What is our mind focused on?
Romans 8:5-6 “For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally mindedis death; but to be spiritually mindedis life and peace.”
When our thoughts and purposes are on the flesh our mind is directed by our flesh or our body. And this direction of the flesh is not simply a sexual appetite instance as some may naively assume. But when we “mind the things of the flesh” this references all things of the flesh such as pride, ego, judging, or all the carnally minded things that initially come from the tree of knowledge of good and evil (see previous posts). And when our mind is directed by our flesh, our actions and judgment of ourselves and others reflect that direction.
Romans 7:18 ”For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; buthow to perform that which is good I find not.”
We consider what our thoughts and actions should be, and we are “willing” to do what is “good”. But actually performing it when the time comes may be a challenge. For example we consider how we should forgive and love our enemies, but the actual forgiving may seem impossible for us to perform.
Romans 7:23-24 “But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?”
It is impossible for our flesh to perform “good”.But it is not impossible for the Spirit to perform. And when we recognize that, criticism of ourselves and others becomes less, and dependence on the Spirit for understanding becomes greater.
Romans 8:10 “And if Christbe in you, the bodyis dead because of sin; but the Spiritis life because of righteousness.”
There is a process to consider in the transformation from carnal mindedness to spiritual mindedness. If Christ or the Spirit of God is in you, the flesh is “dead”. And the flesh is not the deciding factor because it is “dead”. We have to allow our fleshly ways and thoughts to “die”. There are two deaths. Life through the flesh is actually death is God’s eyes. See previous posts.
Romans 8:13 “For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.”
The ONLY way to mortify (put to death) the deeds of the body is through the Spirit. Our mind can be willing to perform righteousness, but if we are hoping for the strength of the flesh to perform to deed and judge our success, we are bound to fail. We are bound to fail because we are viewing our actions solely through the Law of Works or the carnal judgment the flesh brings with it. And when we also allow the flesh to control AND judge our deeds, we are living by the Law of Works (see post on May 10, 2014). This is our carnal mind living through the tree of knowledge of good and evil, which controls and JUDGES US. Freedom from failure (sin) is never gained through this tree.
The Law of Faith, is our mind surrendering to the unknown power of God to do it and simply let us be. And we keep the hope it will be accomplished in Gods way. It is not our body or mind that performs God’s will but only the Spirit of God can do that.
When we recognize our body and its actions are bound by flesh, our carnal judgment of ourselves [and others] becomes not so relevant or important.
Romans 7:25 “I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.”
Romans 8:23-25 “And not onlythey, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption,to wit, the redemption of our body. For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not,then do we with patience wait forit.”
So when we fail to do that which we think we should, do not despair. The firstfruits of the Spirit, which is our first acknowledgment of our need for the Spirit, will begin to help us. And that help may not be in the way that we think or anticipate it will be. We are to hope for that which we do not yet know to be. That is the true hope by which we are saved [from ourselves]. And when we simply hope for redemption, rather than what we expect that redemption will be, patience for the redemption comes naturally because we are not anticipating something specific.
Luke 12:40 “Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.”
It says our redemption will come in a way and at a time we least expect it. Keep our mind on the Spirit and wait for it, rather than using our “own good” carnal judgment.
Psalm 27:14 “Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.”
Before you act, is your mind waiting on the Spirit?
And are you solely seeing yourself through the eyes of the carnal mind. How does the Spirit of God which does not operate through the carnal mind see you?