Everyone has things about themselves that they’d like to change. It’s normal to want to improve ourselves and become better people, but sometimes we can fall into the trap of trying to do the job all by ourselves. Everyone has their blind spots, and our self-efforts won’t amount to much because we need someone to point out the areas we need to work on. But with God’s grace, the old characteristics will be replaced with the character of Christ.

Real life transformation is an ongoing process that begins with changing the way we think. There is a continual need to let the Holy Spirit illuminate wrong ways of thinking, even after we’re saved. Renewing our minds lets God clean out the junk that accumulated over the years and replace it with the truth of who we are in Christ. “And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness” (Ephesians 4:23, 24). And just in case we forget, we’re reminded of this in more than one place in the Scriptures. “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” (Romans 12:2).

The world continually reinforces the wrong message and, unless we stay grounded in the Word, we can get confused. Religion tells us that our identity is based on what we do. When we miss the mark and make a mistake, the enemy plays off that and suggests that maybe we aren’t saved after all. The truth is that our identity is firmly rooted in Christ, and nothing can change that, not even our sins. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: the old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Corinthians 5:17, NIV). 

Changing our personality hinges on changing our hearts and minds about who we really are. On our own we’re vulnerable individuals; but in Christ, we’re wise, righteous, holy, sanctified, and redeemed. He makes us perfect because he is perfect.

We can get tripped up if we think about sin the wrong way. Being born again means we’re children of God and sinners no more. Even when our bodies or our souls sin we’re not sinners, because we’re spiritual beings. We need to think of sin as a noun, not a verb, and realize we’re not enslaved to it anymore. “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him” (Romans 6:6-8).

If we want to embrace the phrase “out with the old, in with the new,” it’s imperative that we let the Word of God change our attitudes and mindsets. As we start a brand new year, we must remember that we’re brand new creations in Christ, and our old, sinful self is gone. We are what we think (Proverbs 23:7), and our thoughts can either enhance or hinder our transformation. Letting God guide us guarantees success.