"...that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness."
When a foreigner enters a country of a different tongue, their ears perceive unfamiliar sounds. A language their mind does not understand, because it has not yet been trained in the language. It isn't that the tongue has not been trained to speak, just the mind and the tongue have not yet unified to allow a new language to come forth. When a sinner comes to Christ, a new way of living, a new language, a new life has been opened...life in Christ. Before coming to the Lord, that mind and had been under the influence of the enemy and spoke the language of the flesh, his mind and tongue had been trained by the world, and responded to the lusts of the flesh; coming to Christ, a new language must be learned. A language that says "no" to the flesh and "yes" to the Spirit.
A language that chooses surrender over resistance; denying self over getting what you want; choosing obedience over desire. That mind and tongue must be re-established. Sin had interrupted our heavenly voice, causing the praises to the Father to cease from our tongues, but now it must continue--that life has been redeemed, purchased, saved and has a reason to sing! The same tongue that has always been used to speak, in connection with a mind that is renewed as the Word of God is opened and His language, His commands, becomes the focus, the goal, that spiritual mind is now renewed. The more one studies the language, the more one may understand the voice of God--the way He speaks, His still small voice (John 10:27).
Just as learning a new language takes time, so is the renewing of the spirit of one's mind. The influence of the world has been strong, but greater is He who is in us that he who is in the world
(1 John 4:4). The more time you devote your mind to the eternal things, to the Word of God, and to fellowship with your God, the sooner you will learn to be more and more like Jesus.
Application to myself: It's easy for me to think that the little interruptions i commonly allow the world to make, such as cutting short my devotions, will not effect my understanding of God's language, but the less time I spend with Him, the less I will hear Him speak; my God is always speaking, I am just not always listening. He has renewed me, given me a chance to be re-established to the eternal world; I would be a fool to not listen to His instruction. I need to silence the world's voices of distraction, that I may be obedient to the voice of my Saviors sweet invitation to be in fellowship with Him each day.
Second application (for the present): As I embark personally at this time to learn a new language and enter into a foreign language--I will bring prayer into it, for I cannot expect to be able to learn a language apart from the God of all tongues.
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