‘Untransformed mind leads one to hell’

The retired Archbishop of Niger Delta and Bishop of Calabar, The Most Rev. Tunde Adeleye has underscored the need for the natural mind to be transformed so that it can receive the things of God.

He said the world’s mind is jealous, envious, steals, kills, destroys, gets drunk, fights, keeps malice, gets angry, without control, and curses people, including one’s own children, as well as being critical of others, but does not want to be criticised, among others.

Adeleye, who was the Retreatant for the Diocese of Northern Izon Council of Knights Retreat, themed, A Transformed Mind taken from Rom. 12:2, held recently at the Ibru Centre Agbarha-otor, Delta State, argued that the untransformed mind leads one to hell, unless it is transformed by opening one’s heart to Jesus as Lord and Saviour.

The Retreatant enumerated factors that hinder the transformation of mind to include negative mindset, worship of wealth, procrastination. He warned that transformed life should be visible and evident to those around.

The cleric urged the knights to always have continuous contact with the Lord in quiet time, fellowshipping with other believers, and humility to learn as what enhances being transformed. He admonished them to learn from the following chapters of the Bible Ezekiel 2:12-13 and Romans 8:5-8.

In his contribution, the Chaplain of the Knights, The Ven. (Dr) John Torunana, said it is Jesus in the heart that brings transformation. He noted that some people may be attending church gatherings, are conversant with Church terminologies, and might even be knights without the assurance and reality of having Jesus in their hearts.

Sharing his testimony of conversion, Torunana explained that people could be in Church and still be deep in sin and with the untransformed minds. Such people, he said, are still in flesh and enmity with God, and so cannot please Him.

He said: “Those who operate in the flesh cannot please God, no matter what they do. Such people are enemies of God and cannot make heaven. I don’t want to be an enemy of God. I want to make heaven. Is that your resolve too?”