thinking, her superficial, surface thinking, to be as His. Rather than putting her trust in what she could see, she put her trust in Jesus.
She could see by following Jesus around, there was more to her healing than she had known. She renewed her mind, she lined up her thinking to be as He said, she agreed with Him and that is what healed her. Her changed thinking of that she could be healed by having faith in Him made her well.
The Passion Translation says it clearly.
Romans 12:2 Stop imitating the ideals and opinions of the culture around you, but be inwardly transformed by the Holy Spirit through a total reformation of how you think. This will empower you to discern God’s will as you live a beautiful life, satisfying and perfect in his eyes. TPT
Agreeing with God and receiving His blessings, happens as you renew your mind and conform to His way of thinking, disregarding the world’s way and clinging to His.
Living different than the world lives, living as the Passion Bible says, is a beautiful life to live. Conforming to God’s way (discerning God‘s will) and living it is what it takes, a transformation of who we were, into being who we can be, as His.
Jesus said in John 15 that He would get rid of those dead branches in our lives. Dead branches cause meaning unbelief. He also said you are cleansed already because of my teaching (John 15:1-8). His teaching us is what cleanses us of doubt and sets us up for His goodness. Knowing Him and that He is good is our faith, the mindset we should have as believers which can only come as we take the time to renew our minds with His Word. He is His Word (John 1:1).
Wrong thinking is thinking we should have had before we got born again. Right thinking is thinking we get when we change our mind, to be as His, when we get born again and renew our minds. When we change our thinking on purpose.
Don’t stay the same but renew your mind to match His, receive from Him—and be true representatives of His.