"If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; 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 4:21-24
One of the earliest known teachers of painting in Italy was Cennino d'Andrea Cennini. Sometime in the late 1300s or early 1400s he wrote a book called Il libro dell'arte: The Craftsman's Handbook. It was an early “how to” book that covered everything from brushes and paints to detailed instruction on different painting techniques. Cennini recommended a course of study that lasted thirteen years, beginning with long sessions of copying the works of master artists, to prepare the painter. He believed that by learning what greatly skilled artists had done, a young painter would develop proper habits and techniques.
There is a reason that Paul instructs us, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5). When we view things as Christ does and think as He thinks, we will act as He acted. Proper behavior on the outside begins with proper thinking on the inside. Because of the fallen nature of man, our normal thought process is corrupted and cannot be trusted.
Instead, we must learn through the pages of Scripture and the illumination of the Holy Spirit to think with the mind of Christ. The disciples learned this lesson during their time with Jesus, and after He returned to Heaven, their conduct demonstrated their commitment to His way of thinking: “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13).
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